Chapter 74

"That's right, he does the first, we do the fifteenth!"

Hearing Ma Qiang's words, Zhang Wen also spoke ruthlessly, or rather, he merely steeled his resolve through Ma Qiang's attitude.

The two traded words back and forth, finding excuses for themselves, and quietly left the Lu residence.

In an inn.

The two knocked on a room's door.

"Who?"

A woman's voice came from inside the room.

"Us." Ma Qiang said.

Then came the sound of footsteps and a door latch opening; the door opened, revealing a gloomy face.

It was none other than the third senior member of this mission — Dong Yuan.

After entering the city, she had acted alone.

Just why had she suddenly mixed together with Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen again?

After entering the city, Dong Yuan chose the same direction as Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen, centering her investigation on the "matchstick."

The two had crossed paths with her as early as the day Han Guang and the others encountered Xu Yi.

Unlike with Xu Yi that time, neither side had made any headway.

Dong Yuan directly ignored the two, well water not offending river water.

Until that night.

Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen, by a stroke of luck, counted as having helped Dong Yuan once.

Therefore Dong Yuan told the two her temporary lodging; if the two needed help, they could come find her, counting as returning a peach for a plum.

"Is something the matter?"

The three sat down on either side of the small table in the room.

Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen both wore this world's attire, and so did Dong Yuan.

But looking closely, one would discover all three merely had a layer of clothing draped over the outside; underneath was still their original clothing.

Returning to the real world, whatever one wore when returning, one still wore after returning.

But "Shenmo" would give a little bit of help.

Just like being able to "stash away" equipment in the real world.

Clothing would also change in appearance to match the model at the time of entry, maintaining for a period of time.

Afterwards it would turn to ash, not preserved indefinitely like items and equipment.

"We found a very important clue." Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen exchanged a glance, then spoke.

"Oh?" Dong Yuan's tone rose slightly.

"A skull." Ma Qiang said, "A skull, it should be able to trace the matchstick-selling little girl's whereabouts; the specifics we're unclear on. But it's definitely very useful; that monk isn't willing to let go of it for even a moment."

"What do you want?" Dong Yuan said.

"Simple. We cooperate, together seize the skull, jointly complete the mission." Zhang Wen said.

The two were clear: they definitely wouldn't be Tang Luo's match.

To get the skull, they had to find Dong Yuan to cooperate; only then would there be a chance.

Dong Yuan didn't speak, her hand lightly tapping on the tabletop.

Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen waited for her answer.

"Reason." Dong Yuan asked.

"He already plans to abandon us, and might even use us as cannon fodder." Ma Qiang said viciously, "Just because we haven't played any useful role!"

Dong Yuan frowned, then smoothed her expression: "Fine, but from now on you both listen to me. I don't hope that at the critical moment, you act on your own initiative and cause the mission to fail; if that happens I won't be polite."

"Rest assured."

"We know our limits!"

Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen exchanged a glance; the stone in their hearts dropped.

Done.

Next, they just had to properly arrange how to seize the skull.

With them as inside men, it wasn't a difficult matter.

Noon.

Tang Luo, having just gone out the door, was stopped by Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen.

"Master, Master." Ma Qiang's face was full of smiles.

"Oh, does Benefactor Ma have some matter?" Tang Luo still held that skull in one hand in that strange "pose."

Speaking of it, these days he wandered all over Anshan City like that, and rumors of "strange monk," "white-clothed white-haired ghost," and such terrifying tales had spread.

Making Anshan City fall quiet even faster after "nightfall" than before.

Sin upon sin.

"We want to invite Master to drink, to repay Master's care for us these days, and also... there are some things we want to discuss in detail with Master." Ma Qiang said.

"The two benefactors jest." Tang Luo laughed, "This poor monk is a renunciate; I do not touch alcohol, meat, or pungent foods."

"..."

The smiles on Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen's faces instantly froze.

Not touch alcohol, meat, or pungent foods?

Not drinking was fine; indeed they hadn't seen this monk drink.

But meat —

Wasn't it you who, early this very morning, was holding a roast suckling pig and eating with great relish?

And now you tell us you're a renunciate?

Doesn't your conscience hurt?

"This... this..." Ma Qiang was dumbfounded.

"Wine and meat pass through the intestines; the Buddha remains in the heart," Zhang Wen said. "Master is an enlightened high monk; how could you be bound by such superficial formalities?"

"There's a second half to that saying," Tang Luo said.

"Master, we truly want to thank you, and we truly have a matter to discuss, so please don't joke with us," Ma Qiang bypassed the extraneous topic, forcibly steering back to the main point.

"Just speak directly about whatever it is. If you truly wish to thank this poor monk, then please, both of you, do more good deeds and accumulate virtue," Tang Luo said.

Ma Qiang lowered his voice: "This matter is of great importance; there are many ears and loose tongues here."

"Very well." Seeing that both of them looked extremely serious, Tang Luo agreed.

The three went to a private room in a wine house.

Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen had clearly prepared in advance; exquisite dishes were all ready.

It was just that time was delayed a bit, so they had become somewhat cold.

"Master, don't stand on ceremony," Ma Qiang said with a smile.

Tang Luo placed the skull on the chair beside him and truly ate without the slightest ceremony.

Truly, wine and meat pass through the intestines, not the least bit hesitant.

Sweeping up the remnants like a whirlwind, cleaning the table bare, Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen hadn't managed to eat more than a few bites.

It made Ma Qiang's heart ache to watch.

This table of dishes did not come cheap.

The money the Lu family had bribed them with over these past few days was spent almost entirely in one go.

But the two had apparently forgotten that their money came from the Lu family.

Why did the Lu family give them money?

Because they were the attendants of Master Xuanzang.

So, when it all boiled down, this was Tang Luo's money.

Setting down his chopsticks, Tang Luo looked at the two who had barely eaten and said: "Alright, what is this very important matter you want to tell me?"

"Master, do you know about that tragic case at the painted boat?" Ma Qiang asked. His nostrils twitched slightly twice; a bloody-sweet smell permeated the air?

"I know."

"That night, the two of us were outside investigating the matter of the little match girl," Ma Qiang continued. "We happened to be near the painted boat as well."

"Is that so?" Tang Luo recalled that Lu Zhi had told him his two attendants had returned very late that night.

"Mm." Ma Qiang nodded. "We know some information; rumor has it that someone saw a white-clad vengeful ghost nearby that night!"

"A white-clad vengeful ghost?" Tang Luo's curiosity was piqued.

"Right."

Ma Qiang nodded. "They say that white-clad vengeful ghost was wandering near the painted boat, and in its hand it was even holding a skull—"

Speaking to this point, Ma Qiang suddenly stopped.

He felt like something seemed off?

"Master, it couldn't be you, could it?" Zhang Wen couldn't help asking.

White-clothed, and holding a skull — damn it, isn't that exactly the Xuanzang right before our eyes!

"Right, yes, I passed by that night and went to investigate." Tang Luo nodded. "Unfortunately, I gained nothing."

"..."

Ma Qiang was speechless for a moment.

So the rumor used to stall for time turned out to be this very monk himself.

Speaking of which, did Dong Yuan's arrangement take effect or not? How come this monk still looks so spirited and radiant?

What about the promised colorless, tasteless skill that absolutely wouldn't be detected and could make the target fall asleep?

Forget it, still have to keep stalling.

Ma Qiang opened his mouth, about to say something, but felt his throat a bit itchy; he coughed twice and asked: "Master certainly doesn't know who the two of us saw that night."

"Who?" Tang Luo asked.

"Dong Yuan! That Dong Yuan—cough cough cough!" Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen both began coughing violently at the same time.

"Oh? Could she be connected to what happened at the painted boat?" Tang Luo asked.

He had originally thought it was another strange affair in Anshan City; he hadn't expected it was Dong Yuan who stirred it up?

"Don't know, but—cough cough cough, look at her—cough cough cough." Ma Qiang coughed until his face turned red, waved his hand, unable to speak, signaling for Zhang Wen to speak.

Zhang Wen took a sip of wine, suppressing the urge to cough: "We saw her at the time looking hurried, probably—pu!"

Before the words were even finished, he felt a wave of nausea, utterly unable to control it.

He sprayed it out directly.

Only, what he sprayed out wasn't vomit, but a large amount of fresh blood.

Zhang Wen stared blankly at the fresh blood staining the leftover scraps on the table, frozen in place.

"Ugh—"

Beside him, Ma Qiang, at some point, had clutched his own neck, making a bellows-like rasping breathing sound.

That face, from crimson red turned to purplish-red, and began to swell.

Zhang Wen was the same.

But the expression on his face was more blankness, terror.

There wasn't much pain.

The condition of the two people was exactly the same as the corpses Tang Luo had seen on the pleasure boat.

The only difference was that the two people were not yet dead.

But they would be soon.

Ma Qiang's body began to lean backward, one hand reaching out, futilely grasping twice in midair, unable to grab anything.

He fell from the chair, crashed onto the floor, and began to convulse.

In the corner of the private room, from behind a folded, unnoticeable screen, a person stepped out.

It was none other than Dong Yuan.

"You—"

Ma Qiang barely stretched out, grabbing the foot of Dong Yuan as she approached, "Why?"

He voiced the question with a rotting voice.

We agreed to kill this monk together and complete the mission, didn't we? Why, why is it now that they are the ones dying?

He wanted to know the answer, otherwise, he would not die in peace.

"Why?"

Dong Yuan belonged to the explanatory type, just as Tang Luo, who sat calmly like Mount Tai, belonged to the listening type, "Since you can betray him, you can naturally betray me; I don't need to keep two time bombs beside me."

Ma Qiang stared wide-eyed, motionless, filled with endless regret.

To them, Dong Yuan was necessary to deal with the monk Xuanzang.

But the two of them were not; after achieving the goal, they could be completely discarded.

With a casual push, she shoved Zhang Wen's stiff corpse to the side, and Dong Yuan looked at Tang Luo and said, "Master Xuanzang, your resistance is not bad."

The room was filled with terrifying colorless poison gas, yet it only had a slight fishy-sweet smell.

This was Dong Yuan's skill—Deadly Poison Mist.

Those people on the pleasure boat were indeed killed by her.

"Give me the skull, and then tell me all the information you obtained, and I will spare your life." Dong Yuan looked at Tang Luo and said.