Chapter Twenty-Five: Relentless Pursuit

Drunken Fragrance seemed to have transformed into a giant powder keg; after this collision, the situation inside shifted once more.

Hu Yihu’s temper had been provoked, but upon hearing the name Situ Feng, he restrained his urge to act. Situ Feng—the most outstanding youth of the Situ clan’s current generation, known to outsiders as “the prodigy.” Whether in martial cultivation, literary pursuits, or strategic mastery, he firmly held the top position among the younger generation in Flame City.

Bai Han, the chief consecrator of the Situ family, a third-level Water Emperor, notorious for his ruthless and venomous nature, was called the “Ice-faced Emperor.”

Hu Yihu had heard of Situ Feng, but this was his first time seeing him in person. With just a glance, he could sense Situ Feng’s extraordinary presence.

Only twenty years old, Situ Feng had already reached the second-level Battle King realm. Outwardly, his lips were red and teeth white, his manner elegant and natural—truly a graceful young lord in a turbulent world. At first sight, he seemed harmless, easily approachable, yet the depth of his gaze startled Hu Yihu. Despite his experience with countless people, he could not fathom Situ Feng’s true nature.

“What a profound mind—this young man is destined for greatness!” Hu Yihu sighed inwardly, his eyes instinctively turning to Hu Mo.

How he wished Hu Mo could grow to match Situ Feng, even if only halfway; he would be content. After all, what elder doesn’t hope for their descendants to achieve greatness? Now, with Hu Mo and Situ Feng appearing together, Hu Yihu couldn’t help but compare them. How did his grandson measure up?

As he pondered, his gaze remained fixed on Hu Mo’s actions. Hu Mo, smiling, stared at Situ Feng, and then “accidentally” stepped on Situ Jie’s hand.

“Ow, it hurts! Big brother, save me!” Situ Jie shrieked like a slaughtered pig, startling Hu Mo.

“Oh dear, my apologies—I didn’t mean to step on the second young master.” Hu Mo withdrew his foot with feigned regret, yet in doing so, pressed down several more times, applying subtle force to break Situ Jie’s arm.

The searing pain caused Situ Jie to howl and faint. Everyone stared at Hu Mo in shock.

Situ Feng’s expression changed slightly but soon returned to calm. He smiled lightly and said, “Young Master Hu, could you show mercy and let my younger brother go?”

“Huh? Young Master Situ, what do you mean? How could I bear any ill will toward your brother? You are all formidable warriors, while I don’t even qualify as one. If you disregard my grandfather’s status, you could easily crush me with a mere breath. How would I dare not let your brother go? It was only an accident—your power and that of the zombie grandpa startled me, and in my surprise… But, Young Master Situ, your brother was terribly rude. My grandfather went to such trouble to help him, yet he showed no gratitude—how unreasonable. If it were me, I would have knelt and thanked him, tears of gratitude streaming down my face, not remained so unmoved.” Hu Mo wore a look of righteousness, expressing deep regret for Situ Jie’s “rudeness.”

Hu Yihu was delighted; Hu Mo’s actions perfectly matched his wishes. Especially his words—sharp, mocking, relentless. To call Bai Han “zombie” so openly, and indeed, with Bai Han’s pallor, the description was apt.

He inwardly exclaimed, “What a cunning move! Brilliant!”

Hu Yihu’s presence in Drunken Fragrance was coincidental; he’d been having tea with an old friend nearby when he heard the commotion. Initially, he didn’t want to bother with the trouble, but overheard mentions of the Hu family’s young master and dead men, prompting his immediate arrival.

He quickly deduced that Hu Mo must be involved in a fight, with casualties. Not daring to waste a moment, he rushed over with his men. Fortunately, he arrived in time; otherwise, Hu Mo would have suffered under Eagle Commander’s hand.

Hu Mo’s current display satisfied Hu Yihu immensely. Although he showed some roguishness, his actions comforted Hu Yihu—preserving his dignity while damaging the Situ clan’s reputation. It was best for Hu Mo to act; if Hu Yihu himself disciplined Situ Jie, Situ Aoyun would never let it go.

Situ Feng’s smile remained unchanged, but his clenched fist behind his back betrayed his struggle. He was enduring, and with great difficulty.

Hu Mo sneered inwardly, thinking, “Endure, let’s see how long you can bear it! We have the numbers now; why should we fear you?”

“Now is not the time to act,” Bai Han murmured, his tone icy.

“I know,” Situ Feng nodded lightly, smiling. “Young Master Hu is right; this is indeed my brother’s fault. Let me thank you on his behalf, and may I trouble Marshal Hu to permit me to take my brother and Eagle Commander away for treatment?”

Situ Feng still smiled, showing no sign of anger, but Hu Mo could sense his breathing was noticeably quicker.

“But…”

“How can that be? Young Master Situ, your words aren’t quite right,” Hu Mo interrupted Hu Yihu, feigning helplessness.

Situ Feng struggled harder to suppress his anger; he hadn’t expected Hu Mo to be so difficult. He retreated repeatedly, yet Hu Mo pressed ever closer, as if forcing him into a corner.

Hu Yihu frowned, equally puzzled. His anger had subsided after several outbursts; now, calm, he wouldn’t act rashly. Sparring with the Situ clan was acceptable, but he did not wish to break ties so quickly, especially considering the empire—he dared not ignore that.

But what was Hu Mo up to? Did he intend to escalate the conflict beyond control?

Hu Yihu wanted to intervene, but seeing the wicked smile on Hu Mo’s face, he held back, even anticipating Hu Mo’s next move—an inexplicable feeling.

“Why is Young Master Hu so aggressive? Marshal Hu, is this your intention? Does the Hu family truly wish for a fight to the death with my Situ clan?” Situ Feng’s tone finally deepened, his patience nearing its limit.

Hu Mo smiled faintly. “No, of course not. Young Master Situ, I simply wish to point out: that Eagle Commander should stay. He participated in the assassination, colluded with those black-clad bandits, and caused deaths among the guards of the Huang, Du, Lin, and Hu families. The evidence is clear. Moreover, judging by his attitude toward your brother earlier, he clearly has no respect for his master. By this reasoning, Eagle Commander harbors malicious intent. Young Master Situ, do you still mean to shield such a man?”

Hu Mo sneered and slowly approached the fallen Eagle Commander, a barely perceptible hint of menace in his eyes.

“Impudent!” The elder beside Situ Feng could no longer restrain himself; with a sweep of his hand, a silver-white arc separated Hu Mo from Eagle Commander, forming a wall of ice.

“Icy battle aura, water attribute, third-level Battle Emperor—you must be Bai Han, chief consecrator of the Situ clan. Excellent strength! But to bully my grandson in my presence? You’re not qualified!” Hu Yihu sneered, and a pillar of flame shot from his position toward the ice wall. Fire and ice collided; Hu Yihu dissolved the silver-white ice into water, which quickly evaporated. The power of the Fire Dragon Technique was fully displayed in his hands, the heat curling Hu Mo’s hair.

Hu Yihu’s anger was rekindled; as a third-level Fire Emperor himself, how could he let a Water Emperor behave so boldly before him? Once was enough, but twice—now even Buddha would lose his temper!

“So monstrous, so powerful!” Hu Mo exclaimed inwardly; he couldn’t begin to judge the strength of these techniques. Just this single move far surpassed any martial arts he knew—the skills of this world were truly overwhelming.

As Hu Mo pondered, he clearly heard a cold snort from within his body.

“Frog in a well, babbling nonsense—have you ever seen real martial arts?” The female voice was as blunt as ever.

Hu Mo grunted, muttering irritably, “What business is it of yours if I’m a frog in a well? Meddlesome woman!”

No sooner had he spoken than he heard another cold snort, and then felt one of his acupoints sink. A powerful urge to laugh suddenly surged within him; if not for his strong self-control, he would have burst out laughing.

“Damn, isn’t this a bit much—she hit my laughter acupoint!” Hu Mo cried inwardly, tears threatening to fall. He hadn’t expected the woman to use such a trick against him—activating his laughter acupoint from inside his own body! How could she do that?

Everyone’s attention was on Situ Feng and Bai Han, no one noticing Hu Mo’s struggle to suppress laughter.

Had they seen Hu Mo’s current state, they would have been stunned—who could laugh so heartily in such tense circumstances?

“Marshal Hu, are you truly intent on provoking conflict? The Situ clan has already yielded repeatedly; your relentless pressure—what does it mean?” Situ Feng’s face began to flush, his anger barely contained. If he suddenly signaled for help, the Hu and Situ clans would surely clash again.

Hu Yihu was exasperated; he hadn’t wanted things to get so bad. While venting his anger was satisfying, such chaos would be hard to resolve—a result he did not desire.

What frustrated Hu Yihu even more was that the domineering Hu Mo of a moment ago now stood trembling with his back to him. Hu Yihu frowned—was the boy suddenly afraid?

“What is this kid up to? He wasn’t scared before—why now?” Hu Yihu had no mind for Situ Feng’s questions; his attention was entirely on Hu Mo, whose unpredictable behavior left him baffled.

Hu Mo was in agony; struck in the laughter acupoint, the pain he felt was indescribable. His nerves were on the verge of collapse, his face twisted from prolonged restraint. Undoubtedly, if he let go, he would laugh himself into unconsciousness.

But he absolutely could not give in. He couldn’t fathom the woman’s intentions; if he yielded, he might never recover!

Hu Yihu’s inaction further enraged Situ Feng and Bai Han. Bai Han, face cold, slowly walked toward Eagle Commander. Before he could reach him, Hu Mo—hunched and trembling—suddenly straightened, turned, and pointed at Bai Han, laughing aloud: “Ha ha ha ha, what are you up to? Ha ha ha ha…”

Hu Mo laughed uncontrollably, leaving everyone stunned.

“Young Master Hu, move aside!” Bai Han snapped, releasing icy battle aura, finally losing his composure.

“Ha ha ha, not moving, ha ha ha—and what will you do? Ha ha…” Hu Mo laughed, instinctively blocking Eagle Commander, leaving everyone dumbfounded—what on earth was wrong with Young Master Hu?