If it weren’t for the class leader’s sincere invitation tonight, he wouldn’t have come out.
The small courtyard Mo Xu bought wasn’t far from Yuzhu Alley, and it was located right behind a few brothels, making it a good spot for quiet amidst the chaos.
When he turned into the alley, just a few steps away from reaching his doorstep, Mo Xu suddenly stopped.
At this moment, the moon was bright, illuminating the night sky with clarity.
Mo Xu stood in the middle of the alley, gently reaching his hand into the pouch containing the lute, his expression calm and serene.
"Who’s there?"
Following his voice, a soft laugh came from the darkness, and then a group emerged from the shadows.
All of them wore white clothes, with a young man of balanced stature and a smiling face leading the way.
On his chest, there was an embroidery pattern of ocean waves.
Seeing this scene, Mo Xu took a deep breath and then said in a deep voice.
"It turns out it’s the brothers from the Four Seas Gang, but I wonder why you’re visiting my small courtyard in the middle of the night?"
The young man looked at Mo Xu with a smile and suddenly said, "Mo Xu, it’s unclear how long you’ve been in the Capital City. You’re fifty years old and moved into Yuzhu Alley eleven years ago, making a living by playing the lute. Due to your exceptional skills, you’re respectfully called Mr. Mo."
After reciting Mo Xu’s details as if he were reading aloud, the young man smiled and asked, "Mr. Mo, am I correct?"
Mo Xu’s expression didn’t change, but he was secretly prepared.
"Correct, but I wonder why this young hero is suddenly investigating this lonely old man?"
People generally had shorter lifespans these days, and it was considered good if one lived to sixty.
So, it was normal for Mo Xu, nearing fifty, to refer to himself as an old man.
The young man chuckled, "Not for anything serious, just want you to accompany me back to the Four Seas Gang for some investigation."
"Young hero, I, Mo Xu, lead a compliant life and have no connection with your gang. Why take me back for investigation?"
"You’ll find out once you’re there."
The young man kept smiling, but as he did, his followers silently spread out, surrounding Mo Xu.
Mo Xu sighed, "Why do you need to do this?"
With those words, he suddenly lifted his head, the clarity in his once-murky eyes brilliant.
Next, a streak of brilliance silently swept by, hooking around the necks of several Four Seas Gang members charging toward him and gently lifted.
These people’s heads fell off like tofu being easily sliced.
At this time, people finally saw that the brilliance was a lute string.
Even though several followers were killed, the young man wasn’t angry. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he clapped softly, saying,
"Indeed worthy of being from the Medicine Saint Shrine, the Master of Music and Medicine, this control of the lute is truly remarkable."
Mo Xu’s expression turned cold, his eyes filled with killing intent.
From the moment the young man called out his background, Mo Xu knew he’d been exposed.
In truth, the moment his instinct sensed danger, he should have reacted immediately, even if it meant not leaving Yan Capital City but at least changing identities.
Unfortunately, the comfortable life over the years led to a slight fluke, thinking he was hidden well enough to escape this trouble.
And it resulted in this situation.
He took a deep breath, "Let me guess, did those from the Bright Moon Valley send you? Since when did the Four Seas Gang become lackeys for these people?"
"Haha, you don’t need to worry about that, Mr. Mo Qi. Surrender obediently and spare yourself the pain!" the young man laughed.
"Arrogant!"
Knowing that his true name was exposed, Mo Xu realized it was hard to avoid misfortune, and he shouted angrily, the lute string in his hand drawing an arc, rushing toward the young man’s neck at lightning speed.
The young man didn’t dodge, only raised two fingers and lightly struck.
There was no sound, but the extremely tough lute string was directly cut under the young man’s fingers.
Mo Xu didn’t expect to repel the young man in one strike; he was merely buying time.
In the moment the young man struck, several more streaks of brilliance burst from Mo Xu’s hand, the lute strings dancing like dragons and snakes in the air, striking at the faces of the Four Seas Gang members.
Having witnessed their power, these people instinctively retreated.
And that was the moment Mo Xu needed.
With a tiptoe, he rushed toward the small gap.
His speed was on par with the dancing lute strings in the air.
But he was fast.
The young man was even faster.
As Mo Xu was about to leap onto the wall, the young man lightly sprang up, turning into a white flash, pursuing Mo Xu from behind.
Hearing the wind chasing from behind, Mo Xu didn’t turn around and swung two lute strings from under his arm, attacking the young man.
But the young man simply waved his hand, and these sharp, fierce lute strings were directly deflected.
Following closely, the young man reached behind Mo Xu, flicking his finger.
Crack!
Under this seemingly casual flick, Mo Xu felt like he had been struck by lightning, spitting a mouthful of fresh blood.
Yet, even so, Mo Xu’s speed didn’t slow down; instead, borrowing the force of the flick, he dashed forward again, disappearing in a blink.
The young man didn’t pursue. He lowered his head to survey his fingers and saw a hint of black gas appearing on his jade-like fingers, a trace of anger appeared on his face.
He quickly took out a bottle of Elixir from his chest and swallowed it.
Then he said, looking in the direction Mo Xu fled, "Poisons were applied to your armor, clever of you. This time I’ll let you off."
"Master, what do we do now?" a follower asked.
Indeed.
The seemingly young man of twenty years old was one of the four Vice Gang Leaders of the Four Seas Gang, named Lang Songbai.
The Four Seas Gang was divided into four parts, and he commanded Qingjing Sea, most notably dressing his followers in white attire.
This time, on the command of the gang leader, he came here to capture the Medicine Saint Shrine’s remaining criminal, Mo Qi.
What seemed like a surefire task unexpectedly went awry when Mo Qi wore poisoned armor, resulting in a minor setback and understandable anger.
"He can’t run far after taking my strike, immediately send people to search, we must capture him," Lang Songbai said sternly.
"Yes!"
The gang members picked up the bodies from the ground, ready to leave.
Just then, a surprised voice came from the entrance of the alley.
"You...who are you? Where’s Mr. Mo?"
Lang Songbai lifted his eyes to look and saw a delicate young boy standing at the alley’s entrance. Though his face was full of panic, he tried to calm himself as he looked at the crowd.
Glancing at his attire, Lang Songbai frowned slightly.
"Opera performer?"
Although he hadn’t been to Yuzhu Alley, he knew about opera performers’ reputation, naturally having no favorable impression.
The newcomer was indeed Little Yue.
Today, after overcoming the bottleneck in his vocal skills, his heart brimmed with excitement, so after socializing with some patrons, he hurried here to express his gratitude.
But he hadn’t expected to witness the Four Seas Gang cleaning up the battlefield.
Although the bodies had been bagged, the bloodstains on the ground and the pervasive bloody smell revealed what had taken place here.
"Go away, the Four Seas Gang is doing business here!" a gang member snapped.
Little Yue’s face turned pale, yet he did not back down.
"You...."
Before finishing his words, a middle-aged man quickly stepped forward, pulling him aside, then nodding and bowing as he addressed Lang Songbai and the gang members.
"Sirs, please stay calm. This child isn’t right in the head, please don’t take offense."
Lang Songbai, not caring to deal with the opera performer, strode away.
His followers dispersed into the night.
After everyone had gone, the middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of terror.
"Yue, do you have a death wish? That was the Four Seas Gang; provoking them could get you, and even me, killed!"
Little Yue tightly closed his lips, his face pale as he stared at the bloodstains on the ground, then softly murmured.
"But... Mr. Mo..."
"Don’t mention Mr. Mo now, he offended the Four Seas Gang, and if he’s dead, there’s nothing to be done. Let’s go quickly!" The middle-aged man pulled the young boy away.
After returning home, the middle-aged man repeatedly instructed him not to go out, then left.
The boy lived alone in the opera house, and after closing the door, he turned around deep in thought, about to return inside, when a figure suddenly fell heavily in front of him.