Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1457 - 788: Reincarnation?

Zhao Sheng's thoughts spun wildly, swiftly linking up further scenarios. He suspected the humble town concealed a deeper mystery far beyond simply the treasure.

He glanced around at the faces of those present, and as anticipated, spotted several with peculiar looks, revealing that others had mulled over the same idea.

Silence abruptly gripped the chamber, only to be swiftly shattered by the voice of a middle-aged woodcutter.

"Remaining here serves no purpose. I'll depart first. Should fresh findings arise later, I'll inform all fellow Taoists. Goodbye!" The middle-aged woodcutter clasped his hands in salute to the group, then exited the room without a backward glance.

With one individual paving the way, a bunch harboring varied intentions seized upon reasons to slip away.

In short order, solely Zhao Sheng and the middle-aged scholar lingered within the space.

Zhao Sheng approached the window, parted it slightly, and peered outward.

Having scanned the scene for a bit, he steadily returned to claim his seat by the table.

The middle-aged scholar served him a cup of tea and queried softly, "What do you make of it?"

"Just as we predicted, watchers lurk outside in hiding. Yet they're no key figures, merely some low-level ruffians." Zhao Sheng savored a mouthful of tea and answered evenly.

The middle-aged scholar spoke gravely, "Under these circumstances, that figure wields substantial influence, and he's tied to the guild."

"Could equally be a government sort, or one scraping by at the wharves."

Though their exchange sounded evasive, the underlying message rang crystal clear.

This "person" denoted yet another Fellow Daoist who favored covert surveillance over open appearance.

Prior to kindling the bonfire, Zhao Sheng and the middle-aged scholar had foreseen just such a twist, leaving them unperturbed.

Shortly thereafter, the middle-aged scholar abruptly inquired, "Who do you suppose he'll target?"

Zhao Sheng responded instantly, "The little beggar!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the middle-aged scholar smacked the table amid laughter, "We see eye to eye!"

Out of the seven, the little beggar ranked as the feeblest and most defenseless; picking him promised the smoothest victory alongside the smallest peril.

That said, even stripped of all cultivation, an "Immortal Ruins Guest" demanded caution.

No telling what lurked behind the little beggar's facade, and one might stumble into an unforeseen obstacle.

The middle-aged scholar stayed sharply engaged and abruptly proposed, "Given this, why not you and I dive into the action?"

"If Fellow Daoist Nangong desires to proceed, by all means. I'd prefer to roam the town a tad longer and pass on the excitement."

"Ah, without your company, I'd stand too feeble solo; you'd be leaving me in the lurch."

The middle-aged scholar heaved a sigh of disappointment, "Fine, we'll simply observe from the sidelines. Can't discount other Fellow Daoists nursing hidden schemes. As the old adage warns, 'the mantis pursues the cicada, blind to the oriole trailing!' Right up to the finish, who's hunter and who's hunted remains a mystery?"

Zhao Sheng finished off his tea, then rose, saluted with cupped hands, and declared, "I must confirm certain suspicions; let's split here."

The middle-aged scholar got to his feet too, returned the gesture, and grinned, "What serendipity, I've got leads to chase myself. Before we head off on our paths, care to pick a spot for our upcoming rendezvous?"

"Agreed." Zhao Sheng consented promptly, then floated a handful of venues while devising assorted code signals.

The middle-aged scholar tossed out some spots of his own and nailed down a schedule. With details locked in, the pair stepped from the teahouse in sequence and diverged.

The instant they departed, a duo materialized from a lane's bend kitty-corner to the teahouse.

As they tracked Zhao Sheng and the middle-aged scholar's exit, the pair whirled about and plunged into a tight passage, snaking through twists until they hit a building's threshold blocks distant and barreled through.

Before much time elapsed, the two gained the rear chamber and duly confronted their Hall Master.

The Hall Master cut an imposing figure as a sturdy Great Han, his limbs thick with muscle and palms broad and shadowed, knuckles and sinews starkly outlined, marking him as a master of bare-knuckle brawling.

From the trailing pair, the middle-aged hooligan bowed low and announced, "Hall Master, the final duo has gone."

In his account, the middle-aged hooligan meticulously outlined Zhao Sheng and the scholar's features, wrapping up with, "Fortuitously, I recognize one of their identities."

Oh?

At those words, the Hall Master brightened with curiosity and pressed, "Out with it."

The middle-aged hooligan ran his tongue over his lips, uttered with a jealous edge, "That young lord is the offspring of Landlord Zhao, called Zhao Gongzhuo. He's widely known as a ne'er-do-well, drowning in liquor and ladies despite his youth."

The Hall Master bolted straight and plunged into reflection.

The hooligans refrained from interrupting, hovering in tense quiet.

After a stretch of beats, the Hall Master flung a shard of silver toward the middle-aged hooligan's grasp and lauded, "Fine job, both of you; off with you now."

Shock mingled with joy for the hooligans, who bobbed and scraped in bows while retreating from the chamber.

With the pair gone, the Hall Master lurched upright and marched from the space.

In the next breath, seven or eight hefty bruisers filed out the rear exit. Guided by the Hall Master, they clambered aboard a pair of speedy skiffs and melted swiftly into the waterway's gloom.

...

One hour onward.

Beyond the town's edge, amid a forsaken Earth God’s shrine, a brutal encirclement raged.

Seven or eight robust fellows gripping broad blades converged on the little beggar, only to reap grievous wounds, three Great Han clutching shattered manhoods as they thrashed across the earth in torment.

The little beggar, nimble as a mudfish, slipped amid the onslaughts, marked by scant crimson gashes and bearing trivial harm.

Still, the little beggar shunned flight from the spot, a hulking Great Han barring the shrine's portal with a fierce scowl fixed upon him.

The hulking Great Han's menace weighed heavily on the little beggar. His mere stance radiated crushing force, ceaselessly assailing the little beggar's willpower.