Chapter 48 Fetching Water from Bamboo Basket
"hiss!"

Mo Cen compromised with the man in black, which instantly caused everyone to exclaim. Different expressions appeared on everyone's face, some understood, some were angry, some were surprised, some were disappointed, and some people's reactions were different and intriguing.

"No!" Qin Da was the first to angrily retort, "The Shocking Wind and Rain Map must not fall into the hands of such a villain. If he succeeds in broad daylight, how can we keep our dignity?"

"That's right!" Song Yu nodded in agreement, "We, the famous and upright sects, have fought each other to the point of bloodshed for the Jingfenghuayu Tu. We can't just let him fool us with just a few words?" Although Song Yu was against Mo Cen handing over the map, his tone did not sound as angry as Qin Da's. Instead, it gave people a sarcastic and inciting taste.

Leng Kongyang, the third elder of Kunlun Sect, disagreed and said bluntly: "The Wind and Rain Map belongs to Mo Cen. It is natural for him to use it to exchange for his son. Since we are his friends, we should not make things difficult for him."

"Elder Leng, isn't that too easy?" Tang Zhang shouted in a muffled voice, "Your Kunlun sect has no intention of competing for this map, but we have fought and bled, so there must be an explanation. Was the martial arts competition just a child's play? It doesn't count just because you say it doesn't count?" After saying that, Tang Zhang turned to look at Lu Tingxiang and said, "Mr. Lu has always been fair and strict, and has a great reputation in the martial arts world. Please speak a fair word!"

"That's true!" Qin Da nodded and said, "My second and third brothers have already competed. Although they lost, they lost according to the rules. Now we can't break the rules of the martial arts world for a child, right? Brother Lin from the Xianwang Mansion was also injured. Liu Xunyi managed to hold on for two rounds of challenges. It can't be counted, right? Lord Luo, do you think what Qin said is right?"

The Xianwang Mansion and the Hexi Qin family originally belonged to two different factions, but now they have become united against the same enemy because the man in black wants to take away the Jingfenghuayutu. It is quite interesting to think about it.

Lu Tingxiang looked at the depressed Mo Cen with a serious expression and said, "Senior Mo, this matter is of great importance. You should think twice before you act. You are going to retire today, and the grudges in the martial arts world will no longer have anything to do with you. You have already agreed to compete for the map. If you hand over the Jingfenghuayu map now, aren't you just playing a trick on all the heroes in the world?"

How could Mo Cen not understand the truth of what Lu Tingxiang said? But for the sake of his precious son, he could not care about anything else at this moment. He murmured in frustration: "I can't let him kill Hu'er. I have no choice but to hand over the map..."

Si Kong Zhu said angrily, "Do you think that if you hand over the map, he will let your son go? Mo Cen, you have been in the martial arts world for decades, you can't be unable to see through this little trick, right?"

"This person is risking offending the entire Central Plains martial arts world and boldly asking for the map. I think there must be someone behind him." Liu Xunyi pondered secretly, "In the Central Plains martial arts world, almost no one would risk offending so many sects. In this case, if the backer behind this person is not a force outside the Central Plains, then it must be related to the four major martial arts sects. Tang Afu appeared in Quanzhou last night. Could he also be a member of the Jueqing Valley?"

"Everyone!" Mo Cen's cold voice suddenly sounded, and the originally noisy scene suddenly became quiet. He was seen with a guilty look on his face, clasping his hands and fists to everyone, saying, "I know very well that what I did is very selfish, but I have nothing to worry about in this life except this child, so... In order to save the child, I have no other choice but to hand over this map. After I save the child, you can kill me or cut me up as you please, and I will never complain!"

"Mo Cen, you dare!" Qin San said angrily, "If you dare to hand the map to him, I will take action now. Don't blame me for not caring about your son's life or death!"

Qin San's words stunned both the man in black and Mo Cen, but they did not expect that the man in black was not afraid at all. Facing Qin San's threat, he did not get angry but laughed, and even took the initiative to provoke: "Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you give it a try!" As he said that, the man in black tightened the baby in his arms a little more.

"You are so unreasonable. You are targeting Senior Mo. If you want to fight or kill someone, you should go after him. Why make things difficult for a child?" Liu Xunyi couldn't stand it any longer and raised his head and shouted angrily, "How can you be called a hero if you use such despicable means?"

"Go ahead and curse!" the man in black sneered, "If you curse again, I'll cut off one of this kid's ears. If you curse twice, I'll chop off one of his arms. If you want this kid to die quickly, then just stand there and speak righteously. Don't stop, hehe..."

"You..." Liu Xunyi had never met such a despicable and shameless villain before. Even though he was filled with anger at the moment, he did not dare to yell at him. After all, a man as crazy as the man in black could do anything.

Mo Cen slowly took out a tightly wrapped bundle from his arms, glanced at the people with different expressions, and said quietly: "Inside is the picture of the shocking wind and rain." As soon as these words came out, the silent scene became lively again, and greed was revealed in the eyes of many people.

Facing the eager crowd, Mo Cen said in a cold tone: "I hope you can give me some face. Although today is the day I retire, as long as I have never put my hands into the water, I am still a man of the world. This map still belongs to me, and no one is allowed to touch it."

Mo Cen spoke slowly, and his old eyes looked around cautiously. At this moment, Mo Cen seemed to have regained some of his domineering attitude. Every word he spoke was full of majesty, and he would not tolerate any objection from others.

"Now I want to use this map to get my child back, and I hope you won't interfere." Mo Cen fixed his eyes on Qin San, and stated his position in a sonorous way. "If there is anyone who doesn't want my son to live, then I will rather die than live in disgrace. This map will disappear from the world along with my son!"

"Hiss!" Everyone gasped when they heard this. What Mo Cen meant was that if anyone dared to stop him from using this map to exchange for his son, then he would destroy the Jingfenghuayu Map on the spot. This was a result that no one wanted to see.

"Mo Cen, you should be aware of what your choice means now." Teng Cang reminded him coldly, "You are going against the entire martial arts world!"

"I have no choice!" Mo Cen retorted without hesitation, "Teng Cang, you and I are of similar age, and you also have a family. If it were you today, what would you choose?"

"This..." Teng Cang's cold eyes couldn't help but darken when asked by Mo Cen. People of his age are most afraid of empathy, especially when it comes to the life and death of his wife, children and the elderly. This undoubtedly hit Teng Cang's soft spot.

"If you don't hand over this map, he will be the only one to die!" Tang Ren pointed at the man in black on the roof and threatened Mo Cen, "But if you hand over this map, you will die with him!"

Mo Cen shook his head and smiled bitterly, then turned to Lu Tingxiang and kowtowed respectfully, saying, "Even if I hand over the map, he will not be able to escape from the Lu Mansion. The Jingfenghuayu map will return to your hands sooner or later. I am just borrowing the map to rescue Hu'er temporarily. I have already put life and death aside. I only hope that after I die, my nephew will treat them mother and son well."

After saying that, under the eager and anxious gazes of the crowd, Mo Cen held high the Picture of the Wind and Rain in his hand, turned around again and bowed three times to the crowd, then paused, and his slightly bloated figure immediately soared into the sky, and in mid-air he performed a move of "Flying Horse Stepping on Swallow", flew in the air, and landed on the top of Chongwu Hall, standing opposite the man in black.

“Although Mo Cen is old, he was once a powerful figure and his martial arts skills are still there. It’s a pity that such a figure was ultimately defeated by his own son. His former glory is destined to end in solitude today.” Luo Tianjin sighed quietly, with a hint of regret in his tone.

"Give it to me!" The man in black stared at Mo Cen's every move with a sharp gaze, and slowly stretched out his right hand in front of Mo Cen.

"Are you really not afraid of death?" Mo Cen casually looked down at the people in the courtyard and said coldly to the man in black, "As soon as the map falls into your hands, the masters below will immediately rush up and cut you into pieces. I don't care whether you live or die, but you can't implicate my son." As he spoke, Mo Cen slowly opened his arms and said, "Give Hu'er back to me first!"

The man in black sneered, "You are not qualified to negotiate with me. Either hand over the map or watch your son die." After that, the man in black raised the baby high in his left hand and held up a dagger in his right hand, with the sharp tip of the knife pointing straight at the baby's lower abdomen. He stared at Mo Cen with a smile, and although he said nothing, the threat was very clear.

"Okay!" How could Mo Cen dare to gamble with his son's life? He compromised immediately and said, "Don't hurt him, I'll give you the picture!" Mo Cen didn't dare to play tricks anymore and handed the bundle to the man in black, but the man in black shook his head and waved the dagger on the bundle. Mo Cen understood and quickly untied the bundle, took out a tattered leather scroll from it and quickly spread it out in front of the man in black.

This is a picture full of strange symbols and veins, which look like the direction of human meridians and the route of a treasure map. It looks very strange, and at the top of this picture you can clearly see a line of Jin Dynasty characters. Because it is a treasure stolen from the Jin Dynasty palace, it is not surprising that there are Jin characters on it.

When Mo Cen spread out the Picture of Wind and Rain, everyone in the courtyard squinted their eyes and wanted to get a glimpse of what was inside. However, due to the distance and Mo Cen's back to the courtyard, they had no chance to see the true appearance of the Picture of Wind and Rain.

"Very good!" The man in black nodded with satisfaction, then reached out and snatched the Jingfenghuayutu, and quickly stuffed it into his arms. Mo Cen was shocked and hurriedly said, "My son..."

"Don't worry, I'm going to keep my word and return my son to you right away. Go ahead!"

The man in black shouted loudly, then threw the baby in his left hand to Mo Cen. Mo Cen hurriedly reached out to hug the child, but at this moment the man in black suddenly stabbed out a dagger, pointing it directly at the baby's back.

"Be careful of sneak attacks!"

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi hurriedly and loudly warned Mo Cen who was completely unprepared. Mo Cen was startled when he heard this, and without any hesitation, he turned around with the baby in his arms, and his position with the baby was instantly switched. Then, before everyone could scream, the sharp dagger had already pierced into Mo Cen's back mercilessly, and went straight through his chest and came out from his chest. Mo Cen remained firm in the severe pain, and threw the baby in his arms from the roof into the yard with great force, in an attempt to save his child's life.

Just as everyone was surprised, Liu Xunyi flew up first and successfully caught the baby in mid-air.

Seeing the baby land safely, Mo Cen couldn't help but raise a relieved smile at the corner of his mouth, and then his eyes suddenly became fierce. Before the man in black could pull out the bloody dagger, he suddenly turned his body, and the extremely sharp dagger cut directly through his left rib due to inertia.

In an instant, bright red blood mixed with broken organs and white bones were exposed. However, Mo Cen completely ignored his own injuries, and with his last bit of strength, he swung out a palm and slapped the black-clothed man hard on the chest.

The man in black never expected that Mo Cen would launch a crazy counterattack when he was about to die. He was hit by a palm before he could dodge, and the robe on his chest was torn by Mo Cen.

The man in black immediately became furious and kicked Mo Cen in the abdomen, knocking Mo Cen off the roof. The man in black took advantage of the situation and flew up, covering his chest, trying to escape from the Lu Mansion.

"kill him!"

At Lu Tingxiang's command, the guards of the Lu Mansion and the masters from various sects who had long been unable to contain themselves, roared and drew their swords, ready to rush to the roof and cut the man in black into pieces.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At the critical moment, earth-shattering explosions suddenly struck from all directions of Chongwu Academy. In an instant, the walls of the courtyard collapsed and rubble flew everywhere. In the blink of an eye, smoke rose up and covered the sky. Many people standing near the walls were seriously injured. Blood flowed like a river, and wailing continued. Seeing this, everyone in the courtyard gave up the idea of ​​chasing the man in black and ran around in panic, looking for places to hide.

"It's black gunpowder!" Luo Tianjin shouted in a deep voice amid the chaos, "The man in black really had planned it in advance. It seems that he is definitely not alone. He was able to bury the black gunpowder in the heavily guarded Lu Mansion in advance. I think there must be someone in the Lu Mansion working with him from inside and outside."

The series of changes made the head of the family, Lu Tingxiang, furious. In the chaos, he shouted, "Master Zhu, don't pay attention to these. Take people to chase the man in black. Everything will be revealed once we catch him! If they dare to do evil in my Lu Mansion, I, Lu Tingxiang, will make them pay the price!"

"Yes!" Sikong Zhu agreed and appointed his men to chase out of Lu's mansion. However, when he was about to set off, he suddenly heard a hurried and frightened report from a servant of Lu's mansion outside the courtyard.

"Sir, something terrible has happened. A group of soldiers suddenly arrived outside the mansion and surrounded it. They also announced that no one is allowed to step out of the Lu Mansion without permission, otherwise they will be killed without mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Tingxiang's face instantly turned pale, while Luo Tianjin raised his eyebrows, with a flash of horror in his eyes.

"Thick smoke, men in black, gunpowder... all linked together, each move hit the vital points, but I didn't expect there would be a follow-up move after the last move, and even the officers and soldiers were dispatched. It seems that this person not only came prepared, but also determined to win!"

……

(End of this chapter)