https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-374-Sealing-the-Mine-Third-Watch-/12918669/
Chapter 375: The Cooperation Goal
Chapter 375: The Cooperation Goal
"What?"
Hearing the babbling words of the Monkey Wine, Hu Ma was taken aback, "You?"
His mind raced as he encountered numerous reincarnators, most of whom shared the same stance and collaborated with him. But now, he had finally met someone with a different perspective?
Suddenly, he couldn't quite fathom the thoughts of this eccentric reincarnator, but his reaction was swift, and he chuckled, "Since we're both reincarnators, there's no need to be so indirect while chatting..."
"Brother, if you seal off our valley, then how can you say you don't know the reason for sealing our Blood Feast Mine?"
"..."
He finished speaking and patiently listened, curious to see how he would explain himself and whether he was someone he could negotiate with.
However, to his surprise, Monkey Wine sighed softly and said, "It's true that I sealed your Blood Feast Mine, but I genuinely don't know the reason."
"It was my father who wanted to seal the Blood Feast Mine, and he asked me to do it, so I did..."
"He suddenly decided to seal the mine without explaining why. He only said that it's a big matter, and not a single living person must leave the mine, nor can any Blood Feast leave the valley."
"..."
The situation suddenly became a bit awkward.
Hu Ma had interacted with many reincarnators, and they always got along well. But this time, he found it challenging to continue the conversation. They had found the person who blocked the road and knew who wanted to seal the Blood Feast Mine, but what good would it do?
This guy seemed to be acting like a chameleon, sometimes like a rebellious child and sometimes like a good kid listening to his father.
...But it wasn't entirely useless.
After listening to Monkey Wine's words, Hu Ma recalled what Chief Zhuang had told him. Chief Zhuang considered the Shaman's clan as his friends, and upon discovering the mine's sealing, he immediately sent a message to the Clan Leader for help.
But how could he have known that the person behind the order to seal the mine was none other than the Clan Leader himself?
His mind raced as he pondered the situation. This matter seemed deeper than he had anticipated, involving not only the mysterious and unknown mine but also the ambiguous Shamans.
Having just arrived in this place, he was caught off guard and unprepared. Gathering more intelligence was of utmost importance.
So, even though Monkey Wine seemed a bit odd, Hu Ma softened his tone and smiled, "Although it's your father's arrangement, many things don't have to be so confrontational, do they?"
"There aren't that many zero-sum games; mutual benefit is the fundamental principle."
"To be honest, I was planning to go to the Blood Feast Mine to find something. But now that your valley is sealed, I can't get in. So, do you think it's possible for you to figure out the secret behind your father's decision to seal the mine, and I can make the necessary preparations..."
"We can do it together..."
"..."
It wasn't easy to be too direct, but Hu Ma believed Monkey Wine understood his intentions.
As expected, after a brief silence, Monkey Wine smiled and said, "You want to convince me not to listen to my father and cooperate with you instead?"
"You truly are a brilliant student..."
Hu Ma praised him, then smiled and said, "It doesn't have to be that absolute. But having more options is always better, right? If we play our cards right, I can even cooperate with your father."
"You can't cooperate with him because he only believes in the Shaman God and won't collaborate with mortals."
Monkey Wine interrupted Hu Ma's thoughts and slowly said, "But if you're only trying to convince me, it brings us back to the initial problem."
"Between our two worlds, which one is real?"
"..."
"?"
Hu Ma was puzzled, "Why are we going in circles again?"
"If this world is real, I can't help you."
Monkey Wine slowly explained, "Because he is my father and the leader of our Shaman clan. Going against him is like going against the Shamans who gave me life and nurtured me. I would become a disgrace to our clan and even bring them endless calamities."
Listening to his words, Hu Ma's heart sank, and he sighed softly, "What if our world is the real one?"
"If our world is real, then at this moment, we are truly acquainted, like trusted strangers in a foreign land."
Monkey Wine slowly continued, "The person who now commands me as a father is the same person who, when I was five years old, planted countless curse bugs all over my body—the madman who was most afraid of bugs in my previous life."
"Can you guess how I will deal with him?"
"..."
"..."
"Bugs all over your body?"
Monkey Wine spoke simply, and there was always a sense of ethereal bewilderment in his words, but Hu Ma's heart still trembled slightly as he listened.
He seemed to catch a glimpse of this guy's fate.
Monkey Wine had mentioned being awakened at seven years old, but at five, his body was already infested with curse bugs. In other words, just as he remembered his past life, he found himself in a bug-infested nightmare.
Yikes...
Just thinking about it made Hu Ma's skin crawl. No wonder Monkey Wine seemed a bit crazy now.
"Brother, I'm an outsider, so it's not easy for me to speak..."
As Hu Ma pondered, he slowly spoke, "But I just feel that, whether in my past life or this life, intentionally or unintentionally, anyone who harms innocent children is guilty."
As he spoke, he paused, awaiting Monkey Wine's response.
There was a moment of silence, and then Monkey Wine let out a soft sigh. "I've lived in this camp for over twenty years, but I still feel that only when I meet a reincarnate can I truly hear words that resonate with me..."
"What do you mean...?" Hu Ma couldn't contain his excitement. "Is there a way?"
But before he could finish his question, Monkey Wine spoke, "But I still can't help you against my father..."
"What?" Hu Ma was getting annoyed. Is this guy crazy, wasting my time? Do I need to gather the Red Lantern Society's people to teach you a lesson?
Then, Monkey Wine slowly continued, "Because dealing with him alone won't be enough. If we're going to work together, we'll have to deal with the shaman god that our camp venerates as well..."
"Just like it always wants to drill into my brain, I'm also curious about the structure of this thing..."
...
...
"What the hell is this?"
After leaving the Life Spirit Temple, Hu Ma felt incredulous.
So, had he really encountered a madman this time? He had only invited him to join him, and at most, they would join forces to eliminate his father. But now, this guy wanted to directly drag him into destroying the god their clan revered?
However, it was no wonder that the miners found the shaman strange. They had sealed the mine without any communication or explanation.
Suppressing the pressure in his heart, he sat silently on the bed, practicing energy channels while waiting for dawn. Then, he stepped out with someone, and as he looked up, he saw the red lantern of Lady Red Lantern still hanging above the camp's gate tower, emitting a faint red glow in the morning light.
Some of the early-rising miners had already noticed it and were discussing it. When they hung the lantern yesterday, they were uncertain, but after a peaceful night, they felt more at ease.
Of course, the enemy had only blocked the valley and hadn't taken action against the mine yet, so the peaceful night might not have been due to the red lantern.
But Hu Ma needed to change his perspective. He had done a few things under the guise of being a Hu family descendant, gradually underestimating Lady Red Lantern's reputation. But in reality, her fame was even more prominent in such a place.
Not only had he not entered the manor, but even if he did, an incoming guardian from Mingzhou Prefecture would not hold as much sway as Lady Red Lantern in the eyes of the shamans and miners.
This was the case even before Lady Red Lantern, the great evil spirit, had established herself on land. Now that she had built a temple and become a venerated deity, her invisible intimidation was even more formidable.
Before communicating with Monkey Wine, using Lady Red Lantern's lantern to deter unknown enemies was a good strategy. But now, it seemed certain that Lady Red Lantern's reputation wouldn't be of much use...
...That person was a reincarnate, and a rather abnormal one at that.
"Now..." Hu Ma muttered as he paced, glancing towards the southeast corner of the valley. There, a massive, writhing chunk of flesh was visible, intertwined with the mountain's soil and rocks.
Ugly black scars covered the flesh, and a bright liquid seeped out.
Connected to this enormous flesh were rows of bamboo and wooden racks, with square holes between them, some showing signs of cutting and harvesting.
This was the meat mountain, resembling a living mountain range. Most of it was black, emitting a tar-like odor, while the holes retained traces of white and green.
The meat mountain didn't rot but slowly healed, giving it a terrifying appearance.
However, Hu Ma's gaze first fell on an inconspicuous spot where the meat mountain met the hillside.
There, layers of rough wood were piled up, blocking the area, covered by a red curtain. The meat cutters in the valley would detour around it, indicating that something terrifying had occurred there.
As Hu Ma observed from a distance, he felt an invisible yet terrifying presence, causing him to hastily avert his gaze.
What was hidden within? Monkey Wine said his father had ordered the mine sealed. Did that mean even the mine master and experienced miners couldn't identify what was inside, but these shamans, who rarely partook in blood feasts, knew?
As for himself, what should he prioritize now?
While pondering, he heard a sharp whistle from outside the valley. Turning, he saw a thick mist approaching.
Some of the miners near the gate shouted excitedly, "Quick, inform the mine master..."
"Clan Leader Wu Gong is here..."
(End of Chapter)
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