https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-101-Red-Lantern-Illuminates-the-Night-All-Is-Well/12898303/
Chapter 100: The One Who Plucks the Peaches
Chapter 100: The One Who Plucks the Peaches
Red Lantern Lady...
Whether it was the Ninth Grandpa with the jar on his back, the Old Shopkeeper, or Wu He Sister wrapped in dogskin, they all knew what that fleeting red light represented.
They also understood what that presence was, which appeared in an instant, bringing immense pressure, even subduing Auntie Tan’s vengeful aura...
Within a ten-li radius, only the Red Lantern Lady had such authority.
"You, you actually summoned the Red Lantern Lady?"
Ninth Grandpa’s laughter turned into surprise halfway through, even becoming somewhat hoarse. He couldn’t understand why this Wu, who had been fighting so hard for the Blood Food, would end up summoning the Red Lantern Lady.
But he also didn’t anticipate that, looking in the direction of the Village, the Old Shopkeeper would have the same look of despair and confusion: "Why would I summon her?"
"If I were to summon her, what would all this effort and trouble be for?"
"..."
If he had wanted to summon her, he would have done so earlier. He was even more puzzled about how the Red Lantern Lady was summoned.
He had deliberately not taught anyone in the Village how to summon her, and even reduced the amount of lamp oil in the lanterns...
Most importantly, if the Red Lantern Lady came, all his plans...
"Mr. Wu, Mr. Wu..."
In the suffocating silence that followed, the Ninth Grandpa of the Vat Sect suddenly realized what was happening and shouted: "The Red Lantern Lady wasn’t summoned by you, was she?"
"You’re not that foolish. If she’s alerted, none of us will benefit. Let’s just stop fighting and leave quickly..."
"At worst, we can split the Blood Food equally and leave before she arrives!"
"..."
This suggestion sounded like a fairy tale.
Both sides had deep-seated, irreconcilable enmity. If they really did that, what would it look like?
But Mr. Wu was indeed filled with rage, his mind flashing with the images of his dead disciples and apprentices. As his hatred grew, a thought began to form in his mind, and his gaze turned fiercely towards the Ninth Grandpa, some ideas flashing through his head.
His hatred for the Vat Sect was genuine, but now he was truly tempted.
Should he leave quickly now?
Or should he let the Red Lantern Lady come and then offer this batch of Blood Food, claiming that he was making amends?
The latter was safer, but the former offered greater gains.
Only he knew the value of this batch of Blood Food. How many years would he have to serve the Red Lantern Association to earn this much?
Moreover, although he still had the strength to fight, his substitute had already died.
Even with his advanced skills as an Age Keeper, he might not withstand Auntie Tan’s attack. If they really fought, he might not survive until the Red Lantern Lady arrived...
At this moment, Wu He also removed the dogskin from her head and shouted: "Elder Brother, kill them..."
"Take revenge for us, and then return the Blood Food..."
"..."
"Ninth Grandpa, we should leave. Otherwise, when the Red Lantern arrives, we’ll..."
The other Vat Sect members were also shouting, having been severely injured by the Old Shopkeeper in the brief fight.
But despite their shouting, neither the Ninth Grandpa nor the Old Shopkeeper dared to move.
One was worried that if he left now, Mr. Wu would fight desperately to delay him, wasting time.
The other knew that if he attacked now, the Vat Sect would also fight desperately. Without a substitute, he might not gain any advantage. Even if he managed to hold off the opponent, once the Red Lantern Lady arrived, not even a bit of the Blood Food would be his...
Thinking this, both sides seemed to part ways, each considering their own gains.
... His heart stirred, and he suddenly turned his head, locking eyes with the Ninth Grandpa. Both sides seemed to be reaching some kind of agreement.
"Ha ha..."
But at that moment, a cold, clear laugh suddenly echoed from the darkness.
Both sides held their breath. They had been fighting fiercely and didn’t notice when this person arrived.
Or perhaps, she had been there all along, waiting?
Through the night, a faint figure could be seen, a slender woman with something perched on her shoulder, only the gleaming eyes visible.
The woman let out a cold laugh but said nothing, slowly pulling out something from her chest and gently shaking it, making a tinkling sound. It was a bell.
With the sound of the bell, the bearers, who had been standing woodenly and not participating in the fight, slowly began to move. One by one, they picked up their poles and carried the bags of Blood Food, ignoring the people around them, and slowly walked towards the woman...
"You..."
Seeing this, everyone in the field was momentarily stunned.
Turning their heads, the Ninth Grandpa and Mr. Wu saw the confusion on each other’s faces and suddenly realized:
"Plucking the peaches?"
"..."
They had been fighting to the death, only to find that someone had been waiting to pluck the peaches?
Mr. Wu and the people from the Vat Sect were all taken aback, feeling an urgent sense of absurdity. They shouted sternly:
"Friend, which sect are you from?"
But the other party did not respond, merely standing there silently as the porters passed by, disappearing into the night behind him.
Ninth Grandpa and the Old Shopkeeper of the Vat Sect were both unsettled by this strange figure, confirming that this person was not an ally of the other side, yet finding the situation even more unimaginable.
In the urgency of the moment, they could no longer afford to hesitate. Both suddenly jumped down and launched fierce attacks on the silent figure. One of them placed his hand on a cracked jar, reciting an incantation swiftly.
Suddenly, a deep malevolent aura enveloped the night wind, surging directly toward the silent figure.
The Old Shopkeeper also flipped out a chain dart from his bag and, with a fierce shake, sent it flying toward her heart, the wind rushing toward her face.
Not only the two of them, but also the surrounding Vat Sect members reacted, simultaneously driving the malevolent aura of Auntie Tan.
In an instant, both sides joined forces, launching attacks on this mysterious figure, making the situation extremely perilous.
But the woman standing in the shadows, ringing a bell, seemed completely unconcerned. She stood there motionless, but the bright-eyed creature on her shoulder suddenly opened its mouth and emitted a hoarse, piercing cat call.
This cry was incredibly shrill, creating an invisible pressure in the night, leaving them all dizzy and unable to move.
With this cat call, something seemed to explode in the air. The Old Shopkeeper's chain dart, which was full of force, suddenly flew back, even faster and heavier than when it was thrown. It hit the Old Shopkeeper with a swift thud, knocking him flat and causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
On the Vat Sect side, the situation was even more terrifying. The malevolent winds surged back, and the jars in their hands exploded one after another. Inside, Auntie Tan let out a desperate and tragic scream, and the contents scattered on the ground, red and white.
After this one blow, both the Vat Sect and the Old Shopkeeper realized the terrifying power of the other party.
If they were both in good condition, they might have been able to fight, but now, with both sides being weakened, who had the courage to resist?
Ninth Grandpa of the Vat Sect, his voice hoarse, called out in despair: "Friend, who are you?"
"Leave a name, so we can be convinced in our defeat?"
"..."
"Ha ha..."
But the figure in the shadows did not respond, only giving a low, mocking laugh.
The porters, already walking behind her in the sound of the bell, seemed to disappear into the night. She stopped ringing the bell, as if about to turn and leave, but then seemed to think of something and walked forward.
This movement made the Vat Sect members and the Old Shopkeeper shudder, thinking she was about to kill them to silence them. Instead, she only walked to Wu He's side and gently lifted her hand.
Wu He was also startled and tried to resist, but before she could react, the woman's slender fingers were already on the dog's head.
With a flip of her hand, she tore a piece of the dog skin from Wu He's back.
Wu He felt intense pain and closed her eyes, waiting for death. Even the Old Shopkeeper, in his urgency, tried to jump up but was suddenly pinned by the strange cat on the woman's shoulder, feeling an overwhelming heaviness.
The woman did nothing more, only flicked a fire striker and shone it on Wu He's back, giving a low laugh, her voice hoarse: "Poor thing, it is indeed the evil art of Beast Creation..."
"But the Vat Sect's method of raising Auntie Tan is commendable, though the Beast Creation Technique is not fully mastered."
"If you can find someone from Master Zhao's Family, it might not be incurable..."
"..."
After saying this, she ignored the others, turned lightly, and the sound of the bell gradually faded into the night.
When they came to, the bell-ringer and the porters had already vanished into the night.
Her arrival was strange, and her departure swift.
Everyone present looked at each other, unsure of what had just transpired.
After a while, Mr. Wu suddenly realized that this mysterious person had come and gone abruptly, with an inexplicable air of mystery.
But the situation did not allow for hesitation. The Blood Food had already left, and the Red Lantern Lady would soon arrive. Most importantly, he no longer had a substitute. In the earlier fight with the Vat Sect, he might not have been a match for them...
But now, most of their jars were broken, and he, though vomiting blood, still had the strength to fight...
Realizing this, he suddenly fixed a fierce gaze on the Vat Sect members. Ninth Grandpa and the few surviving followers of the Vat Sect also reacted to the Old Shopkeeper's gaze, feeling a sense of dread:
"This old fox is going to kill us to silence us..."
"Children, let's fight to the death..."
"..."
Another fierce battle ensued, but the mysterious person had already vanished.
(End of Chapter)
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