"Sir, what is it you wish to say? I find it a bit unclear."
The old man's face was as dark as night, his eyes gleaming with murder, staring at Chen Mo intently. With his hands behind his back, his fingers turning into claws, he crouched down and leaned in close to Chen Mo, managing a grimacing smile.
"Fei Long Xie, who was once pursued by the Iron Gate all his life and had to seek refuge in the Ning Wang's palace, asked, 'How can it be that you, who served as a bodyguard for the Ning Wang's son three hundred years ago, are now in such dire straits?'"
"Right, back then the Ning Wang's son was arrested on charges of treason, and all the servants in the Ning Wang's mansion were implicated. Yet you received wind of it and escaped early. To repay your master's kindness, you deliberately sought to take revenge on me, but you were deterred by Zhen Wushi……"
Chen Mo recounted the old man's past, word by word, watching as the latter's face turned increasingly pale. The old man stepped back slightly, his right hand trembling as he pointed at Chen Mo, "You... You are... How could you... It's impossible... It should have been you who died, how could you...".
"At the time, you worked for Ning Wang and didn't die either. How can I die before you? You're right, Iron-Clawed Flying Dragon, Xie Feilong,"
Chen Mo smiled faintly and continued, "I never thought that it was just a few subordinates of the Zhenwu Bureau who scared you into a state of disarray back then. But now, you dare to surround and hunt down the twin heroes of the empire, Pei Jiangnan and Xie Feilong. What a huge amount of audacity you have! If I hadn't recognized you, we might both have been deceived by your acting skills."
Chen Mo's words were like precious gems, directly revealing Xie Feilong's identity. A five-level expert three hundred years ago, how could he possibly be content with being an anonymous inn servant in this wilderness?
"If you were not killed three hundred years ago, today I will personally strike you down here. The prince's heir had an obligation to me, and I couldn't fulfill it for him at that time. Today, I will make it up."
Xie Feilong's hands formed into claws, striking towards Chen Mo like an eagle's talons.
Xie Feilong, also known as Iron-Clawed Flying Dragon, was renowned for his prowess in hand-to-hand combat. His steel-clawed fists had carved out a name for themselves across the Jiuzhou Continent three hundred years prior. With the passage of time, as his age increased and he neared the end of his days, his hand strength did not diminish but instead maintained its potency. In fact, compared to his youth, his style had evolved from raw strength to a more ruthless approach.
The art of killing lies in speed, accuracy, and ferocity. Xie Feilong incorporated these three words seamlessly into his lethal moves.
"Don't even think of harming Chen brother."
Pei Jiangnan slapped the table, unleashing terrifying spiritual power that instantly shattered the table into splinters and turned the ground beneath them into rubble, causing the entire inn to sway precariously.
Thud, thud, thud—-
Suddenly, the sound of a zither string appeared. A white-faced scholar was seen playing the instrument with his hands, and the melodious notes echoed throughout the inn.
Along with the zither music, there was an intangible force. Just as Pei Jiangnan was about to stand up, he felt as if his entire body was under control and could not move an inch.
"This zither music is peculiar."
Pei Jiangnan sensed the abnormal situation, his body stiffly swaying as he tried to break free. But he felt as if it was extremely difficult, and the zither music grew increasingly urgent, making it even harder for him to move.
"Break his zither first."
Ning Xin, Li Yueyue, and Gao Tianlang were not far from Pei Jiangnan. Realizing the danger, the three of them immediately drew their swords and charged towards the white-faced scholar.
Pei Jiangnan was a three-level martial artist after all. Although the white-faced scholar's zither music was powerful and could control the entire situation, against an opponent who was significantly higher than him, if he did not put in full effort, he might easily be released.
Therefore, his zither music only affected Pei Jiangnan alone.
However, just as Gao Tianlang, Ning Xin, and Li Yueyue were about to make a move, a figure appeared like a ghost. The landlady at the front desk stepped on the shadows of the three of them with her feet, and then they were controlled as if they were puppets strung up.
"Kill Pei Jiangnan first, and we can talk about it later."
The white-faced scholar's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his face grew even more distorted. His movements with the zither grew more urgent as he tried to control Pei Jiangnan. It was clear that controlling a Pei Jiangnan was not an easy task.
The landlady nodded slightly, her hands forming mystical hand signs, and the shadows under her feet transformed into a black curtain that surged towards Pei Jiangnan, "Old Xie, come help me. Pei Jiangnan is a level three martial artist; he won't die so easily."
"Understood, it's just a child. Give me ten breaths."
Xie Feilong uttered a few words indifferently and continued to attack Chen Mo; in response, Chen Mo merely smiled faintly.
"Xie Feilong, three hundred years ago, you were a level five master and could kill me as easily as cutting vegetables. But three hundred years have passed, do you really think I am still someone you can kill at will?"
Chen Mo's fists clenched, and his qi and blood surged from his Dan Tian. He swung a powerful punch at Xie Feilong's iron-clawed fist, 'boom', the fists met. Xie Feilong retreated several steps backward while Chen Mo flew out several tens of meters away, breaking through the inn's walls and soaring into the wild.
A crisp 'crack' sound echoed as Xie Feilong flew out. By the time he landed, he could only clasp his right hand, his expression fierce and distorted. His right hand's bones were broken, and it was likely that his hand was disabled.
Xie Feilong's face revealed a look of shock and horror. He never expected that the person he had toyed with three hundred years ago, whose strength was beneath him, had now grown stronger than him.
Chen Mo glanced sideways at Pei Jiangnan, whose side had already been covered by shadows, and asked, "Pei brother, do you need me to step in?"
"These two level four assassins are nothing. If I let you handle them, then my reputation as the twin heroes of the empire would be in vain. Chen brother, go ahead and fight to the best of your ability; don't worry about me."
In the shadows, Pei Jiangnan coldly spoke, "Since we are all killers, I assume you have also prepared for the possibility of being killed." As he spoke, a terrifying spiritual power erupted, shattering the entire inn on the spot. The ground crumbled, and he held his sword handle with one hand while maintaining a cold expression.
The landlady and the white-faced scholar exchanged glances, feeling a bit of fear in their hearts, but they ultimately forced themselves to face Pei Jiangnan.
As for Xie Feilong, knowing that he was not a match for Chen Mo, let alone considering the presence of Pei Jiangnan and the two women, he furrowed his brow, retreated continuously, and tried to make an escape.
"Capture him."
Chen Mo issued a cold cry, and Ning Xin and Li Yueyue looked at each other before sprinting out like leopards. The two of them, while not top-notch in the TianMo Sect, were considered skilled practitioners. They were more than capable of handling an aging Xie Feilong.
Gao Tianlang glanced left and right, paying closer attention to the situation with Pei Jiangnan. Although he had not yet made his move, he was already preparing himself to spring into action.
Within just a few breaths, Xie Feilong was almost defeated by Li Yueyue and Ning Xin's joint efforts, and his life was hanging in the balance.
"Save my life! Save my life! I had no choice!"
Xie Feilong shouted in terror and begged repeatedly, "I've lived for five hundred years, and my time is nearly up. If I don't break through to the third level, I will certainly die in a few years... The Shadow Pavilion has a way to help me break through to the third level. I had no choice but to work for them; please don't kill me, don't kill me..."
