Wandering Swordsman |

He secretly rejoiced: thankfully they hadn't aroused suspicion, otherwise tonight's operation would have been a complete failure. On the surface, however, he feigned a frightened expression, repeatedly bowing and saying, "Thank you, thank you!"

He turned and strode away quickly, his steps seemingly hurried, yet each one as steady as a rock. Inwardly, however, he sneered, "These servants of the Beiming family are easier to deal with than I imagined."

The wind and snow continued, and he walked through the snow with the lightness of a cat, barely disturbing a single snowflake.

Before long, a secluded courtyard came into view—its green tiles were covered in snow, and the three characters "Jingxin Courtyard" on the gate plaque were faintly visible in the wind and snow. Shen Mo stood in front of the gate, took a deep breath, and the cold air entered his lungs, but it made his mind even clearer. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door knocker.

"Who is it?" A low shout came from inside the door, the tone impatient and authoritative, like a tiger whose peaceful dream had been disturbed.

Shen Mo lowered his voice, mimicking the timid tone typical of a servant, his voice trembling slightly: "Third Elder, I am Xiao Chen, and I have important matters to report."

The door creaked open, and Bei Mingji stood inside, his face contorted with displeasure in the candlelight. "Disturbing my peace and quiet so late!" he snapped. "You'd better have something important to say!"

Shen Mo lowered his head slightly, his voice low and deep: "Third Elder, we just found some suspicious footprints in the backyard. It seems someone has infiltrated."

"Nonsense!" Bei Mingji waved his hand dismissively. "It's so late, and you're still spouting nonsense! My Bei Ming family is heavily guarded, and there have been continuous blizzards lately. If you want to infiltrate, your martial arts skills would at least be at the level of the leaders of the nine major sects."

Shen Mo suddenly raised his head, the frightening expression on his face vanishing instantly, revealing his true appearance. Bei Mingji's pupils contracted sharply, and he took a step back in shock: "You...who are you?" His fingers had already subtly gripped a hidden weapon in his sleeve, his voice filled with surprise and wariness.

"Elder Beiming," Shen Mo's voice was as calm as a deep pool, yet it carried an undeniable pressure, "I am an envoy sent by the Flame Demon Lord."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished like smoke in an instant—as if a candle flame had been blown away by the wind, and his figure had disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, Bei Mingji felt a chill on the back of his neck, a coldness like a venomous snake burrowing into his meridians, his limbs instantly stiffened, and even his breathing froze.

"You..." His voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with terror. As the third elder of the Beiming family, he believed that his martial arts skills were not weak, but the other party had managed to subdue his acupoints without him noticing. This kind of agility was beyond the reach of ordinary masters.

Shen Mo slowly walked around to him, his expression calm, and took out a black and gold token from his bosom. The front of the token was engraved with a blazing demonic rune, like flames soaring into the sky, and the back had an ancient seal character "炎" (Yan), which faintly exuded a scorching aura—it was the token of the Flame Demon Lord.

Bei Mingji's eyes widened, his breath almost stopping. He naturally recognized the token! Looking at the young man before him, who was only in his early twenties, he possessed unpredictable movements and a calm demeanor, with the air of a grandmaster in every gesture—it was impossible for someone other than a member of the Heavenly Demon God Sect to have such high-level martial arts skills!

His mind was in turmoil: This person, who possessed the Flame Demon Lord's token and had such cultivation at such a young age, must be a confidant of the Flame Demon Lord! He had dared to rebuke him just now; he had simply courted death!

"I was unaware of your arrival, Your Majesty. I have been very rude!" Bei Mingji's voice trembled, his tone shifting from shock and anger to fear.

Shen Mo's gaze was icy, but he didn't say much. He simply flicked his sleeve and released the pressure points.

As soon as the pressure points were released, Bei Mingji immediately knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the blue bricks heavily with a dull thud: "This subordinate was unaware of the envoy's identity and spoke rudely; I deserve to die!"

Shen Mo walked slowly to the only carved wooden stool in the room, sat down gently, his clothes fluttering lightly, like snow falling silently.

His expression was as calm as a lake, but his eyes were unfathomable, as if they could see into the most hidden corners of people's hearts.

"Bei Mingji," he said calmly, yet each word was firm and unwavering, "I've come here for no other reason than to know the Bei Ming family's attitude after the envoy from the overseas heretical cultivators visited them."

Bei Mingji dared not raise his head, his voice kept extremely low, yet he dared not conceal anything: "The patriarch... did not accept the proposal from the overseas heretical cultivators, nor did he refuse on the spot. He simply treated them with courtesy, hosted a banquet for three days, and then respectfully saw them off at the mountain gate. To the outside world, he declared that the Bei Ming family swore to defend the righteous path of the Central Plains to the death and would never collude with heretical cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo understood: What a cunning old fox who bets on both sides! If the martial arts alliance wins, the Beiming family will be seen as loyal and righteous; if the evil cultivators overseas gain power, they have already laid the groundwork and left room for maneuver.

He lowered his gaze slightly and continued, "Who are the important figures in the Beiming family now? What are their relationships? Tell me about them one by one, starting from the patriarch."

Although Bei Mingji found the question abrupt, he dared not be negligent and could only begin with the patriarch, Bei Mingzhen, and then proceed to introduce the elders, young masters, young ladies, and even close relatives from collateral branches. When he spoke of the second young master, Bei Mingshuang, he paused slightly: "The second young master, Bei Mingshuang, is exceptionally talented. Although he is not the heir, he is highly valued by the patriarch. He usually stays at Tingxue Courtyard and rarely shows his face..."

A glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes, but he remained impassive. This Bei Ming Shuang was none other than the other spy from the Bei Ming family on the list who was secretly colluding with the Flame Demon Lord! Shen Mo naturally knew that although both Bei Ming Shuang and Bei Ming Ji were secretly working with the Flame Demon Lord, neither of them knew the other's identity as a spy for the Heavenly Demon God Sect. That's why Shen Mo had been subtly trying to find out about Bei Ming Shuang.

After asking the question, Shen Mo slowly rose, his robes fluttering lightly like a night breeze rustling through pine branches. He said nothing more, only calmly stating, "What happened tonight must not be revealed. If there are any other unusual movements, the Flame Demon Lord will send you a secret message."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished like smoke, the candlelight remained unlit, and he had disappeared without a trace, as if he had never existed.

Bei Mingji remained kneeling, his inner shirt soaked with cold sweat. He slowly raised his head, his heart still churning with shock, yet a secret sense of relief quietly rose within him—no matter how the Martial Alliance and the overseas evil cultivators fought, as long as his connection with the Heavenly Demon Sect remained intact, he would always be invincible.

Outside the window, the wind and snow intensified, like a thousand horses galloping across the land, the vast sky and earth swallowing everything in a silvery white. The ghostly figure had already blended into the boundless night, leaving no trace on the snow, and sped towards the Listening Snow Courtyard in the east—his robes fluttering, it seemed even the wind made way for him.

Listening Snow Courtyard was as quiet as an ancient tomb, with only the dripping water droplets from the eaves striking the snow and making soft "tap, tap" sounds, like the pendulum of a countdown clock. Shen Mo, like a snow shadow, silently landed inside the courtyard. He didn't go through any trouble, simply following the same procedure—disguising himself and knocking on the door, all in one smooth motion.