Chapter 169: Restraining Techniques
Chapter 169: Restraining Techniques
Hearing this, Chief Zheng finally understood.
He truly wanted to protect his young brother-in-law and had done his best, but he never expected that this young manager was too greedy and too lucky. When he went out, he actually encountered someone from the Soul Punishment Sect and brought back news of their impending duel.
Normally, this wouldn't be significant news, but it just so happened that it became the most critical intelligence at this moment.
Thus, the young manager had already established great merit.
Since he had established great merit, it would be difficult to replace him now.
The right guardian with the smiling mask, in the end, asked him a question that boiled down to whether he was willing to sacrifice his young brother-in-law to face this challenge...
Could he really say no? The Red Lantern Lady Association was not a good place. He knew all too well that it was filled with filthy deeds. In any gang, the higher up you go, the worse the people are, but they also have to keep up appearances.
The young manager and people like Yang Gong were originally under his control, but after bringing back this important message, the higher-ups wouldn't push him into a certain death anymore.
"Ha, quickly invite Young Manager Hu to rest in the side room, and also invite the other three who will be on the stage."
At this moment, the two guardians, who were in high spirits, stood up and smiled, "We will discuss and finalize this matter."
"Finally, we have something to report to the Lady tonight."
"..."
Saying this, they turned and entered the main hall. Hu Ma faintly felt that Second Pot Elder Brother had given him a seductive glance...
...Brother is really impressive! A small piece of information, spoken at the right time, turned into a great achievement.
The news that someone from the Soul Punishment Sect would come to challenge the Blue Robe Gang wasn't particularly valuable.
If it weren't for the Red Lantern Association's recent defeat and their determination to win the next three matches, the news he brought back, even if he had brought back Young Master Lu's head, wouldn't have been such a big deal.
"Brother-in-law, how's it going?"
As soon as the two guardians left, Sun Niu Zi, who had been kneeling behind, hurried over to Chief Zheng and asked anxiously, "How's it going?"
He didn't quite understand some of the implications, but he had to ask to be sure.
Chief Zheng turned around and looked at the face filled with fear. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped Sun Niu Zi hard, making him jump up, but before he could cry out in pain, Chief Zheng grabbed his head and said in a heavy voice, "Go with peace of mind!"
"..."
Sun Niu Zi was momentarily stunned and then burst into tears.
Chief Zheng's heart was like a knife being twisted, but what could he do now?
Now, he didn't even know how to explain to his 300-pound wife, to her, to his greedy father-in-law, and to this foolish and unaware young brother-in-law, all of whom he felt he had wronged.
He had been saved from a freezing ditch by this family years ago, and he had sworn to make them wealthy and noble.
But how could he achieve that?
Things had come to this point, and now even the people were incomplete...
As for Hu Ma, he casually glanced away when he saw the two of them, then turned and entered the side hall that the two guardians had mentioned.
Because of the urgency of the situation, he hadn't known why Second Pot Elder Brother was so excited when he heard the news about the Soul Punishment Sect.
Now, seeing the left guardian, who had a sad face, also so excited, he understood.
For such a duel, knowing the opponent's sect and who would be fighting seemed to give a significant advantage.
Moreover, not only had he brought back this news, but he had also seen the senior and junior disciples' techniques and described their ultimate skills, allowing the Red Lantern Association to analyze and prepare countermeasures.
After all, in a duel, although it can be brutal, those who step onto the stage must rely on their own abilities.
Once your ultimate skill is revealed, the opponent has a good chance to prepare and counter it.
Of course, there was a fallback plan. Second Pot Elder Brother had already discussed with Miss White Wine and Diguashao, and he might already know what the opponent would do and how to win...
...
...
Sitting down in the side room, even a White Incense Disciple brought him tea.
Hu Ma sat calmly, knowing that someone would relay the news to Yang Gong and Mr. Xu, so he wasn't worried about them being anxious.
The only discomfort was the ointment on his forehead, which had a pungent smell.
When Second Pot Elder Brother saw his ridiculous appearance, he wondered if he would be laughed at later...
He didn't sit for long before lunch was brought in: a large bowl of stewed Green Food, two large steamed buns, a plate of vegetables, and even a pot of wine. Hu Ma didn't hesitate and ate there. After eating, he drank tea, and a White Incense Disciple came in to clear the table.
By the afternoon, three people finally arrived.
However, what he saw was a burly man with a bald head, a woman in silk who was over thirty but still had some charm, and finally, Sun Niu Zi, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, trembling and shrinking back.
He didn't know what he had said to Chief Zheng, but now he seemed completely dejected. After entering, he squatted in the corner and didn't dare to look at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma, however, greeted the other two, learning that they were the innkeepers of the Red Lantern Lady Association. This time, ten innkeepers were selected to participate, and now, with the addition of Sun Niu Zi, only these three had yet to engage in battle.
Although the two were polite and didn't look down on Hu Ma because of his young age, they seemed to be burdened with heavy hearts, likely under immense pressure.
"Hehe, how are the three of you resting?"
Not long after sitting down, laughter was heard from outside.
It turned out that the Left and Right Guardians, who had disappeared for nearly an hour, had returned. They were followed by a few red-belted Red Fragrance Disciples, who looked grim and seemed older than Yang Gong and the others.
Hu Ma guessed that these people might be the most trusted and favored incense burners by the Red Lantern Lady.
When the Left and Right Guardians entered, the three, including Hu Ma, stood up to greet them. Only Sun Niu Zi was a bit slower and trembled as he got up.
The Left and Right Guardians ignored him and first looked at the middle-aged woman, saying, "Flower Shopkeeper, are you ready for your challenge?"
Flower Shopkeeper replied, "No problem, my treasure will be just right for the task."
The Left Guardian, wearing a crying face mask, nodded and said, "I've seen your treasure, it's indeed formidable."
"But you must be cautious. If you lose, you should know the consequences."
"..."
Flower Shopkeeper nodded repeatedly.
The two Guardians then turned to the bald man and asked, "Zhang Shopkeeper, what about you?"
The bald man looked a bit embarrassed and said, "It depends on what path the opponent draws. In any case, I'm prepared to serve the Lady."
They nodded and then looked at Sun Niu Zi, "You..."
Sun Niu Zi immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, "Please spare my life, Great Guardians, I... I'm really scared."
The two Guardians exchanged a glance, and the one with the smiling face mask said, "He doesn't seem confident."
While speaking, he reached out to help Sun Niu Zi up, surprisingly gentle, and said, "But don't be afraid. It's good that you're willing to serve the Lady. We've already discussed a sure-win strategy last night, and you'll definitely earn some merit."
He coaxed Sun Niu Zi to sit down as if he were a child, then turned to the middle-aged bald man and suddenly smiled, "As for you, Old Zhang."
"You should thank this young Hu Shopkeeper..."
"..."
The bald man was stunned, a bit confused, and didn't know why he should thank this Hu Shopkeeper, whom he had never met.
The Left Guardian with the crying face mask smiled faintly and said, "If I tell you that your opponent will be from the Soul Punishment Sect, how confident are you?"
"..."
"Ah?"
The bald man was taken aback and said, "Age Keepers and Soul Punishers each have their strengths. Who wins depends on the path the opponent draws."
He was a straightforward man.
The Blood Food Gang, due to various tasks, recruited the most Age Keepers, and out of the ten innkeepers, eight were Age Keepers.
The Blue Robe Gang, being less powerful than the Red Lantern Lady Association, recruited fewer Age Keepers.
In a normal head-to-head magical duel, Age Keepers had the upper hand. However, now that everyone was familiar with the rules, they feared not the Age Keepers but the martial artists with unique skills.
In a magical duel, the techniques were crucial.
If it were just a matter of toughness, both sides could simply send Red Fragrance Disciples and Blue-robed Boys to pretend and go on stage.
But the Spirit Bearers' methods were limited, and after multiple secret confrontations, they had already figured out each other's weaknesses. On stage, no matter how tough, if the opponent targeted your weakness, you would only be giving up.
The two Guardians didn't mind his cautiousness and smiled, "If I find a high-ranking member of the Play Sect to guide you, what do you think?"
"Or even better, have them fight in your place?"
"..."
"Ah?"
The bald man was suddenly excited and hastily said, "I've always heard that the Play Sect can counter the Soul Punishment Sect. If the opponent is indeed from the Soul Punishment Sect and we can find a high-ranking member of the Play Sect to guide us, then..."
"Winning chances will be much higher..."
"..."
"Hehe."
The Left and Right Guardians also smiled, looking very pleased. While smiling, they said to the man, "That's why you should thank the young Hu Shopkeeper."
"Do you understand? If you win this round, your merit will go to him. How about that?"
"..."
"Ah!"
The bald man was so excited that he trembled all over and turned to kneel before Hu Ma, "More than just merit!"
"You've saved my life, and I, Old Zhang, will remember this great favor..."
(End of Chapter)
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