All around came the crack-crack of bones breaking, one after another.

A searing pain bored straight into his heart.

Suddenly a kick slammed into his chest, and in that instant wind and thunder rose from flat ground!

Hei Bodhisattva’s whole body was sent flying by a single kick from Zhen Xiaoxiao.

He slapped a hand on the ground, intending to use the momentum to flip back up.

But for some reason, the spot where his palm braced down couldn’t support his body; with a splash-like thud, he sprawled flat onto the ground.

Only then did the injury in his chest spread through his whole body, the intense pain surging outwards.

Yet the sharpest agony came from his hands.

He hurriedly raised both hands and groped over them.

Only then did he realize... on both hands, aside from a single thumb, all the other fingers were gone.

So that crack-crack of fingers snapping just now wasn’t from that girl.

It was from himself!

With that thought, he suddenly tried to roll up again.

But it was already too late.

A hand had already fallen onto his body—when had it gotten there?

Pain flooded in from all directions, coursing through his limbs.

It made it impossible for him to focus.

Identifying positions by sound required concentration, and now he clearly could no longer manage it.

He couldn’t even sense when Zhen Xiaoxiao had appeared at his side.

Zhen Xiaoxiao grabbed him one-handed, raised him over her head, then slammed him down hard onto the ground.

Bang!

The ground suddenly caved in, and Hei Bodhisattva’s body was embedded halfway into the earth.

At this, Zhen Xiaoxiao clapped her hands.

"Utterly baffling."

Speaking, she walked over to stand before Xing Zhan.

Xing Zhan saw her coming and shuddered at once.

Hei Bodhisattva was blind, but he had seen everything clearly.

This girl’s strength was simply too much, truly One Force Subdues Ten Skills.

He had no doubt at all that if she wished, she could use those two hands to tear him neatly into even pieces.

Now, seeing her approach, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Fortunately, Zhen Xiaoxiao merely grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up.

Like lifting a chick, she seemed to feel no weight at all.

In a few steps, she carried him into the Longevity Pavilion and casually set him on a stone stool.

Then Zhen Xiaoxiao obediently came to stand before Su Mo, staring up at him with wide eyes.

Su Mo was left speechless under her gaze for a long while, then could only sigh.

"I’ll add half a pig to your lunch."

"Nice!!"

Zhen Xiaoxiao was instantly overjoyed.

Their exchange fell into the ears of the young boy and Xing Zhan, yet each heard it differently.

The boy was astonished that this girl could eat that much?

Xing Zhan, on the other hand, was dumbfounded—could half a pig really command such a master?

Could there be anything cheaper in this world?

As he was thinking, he heard Su Mo across from him speak.

"Young Master Xing?"

"...That’s me."

Xing Zhan nodded and took out a token from his breast.

"So it really is you."

Su Mo sighed. "You made me wait."

"This..."

Xing Zhan sighed as well, and removed the iron mask from his face.

"After what you witnessed today, my identity must already be clear to you.

"To continue showing myself with this iron mask would be discourteous.

"Alas... to tell the truth, I had meant to come early this morning to wait for you.

"I didn’t expect Third Brother to be spying in secret.

"All that back-and-forth delayed me a great deal.

"In the end I lured him here, hoping to pin some hope on you all... but when I saw there were only the two of you, plus an Old Man and a child, I didn’t dare linger.

"I never imagined that Old Man was actually Hei Bodhisattva."

Today’s events had come together by sheer coincidence.

If not for someone brazenly attacking the Xing Family two days earlier...

The news would never have gotten out.

If not for those three rumors already spreading throughout the Jianghu, Hei Bodhisattva would never have suddenly come to Baisui City to seek revenge on Xing Ru Hai.

And he wouldn’t have run into Su Mo.

Strife among the Xing Family Disciples had already become routine.

Xing Zhan, as Young Master Xing, was scheming in the shadows as well, yet these past few days the Xing Family had been in chaos, and Xing Ming had actually begun secretly watching him.

In the end, everyone converged here.

They had nearly been wiped out in a single stroke by Hei Bodhisattva.

Thinking of this, Xing Zhan heaved another sigh.

Su Mo waved a hand, took out a receipt from his breast, and handed it to Young Master Xing.

"Please take a look, Young Master Xing."

"Mm."

Xing Zhan dared not be careless; he read through every item on it, then nodded.

"This is exactly what I wanted.

"Right now the entire Xing Family is for the sake of..."

"I’ve no intention of meddling in the Xing Family’s affairs."

Su Mo smiled. "Please keep this receipt safe, Young Master Xing. Then name a place; I’ll have my people unload the goods, and you’ll have yours tally them. If everything checks out, this deal will be considered done."

"Very well."

Young Master Xing nodded. Since Su Mo had no wish to listen, he naturally had no need to explain.

At this point, he glanced at Su Mo.

"As for the remaining payment, I’ll present it with both hands after the goods are tallied."

Su Mo looked at Young Master Xing and smiled faintly.

"On that point, I have a thought or two."

"Oh?"

Young Master Xing was taken aback. "If you have any objections regarding the payment, that’s easily settled. You saved my life today; I’ll naturally repay that kindness a hundredfold."

"You flatter me."

Su Mo waved a hand. "As for payment, there are two options. First, we can settle it exactly as originally agreed. Second... if Young Master Xing can tell me one piece of information, I’ll count this run as merely doing you a small favor, and the word ’payment’ need never be mentioned again."

"Oh?"

Xing Zhan was surprised. "What kind of information could make you go to such trouble, brother?"

Su Mo pondered briefly, then took a sheet of paper from his breast.

He unfolded it and laid it on the stone table.

Xing Zhan leaned in to look, and couldn’t help frowning slightly; a trace of confusion crossed his face.

From the moment Su Mo produced the paper, he’d been closely watching Xing Zhan’s expression.

Now that nothing hid his face, it was all the easier to read.

Seeing the bewilderment on his features, Su Mo sighed inwardly; sure enough, he heard Xing Zhan ask in astonishment:

"What is this?"

As his words fell, a voice suddenly came from the side.

"Blood Lotus Sect!"

The voice trembled, each word brimming with immense fear and hatred.

Su Mo tilted his head and looked at the young boy.

It was he who had spoken.

Su Mo hadn’t bothered to hide his actions just now, so the boy had seen everything.

He hadn’t expected that this youth, who addressed Hei Bodhisattva as if they were grandfather and grandson, would recognize this?