Su Mo had thought he would need to use some tactics to extract this information, yet unexpectedly, the old man spilled it all out like a rapid-fire series of popping beans.
Li Siyun, gazing at the corpse of the Qingshe Alliance Leader on the ground, seemed to have been reminded of something as he suddenly widened his eyes.
He had uttered only three words before abruptly shutting his mouth.
Su Mo’s gaze fell upon him: "Lord Li, have you thought of something else?"
Li Siyun’s eyes flickered, and he softly chuckled:
"Su, the Chief of the Escort, although the matter of Eternal Night Valley doesn’t seem to have an obvious connection with you, if they truly intend to conspire against Ziyang Sect and Lengyue Palace, you cannot sit back and ignore it.
"Ziyang Sect has an exceptional significance for your Su Family, as in the past your ancestor Su Chengyu nearly became the Sect Leader of Ziyang.
"However, the details of this legacy are something you can inquire about yourself when you visit Ziyang Sect.
"They will certainly treat you as an honored guest.
"But this Eternal Night Valley... the name of the Valley Master is unknown to all.
"People only refer to them as the Night Lord!
"This individual is deemed a tyrant of their era, a figure of genius.
"Eternal Night Valley has passed down a powerful Absolute Skill called ’Wuzhou Heavenly Demon Record,’ and throughout history, those who could cultivate it to the Third stage have been as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
"Yet, it is rumored that this person has exhausted all means to cultivate it to the unprecedented seventh layer.
"Some even say that the Night Lord intends to break new ground, creating the final three stages himself, extending the Wuzhou Heavenly Demon Record to its Tenth Layer extreme.
"However, whether these claims are true or false is incredibly difficult to say.
"Nonetheless, armed with the seventh stage Wuzhou Heavenly Demon Record alone, they have already earned the title of being invincible under the setting sun.
"In past battles, the Night Lord confronted the leaders of Dongcheng’s Seven Great Sects single-handedly and did not fall short.
"After the battle, both sides suffered, which shows the extent of his strength.
"Your martial arts are formidable, but if you do encounter him, remember, and remember well, do not fight him at night..."
After this admonition, Su Mo remained momentarily unsure of what expression to wear.
He could only clasp his fists together: "Thank you for your counsel, Lord Li."
Li Siyun shook his head and let out a wry smile:
"Su, Lord of the Escort, on this trip I assumed I was being clever but nearly caused a great mishap.
"Now, I cannot afford to make another mistake.
"You must keep everything I’ve told you close to your heart.
"With your martial skills and wisdom, getting through this will not be a challenge."
"...What do you mean?"
No matter how Su Mo listened, he felt there was something off about these words.
They almost seemed like final words.
Suddenly looking over, his expression changed abruptly.
He saw Li Siyun’s face turn deathly pale, fresh blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth.
Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun immediately rushed forward and, from both sides, grasped his wrists, both startled.
"Why go to such lengths?"
Su Mo’s expression was grave.
The old man had, during the conversation, severed his own meridians.
On the surface, he seemed fine, but in reality, his Heart Meridian was severed; he was merely clinging to the last vestiges of life.
Li Siyun said no more, but silently gazed at Su Mo, nodding slightly, then shook his head:
"Lord Su, do not burden yourself with this; if I am wrong, then a price must be paid.
"The things I’ve told you are all I can share.
"The rest will be buried along with me.
"This life of mine should have ended long ago...
"Having seen you grow and flourish is consolation enough for my life.
"Lord Su... you... you must..."
His voice faded to a thread: "Take good care... The jianghu under heaven, the jianghu under heaven... Anyone... in my eyes, can die...
"But you... only you cannot afford to die!"
Su Mo was at a loss for words.
Only to see Li Siyun’s head droop, with no more sparkle left in his eyes.
Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo, feeling indescribable emotions swelling up.
The death of Li Siyun seemed overly abrupt.
Could those unspeakable words be connected to something?
Why would he willingly seek death?
Furthermore, he initially passed the Mandarin Duck List to Su Mo with the intent to lure out a snake from its hole, but now that the enemy had appeared, he chose to die regardless, what was the meaning behind this?
Su Mo took a deep breath, reassessed the situation to confirm the man was indeed dead from a ruptured Heart Meridian, then let out a sigh:
"First, we must deliver the Mandarin Duck List to Uncle Yang’s hands, then decide what to do next.
"Before his death, the Qingshe Alliance Leader mentioned there’s a ghost behind this matter... but I do not know where such a statement originates from.
"Li Siyun, just now in his speech, seemed like he had realized something. I asked him, but he did not tell, instead, he mentioned a bunch of information about Eternal Night Valley.
"It’s clear that there was an intention to conceal something.
"What’s most important is...
"What exactly is his relationship with Uncle Yang and my father?
"Why is it that on the jianghu, anyone can die, but only I cannot..."
He glanced at Yang Xiaoyun, and in the exchange of looks, their eyes were filled with confusion.
"Could it have something to do with that black-clothed man that night?"
Su Mo sighed: "I feel that Uncle Yang must know something."
"I’ll ask him when the time comes."
Yang Xiaoyun immediately perked up.
Su Mo gave a bitter smile: "If he wanted to tell us, he probably would have done so over these years. The reason he doesn’t... like with Li Siyun, he would rather die than speak."