novelraw Chapter 203 157: Gains, Hidden Pavilion (2)
Chapter 203 157: Gains, Hidden Pavilion (2)
Ah Xie widened his eyes:
"You... You dare to dream big."
In his understanding, only the lord could marry many wives, otherwise, how could one afford them.
"Be careful not to get knocked over by the waves."
Xiaotou and Ah Xie tied the sampan and used the fishing net to drag a few assassin corpses, rummaging for a while, only finding a few soaked silver notes and miscellaneous bottles and jars.
At least they had some harvest.
"Xiaotou, I need to take a dump."
Ah Xie held his stomach, having been relieved of his slave household status, he was placed in Uncle Changshun's home, where he had several rich meals, and found himself a bit unaccustomed, often causing trouble.
"Find a place in the wind!"
Xiaotou pinched his nose, humming as he examined the bottles and jars, recognizing quite a few labels.
"Golden Spear Strength Pill, what's it used for?"
...
...
Ah Xie went into the woods, just pulled down his pants revealing his two butt cheeks, when a shout startled him upright:
"Where are you squatting, boy!"
It turned out there was a grown man lying in the grass, his black mask pulled down to reveal a centipede-like scarred ugly face.
The chest of his clothes was ripped open in a gruesome gash, flesh turning over, deep enough to see the bone, shocking to behold.
"You you you you..."
Ah Xie clamped his legs tight, the urge to relieve himself forcibly held back.
"Shout again and I'll slap you to death!"
The scarred man spoke fiercely, but with difficulty, like a tattered sack, taking in more air than letting out.
"Nearly dumped on my head, didn't die under a master swordsman's blade, but almost buried by your pile of crap, if word got out, my life's reputation would be destroyed!"
Ah Xie held up his pants with both hands, not knowing what to do, this person didn't look like a good type.
"Damn unlucky, just wanted to join the fun, didn't even see the shadow before brushing against a sword qi, almost gutted."
The scarred man cursed, called out:
"Boy, walk a hundred steps to your left, there's an unlucky sod sliced in half, see if there's any Golden Sore Medicine or Muscle Regeneration Ointment."
Ah Xie slowly retreated:
"Senior, I can't read."
The scarred man wheezed:
"Don't run, help me out this once, you can have anything you want! Money? Women? Want to make a name for yourself? Become rich?"
Ah Xie shook his head:
"I don't want any of that, I'm just a groom."
He had heard the old groom from the Ding Family say that windfalls often came with misfortunes, this forest was a river of blood, something big must have happened.
Looking at the scarred man's attire, he seemed like one of the assassins that Xiaotou and he had salvaged.
Such a person absolutely shouldn't be saved.
If it weren't for fear of being slapped to death, Ah Xie would've surely run off.
"True, you look malnourished, with poor qi and blood, not like you're raised on good food like a wealthy family's child. I can teach you martial arts..."
The scarred man continued to entice him.
"Martial arts!"
Ah Xie's eyes seemed to light up, asking:
"Senior, what can you teach me?"
Indeed, just a country boy.
The scarred man smirked coldly, struggled to breathe out:
"The Iron Arm Fist that breaks monuments and splits stones, the Grass on the Wall that flies over walls, enough for you to benefit from."
Ah Xie again seemed instantly uninterested:
"Those things, the Martial Arts Hall in Black River County teaches them too."
The scarred man's face twitched, mere groom, yet his appetite not small.
"If you're willing to accept me as your master, I'll teach you my top-secret skills."
A noticeable sign of joy flashed across Ah Xie's dark face, he hurriedly knelt down:
"Master, please accept your disciple's worship."
The scarred man feigned an expression of joy despite his weak qi and blood, urging:
"Quickly go, these Jianghu people usually carry healing medicines..."
Ah Xie followed orders, walked a hundred steps to the left, and indeed saw a corpse sliced in half, guts strewn across the ground, extremely bloody.
In previous years at the Ding Family, he had seen pigs being slaughtered, so it wasn't too repulsive, he carefully explored after pulling open clothes, finding two small bottles.
"Master, no medicine."
The scarred man's heart jumped, he strained to say:
"Then go to the base of the big tree ahead, there should be another person lying there, take a look."
Ah Xie responded loudly, and pretended to search for a while:
"Master, just some weapons..."
The scarred man's lips turned pale. He suspected this kid might be playing tricks—how could it be that both people didn't have any injury medicine?
Wandering the Jianghu, being an assassin, who can guarantee they haven't suffered any injuries?
Ah Xie hurriedly ran back and sincerely helped the scarred man sit up before saying:
"Master, I saw a corpse floating by the river. Please wait!"
The scarred man cast a sidelong glance, suppressing his murderous intent. This kid, dull and black as charcoal, didn't seem to be a cunning trickster full of deceit.
He said kindly:
"Go quickly and come back soon. If it's really not possible, go back to the county and fetch some medicine for me... My Surging Tide Twelve Palm Technique is waiting to be passed on to you."
Ah Xie nodded vigorously. After a short while, he came running back, excitedly shouting:
"Master, your disciple found a bottle."
He offered it up with both hands like a treasure.
The scarred man took it, noticing there was no name written on it, perhaps washed off by water.
He pulled out the stopper and poured out two round pills. Maybe due to a slight wariness in his heart, he didn't take them immediately, but sniffed them twice, detecting no toxic substances.
"Good disciple!"
The scarred man, not caring much more, swallowed them down. He still retained some Qi and blood power, making it easy to refine the pills.
If this kid truly had ill intentions, he'd make sure to twist off his head even if it cost his life.
As soon as the two pills hit his stomach, a rushing heat instantly surged, stimulating the Qi and blood within, causing a jolt to his weakened body.
"Hmm, it truly is good medicine for healing, the effect is so quick..."
The scarred man was slightly surprised, but then he felt something wrong. The place where his Qi and blood were surging felt odd—why was it directed downward?
Looking down, he saw it standing stiff and hard, protruding high.
"You..."
The scarred man was both shocked and angered. He was already seriously injured, and now after taking the medicine, all the blood his marrow produced was rushing downward, leaving his hands and feet chilly, utterly lacking any strength.
Ah Xie stood far off, silently watching this fearsome man, who seemed to bleed excessively, his lower body swelling even more, his complexion turning paler, stiff as wood with eyes wide open.
In less than half a stick of incense, his head tilted, and his breath ceased.
"Who would've thought the Golden Spear Strength Pill had such a use."
Xiaotou, hiding behind a tree, rubbed his hands contentedly and walked out.
"Wait a bit longer, until he's more dead. Experts like this are very tenacious."
Ah Xie held Xiaotou back as he wanted to approach the corpse.
"What counts as more dead?"
Xiaotou scratched his cheek.
"When that thing goes soft... right?"
Ah Xie pointed at the scarred man's still stiff lower body.
...
...
A hawk flew across Yihai Prefecture, cutting through the vast Fulong Mountain, wings spread wide as it dove down, landing towards Celestial Water Prefecture City.
In about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the bamboo tube tied to its leg was passed layer by layer, delivered into a hand as fair as jade.
Gently caressing the flame pattern on the surface, its light flashed and dimmed.
Then they opened the bamboo tube, taking out the message inside.
This was a precaution of the Hidden Pavilion.
If the wrong breath opened it, the paper inside the bamboo tube would instantly be burned up.
"That deal worth a thousand taels of gold ruined dozens of lives, even the Twelve Star Gods were caught unawares. It seems Black River County truly is a Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den."
An exceptionally enchanting and alluring voice quietly rose, a sharp chin nodding lightly, fingers brushing across fiery red lips:
"Put it on hold for now, downgrade it to the third priority. Unless the person behind the bounty ups the price, it won't return to the top priority in the Hidden Pavilion.
Also, check the background of this Jing Wuming. Since when did such a fierce swordsman appear?
If he's willing to join the Hidden Pavilion, bestow upon him the Celestial Stem A Waist Token."
Layer upon layer of bead curtains and silk screens veiled the sight, faintly outlining a graceful figure issuing orders.
"By your command."
The two kneeling outside bowed their heads in response.
"Just now, someone posted a bounty for Luo Zhaopeng, an Inner Sect disciple of the Meridian Sword Sect, offering three hundred taels of gold. Should it be sent out?"
The woman's brow slightly furrowed, seeming a bit hesitant:
"Meridian Sword Sect?"
Ever since the original Crown Prince of the Dragon Court was deposed and Prince Sui was enthroned, inheriting the great throne to become the new emperor, the open and hidden conflicts between the Grand General and Meridian Sword Sect grew increasingly fierce.
Would posting a bounty for an Inner Sect disciple at this time exacerbate it completely?
"Follow the rules!"
While the woman was undecided, suddenly a deep voice like a bell rang out.
Her heart trembled, and she quickly bowed her head.
"The catastrophe that befell Yihai Prefecture, its repercussions will not fade for ten years. This General has been cleaning up after the Meridian Sword Sect for so long, what's the harm in a few True Inheritance Inner Sect deaths.
It's said that an Outer Fallen Immortal, bringing about the collapse of the Dao, had a wisp of remnant soul escape before being slaughtered by the Five Emperors, attaching itself to its sword. It is the Seventh Divine Soldier besides the Six Mysterious Divine Soldiers that Dragon Court uses to suppress the national fortune.
If the Meridian Sword Sect intends to dabble, they harbor rebellious thoughts and deserve to die!"
The last four words were filled with murderous aura, signaling an intention to trample the universe under iron hooves, piling up mountains of corpses and seas of blood.