novelraw Chapter 103 Misunderstanding?
Chapter 103 Misunderstanding?
"Hahaha……"
The two looked at each other and laughed heartily, grabbing the wine jars and drinking heartily face to face. In their excitement, they even smashed the wine jars together, and the woman in the cheongsam gently handed them the next jar.
But there was no smile in their eyes. They looked rough and tough, but those who had survived in the underworld to this day were all ruthless people who hid their true strength beneath their rough exterior. They were all wary of each other.
Did Hu Shan really not want to just snatch the bottle? But who knows what's inside? He was willing to gamble and try drinking the first bottle, but he was hesitant and unwilling to take the risk with the second one.
Moreover, if he were to steal it like that, all the business dealings and the fake brotherhood would be ruined. What if there was a third bottle of this medicine, or even if it were used repeatedly? He might not be able to break through his last remaining sliver of hope until he dies.
Boss Hu Chuan perfectly grasped the other party's psychology, drinking heartily and exchanging a smile with his wife. After all, it wasn't just those meager meat beans; they had a whole jar of such precious medicine!
Having operated in both the legal and illegal worlds for many years, the Hu family had essentially formed the rudiments of a black market. Their shrewd business acumen allowed them to see the potential of the Blood Demon Petals and know how to place their bets to maximize that potential.
Now that they finally have enough capital, how can they not unleash their full potential? Chiling Village is just one stop along the way, and what's wrong with helping their investors along the way?
"Report—"
Just then, the sound of a subordinate knocking on the door came from outside the room. The imperial envoy was waiting in the main room above, carrying the meat spirit mushroom and a secret order from the eunuch to ask the village chief for a small matter.
The three of them turned their heads almost simultaneously, their eyes meeting briefly before looking away. Then, they all stood up with smiles, kicked aside the rattan chairs and knocked over the wooden table, and strode forward to greet him.
……
……
They slaughtered 30% of the nearby earthen mountain village.
When a group of bandits known as the Black Snake Gang stood before them, the Xuanwu Guards almost immediately slaughtered them without Fang Jin's command, the sticky blood standing out starkly against the Black Rock Reef.
Tao Shan even let one person go back, followed the clues to the Black Snake Gang's lair, and then appeared with a gentle smile when the latter was most panicked, and beheaded the survivor in front of everyone.
What followed was another one-sided massacre, until everyone trembled with fear. The huge cave was covered in blood. Shi Dahu even grabbed the bandit leader's dirty long hair, stepped on his head, and forced him into a chair.
"Who sent you here?"
Fang Jin slowly crouched down, looking directly into the other man's trembling, fear-filled single eye, and coldly said, "This is already the sixth wave of bandits we've slaughtered; even I'm starting to get tired of it."
Moreover, these were clearly not Zhou's arrangements. They might have tested the waters, or they might have directly suppressed and killed, but they would never have arranged such a series of meaningless attacks. Who are they putting on a show for here?
It could only be martial arts figures who were also in the nunnery at the time but lacked the ability to seize the Buddha statue. They were indeed drawn to the act of returning the Buddha statue to its homeland, and different groups of people sent out different teams to probe and attempt to steal it.
Firstly, to confirm whether the Buddhist nun was indeed in the protective team, and secondly, to ascertain the strength of this team and how much they would have to expend to obtain this opportunity to reach the mythical realm.
So Fang Jin didn't even ask the other party's purpose, and directly ordered him to introduce himself. The one-eyed man's eyes darted around, then he showed a fawning and regretful expression, and said with a forced smile:
"We're just wild men from the mountains, we're unruly and clueless, that's why we've offended you gentlemen, where did we come from..."
"Sizzle—"
Fang Jin took the willow-leaf knife from Tao Shan and slowly pierced the other man's other eyeball, but the excruciating pain pierced his brain like lightning, and the blood in his eyes, nose, and mouth drove him mad! He screamed miserably!
"I'll talk! I'll talk! We're from Boss Tang of the Melting Fire Road. We were ordered by him to intercept your caravan. Our primary mission is to check if the caravan contains a jade Buddha statue or a girl with a similar face..."
Upon hearing the name Ronghuo Dao, some of the Xuanwu Guards present changed their expressions. Ronghuo Dao was also a top-tier force in the martial arts world, and both they and the Li Dynasty had a Grandmaster of the Jiazi era in charge.
Emperor Li, the Mountain Master, the Fire Master of the Southern Heaven, and the Immortal from Overseas—these are the four most renowned grandmasters in the world today, and those who emerge from their ranks are generally held in high regard by their fellow martial artists.
Secondly...secondly...
"What is the second one?"
Fang Jin, however, showed no mercy. She spun the willow-leaf dagger at a constant speed, radiating maximum pain into the latter's brain. In a near-fainting tremor, the latter stammered:
"Secondly... we need to find a young man surnamed Fang who uses the Pure Yang Technique. If he is being held hostage by corrupt officials of the Li Dynasty, we must rescue him and treat him as an honored guest. We must not neglect him in the slightest."
"The Fang family has done us, the Ronghuo Dao, a great favor. However, after returning to the Li Dynasty, he may have been harassed and coerced by the court because of the Buddha statue. If there is an opportunity, we should certainly help him... Among you, who is surnamed Fang?"
"..."
...Could it be that the Black Snake Gang is an ally?
The other Xuanwu Guards looked at them strangely. If that were true, it would be a huge mess. It would be like treating someone who came to offer gifts as an unwelcome guest and turning them into a steamed bun.
Unfortunately, the other party is the head of the Fire Fusion Sect and the Fire Lord's most trusted disciple, who was originally a pretty good trump card. If they were to make enemies over this matter, it would be a disastrous mistake for them.
"My surname is Fang... The one that your Tang Zhan Sect Leader specifically requested to be taken care of is most likely me."
Fang Jin spoke frankly. In an instant, the one-eyed man's expression changed three times, from astonishment to surprise, then to a strange sense of grievance and indignation, until he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Brother Fang, you've really put us through this..."
"But didn't you recognize me from the very beginning?"
Fang Jin interrupted with a cold laugh, finding the whole thing quite amusing. The bandit leader's expression froze, and he was about to retort when Fang Jin continued.
"Not to mention you guys, all six groups of bandits we've encountered so far initially loitered around the area, only suddenly swarming in to rob and kill me after I actually appeared in the boxcar... Why is that?"
"Because who the hell knows which group is actually protecting the Buddha? How many镖局 (security escort agencies), 行客商 (traveling merchants), and other travelers pass through here every day? Besides, what did the Buddha statue endure in the capital?"
Anyone with even a slight connection could find out that the original jade-like form was long gone. Who could confirm which group the now-unknown Buddha woman was in?
"As someone whose identity is in doubt due to the nunnery incident, I'm practically a must-have for protecting Buddhism, and as a member of the Fang family whose identity has already been exposed by various powerful forces...aren't I the best benchmark?"
"..."