Chapter 135 - 134 Red Lantern Duel Magic

Chapter 135: Chapter 134 Red Lantern Duel Magic "Entering the city?" When Sun Niuzi heard this, his heart filled with a mix of panic and a touch of relief. The panic lay in the fact that this sounded like a major event. An Incense Burner personally coming down and summoning people into the city overnight—how many years had it been since something like this happened? The relief was because, thankfully, that Hu fellow had left; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been his turn. Initially, his brother-in-law had let him come over to compete in magic against that Hu fellow. He had been gearing up, all prepared. As it turned out, that person was too easily defeated and backed down immediately, leading him to this fortunate opportunity. He knew that in such a major matter, just following along once equated to solidifying his name as Shopkeeper. Even if that Hu fellow returned, he probably wouldn’t stand a chance against him. So, he looked back, wondering who to bring. However, not wanting to extend this benefit to just anyone, he simply called his attendant to quickly fetch his horse. In the dead of night, he followed the cluster of red lanterns, urging his horse straight toward Mingzhou Prefecture. Along the way, countless evil spirits were scared away, fleeing far off. Sun Niuzi was initially thrilled, but seeing the rapidly fluttering red lanterns ahead, a chill eventually crept into his heart. Occasionally, a thought crossed his mind: Could this not be a good thing? But then he quickly dismissed it. If it wasn’t a good thing, his brother-in-law would surely have warned him. The lack of a warning meant it wasn’t a major issue. At worst, he would ask his brother-in-law properly once they reached the city. Before long, they reached Mingzhou Prefecture. Deep in the night, the city gates should have been tightly closed, but the west gate was opened just for them. Once inside the city, without any delay, they proceeded directly to a large mansion adorned with red lanterns. As Sun Niuzi entered the courtyard, he saw three or four tables already brimming with people. He noticed that some were older, some younger, yet each carried an air of authority—they were the Shopkeepers from various places. Red Fragrance Disciples stood silently all around, lending the courtyard an air of grim stillness. Sun Niuzi initially felt insecure and hesitated to approach, but then he remembered his status, puffed out his chest, and walked over to their table. After taking a seat with some effort, he still felt a bit apprehensive. But once he was firmly seated, he began to feel he was truly on par with the surrounding Shopkeepers, and a sense of pride swelled within him. Just then, a cold laugh suddenly caught him off guard. He turned to look and saw it was Yang Gong. Yang Gong seemed surprised at his arrival, but after a moment’s thought, he suddenly burst into a derisive laugh. Sun Niuzi had been beaten by him before and dared not provoke him, so he just turned his head away. Just as he was pondering when to find his brother-in-law, he unexpectedly noticed a man with a square face and expensive clothing approaching him. He focused and saw Sun Niuzi sitting very seriously at the table. The man looked as if he’d seen a ghost, his expression instantly collapsed. "Why is it you who came?" ... "Brother-in-law..." Seeing this man, Sun Niuzi immediately felt at ease, quickly stood up, and smiled, "Finally, I found you." "That Hu fellow, I sent him out on an errand a few days ago, so I’m representing the Manor as its Shopkeeper." "Why are there so many people here? What exactly is going on?" ... "You..." The square-faced man was none other than Great Incense Master Zheng. Hearing Sun Niuzi’s words, his expression became somewhat hopeless. "You sent him away?" "Yes." Sun Niuzi replied, "He’s very timid. He doesn’t dare disobey what I say." "If he hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend this meeting..." ... Great Incense Master Zheng had only managed to find a moment to check on young Shopkeeper Hu. He had been so busy the entire night he hadn’t had a spare second. Now, seeing Sun Niuzi instead, his heart sank, half-cold with dread. Seeing the smug expression still on Sun Niuzi’s face, he truly wished he could slap him. But time was pressing, leaving no room for that. He just grabbed Sun Niuzi’s arm, intending to quickly pull him away from this place. Unexpectedly, just as he reached out, an eerie voice came from behind him: "This is the Shopkeeper we brought back from the Manor. The Red Lantern Lady has important tasks that rely on them. Each one fills a crucial position. What does Incense Master Zheng intend to do?" Great Incense Master Zheng’s back stiffened, and his heart turned completely cold. Seeing the smug look still lingering on Sun Niuzi’s face, he wanted nothing more than to slap his own face in regret. "Now that you’re here, where has that fellow gone?" ... ... Meanwhile, Hu Ma had already reached a rustic inn over a hundred miles away. He was sitting by a bonfire, quietly drinking locally brewed alcohol. Calculating the time, it had been five or six days since he left the Manor. The major event Er Guotou had mentioned was probably already underway. He just didn’t know if Sun Niuzi would be fool enough to really try and squeeze himself into this disaster. Of course, it didn’t matter if Sun Niuzi didn’t walk into it. Once this affair concluded and Hu Ma returned, he would find a way to drive him out regardless. "Red Light Green Clothes, Wild Hill Duel!" ... Even now, thinking about the incident still made his heart pound with lingering fear. Working in the Mixed Blood Food Gang wasn’t easy either. It wasn’t just about doing your job well and occasionally earning some merit. The Shopkeepers in various branches, able to take so much money, grain, and Blood Food supplies—they weren’t getting it for nothing. Who knew when some matter would arise where you’d have to risk your life fighting someone. Though he was now in the Red Lantern Society, he was merely at the bottom. There were too many hidden dangers and pitfalls he simply couldn’t see. Previously, he’d only seen the Red Lantern Society’s business flourishing, with so much Blood Food coming in daily, as if they were sitting on a gold mine. Not just the higher-ups, but even the employees could get their hands on green food. But it was only after Er Guotou mentioned it that he realized the Red Lantern Lady’s Club wasn’t all smooth sailing. Now, it was facing a challenge from another Blood Food Gang in Mingzhou Prefecture—the same Green Clothes Gang he had encountered. The Green Clothes Gang was another major society in Mingzhou Prefecture, only slightly overshadowed by the Red Lantern Lady’s Club. For many years, their covert struggles had never ceased, costing the lives of countless Red Fragrance Disciples. This time, however, it wasn’t a covert struggle. The Green Clothes Gang had delivered a Magic Token, openly challenging the Red Lantern Lady’s Club to a duel. Therein lay the danger. If it involved covert fights, abductions, or assassinations, those were tasks for the Red Fragrance Disciples. However, this kind of public duel fell squarely upon the shoulders of the various Shopkeepers of the Red Lantern Lady’s Club. After all, while the Red Fragrance Disciples were the ’insiders,’ the public faces of the Red Lantern Lady’s Club were the Shopkeepers from various locales and the knife-wielders of the Meat Cutting Team. The Shousui man, in particular, could not escape it. Er Guotou’s information was crucial here. If he hadn’t known beforehand and had genuinely prepared substantial gifts to make connections in the city, the position of Shopkeeper might very well have fallen to him. Not only that, but seeing how eager he appeared, they might have seized the opportunity to assign him this duel. They might even frame it appealingly: "Don’t you want to be a Shopkeeper? Well, here’s your chance to earn merit!" But after Er Guotou’s warning, Hu Ma understood. With such a duel, given his current level of cultivation, his chances of winning were slim. Even if he did win, he would likely be crippled or worse. That’s why he dearly wished Sun Niuzi would become even more arrogant, hoping the fellow would quickly claim the title of Shopkeeper. As for himself? Run! After leaving the Manor, he didn’t pause for a moment, heading directly away from Mingzhou City. He didn’t just run quickly; he also worried that people from the Red Lantern Society might try to summon him back. He considered all sorts of anxieties and specifically instructed Little Hongtang, "Once we’re out, we won’t accept any messages from the Red Lantern Society for a short while. If any little ghosts come..." "...beat them!" ... Truth be told, he was genuinely worried that someone in the Red Lantern Society might send a little ghost to summon him back. Little Hongtang didn’t know what was happening, but seeing Hu Ma looking so serious, and after eating a large piece of green food herself, she also became fired up, her eyes wide with determination. The day after they left the Manor, they had just settled down for a rest when Hu Ma was abruptly awakened by the sounds of a commotion. He quickly got up to look and saw Little Hongtang had indeed caught a little ghost and was pinning it down, giving it a thorough beating. He quickly intervened, pulling Little Hongtang away. He then grabbed the little ghost for a closer look and realized he had seen it before. It was indeed Yang Gong’s limping little ghost. It was Sister Hong Tang’s first time defeating an opponent. Moreover, she was pummelling someone familiar, and the little ghost hadn’t even fought back. When Hu Ma pulled the little ghost up, it just timidly ducked its head and said, "Old Master Yang Gong sent me to find Old Master Hu. He asked me to pass on a message: tell Old Master Hu to hide quickly. Something big might happen in the city soon, and staying in the Manor will be troublesome." "I went to the Manor, but Old Master Hu wasn’t there. I’ve met Old Master Hu before, so I followed the scent and found my way here..." ... "Ah?" On hearing this, Hu Ma felt a bit touched. This Yang Gong was quite a loyal fellow. He had probably received the news in advance and taken a great risk to inform him. He knew that such information was tightly controlled precisely to prevent anyone from secretly notifying others. Every branch Shopkeeper had some connections. If one person notified another, and everyone fled, then who would step onto the platform to duel for the Red Lantern Lady? Setting aside Er Guotou, for Yang Gong to even think of notifying him, he was already putting his own future on the line. "Thank your master for me." Hu Ma was quite moved and said to the limping little ghost, which had taken a beating, "You’ve been wronged." The limping little ghost’s eyes twinkled, and it immediately kowtowed. "Blessings to Old Master Hu!" "Alright, alright, blessings, blessings..." Hu Ma gave a helpless sigh, tore off a finger-length piece of green food from his bundle, and gave it to the limping little ghost, who then departed gleefully. Although Yang Gong had brought news Hu Ma already knew, Hu Ma still mentally noted the favor. Run, run as far away as possible! According to Er Guotou’s warning, this matter would likely be decided in a few days. Since Yang Gong had already received the news, perhaps Great Incense Master Zheng would also get word and try to recall him. Naturally, he had to run even farther away. The Red Lantern Lady dueling the green-clothed Evil Ghost? That was the Shopkeepers’ business. What did it have to do with him, Manager Hu?