Their voices were low, but with his keen senses, Li Muzhan caught every syllable. The word secret manual was too significant to ignore; otherwise, he wouldn't have paid them any mind.
Li Muzhan pondered, delaying any action. Whether the manual they mentioned was for the Soul Transformation Palm was uncertain, and he didn't know the actual whereabouts of the Soul Transformation Palm manual. Rumor had it that it had surfaced, but the intelligence from the Tian Yuan Pavilion hadn't clarified who held it.
"Brother, the man surnamed Mo is unjust; we owe him no loyalty!"
"Sigh..."
"Brother, don't be naive. Mo will never let us off!"
"Perhaps not..."
"You are kind-hearted, Brother, and perhaps can't see the killing intent in Mo. I saw it clearly from the side. Think about it, if it were us, could we rest easy?"
"...That is true!"
"So, we must strike first! Get the news out, and Mo Shi-ren will be too busy to kill us!"
"Ah, if others know, Mo Shi-ren will be too preoccupied to bother with us."
"You are absolutely right, Brother!"
Listening to their exchange, Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow. These two were truly infuriating; they simply wouldn't say which manual it was.
With this thought, he rose, walked over to their table, sat down, and nodded with a smile.
"Might I ask who you are...?" The two eyed him warily, hands resting on the hilts of their swords on the table.
Li Muzhan chuckled, "The Mo Shi-ren you speak of—is it the Tremor Peak Swordsman, Mo Shi-ren?"
"Indeed. And you are...?" The burly man frowned.
Li Muzhan smiled gently, "I am Li Canghai."
"Li Canghai?" The two paused, exchanging glances. The burly man asked, "Could you be Li Canghai of Baishan?"
Li Muzhan laughed lightly, "A lowly name not worth mentioning."
The two men clasped their fists, their expressions turning solemn and respectful.
To challenge the colossal Qinghe Sword Sect single-handedly and slay hundreds, severely wounding the sect—this feat was not something just anyone could accomplish.
"Forgive my rudeness, Brother Li, please," the burly man quickly said. "Brother Li also knows Mo Shi-ren?"
Li Muzhan smiled, "I have heard of the Tremor Peak Swordsman's great name."
"Are you acquainted with Mo Shi-ren, Brother Li?" the burly man inquired further.
Li Muzhan shook his head, "I have long admired his fame, but regrettably, we have never met. Are you two enemies of Mo Shi-ren?"
"Well now..." The burly man hesitated.
The thin, short man snorted, "Brother, what's there to hide? Mo is trying to kill us now; what's the point of talking about righteousness?"
"Sigh..." The burly man shook his head helplessly.
The short, middle-aged man huffed, "Brother Li, to be frank, we’ve fallen out with the man surnamed Mo!"
"Oh—?" Li Muzhan asked with a smile.
The short, middle-aged man snorted, "The man surnamed Mo is utterly disloyal! After obtaining a secret manual, he planned to kill us to silence us!"
Li Muzhan’s eyebrow twitched, and he asked curiously, "What secret manual made Mo Shi-ren so intent on murder?"
"You must have heard of the Soul Transformation Palm?" the short, middle-aged man said.
Li Muzhan nodded, "The Soul Transformation Palm. I, too, have long admired its reputation—the supreme technique that defeated the invincible master of the Ming Jing Sect. Mo Shi-ren actually obtained this manual?"
"This very one!" the short, middle-aged man nodded vigorously.
Li Muzhan questioned, "Is it truly the Soul Transformation Palm?"
"It is indeed the Soul Transformation Palm," the burly man nodded slowly.
Li Muzhan gave a wry smile, "No wonder Mo Shi-ren is eager to kill. The Soul Transformation Palm is indeed a miraculous art; obtaining it means soaring to the heavens in one step!"
"The Soul Transformation Palm is truly profound," the burly man agreed.
Li Muzhan smiled, "Have the two of you seen the Soul Transformation Palm manual?"
"That Mo is too stingy; how could he let us see it!?" the short, middle-aged man sneered.
The burly man shook his head, "We only saw the cover. It said Soul Transformation Palm. We don't know if the contents match, but judging by Mo Shi-ren's expression, it’s probably true."
Li Muzhan mused, "I didn't expect him to acquire this manual. Where did he get it from?"
"The three of us found it in a cave," the short, middle-aged man offered.
Li Muzhan nodded, "What great luck."
He could guess that their martial arts skills were far inferior to Mo Shi-ren's, which is why they swallowed their pride and didn't dare to snatch it by force. And Mo Shi-ren, of course, wanted to silence them.
But since they hadn't been silenced yet, perhaps Mo Shi-ren was preoccupied or perhaps he was soft-hearted. Nevertheless, the actual appearance of the Soul Transformation Palm made Li Muzhan quite excited.
He felt an urgent desire to fly to Mo Shi-ren's side immediately and seize the Soul Transformation Palm manual.
The short, middle-aged man grumbled, "Mo wants to keep the prize all to himself; we refuse to accept that. If we can't have it, we might as well let everyone know, and see if he can keep it safe!"
Li Muzhan smiled, "If everyone knows, they will certainly try to snatch it."
"Snatching it would be best!" the short, middle-aged man retorted.
The burly man frowned, shaking his head, "Forget it, we've eaten enough; it’s time to go!"
"Fine, fine, let's go!" the short, middle-aged man said irritably.
Li Muzhan watched them leave. He activated his inner senses, pinpointed Mo Shi-ren's location, settled his bill, and left the tavern.
He transformed into a fleeting shadow, exiting Moonlit City and heading west. After traveling for half a day, he arrived at a small town, walked straight in, and stopped before a large mansion at the eastern end.
Mo Shi-ren was in hiding here. Li Muzhan had long activated his Void Eye and saw the residence was empty. He strode straight inside, shaking his head.
He searched the rooms briefly and found some clothes, letting out a sigh of relief before vanishing in a flash.
The moment he disappeared, two young men in blue shirts rushed in. Seeing the empty house, they grunted, "The man surnamed Mo is quite cunning!"
"He ran long ago! What now?"
"Let's inquire around." The two exchanged helpless glances before exiting the mansion to ask locals, but they found nothing.
Li Muzhan, instead, left the small town directly and headed north, soon reaching a stretch of continuous mountains. Without hesitation, he plunged into the range.
He traveled swiftly, following a faint trace northward, and stopped before a mountain, frowning. He suddenly accelerated, quickly arriving before a mountain cave.
A scent of blood hung near the cave entrance. Li Muzhan pressed forward directly and saw a figure lying on the ground. Recalling the images from the minds of the two men earlier, Li Muzhan knew the person lying there was Mo Shi-ren.
He sighed; it seemed he was a step too late. He stepped forward and touched Mo Shi-ren; his body was cold and stiff. Examining the injury, he found a small hole in his chest, seemingly a sword mark.
Li Muzhan, proficient in fingertip techniques, immediately recognized it as the result of focused internal energy. The assailant possessed formidable internal strength. Based on the surrounding scene, the life-or-death struggle had ended in an instant. The attacker’s martial prowess was far from ordinary. Even the Tremor Peak Swordsman Mo Shi-ren, known for his top-tier swordsmanship, hadn't managed to draw his blade before succumbing to a single strike to the heart.
Li Muzhan shook his head. It was too late to save him now; he had been dead for at least a day, beyond rescue. If it had been three or four hours, he might have been able to use a secret method to revive him.
He frowned, surveying the area, then drifted into the mountain cave behind him. The cave was simple; after one turn, there was a stone chamber containing provisions and vegetables. It seemed Mo Shi-ren had been alone, his family hidden away.
He searched the stone chamber thoroughly but found nothing. Mo Shi-ren had left no contingency plan, nor had he hidden the manual. It must have been taken by someone else.
Li Muzhan sighed in disappointment. The killer's aura had dissipated, rendering his secret techniques useless. How could he search the vast sea of humanity?
He stood there, shaking his head helplessly, then floated away into the woods. He could only wait for more news, wondering if he was destined to have any connection with the Soul Transformation Palm. (To be continued)