Chapter 540: The Crimson Lantern Envoy
Chapter 540: The Crimson Lantern Envoy
"If you want Blood Food, ask your father!"
Upon receiving the message from the Truth Sect, the Left Guardian Shen Hongzhi immediately flew into a rage, slamming the table and cursing, startling the Red Lantern Lady.
They were unaware that this was the aftermath of the Truth Sect being scolded away by Seventh Aunt in the middle of the night. In the southern mountains, the Truth Sect began to gather troops, planning to crush the mountain bandits in one fell swoop. In the north, they urged for Blood Food to prepare for recruiting these extraordinary individuals from the jianghu.
Now, whether it was the Truth Sect's troops or the troops from the mountains, they were all hastily assembled. Therefore, it was only logical that whoever recruited enough helpers would be able to dominate the others.
Hu Ma could see this, and the Truth Sect was also well aware. For this reason, they had initially been in no rush to pressure the Scarlet Lantern Society for grain. But now that the time had come for the truth to be revealed, if they didn't hand over the thousand measures of Blood Food, when would they?
But when this message came out, it almost made the Left Guardian of the Scarlet Lantern Society pass out from anger: "The Blood Food was stolen by the Truth Sect using evil sorcery, and they still dare to ask us for it?"
"If they had quietly profited from it, that would be one thing, but now they're asking for more. There are only a few melons and dates left in the two granaries combined, not even enough to feed the rats. Do they want us to sell the Red Lantern Lady to them?"
"..."
For a moment, they were truly perplexed by the Truth Sect's actions. Previously, when the Truth Sect had raided the Blood Food Warehouse at night, the Blood Food had disappeared after that very night. The Left Guardian couldn't contact the Right Guardian, so she had to investigate on her own, but she couldn't find any clues.
However, there was no doubt that the Blood Food Warehouse had been intercepted by the Truth Sect. But while they openly borrowed Blood Food, they secretly stole it. For what purpose, it was hard to say for sure at the moment.
But it was clear to everyone that the Truth Sect had come to Mingzhou Town to preach and suppress the spirits, but in reality, they were seizing grain from the fields. And now, with the Blood Food, it seemed like they were following the same pattern.
It was one thing to bully the rural villagers, but the Scarlet Lantern Society worshipped the Altar Deity. How could they be manipulated like this?
"Bring me someone, and let's see the truth of this Truth Sect today."
In her anger, the Left Guardian immediately summoned various incense masters, managers, and venerables from the Red Gate Town to the front of the Red Lantern Temple. Waving the message from the Truth Sect, she shouted, "It seems that from the very beginning, the Truth Sect has harbored ill intentions and doesn't want us to have an easy time."
"They're asking to borrow grain from us, but I suspect they're looking for an excuse to eliminate us and show off to the noble lords in the city. But we're not pushovers!"
"Who among you brave brothers will accompany me to Mingzhou City and confront them?"
"If they truly oppress us, then we'll fight!"
"We in the Scarlet Lantern Society have three to five hundred men. Are we afraid of these outsiders?"
"..."
Her anger fueled her words, and her pretty face was filled with killing intent. But an awkward moment arose as she shouted passionately, and the crowd below showed signs of displeasure. Yet when she mentioned going into the city, no one responded.
Unwilling to give up, she shouted again, "Come, brothers, let's go into the city and talk some sense into them. No one can ignore reason!"
Still, no one responded.
The experienced elders below even lowered their heads, avoiding her sharp gaze.
What a joke! The Truth Sect was gathering troops and grain, occupying Mingzhou Capital City, and allying with noble lords, clearly planning something big...
The Scarlet Lantern Society was just a small player in the jianghu. What were they trying to compete with?
Whether it was the managers, the venerables, or even the incense masters of the Scarlet Lantern Society, none of them were fools. When a jianghu sect encountered such a major event, they were not on the same level...
In terms of experts, the Scarlet Lantern Society had no shortage. With seventeen courtyards and the Blood Food Mine under their name, most of them were Shou Sui practitioners. On the battlefield, every Shou Sui practitioner was a formidable fighter, easily making a name for themselves.
But who would dare to rebel?
Not only did they dare not rebel, but they also dared not confront these rebels. After all, the Shou Sui practitioners generally lived comfortable lives. Why would they risk their lives and fortunes on such matters?
So, after the Left Guardian shouted for a while, only a few silent incense masters were willing to follow her. The group of elders below had not a single one daring to agree, but instead, their eyes darted around, thinking of temporarily distancing themselves from the Scarlet Lantern Society.
Not only them, but even the red lanterns hanging in the temple behind her seemed to glow with uncertainty: 'Why not send someone first to explain... We're not refusing, it's just that there's truly nothing left...'
'All this fighting will only hurt harmony...'
'...'
Amidst this awkward silence, suddenly, someone jumped up and raised their hand, "I'll go! I'll go!"
Everyone turned to look, and it was a young lady in a silk shirt and a bright red skirt, adorned with a phoenix hairpin, a stark contrast to the rough-and-tumble jianghu crowd.
But among the burly men, she spoke with righteousness: "The society needs people right now, yet no one is stepping up to help the Lady?"
"Oh no..."
Left Guardian Shen Hongzi was so enraged that she was at a loss for words. The moment she laid eyes on her, she was overjoyed. "It's you! I've finally found you."
"Young lady, you have incredible talents, and you're so loyal to our society. I noticed you last time, but when I tried to find you afterward, I couldn't. You're White Belt Offering, right?"
"I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you. After meeting you last time, I wanted to find you and promote you to Red Belt."
"..."
"We're all serving the Lady, and it doesn't matter if you're White Belt or Red Belt."
The people around also recognized her. She seemed to be a wealthy Mrs. Lu from the rice business who had defected from the Green Robe Malevolent Ghost. However, she had been ill, and no one had seen her before.
These low-ranking Offerings were actually part of the hidden forces of the Scarlet Lantern Society. They usually managed their businesses at home and only secretly appeared when summoned by the society. It was unclear why Mrs. Lu was so happy and lively.
Even when faced with the Left Guardian's offer of promotion, she merely waved her hand, "Just give me a Crimson Lantern."
"I want to take it home and venerate it. As long as we venerate the Red Lantern Lady, I'll feel at ease doing things. I'm not afraid of the Green Robe Malevolent Ghost or the Truth Sect!"
"..."
"Okay, okay."
Hearing her words, the Left Guardian was so touched that she almost cried, especially in a crowd of timid lords. She felt that Sweet Potato Burn was extraordinary and liked her even more. "She proactively helps the society and doesn't crave credit..."
"Young lady, let's form a fraternal bond and advance and retreat together. How about it?"
"..."
"A fraternal bond?"
The Left Guardian's proposal, made in her moment of emotion, surprised Mrs. Lu from the rice business: "I've never done that before..."
But soon, she became excited: "Sure, let's try it and see if it's interesting..."
To embarrass these timid lords, Left Guardian Shen Hongzi descended and, together with the wealthy Mrs. Lu from the rice business and the Little Waist of the Scarlet Lantern Society, they lit incense in front of everyone to form a fraternal bond.
Then, she took out the Golden Pattern Crimson Lantern, which only the Incense Master was qualified to hold, and presented it to Sweet Potato Burn, effectively entrusting her with an important mission. After that, she gathered the necessary people and horses and headed to Mingzhou City with her to meet the Truth Sect directly.
Originally, Left Guardian Shen Hongzi intended to accompany her, but Mrs. Lu insisted on leaving her behind: "Sister, you stay. It's inconvenient for me to take you..."
"It's not safe."
"The society has many matters to attend to. If something goes wrong, you'll need to maintain order!"
"..."
These words deeply moved the Left Guardian. Holding her hand, she said in a low voice, "Young lady, let me tell you something quietly. Just now, I had to be firm in my words, but after you go, you mustn't speak like that..."
"Mainly, we'll tell them that we don't have that much Blood Nourishment left. If they only want one or two hundred jars, we'll gather them for them..."
"..."
"There are still one or two hundred jars?"
Upon hearing this, Sweet Potato Burn became serious: "Sister, rest assured. I have it all planned out!"
Saying this, she took on the responsibility alone, left the town, and went to a nearby village. She hired a few people to carry her palanquin and raised the crimson lantern high. With gongs and drums, she headed towards the capital city of Mingzhou.
Entering the city in such a high-profile manner immediately attracted the attention of many. Along the street, there were people with 'Truth' banners, and those with weapons hidden in their belts—all sorts of people from the rivers and lakes. The noble lords, who usually kept a low profile, were also drawn out, along with officials and law enforcement in their official robes.
With chaos and horse-raiding bandits outside, it was said that the Grain Bandits were causing havoc in the mountains, leaving everyone nervous. Naturally, they were concerned about the situation upon seeing the arrival of the Scarlet Lantern Society.
"Back then, our Scarlet Lantern Society didn't have such a presence in the capital city of Mingzhou..."
As Sweet Potato Burn entered the city, sitting in her palanquin and looking around, she saw the banners of the Truth Sect everywhere, and she felt sorry for the Red Lantern Lady: "Such a virtuous and respected Lady was once confined to the southwest corner of the city. After finally building a temple, she was driven to Red Gate Town..."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became: "The Lady is so pitiful. I feel indignant on her behalf..."
As she thought this, she arrived at the capital city government office and saw the Truth Sect's Grandmaster, who had already received the message and was waiting for her.
Sweet Potato Burn descended from her palanquin and politely greeted the two Grandmasters with a bow. The two Grandmasters hurriedly made a show of receiving her, but as she was a woman, they only gestured and didn't actually touch her. Smiling, they said, "We were just about to invite fellow members of the rivers and lakes to discuss important matters. The friend from the Scarlet Lantern Society has arrived. Please come inside..."
"..."
"That won't be necessary. I'm here on behalf of the society to deliver a message. You sent a message asking about the one thousand jars of Blood Nourishment. Our Lady says..."
Sweet Potato Burn glanced at the people around her, lifted her chin, and said loudly, "Don't even think about it..."
"Not a single jar!"
(End of Chapter)
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