Twilight's Threshold Chapter 373: Code Name Monkey Wine - Novel Cool

Chapter 373: Code Name Monkey Wine

Chapter 373: Code Name Monkey Wine

"Is this enough?"

Under the watchful eyes of the meat cutters, Zhou Datong picked up the bright red lantern and, using his Ghost Ascender Step technique, effortlessly climbed up to the gatehouse, replacing the old, faded, and weather-beaten lantern.

Instantly, a red glow spread, adding a mysterious aura to the old mine deep in the mountains.

The miners, not understanding the intention behind this act, stood in a daze, not daring to disturb what they were doing.

Zhou Liang vaguely understood, but not entirely sure, also curiously looked at Old Abacus, who was nodding in approval and whispered, "Your senior brother is quite clever!"

"Think about it, what's the most important thing in life?"

"Nothing but rules!"

"Why do those who come to this mine have to be cautious of those sorcerers?"

"There's no other reason; it's because they have many rules. We Xia people emphasize following local customs, fearing we might offend their traditions."

"But just as we avoid offending their taboos, they should also worry about offending ours. Hanging the Red Lantern Lady's lantern means this place is under her control, and whatever is done here must consider her face."

"Usually, when we offend their taboos, they use poison puppets against us. If they offend ours, we should also take action."

"Their venomous insects are powerful, but are our Longevity Gate Dao's knives any less effective?"

"..."

The people nearby overheard this, and seeing Old Abacus's confidence, the miners couldn't help but nod in agreement. Only the two disciples of Chief Zhuang, the mine master, whispered with skepticism, "Is the Red Lantern Lady's influence that great?"

"Whether the Red Lantern Lady's influence is great or not depends on the abilities of us, her followers."

Hu Ma heard their whispers and smiled at them, saying, "Now that the rules are set, it's up to that person outside to give us face or not."

"If he gives us face, it's good. But if he doesn't, it's like going against the entire Red Lantern Society and our Red Lantern Lady, who already has a temple dedicated to her. Even if he's a curse crafter, or even if their entire sorcerer tribe comes, what can they do?"

"If we have to invite the Red Lantern Lady or the entire Red Lantern Society, they'll flatten this camp!"

"..."

Of course, although he spoke with confidence to the people in the valley, in private, he quietly discussed with Old Abacus, "What do you think he'll do when he sees this lantern?"

Old Abacus laughed, "If he's sensible, seeing our formation, he'll either leave immediately or at least show up to talk."

"That's the rule of the underworld... to learn how to back down..."

"But if he doesn't show up and continues to hide in the shadows, harming people, or even intensifying his actions, then we can't say for sure. At the very least, we'll know this person isn't worth talking to, and we'll prepare for the harshest counterattack."

"..."

"But we have to be able to fight him first."

Hu Ma lowered his voice, "From the look of Chief Zhuang, this person seems extraordinary."

"The Longevity Gate Dao practitioners have the strongest bodies, especially those who have refined their Five Viscera. Even they were injured to this extent."

"..."

"His abilities are indeed formidable, but we won't necessarily be at a disadvantage."

But Old Abacus laughed coldly, "When dealing with sorcerers, it's all about observation. We must first identify which sect and camp he belongs to."

"There's the Witchcraft and Poison Puppetry, as well as the Insect, Beast, and Rod Sects. In the past, in Mingzhou Prefecture, there was a Vessel Teaching, and the Insect Sect had a saying about summoning souls, which was about the three great harms."

"You should know about the Vessel Teaching, but you might not be aware that the Insect Sect is actually from this sorcerer tribe. Initially, they had a significant reputation in Mingzhou, but later, why did they disappear? It's because they fought but couldn't defeat us."

"There's no need to panic. As long as we identify his origins and sect, dealing with him will be much easier. Even if we take a step back and assume we can't defeat them..."

"We can still call for reinforcements!"

"..."

'This old man is truly a veteran of the underworld, with sharp observation skills...'

Hu Ma understood, and he smiled, knowing that Old Abacus had also seen the key point, "But how can you call for help if the roads are blocked?"

"You're testing me, brother..."

Old Abacus also laughed, "Can he use a poison array to block the valley entrance and surround this place? Where would he get so many insects..."

"I may not be a Longevity Gate Dao practitioner, but in the Red Lantern Society, I've seen the most of them, and I'm quite familiar with your methods. He may have blocked the valley entrance, preventing ordinary people from entering or leaving, but Longevity Gate Dao practitioners don't care about such things. Behind is a mountain slope, and with your roof-walking and wall-climbing skills, even the highest cliffs are no obstacle. Calling for help won't be that difficult, will it?"

"Of course, if we leave like this, any valuable things in this mine will no longer be within our reach..."

"..."

"Indeed."

"Old Abacus's words resonated with Hu Ma's current thoughts.

As soon as he arrived, he understood the predicament of this Blood Feast Mine. The reason they were blocked by the Curse Crafter was that there was only one entrance, and once sealed, the Blood Feast could not be transported out.

For a Blood Xiu Guardian, escaping was relatively simple, but doing so meant abandoning the ordinary miners and the unknown treasures that might lie within the mine...

In the end, it all boiled down to greed!

As for himself...

Technically, with these few Vessels of Blood Feast, he had already made a profit. However, he wasn't in a hurry to report it to his superiors; instead, he wanted to research how to make more before doing so.

What if the mine truly held some valuable treasure? Indeed, he had become greedy...

So what if others could be greedy? Why couldn't he? Of course, he couldn't be too hasty. First, he hung up the Red Lantern as a signal, and if things got out of hand later, he would naturally call upon Lady Red Lantern to clean up the mess!

With the plan decided, he instructed the miners to rest and not be so suspicious, and to wait until tomorrow to discuss any issues.

Then, he once again refused Old Abacus's request to take a batch of Blood Feast back for quality inspection. Hu Ma carried the six Vessels into the wooden house that Chief Zhuang had offered, and he also had Zhou Datong, Zhao Zhu, and the others sleep there.

"This is truly a windfall..."

Hu Ma quietly counted the Vessels, and his heart couldn't help but stir. The six Vessels were all Blood New Year Beasts, and their quality ranged from low to high. The last two Vessels contained Golden Thread Centipedes.

It was a pity that if all the Vessels had been of the same quality as the last one, he would have immediately gathered enough Blood Feast to enter the Manor. Now, he barely had enough.

But this also excited Hu Ma. If the mine truly improved with each dig, what treasures might it hold? Even if there were no treasures, as long as the quality remained that of Golden Thread Centipedes, it would be sufficient for his entry into the Manor.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Hu Ma carefully counted the Vessels three times before finally feeling at ease. He went to bed and rested, intending to regain his energy.

To understand what was inside the mine, he first had to deal with the trouble outside.

Others probably thought that Hu Ma just wanted a good night's sleep to recover and then find a way to deal with the mysterious sorcerer outside the next day.

However, Hu Ma had another plan in mind. He had come to Hollow Ridge, an unfamiliar place, and was being challenged by an unknown mysterious person. Should he blindly follow the advice of Chief Zhuang's family and take the lead?

If it were an ordinary person in his position, they would have no choice but to either take the lead or let go of the opportunity, without bearing any responsibility. Indeed, there seemed to be no other options.

But he, after all, was a Reincarnate...

After falling asleep, Hu Ma arrived at the Life Spirit Temple. He looked up and saw his Life Spirit Statue emitting strands of golden light, outlining its figure.

His limbs and viscera floated in the darkness, and at the head position, nearly half of the dense golden traces had lit up. All that was needed was to consume enough Blood Feast, and he would be fully reinvigorated.

'The hope is right before my eyes. If I can directly consume these few Vessels of Blood Feast, perhaps I can enter the Manor,' Hu Ma thought to himself.

'But I can't get fat in one bite; my refinement speed is limited,' he sighed.

As he sighed, he put this thought aside for the moment. He slowly approached the incense table, extended his palm, and placed it on the incense burner. Then, he regulated his breathing and changed his voice, calling out softly, 'Old White Dry is calling from Hollow Ridge.'

'Code name Old White Dry is calling from Hollow Ridge. Is there a Reincarnate who can hear me?'

'...'

With each call, he waited patiently, observing the incense smoke that drifted from the incense burner, but it remained scattered, showing no signs of connection.

He wasn't in a rush and called out several times before stopping for a while.

He silently consumed the Blood Feast and practiced, waiting for an hour before entering again and calling out several times. Moreover, to increase the range of his call, he had already lit three Life Incense Sticks in the incense burner, not sparing any expense.

Calling out upon arriving at an unfamiliar place was a good habit that every Reincarnate should cultivate.

However, Hu Ma was actually quite uncertain. This was his first time calling out without knowing if anyone would hear him, and the place was deep in the mountains, similar to the situation with Second Pot Head in Old Yin Mountain. The chances of someone hearing him were not high.

But how would he know if he didn't try? Perhaps someone was nearby.

With this hope, Hu Ma called out three times, but as dawn approached, no one responded, leaving him helpless.

Just as he was about to give up and abandon this hope, a voice suddenly echoed with a hint of regret: 'Code name Monkey Wine is responding to the call...'

'...It's true. I've hidden so well, yet you still managed to find me!'

(End of Chapter)

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