Chapter 262: The Third Hand
Chapter 262: The Third Hand
"But..."
Zhou Manager was clearly flustered. In that moment, he couldn't understand the situation at all. He had just seen the copper coin enter the man's mouth...
He had witnessed the oil lamp on the altar shining brightly, a clear sign of a surge in Dao virtue.
The most crucial part was that the oil lamp on the altar had gone out, and it hadn't lit up again. From any angle, the Junior Overseer should have been a dead man...
"I ate a Blood Meat Pill."
Seeing Zhou Manager's shocked expression, Hu Ma felt a hint of satisfaction and even considered explaining everything he had done.
This wasn't a habit of villains, but rather a desire to boast. Who wouldn't want to show off a little? Unfortunately, Aunt Zhang was by his side, and there were still some things he hadn't figured out. He couldn't fully indulge in his boasting, so he sighed softly and turned to Zhou Manager, saying, "You've been investigating us all along, and I've been cautious every step of the way."
"You Put on a Show members aren't really capable, and most of what they say isn't true..."
"If it weren't for those demons chasing after us, making you think you could get us to destroy each other, would you have personally set a trap for us and taken our lives?"
"Actually, the more I investigate your Put on a Show, the more scared I become. I can hardly hold back, but I still can't figure out your true intentions, so I don't have the confidence to make a move."
"..."
"I..."
Zhou Manager's heart was in turmoil, and his body was in pain. The snake venom had entered his body, and he wanted to focus his energy on expelling it. But Hu Ma's words had reached his ears, and he couldn't find peace for a moment.
With difficulty, he opened his mouth, "You... you've always wanted to harm me?"
"It's you who harmed us first..."
Hu Ma glanced at him and frowned, saying, "Do you not know how many underhanded tricks you've used along the way?"
"When we crossed the bridge, you asked me to do your young miss' makeup so that we could deceive the people on the bridge. Although you followed my instructions, but you deliberately left several flaws, didn't you?"
"A high-level member of Put on a Show like you, dealing with some street thugs, and yet you still made so many mistakes during your disguise that others saw through it?"
"Was it you who made it possible for Old Lady Cui to catch up so quickly?"
"You said that the thugs wouldn't turn into little ghosts so quickly, but in reality, your needle technique was meant to hasten their deaths so that Old Lady Cui would notice, right?"
"..."
As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, "Earlier in the city, you borrowed silver from me, saying you needed it to buy some things..."
"Could it be that you intentionally revealed our whereabouts to the Beggar Brotherhood to have them keep an eye on us?"
"Perhaps when you said you'd deliver a message to the Li family to make them suffer, you were actually sending a message to your young master?"
"..."
His eyes grew cold as he spoke, and he looked at Zhou Manager with indifference, saying, "Along the way, we've encountered many strange incidents, and most of them were probably your doing, right?"
"You wanted us to take action frequently so that you could uncover our secrets?"
"You're more like Old Lady Cui, a true person of the jianghu. Before making a move, you first investigate each other's secrets, ensuring you have complete confidence before taking action."
"..."
"You..."
Zhou Manager was already unsteady on his feet after being questioned by Hu Ma. At the same time, the wound on his neck went numb, and he felt wooden. His throat tightened, and Hu Ma, covered in blood with cold eyes, couldn't pretend anymore.
With some difficulty, he opened his mouth and stared at Hu Ma, "You... when did you... find out?"
"I've been suspicious of you from the start."
Hu Ma turned to look at him and slowly said, "A high-level member of Put on a Show, coming out to find someone, is no different from wandering the jianghu. How could you lose your luggage and end up with a broken leg? I've found several reasons to convince myself to trust you, but it's still too far-fetched."
"You carried a life-saving coin like the Life-Saving Coin, yet you said you didn't want the people from Grass Heart Hall to see it to avoid taboos."
"Hehe, is it to avoid taboos, or are you afraid that people will find out that it's not a life-saving coin?"
"At the manor, I didn't ask for it, and you didn't insist. But when those demons caught up, you became eager. You not only gave it to me but also reminded me to use it at a critical moment..."
"..." Hehe, I was hesitant to use it, but how else could I make an old fox like you reveal your true nature?"
"..."
"You..."
The old manager was flustered.
He thought carefully, and although he had indeed done some things along the way, the Put on a Show members were quick and left no evidence. Even just now, he was sure the Junior Overseer was dead before he planned to make a move on Aunt Zhang.
...The oil lamp on the altar had gone out!
Moreover, he had indeed pointed out many suspicious points, and that was unavoidable. No matter how clean one's actions were, there would always be something odd about them.
Why would he associate this with himself? When did he reveal a flaw that aroused his suspicion?
'Regardless of whether you have flaws or not, I've been suspicious of you from the start...'
Seeing Zhou's awkward and uncomfortable expression, Hu Ma couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
From the moment Zhou appeared, he made people feel uneasy, but no matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find any solid evidence to prove he was up to no good.
But whether there was evidence or not, what difference did it make? Suspicion doesn't require evidence, especially for reincarnators. Suspicion of others or being suspected is an innate trait brought about by reincarnation.
Every day, there's a worry that some troublemaker will harm the emperor. Even a dog on the street looking at him makes him suspect that it has seen through his identity and wants to chop it up.
The following events became even simpler. As long as he suspected, he would naturally be on guard throughout the journey, observing and speculating whether the other party was acting strangely, gradually confirming his inner thoughts.
Zhou was an old hand in the industry, skilled in manipulating people, but who could see through an experienced actor? Only another person constantly performing.
Precisely because he felt uneasy, his nerves were taut throughout the journey. He didn't let loose just because he was out, and he had to seize the right opportunity to use his abilities.
He kept in mind the words of Miss Baijiu and Erguotou about being respectful of this world and the people in it.
On this trip, the greatest threat wasn't evil spirits or kidnappers, but this old fox from the Deception Sect...
If the Deception Sect found out his secrets, he wouldn't even know how he died.
Hu Ma sighed silently, but his face only held a cold smile, and his voice seemed to carry a hint of anger as he spoke loudly, "Later, you became even more outrageous..."
"You claimed to be searching for your young miss, all the way to Mingzhou, but on our journey here, you didn't even know the local terrain and geography. How could that be the way to find her?"
"It's not possible that you took a different route, is it?"
"Moreover..."
He paused, furrowing his brows as he stared at Zhou sternly, "I saved your young miss. You spoke of great gratitude, but when I asked you about your skills, you refused to answer."
"So petty and stingy, there must be a scam!"
"Are you afraid that if things turn sour, your secrets will be exposed, and you won't be able to compete with me?"
"..."
Zhou didn't expect Hu Ma to say this, and he was momentarily angered, his teeth grinding as he spoke softly, "The secrets of the Deception Sect cannot be casually revealed; it has nothing to do with gratitude..."
"Besides, didn't I eventually give in to your pestering and tell you?"
"..."
"You only spoke of the Li Clan's spells after I revealed some of the Deception Sect's tricks. That's when I realized you weren't as loyal to the Li Clan as you seemed."
Hu Ma looked at him and said, "When the time came, I was also thinking of finding an opportunity to make a move against you. But since the Deception Sect has so many tricks up their sleeves, without a good chance, I wouldn't dare to be reckless."
Zhou's face was already itchy, and he was even more furious, his head feeling dizzy as the snake venom took effect.
On this journey, the junior overseer first closely observed Old Lady Zhang's skills, and later focused on Hu Ma. Hu Ma couldn't refuse, fearing he'd become suspicious, so he taught him a few tricks.
Who would've thought this guy was testing him? He learned the tricks while also confirming his suspicions...
...How could a person be so shameless?
Hu Ma saw a black layer covering Zhou's face, and his own face also carried a cold smile. He revealed a small black bottle in his hand and said calmly, "That two-headed snake is very powerful."
"Only New Year Guardians like us are immune to snake venom, which is why we can capture it. Even the snake charmer, after being bitten, must quickly take the snake venom remedy from this bottle."
"The tricks of the Deception Sect are fake, but your lives are real, right? How long can you last after being bitten?"
"So, why don't you tell me who else is waiting for us ahead and what's going on here, and I'll give you the snake venom remedy?"
"..."
"I..."
Zhou knew Hu Ma was right, and he covered his neck with his hand, his throat swollen, making it increasingly difficult to speak.
"Ahead, the Third Young Master is waiting in Wei Qing..."
"..."
His voice grew softer as he spoke, as if he couldn't speak anymore. Suddenly, he rushed forward and reached for the medicine bottle in Hu Ma's hand.
As a New Year Guardian, Hu Ma easily dodged his grasp with a wave of his hand. Simultaneously, his other hand blocked Zhou's body, but unexpectedly, a third hand emerged from Zhou's embrace, grabbing the medicine bottle and pulling it away. Zhou then rolled on the ground to create some distance.
"Oh?"
Hu Ma's eyes lit up as he watched, "A third hand? What kind of ultimate move is this? Can you teach it to me?"
(End of Chapter)
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