Following closely behind the carriage of The Head, the carriages of Su Changhe and Su Zhe also entered Nine Heavens City.
"This is Nine Heavens City. Once a renowned martial city in the world, now it's just an ordinary town, attracting some tourists with legends from a century ago. I used to hear Su Muyu mention it often," Su Changhe said slowly as he lifted the curtain on one side of the carriage and gazed at the scenery outside. "They will stay here temporarily, waiting to reunite with Su Muyu."
"There's a Spider Nest here?" Su Zhe was taken aback.
"Yes. Who would have thought Spider Shadow would establish a Nest in such a northern place as Nine Heavens City? Perhaps it's Su Muyu's obsession with the sword," Su Changhe murmured.
"Your informant isn't in the Xie Family," Su Zhe chuckled.
"Correct, my informant is within Spider Shadow itself," Su Changhe stated without hesitation. "The Head's movements along this journey have all been under my control."
"You managed to plant someone in Spider Shadow? Those people are personally selected by Su Muyu and tested by The Head," Su Zhe tapped his smoking pipe. "Even the family head couldn't infiltrate his own influence into Spider Shadow."
"I know Su Muyu very well," Su Changhe stretched lazily. "Let's find a place to rest, Uncle Zhe. After traveling for so long, we deserve a good break."
Su Zhe put away his pipe. "Rest? If The Head enters the Spider Nest, that easily defensible place will make it difficult for us to strike later."
"We won’t need to act ourselves. The Xie Family will pave the way for us. That sickly ghost Xie Fanhua still has some use," Su Changhe laughed.
"You really are a wicked one," Su Zhe teased with a grin.
"Hyah!" On the main road, Su Muyu cracked the whip fiercely, urging the horses to reach Nine Heavens City as quickly as possible.
Mu Yumo sat inside the carriage, watching Su Muyu's back and sighed softly. "Brother Yu, you haven’t rested at all along the way. Why not slow down a little?"
Su Muyu didn’t turn around. "No time to rest. Even with a Spider Nest in Nine Heavens City, it’s not safe. There’s a traitor within Spider Shadow."
Mu Yumo suddenly placed her hand gently on Su Muyu’s back. "Brother Yu, have you ever considered that I might be that traitor?"
Su Muyu frowned slightly, grabbed the paper umbrella beside him, and swung it sharply toward Mu Yumo.
Mu Yumo smiled without dodging, allowing the umbrella to pass right by her and collide with a golden flying wheel. The wheel was knocked away, and Mu Yumo sidestepped to stand beside Su Muyu, laughing. "The Tang Sect sure is rich, carrying all that scrap metal. I wonder if they’ll bother retrieving it after it’s knocked away."
Su Muyu held the umbrella in his right hand and gently pulled the reins with his left, bringing the carriage to a halt.
Tang Lingyue, clad in black feathered robes, landed on a nearby tree, looking down at them.
"You arrived quite quickly. Even with us traveling day and night, you still caught up," Mu Yumo covered her mouth and giggled. "Couldn’t wait to see me?"
"You should have left her behind. She’s injured, and the carriage slows you down. Naturally, I could catch up," Tang Lingyue said, turning his gaze to Su Muyu.
Su Muyu exhaled softly and slightly bowed his head."Umbrella Ghost Su Muyu, I saw your sword during the battle to intercept the Demon Sect years ago. Killing you won't be easy." Tang Lingyue's hand flashed coldly as he gripped the Fingertip Blade, "Your swordsmanship is on par with Li Hanyi's, but your killing techniques surpass hers."
"I'll hold him off. You run. Once you reach Nine Heavens City, inform The Head to uncover the traitor," Su Muyu whispered.
Mu Yumo shook her head: "No, I'll hold him off. You go to Nine Heavens City."
"He's Tang Lingyue. You've already lost to him once," Su Muyu reminded her. "He showed mercy last time. He might not this time."
"Brother Yu, I just told you I was the traitor," Mu Yumo smiled.
Su Muyu's pupils slightly contracted: "I took it as a joke."
"Up until today, I haven't done anything against our original oath. But I have hesitated, doubted the meaning of our existence. These past days, I've wondered whether to take that step..." Mu Yumo looked at Su Muyu and sighed softly, "I don't want to choose between you and Chang He. So Brother Yu, you go settle everything. I leave the choice to you!"
"Was it Chang He who..." Su Muyu frowned.
"No more delays, both of you stay!" Tang Lingyue flicked his fingers, sending two King of Hell Summons flying toward them simultaneously.
"Go! Trust me, this guy won't bear to kill me!" Mu Yumo pushed Su Muyu away forcefully, then turned and waved her sleeves. Two purple sleeves shot out, entangling the two King of Hell Summons before yanking them down, smashing the carriage in front into pieces.
Su Muyu had no choice but to tighten his grip on the paper umbrella and say solemnly, "Run if you can't hold him off."
"Don't worry, Brother Yu. I told you, he won't kill me." Mu Yumo raised an eyebrow at Tang Lingyue in the tree, "Don't you think so?"
Tang Lingyue watched Su Muyu turn and leave, then lowered his head to Mu Yumo: "Do you really think I won't kill you?"
Mu Yumo shrugged: "The martial world has no shortage of sentimental men. But today's affection may be tomorrow's indifference. Though you lost your composure when you glanced at me a few days ago, perhaps you've forgotten by now. Or perhaps, in your heart, revenge takes precedence, and romantic feelings can be set aside anywhere."
"Who lost their composure looking at you?" Tang Lingyue snapped.
"Ah, they say I, Mu Yumo, am born with peerless beauty, the foremost beauty of Dark River. But after all, we've only just met. So-called love at first sight is merely attraction to looks. Your feelings for me, in the end, aren't that deep..." Mu Yumo lowered her head, her tone tinged with melancholy.
"Attraction to looks?" Tang Lingyue's face twitched slightly, "I have a Dragon Whisker Needle. Would you like to see it?"
"No need." Mu Yumo spread her hands, her face flushing slightly, "A man calling himself a needle—how embarrassing for a lady like me."
"You're a woman, yet your mouth is full of such vulgar talk!" Tang Lingyue was momentarily stunned before realizing, his face reddening slightly. The Dragon Whisker Needles in his left hand were neither thrown nor kept, but eventually withdrawn.
"Forget the Dragon Whisker Needle, if you're going to use something, use a sledgehammer!" Mu Yumo declared loudly."Shut up!" Tang Lingyue gripped the Fingertip Blade and was about to charge forward, but just as he tried to rise, he discovered his feet were already entangled with white spider silk. Two dark green spiders had completely blended into the color of the tree trunk, and with Mu Yumo's distracting words, he hadn't noticed them at all.
"No matter how strong your martial arts are, you're still just a little boy who hasn't grown up yet." Mu Yumo smirked, raising an eyebrow in triumph.
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