Chapter 153
Chapter 153
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 153
>Chapter Title: Suspicion
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 153: Suspicion
>>
> Seeing Li Huowang eating in the main hall, Lv Zhuangyuan, hands on his hips, instantly shrank by a head as a fawning smile naturally piled up on his face.
>>
>
> “Young Daoist, don’t mind it. That wasn’t a fight, just us Pear Garden disciples discussing the opera, heh heh. Live and learn, right?”
>>
>
> The corner of Li Huowang’s mouth twitched up slightly. “How’d it go? Did those locals give you any trouble?”
>>
>
> Lv Zhuangyuan had been bursting with joy and nowhere to share it. The moment Li Huowang spoke up, he rolled up his sleeve, propped his right foot on a stool, and launched into a torrent of bragging.
>>
>
> “Young Daoist, you know as well as I do—when it comes to singing opera, this old man’s been at it for over thirty years. You think I’d let three kids in their twenties intimidate me?”
>>
>
> “I got there, and they tried pulling some dominance play on me. But we’re all opera folk—think I’d back down? Slap slap slap! I plopped my butt right on their prop box and hollered, ‘Your tune’s off!’ Heh heh, guess what happened next?”
>>
>
> “What happened?” Li Huowang played along, and Lv Zhuangyuan dove right back in.
>>
>
> “Hey! Those three young bucks were stunned on the spot. The littlest one even asked, ‘Which part of the tune’s off?’”
>>
>
> “He wanted this old man to teach him? As if I’d just hand it over. I sat there giving him the cold shoulder—no tea offered, dream on.”
>>
>
> “Oh, you should’ve seen how they looked at me—like I was their elder! Calling me ‘Old Senior’ and everything!”
>>
>
> “But fair’s fair—one thing’s one thing, two’s two. I wasn’t bluffing; their tune really was pitched too high. As the old senior, I’ve gotta look out for the young ones, right?”
>>
>
> Listening to Lv Zhuangyuan spin his vivid tale, Li Huowang thought the man really should’ve been a storyteller—such a gift of gab.
>>
>
> Li Huowang finished his meal just as Lv Zhuangyuan wrapped up his story.
>>
>
> Face flushed with satisfaction, Lv Zhuangyuan picked up his teacup, exhaled contentedly, and let out a sigh of pure bliss.
>>
>
> “Boss Lv, what opera were they singing? Felt so weird.” As he spoke, Li Huowang shoveled the last bite into his mouth.
>>
>
> “Oh, they were doing [Great Nuo Drives Away the Twelve Ghosts]. It’s an old play—supposedly been around for thousands of years. That’s why the singing style’s so strange; it’s from ancient times.”
>>
>
> “Who’s Great Nuo?” Li Huowang stuck his chopsticks into his mouth to pick at his teeth.
>>
>
> “No idea myself. From what those three lads sang, sounds like some immortal.”
>>
>
> “They said right here in Later Shu territory, long ago it was ghost country—people lived like livestock, born just to be eaten.”
>>
>
> “Then Great Nuo came, drove out the twelve fiercest ghosts from ghost country, taught the ancients to stand and walk upright, to speak and write, even how to use fire.”
>>
>
> “So it’s a myth…” Li Huowang’s eyes narrowed slightly as the image of those three masked performers jumping the nuo dance surfaced in his mind.
>>
>
> “Was that guy last night connected to these nuo play performers?”
>>
>
> No wonder Li Huowang suspected them—they’d just entered town and seen those eerie nuo plays, complete with that creepy tooth-flashing act.
>>
>
> “Wait—tooth-flashing?” Li Huowang recalled the copper coin mask the man had worn last night. A mask would perfectly cover the teeth.
>>
>
> With that thought, he glanced at Lv Zhuangyuan beside him. “Boss Lv, when those three nuo play kids talked to you, did they take off their masks?”
>>
>
> “Nope, they spotted me and didn’t even have time to remove their makeup—rushed right over with tea, all respectful-like!” Lv Zhuangyuan beamed with pride.
>>
>
> “Could it really be them? But there were clearly only three. Was that guy last night deliberately misleading me?” Li Huowang’s brow furrowed deeper.
>>
>
> “Daoist! Daoist!” A loud voice snapped Li Huowang from his thoughts.
>>
>
> Looking up, he saw the disheveled Monk at the doorway, grinning happily at him.
>>
>
> “Where’ve you been? Why’d you only show up now? Couldn’t find you this morning.”
>>
>
> Li Huowang set down his chopsticks and walked over, scrutinizing him closely. “Looking for me? What’s up?”
>>
>
> “Of course! Come on, I found a fun spot!”
>>
>
> The Monk’s words stirred some bad memories for Li Huowang—the last time he’d said that, he’d led him straight to that massive flesh Buddha.
>>
>
> But it was also then that Li Huowang had pierced Zhengde Temple’s facade. In a way, the Monk had saved his life.
>>
>
> Glancing at the blazing sun outside, Li Huowang stepped out. “Alright, let’s go.”
>>
>
> No sooner had he spoken than a stir came from behind.
>>
>
> “Heh heh heh…”
>>
>
> “Heh heh heh…”
>>
>
> Li Huowang whipped his head around toward the low chuckles.
>>
>
> There stood Danyangzi and Jiang Yingzi in the corner, four faces twisted in mocking grins.
>>
>
> “Daoist! Hurry up!” The Monk, already out on the street, shielded his eyes from the sun and kept urging him.
>>
>
> “The Monk? Could it be him?” Li Huowang pondered, staring at the distant figure.
>>
>
> He’d tested several times yesterday, but the Monk’s sudden appearance here did feel abrupt.
>>
>
> “Some illusion trick? But that stuff’s never worked well on me, and with my senses sharpened like this, a fake should’ve been obvious by now.”
>>
>
> “Wait, why am I letting those two hallucinations get to me? They’re not real.” Li Huowang’s mind grew inexplicably muddled, plunging into self-doubt.
>>
>
> “Daoist! Come on already, what’re you dawdling for?”
>>
>
> Seeing the Monk nearly hoarse from shouting, Li Huowang took a deep breath and walked over.
>>
>
> Real or not, he needed to probe further.
>>
>
> If it was the real Monk, great. If fake, perfect chance to strike and uncover this guy’s motives—and who was backing him.
>>
>
> The man’s escape last night had made Li Huowang bolder in his approach.
>>
>
> The afternoon streets remained crowded—likely due to the border town status. Mules, horses, and camels brushed past Li Huowang constantly.
>>
>
> “Monk, where are we headed?” Li Huowang asked, his hand quietly resting on the [Great Thousand Record].
>>
>
> “Not far, almost there. See? Right there.”
>>
>
> Li Huowang followed the Monk’s pointing finger and spotted three performers wearing wooden masks, singing opera.
>>
>
> “Heh heh, what do ya think? Never seen it before, huh?” the Monk said excitedly.
>>
>
> “Nuo play? This is your idea of fun?” Li Huowang looked somewhat speechless.
>>
>
> “Seen it? Then watch it again! You can only catch this here—nowhere else. Won’t get another chance. Aw, look—they’re packing up.”
>>
>
> The Monk looked disappointed, but Li Huowang perked up—he saw the three removing their masks.
>>
>
> (End of chapter)