novelraw Chapter 901 - 517: He Says He Comes with Goodwill (4)
Chapter 901 - 517: He Says He Comes with Goodwill (4)
Ma Wu naturally wouldn’t bother with such trifles. Xu Shouming took care of everything and left Bridge Yesong without incident, heading to the Soda Kiln, without causing much commotion, leaving a long spear for the Defense Agency.
In the Defense Agency, Liao Zihui tapped the table and hummed a little tune, thinking he finally met his match this time.
Outside the Defense Agency, the Greenwater Beggar picked up a newspaper, read it front to back twice, and seemed to know where his opponent was.
At Boundless Hospital, the Greenwater Beggar asked Cui Tiq: "Have you ever been to Black Stone Slope?"
Cui Tiq thought for a moment: "I have been there. The last time was three months ago when I opened a clinic there."
"Do you know of the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency?"
"Yes, their newspapers and magazines are very nicely done. I buy every issue."
The Greenwater Beggar asked again: "Do you know whose business the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency is?"
Cui Tiq answered truthfully: "Their boss’s surname is Ye, which isn’t a very common surname."
The Greenwater Beggar took some cold leftover rice from his begging bowl, chewed on it, and said: "I found He Jiaqing at Black Stone Slope. He Jiaqing ran into the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency. I could have caught him, but then the Local Deity of Black Stone Slope showed up. Do you know the Local Deity of Black Stone Slope?"
Cui Tiq shook his head.
Green Flower took half a fish from the bowl, gnawed on the fish meat, and said: "The Local Deity of Black Stone Slope, called Tang Shijiang, is the only one in Puluo State who can impress me when all the Local Deities are counted."
Cui Tiq said: "Such a powerful Local Deity proactively protecting He Jiaqing means they have already formed an alliance."
Green Flower shook his head: "I don’t think Tang Shijiang is protecting He Jiaqing. He’s protecting the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency."
Cui Tiq was confused: "A Local Deity, protecting a newspaper agency?"
Green Flower spat out a fish bone, laughed, and said: "You don’t get it, do you? I don’t get it either. An envoy named Envoy Xu came from the Outside Provinces, ostensibly equal in rank to Liao Zihui, and yet he invited Ma Junyang for a meal. Can you make sense of that?"
Cui Tiq pondered for a long time and shook his head: "Does Ma Junyang have such high status?"
"Ma Junyang doesn’t, but another person does. This person is unfathomable, and I have some old grudges with this person. If he is secretly protecting He Jiaqing, then this matter will be hard to handle."
Cui Tiq knew who Green Flower was referring to; it was Li Qi.
Green Flower shook the bowl, and the bowl that was once full of food was now empty: "Find out Boss Ye’s identity, and then tell me immediately."
Cui Tiq was reluctant to mention Li Qi’s name, but it couldn’t be concealed.
...
Soda Kiln, abandoned factory.
Shi Gongxing didn’t dare stay in the workshop, hurried outside the factory, and hid in a warehouse.
He knew that the factory’s pool contained more than just the crucian carp skeleton; there was another person.
Deputy envoy of the task force, Hou Haitao, led more than fifty men straight to the end of the workshop.
He was here to scout today, and if he found the entrance to the Inner State in the workshop, he would immediately report to Xu Shouming, which would mean they have successfully completed their mission in Puluo State.
Three subordinates donned diving suits, hooked on their oxygen tanks, and jumped into the pool. They dived for a while before they saw the enormous crucian carp skeleton.
One diver was very surprised and took some photos with a camera, while another pulled out a camcorder and filmed around the skeleton.
The third diver attempted to communicate with the skeleton, gently caressing it as if he were caressing a shark in the ocean. This approach can calm some large sea creatures and is a common gesture of goodwill.
The crucian carp skeleton remained well-behaved, suspended still in the water like an obedient pet, allowing the divers to touch it.
With enough information gathered, the three divers quickly surfaced and returned to the shore.
They reported what they had observed, and Hou Haitao was very satisfied with the results.
Completing the task was good enough—no need to do anything extra. Hou Haitao strictly followed Xu Shouming’s orders and prepared to immediately leave the workshop.
Splash~
The water churned, and a woman’s voice emerged from below: "Who are you people?"
Everyone was very surprised, especially the divers, who didn’t expect the crucian carp skeleton to speak.
Hou Haitao, being quick-witted, responded promptly: "We are from outside Puluo State, bringing goodwill and friendship."
Splash~
Once again, the pool surface began to swirl, and the massive crucian carp skeleton slowly surfaced.
The divers reported seeing a moving fish skeleton. Hou Haitao could never have imagined what such a scene would look like.
Now he saw it, the clean fish skeleton swaying back and forth on the water surface without flesh.
Hao Houtao didn’t know what words to use to describe it; honestly, he was quite scared.
Envoy Xu had told him that the form of the Inner State people is very unusual, and not to offend them because of this.
If you don’t want to offend, the best choice should be praise.
Hao Houtao thought of a phrase: "So spectacular!"
Is this phrase appropriate? Hao Houtao could only think of this at present, leaving further considerations of wording for later; today, just a greeting, other matters will be handled by the envoy.
"You think it’s spectacular?" the woman’s voice rang out again, "Is this how you express goodwill?"
Even if his wording was inappropriate, there was no need for the other party to get so angry, Hao Houtao suspected there might be other misunderstandings, he looked towards the three divers.
One diver made a stroking gesture, meaning they had touched this skeleton underwater.
Hao Houtao hurriedly explained: "Our ways and your customs might be somewhat different, but we sincerely want to convey goodwill, every physical contact is how we convey..."
Thud!
Hao Houtao slipped underfoot and fell to the ground.
The ground, originally full of dust, inexplicably became covered in a layer of slippery mucus.
Two subordinates tried to help Hao Houtao up, but as soon as they took a step, they too fell to the ground.
Over fifty subordinates all fell down, struggling desperately but continuously slipping; not one could stand up.
Hao Houtao shouted at the fish skeleton: "We mean no harm, please believe us!"
The fish skeleton was still shaking its body, as waves rose again on the pool surface.
Two long snakes, swaying their bodies, slowly re-emerged from the water.
Are these really snakes?
Why can’t I see scales and snake heads?
No, these aren’t long snakes; they’re two tentacles.
Behind the tentacles, Hao Houtao saw a giant snail shell.
Hao Houtao turned back and said: "Quick, prepare the steam machine gun!"
His response was correct, but none of his men could stand up, not even the two Fifth Layer Wanderers (Traveling Cultivators) could stand.
His men stumbled and crawled to the machine gun, the heavy boiler attached to the gun barrel slid continuously in the workshop; they couldn’t secure the machine gun, let alone light it to generate high-pressure steam.
The giant river snail climbed out of the pool, looking at the distant high-pressure machine gun, asked Hao Houtao: "Is this also how you show goodwill?"
Only then did Hao Houtao realize that the previous voice wasn’t from the carp skeleton, but from this River Snail Girl.
The snail squirmed toward Hao Houtao: "Today, let me show you my goodwill as well."
Hao Houtao struggled to crawl through the mucus.
The River Snail Girl opened her giant mouth, revealing layers of teeth.
...
The next morning, Xu Shouming arrived at the official hall to meet with Liao Zihui directly.
No pleasantries, no probing, Xu Shouming said directly: "Old Liao, you have to help me."
Liao Zihui squeezed out a smile: "Envoy Xu, what do you mean by this? You haven’t captured Inner State people and want me to send them to Yuezhou, right?"
Xu Shouming handed Liao Zihui a stack of photographs: "I sent Hao Houtao to scout the entrance to the Inner State, he took over fifty people and didn’t return for an entire day and night.
Then when I sent more people to investigate near the entrance, they saw this scene in the abandoned factory."
Rows of cleaned skeletons hung from the workshop ceiling, not a trace of flesh left on any of them.
Liao Zihui was stunned for a long time and said: "Did the Inner State people do this?"
Xu Shouming said: "I can’t be sure, I’ve lost over fifty subordinates, I can’t afford further trials, Old Liao, you have to help me."
Liao Zihui shook his head: "I can’t help you, file a report to the higher-ups, as quickly as possible, and wait for them to dispatch the Balance squad."
PS: How will the Balance squad solve this problem?