Chapter 176: The mortal world is vast; every sight you pass is scenery

After Su Mo finished explaining her plan to Lin Shan, Lin Shan stood there stunned for a while.

She frowned and said, "What, you're not willing?"

Lin Shan shook his head and said, "No, I'm just afraid I won't do it well."

"Just do as I say, and things will surely turn around." Su Mo furrowed her brows and said, "If you don't want him to die quickly, hurry up and do it."

Lin Shan knitted his brows and said, "I'll go right away!"

When Su Mo got up, she threw down a packet of medicine and said, "The poison and antidote are inside; after he comes out, go to the North Wing to find me."

After Lin Shan sent the person down the mountain, he quickly went to arrange the matters Su Mo had instructed.

——

At that moment, over at Jiang Wu's side.

Her wounds were not fully healed, but she held a strand of Jin Tong's soul, so dealing with Jin Tong was not difficult.

Jiang Wu looked at the person on the ground, a bloody mess from whipping, raised her hand and pinched his jaw: "Want to kill me? With just you? Do you really think I'm keeping a strand of your soul just for fun?!"

With her right hand she drew out that strand of his soul and exerted a slight force, causing Jin Tong to involuntarily furrow his brows.

His heart pounded uncontrollably, as if it were about to burst his chest, and a deadly sense of suffocation surged.

Jiang Wu sneered, "If I don't move you, do you really think I can't move you? You actually think you can team up with Su Mo to deal with me? Should I say you're naive or stupid? Do you think she can kill me, or that you can?"

"This is the tenth time; their previous nine attempts all failed to kill me! You think that this time, relying on Su Mo, you can change the outcome?!"

A flash of shock passed through Jin Tong's eyes—so… it's already the tenth time?

Jiang Wu's hand gripping his jaw suddenly tightened, sliding to his neck, then she exerted force again and demanded angrily: "Clearly you could fall in love the first nine times, so why can't you this time? Why? The script was clearly set this way—how come you don't love me this time?"

Jin Tong's brow furrowed deeper—he actually acted foolishly nine times?

This is truly absurd!

Jiang Wu unsurprisingly caught a fleeting glimpse of cold self-mockery and ridicule in his eyes.

"What kind of look is that, regretting having loved me? You have no right to regret loving me! Being able to love me is your blessing!"

Jin Tong stared expressionlessly at the person before him; he wasn't afraid of death, just unwilling to die like this.

She hasn't died, so how can he just die like that!

A flash of unwillingness appeared in Jiang Wu's scarlet pupils, and she said in a tone like granting alms: "Give you one last chance—be my dog, or be a dead soul under my command!"

Jin Tong endured the suffocating pain and barely managed to say, "Do you think I'd care?"

He suddenly let out a light chuckle, his eyes full of mockery: "Don't you find it funny, City Lord? Nine lifetimes of entanglement and you didn't care, yet now I don't love you, and you want to entangle with me like this? Could it be you've fallen in love with me?"

"Bullshit!" Jiang Wu's eyes darkened, and she flung him to the ground: "Even if you reincarnate ten times, I will never fall in love with you!"

Jin Tong finally got a chance to catch his breath; he secretly circulated his inner strength, but couldn't exert any force.

Jiang Wu's poison has always been hard to cure.

But now the important thing isn't detoxifying, but provoking her to buy time.

Jin Tong furrowed his brows and said, "You're actually just afraid of Su Mo, worried that if I join forces with her you'll be utterly annihilated, so you're rushing to have me die, right?"

Jiang Wu's eyes corners lifted slightly, the corner of her mouth curling with a piercing sneer: "You've dreamed too much, you can barely tell reality from fantasy now. You've sunk to being my prisoner—do you think her situation is still far from yours?"

Jin Tong replied dismissively, "Don't kid yourself—she's far more troublesome than any opponent you've faced before; after just a few exchanges she's already found your weakness, so it's understandable you'd be afraid."

A faint crease appeared in Jiang Wu's brow, fleeting, yet Jin Tong still noticed it.

Now he was certain—Jiang Wu wasn't as invincible as she seemed; she really did have a weakness.

So as long as we find her weakness, there will surely be a chance to defeat her.

Jin Tong continued to goad, "Looks like what Su Mo said is right—even if you repair the weakness of the Reverse Feather, you can't change the fact that it appears elsewhere."

Jiang Wu's gaze narrowed, she looked into his eyes where killing intent flared again: "I really can't keep you alive!"

Just as she was about to rise and rush over to strangle him again—

A figure flashed in from outside the door: "City Lord, Lin Shan has arrived."

Jin Tong slightly furrowed his brows.

Jiang Wu asked in a low voice: "What's he here for? To deliver himself to death?"

Ru Xu glanced at Jin Tong, then deliberately raised his voice: "He's bringing Jin Tong's soldiers to defect to you!"

"Hah!" Jiang Wu snorted, looking at Jin Tong: "No wonder you're the one who brought them out—they've learned betrayal to perfection, but he's far smarter than you, knowing which side offers a way out!"

Jin Tong's eyes darkened, and he remained silent.

In Jiang Wu's view, he looked exactly like a helpless waste whose subordinates had betrayed him and he could do nothing about it……

This realization inexplicably made her feel a bit pleased.

Jiang Wu raised her eyebrows, waved her hand, and said, "Bring the person in; I want to see his sincerity!"

Soon Lin Shan was brought in from outside; his gaze fell straight on Jiang Wu: "City Lord Jiang, this is the roster of all of Jin Tong's soldiers. I've also brought the men outside—you can check them off one by one."

Jiang Wu gave a glance, signaling Ru Xu to take whatever he was holding.

After looking at the list, she sneered, "Is this your sincerity? Then it seems your sincerity isn't much."

Lin Shan said in an icy tone: "I can still personally help the City Lord deal with Jin Tong!"

As his words fell, only a clang was heard.

Jiang Wu simply threw a dagger over and said, "Go ahead."

Lin Shan picked up the dagger from the ground, strode quickly toward Jin Tong, and with a "puff" mercilessly drove the dagger deep into his chest!

He used nearly vicious force, and Jin Tong's brow furrowed deeply.

Just as Lin Shan was about to exert force again, Jiang Wu suddenly said coldly, "Enough!"

Lin Shan expressionlessly pulled out the dagger, casually tossed it aside; throughout the process his eyes were like dead water, not a ripple appearing.

He was completely a heartless villain who murdered his lord.

Jiang Wu glanced at Jin Tong's chest, blood gurgling out, and smiled triumphantly: "This is your most trusted subordinate—how does it feel to be betrayed?"

Jin Tong frowned, clenched his teeth, endured the pain and said, "It's nothing; being eyeless isn't my first time, so it doesn't matter."

Jiang Wu listened to his sarcastic words, and her expression grew darker.

She stepped forward, kicked hard at the wound on his chest, then with a foot sent him flying: "Lock him up! No one may approach him without my order!"

Ruo Xu nodded and led the person out.

Jiang Wu turned her head, glanced at the standing Lin Shan, tossed him a pill, and coldly said, "Take it and leave!"

She naturally wouldn't fully trust Lin Shan, but she had never taken this little lackey seriously.

Lin Shan swallowed it without hesitation and turned to walk out.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Su Mo was right; Jiang Wu wasn't truly intending to kill the Gate Master for now.

Soon after, A Ci came in from outside, complaining, "Why doesn't the City Lord just kill Jin Tong outright?"

Jiang Wu, displeased, gave her a glance and said, "I don't need you to teach me how to act."

A Ci furrowed his brows and asked, "He is ultimately that special one in your heart, right?"

Jiang Wu's cold gaze turned to him, as if warning him not to speak further.

A Ci pressed his lips and said, "Since the City Lord doesn't like to hear it, I won't say more."

He massaged Jiang Wu for a moment, and after she fell asleep, quietly took her token and went to the prison to find Jin Tong.

Upon entering, he happened to run into Ruo Xu coming out from inside.

Ruo Xu frowned, "The City Lord said no one may approach Jin Tong."

A Ci: "If you don't tell her, she won't know."

Ruo Xu furrowed his brows and warned, "Don't act; if you act the City Lord will be displeased."

"Hmph!" A Ci snorted coldly and strode forward.

Jin Tong at this moment sat in the corner, looking like a bereaved dog.

A Ci looked down from above at him: "I truly don't know what's good about you; you and she have gone through nine times, yet never achieved a Binding Contract Successful! What could possibly be worth her lingering for!"

Jin Tong's emotionless gaze looked at him, then a mocking pity appeared: "Does a Binding Contract represent anything? Whether she lingers or not is none of my business! What, you came specifically to show me your stupid medal? Too bad I'm not interested in the achievements of fools."

He died for Jiang Wu nine times, and in those nine times she never once regretted, nor did she ever save him in time.

Now he has awakened, reflected, and she still makes him love her again?

This is simply the biggest joke under heaven.

Jin Tong thinks she doesn't truly linger; she just can't adapt to his sudden awakening!

Jiang Wu always likes to use whether Binding Contract Successful to gauge a person's depth of feeling for her, but if his unhesitant death for her can't prove love, then how can true feelings be proven?!

After awakening he couldn't understand why the Binding Contract hadn't succeeded then; recently he realized the problem lies not with him but with Jiang Wu.

She was never someone worth others giving their true hearts to.

A person like Jiang Wu, even if you hand‑pick your heart and present it before her, she simply wouldn't consider that love!

A Ci stared at him fiercely and said, "One day, Jin Tong, I will kill you!"

"Do you dare? Better wait until you have the ability to kill me, then speak to me like that."

Jin Tong finished speaking and began to close his eyes to recuperate; barring any mishap, he'll be out soon, needing to conserve energy for the upcoming battle.

Su Mo's medicine worked well; now he can feel his internal energy, previously limited by Jiang Wu, slowly recovering.

But for a short while, it won't be enough for Jiang Wu to notice.

As for the wound from Lin Shan's slash, it was trivial to him.

It seems this time he can't leave empty‑handed; he must show some sincerity.

……

In the afternoon, the dull ache in Su Mo's head vanished, and she realized that Lin Shan must have succeeded.

At dusk, she prepared a lavish dinner for everyone.

She arranged it according to each person's taste preferences.

The dinner was sumptuous, but a few of them were somewhat absent‑minded, eating without flavor.

After the meal, Su Mo went to find A Nuan; this trip was mainly to brief her on some matters, also to deliver some items needed for the shop, plus some personal gifts and books for A Nuan.

Those books were mostly methods of incense making and business management.

Yue Ying, Cang Lan, and Ye Yuan followed behind her, hauling those things.

Su Mo arrived at A Nuan's house and let them unload the items.

A Nuan looked at the items, frowned, and said, "Why are you moving like a warehouse?"

Su Mo laughed, "The shop's business has been good lately, so stocking more for you can't be wrong."

A Nuan laughed, "Indeed, when you're busy you disappear."

She picked up the books and said, "Why are you sending me these? I'm the least fond of studying."

"Read them in leisure; more reading is always beneficial."

A Nuan smiled, "Alright, I'll follow your advice!"

She whispered, "You haven't checked my pulse in a while, feel my pulse for me."

Su Mo glanced at her again, noting her rosy complexion and excellent aura, clearly delighted.

Yet she still reached out, then exclaimed, "A Nuan, you're pregnant?!"

"Shh—lower your voice!" A Nuan's sparkling eyes looked at her and asked, "Can you tell me how many offspring are in this pregnancy?"

Su Mo felt her pulse again, then subtly gestured; A Nuan understood instantly.

"Can you still go to the shop? If not, I'll find someone else to help."

"I'm not that fragile; I'm sturdy! Rest assured, I won't hold you back!" A Nuan clasped Su Mo's hand to her belly: "When the child is born, you'll be the godmother!"

Su Mo smiled happily, "Great! Then I'll prepare a welcome gift for them when we return."

Already? How come you're even more anxious than I am?" A Nuan tugged at her, laughing: "I've realized that since being with you, my life has gotten more and more comfortable! You're like you have some kind of magic—unconsciously drawing people's gazes. Being by your side, I feel I've learned so much."

How could it be that exaggerated? You must be seeing me through some filter, right?

No way! You're just a really good person—if I hadn't become your friend, I wouldn't have realized I could be this capable!

Su Mo smiled helplessly: "If you want to praise yourself, just say it straight; why beat around the bush?"

Oh dear, I can't argue with you! Anyway, you know what I mean!

When Su Mo got back, Mo Xiao had already prepared her bathwater; as she finished bathing, she heard the voices of those few drifting up from downstairs.

Mo Xiao, Fei Yan, and Yue Ying stood to one side; Cang Lan and Ye Yuan sat, while Xuan Qing leaned against a tree nearby.

In the twilight light, they made a picture all their own.

Su Mo frowned; over the past two days, the frequency of their little meetings has been increasing.

I suppose their feelings are still influenced by what Jiang Wu said during that battle.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow and asked Xiao Jiu: "Guess what they're talking about?"

Xiao Jiu: "Um... why don't you try eavesdropping?"

Su Mo narrowed her eyes, looking at the several figures downstairs that had suddenly gone still.

She could actually guess it.

Su Mo asked again: "Xiao Jiu, if we can't change the ending this time, will we disappear together?"

Xiao Jiu remained silent.

Su Mo clearly saw those figures downstairs, and they instinctively clenched their fists.

Xiao Jiu furrowed her brows and said: "Actually, I'm not that scared anymore; what I fear most is you disappearing—or me disappearing. I don't want to be separated from my host; you're the most interesting host I've ever had—I have feelings for you~"

Su Mo realized that at a certain stage, death or loss isn't frightening; what's truly hard to let go of are those lingering bonds.

She fell silent for a long time, then said: "No matter how the ending turns out, the memories we leave each other are real. If you disappear, I'll live on; if I disappear, please cherish yourself. The mortal world is vast; all that passes is scenery. Having once walked this path side by side, it wasn't for nothing."

In the twilight, those gazes almost simultaneously turned to Su Mo, their depths holding a dim, unspoken emotion.

Xiao Jiu choked, saying: "No, I will definitely help my host rewrite the ending with all my strength! We must not disappear!"

Su Mo chuckled lightly, turned, and headed back inside: "That's best. So from now on, it's up to you to prove yourself."

Xiao Jiu realized and wailed: "Great! You're tricking me again! Ahhh, you're going too far!!!"

Su Mo narrowed her eyes and smiled: "I'm tricking you!"