Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Offering Tea Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Offering Tea Editor: Atlas Studios Su Mo always wore the attire of the Ziyang Escort Agency.
This clothing often consisted of a sturdy outfit, with the two characters for Ziyang embroidered between the cuffs of both sleeves.
As he was escorting alone, there was no need for him to carry a flag; the embroidered characters on his sleeves were enough to declare his affiliation.
At this moment, however, Gou Youhu’s so-called gentleman took notice of this and, with a giggly smile, inquired about his origins.
“Not at all, not at all.”
Su Mo modestly waved his hand: “By good fortune, my ancestors had once been disciples of the Ziyang Sect, and after mastering their arts, they established an escort agency.”
“The Ziyang Escort Agency!?”
The gentleman with oily hair, Gou Youhu, showed a slight change in expression.
Even the monk stopped his chanting for a moment, his eyes revealing a slit, a flash of brilliance emerging, only to close again the next instant.
The woman had been idly fiddling with the lid of her teacup, uninterested in anything.
Upon hearing the four words “Ziyang Escort Agency”, she looked at Su Mo with a touch of surprise.
Her mouth curled into a smile, yet it was a smile that was not quite a smile.
Seeing this, Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t help but slightly furrow her brow.
She had kept a close watch on everyone in the hall and no matter how she looked at them, they did not seem like ordinary individuals.
The two Blade users, silent and still, resembled carved sculptures, yet their bodies contained unreleased Blade Qi, hints of their sharpness inadvertently revealed.
The man surnamed Wang seemed reckless, but in Jianghu, judging a person solely by their appearance was far simpler than losing “merely feathers”.
And that scholar… seemed ordinary, yet exuded an extraordinary air.
The atmosphere within the main hall was odd, yet amidst these surroundings, this man slept with an air of peace and righteousness. If this wasn’t a display of great skill and boldness, then perhaps he was truly somewhat clueless… but among those who mixed in Jianghu, those lacking in wits were long since dead.
However, if one had to say, the ones Yang Xiaoyun found most inscrutable were the monk, the woman, and the oily-haired gentleman, Gou Youhu.
Yet unexpectedly, the moment the words “Ziyang Escort Agency” were spoken, it was these three who showed changes in their expressions.
With this thought in mind, she couldn’t help but take another glance at Su Mo, somewhat concerned.
But after this look, she relaxed.
Su Mo’s mouth held a smile, composed and at ease, bearing a certain elegance.
Recalling his conduct along the way further calmed her heart.
“Indeed, it’s the Ziyang Escort Agency.”
Su Mo smiled: “Have the elders heard of it?”
“…I’ve heard a bit, heard a bit.”
Gou Youhu’s gentleman split his mouth into a grin, revealing a mouthful of large yellow teeth.
Then the woman suddenly spoke: “Young man, I know you.”
“Oh?”
Su Mo seemed momentarily startled, then asked: “Elder knows this junior?”
“The Ziyang Escort Agency used to have a great reputation, and in the Donghuang region, it’s not to say that there is no one who does not recognize it, but it’s indeed as loud as thunder. Unfortunately… each generation is not as good as the last, and by your generation, it has almost become a joke.”
As she spoke, her gaze turned to Su Mo, saying softly: “Young man, I don’t know how you came here, but listen to my advice. This place is not for you. Leave quickly to avoid disaster.”
As soon as these words were spoken, apart from the monk, nearly everyone in the hall turned to look at her.
“Hmph… what? Are these words forbidden to be said?”
The woman coldly smiled, her eyes flashing a dangerous glint.
“Can be said, can be said.”
Gou Youhu lightly smiled, snapped open his folding fan, and gently fanned himself twice: “However, these words are baseless and groundless. What you say, we can refute. Our visit to Yuliu Manor is quite timely, and with the presence of Yu Liu Sword Heart, how could Yuliu Manor become a place of disaster?”
The woman squinted her eyes and glanced at the Gou Youhu, then turned to Su Mo: “Lad, ponder it well.”
After saying this, she spoke no further.
At that moment, Su Mo knew that, aside from the scholar, the aura of everyone in the hall was unsettled.
If the woman had said one more word, probably in the blink of an eye, the situation would have turned to chaos.
Su Mo sensed it, how could Yang Xiaoyun turn a blind eye, yet she also had the composure to stay silent, gracefully sitting while casually picking tea leaves from her cup.
Then, Su Mo was heard saying with a smile: “Elder’s kind intentions, I have taken to heart. However, this journey is to present an escort to Master Liu of Liu Manor. Once this task is completed, I shall leave without delay, without lingering.”
“Suit yourself.”
The woman closed her eyes, seemingly unwilling to say another word.
“Escort?”
Gou Youhu, upon hearing this, glanced at the case carried by Su Mo: “Interesting… I wonder what this escort contains? May I have a look?”
“That, I’m afraid, is not possible.”
Su Mo gently shook his head.
“Well, never mind then. We understand the rules of your escort master profession: the escort must not leave one’s side and cannot be shown to others.”
Gou Youhu laughed heartily, fanning himself lightly with a folding fan, then glanced at Su Mo: “It’s been a tough journey for a young brother like you, I’ll toast you with a cup of tea.”
As the sound of his words fell, he suddenly shook his fan, and with a sweep of the fan, a cup of tea from a nearby table shot towards Su Mo.
Though he said ‘toast’, where was there a trace of respect?
Yang Xiaoyun’s eyes flashed, her palm ready to hit the table and intervene, but Su Mo gently pressed her hand down.
Her heart skipped a beat; Su Mo’s hand on her hand was naturally gentle.
Yet, somehow, she found that her martial arts seemed to falter, unable to be unleashed.
There was an indescribable sensation coursing through her body, preventing her from exerting force.
Yang Xiaoyun was shocked and angry, her mind filled with horror: “Have I… have I been poisoned without realizing? If so, what about Xiao Mo?”
As she lifted her head, she saw the spinning tea cup approaching Su Mo.
The tea cup spun rapidly mid-air, but not a drop spilled out. Gou Youhu self-proclaimed to be as pure as a gentleman, how true this was had its own public verdict, yet his martial arts were displayed exquisitely.
If Su Mo were to rashly catch the cup, regardless of the inner strength wound within it that might injure him,
even if Su Mo had Divine Skills to protect against the inner strength, the rapidly spinning water would spray all over his face the moment it stopped, causing him to lose face completely.
“Thank you for your kindness, elder.”
Su Mo openly smiled, his fingers moved gracefully unveiling the Great Opening Sun Dispersal Hand, the seemingly clumsy but deft fingertips barely touching the spinning tea cup.
He rotated his force masterfully, making the tea cup abruptly spin non-stop just a foot in front of him, yet not a single drop of the tea was spilled.
He held his hand out as if holding the cup mid-air, smiling lightly,
“Though it is said that one should not decline the elder’s gift, in the rules of Jianghu, where is there a principle that an elder toasts a junior? Please forgive me for not accepting, I offer this in return to the elder, a toast from borrowed hands.”
As Su Mo spoke, he reached out with a palm, his hand facing the cup from a distance.
His inner strength flowed just right, and the tea cup shot towards Gou Youhu like a released arrow, with momentum and power far exceeding Gou Youhu’s expectations.
Alarmed, how could he dare to catch it directly?
At this moment, he didn’t care about his elder’s demeanor or being a gentleman; he threw his folding fan out.
With a “snap”, the fan collided with the tea cup mid-air, the cup instantly shattered.
Su Mo moved too quickly, catching Gou Youhu off guard, and by the time the cup broke, it was already too late, he tilted his head to dodge the flying shards, but couldn’t avoid the tea that had been spinning for so long.
He was sprayed head to face in an instant.