https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-298-Xiang-Yaotou-s-Gift-Third-Watch-/12918530/
Chapter 297: The Red and White Appointment
Chapter 297: The Red and White Appointment
"Miss Red Wine and her companions are experimenting with a different approach to the game compared to other reincarnators..."
As Hu Ma witnessed Miss Red Wine taking charge like a true Wulin Alliance leader, directing the conversation among the crowd, he gradually understood and felt a deep sense of admiration in his heart.
Miss Red Wine and her group were not truly fearless, recklessly charging ahead without caution. Instead, they had hidden themselves within the Wulin world, skillfully manipulating the situation and only making their move at critical moments.
Thinking about this, Hu Ma couldn't help but wonder if Miss Red Wine and her companions were the true hidden evil spirits and demons in this world.
The reincarnators in Mingzhou were content with their own small gains, living their simple lives, laughing, chatting, and indulging in leisurely pursuits.
However, Miss Red Wine, representing the reincarnators of Anzhou, had already started secretly influencing and manipulating people behind the scenes.
But...
...Wasn't this way of playing extremely risky?
Suddenly, Hu Ma realized why Miss White Wine had left Miss Red Wine's group.
Playing alongside someone so daring indeed made it difficult to feel at ease. Furthermore, another question kept arising in Hu Ma's mind—why was Miss Red Wine so kind to him? They had only met for less than half a month, yet during this time, she had taught him about the Wulin world, helped him with the Cave Li Clan matter, obtained the Shou Sui person's Palace Entry Technique, and even pointed out his weaknesses.
Now, she had even revealed the ambitions of the Anzhou reincarnators and their unique "playstyle" to him without reservation.
Was it truly because of Miss White Wine's letter that she considered him one of her own? Even if they were close, it didn't make sense for her to be so generous.
After all, even if they were close, he should start from the bottom. Yet, in a very short time, she had allowed him to access some core secrets within the Anzhou reincarnators' organization.
Was she naturally impulsive? If she were, why would so many people in the Anzhou reincarnators' organization still be willing to play along with her?
Hu Ma silently pondered these thoughts, unable to guess which of the various Wulin figures at the tables were reincarnators and which were merely influenced by them without their knowledge. Meanwhile, the intense discussion in the room had reached a consensus.
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, and they collectively made several decisions.
First, they decided to thoroughly eliminate the Beggar Sect's group of scoundrels, and second, to search the soul of Ji Tang and obtain evidence of his crimes, delivering him to the government officials.
Without hesitation, the Wulin figures chose a young-looking man in a brocade robe, said to have had a beloved concubine abducted by the Beggar Sect.
He immediately ordered a black cloth, the width of a zhang, to be prepared and hung around the courtyard. A lamp was lit beside him, and he took the Kongming lantern from Miss Red Wine, releasing the moth inside. He placed a sand table in front of him and held a rooster in his arms, beginning the lengthy and mysterious soul-searching ritual.
The moth fluttered inside the Kongming lantern, and the rooster's claws scratched incessantly on the sand table.
Every once in a while, he would carefully study the scratches made by the rooster's claws, and someone by his side would meticulously record everything.
"Is this soul-searching method truly reliable?"
Hu Ma observed for a while and found it rather peculiar, as it concerned the crucial matter of the Palace Entry Technique. What if the rooster's claws scratched the wrong spot, causing trouble?
"The Wei Family has been in charge of punishments for generations, and this inherited skill of theirs is truly remarkable."
As these thoughts crossed his mind, a plump woman in flowing silk approached him. She didn't appear to be a typical professional and smiled, saying, "He understands the Soul Inquiry Technique and is proficient in Spirit Script. He can meticulously extract every detail."
"Indeed, it's truly eye-opening..."
Hu Ma hastily smiled in response, and as their eyes met, he saw her eyes curving into a smile, followed by a subtle wink before she gracefully moved away.
Watching her depart, Hu Ma couldn't help but wonder: Was she a reincarnator, or had she taken a liking to him?
After witnessing so many things at once, he felt a sense of suspicion and unease.
In the end, the soul-searching ritual lasted an entire night.
It was said that Ji Tang's soul revealed many things, including the Beggar Sect's hidden treasures accumulated over the years, the Beggar Sect members who had not revealed their identities but were still receiving offerings, and some extremely shameful secrets.
The most exhilarating discovery was the location of a group of women and children who had not yet been sold and were being guarded by two beggars in a mountain cave, thanks to Ji Tang's confession.
They chose to report to the government officials, resulting in a happy ending for all. Despite usually not giving much regard to the government, they expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Wulin people's righteous act, their faces blooming with joy as if flowers had blossomed on their cheeks.
Hu Ma did not witness the final events.
Early the next morning, after receiving a scroll from Lady Han, he packed his belongings and embarked on his journey back to Mingzhou.
For the people of Anzhou and some of the martial artists on the Pingnan Dao, he was just a little shopkeeper from Mingzhou, who teamed up with Lady Han to eliminate the Beggar Sect, a major thorn in their side. After this, he declined the invitations of his fellow martial artists and embarked on his return journey.
He left behind a reputation, waved his sleeves, and took with him two large baskets of blood food...
...and a sealed letter, which the Red Wine Miss had carefully composed in the temple of her patron deity. She wanted to personally deliver a message to the White Wine Miss.
The content of the letter was rather difficult to speak of, but it was something that needed to be said.
"So, he just left like that?"
After Hu Ma also departed in his carriage, the Red Wine Miss stood at the entrance of Niutou Town, seeing him off until his figure was swallowed by the dust and wind. Then, a man in a black robe approached her.
He smiled and said, "He seemed to be in quite a hurry to leave. I wonder if our style of doing things scared him off."
"I suppose he's used to the company of the White Wine Miss, and probably isn't accustomed to our brash ways."
"..."
"Speaking of which, he's probably one of the luckiest newcomers in recent years, right?"
Before he could finish his sentence, a voluptuous woman in sheer fabric appeared beside him. She smiled faintly and said, "He didn't have to pay a tribute or pass through the three trials and four gates to become one of us."
"We taught him all the important skills, and even revealed almost all our secrets to him."
"Red Sister, you're known for your righteousness in our circle, and we trust you. But I still find it a bit unbelievable how well you've treated him."
"So... what exactly did that letter say?"
"..."
The Red Wine Miss paused for a moment before responding, "Little White didn't say much. She just asked me if I was dead, if our secrets were exposed, and if the promise we made still stood—that if our secrets were leaked, she would destroy her soul spirit."
"She said that if none of these issues had arisen, she would entrust me with a task."
"The messenger is of great importance to her, and she has a crucial matter that she's relying on him for. She wants him to learn skills quickly."
"But she can't do it herself, so she asked me to take on the task. She wants me to teach him more so that he can survive better in this world."
"..."
"Is that all?"
The two people on either side of her were surprised by her words.
They had been trying to cooperate with the Red Wine Miss's apparent special training for the newcomer, even for matters that reincarnates would typically avoid for fear of exposing their secrets.
The reason for this was their belief that the Red Wine Miss's actions were well-founded and that she would eventually explain her reasons to them.
But this crucial letter only contained these words?
"It did indeed only say that..."
The Red Wine Miss smiled in response, and seeing the astonishment in the eyes of the two people, she suddenly laughed and said, "But there are some things you don't know."
"When Little White was dissatisfied with my high-profile actions and decided to leave, she made a pact with me."
"She said..."
"..."
After a brief pause, she looked at the two curious faces and spoke in a low voice, "She doesn't want to be caught up in another purge. So, with her departure, she doesn't plan to seek me out again."
"She even made me swear that if I ever leaked our secrets, I would destroy my soul spirit to avoid implicating others."
"..."
Hearing these words, the faces of the two people beside her turned slightly grave. They were aware of the curse on the Red Wine Miss and its connection to the White Wine Miss, but upon closer reflection, they still found this pact a bit...
...cold.
"However, although she spoke with such finality and said that she wouldn't see me again after leaving, there are two exceptions."
The Red Wine Miss continued, smiling, her eyes curving, "The first is if I die. No matter the risk, she will come to pay her respects."
"The second is if she finds a way to protect my life."
"..."
"..."
At the same time, as Hu Ma left Pingnan Dao, in the cave of the Li family at Dashi Cliff in Lingshou Prefecture, a visitor from another prefecture entered with a candle in hand. They spoke softly, "The benefactor has safely left Pingnan Dao and joined forces with Lady Han to eliminate the Beggar Sect's Ji Tang."
"That's good."
The head of the Li family nodded slightly and sighed, "Lady Han knows how to repay kindness. She understands that we, who are not in a position to act openly, are protecting the benefactor. In the future, we can entrust her with matters."
"But he's just a little shopkeeper who hasn't entered the mansion yet. Is it appropriate for the master to entrust such an important task to him and send him back alone?"
The visitor with the candle spoke halfway, unable to continue, clearly feeling something was amiss.
The head of the Li family fell silent for a moment, then turned to the visitor and smiled, "Faithful Zhong, do you believe in fate?"
"If I say that this little shopkeeper's fate is even heavier than Fragrant Jade's, would you believe me?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
