Chapter 139: Showing Off
It was a strange feeling. The young man in the blue robe and the Bì’àn mask was just one of many attendees.
Yet, his aura commanded attention, drawing all eyes towards him.
No one knew his background, or the face hidden behind the mask, but his presence was undeniable.
Xu Xiaoyan, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared.
An incense burner stood in a corner, red lanterns hanging on either side, illuminating a red veil, a shadowy figure moving behind it.
The organizer of the Red Hill Gathering had arrived. No one else would be coming tonight.
“Eleven of you have gathered here tonight,” an old, raspy voice came from behind the veil, the figure still obscured.
Shi Hao thought he saw a fox’s shadow.
Before, even if they had suspected it was a fox, they wouldn’t have taken it seriously.
But having learned the Red Hill Gathering organizer’s secret from Xu Xiaoyan, although the shadow only vaguely resembled a fox, the more he looked, the more convinced he became. It was a fox.
The raspy voice said slowly, “According to our rules, everyone attending this Red Hill Gathering must offer either a piece of information unknown to the martial world or a proposition for a trade. If you have neither, please leave.”
The voice paused, then asked, “Who will go first?”
A man in a black robe and a tiger mask, sitting on a stone bench, his voice deliberately low and hoarse, said, “I have a trade to propose.”
Shi Hao remembered seeing this man at the previous gathering, his mask and robe identical, his build similar, even his voice the same.
Clearly, it was the same person.
A short, thin man with a porcupine mask, sitting cross-legged on the grass, said, “I have something to sell.”
A woman in black with an ordinary human mask said, her voice slightly altered, “I have some immortal ingredients for sale.”
Shi Hao sensed the “dragon girl” beside him tremble slightly.
He turned and saw Du Yuejiao staring at the woman in black, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Shi Hao wondered if Yuejiao knew her.
Even with the disguised voice and the mask, Du Yuejiao’s reaction suggested she was very familiar with this woman.
It couldn’t be Zhuo Mulan, but for Yuejiao to recognize her despite the disguise meant they must be close.
Could this woman be… from the Chongxian Sect?
This was a secret gathering for the “unorthodox.” What was a Chongxian Sect member doing here?
Of course, Du Yuejiao was also from the Chongxian Sect. It seemed that as long as you had a trusted recommendation, your background didn’t matter.
Shi Hao glanced at Xu Xiaoyan, who was also looking at Du Yuejiao and then at the woman in black… She had also noticed.
And Shi Hao remembered a similar woman from the previous gathering, also with a human mask but dressed in a different color, accompanied by another woman.
She had sold several immortal ingredients.
It was likely the same person.
A man with a two-horned demon mask, sitting on a stone bench, said quickly, “I have a weapon for sale,” and then fell silent.
A fat man with a “Qiúniú”(yellow scaly dragon) mask, one of the nine sons of the dragon, said, “I have a divine crystal for sale.”
Shi Hao immediately recognized him as Daoist Tie Yu.
Since he lived nearby, it wasn’t surprising to find him here.
A small, thin woman, without a mask, her face hidden behind her long, dark hair, her clothes tattered and dirty, her eyes gleaming through the strands of hair, giving her a ghostly appearance, whispered, “I… also have… something to sell.”
Her voice was unsettling, sending a chill down his spine.
Xu Xiaoyan, in her pink robe and snake demon mask, raised her hand, “I have immortal ingredients for sale.”
Du Yuejiao, beside him, her voice disguised and unusually high-pitched, said, “I have a magical weapon for sale.”
Even with the disguised voice, the woman in black glanced at her, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes.
Of the eleven people present, eight had offered items for sale. The remaining three could only offer information.
Silence fell over the garden.
Shi Hao, his hands clasped behind his back, his voice calm and measured, said, “Jiao Han, the leader of the Leopard Gate, wasn’t killed by a cultivation mishap, but assassinated. The one who killed him is the ‘Mad Blade Hero.’”
This news surprised everyone.
The man with the two-horned demon mask, sitting on the stone bench, couldn’t help but ask, “Jiao Han was a fifth-rank expert. That Mad Blade Hero is a newcomer, only seventh-rank, isn’t he? A seventh-rank killed a fifth-rank?”
Shi Hao’s gaze swept over them, “The information is accurate. Believe it or not.”
Although they couldn’t speak openly, their exchanged glances spoke volumes.
They didn’t doubt the information’s authenticity. Secrets revealed at the Red Hill Gathering would eventually be verified. If it was false, he wouldn’t be allowed to attend again.
But a seventh-rank martial artist assassinating a fifth-rank expert… it was almost unbelievable.
Although defeating a stronger opponent through cunning or magical weapons was possible, the gap between the seventh and fifth ranks was significant, not just in terms of power, but also in terms of skill and experience.
If this news spread, the Mad Blade Hero’s reputation would soar.
Xu Xiaoyan and Du Yuejiao, however, knew that the “Mad Blade Hero” was the one speaking.
For some reason, the Leopard Gate hadn’t revealed the true cause of Jiao Han’s death, preventing the Mad Blade Hero from gaining recognition.
He had revealed this secret, observing their reactions, their exchanged glances of shock and disbelief.
They noticed the smug look on his face. Show off, they thought.
But it was understandable. He had accomplished something extraordinary, triggering a major shift in Dàxīng City’s power structure, yet no one knew. It was like wearing fine clothes in the dark.
One of the remaining two, a tall, thin man in a blue robe and a bull’s head mask, said in a low voice, “It’s almost certain that Sheng Menghui, the Manor Lord of Lotus Manor in Chu Yin Province, is a disciple of Hong Chui, the Thunderclap.”
This news was even more shocking than Shi Hao’s revelation.
Sheng Menghui was a respected figure in the martial world, having joined Fu Shiyuan’s rebellion, his call to arms attracting many followers.
And Hong Chui, the Thunderclap, was number one on the Blacklist.
Although the Blacklist included many righteous martial artists who opposed the barbarian court, like Zhao Gucheng, the Sword King, Yue Panlong, the Azure Sea, and Zhao Xian, the Peerless Sword, it also included truly heinous villains, and Hong Chui, the Thunderclap, was one of them.
He controlled a large territory in Lingnan, practically a warlord, his rule tacitly acknowledged even by the barbarian court.
If Sheng Menghui was truly his disciple, leading a rebellion in Chu Yin Province under his orders, it meant Hong Chui was extending his influence into the Central Plains.
Everyone looked at the man with the bull’s head mask. This information couldn’t have come from either Hong Chui or Sheng Menghui themselves.
After all, Hong Chui’s reputation was too notorious, and if Sheng Menghui’s connection to him was revealed, it would severely undermine his support.
The tall, thin man, slightly embarrassed by their gazes, scratched his head, “This information actually came from Dark Thunder. I just happened to know about it. It will soon become public knowledge.”
They understood… Although it would soon be revealed, at this moment, it was still a secret.
He had fulfilled the requirement.
The last one was an old man with a hunched back. Although he didn’t wear a mask, his stiff, lifeless face, covered in wrinkles, was clearly a disguise, likely a human skin mask.
The old man said slowly, “The ‘Virtuous Scholar of Shan Shui,’ Master Zhao’s new concubine…”
He paused, “…is actually a man.”
Silence. Then, the woman in black with the human mask exclaimed, “What?!”
The old man chuckled, his smile not reaching his eyes, “Although it’s not a big deal, it’s still a secret. Just a bit of gossip.”
The woman in black still looked incredulous, “Master Zhao… has… unusual preferences?”
The old man chuckled, “To be precise, he enjoys dressing as a woman. Except for his wife, whom he married for appearances, his other concubines are all men… not young boys, but grown men. And he likes to wear women’s clothing during… well, you know.”
Everyone: “…”
Big news!
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