"It’s true! It’s true!"
Han Zong replied in a panic, on the verge of tears.
He never would have dreamed that Su Mo could survive a Celestial Tribulation of such terrifying power.
Han Zong said with a woeful expression, "Elder Su, I was just muddle-headed for a moment. That’s why I offended you. You must forgive me!"
"’Muddle-headed for a moment?’ Do you really think I’d believe that bullshit?"
Su Mo demanded.
’Is this old dog an idiot? He’s at death’s door and still thinks he can trick me with fancy words.’
Su Mo said coolly, "Tell me, how would you like to die? Torn apart by five horses, or should I just smash you into a bloody pulp with a single punch?"
"Elder Su, I have an idea,"
Fan Jian stepped forward and said.
Su Mo asked, intrigued, "What idea?"
Fan Jian pointed at Han Zong and said, "This old dog was just cursing you. He said that if you survived the Celestial Tribulation, he would stand on his head and eat shit."
"Is that so?"
Su Mo turned to look at Han Zong.
’He’d heard of someone eating shit while doing a handstand, but he’d never seen it in person.’
Han Zong pleaded, his face a mask of misery, "Elder Su, please, just kill me with a single punch."
’He could see that Su Mo had no intention of letting him go. He might as well ask for a quick death.’
’Dying by eating shit while doing a handstand?’
’It’s too humiliating.’
’And it’s so damn disgusting.’
’If word of this got out, he’d become a laughingstock for all eternity.’
Su Mo refused. "Now, how could I just punch you to death? Since you want to die by standing on your head and eating shit, I must grant your wish. It’s just my kind nature, you see."
’Kind?’
Han Zong was cursing furiously in his mind.
’You don’t even have any respect for the heavens, and you call yourself kind?’
’And you have that damned baby face to fool everyone.’
Anyone would be bewildered by Su Mo’s immense power at his apparent age.
Countless people had been fooled by Su Mo’s youthful appearance.
BANG!
Su Mo casually tossed Han Zong aside, crippling his cultivation. Then he gave an order. "Throw this old bastard into the cesspit. Remember, make sure his head goes in first. That’s the only way he can eat shit while doing a handstand."
"Yes, sir!"
Fan Jian heaved the gravely injured Han Zong onto his shoulder and, with a face full of excitement, headed for the latrine.
Han Zong roared with regret, "Damn that Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion for tricking me! I won’t let you off even as a ghost! I curse your entire family to drop dead!"
He didn’t curse Su Mo. After all, Su Mo was a monster that even the wretched heavens couldn’t handle. Cursing him would be pointless.
So, he cursed the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion directly.
If the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion hadn’t fed him false information, he never would have ended up in such a miserable state.
GURGLE!
The moment Han Zong finished shouting, he sank beneath the surface.
Fan Jian returned and reported, "Elder Su, I followed your orders and stuffed that old bastard into the pit. He’s already drowned."
"Good. I understand."
Su Mo gave a dismissive wave of his hand, ready to move on from the matter.
To him, it was merely a minor interlude.
Su Mo asked, "Is there any news from Sect Leader Chu? Should I make a trip myself and help them deal with the Celestial Moon Sect?"
"Let me ask Sect Leader Chu."
Daoist Xuanqing took out a Communication Stone, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and contacted Chu Tianxiong.
「At the same time.」
Teng Kui was directing the members of the Celestial Moon Sect to attack the Beast Taming Sect’s Mountain Protection Array, but they were making no headway.
As a result, Teng Kui’s expression was as dark as it could possibly be.
Meanwhile, the members of the Beast Taming Sect huddled within their Grand Array, trembling in fear. Some were even considering running out to surrender.
Chu Tianxiong shouted, "Don’t move! They won’t break in so easily. If anyone dares to step outside, I’ll kill them myself!"
That was enough to keep everyone from moving.
Elder Liu said with a grim expression, "Sect Leader, threats won’t solve our problem. We need to find another way out of this, or we’re truly done for."
"Sigh..."
Chu Tianxiong sighed. "I know that as well as you do. I’ve already sent requests for aid to the Wu Family of Luoyun Mountain and the Celestial Blade Sect."
Elder Liu asked, a flicker of hope in his eyes, "And what did they say?"
"They haven’t responded yet,"
Chu Tianxiong said, shaking his head.
Disappointment washed over Elder Liu’s face. He then suggested, "If there’s no other choice, we’ll have to use the Alliance Leader’s Order and summon the Eighteen Kingdoms to our aid."
"Summoning them now would be sending them to their deaths, wouldn’t it?"
Chu Tianxiong refused.
The Celestial Moon Sect was too powerful—suffocatingly so. Even if they summoned every expert from all Eighteen Kingdoms, it would be useless. They would just be crushed.
It was even possible some would see the Beast Taming Sect’s weakness and get rebellious ideas. Instead of helping, they might turn on them right then and there.
The hearts of men are the most unreliable things of all.
Chu Tianxiong said with a sense of helplessness, "Tell everyone to hold on for a while longer. Who knows, maybe the Wu Family and the Celestial Blade Sect will come to our aid eventually."
"For now, it’s all we can do."
Elder Liu asked, unable to give up hope, "Sect Leader, do you think there’s any chance that Elder Su is still alive?"
Chu Tianxiong mused, "I doubt it. If Elder Su were still alive, the Celestial Moon Sect wouldn’t be attacking our sect."
Elder Liu nodded.
Originally, the Celestial Moon Sect had halted their assault on the Beast Taming Sect out of respect for Su Mo’s fearsome reputation. They had sent Han Zong to the Desolate Empire to gather intelligence.
But then, half a day ago, the Celestial Moon Sect resumed their attack.
This could only mean one thing: Han Zong had found news of Su Mo in the Desolate Empire and had succeeded in killing him.
Elder Liu lamented, "Elder Su was so young, yet he possessed power comparable to a Martial Monarch. It’s a shame he provoked the wrong people and met such an early end."
’Logically, Su Mo started this whole affair. He and the Xiao Family should have been the ones to take responsibility.’
’But now...’
Just then, the Communication Stone in Chu Tianxiong’s robes suddenly lit up. He spoke into it with a tone of regret, "Daoist Brother Xuanqing, you don’t have to say it. We’ve already heard what happened to Elder Su."
"Oh?"
Daoist Xuanqing sounded surprised. "Sect Leader Chu, you’re that well-informed? You’re thousands of miles away, yet you even know about Elder Su facing his Celestial Tribulation?"
"What Celestial Tribulation?"
Chu Tianxiong was completely baffled.
Daoist Xuanqing retorted, "Didn’t you just say you knew what happened over here with Elder Su? Why are you playing dumb now?"
Chu Tianxiong hesitated. "Are you saying... Elder Su wasn’t killed by Han Zong? He was struck down by the Celestial Tribulation instead?"
"Wait a minute. Who told you Elder Su was dead?"
Daoist Xuanqing asked, dumbfounded.
Chu Tianxiong shot back without thinking, "You mean he isn’t dead?"
"Of course he’s not dead!"
Daoist Xuanqing said gravely, "Let me tell you the truth. Not only is Elder Su alive, but he also broke through to a new realm and successfully passed his Celestial Tribulation. His power is now more unfathomable than ever."
"This..."
Chu Tianxiong and Elder Liu looked at each other, their faces filled with utter disbelief.
Just then, Su Mo’s voice came through the stone. "Sect Leader Chu, are the people from the Celestial Moon Sect still there?"
"They are, they are! Elder Su, are you... are you really still alive?"
Chu Tianxiong asked, hardly daring to believe it.
Su Mo replied, exasperated, "I was never dead to begin with, alright?"
Hearing this, Chu Tianxiong was so excited he couldn’t stop grinning.
’Su Mo is really alive.’
’We’re saved!’
Su Mo instructed, "Relay a message to the people from the Celestial Moon Sect for me. Tell them that when their Grand Elder, Han Zong, was hunting me down, I drowned him in a cesspit. Then ask them if they want to come to me and apologize, or if I should pay them a personal visit."
’As the saying goes, you don’t fear a one-time thief, you fear one who’s always got his eyes on you.’
’If Han Zong could come to Medicine King Valley to kill me today, the Celestial Moon Sect could go to Qingyang City to kill the Xiao Family tomorrow.’
’Therefore, this matter had to be dealt with quickly.’
’Otherwise, the consequences would be endless.’