Chapter 1488: 【Visiting Alone】 (Part 2)

Yan Nujiao originally wanted to follow along, but she worried that if she spoke up, it would make her master suspect her motives even more, so she could only forcibly suppress this thought and whispered, "Master, you must be extra careful." Ying Popo, under everyone's gaze, came alone to the gate of the Butterfly Garden and knocked on the ring, saying, "Hu Xiaotian, I have come specially to pay a visit; I don't know if you have the guts to meet me?" Although her voice wasn't loud, it carried clearly to every corner of the Butterfly Garden.

Qiao Fangzheng's ear twitched slightly, and he said in a low voice, "I never expected the Wuxian Sect to have such an internal arts expert; I always thought they only knew how to use poison."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Her coming is actually a good thing; Ying Popo might not even know what bad deeds her disciple has done." He told everyone, "I'll go meet her alone!"

Qiao Fangzheng reminded him, "The Wuxian Sect excels at poison, and this Ying Popo is a top-tier elder of the sect; you must be careful, absolutely don't be careless and fall for her tricks."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Her disciple is in our hands; what's there to be afraid of?"

Long Xi Yue, hearing Qiao Fangzheng say that, also couldn't help but worry; she bit her lip and gave Hu Xiaotian a concerned look, but with everyone present she didn't say anything more. Hu Xiaotian saw her worry, gave a slight smile, and showed his reassurance.

Hu Xiaotian came to the courtyard and gestured for the two warriors to open the gate.

But then they saw the petite Ying Popo walk in slowly; wherever she stepped, the green grass instantly turned withered and yellow. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but be startled at the sight—this Ying Popo's poison skill was indeed formidable; he couldn't see how she administered the poison, yet the grass died just like that. She did this to give the other side a show of force; in the Red Wood River area, few dare to provoke her.

At this moment, Hu Xiaotian had changed back into his own attire, hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at Ying Popo and said, "People often say that where someone passes, not a blade of grass grows; hearing about it is nothing like seeing it. Today, madam, you've opened my eyes."

Ying Popo's eye sockets were deep; she coldly stared at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Wanting to open your eyes isn't that easy. I guarantee there are still many more sights you haven't seen; the places I pass through don't even leave a single living soul."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing, "It seems the madam can indeed sever ties with her own kin; your senior disciple, Grand Priestess Tong Yun, is still in the Butterfly Garden." This was both a reminder and a threat.

Ying Popo stood about a zhang away opposite Hu Xiaotian. She sized up the young man and said softly, "Do you know? I hate most when people threaten me in my lifetime. It seems you don't understand me; what I'm best at is repaying others with their own methods—using whatever means they use against me, I can certainly apply the same to them." She paused, then said in a gloomy tone, "You don't believe me? Then just go ahead and kill Tong Yun; I'll immediately dig out Yan Nujiao's heart and show it to you!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart sank; only now did he realize how cunning Ying Popo was. It seemed that when Yan Nujiao had helped him escape earlier, she had ultimately still shown a flaw, which Ying Popo had noticed. However, this old lady probably had no evidence; by saying this, she was likely trying to bluff. If he showed concern, wouldn't that be playing right into her trap?

Thinking this through, Hu Xiaotian gave a faint smile and said, "Then wouldn't the madam be left without a disciple? Killing one's own disciple personally—such a scene of righteousness overriding kin is rare; when you make your move, be sure to call me, so I can follow along and feast my eyes."

Ying Popo said, "Yan Nujiao helped you like this, yet you're indifferent to her safety; if she found out, I don't know how heartbroken she'd be." Hu Xiaotian spoke with such glee at her misfortune that it actually made her waver a little.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Madam Ying Popo came to see me; surely it's not just to bore me with this pointless talk, right? Don't you want to know why I have no grudge against Grand Priestess Tong Yun? Why did you arrest her?"

Ying Popo coldly said, "If you're sensible, release her quickly; otherwise you'll be making enemies of the entire Red Yi Tribe, and of our Wuxian Sect. I guarantee none of you will make it out of Red Wood River alive." Her words were no exaggeration. The power of the Red Yi Tribe spreads throughout Red Wood River, and the Wuxian Sect's influence extends across the whole southwest; moreover, Ying Popo wields great sway among both the tribe and the sect's followers.

Hu Xiaotian fearlessly said, "Do you know, Madam Ying Popo, that your senior disciple, the Grand Priestess of the Red Yi Tribe, is colluding with outsiders, intending to control Red Wood River by selecting a Spirit Girl?"

Ying Popo snapped, "You're talking nonsense!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Since Ying Popo is a member of the Red Yi Tribe, you should know the rules for selecting a Spirit Girl. Although your tribe's Spirit Girl Jia Ou went missing earlier, there is no solid proof she died, so why is Grand Priestess Tong Yun rushing to pick a new Spirit Girl? Don't you have even the slightest doubt about this?"

Ying Popo's expression showed she was half-believing, half-doubting; this new Spirit Girl selection was because Tong Yun claimed that the missing Spirit Girl Jia Ou had already died and could no longer be sensed via her spiritual intuition.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Don't blame Ying Popo, but I have already found the missing Spirit Girl of your Red Yi Tribe in Coconut Wind City, and your senior disciple Grand Priestess Tong Yun is involved with the Junior Chief of the Beggar Gang; they intend to use the Spirit Girl arranged by the two of them to gain the Red Yi Tribe's trust and thereby achieve control over the entire Red Wood River."

Ying Popo shouted, "Empty talk without evidence—you'd better not spout nonsense; Tong Yun is the temple's Spirit Girl, she is of perfect purity!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't know whether she is truly pure, but verifying this shouldn't be hard; just find a midwife to examine her. If Ying Popo is willing, she can go herself to check."

Ying Popo said, "Bold madman, you're just spouting baseless slander, trying to sully my disciple's reputation."

Hu Xiaotian said, "If your disciple had no problem, why is the Spirit Girl clearly still alive while she selects another? Doesn't she understand that there can only be one Spirit Girl at a time?"

Ying Popo said, "Since you claim the Spirit Girl is with you, why not let me see her so I can personally verify the truth?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Come with me!" Although Ying Popo is an elder of the Wuxian Sect, she is also a member of the Red Yi Tribe, faithful to her tribe's religion; if she learned the truth, she might not side with Grand Priestess Tong Yun. Given the circumstances, we must unite everyone we can, especially since today's matter concerns not only his interests in Red Wood River but also the welfare of hundreds of thousands of Red Yi Tribe members; if Shangguan Yun Chong's scheme succeeds, the Red Yi Tribe will be deceived by him and Tong Yun working together.

Ying Popo followed Hu Xiaotian into the room, where Qiao Fangzheng had already been keeping Jia Ou company. Although they wanted to prove Jia Ou's Spirit Girl status to cooperate with Ying Popo, given her unpredictable temperament, for Little Ou's safety the two masters stood guard beside her at all times to avert any possible danger.

Hearing Ying Popo's footsteps, Qiao Fangzheng coldly said, "You'd better not play any tricks; otherwise I'll not only slaughter all your disciples, but also kill every Red Yi Tribe member I can find."

Upon hearing his voice, Ying Popo examined him closely and couldn't help but cackle, "Who do I think you are? It's Elder Qiao of the Beggar Gang—weren't you said to be dead? Yet you're still alive in this world; what happened to your eyes? Who could be so vicious as to gouge them out? Must have been looking at something you shouldn't have." Ying Popo's words were as venomous as ever.

Qiao Fangzheng gave a cold snort and ignored her.

Hu Xiaotian beckoned Xiao Ou over, had her turn around, and pulled down her collar; when Ying Popo saw the tattoo on the back of Xiao Ou's neck, she couldn't help but start slightly—the mark of the Wisdom Bird is a sign only a Spirit Girl may bear, and this tattoo technique is exceedingly rare, mastered by only one lineage in the entire Red Yi Tribe.

Ying Popo asked, "May I come closer to have a look?"

Qiao Fangzheng snapped, "No way! Who knows what your intentions are?"

Ying Popo snapped, "If it's proven she is our tribe's Spirit Girl, why would I harm her? You blind fool, you're utterly despicable!"

Qiao Fangzheng thrust his Dog Beating Stick hard into the ground, causing the blue bricks to crack instantly; he gave a cold snort and said, "Others may fear you, but this old man does not—your teaching is without method? You indulge and cover up, actually committing such deceit against the tribe, utterly heinous; if the disciple is like this, the master can't be much better." After saying this, his own old face actually flushed a little, because he realized he himself was no better at teaching, having raised a disciple who harms even the master.

Ying Popo shouted, "Blind man, you're living too tiredly!"

Seeing the two arguing, Hu Xiaotian hurriedly stepped in as mediator, "Seniors, there's no need to get worked up. Ying Popo, with your eyesight you should be able to see clearly; whatever the truth is, I just need to question Tong Yun a bit, and everything will become evident. Rather than you seniors first stepping behind the screen to avoid involvement, let me call Tong Yun over and question her carefully."

By now Ying Popo also believed three-tenths of what Hu Xiaotian said; she nodded and no longer insisted on approaching Xiao Ou to check her neck tattoo. Hu Xiaotian made a good point—given her vision, at this distance she could easily discern the tattoo's authenticity, and there really was no need to press the matter; the truth would still come out by questioning Tong Yun.

Hu Xiaotian also had Qiao Fangzheng hide behind the screen; first, his presence would be inconvenient, and second, it was meant to have Qiao Fangzheng keep an eye on Ying Popo.

Seeing the old blind man tag along again, Ying Popo silently cursed Hu Xiaotian's slyness and remained wary of him to this day.

Zhan Peng and Xia Zhangming brought Grand Priestess Tong Yun before Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian first brought Xiao Ou to face Tong Yun, letting her examine the tattoo on Xiao Ou's neck closely, then had Zhan Peng and Xia Zhangming take Xiao Ou away again.

Tong Yun didn't realize there were two people hidden behind the screen; given the cultivation levels of Qiao Fangzheng and Ying Popo, it wouldn't be easy to conceal themselves from her perception.

Hu Xiaotian unlocked Tong Yun's mute point and said, "Grand Priestess, you should recognize that little girl just now, right?" (~^~)