Chapter 44: Heavenly Secrets Cannot Be Revealed
Still beside the unused fields.
Still the sa two groups of people.
Only this ti, the distance between the two sides had widened further.
The people by the cetery were huddled together, discussing sothing. They seed confused, then sad, then angry, and after a while, invigorated.
They were too far away to hear what was being said. Little Liu, full of curiosity, stared intently at them with a worried expression.
“What are they talking about? Are they trying to make trouble?”
Wen Gu said, “They are probably going to cause trouble, but it should be within the city, not directed at us.”
Little Liu still didn’t understand. “How… how can you tell?”
Wen Gu didn’t answer directly but asked him, “What do you think of their combat ability?”
Little Liu stared at them and replied seriously, “They should be quite capable!”
Then, he looked uncertainly at County Lieutenant Zhou.
As an official, his judgnt should be more accurate.
County Lieutenant Zhou nodded. “Although these people look like they co from unorthodox backgrounds, with the frequent river traffic here, there are bound to be disputes. They have likely participated in many fights. If there are local militia, they might have even fought river bandits; they are experienced.”
Wen Gu agreed. “Indeed. Although they are civilian forces, compared to so official staffed units, their bravery might even surpass them.
“These people gathered together are a force to be reckoned with. Judging by the horses and carriages they have acquired, they wouldn’t be able to keep these possessions without considerable strength.”
Little Liu looked at the horses with envy.
Indeed!
Even in the past, horses were not sothing ordinary people could afford. Now they were even more precious!
These people ca out with so many horses and even carriages; they were truly wealthy!
Anyone would be envious. Without sufficient strength, these possessions could indeed not be kept safe.
Wen Gu asked again, “What are they doing out here today?”
Little Liu said, “Paying respects to their leader.”
Wen Gu reminded him, “They are not just mourning one person.”
Cheng Zhi, who had been standing beside them without saying a word, spoke up. “Yes, around the largest tombstone, there are several others… ah, seven. There are seven graves from roughly the sa ti.”
Wen Gu said, “Although these seven tombstone are smaller, considerable effort was put into them, implying they were also important figures within this group.”
County Lieutenant Zhou’s gaze was distant. “Eight important figures, including the leader, all t their end at the sa ti.”
Nowadays, any group that establishes itself cherishes its n dearly.
What kind of changes would cause this group, which had survived the chaotic tis for so long, to lose so many people at once? And including its main force, headed by the leader?
Perhaps there was no hidden story, but perhaps there was?
From Wen Gu’s perspective, if there were conflicts in the other party’s situation, they could find an opening and seize more opportunities to achieve their goals.
Little Liu understood a little.
“With the leader gone, the subordinates must be in a complete ss.”
In these chaotic tis, whoever held the highest position could control more resources and power.
Wen Gu said, “If there is soone highly capable, they can quickly quell internal disputes.”
This second-in-command didn’t seem to be that capable.
But if the forr leader’s widow were involved…
“So, have they stabilized internally?” Little Liu asked.
“No,” Wen Gu said. “If their internal issues were resolved, they wouldn’t have brought out such a small number of people for this morial.”
Wen Gu called Cheng Zhi aside and asked him to relay the observations on the expressions and behavioral changes of each person on the other side.
Ti slowly passed, and the sky began to darken.
Then, a person from their group ca to invite the Daoist Master to perform a ritual.
Daoist Master Qingyi brought his equipnt and began his work.
Similarly, burning incense and paper, Daoist Master Qingyi’s ritual produced a much larger plu of smoke. The scent was not pungent but carried an eerie atmosphere.
There was the familiar stepping on the Big Dipper and drawing patterns, and the familiar casting of talismans from a distance. What was different was the large amount of white mist that churned up during the ritual, and the faint green fire that burned the talismans amidst the swirling mist.
The smoky, fiery scent had a ghostly quality, accompanied by chanting that the others could not understand.
The expressions of the second-in-command of the group, who had initially been skeptical, gradually turned to awe and reverence. The more timid ones’ knees felt weak, and they longed to prostrate themselves on the spot. Even when looking at Wen Gu, their eyes now held a trace of apprehension.
Such a powerful Daoist priest!
Such a divine Immortal Master!
In the past, only the most influential n in the city could afford to invite such a person!
And now, this Immortal Master was accompanying this scholar and was willing to perform the ritual for a deposit.
The second-in-command was troubled.
The deposit was too high. What if they couldn’t fulfill the commission in the end…
With limited conditions, an environnt that affected performance, and a client who wasn’t wealthy enough, the Daoist Master didn’t take long. After showing off his skills and completing what the “dog scholar” had asked, he finished.
As the Daoist Master concluded his ritual, he used his profound and inscrutable tone to leave the client with so room for interpretation.
The general aning was that the resentnt of the people buried here had not yet dissipated.
As for further, more detailed explanations?
Apologies, heavenly secrets cannot be revealed.
The Daoist Master didn’t say much, but the second-in-command and his n seed to have already figured sothing out.
A young woman holding a child by her side, slightly eased the terror from her face. After finally calming down, she nodded at the second-in-command.
The second-in-command looked at the sky and said in a much more mollified tone, “We will accept this deposit. We will do our best to fulfill your request, but we still have so matters to attend to. Please rest assured, whether we can resolve them or not, we will send word. It will take about… two days.”
Wen Gu pondered for a mont. “Alright, then let’s set another eting place and a code word.”
He didn’t say where his own group was currently staying, and the second-in-command, understanding the rules, didn’t ask.
After agreeing on a eting place and code word, the second-in-command led his n back to the city. If they were any later, the drawbridge would be raised.
After the other group left, Wen Gu and his companions returned to their team’s location.
He flipped open his notebook and reviewed the records from the day.
Before, they had only wanted to cross the river safely, and they were willing to expend so supplies.
After interacting with the other party, so new ideas had erged.
The stories of the martial arts world that he had told the second-in-command and his n were not told in vain.
Having gathered into a force and tasted the flavor of power, how could those who ca from humble backgrounds not have ambition?
It was just that the tis were difficult, and there were more things to consider.
And Wen Gu had provided them with another possibility for survival.
With a fallback plan and a choice…
Of course, they would seek justice for wrongs suffered and revenge for grievances!
Otherwise, why would they keep waiting until Chinese New Year?
For this big fish, Wen Gu was willing to give more ti.
Well, but he still needed to consider everything thoroughly.
He said to County Lieutenant Zhou and the others, “Let’s observe for two days. If there’s no movent, we’ll withdraw imdiately!”
After thinking for a mont, Wen Gu said to Daoist Master Qingyi, “Daoist Master, please prepare yourself. It is likely that there will be more business in the next two days.”
(End of this chapter)
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