The First Marquis of Daxuan

Su Mu and Huang Yanwang stood facing each other.

suddenly.

Su Mu opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The next moment, he flickered and disappeared into thin air.

"The King of Hell's strength is well-deserved; I have been defeated again."

Su Mu's men had disappeared, but his voice could be heard from afar.

"I'll come back another day to learn from you!"

Elder Jin, Elder Sun, and the Zhao family patriarch exchanged a glance.

They weren't surprised that Su Mu lost, but they were surprised that Huang Yanwang let Su Mu go so easily.

Didn't King Huang say that this time Su Mu must die?

Moreover, despite the immense power he displayed just now, Su Mu didn't seem to be seriously injured when he fled.

suddenly.

They saw Huang Yanwang's figure sway slightly, as if he had stumbled.

Before they could even see clearly, Huang Yanwang's figure had vanished, already back in the city.

Elder Jin had sharp eyesight; he noticed two drops of blood on the ground where King Yama had just stood.

This scene made Elder Jin's heart skip a beat.

Is King Yama injured?

How could Su Mu actually injure Huang Yanwang?
How is this possible?
How long has it been since they first met Su Mu?

At the beginning, Su Mu's strength was similar to theirs.

At the time, they simply didn't want to fight Su Mu to the death, which is why they avoided engaging him in combat.

But now, Elder Jin is very clear that Su Mu's strength has far surpassed theirs.

If they were to fight Su Mu now, they would undoubtedly lose; there would be no doubt about it.

In fact, Su Mu already possesses the strength to injure Huang Yanwang!

It was only after witnessing all of this firsthand that Elder Jin found it even more unbelievable.

He was fully aware of the difference between an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator and a top-tier Dao Source Realm cultivator like Huang Yanwang.

For an ordinary Dao Origin Realm cultivator to reach the level of a powerhouse like Huang Yanwang, even with exceptional talent, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years.

However, Su Mu accomplished this in just over a year.

"Old Jin, am I seeing things? Is King Yama bleeding?"

Elder Sun said in a low voice, his tone revealing disbelief.

"You read that right."

Elder Jin said in a bitter voice.

"How is this possible?"

Elder Sun said.

"Although I also think it's impossible, that's the truth."

He and the Yellow King of Hell fought to a standstill, both suffering heavy losses.

Elder Jin sighed and said, "Old Sun, we need to prepare in advance. What should we do if King Yama really loses?"

The two exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat lost.

…………

"As expected of the Yellow King of Hell."

Su Mu exhaled a breath of stale air and muttered to himself, "As expected, the strongest people in any small world are never simple characters."

I used 100% of my strength, but I could only barely block his killing move and couldn't even counterattack.

It seems that I won't be able to truly defeat him until I learn the Yokoyama Body Refining Technique.

Su Mu felt a little regretful.

The battle he just fought made him realize Huang Yanwang's strength and also his own limitations.

"Before I learn the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, it will be of little use to fight against Huang Yanwang again."

Su Mu frowned in thought, but he hadn't killed Elder Jin and Elder Sun yet. If he returned to Hengshan Sect, Xu Gu might use this as an excuse to make things difficult for him.

"Although my current strength may not be weaker than Xu Gu's, Xu Gu is, after all, an elder of the Hengshan Sect's Punishment Hall. If I want to learn the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, then I have to follow the rules of the Hengshan Sect."

Yanfu Sect…

To be honest, Su Mu didn't mind working for Hengshan Sect, since he had borrowed the identity of a Hengshan Sect disciple and had indeed gained some benefits from the sect.

But Su Mu didn't actually want to kill Elder Jin and Elder Sun of the Yanfu Sect.

To put it simply, he had no personal grudge against Yanfuzong.

Looking further ahead, he might become an ally of the Jambudvipa sect in the future.

As the saying goes, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.

Yanfu Sect has always been at odds with the Great Qian Dynasty, and Su Mu will most likely become an enemy of the Great Qian Dynasty in the future.

In a sense, he and Yanfuzong were allies.

If we kill Elder Jin and Elder Sun of the Yanfu Sect now, it will be more troublesome to cooperate with the Yanfu Sect in the future.

What's more, there's also the Yellow King of Hell now.

King Yama could not possibly allow him to kill Elder Jin and Elder Sun.

"Perhaps I can negotiate a deal with the two of them..."

Su Mu thought to himself.

…………

Within the city controlled by the Zhao family.

Elder Jin walked out from a courtyard.

As soon as he came out, Elder Sun went to greet him.

That courtyard was where Huang Yanwang lived. Elder Sun didn't like dealing with Huang Yanwang, so Jin Xinglao would report anything to him.

"So, what did King Yama say?"

Elder Sun asked in a low voice, "Is his injury serious?"

"The injury has long since healed."

Elder Jin shook his head and said, "However, he does not agree to our retreat."

"I knew it. Huang Yanwang's only defeat in his life was at the hands of those generals of the Great Qian Dynasty. How could he admit defeat and leave here?"

He came here to destroy the Hengshan Sect. If he leaves now, it will be a complete defeat. How could he possibly accept that?

Elder Sun said.

"To do something you know is impossible is not heroic, it's foolish."

Elder Jin said, "The strength of Hengshan Sect is clearly stronger than we expected."

A single peak master has already blocked us here. What's the point of us continuing?

Even with the addition of King Yama, we alone could not possibly cause chaos in the Hengshan Sect.

Since it's impossible, we should cut our losses now.

At least now we know that the Yokoyama Clan is stronger than we expected, so this isn't a complete defeat.

"It's no use telling me all this. I understand all these principles. You have to convince King Yama."

Elder Sun said, "Huang Yanwang is the one in charge of this operation."

"He's too stubborn."

Elder Jin sighed, "He said that even if he were to give up, he would have to wait until he killed Su Mu."

He is currently in seclusion cultivating a deadly technique, and he is confident that he can kill Su Mu the next time Su Mu comes.

"He's said that several times. If it were someone else, he might be able to do it, but Su Mu, I really don't have high hopes for him."

Elder Sun said speechlessly.

As the two were talking, the Zhao family patriarch suddenly rushed over.

"Elders, an old friend wishes to meet you."

"The Zhao family patriarch said in a low voice."

…………

"It's really you."

Elder Jin looked at Su Mu with a wary expression on his face.

He looked around and only breathed a sigh of relief when he found no ambush.

"Su Mu, what do you mean by wanting to see us?"

Elder Sun shouted loudly, glancing back at the direction of the city.

At this distance, if they were to fight, it would immediately alert the Yellow King of Hell in the city.

No matter how strong Su Mu is, it's impossible for him to kill the two of them before Huang Yanwang arrives.

So they weren't flustered at all; instead, they wanted to see what Su Mu meant by inviting them over so mysteriously.

"I'd like to make a deal with you two."

Su Mu smiled faintly and said.

"Make a deal with us? Su Mu, are you kidding me?"

Elder Sun couldn't help but say.

Elder Jin's face showed a thoughtful expression.

He looked at Su Mu and asked in a deep voice, "What kind of deal do you want to make with us?"

"Old Jin, don't be fooled by him! He's the peak master of Hengshan Sect. Hengshan Sect is a staunch lackey of the Great Qian Dynasty, and they are sworn enemies of our Yanfu Sect!"

Elder Sun said urgently.

As is well known, the Hengshan Sect is a staunch supporter of the Daqian Dynasty, and several of the Daqian Dynasty's generals are from the Hengshan Sect.

The current sect leader of the Yokoyama Sect and the current emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty are sworn brothers.

It is impossible for Yokoyama Sect to betray the Great Qian Dynasty.

The reason why their Yanfu Sect wanted to deal with the Hengshan Sect was precisely to sever one of the arms of the Great Qian Dynasty.
"Let's hear what he has to say first?"

Elder Jin said in a deep voice.

"I think--"

Su Mu smiled faintly and said, "I'll borrow your two heads for a bit."

"I knew he had no good intentions!"

Elder Sun roared, "Su Mu, do you think you can kill both of us?"

I admit you're very strong now, but neither of us are pushovers.

"It's easy for you to defeat us, but it's impossible for you to kill us!"

Elder Jin wasn't as excited as Elder Sun; instead, he stared intently at Su Mu.

If Su Mu really wanted to kill them both, the best way would be to launch a sneak attack.

Instead of saying it in front of both of them.

To put it bluntly, after Su Mu said that, it was no longer possible to kill the two of them.

Even if they're both stupid, do you think they can't escape from King Yama's side?

Su Mu is no match for Huang Yanwang yet.

“Su Mu, let’s not beat around the bush. If you’ve come here to spout nonsense, then there’s no need for us to continue this conversation.”

Elder Jin said in a deep voice, "You'd better just say it."

"Elder Jin is the wisest."

Su Mu said with a smile, "I want to kill you two, but I don't want you to die either."

"You think you can just kill us whenever you want?"

Elder Sun roared angrily. He was, after all, an elder of the Yanfu Sect, a dignified Dao Origin Realm expert. How dare you, a mere peak master of the Hengshan Sect, come up here shouting for me to fight and kill? Do you really not consider us strong?
"Old Sun, don't say anything yet!"

Before Su Mu could speak, Elder Jin said in a deep voice.

He had already sensed the strangeness in Su Mu's words.

"I want the two of you to fake your deaths for a while."

Su Mu smiled faintly and said.

He knew that Elder Jin was a smart man; otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of coming to the two of them to discuss such a deal.

If everyone had Elder Sun's personality, Su Mu wouldn't even consider the trade; he would choose to directly complete the Hengshan Sect's mission.

"I understand."

Elder Jin said in a deep voice, "You want to use our two heads to curry favor with Hengshan Sect, but you don't really want to fight us to the death, so you want to make a deal with us and let us fake our deaths."

However, given your personality, you shouldn't be afraid to fight to the death. So, you're not refusing to kill us because you don't want to risk your life; you just don't want to make enemies with the Yanfu Sect.

But given your personality, you shouldn't be afraid of the Yanfu Sect.

Elder Sun was completely confused.

What are the various meanings behind this convoluted explanation?
Who has Su Mu, a madman, ever been afraid of?

He dared to fight to the death with King Yama, so why would he be afraid of making an enemy of Yama's sect?

What exactly is Lao Jin trying to say by going around in circles?
Elder Sun glanced at Elder Jin, then at Su Mu, and cursed inwardly.

I hate people like this the most. They can't just speak clearly; they try to make themselves seem smart by beating around the bush!

"Actually, after I met you, I had someone investigate you."

Elder Jin continued, "Among the true disciples of Zhenyue Peak of Hengshan Sect, there is indeed one named Su Mu. He went down the mountain to travel hundreds of years ago and then disappeared without a trace. No one knows where he went."

The Great Qian Dynasty ruled over many small worlds. You may have gone to one of those small worlds for training, so it's not surprising that you haven't heard from me.

After all, the territory ruled by the Great Qian Dynasty was too vast, and the transmission of information was sometimes not so smooth.

But I happen to know that in a place called the Saha World, there is also a powerful being named Su Mu.

As far as I know, Su Mu went from a commoner to a top expert in just a few decades.

When I first heard of this person's existence, I was somewhat surprised by his talent.

Now it seems that Su Mu must be a true disciple of the Hengshan Sect, hiding his identity.

"If Su Mu of the Saha World is an alias of a true disciple of the Yokoyama Sect, then everything can be explained."

A true disciple of the Yokoyama Sect, already a Heavenly Fate Realm expert upon descending the mountain, would naturally be a devastating blow to a small world where martial arts were in decline.

Elder Jin stared at Su Mu and spoke slowly.

Elder Sun was stunned; it was the first time he had ever heard Elder Jin mention these things.

I must say, it sounds incredibly exciting.

As expected of Lao Jin, he managed to dig up something like this.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Su Mu clapped his hands, a look of appreciation on his face.

He hadn't expected Elder Jin to make such a connection.

Logically speaking, Elder Jin's guess is almost flawless.

Even Su Mu, the person in question, thought it made a lot of sense.

In truth, without the system panel, Su Mu would never have been able to rise from a commoner to a Heavenly Fate Realm expert in just a few decades.

Conversely, if it were truly a powerful expert at the Heavenly Fate Realm disguised as a refugee and gradually revealed his strength to the outside world, then that would be quite reasonable.

It's remarkable that Elder Jin would think of me just because of a name.

However, although Elder Jin guessed the truth—that Su Mu of the Saha World and Su Mu of the Hengshan Sect were indeed the same person—his reasoning was completely wrong.

"You went to the Saha World to gain experience while hiding your identity, but during the process, you developed feelings for the Saha World. Perhaps you made friends or found a lover there, so you are unwilling to let the Saha World fall into the clutches of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Elder Jin continued, "But you are a disciple of the Hengshan Sect, so you cannot openly rebel against the Great Qian Dynasty."

So you've placed your hopes on our Jambudvipa sect.

You want Jambudvipa to save the Saha world.

This is the fundamental reason why you want to do business with us!
"Su Mu, am I right?"

Elder Jin stared intently at Su Mu.

Only after Su Mu nodded did his face show excitement.

"Whatever the reason, this deal should be beneficial to you."

Su Mu smiled faintly and said, "You two are already on Hengshan Sect's kill list. If I can't kill you, Hengshan Sect will send someone even stronger to kill you."

You will all surely die then.

Don't expect the Yellow King of Hell to protect you; he might not be able to.

"What benefits would we get if we cooperated with you to fake your death?"

Elder Jin said in a deep voice.

"Since it's a transaction, there must be a price to pay."

After we fake our deaths, you've rendered meritorious service; what will we receive in return?

"I allow you to take the Zhao family's experts away."

Su Mudao.

Do you think we would even look down on those people from the Zhao family?

Elder Jin shook his head and said, "That's not enough."

When bargaining, he naturally tried his best to belittle the Zhao family.

Fortunately, the Zhao family members were not present; otherwise, they would have fought Yan Fuzong to the death upon hearing such words.

Their Zhao family is one of the best among the vassals of Hengshan Sect, so why are they looked down upon like this?

"Let me put it this way: if we cooperate with you to fake your death, then all the arrangements our Yanfu Sect has made within the Hengshan Sect's territory will be in vain."

Do you know how many arrangements we've made within the territory of the Yokoyama sect?

Do you know how much we paid?
All these years of hard work, are they going to be wasted just because we cooperate with you? What price do you think we need to pay to make up for our losses?

Elder Jin said in a deep voice.

"is it?"

Su Mu said calmly, "Do you think your Yanfu Sect could really accomplish anything even without our deal?"
Huang Yanwang can't even beat me, a peak master. What do you think of the strength of our Hengshan Sect?
You were already doomed to defeat; I'm just giving you a way out.

Therefore, Elder Jin, don't ask for too much.

You need to understand that if we really can't reach an agreement, I might as well actually kill both of you.

Don't doubt it, I can do it.

"Unless you two flee the Great Qian Dynasty immediately, no one can save the person I, Su Mu, want to kill."

"If the people do not fear death, why should they be frightened by it?"

Elder Jin was not afraid, but calmly said, "When we came to the Great Qian Dynasty to carry out our mission, we were already prepared to die in battle."

Death itself is not frightening; what is frightening is dying without purpose.

Su Mu, you don't need to threaten us with death.

I'm fine with faking my death, but I can't do a losing business.

If you're not sincere, then we're ready to fight to the death.

Elder Sun, standing nearby, exuded a powerful aura, clearly prepared to fight to the death.

Elder Jin gave him an annoyed look. "Are you really going to fight to the death? Didn't you realize I was trying to bargain?"

Didn't you see that Su Mu showed no killing intent whatsoever?

These are all negotiation techniques.

Neither Su Mu nor Elder Jin paid any attention to Elder Sun. The two of them went back and forth, bargaining.

It took Elder Sun a long while to react.

He awkwardly suppressed his breathing.

These two guys are so uncooperative; if they're going to fight, they should just fight.

How did Su Mu become like this?

Didn't you say you'd fight anytime soon?

I'm still not used to using my brain all of a sudden.

Elder Sun pursed his lips, then simply walked to the side and sat down, waiting for Elder Jin and Su Mu to reach a conclusion.

After a long while, Elder Jin sighed.

"If anyone ever tells me again that you're crazy, I'll spit in their face."

Elder Jin looked at Su Mu and said, "You are the most difficult opponent I have ever encountered."

No wonder you caused such a commotion in that mortal world.

“Likewise. Elder Jin, it’s a waste of your talents to be just an ordinary elder in the Yanfu Sect. If you are willing to come to the Saha World, I can reserve a place for you.”

Su Mu smiled faintly and said.

Since the other party already knows that he has a connection with the Saha world, there is no need for him to hide it anymore.

The Yanfu Sect may know these things, but the Hengshan Sect may not.

Besides, he could also use Elder Jin's guess to fool the Hengshan Sect.

"Then forget it. Your Saha world can't compare to Jambudvipa."

Elder Jin shook his head and said, "I might consider recruiting you when you become a Dao Realm expert. Right now—"

Although Elder Jin did not finish his sentence, his meaning was clear.

You are not yet qualified to serve me.

"alright."

Su Mu smiled faintly and said, "Remember, the gate to this world is always open for you."

Elder Jin remained noncommittal and got back to the main point, "Su Mu, it's easy for me and Old Sun to fake our deaths, but King Yama won't cooperate with us. He said he won't leave here unless he kills you."

So you need to deal with Huang Yanwang yourself; either persuade him to make a deal, or you have to defeat him and drive him out of Hengshan Sect's territory.

A sly glint flashed deep in Elder Jin's eyes.

This was also a trap he set for Su Mu.

He and Elder Sun could fake their deaths and leave, but if King Yama Huang didn't leave, Su Mu's troubles couldn't be resolved.

Anyway, he and Elder Sun took their benefits and left, and the rest was none of their business. Whether Su Mu could gain credit for Hengshan Sect was even less of a concern for them.

Su Mu gave Elder Jin a deep look, his expression unchanged.

"Our deal was just for the two of you to fake your deaths and leave. You don't need to worry about Huang Yanwang's affairs."

Su Mu said calmly, "However, I can tell you that it won't be long before Huang Yanwang leaves Hengshan Sect's territory on his own, if he can leave alive."

Su Mu's words were quite meaningful.

"We will meet again."

Elder Jin wasn't worried about King Yama; how could someone like King Yama be so easy to kill?

Even for Su Mu and Hengshan Sect, it wouldn't be easy to keep Huang Yanwang alive.

He couldn't persuade Huang Yanwang, but it wasn't his place to worry about Huang Yanwang's safety.

What Su Mu didn't know was that they had already planned to leave. Now that Su Mu had come to them, they could make another profit off him.

Both Su Mu and Elder Jin had smiles on their faces, each feeling that they had gotten the better deal.

"I hope that when we meet next time, we will be friends, not enemies."

Su Mu said with a smile, "Otherwise, your luck won't be as good as it is now next time."

"Will do."

Elder Jin gave Su Mu a deep look. “Su Mu, I have never misjudged anyone. The first time I saw you, I knew you were not the kind of person who would be content to be subservient to others, and you would not accept the rule of the Great Qian Dynasty.”

Sooner or later, you will become an enemy of the Great Qian Dynasty. At that time, we will be friends, not enemies.

I believe that day is not far off.

I'll be waiting for you at Yanfu Sect! (End of Chapter)