Chapter Thirty-Four: Master Bai

I was stunned by her question and remained silent.

Liao Xiaoqin asked, "Is your tongue paralyzed? Answer me!"

I had no choice but to recount the entire sequence of events. After hearing me out, she pondered for a long while before asking, "Do you have any friends nearby to collect your corpse?"

I was speechless. "Can you not talk like that?"

Liao Xiaoqin let out a few cold laughs on the other end of the line. "I only asked you to play a game of cat and mouse to divert their attention. Who would have thought you’d pull such a reckless stunt—not only wrecking their local headquarters but also showing off the Golden Silkworm Slough! Reliable sources have informed me that because the Golden Silkworm Slough has resurfaced in Chang City, White Old Ghost, the head of the Nine Nether Hall, has already led a group of elites in a rush from the capital. They have sworn to kill you and seize the treasure. Do you even know who White Old Ghost is?"

"Who is he?" I asked.

Liao Xiaoqin explained, "He is a successor of the 'Rotten-Foot White' from the Tianqiao School of Arts during the Republican era, known as Master White. Aside from the dying supreme leader, White Old Ghost is the most formidable figure in the Nine Nether Hall."

I was puzzled. "Isn't this a good thing? You can go into the tomb in peace!"

Liao Xiaoqin sounded annoyed. "Good, my foot! The reason the Nine Nether Hall was chasing me was for the Golden Silkworm Slough. I had planned to contact my friends in Panjiayuan to spread rumors in the capital’s antique circles that the Slough had appeared there. If the news spread, White Old Ghost would have stayed in the capital to hunt for the treasure. It would have relieved the pressure on you in Chang City and maximally scattered the Nine Nether Hall’s forces. They would have been running around like headless chickens, split between chasing people and searching for objects, leaving them no time to bother me. Now, you’ve drawn all their fire onto yourself! I need at least a month to explore the tomb. How are you going to hold them off while you keep showing up in Chang City?"

It was indeed a brilliant plan. Yet, here we were, two people playing a game of landlord, and she hadn't bothered to coordinate her strategy with me beforehand. It was incredibly frustrating.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance?"

"Who knew you were such a bold fool?"

"Isn't that what you taught me?!"

As soon as I said this, Liao Xiaoqin went silent for a few seconds.

Then, her slightly smug, giggling laughter came through the receiver. "I am speechless... Fine, get out of Chang City immediately. This has gone too far. We’ll talk about the tomb another time!"

I understood what she meant. Liao Xiaoqin had mentioned that after she escaped the tomb two years ago, the Nine Nether Hall was deeply dissatisfied with their failure. They suspected she had taken the treasure, yet also feared it remained hidden in the tomb. They had sent people to search it several times, but to no avail. Because of this, they had stationed people in the village below the tomb, renting houses to monitor it long-term, waiting like someone waiting for a rabbit to hit a tree stump, hoping she would return.

If the Nine Nether Hall believed we were both in Chang City, the guards outside the tomb would likely lower their guard, perhaps not even glancing at the tomb entrance. But if we suddenly vanished from their sight, those fellows might suddenly get suspicious and tighten their surveillance again. Liao Xiaoqin was far too cautious; she wouldn't strike without absolute certainty. That was why she said we would enter the tomb another time.

But I didn't want to miss such a golden opportunity. I couldn't help but retort, "The sword is already unsheathed. Are you telling me to flee without a fight?"

"White Old Ghost is the 'Little Zhuge' of the Nine Nether Hall!"

"And I am no Lu Fengxian!"

After a long pause, Liao Xiaoqin let out a long sigh. "You’ve got guts. There’s no signal in the tomb, so I can’t contact you again. Good luck!"

She hung up decisively. It was a green light! That was Liao Xiaoqin—decisive, ruthless, and never dragging her feet.

Fatty Dong scratched his head beside me. "Master White? Sounds pretty intimidating."

There was no doubt about it. If someone could make Liao Xiaoqin nervous, they were bound to be a formidable opponent.

When the enemy comes, we resist; when the water comes, we earth-block.

The fire had been lit; now it was just a matter of seeing how this "Master White" would try to burn me.

We rested at the incense shop all day. Exhausted from the last few days, Fatty Dong and I went out for a late-night snack. After downing some booze, the fat guy actually burst into loud sobs.

I frowned and asked, "Do you seriously have that kind of habit when you're drinking?"

Fatty Dong wiped his nose and tears. "Xiao Meng, you don't understand. That old bastard, my master, gave me a fake jade pendant. It’s a total disaster..."

I asked him how it was a disaster. The guy refused to say another word, just kept drinking in silence. Since he wouldn't talk, I stopped asking and let him vent for a while.

By nine o'clock, we were slightly tipsy and headed back to the incense shop. As we turned out of the alley, I reached out and grabbed Fatty Dong, pulling him back.

Fatty Dong looked confused, spraying alcohol breath as he asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

I leaned to the side and peered at the entrance of the incense shop, my heart skipping a beat.

"Something's wrong."

"What's wrong?"

"There are too many people around the shop."

"What's so weird about that? Toad Street is a busy area; shops and houses are packed together. It’s always crowded at night!"

The children's toy store on the left—usually, the customers were women with children, rarely men—now had five or six burly men pretending to browse the items. The game arcade on the right—usually filled with students—was now occupied by a dozen middle-aged men hogging the machines, while the students stood by, waiting in frustration.

If those two things were coincidences, there was one piece of evidence that made it clear: the incense shop was surrounded.