Wandering Swordsman |

Shen Mo walked along the street leading to the welcoming building as he remembered it, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

He remembered the day he entered Yingbinlou with Zhao Xue; at that time, the waiter's expression and words concealed a subtle tension. Now, in order to uncover the secrets behind Master Ma, Shen Mo decided to go to Yingbinlou again.

The Yingbin Building sits on a bustling street corner in Liaocheng, its three-story structure standing out prominently in the night. Two red lanterns hang at the entrance, their flickering light creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. However, Shen Mo knows that beneath this seemingly peaceful surface lie countless secrets and dangers.

Standing in front of the welcoming building, Shen Mo took a deep breath, recalling his experience that day. Back then, Zhao Xue mentioned her uncle—Zhao Qingyun—and the waiter's reaction upon hearing this name aroused his suspicion. Shen Mo understood that to find the truth, he had to start with this mysterious waiter.

After a moment's thought, Shen Mo decided to wait until late at night to take action. He knew that during the day, with people coming and going, he would easily attract attention; while nighttime was the best time. So, he found a secluded spot in the nearby shadows and quietly waited for time to pass.

At midnight, the entire city seemed swallowed by darkness, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog. Shen Mo found a black cloth from somewhere and covered his face, leaving only his sharp eyes visible. He cautiously approached the guesthouse and, by the moonlight, easily found the window leading to the waiter's quarters.

The window was slightly ajar. Shen Mo slowly opened it without making a sound. He then gracefully vaulted into the room, his movements as silent as a ghost.

A faint herbal scent filled the room, clearly the medicine the waiter used regularly. Shen Mo quickly looked around, confirming that there was only one person in the room. The waiter was lying on the bed, fast asleep. However, just as Shen Mo was about to take further action, the waiter suddenly woke up, as if he had heard some noise.

"Who? Who's there?" The waiter's voice was tinged with panic, clearly startled by the sudden turn of events.

Seeing this, Shen Mo quickly hid behind a large cabinet, holding his breath and remaining motionless. The waiter looked around and, finding no one in sight, breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down on the bed. "I must have been imagining things," he muttered to himself, trying to calm himself down.

Just as the waiter closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep again, Shen Mo suddenly appeared in front of the bed. He moved swiftly, covering the waiter's mouth with one hand and grabbing his shoulder tightly with the other, pulling him up abruptly.

Before the waiter could react, he was firmly restrained by Shen Mo. He struggled a few times, but found that he couldn't break free from Shen Mo's hold. Shen Mo looked at him coldly, his eyes filled with undeniable authority.

"Don't make a sound, or don't blame me for being ruthless," Shen Mo said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of threat.

The waiter was so frightened he dared not move, his eyes filled with terror. Shen Mo released his grip, but still held him tightly, dragging him away from the inn.

Soon, Shen Mo, accompanied by the waiter, arrived at the woods outside the city. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, adding a touch of mystery to the quiet grove.

As soon as the waiter stepped into the woods, he immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, his voice trembling slightly: "Great hero, I rarely offend anyone, and I have an elderly mother and a wife and children at home. Please, great hero, spare me."

Shen Mo looked at the kneeling waiter and pondered to himself. Judging from his behavior just now, this man wasn't very discreet; perhaps a little scare would make him reveal the truth. "It seems this waiter isn't very tight-lipped. Maybe scaring him will reveal Master Ma's whereabouts," Shen Mo thought.

So he stared intently at the waiter with a threatening tone, his voice cold and firm: "I want to know about Master Ma's background, and about Tu Qingyun of Liaocheng."

Upon hearing this, the waiter's face immediately showed terror, his body trembled slightly, and his voice became hoarse: "Sir, this is something I absolutely cannot say! If I betray Master Ma, his men will kill my entire family!!!"

Shen Mo sneered, his eyes radiating an undeniable authority: "As for that, you can rest assured. There are only the two of us in this forest now, and no one saw me take you away. Just pretend nothing happened when you get back."

The waiter remained silent, clearly still hesitant. Seeing this, Shen Mo raised his voice, coldly saying, "If you don't speak now, I'll make sure your whole family doesn't see the sunrise tomorrow!!!"

The waiter's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror. His lips trembled as he whispered, "Sir, I'm telling you this. If you go looking for trouble with Master Ma, please don't mention that I told you."

Shen Mo nodded, signaling him to continue. "Then tell me about Master Ma's background first."

The waiter took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. He slowly recalled, "Master Ma only came to this town before the end of last year. At that time, I only knew that he came to find Tu Qingyun, the owner of the 'Yunlai Teahouse' in Liaocheng, to do a big deal."

Shen Mo interrupted, "What big deal?"

The waiter shook his head, his voice hesitant: "I don't know exactly what kind of big deal it was. However, not long after Master Ma arrived here, Tu Qingyun, the owner of 'Yunlai Teahouse,' and all the other staff members disappeared. According to Master Ma, they went to open teahouses elsewhere. And 'Yunlai Teahouse' is now being run by Master Ma."

Shen Mo frowned slightly, his doubts deepening. "And then?"

The waiter continued, "Not long after, a group of martial arts practitioners came to the Yunlai Teahouse and caused trouble. Master Ma and the other staff members were all tied up by those martial arts practitioners and taken outside the city."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo interrupted again, asking, "What happened to those martial arts figures afterward?"

The waiter trembled all over, his voice almost choked as he recalled that terrifying experience: "...A few days later, I went out of town on business and encountered a bear in the woods. I didn't think twice and just ran for my life. When I finally escaped, I found myself lost in the forest. I walked towards the direction of the rising sun and soon came across an old house. When I entered the house, I found many dead bodies lying inside. Looking closely at their clothing, I realized that most of them were martial arts practitioners, and some were dressed as employees of the Yunlai Teahouse. I was terrified and immediately turned and ran away."

At this point, the waiter took a breath and continued, "But before I could run more than a few steps, I ran into Master Ma and some men coming to the old house. I was almost killed by them, but luckily Master Ma said that keeping me alive would be of some use. So I escaped by sheer luck, but from that moment on, I was forced to join Master Ma's gang—the Black Wind Gang."

"It's the Black Wind Gang again..." Shen Mo was startled, then continued thoughtfully, "So that's how it is. Now, tell me more about Tu Qingyun."