Chapter 36: 35 Wind Rises at the Banquet (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader Little Ghost Sara)

35 Wind Rises at the Banquet (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader Little Ghost Sara)

"Manager Li, I would like to propose a toast to you." A kind-faced old woman raised her wine cup, smiling as she toasted the middle-aged man who looked like a merchant sitting at the head of the table.

Although the middle-aged man was clearly not enthusiastic, he still politely raised his cup, gestured with it without clinking, took a sip, and said, "Don't be so formal, Pu. We are all business people. Unlike the gallant Knights-Errant present, I am just here to ask everyone for the favor of making some money, so we really should get closer."

Pu smiled until her wrinkles bunched up and said, "Not at all, not at all. I am just a Tooth Broker who walks the streets and alleys, a mere middleman. How could I compare to the head manager of the Golden Mountain Firm, the number one merchant house? All the brokerages in the county should thank you. If not for your management, how could the local good goods be sold far to the whole prefecture, unobstructed? You are a living God of Wealth."

She flattered him repeatedly, and Manager Li gradually let go of his reserve, laughing, "This is everyone making money together. Heiyang County is truly poor; what local specialties can be sold out? If you all didn't work diligently to dig up good goods from the countryside, what could I sell? The head office wouldn't be satisfied either. This year, the head office is particularly satisfied with a child; was it you or Bao who sent them..."

Pu's expression became unnatural, and she said, "It might be Bao... I heard he was crippled; it is truly a great loss for the Heiyang County brokerage industry." She smiled as she spoke, revealing the few teeth she had left, "But I will work hard this year. You are truly the best manager of the Golden Mountain Firm, much better than the previous Manager Liu. He and we did not have a pleasant cooperation back then."

Manager Li curled his lip and said, "Old Liu was just pretentious... holier-than-thou. In fact, he did plenty of shady business. Which of private salt, private mines, fencing stolen goods, or smuggling didn't break the law? What difference does human trafficking make? People of the Jianghu, how can we care about so much? Many people at the head office were annoyed by him, and they didn't even look seriously when he went missing. It's a pity that he is neither seen alive nor dead..."

Two people who had just seen their peer die were chatting and laughing, unaware that just three steps away, a youth was glaring at them with disgust.

Two damned human traffickers, still flattering each other.

Ptooey—

Tang Zhao held his Sword and walked out from behind them openly, without attracting anyone's attention at all.

He was supposed to go directly to observe the old man, but this state of being invisible to everyone was very strange, even allowing him to shed a layer of shackles, feeling a relaxation he had never experienced before.

If he still had a bit of reserve, he would even have wanted to lie on the ground and roll around in public.

So he happily circled the venue a few times to see if there was anything interesting in the hall.

Anyway, the people from the Land Inspection Division wouldn't have any objections; they didn't know what Tang Zhao was doing, and they didn't even know of Tang Zhao as a person.

As it turned out... there really wasn't anything interesting.

The people at the wine tables were all local martial arts forces, mainly from the underworld; they were either flattering each other or boasting, and what they boasted about were all things like killing, arson, rape, and plunder, naturally mixed with the human traffickers who hid knives in their smiles.

The only person dressed elegantly seemed to be a young master of the local Pei Clan, sitting at the head of the table very reservedly, but his expression revealed undisguised arrogance, and Tang Zhao instinctively felt he should stay away from him.

"Teacher Si said someone was suspicious; he must be talking about that person."

There was a person beside Young Master Pei whose expression was panicked—panicked was the conclusion Tang Zhao reached by being biased, as no one else felt anything unusual.

"Communication Fireworks and Thunderbolt Bomb hidden in the pocket at his waist." Tang Zhao inferred from the shape. He could observe at close range and easily find some disharmony, but this also required others to give him a hint; relying on himself with no Jianghu experience, it was impossible to detect anything unusual out of thin air.

This person didn't need to be bothered with; he had already caught the eye of the Land Inspection Division and would be dealt with sooner or later.

He finally arrived in front of the Taohua Tower Tower Master, and the old man was chatting in a low voice with the people from the Black Spider Villa opposite him.

At this moment, Tang Zhao was wearing his Glasses, looking the other party up and down.

It seemed... there was nothing unusual?

Tang Zhao circled around the old man, front and back, left and right, without any harvest. The Glasses didn't display anything either, only a line of text in the corner: "Sword Technique enhancement." That was showing he was in a state of "Disappearance."

Should he just go back like this?

If everyone hadn't discovered anything, maybe the person was truly innocent, and if Tang Zhao went back to report that, there would be absolutely no problem at all.

But he felt that wasn't good enough; after all, he was the one with the "strongest Spirit Talent."

Tang Zhao was young and competitive, and having been flattered by the other party, he made up his mind and took off his Glasses.

Wearing the Glasses was to save trouble, as any abnormality would be clear at a glance, but he wasn't chosen in the first place because of the Glasses.

Ever since his Spirit was disturbed by an Art Tool in front of the Xue Fu, his talent had been detected, and he himself guessed that when he encountered specific things, he would be interfered with, or even enter a strange state. The feeling of that state was not fixed and seemed to be related to the attributes of the other party. Casting aside the Glasses and returning to the most primitive experience might be dangerous, but perhaps it would be more sensitive.

Not feeling anything unusual from a surface inspection was a matter of course. Tang Zhao patiently observed inch by inch.

Suddenly, that high-ranking member of the Black Spider Villa stood up from the banquet.

"Everyone, we are gathered here today to do a great thing."

As soon as he spoke, everyone quieted down.

"Although my villa is the Host, preparing logistics for everyone, the one who truly makes the decisions is Tower Master Tao of Taohua Tower. Now, please let him say a few words to everyone."

The old man stood up with a thud, and Tang Zhao, who had been observing almost pressed against his face, hurriedly retreated a few steps.

Tower Master Tao was not tall when sitting, but not short when standing, his white hair shimmering under the light.

"Fellow Daoists, I think everyone knows. This is a major event concerning the life and death of all our fellow Daoists! If we win, everyone will have glory and wealth, endless enjoyment, and we can also take a step further in our Martial Dao. There might even appear a Sword Guest among the fellow Daoists present..."

At the mention of the two words "Sword Guest," everyone's breathing stopped for a moment.

Tang Zhao was also astonished; he remembered they were gathered together to plot against the Demon Cave, right? How did it get linked to a Sword Guest again?

Tower Master Tao said, "Of course, whether it can be done depends on luck. But the moment the Demon Cave descends is the most prosperous time, and the treasures inside are worth a fortune. According to what everyone has discussed, after driving away others, everyone will go in and search for themselves; no one is allowed to interfere with others. Large sects and factions certainly have many people, but our lone Knight-Errant friends will not be without gains either. Finding one good material is worth at least one Mysterious Technique when sold."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone applauded and cheered.

Only a few people sneered secretly: not interfering with each other—it sounds nice now, but when the time comes, who will abide by it?

At this time, Manager Li stood up and cupped his hands: "When the time comes, if everyone cannot find a buyer, you are welcome to patronize my Golden Mountain Firm. My small shop has a century of reputation and never cheats children or the elderly."

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Tower Master Tao laughed twice, then his expression suddenly changed, and he said solemnly, "Everyone knows the benefits of winning, but does everyone know the pain of losing? When I say life and death, I am not fear-mongering!"

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

Tower Master Tao said coldly, "Since ancient times, the Jianghu and the Imperial Court have been like well water and river water, never interfering with each other. The Imperial Court manages the top, and the Jianghu walks the bottom. The Imperial Court holds the Mysterious Technique manuals in their hands and conscripts Jianghu people to the Qianxian to fight for their lives, using our lives to consume the Demon Evil, giving only a tiny bit of reward, yet everyone still obeys. Why?"

Tang Zhao thought to himself: Because you can't beat them, what else could it be?

Tower Master Tao said, "It is nothing more than to hold onto the last bit of freedom! Eliminating demons and protecting the borders is the business of the Imperial Court and has nothing to do with us. We kindly assist the Imperial Court, spending effort and energy, yet they are never satisfied! You want to eliminate demons, we eliminated them; you want to kill Fierce Beasts, we killed them; then it is reasonable for us to earn money and make a living in private, right? The Imperial Court collects taxes, we do business, each taking what they need, and we didn't get in their way. You can't make the horse run without letting it eat grass, right?"

"But those high officials are more overbearing than the Heavenly King himself. They eat until they are fat, not even leaving a sip of soup. Even more overbearing, they want to eat us as meat too. You know who I am talking about—the Yunzhou Governor, the Gaoyuan Marquis!"

The crowd shrank back, and Tower Master Tao's voice suddenly rose:

"Since the Gaoyuan Marquis went north, he has treated himself as the master of Yunzhou, and his actions are nothing more than the Exclusion of dissenters and using force to suppress people. Not only did he build an army of tens of thousands, but he also dug the Land Inspection Division out of the ash heap. Originally, what did the Land Inspection Division count for? Without the help of Jianghu friends from all over, they would have been eaten alive by the Heavenly Demons long ago. Now that they have a new master, they are imposing again, using the name of exterminating the Demon Cave to oppress fellow martial artists, frequently framing people, exterminating entire families, and acting openly and brazenly—they are not even as good as robbers..."

Tang Zhao tilted his head and glanced at the side hall, thinking: When the people from Taohua Tower came last time, they scolded people to the face of Inspector, and now that you have come, you are scolding them to the face of the Land Inspection Division again. Is it that you can't scold them if it's not to their faces?

"Do you know how miserable the counties occupied by the Land Inspection Division are? Not to mention those who are directly exterminated or imprisoned, the living are ordered around and treated like dogs, trembling with fear. We are not dogs; we are children of the Jianghu, heroes who have rolled on the tip of a blade, Knights-Errant who have practiced for many years through blood and sweat—can we submit?"

Tang Zhao found it more and more strange, thinking: What exactly are you trying to do? Inciting a rebellion?

He could not empathize at all with these robbers, underworld figures, and human traffickers, so naturally, he felt nothing, but some of the people present had red faces and were emotionally agitated; it seemed they had really taken it to heart.

"This is the decisive battle; everyone, give it your all, and let's have a grand, earth-shattering fight against the Land Inspection Division! If we win, we'll have everything; if we lose, our fame will spread far and wide. Our fellow martial artists in the Jianghu will hear our names and give us a thumbs-up, and it won't be in vain for the four words 'martial arts hero'! Would you rather die standing than live on your knees? Is there anyone among us still afraid of death?" As he spoke, he waved his fist.

A small stir rippled through the crowd, and as he waved his fist, the stir grew larger and larger; the atmosphere became increasingly heated, the temperature rose by several degrees, and wisps of white vapor seemed to appear in the air—

"Found it!"

Tang Zhao's gaze focused, locking onto this old man.

"So well hidden! Who could have imagined it was actually tucked away in..."

"Bang—"

The window shattered from the outside, and countless scraps of window paper flew about.

Several small white balls flew in through the broken window, landing on the ground and rolling everywhere—

"Not good, it's a Thunderbolt Bead!"

"Boom!"