Human Martial Venerable: Starting from the Synthesis Technique

Chapter 104 Secrets

"Go on."

"This kind of thing should be the Eastern Army's business. The army fights battles, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard manages the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world). Each has its own duties. Now the Embroidered Uniform Guard has taken over the Eastern Army's work, and the Eastern Army is coming to Yunzhou to requisition grain. Don't you think these two things are at odds?"

"Old Hei, aren't you overthinking this? The Embroidered Robe Division is suppressing the Demon God Palace, and the Eastern Army is preparing for the worst."

Qian Lingyun didn't finish speaking, but the meaning behind her words was clear.

"Ultimately, isn't the Pearl Light Chamber of Commerce's effort to enhance the strength of Yunzhou's warriors just a preparation for the Eastern Army to conscript warriors?"

"If only it were that simple, I just don't feel like something's right."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is making big moves, and the Eastern Army is also preparing to hold a grand military exercise. If it is really for war preparation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's financial resources are just a drop in the ocean."

Blackie's small eyes squinted together; he couldn't understand it, everything was too strange.

The two were taken aback. "Why?"

"Back then, Emperor Taizu ordered the establishment of the Embroidered Uniform Bureau. In order to alleviate the financial burden on the court, the few gold embroiderers in the Embroidered Uniform Bureau created the Pearl Light Merchant Guild. This was the guise of the guild, but the wealth within it was far more than just a few taels of silver."

The two nodded slightly. It was a well-known fact in the martial arts world that the Pearl Light Chamber of Commerce was wealthy and powerful.

Being able to run a military supply business, and with the backing of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it's no exaggeration to say that he's incredibly wealthy.

Even after hearing what Blackie said, the two still had many doubts in their minds.

Just as I was about to ask again, I saw Blackie shake his head.

He then stood up, dusted off his backside, and sighed with a wry smile: "Within Yunzhou, Black Abyss monsters are emerging one after another. There's one in the pond in Qingyan City, and that's not even the most powerful one. The Embroidered Robe Division, the Eastern Army, the Demon God Palace, and all sorts of monsters are crammed into this area. In all my years in this business, this is the first time I've ever been unable to see the situation clearly."

The information Blackie revealed was vague, but it made the two of them think a lot, and their expressions became serious.

Although he was mercenary, he never spoke without reason.

If I say I can't see it clearly, then I really can't see it clearly.

"Old Hei, do you think the Embroidered Robe Division will lose?" Qian Futing asked, frowning.

"How could I possibly know such a thing?"

Blackie paused for a moment, not wanting to delve deeper into the topic.

"Let's wait and see. I'll let you know if there's any further news."

"No matter what, let's capture this monster first. Once we catch it, everything will become clear."

After hearing this, the two looked even more curious.

Bai Yan possesses a heaven-defying bloodline and exceptional divination and prediction abilities. Blackie revealed that the other person was also a martial artist.

What makes him think this person can understand the situation?

Or has he already become involved in the overall situation in Yunzhou?

Blackie didn't want to bring it up again, and the two of them didn't ask any further questions, but they secretly made a mental note of it.

"Damn it, I get so angry just thinking about it! I just told my client I was going to give him a big gift!"

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because once he did, Blackie got even angrier, and he cursed angrily.

"They turned and ran away, isn't that a slap in my face!"

It's not a big deal that Bai Yan ran away.

The big thing is that I just wrote a letter to claim credit.

"Damn it, why am I so shameless?!" Then, he slapped his greasy, fat hand hard, feeling extremely remorseful.

Knowing when to stop is the rule in this business; never make promises to customers before you have a definite result.

But he simply couldn't resist.

The fact that the eldest son of the Feng family forced the Eastern Army to retreat is enough to warrant increased investment.

Qian Futing stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, don't think too much about it. We brothers have always remembered the favor we owed you back then. We'll stick with you to the end regarding Bai Yan's matter."

"Damn it, if we don't catch him, I'll change my name!"

Blackie spat, his face vicious.

Qian Lingyun couldn't help but laugh. "Writing it backwards, isn't it still the same?"

Blackie glared at him but didn't reply.

Qian Futing also burst into laughter.

Fuli is a good name.

However, the thing he disregarded most in his life was etiquette.

The mountains are layered upon each other, and the mist is billowing.

The crisscrossing terraced fields stretch from the foot of the mountain all the way to the middle of the mountain, like a wrinkle carved into the earth.

The barley in the fields had just sprouted ears, their green color a dark shade, rustling in the mountain breeze. A dirt road meandered up the edge of the terraced fields.

Qingshigou.

Nestled in a depression between two mountain ridges, the village has about a hundred households.

Stone walls and blue tile roofs are crammed together at varying heights, with smoke rising from each chimney.

At dusk, occasionally a man carrying a hoe would walk down the ridge of the field, his trousers rolled up to his knees, his face tanned dark red by the sun.

"Nier, come over for dinner~"

An old man, smoking a pipe, stopped at the intersection.

He shouted with a smile at a little girl who was squatting by the wall catching insects.

The little girl was about seven or eight years old, wearing a faded floral blouse with short sleeves.

His face had the dark, rough skin typical of children from Yunzhou, with two red patches on his cheekbones.

"No, Third Grandpa, I need to go home and cook too."

Next to the girl was a black cloth doll, crooked and with stitches so thick you could see the straw inside.

A pair of eyes sewn with white thread, one higher than the other.

The little girl responded crisply, stood up while holding her doll, and skipped and hopped towards the east end of the village.

The old man smiled and didn't try to persuade him further.

After taking a puff of smoke, he turned into his own yard.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, I'm home!"

Next to three stone houses at the east end of the village, there is a mud wall surrounding the small courtyard, which is kept very clean.

A neat stack of chopped firewood was piled up at the base of the wall. She pushed open the wooden door, and the hinges creaked open.

No one answered.

The little girl went to the kitchen. The stove was a bit cold, and the rice jar was covered with a half-open wooden lid.

Skillfully, he lifted the lid of the rice container, scooped out half a bowl of rice, rinsed it twice, poured it into the pot, and added water.

He then grabbed a bundle of firewood from the base of the wall, sat down in front of the stove, and started stuffing the firewood in one piece at a time.

"Baby, do you think your parents will come back today?" she asked softly.

The firelight illuminated her small face, and the flickering flames were reflected in her bright black eyes.

She lowered her head, rested her chin on her knees, and listlessly poked at the firewood in the stove with a twig.

The black cloth doll in her arms tilted its head.

"My grandparents aren't here either," she added, without a hint of complaint in her voice.

The little girl giggled and kissed the slightly dirty doll's forehead again. "But it's okay, I can cook."

The water boiled, and the rice was bubbling and churning in the pot.

She stood up, tiptoed, stirred the pot with a wooden spoon, and then put the lid back on.

The rice was ready. She carried the bowls, making trips back and forth, placing the five small bowls on the table in the main room.

Five bowls of thin porridge, and a small dish of pickled radish.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma, dinner's ready."

She sat down at the table, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and whispered something.

He then picked up the bowl and took a sip.

The other four bowls of porridge were emptied instantly.

After finishing her own portion, the little girl cleared away the bowls and chopsticks and squatted by the stove to wash the dishes.

The water was so cold it hurt her hands. She bit her lip and washed the bowls one by one until they were clean, stacked them neatly, and put them back in the cupboard.

After tidying up, I moved a small stool and sat in the middle of the yard.

I placed the black cloth doll on my lap, its big, dark eyes looking up at the sky.

As the sunset faded and darkness gradually fell, countless stars dotted the night sky. "If only my parents, grandparents, and other grandparents were here, they could count the stars with Nini."

The little girl murmured, pointing her index finger at the sky, her voice growing softer and softer, "One, two, three..."

Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the starry sky, but the corners of her eyes drooped, and her expression was sorrowful and disappointed.

Knock knock knock.

A knocking sound suddenly rang out.

The little girl's eyes lit up, and she jumped up from the stool, grabbed her doll, and ran over.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, you're finally back! Nini missed you so much!"

She opened the wooden door.

There was a person standing outside the door, not a relative, but a middle-aged stranger.

The man was wearing a purple robe, with a thin face, high brow bones, and a faint smile on his lips.

His gaze fell on the little girl, as if he were examining something interesting.

The little girl looked up at him, her excitement slowly fading.

"Uncle, who are you looking for?" she asked.

My parents taught me to be polite to strangers.

The middle-aged man's smile deepened. "I've come to find you."

The little girl trembled and hugged her doll tighter. "Uncle, you've got the wrong person. Nini doesn't know you."

The middle-aged man didn't reply; he just looked at her quietly.

"The Primordial Lord has emerged from the pass," he suddenly said.

The little girl blinked. "What Yuanjun?"

"The White Fox Goddess".

The middle-aged man's voice was very soft, as if he were talking about something trivial: "After a hundred years of pregnancy, a son was born four months ago."

The little girl was even more confused. She didn't know anything about Yuanjun, pregnancy, or childbirth.

This uncle is so pitiful, standing alone at the door late at night.

The way they're talking is weird; they must be hungry.

"Uncle, are you hungry? I have some steamed buns at home, I'll go get them for you."

As she spoke, she turned and tried to run inside.

The middle-aged man did not stop her; he simply opened his mouth slightly and softly uttered a string of syllables.

"Om~Va~Ri~Ra~Ta~Tu~~"

The voice was low, the syllables obscure and somber, drifting in the night wind.

Like an invisible serpent, it slithered into every crevice of the village.

Click click~

In an instant, the village fell silent.

Smoke hung in the air, and the black and yellow dogs stood with their mouths open, but no one barked; even the wind seemed to freeze.

Click~

The cracking sound grew louder and louder, and chunks of earth on the wall crumbled and turned to dust.

The entire village resembled collapsing sand and gravel, crumbling layer by layer from the edges, drifting away and gradually turning into nothingness.

The little girl looked terrified.

The black cloth doll in her arms moved slightly.

The crooked eyes, sewn with white thread, began to contort, as if they had come to life.

The straw under the black cloth rustled, as if something was wriggling and struggling inside.

The little girl stared wide-eyed and opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The black cloth doll slowly slid down, and straw poured out from the seams of the cloth, piling up into human shapes, twisting, surging, and gradually solidifying.

In the end, she transformed into an elegant woman wearing a moon-white dress.

The woman's long hair cascaded down to her waist, each strand gleaming with a cold, silvery light.

Her eyes were like cold stars, her nose was high and straight, and her skin was as white as jade, exuding a chilling aura.

She stood there, devoid of any warmth of a living person.

The little girl stood there, looking at her, the light in her eyes dimming.

The little girl's body began to fade, turning into thin, grayish-white light and shadow, drifting in the moonlight.

"Nini..." The cold woman lowered her eyes, her voice as soft as a sigh.

He watched as the last bit of tobacco smoke from the little girl was blown away by the wind, his face expressionless.

She tilted her head slightly, the moonlight illuminating her profile, which showed no softness whatsoever.

"Eat her, eat him~"