Who would dare to want such a trump card...
Even though what Miss Red Wine said might have made sense, Hu Ma still declined respectfully when it came to the "treasures" on Ji Tang.
The cultivation technique of the Shousui men was indeed quite magical, but Hu Ma wasn't sure if it completely disregarded science. For example, if he casually replaced a couple of kidneys, whose children would they be in the future?
As for the so-called Green Corpse Hand and Flying Leg, or even the facial features that Ji Tang had already refined to life, they were even less needed. In this regard, I admit I'm somewhat of a clean freak.
While lost in thought, he saw Miss Red Wine had already begun packing away the Kongming Lantern holding Ji Tang's Living Soul, so he busied himself scavenging the scene.
But the result was very disappointing. The last time he had a duel with Godmother Cui and the others, he had scavenged quite a bit afterward. Yet now, this distinguished Beggar Gang Leader had nothing apart from a knife?
How could such a grand gang leader come alone with just a broken knife to ambush someone? If you don't die, who will?
"Let's go!" Miss Red Wine only tidied up a few Yellow Banners on the wooden frame. After Hu Ma took the knife, she retrieved Ji Tang's human skin, and together they righted the carriage. They also helped the half-dead horse, which looked terribly sad, to its feet.
The horse had wanted to die, but someone had knocked it unconscious with a headbutt. In its humiliation and anger, its suicidal will was undoubtedly stronger.
In fact, it had already woken up but was still lying on the ground, its empty eyes staring at the sky, blinking occasionally. It seemed to have no will to live. Even when Hu Ma helped it up and hitched it to the carriage, it looked utterly dejected.
Hu Ma paid it no mind. He just looked at the two baskets on the ground, a slight nervousness welling up inside him.
Earlier, these two baskets had been filled with "local specialties" from Xiang, which he was supposed to take back to the Manor. But at some point, Miss Red Wine had replaced these specialties with shadow puppets.
So where had his specialties gone?
He felt conflicted, wondering if he should ask Miss Red Wine.
But now, as he lifted the two large baskets back onto the cart, he immediately felt the weight was off. He quickly looked inside and was stunned.
Both baskets of local specialties were still there, as if they had never disappeared.
"What's the matter? Worried I stole them?" Miss Red Wine gave Hu Ma a sidelong glance. "I just borrowed your baskets for a bit. It's not like I'm short of your little things."
"No, no..." Hu Ma looked as if he found the suggestion ridiculous. "What's this stuff worth? If a senior like you wants it, please, take a whole basket!"
"Or how about you take this fuller one?"
"Forget it!" Miss Red Wine—also known as Lady Han—lightly leapt onto Hu Ma's carriage, stretched lazily, and said, "Let's head to the next town. I need to help you get the Shousui men's dharma method of Entering the Mansion, and I also have some important things to tell you."
"We've got a lot to do!"
Hu Ma sobered at her words, quickly soothed the horse that had nearly died but hadn't, and urged it forward.
Following Miss Red Wine's directions, they soon reached Bull Head Town, where an opera troupe was unexpectedly performing.
Miss Red Wine had Hu Ma stop by the roadside. They waited for the performance to end before approaching. She took a waist card from her robes to show them. The other members of the opera troupe were still dazed, but their Leader was visibly shocked.
He scrambled to kneel and kowtow, then asked Miss Red Wine for her instructions.
"You have lodgings here, don't you? Spare two rooms for me and prepare a four-table banquet. I've just concluded some business and need to rest."
Miss Red Wine issued the order as if it were perfectly natural, and the Leader immediately went to arrange everything without a second thought.
Soon, they were led to a house next to the stage that the troupe had rented for lodging. The Leader offered them the largest and most spacious room and then ordered his people to prepare the four tables of food and drink.
Miss Red Wine didn't stand on ceremony, saying directly, "By the way, after you finish performing here, if you have the time, head to Lingshou Prefecture in Anzhou."
"Someone there is looking to hire an opera troupe. Perform well, and you'll likely earn more than you usually do in a month!"
The Leader thanked her profusely and departed.
Hu Ma looked curiously at Miss Red Wine, who said lazily, "I told you, being a Knife Catching Steward is quite useful."
"Since I'm a Knife Catching Steward in the trick door, everyone in the trick door can be considered my disciples and grand-disciples. As long as I'm here, whether they recognize me or not, they must pay their respects."
"Of course, if they encounter difficulties and seek my help, I must also step in to resolve the issue."
Hu Ma asked, "But this waist card of yours—only people in the Path would recognize it, right?"
"What if this Leader hadn't recognized it?"
Miss Red Wine glanced at him. "Do you always ask so many questions?"
Hu Ma flushed slightly. Miss Red Wine sighed. "Anyone trying to make a living in the jianghu knows that rules are paramount. When it comes to matters of one's own Path, how could they not have things figured out?"
"Of course," she added, her tone shifting, "if we genuinely encounter someone who doesn't recognize it, we'd just have to pretend we mistook them for someone else and find our own place..."
Hu Ma committed these rules to memory, unsure when they might prove useful.
Jianghu etiquette is vital, sometimes more so than skill.
Whether Miss Red Wine was looking out for a newcomer or simply found Hu Ma pleasing to the eye, she readily explained anything he found useful or was curious about.
In the time spent with Miss Red Wine, he had learned more about the ways of the jianghu than he might have in years on his own.
After washing his face and changing out of his bloodstained clothes, Hu Ma sat down to eat with Miss Red Wine, his gaze drifting to the Kongming Lantern.
The moth inside is the most important part of this trip, isn't it?
Only a Soul Search could yield the dharma method he wanted, but Soul Searching has always been a major affair. Is Miss Red Wine, with her trick door, capable of such methods?
"Don't rush to eat. We still have friends coming," Miss Red Wine said slowly. Having wiped her hands, she sat down, poured herself a cup of wine, but didn't touch the dishes.
Hu Ma looked at the four full tables, guessing who might be coming, but was still puzzled. "Who are these friends arriving now?"
"Since it's the Anzhou Reincarnators' team-building event, how could we not show up and have a few drinks?" Miss Red Wine smiled faintly. "Aren't we waiting for them now?"
"Another gathering?" Hu Ma was shocked. Inviting so many people to attack the Beggar Gang Leader was already audacious enough. If they were noticed, it would mean huge trouble. Yet, they weren't afraid of making things bigger; now they were gathering for a meal as well?
"You'll see when they arrive." Miss Red Wine didn't explain, merely offering a faint smile before adding, "I've already made arrangements for the Soul Search, so you needn't worry."
"Soul Searching for a dharma method is taboo, and it sounds bad if word gets out."
"But precisely because of this, we mustn't act furtively; instead, we must proceed openly."
"The Beggar Gang has committed countless evils; they all deserve to die. Who knows how much more evidence of their crimes is hidden away? Our Soul Search is to save people, isn't it?"
"If we also obtain the dharma method for Entering the Mansion, that's just a bonus, nothing to fear if people ask."
That's the logic, I suppose... Although Miss Red Wine's actions were always unexpected, Hu Ma was beginning to vaguely understand her style.
Previously, when dealing with Xiang's issues, she had chosen to call in jianghu peers, sending people off with gongs and drums. Now, with this matter, she wanted another grand team-building event to make the death of Ji Tang, the Beggar Gang Leader, known far and wide.
So, her secret to handling matters was actually just two words: go big?
As they talked, the sun dipped below the horizon and dusk approached. Knocking sounded at the wooden outer door. Miss Red Wine gently raised her hand, and the latch on the courtyard gate slid open by itself.
The gate swung open, and figures from the jianghu began to enter one by one. Some were old, some young; some were richly dressed, while others appeared poor and haggard. All hurried inside, immediately launching into tirades against the Beggar Gang's shamelessness.
Some even produced lists of names—young ladies from prominent families who had gone missing along Pingnan Road in recent years—and tearfully pleaded with Miss Red Wine to perform a Soul Search on Ji Tang to find the whereabouts of those poor souls.
Hu Ma watched quietly, noting their varied appearances.
Some looked like wealthy gentlemen, others carried weapons, clearly Martial Artists. There were those who resembled storytellers, fortune-tellers with their banners, merchants, and shopkeepers—it was as if people from every walk of the jianghu had arrived.
Surprised, a thought crossed his mind: Could all these people be Reincarnators from Anzhou?
However, on second thought, he knew it wasn't possible. While Reincarnators weren't scarce, compared to the general population of this world, they were exceedingly rare. An entire state, or even a prefecture, might not have a single one.
Among those who came, only a few could be Reincarnators. Figuring out exactly who, however, was a challenge.
The most crucial point was that once these people sat down, they began to fiercely discuss Ji Tang of the Beggar Gang, their words filled with intense anger. He listened intently, but still couldn't tell who was a Reincarnator and who wasn't.
While attending to these people, Miss Red Wine cast Hu Ma a subtle, slightly proud glance.
Hu Ma understood the meaning behind her glance. Of course, not all who came could be Reincarnators. Even among those who had helped deal with Ji Ping on the road earlier, not all were Reincarnators. The Reincarnators were among these people. Those who were Reincarnators knew it; those who weren't didn't realize they weren't. Yet, they all shared the Reincarnators' attitude and would act according to the Reincarnators' intentions at critical moments. These were people living in the shadow of Reincarnators.