Chapter 278: The Credit Knife Man

Li Huowang's earlier hunch was correct: there was no "life-stealing ghost" at all. Instead, faced with the rumors spread by the Zuo Wang Dao, the beggar from the Supervisory Office employed a method entirely different from Li Huowang's.

"Was that really necessary? Did you have to make it so convincing?" Li Huowang pointed to the people nearby who had been killed by the unibrowed man.

"This was a trap set by the Zuo Wang Dao. How could it succeed if it wasn't convincing? Do you think they would have listened if I'd just casually talked to them? Besides, I was watching when it happened. Those who died were just ordinary citizens."

The man's words sent a chill down Li Huowang's spine. Why did he say that so calmly? Were all members of the Supervisory Office like this?

Li Huowang wasn't particularly indignant about the dead, but seeing the man's methods significantly increased his vigilance.

"From now on, I must be extra cautious when dealing with this person, lest I become another prop in his theatrical display."

Seeing Li Huowang standing silently, the unibrowed beggar spoke first. "I am Hong Da, a Blade Peddler. A pleasure to meet you."

"Blade Peddler" – this was the first time Li Huowang had heard the term. Understood literally, it meant someone who lent blades to others.

However, for someone working with the Supervisory Office, those three words couldn't possibly mean only their literal sense; they surely held a deeper meaning.

"A Blade Peddler?"

"Indeed, I am a Blade Peddler without any sect or affiliation, hehe. True Master, would you like to borrow a blade?" Hong Da pulled open his patched greatcoat, revealing a scattered collection of various blades inside.

These blades were very old, many covered in rust, their edges chipped and blunted. This explained why Li Huowang had been unable to injure him with his Purple Tassel Sword earlier.

Yet, this also indirectly proved that the blades were not as dilapidated as they seemed; rusty, decaying blades could not possibly block a soldier's weapon.

"Hehe, True Master, do you wish to borrow one of my blades?" Hong Da asked again, presenting a broken blade, edge first, to Li Huowang. A hint of an expectant smile appeared on Hong Da's face.

"If you lend me this blade, when must I return it?"

"Since it's lent, it will naturally need to be returned when the time comes," Hong Da replied, yet his words conveyed nothing concrete.

Li Huowang pondered for a moment, then slowly reached for the red-rusted blade, his eyes fixed on the other man's expression.

Just before his hand touched the red rust, he withdrew it. "No need, my weapon is sufficient."

"Ah, well, if you don't wish to borrow, then don't. Since the matter in Pixian is concluded, True Master Erjiu, we shall meet again."

A disappointed Hong Da withdrew the blade, cupped his hands at Li Huowang, and headed out of the morgue.

Just as his hand grasped the brass pull ring on the wooden door, a blood-stained fingernail flew past and embedded itself directly into the wood.

"Wait a moment. I heard the Supervisory Office pays handsomely for its work. Since I was involved in the Pixian matter, I should receive a share of the reward, shouldn't I?"

Looking at the crescent-shaped fissure in the wooden door slowly seeping blood, Hong Da asked with a touch of surprise, "Oh? And what if I refuse to give it?"

At his words, the atmosphere in the morgue instantly grew tense.

However, with Li Huowang's next sentence, the oppressive atmosphere instantly dissipated. "That's fine too. I can make a deal. Bring me into the Supervisory Office, and we'll call it even."

Hong Da turned to face him, seemingly quite surprised by his proposal. "Is that true? Very well then. Come with me to the Ministry of Rites, and we'll get you registered with the Recorder."

"To the Ministry of Rites?" Li Huowang immediately rejected the idea. If he went to their headquarters and was discovered, it would be all over for him.

"That's too far, and I have urgent matters to attend to. Let's find another way. I heard many members of the Supervisory Office can be contacted individually, is that true?"

After considering Li Huowang's words for a moment, Hong Da finally nodded. "Alright then, I'll speak to my superiors. Don't seek him out; if he agrees, he will come to you."

"Don't worry, we've worked together now. I'll put in a good word for you."

With that, Hong Da pushed open the door and left. As he stepped onto the bustling street, he picked up a large ceramic bobblehead doll from the ground and placed it over his head.

He pulled a tattered fan from his waist, so broken that only the handle remained, and fanned his face repeatedly as he strode out of Pixian.

Once he left the bustling Pixian, the surroundings finally quieted, replaced by the chirping of summer insects.

After another half hour of walking, he tossed the bobblehead doll into a nearby grove and spoke: "True Master Erjiu, you needn't follow me further. If I were truly a Zuo Wang Dao adherent, today's events wouldn't have ended so easily."

Li Huowang emerged from the adjacent grove, cupped his hands at him, and turned to walk back towards Pixian.

Only when Li Huowang's back disappeared again into the distant specks of light did Hong Da speak: "Well?"

The sound of dry leaves crunching came from the nearby woods. A pot-bellied figure emerged, wearing a large green outfit with a red drum at his waist and a bobblehead doll with blush on its face. Over his shoulder, he carried the red-roped embroidered ball, or "dragon pearl," that had been used to guide the dragon dance earlier.

The voice emanating from beneath the ceramic bobblehead doll was unexpectedly young and soft, completely mismatched with his corpulent physique.

As Hong Da habitually squatted down, a clattering of metal echoed from his person. "I, on the other hand, don't believe he's necessarily a Zuo Wang Dao follower. Their deceptions wouldn't be so crude."

The bobblehead doll, larger than a normal human head, slowly turned its black eyes toward Hong Da. "What if the Zuo Wang Dao anticipated we would think this way and did it on purpose?"

"Besides, two of their leaders are already dead; they shouldn't come back to court more trouble."

The bobblehead doll's body remained still, and its voice continued to repeat: "What if the Zuo Wang Dao anticipated we would think this way and did it on purpose?"

Hong Da gave him an impatient glance. "That's enough. I don't have time for your games."

The bobblehead doll turned its head, looking back at the distant Pixian. "He carries a Luo Sect bronze sword on his back, and another sword, its hilt wrapped in cloth, emits the malevolent aura of a military practitioner. Furthermore, he uses secret techniques of the Aojing Sect. It's strange, very strange."

Hong Da nodded, agreeing with his companion's assessment. "This fellow is certainly peculiar, but his strength seems considerable. Even if there's a chance he's a Zuo Wang Dao follower, he can still be used."

"Then what?"

Facing his companion's question, Hong Da's eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly stroked his chin with the inside of his index finger. "Then... we'll use him and see."