Chapter 276: Beware, the Walls Have Ears

The Grave Robber Colonel is the most representative sect among the four major tomb-raising sects; they excel at searching for dragon veins and pinpointing acupoints, observing the rule 'When the rooster crows and the lamp goes out, do not touch gold,' and their tomb-raiding technique can be called peerless.

However, the vast majority of Grave Robber Colonels have no experience in large-scale warfare, let alone controlling large numbers of yin soldiers.

However, the inheritors of the Grave Robber Colonel who are employed by the Special Affairs Bureau must have extraordinary methods.

This is a family tradition.

Fang ChuanZong being able to find such a person to take charge puts our minds at ease.

Liu Junyan added: 'Old Fang, last night the corpse fiend and the three-eyed toad suffered Heavy Damage; they will definitely stock up heavily before the tribulation, so you also need to pay attention to the safety of the surrounding villages and towns.'

Fang ChuanZong said he had also taken this into account; in the latter half of the night he already contacted the relevant departments, and they will organize villagers to temporarily evacuate.

After a thorough discussion, everyone basically revealed their cards.

Afterwards, they each began preparing and deploying.

At noon, Hui Yumo had consolidated all the troops that the Ash Immortal Hall could mobilize, came over to handover with Hui Moqiong, and the siblings will cooperate again tonight.

What we didn't expect was that, besides Hui Yumo, Hui Xiao Tiao also came along.

Last night in the underground mine tunnels, Hui Xiao Tiao maintained the appearance of a giant rat.

Later, when he met Grandma Hui in the tent and recognized each other, he transformed into human form, but I didn't go into the tent; I only saw his silhouette imprinted on the tent.

Today, when he stood before us with his hands clasped in a salute, bowing separately to Liu Junyan and me, I couldn't help but marvel, wondering how this child managed to survive all these years in the mine tunnels!

He was so thin, so thin, that he was skin and bones, emaciated beyond resemblance.

His eye sockets were sunken, his eye rings were bluish-black, lacking fatty support, his cheekbones protruded high, his chin was pointed; at first glance, he even seemed a bit strange.

Yet even so, one could still see that his bone structure was excellent.

Once he fattens up a bit and gains flesh, he will surely astonish everyone.

He wore a set of casual clothing today; the style is the latest, the fabric is excellent, but the size is a bit large.

No, it's not that the clothes are big; it's that he's too thin to fill them out.

This also shows that his family has been preparing new clothes for him every year.

Someone has always been waiting for him to return.

Hui Xiao Tiao has suffered misfortune, yet he is also extremely fortunate.

After greeting everyone individually, he then bowed deeply to me with clasped hands, a ninety-degree bow.

I hurried forward to support him lightly.

Hui Xiao Tiao said, however: 'Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, this bow is for your lifesaving grace to me; thank you for venturing into the mine tunnels, breaking the seal, and rescuing me.'

I opened my mouth to say something, but he bowed to me again.

This second bow is for the miners trapped in the mine tunnels for over a hundred years; thank you for using the Soul-guiding Lamp to ferry them, giving them a chance at reincarnation.

I hastily said: 'It's everyone's achievement, also the result of your perseverance and effort; you don't need to thank me like this.'

Hui Xiao Tiao said, however: 'You are the guide; without you leading the way ahead, we would have no sense of direction.'

After saying that, he bowed with clasped hands again: 'Last night my grandmother already told me about the pawnshop matter; from now on I will also be a part of our Dang Pu; please take care of me, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui.'

Then he also bowed to Liu Junyan and Hui Moqiong: 'Please also take care of me, Lord Liu Qiye and Brother Mo.'

Liu Junyan nodded at him.

Hui Moqiong grabbed Hui Xiao Tiao's shoulder, laughing: 'Why are you speaking like an old scholar, all stiff and formal? Calling me Brother Mo—just call me Fifth Brother like Hui Yumo does.'

Hui Yumo's face flushed a little, and she pouted: 'Brother, why are you bringing me into your brotherhood talk?'

Hui Xiao Tiao relaxed completely, laughing as he called out: 'Fifth Brother.'

'Got it.' Hui Moqiong patted his chest, saying: 'When I first placed your spirit tablet in the shrine, I said that as long as you come back alive, I'll watch over you from now on.'

Hui Xiao Tiao was very understanding: 'Sorry to trouble you, Fifth Brother.'

For a moment, everyone was happy and harmonious.

Busy as they were, in the blink of an eye it was three in the afternoon.

The raindrops grew larger and denser, the sky overhead seeming about to collapse, the black clouds pressing down making it hard to breathe.

On Fang ChuanZong's side, the first wave of reinforcements arrived.

There were seven people in total, yet they were not on Fang ChuanZong's invitation list.

They came from Mount Mao.

The leader appeared to be around sixty, his beard and hair glossy and shiny, without a single white strand, his steps extremely light.

Upon seeing him, Fang ChuanZong's surprise and joy were evident: 'Brother Jingxuan, why did you come personally?'

Mao Jingxuan said apologetically: 'I originally wanted to let a few kids follow you for further training, but I didn't expect to cause you such a great disaster; as their master, how could I pretend to be deaf and dumb? I ought to come forward to apologize on their behalf.'

He handed a box to Fang ChuanZong, saying: 'These are a few pills I personally refined; dissolved in water for the brothers to drink, they have the effects of invigorating blood and dispelling stasis, restoring qi and protecting the meridians.'

Fang ChuanZong treasured it as if it were a priceless gem, and began exchanging pleasantries with Mao Jingxuan.

From beginning to end, Mao Jingxuan never greeted us.

But we can also understand that major sects don't easily make acquaintances; at their level, they inevitably have a bit of arrogance.

If we knew a bit of etiquette, we ought to have taken the initiative to go over and chat.

Likewise, Hui Xiao Tiao and the others didn't go over either.

I glanced at Liu Junyan, then looked at this... a nest... of rat immortals... but never mind.

Mount Mao is an orthodox sect; they take subduing demons and eliminating evil, upholding justice as their duty; in their eyes, we... more or less belong to the opposing side, right?

Fortunately, Fang ChuanZong soon led Mao Jingxuan and his group into the RV, while we stayed in our own tents to discuss tonight's operation in detail.

Strangely, aside from that group from Mount Mao, there was no further movement afterward.

Until nearly six o'clock, no one else came over.

We even began to doubt whether Fang ChuanZong had truly managed to invite those people.

At half past six, as if by appointment, a dozen or so vehicles converged from all directions toward the mountain's base; each vehicle, aside from the driver, had only two or three people disembarking, but at a glance their numbers were substantial—all were martial practitioners.

We understand in our hearts that these are representatives of the various sects; the people they brought should be hiding in the dark, ready to obey orders at any moment.

However, from beginning to end, the senior brothers and sisters of the Square Transmission Sect never showed up.

During this waiting period, Hui Moqiong's people have already inquired; aside from him taking an official career, everyone else in the Square Transmission Sect are people of the martial world.

"Martial world people are great; martial world people have no official airs." Hui Moqiong muttered, "They probably arrived long ago; maybe they've already scouted the battlefield terrain, unlike those people......"

Liu Junyan spoke up to remind: "Mo Qiong, don't gossip behind people's backs; beware that walls have ears."

Hui Moqiong immediately made a zipping-the-lips gesture, saying nothing more.

I faintly worried: "Such a large operation, having many people is good, but if the personnel are too numerous and mixed...... there might be trouble."

At this moment, I suddenly realized: when Liu Junyan earlier said he had two assassin's awls, why wasn't the second one specified?

It's very likely that revealing the second assassin's awl would bring unnecessary trouble to him and our small team.

But he also said, the second assassin's awl could draw out that Great Lama.

Thinking of this, something flashed through my mind, and I seemed to have guessed……