Xiao Qian pulled out a letter, its material just like what he had fished out from Huai Shan San Sha last time.
The letter had been deciphered by Zuo Qiuyang.
“Dear brothers, it’s been three days since we last met; prepare to be amazed.”
“You’ve recently gained immense fame in the Infernal Trials, and the Judge is extremely pleased with you, especially Dragon Sha.”
“The Judge personally praised him as a natural-born killer.”
The tone of the letter was surprisingly friendly, calling them “old brothers” after just a few days apart.
A natural-born killer?
Xiao Qian shot a surprised glance at Li Mo.
What on earth had Li Shidi done to earn such high praise from the Judge of Misty Rain Tower?
True to his reputation, it seemed there was nothing he couldn’t mess up!
“Ahem, let’s keep reading.”
In truth, Li Mo was just as confused. What had he even done?
He’d simply smashed a few people and then disposed of their bodies—how was that so impressive?
“With your strength, passing the Infernal Trials should be a piece of cake.”
“After the trials, don’t forget to visit Lingjiang Dock.”
“The Judge has an important task for me to handle, and I made sure you can join right away. You’ll be soaring high by then, but don’t forget that it was me who helped!”
“—Sincerely, Laughing Amitabha.”
And that was the end of the letter.
Li Mo and Xiao Qian exchanged glances.
Were they… pre-selected for early admission?
“From Laughing Amitabha’s tone, it seems the Judge at Misty Rain Tower is of a higher rank than he is,” Xiao Qian conjectured confidently.
Actually, Qianxing Wuzun had told him that bit.
The Judge at Misty Rain Tower was responsible for determining whether assassins completed their tasks and was the guarantee of the Tower’s reputation.
“What could the Judge want from us, though?”
“We haven’t dealt with this so-called Judge yet, but it can’t be anything good.”
Little Li, trying his best to act like a seasoned killer, pondered and figured something was off.
A bunch of assassins couldn’t just team up and help old ladies cross the street, could they?
Reading the part where Laughing Amitabha wanted to meet up, Li Mo said,
“Let’s stick to the plan.”
“When we meet Laughing Amitabha, let’s take him out first; otherwise, we risk exposing ourselves.”
“Anyway, we’ve already been chosen to work for the Judge, and we’ll definitely get the chance to interact with him.”
“Agreed.”
Xiao Qian nodded and hopped back on the donkey cart, ready to dash off and share the good news with Zuo Qiuyang.
The cart smelled of oil and leftovers—food waste from the hotpot shop amounted to a ridiculous amount every day.
In the afternoon.
Happy times were always fleeting.
“Congratulations, Host, you invested in ‘Da Zhu’ for a sub-par martial art.”
“Investment feedback: Martial Understanding +1.”
“Congratulations, Host, you invested in ‘Xiao d*e’ for a sub-par martial art.”
“Investment feedback: Martial Understanding +1.”
…
The little ones waved goodbye, reluctant to part ways.
They had just learned martial arts.
Li Mo didn’t give them anything overly fancy; these sub-par martial arts were just to lay the groundwork for now.
Gazing around, Li Mo felt puzzled:
“Where’s that Chu Long girl?”
He had found it odd since the afternoon.
Chu Long would always get flustered and call out to him, halting halfway through sentences claiming she was fine.
“Brother Li… I’m here…”
Out of nowhere.
Jiang Chulong rushed over, clutching a fabric bag tightly.
“This… this is for you.”
She stuffed the bag into his arms.
Li Mo glanced down, and inside was… something that looked like…?
A rather poorly made… shirt?
The fabric didn’t seem too bad, and it was embroidered with a sword, but…
Was it just him, or did this material seem a little familiar?
“So, you’ve been picking up trash just to save for clothes?”
“Uh… yeah…”
“Too bad I’m… too stupid… wasted a lot of fabric…”
“Not really… wasted… I made some incense pouches…”
Jiang Chulong’s voice was barely audible.
Oh, got it.
The incense pouch that the Heavenly Lord had received was made from leftover scraps.
Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity.
“Let me guess, you found a ton of junk and sold it just to buy a bit of cloth?”
“Yeah… all just garbage… not worth a dime…”
“This bag… you can only sell it for… ten copper coins.”
Jiang Chulong pointed at the ‘scrap iron’ nearby.
Li Mo’s eyelid twitched.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that was a hand-forged axe made from steel—though it wasn’t a weapon, it could easily fetch thirty silver taels at a blacksmith’s shop.
Ten copper coins? It’s like daylight robbery! What sin did you commit to insult my intelligence like this?!
“Chulong.”
“Yeah?”
“Tell me which shop is buying up your scrap metal; I’ve got to have a little chat with them.”
“Brother Li, you… you want to sell scrap, too?”
….
Lingjiang Dock.
A dizzying array of boats were docked, and the sounds of waves crashing against the shore mingled with fishing songs.
In the river, a black-roofed boat swayed.
“Li Mo and Ying Bing have finally showed up in the city?!”
Yin Huacheng crumpled the parchment in his hand, letting it drift into the river, disappearing without a trace.
Due to the Infernal Trials, the waters were murky.
It was said that Huai Shan San Sha was like a shadow—appearing and disappearing without a trace, strikes as fierce as a thunderstorm. They were practically three killing gods, making even the most vicious participants in the trials tremble in fear.
Because of them, there were signs that the Infernal Trials might conclude prematurely.
This storm would fade soon.
Opportunities are fleeting.
Suddenly, Yin Huacheng perked up, addressing the outside:
“You’re here.”
“Your ability to be the mediator for the Huanmo Sect is quite impressive.”
A figure, wearing a cheerful Buddha smile, lifted the curtain and entered.
“You are the one sent by Judge Cui for business?”
“Exactly.”
Laughing Amitabha spoke, his voice ringing like a melodious drum, washing over the soul, cleansing desires, making the idea of d*ath next moment seem trivial—willing to meet their ends with joy…
“This Buddha technique you’ve honed is almost like devilish magic, heh…”
“Interesting, take a seat.”
Yin Huacheng served him a cup of tea, acknowledging his abilities.
“The sea of suffering has no end; I merely guide people to transcend and ascend to bliss.”
Laughing Amitabha nodded and sat down.
Yin Huacheng got down to business, asking:
“How did it go?”
“Just a final batch of ‘goods’ left to load, and we can set off under the banner of the Red Whale Gang; you can rest easy.”
“When will the goods depart?”
“Once the deals are made, the goods will ship once the internal transaction begins.”
Laughing Amitabha replied calmly.
“Internal transactions…”
Yin Huacheng sipped tea, tasting its flavor.
“By the way, if you could eliminate someone at the Internal Breathing Realm and get their stuff, how much would that be?”
“The Dark Tower has fixed pricing for such tasks; the mediator can check the Scarlet Ledger.”
“How much are we talking for you to take the job?” Yin Huacheng inquired.
Staying safe.
Right now, the Misty Rain Tower’s branches hadn’t been established yet, making it difficult to find reliable assassins.
“Only when the situation is right will I act.”
Laughing Amitabha answered without missing a beat.
“One Xuan Crystal.”
Yin Huacheng gritted his teeth.
“You want to k*ll the Qingyuan Sect’s true disciple, Li Mo?”
Laughing Amitabha didn’t agree; instead, he asked.
Underlying message: One Xuan Crystal isn’t even worth the value of that mystical weapon, plus you want to endure the Qingyuan Sect’s wrath? Do you think I’m a fool?
“I acquired this item by chance many years ago.”
Yin Huacheng’s expression shifted, and he took out something else.
A scroll of the Buddha’s portrait.
Though it depicted the Buddha, there was a black lotus under him. The expression conveyed compassion, yet it was bizarre, as all the spirits beneath the lotus seat were corpses, rivers of bl**d flowing all around.
Clearly, it was a visualization chart of some martial art.
Laughing Amitabha’s breath visibly quickened.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke:
“The situation is right.”
————
P.S. Those great folks reading this, if you have some free time, please leave a rating and a comment. Little pug begs for it, thanks!
Once again, wishing everyone a joyful Dragon Boat Festival, mwa!
