Wandering Swordsman |

"A wanderer from Jinzhou." After a moment's thought, Shen Mo slowly uttered the four words, his voice low and firm, like a pronouncement.

The middle-aged man's face instantly turned pale, a flicker of fear and confusion crossing his eyes. "I've never heard of such a person in the martial world... cough, cough..." he said with his last breath, his words punctuated by painful coughs, "But remember this, the Blood Shadow Pavilion will not let you go..."

The middle-aged man's voice grew weaker and weaker, each word seeming to drain all his strength. His eyes began to blur, and his consciousness slowly faded. Yet, in his final moments, he still wanted to convey a threat, a warning—even in his fallen state, the Blood Shadow Tower would not easily let any offender go unpunished.

After uttering this threatening statement, the middle-aged man, the leader of the men in black, slowly closed his eyes, completely losing his life. His body went limp, collapsing to the ground, motionless. Moonlight shone upon him, illuminating an eerie silence.

Shen Mo stood there, gazing at everything before him, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. He knew he had just stepped into a far more dangerous world, a world filled with unknown enemies and unpredictable challenges. But at this moment, he had to deal with the situation at hand first.

He gently moved the blade aside, sheathed the sword, and turned to face the woman who was still lying in the darkness.

As the fighting stopped, the girl lying on the bed kept her eyes tightly closed, seemingly unable to face the bloody scene.

Shen Mo had already arrived beside the bed. In the darkness, Shen Mo whispered, "Miss, you are safe now."

The woman slowly opened her eyes, but all she could see was darkness; she could only vaguely make out Shen Mo's figure.

A look of relief and gratitude appeared in the woman's eyes. She spoke softly, "Thank you for saving me, young hero. Please light a candle and help release my pressure points."

After hearing this, Shen Mo bent down and reached out to grope around the bedside for a moment before finally taking the extinguished candle from the bedside. Then, he closed his eyes tightly and carefully walked out of the room.

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight spilled into the courtyard like a layer of silver frost. He found a spot where the moonlight was not obstructed, gently blew on it to light the tinderbox he carried with him, and lit a candle in its dim light. The candlelight flickered, illuminating his profile with a hint of determination and tenderness.

Carrying the candle, Shen Mo stepped back into the room. To avoid offending the woman, he closed his eyes again and felt his way forward with his hands. "Miss, I'll come and release your pressure points right away."

When he reached the head of the bed, he gently placed the candle on the bedside table. Then he reached out to the bedside and began to feel around. After a moment, Shen Mo's fingers touched a strand of soft, long hair.

The sudden contact startled him slightly, but he quickly continued his exploration downwards. When he touched the woman's neck, she softly instructed, "Young hero, continue downwards. The first acupoint is located at the collarbone."

"Yes, right there. Inject your inner energy there three times to unlock it." The woman's voice was calm and clear, echoing in the quiet room. Shen Mo followed the instructions, holding his breath and concentrating, slowly channeling his inner energy into the designated spot. With three slight tremors, the first acupoint was unlocked.

However, the woman still couldn't get up. She said softly, "Young hero, thank you. But that person pressed two of my pressure points, and you've only released one."

Shen Mo, his eyes tightly closed, frowned slightly and asked, "Miss, what is the other acupoint?"

The woman explained, "Turn me over; this is the central acupoint on my back." Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, but was also full of trust.

Because Shen Mo's eyes were closed, his hand accidentally touched a spot he shouldn't have while turning the woman over. The woman gave a soft groan but didn't say anything, but Shen Mo keenly noticed this subtle change in her voice. Realizing his rudeness, he immediately withdrew his hands, his face slightly flushed, inwardly blaming himself for being too rash.

"I'm sorry, young lady," Shen Mo apologized softly, his voice tinged with remorse and nervousness. "Please give me another chance."

The woman replied softly, "It's alright, young hero, please continue."

After receiving permission, Shen Mo took a deep breath and tried to turn the woman over again. This time he was more careful and his movements were gentler. Finally, the woman was successfully turned over, her back facing Shen Mo.

Following the woman's instructions, Shen Mo explored her back for a long time, his fingers tracing the skin, searching for hidden acupoints. Every inch of her skin conveyed different information until he finally found the crucial point.

"Is this the place?" Shen Mo asked, confirming.

"That's right." The woman nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Shen Mo concentrated his mind, gathering his inner strength at his fingertips, and gently pressed down. In an instant, a warm power surged into the woman's body, spreading along her meridians. As the second acupoint was released, the woman felt a sense of relief, and her body regained its freedom.

Just then, the woman sat up swiftly, her movements astonishingly agile. Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately applied pressure points to Shen Mo. Her fingers moved with the lightness of the wind, lightly touching Shen Mo's pressure points, seemingly effortlessly. Then, she quickly got up, walked to the bedside, picked up the clothes scattered on the floor, and quickly dressed herself. Each piece of clothing seemed to come alive in her hands, being put on quickly and accurately.

Shen Mo was taken aback, but this momentary daze wasn't due to curiosity about why the woman had pressed his pressure points; rather, it was because of a peculiar feeling—he was actually unharmed. A flicker of doubt crossed Shen Mo's mind, but he quickly remembered his unique constitution. His "Mirror Man" constitution set him apart; his pressure points were reversed compared to ordinary people, which explained why the attack had had no effect on him. At that moment, a flash of sudden realization crossed his eyes.

Thinking of this, Shen Mo had a sudden inspiration and decided to play along, pretending that he had been successfully acupunctured. He deliberately stiffened his body and remained still, as if he had truly lost the ability to move. He narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the woman's every move, trying to see what she was up to.

So, Shen Mo opened his eyes and pretended to be very anxious, saying, "Miss, what are you doing?!"

The woman stood by the bed, her hands clutching the clothes she had just put on, her eyes filled with both anger and shame. She looked directly at Shen Mo, her voice firm and unwavering: "Since ancient times, men and women have been forbidden from touching each other. Not only have you seen me naked, but you've also touched my body. This can't just be left like this!"

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft, silvery glow on her face, but it couldn't conceal the turmoil within her heart. Her eyes, like the brightest star in the night sky, were both piercing and icy, as if questioning Shen Mo.

Shen Mo was shocked; he had never expected things to turn out this way.

"Miss," Shen Mo's voice was slightly heavy, "the culprit behind this is that middle-aged man in black." He tried to change the subject and direct attention to a more pressing issue.