### Chapter 85: Execution of the Withering Elder, Elusive Truth - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

### Chapter 85: Execution of the Withering Elder, Elusive Truth At this moment, Su Mo felt like a fish flung onto the sand by the waves, helplessly struggling on the shore. How could he possibly resist the imperial court? His mind was in turmoil. All he could do was continue watching, hoping to uncover the detailed information behind the events and see if there was any way to break the stalemate. … Upon learning that General Guo was dead, and that the current General Guo was actually an imposter from the Jurchens, everyone was shocked. These were renowned martial heroes and wealthy merchants, yet faced with this news, their expressions turned blank and stupefied. The impact of this revelation was even greater than if the current emperor had suddenly died. You didn’t know much about this General Guo, but seeing the expressions of the people around you, you immediately understood that General Guo was not an ordinary figure. When Guo Wenlong revealed this news, even the two Jin envoys were taken aback. Evidently, they too were unaware of such a significant move from above—replacing General Guo. Just then, a swordsman standing near the two moved. The swordsman was unremarkable in appearance and his swordsmanship seemed ordinary. In a blink of an eye, his sword flashed like a white rainbow, reaching the two men’s positions with lightning speed. The two Jurchens exchanged a glance, understanding each other's intent, and threw themselves at the sword tip. “Pfft.” With the sound of flesh being pierced, the two Jurchens were instantly skewered and bloodied. The swordsman panicked, realizing that he had committed a grave mistake. At that moment, a sharp voice called from the doorway. “Take this man away!” “And bring the bodies back too!” You glanced towards the door to see Kong Bing leading a group from the Secret Capture Division storming in. They were evidently well aware of the events transpiring in the Jewel and Gold Pavilion. However, the swordsman’s actions clearly caught them by surprise. The swordsman and the bodies of the two Jurchen spies were taken away, along with the Scarlet Heart Elixir, by the Secret Capture Division. Guo Wenlong departed with them, evidently to report the news to the highest authorities. After this unexpected interlude, all participants of the auction wore heavy expressions. No one had anticipated that the great hero Guo would be dead. This revelation clearly indicated Jin’s overt ambitions concerning the Song Dynasty. You, however, were not deeply concerned about such matters. In your heart, there was only vengeance. Finding those who slaughtered your entire family was what drove you now. As you pondered, the auction resumed. The Thousand-Year Vermilion Toad was brought to the stage. It was a bright red toad, its skin dotted with thick yellow poison glands, trapped in a crystal box, its eyes filled with fear as it gazed at the crowd. You started observing the attendees at once. When you noticed the one-armed old man’s excited, eager expression, you were immediately convinced—this was the Withering Elder. Seeing the possible bearer of truths about your family’s massacre, you lowered your eyes, concealing your murderous intent. A master of his caliber could easily sense your killing intent; spooking him would be unwise. You began assessing the few people accompanying the one-armed old man. Next, you needed to first deal with the Withering Elder’s entourage; only then could you capture and interrogate him successfully. As the Thousand-Year Vermilion Toad appeared, only a few rival bids were made, but each time the price was raised, the one-armed elder topped it by ten thousand taels. When the price reached ninety thousand taels, the bidders fell silent. The one-armed elder simply laughed, clearly the toad was of great benefit to him. After acquiring the Thousand-Year Vermilion Toad, the elder wasted no time leaving with his entourage. Seeing them depart, you quietly followed. The auction at the Jewel and Gold Pavilion continued unabated, with no one noticing a few absentees. Once outside, you tailed them discreetly, tracking them to the city outskirts where they mounted horses and rode off. You followed suit, mounting your horse, Little Red. When you reached the outskirts of Liuzhou, you found the one-armed elder and his group already waiting for you in front of a forest. “Little girl, why are you following us?” You remained silent. Realizing you were exposed, you scooped up stones from the ground and hurled them at the elder and his entourage. Enhanced by powerful inner energy, the stones penetrated like hardened steel, instantly striking the throats of the elder’s companions, while the elder deftly caught the stones in his sleeve. “What a deadly technique.” “How about trying my Corrosive Gut-Poison Sands?” The one-armed elder crushed the stones you threw, and poisoned them, releasing a toxic mist that enveloped you. You evaded using your qinggong, but Little Red couldn’t escape. The Corrosive Gut-Poison Sands struck the horse causing instant decay. In an instant, your former red horse turned black. You were taken aback by the elder’s formidable poison skills. Seeing you evade, the one-armed elder didn’t pursue. “Little girl, I don’t recall offending you. Could it be, you’re also after my Thousand-Year Toad?” “Withering Elder, it's you I seek!” Drawing your Frost Sword, you unleashed the Immaculate Sword Technique in a swift motion, sending chilling energy towards the elder. “The Immaculate Sword!” “You're from the Su family!” Recognizing your swordsmanship, the elder’s initial desire to avoid conflict vanished. “Even the heavens pity me, I see there’s a Su family straggler!” “I shall use you to create a blood puppet!” As he spoke, the elder's body inflated, his clothes swelling to reveal the skin below his neck—decayed and infested with crawling maggots. “Boom!” With the sound of a cannon-like explosion, a mass of blackish-purple poison mist surged towards you, filled with malevolence. To your astonishment, the poison mist locked onto you, sealing off all your avenues of escape. It seemed your only option was to retreat. You immediately brandished the Frost Sword. You channeled the sword's immense cold energy with the Immaculate Sword Technique. Each slash released a bitter cold frost. After dozens of strikes, the poison mist froze mid-air and dropped to the ground. Beads of sweat formed on the elder's brow; he hadn't anticipated your sword's strange power, which shattered his strongest attack, the Toxin Plume. Seeing this, you realized the elder had no more tricks left. Approaching Little Red’s corpse, you kicked the pouch, sending the Quick Wind Sword and Cold Autumn Sword shooting towards the elder in streaks of chilling light! Your hand wielded the Frost Sword in continuous motion, unleashing waves of frigid energy. The cold was indeed the elder’s bane; with his poison arts disabled, he was utterly at your mercy. In the blink of an eye, one of the elder’s arms was severed by the flying swords, leaving him powerless to resist! Seeing your success, you felt slightly relieved. Wielding the Frost Sword, you froze the elder’s body and legs, finally feeling assured. Sheathing your sword, you felt its effects; using the Frost Sword meant enduring its ancient, relentless cold—a strategy that wounds both enemy and self. However, with the protection of the Imperial Maiden Divine Skill, you could withstand it. The Withering Elder gazed at you, eyes filled with fear. He could not comprehend why fate had delivered such a nemesis to him. His proud poison techniques, undone in such a fashion, left him unsure whether to laugh or cry. The elder shook his head. “I was simply outmatched.” “Do as you will!” You immediately voiced your most pressing question. “Who massacred the Su family back then?” Hearing your question, the elder laughed uproariously. “So you don’t know.” “How amusing, how amusing!” “Since you don’t know, you’ll never know.” “I want you to suffer the frustration of seeking vengeance but finding no enemies!” After saying this, the Withering Elder slumped, dead on the spot! Seeing the Withering Elder's final spiteful act before his death left you feeling helpless. Following Uncle Ning’s teachings from the martial world, you decapitated the Withering Elder before leaving. You chose not to touch anything left behind by the Withering Elder, wary of the potential presence of poison. For safety, avoiding all contact was the best course of action. Just as you had packed your belongings and prepared to leave, Ling Fei arrived on horseback, accompanied by three maidservants. She paid no heed to the corpses around, as though such sights were a common occurrence for her. “Miss Xiao, if you don’t mind, how about riding with me?” Faced with Ling Fei's invitation, you have a choice to make: Option 1: Accept Ling Fei's invitation and ride with her. Option 2: Decline Ling Fei's invitation and leave alone. Option 3: Accept Ling Fei's invitation and ride with Su Jin. ... Staring at the three options before him, Su Mo fell into contemplation. He wasn’t inclined to decline the young woman's invitation. She seemed to possess considerable strength, and being with her might reveal information not easily accessible to others. Considering the impending execution of the General's family, Su Mo wished to gather as much information as possible. This would better equip him to prepare—and ideally, find a way to resolve the crisis. Two months might not sound long, but neither was it short. Su Mo resolved to do everything he could to protect those he cared about. In this closed-off, feudal ancient society, information was of utmost importance! ... You chose the first option. After deliberating over Ling Fei's offer, you nodded in agreement. “Thank you!” You then mounted Ling Fei’s horse. For some reason, once you were up there, you started feeling drowsy and soon fell asleep, clutching Ling Fei's waist. For Su Mo, the scene went black—his character in the simulation had fallen into a state of unconsciousness! (End of Chapter)