Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 154
>Chapter Title: Four-Sided Courtyard
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When those three boys performing the Nuo dance reached up and removed the masks from their faces, three red heads wrapped in red cloth appeared before Li Huowang.
Not entirely wrapped—the mouths and noses had deliberate openings carved out. After taking off the masks, they immediately started removing the red cloths from their heads.
In no time, young men about the same age as him appeared in front of Li Huowang.
Their faces were completely normal, with no extra features and nothing missing, and even their expressions were perfectly ordinary.
“Daoist, what are you staring at? They’re done performing, so what’s there to see? Let’s go have some fun somewhere else. We might even get a chance to do some good deeds on the way.”
The monk beside him grumbled impatiently, itching to leave.
“Monk, hold on a bit longer. Stay with me.”
The terrifying sight of them baring their teeth from before flashed through Li Huowang’s mind. He still hadn’t let go of his suspicions.
He wasn’t afraid of them coming at him head-on right now. What he feared was them playing dirty tricks from the shadows.
Not long after Li Huowang said this, he suddenly noticed the three of them packing up their things much more quickly, their expressions tinged with gravity as they stole glances toward him now and then.
Li Huowang’s face tightened as he thought to himself, “As expected, something’s up. They hid it deep.”
The suspicions he’d half-dropped because of Lv Zhuangyuan’s words instantly shot back up to their peak.
The three of them loaded all their belongings onto the camel’s back along with the other musicians, then hurriedly headed down a narrow path.
“Monk, let’s go! Follow them!”
Li Huowang said as he quickly lifted his feet to catch up.
“Hey, why bother following them? You planning to shell out silver for a private performance?”
The reluctant monk said this, but he still followed along.
The two of them trailed far behind, watching as the group circled around the town.
It was fine at first, but gradually Li Huowang saw the camel carrying the boxes in the distance start to run, with someone whipping it.
“They’ve spotted us! Chase them!”
Gripping the sword hilt behind him with one hand, Li Huowang picked up his pace.
The town wasn’t large, but they were locals after all. After a few twists and turns through alleys and lanes, Li Huowang unexpectedly lost them.
Staring at the identical drab gray walls all around, Li Huowang’s expression darkened.
“Haah~ Haah~ Daoist, slow down. I can barely keep up~”
The monk behind him, leaning against the wall and panting heavily, said this.
Li Huowang glanced back at him. The man was older, so it was only natural his stamina wasn’t as good.
“If you can’t keep up, head back first. Don’t follow.”
As Li Huowang spoke, he continued forward along the narrow path in search of them.
The monk’s suspicions had lessened somewhat, but they weren’t cleared yet. He didn’t want to drag this liability along if a fight broke out next.
“Alright... then I’ll head back first. Take your time running around.”
The helpless monk clutched his waist and headed down another alley.
“Hopefully I’m just overthinking it.”
Li Huowang shook his head and had only taken a few steps alone when a miserable scream suddenly rang out behind him.
“Not good! That’s the monk’s voice!”
Li Huowang rushed toward the sound at once. Rounding a wall, he stopped in front of a large square pit.
It was an earthen pit, with wooden doors and windows arranged on all four sides below, looking just like a courtyard house dug into the ground.
Several large wooden masks hung on the four walls—their ferocious designs unmistakably the same ones those three had worn during the Nuo dance.
The camel inside the courtyard munching on grass made it clear this was the three brothers’ home.
“Daoist!! Come down and give me a hand! Oof, this pit’s a killer. Why build a house underground in this godforsaken place? It’s not like they’re digging a grave.”
Li Huowang followed the voice again and saw the monk lying at the bottom, grimacing in pain and groaning softly.
Gripping his sword with one hand, Li Huowang jumped down, using the window ledge for a slight push to land steadily beside the monk.
He didn’t reach out to help the monk up first. Instead, he instantly gripped the sword hilt and warily eyed the tightly shut doors and windows around them.
Through his sharp senses, he detected gazes shooting from behind the doors and windows. There were people inside—and quite a few.
With the enemy’s strength unknown, Li Huowang didn’t want to strike first.
Strangely, they seemed to have the same idea and didn’t make a move either. The atmosphere stiffened into a standoff for the moment.
“Are these people thinking the same thing as me?”
Li Huowang wondered silently.
“Daoist, what are you standing there for?”
The monk crawled up from the ground, his face full of discomfort.
“Wait a moment! No time to chat right now.”
The moment Li Huowang said this, he felt even more gazes land on him.
These weren’t coming from inside the houses—they were shooting from the eyes of the masks on the walls. In that instant, the masks seemed to come alive.
No matter whether this place was connected to last night’s copper coin-masked figure or not, Li Huowang had no intention of staying in this stalemate.
After a moment’s consideration, Li Huowang spoke up.
“Junior Xuanyang pays respects to you all. I was merely passing by this place and meant no offense. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Li Huowang’s words received no response. After thinking it over, he tried probing in a different way.
“Is the Spring Canon open?”
Still no response.
“What happened last night—I’ll pretend it never occurred. How about we all value peace?”
After explaining himself, Li Huowang ignored whether they understood or not and moved toward the ladder nearby with the monk.
The long ladder was set up, and Li Huowang had the monk climb out first.
Once he was back on solid ground, Li Huowang instantly stamped his right foot on the ladder and followed up.
After Li Huowang and the monk had left, people with tattoos on their ears emerged from the houses.
There were men and women among them, even children a few years old.
At this moment, every face was filled with grief, anger, and fear.
One of the three Nuo-dancing brothers clenched his fists, trembling as he spoke to a white-haired elder.
“Grandpa! He meant it! We can’t wait any longer! Strike first!”
The elder was clearly furious. He gripped his cane tightly with his right hand and slammed it hard into the ground.
“You—take all the young ones from the family and finish off that red-robed Daoist! Don’t think our family’s a pushover!”
Once Li Huowang and the monk left the underground courtyard house and returned to the bustling street, the monk still seemed utterly baffled.
“What’s going on? What exactly is going on?”
“You really have no idea what’s happening?”
Li Huowang carefully sized up the monk in front of him once more.
He hadn’t forgotten that this was trouble in its own right.
Last time, it was because of the monk that he’d stumbled onto Zhengde Temple’s scheme. And this time, it was again because of him that he’d found the home of those Nuo dancers.
Once could be coincidence, but twice? If this was still just chance, it was far too convenient.
(End of chapter)