Chapter 276: Red Wine Miss's Grand Gift
Chapter 276: Red Wine Miss's Grand Gift
"I must sincerely apologize to Zhou Manager..."
"I used to grumble about the Deception Sect's tricks, thinking they were all for show and not worth delving into, and that they were mostly fluff without real substance."
"But now, I've changed my mind. The Deception Sect is indeed formidable..."
Looking at the seemingly oblivious Fragrant Girl hiding in the cabinet, as if she hadn't a clue about what had just transpired, Hu Ma's heart raced with self-reflection. He thought solemnly, wondering who would dare say the Deception Sect lacked real skills in the future.
"It's all clear now. You can open your eyes and come out from hiding. Go to bed and get some rest!"
Red Wine Miss glanced at Fragrant Girl and smiled, "Of course, it's best not to leave this room. Just in case that person is foolish enough to come back for another attempt."
Hu Ma asked, "Shouldn't we consider it a smart move if they return?"
Red Wine Miss smiled, "It's a pointless endeavor. Doing it once is enough; doing it again would be foolish, wouldn't it?"
As they spoke, they stepped out together and returned to the main hall. Red Wine Miss pulled the folding screen aside and took out a wine flask and two teacups from her sleeve, pouring hot tea into them.
The teacups had been filled once before, but now they were miraculously full again.
Hu Ma couldn't quite determine if this was a real or illusory trick...
Many magic tricks and illusions are prepared in advance to surprise the audience. If this was the case, Red Wine Miss would have had to boil water, brew tea, and secretly hide it in her sleeve just to put on a show for him. Thinking about this scenario, it was quite amusing.
Of course, having just witnessed Red Wine Miss's prowess, Hu Ma quickly dismissed this disrespectful thought. He whispered, "Thank you, Senior, for your help earlier."
"Although they've retreated, the matter might not be as simple as it seems."
"Many in the Li Clan don't want their Miss to return. Now that we're nearing Ling Shou Prefecture, the trouble might become even more complicated."
"How should we safely send Fragrant Girl back?"
"..."
"How can we send her back?"
But Han Womzi turned and smiled at Hu Ma, saying, "In my opinion, we should wait until dawn, gather all the influential figures on the Anzhou Road, and send her back in a grand fashion—in carriages and on horseback, with pomp and ceremony."
"If you wish, we can even have people come with gongs and drums to escort her back."
"..."
"What do you mean, Senior?"
Hu Ma had an inkling of what Han Womzi meant from her earlier conversation with the person in the black carriage. He whispered, "You want to create a bigger scene to ensure it can't be covered up?"
"We've considered this idea before, but is it feasible?"
"Would those influential figures in the jianghu be willing to get involved in the Li Clan's affairs?"
Han Womzi looked at him and smiled, "Being able to associate with the Cave Li Clan and gaining the reputation of sending their Miss back is a favor. How could they refuse?"
"Of course, we'll need to have enough face to invite them. The more people we invite, the safer Miss Li will be, and the more people will want to join in to gain face. Those with ill intentions in the Li Clan will have no choice but to behave."
"As for me..."
She paused, pointing to her nose, and said calmly, "I also have some reputation on the Anzhou Road..."
'Here she goes with her arrogance again...'
Hu Ma felt a familiar sensation and quickly replied, "Senior, you're so formidable!"
"It's just that I've been in the jianghu for a long time."
Red Wine Miss chuckled, "Many reincarnators are too cautious. By being overly conservative, they miss out on the interesting aspects of this world..."
"Of course, I'm doing this to give you a grand gift."
"It might not seem like much now, but in the future, you'll understand the weight and necessity of this gift..."
"..."
A grand gift?
The priority now was sending Fragrant Girl back safely, but why was she talking about giving me a grand gift? Hu Ma felt a bit exasperated by her mysterious demeanor.
The Deception Sect members were known for their love of showing off but were reluctant to reveal their secrets. Hu Ma decided not to pry and spent the night at the farmhouse, ensuring no one else would come looking for trouble. As dawn approached, Red Wine Miss, or Han Womzi, no longer seemed concerned.
After the rooster's call, she released several pigeons. Then, she got busy, first feeding the livestock with chopped hay and then entering the kitchen to cook white porridge and boiled eggs for breakfast.
This meal wasn't a magical trick but was prepared by diligently pumping the bellows to cook.
As Hu Ma gazed at the steaming pot of white porridge, he couldn't help but recall the scene of Red Wine Miss secretly boiling water, brewing tea, and hiding it in her sleeve, only to later pretend to be a master and pour it for others.
However, Fragrant Girl, who stumbled out of the small house in a daze, looked at Han Womzi with reverence.
"Hurry up and eat. After the meal, I'll send you home."
Han Womzi merely glanced at Fragrant Girl and spoke casually.
These simple words contrasted sharply with the troubles Hu Ma and Fragrant Girl had faced on their journey, allowing Fragrant Girl to relax a little.
Finally, as they were finishing their meal, the pigeons she had released earlier seemed to have served their purpose. One by one, people arrived on horseback or in carriages, their cheerful laughter filling the usually desolate farmhouse with a rare liveliness.
"Oh, Liu Bodyguard..."
"Hehe, Qiu Zhangpan..."
"I never expected that even the rarely seen Zhong Shenyi would come..."
"Haha, Han Womzi invited us, and it's for a chivalrous cause. How could I not come?"
"..."
One after another, more and more people arrived outside the compound, all seemingly familiar with each other and part of the jianghu.
Hu Ma glanced at the Red Wine Miss in surprise, knowing she had influence, but never expecting it to be this great. With just a few carrier pigeons, she had summoned so many jianghu experts?
At this hour, many of them must have set off even before dawn.
Other reincarnators would have preferred to keep a low profile, but the Red Wine Miss was almost like a gang leader in the jianghu.
"Let's go!"
When Han Womzi saw those people approaching, she quickly cleared the tableware. Strangely, the jianghu experts didn't enter the compound; they chatted outside, only entering after Han Womzi opened the door and greeted them one by one.
Some of them sneaked glances at the livestock inside her compound, perhaps recognizing some of their acquaintances among the animals.
"Everyone, we're all making a living in Anzhou, and when one of us is in trouble, shouldn't we help each other out for the sake of our jianghu connections?"
Facing these jianghu experts, the Red Wine Miss still carried a hint of laziness in her demeanor, but her tone had changed, sounding like a seasoned female hero of the jianghu. She spoke loudly, "The Cave Li Clan doesn't have deep ties with us, but whenever we seek their help, they never refuse."
"But who would've thought that their young miss would be harmed by a treacherous servant and end up stranded in a foreign land? It was the young manager from Mingzhou who, without hesitation, brought her back, enduring countless hardships to reach my door."
"You tell me, if a young manager has such a chivalrous heart, isn't there anyone on the Anzhou Road willing to escort her back?"
"..."
Her words instantly stirred up the crowd, who clamored to escort the Li Clan's miss back, all together, to see which treacherous servant dared to block their young miss's path.
At the same time, their gazes towards Hu Ma changed, filled with both admiration and envy.
After saying a few words to the jianghu experts, the Red Wine Miss had someone bring over a horse-drawn carriage and drove it into the compound.
She turned to the lazy livestock and said, "Who's willing to take on the task? Come and harness the carriage."
The compound fell silent for a moment, and the livestock, some lying down and some standing, suddenly became anxious. They scrambled inside, jostling and pushing each other to get to the front of the carriage, even the few pigs outside grunting impatiently.
Han Womzi casually grabbed a sturdy ox and harnessed it to the carriage. The horse that had been pulling the carriage was given to Hu Ma to ride, and Fragrant Girl got into the carriage.
As they set off, she seemed to notice Hu Ma's curiosity and said, "Although I practice beastcraft, I still follow the rules of the Trickery Sect. Everyone who falls into my hands has a path to death."
"But since they've changed, I don't intend to let them die as livestock forever. The suffering they endure daily is to repay their evil debts. However, depending on their crimes and behavior, when the time comes, I can also change them back."
"..."
"Isn't that like being imprisoned?"
Hu Ma thought to himself, then remembered Wu He, who had been harmed by beastcraft, a situation different from the Red Wine Miss's but with the same technique.
The White Wine Miss had learned from the Red Wine Miss that the Divine Hand Zhao Family had the skill to cure her, which was why she recommended her to them.
The reason she didn't suggest Wu He come directly to the Red Wine Miss was probably due to the caution of reincarnators.
"Young Master..."
As he was thinking, a soft voice called from behind. Fragrant Girl poked her head out of the carriage, "Are we really taking the main road back?"
"Shh!"
Hu Ma hurriedly stopped her, saying sternly, "What time is it to call me Young Master? Do you want to get me in trouble?"
"But we're already in your territory. If you keep calling me Young Master, what will your family think?"
"Just call me Big Brother. It sounds familiar and close."
"..."
Fragrant Girl blushed and nodded vigorously to show she remembered, then said, "Young Master... Hu Big Brother, will there be anyone else blocking our way?"
Hu Ma glanced at Han Womzi, who was walking alongside, and whispered, "Listen to the senior."
"But what happened last night? Did you leave that small room?"
"..."
"No..."
Fragrant Girl paused, then said, "I just did as the senior said, hiding on the bed, holding the chopsticks. When I couldn't hold on anymore, I hid in the cabinet with my eyes closed."
"In the middle, I heard the sound of iron chains and something smashing. I felt like everything around me was smashed to pieces, and there were chains whipping around me, but I just kept my eyes shut, daring not to open them."
"It wasn't until you opened the cabinet that I opened my eyes, and everything around me was gone."
"..."
"It's so amazing..."
Hu Ma was so moved that he wished he could learn this skill too...
(End of Chapter)
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