He was concerned about Old Huang and the Shop Assistant in the carriage, but he feared death even more.
At this moment, he didn't dare to show his face.
He could only ask, "Where's Zhu Simuo? Is he still here?"
Wang Zhengwu observed for a while longer, "He must have been taken away. His seven consecutive shots take a great toll on his body, and he can only use it once every three days. After shooting seven arrows, his hands can't move anymore."
Seeing that Xiaosuo was unharmed, Zhu Sangao wielded his twin blades, intending to protect everyone and retreat into the temple, leaving the people in the carriage for now.
"Will there be more ambushes?"
"There shouldn't be. Young Master, look."
As they spoke, a team of constables ran over from a distance.
"What just happened?" the leading constable asked.
Zhu Sangao didn't speak, pointing to the seven iron arrows on the ground.
One-third of the seven iron arrows were embedded in the stone slab, lined up in a row.
The constable leader immediately recognized the extraordinary skill of the archer.
Such formidable bandits didn't exist in the martial world.
It must be someone from the Niu, Ma, Yang, and Zhu Four Great Clans.
Currently, the only ones causing trouble are the unpredictable Zhu Clan.
Being wise and cautious, the constable leader quickly decided not to get involved in this mess.
However, the Zhu Clan has its own disputes, and the local authorities have their own reputation to uphold.
Although he didn't want to delve too deeply, he couldn't ignore it completely.
Since the one shooting arrows was from the Zhu Clan, the injured must also be from the Zhu Clan.
He couldn't intervene in Zhu Clan members killing each other, nor did he want to.
But killing on the street was unacceptable; it was a slap in the face to the authorities.
Both emotionally and rationally, he had to do something.
The constable leader sternly instructed, "Tonight is a bit unsettled. Since someone is injured, we'll stand guard at the entrance of the Empty Form Temple until dawn."
"Yes!"
The constable leader assigned people to guard the entrance of the Empty Form Temple, meaning to protect Xiaosuo and the others.
He didn't question anyone, fearing he might learn something he shouldn't know.
Nor did he intend to capture the real culprit, fearing to offend someone he shouldn't.
Standing outside the Empty Form Temple, declaring the matter concluded, was all he could do.
After the constables carried the carriage into the Empty Form Temple, they left, closing the temple doors behind them.
This indicated the authorities' stance of staying out of the matter.
Inside the carriage, there were still groans of pain.
Xiaosuo pulled open the carriage curtain, revealing a gruesome scene of blood and flesh.
The decoy sat in the middle of the carriage, with five bloody holes in his body, long since dead.
The Shop Assistant sat on one side of the carriage, only grazed by two arrows on the thigh and arm, bleeding a bit but considered lightly injured.
Old Huang, however, wasn't as lucky as the Shop Assistant. He had two bloody holes in his body, appearing to be breathing his last.
Seeing the state of Old Huang and the decoy, Zhu Xiaosuo felt not only sorrow but also a sense of shared fate.
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Just a little more, and he would have been the one full of arrow holes.
***
Life is fleeting.
Old Huang didn't survive the night.
He passed away.
And it wasn't a peaceful passing.
Before he died, Old Huang's gaze was already unfocused, only muttering one word repeatedly: "Revenge."
His eyes wouldn't close.
Old Huang had struggled on for over a decade, never seeing the day of avenging his family.
Old Huang kept a low profile, and few knew him.
Before long, besides Xiaosuo and the Shop Assistant, probably no one would remember him.
Xiaosuo and Old Huang had known each other for years, so naturally, he felt some sadness.
The Shop Assistant, who interacted with Old Huang daily, might have been closer to him than Xiaosuo, so he wept uncontrollably.
Xiaosuo comforted the Shop Assistant while asking the monks at the Empty Form Temple to perform a transcendence rite for Old Huang and the decoy.
As Wang Zhengwu and Zhu Sangao had said, the monks at this temple were very kind.
They voluntarily recited sutras for the departed souls without charging any fee.
The one presiding over the transcendence rite was the Old Monk who had taken them into the temple.
The Old Monk asked Xiaosuo for the deceased's name.
What was Old Huang's name?
Xiaosuo vaguely remembered Old Huang mentioning his name once.
Was it Huang Xiu or something? He really couldn't recall.
Over the years, he had only called him Old Huang.
The Shop Assistant remembered clearly and wrote down the name "Huang Shu."
Amidst the chanting of sutras, everyone became unconsciously devout.
The Shop Assistant said nothing, following the monks in chanting for the deceased.
Xiaosuo occasionally whispered with Zhu Sangao and sometimes spoke softly with Wang Zhengwu, not appearing too downcast.
The Shop Assistant's expression was somewhat gloomy.
***
As dawn approached, the monks finished chanting and prepared to rest before meditating.
Xiaosuo, along with the Shop Assistant, stopped the Old Monk.
"Master, sorry to disturb you."
"May the benefactor find peace."
Xiaosuo didn't have much time for pleasantries, so he got straight to the point: "Master, you knew there was an ambush outside the temple, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, the Old Monk bowed his head deeply.
"A monk does not lie. The benefactor is correct. The Old Monk knew there was an ambush. But the Old Monk couldn't stop it. It's a sin, and after death, the Old Monk is destined for Avici Hell."
This explained why the Old Monk had slipped away so quickly when Xiaosuo and the others wanted to bring the carriage into the temple.
He was also afraid of being caught up in it.
Xiaosuo then asked, "Seeing that Master doesn't concern himself with worldly matters, there's something I don't understand."
"Does the benefactor wish to know how the Old Monk found out?"
"Master, your insight is keen."
"It's no harm to speak of it. The First Madam of the Zhu Clan, Madam Feng, is a devout incense offering pilgrim of this small temple. She often discusses sutras with the Old Monk. This time, perhaps feeling uneasy about committing murder in front of the temple, Madam Feng informed the monks in advance, allowing us to avoid it."
The Shop Assistant, upon hearing that the Old Monk had known about the ambush outside the temple in advance, lost control of his emotions: "You bald old monk, knowing there was danger, yet you didn't tell us! All those years of chanting have gone to waste!"
Xiaosuo stopped the Shop Assistant, signaling him not to say more.
Although dissatisfied, the Shop Assistant suppressed his anger and said nothing.
Then Xiaosuo respectfully asked, "Even knowing there was danger, Master and the monks stayed here?"
"Amitabha. Madam Feng said that if the Old Monk informed outsiders about the ambush, she would have to kill all the disciples in the temple. The monks in the temple are orphans the Old Monk has taken in, and over the years, we've formed bonds as strong as blood. Although the Old Monk chants sutras daily, he hasn't completely severed worldly ties. Ashamed. Although I couldn't warn the benefactor of the danger, the monks in the temple couldn't find peace, so they stayed to perform the transcendence rite."
"I see. Thank you, Master, for enlightening me."
"Ashamed, I don't deserve the benefactor's thanks. Although the benefactor is dressed as a servant, your speech and knowledge are exceptional. I assume you are here for the Zhu Clan's funeral today?"
"Given the situation, I have nothing to hide. Yes, I am of Zhu bloodline."
"The Old Monk knows that persuading the benefactor to turn back now is impossible. But seeing the benefactor as a promising young talent, the Old Monk can't help but offer some advice."
"Please, Master."
"The departed souls haven't gone far. Perhaps the benefactor should keep vigil for your friends for two more days."
The Old Monk spoke cryptically, and without waiting for Xiaosuo to ask further, he turned and quickly left.
Just like last night, he disappeared swiftly.
Xiaosuo knew the Old Monk didn't want to say more, so he didn't press further.
The Shop Assistant, however, was anxious:"Master, he spoke in riddles, surely he knows more! We've risked our lives to come here, and now Old Huang is gone, we can't just retreat. We must understand the meaning behind his cryptic words!"
Xiaosuo said, "Shop Assistant, he's already given us the conclusion. It's up to you whether you believe it. If you don't believe, questioning further won't change that. If you do believe, why offend the monks who practice here?"
The Shop Assistant gritted his teeth, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Xiaosuo didn't say much more, just sighed.
He glanced at the shrouded bodies of Old Huang and the decoy, bowed, and walked to the temple entrance.
Though it was still dark, the Zhu Clan's direction was already bustling with people.
People from outside the county were stopped, and those at the Zhu Clan's gate were all from Mountain Chicken County.
Xiaosuo approached the constable leader who had stood guard all night.
"Officer, thank you for your hard work. I don't know if I can ever repay your life-saving kindness."
Even though the constables hadn't directly intervened in the Zhu Clan's conflict, Xiaosuo spoke with great courtesy.
From the moment Xiaosuo spoke, it was clear he was the protagonist.
Dressed as a servant, he was likely in hiding.
Starting with "life-saving kindness" gave the constable leader a pleasant surprise.
Everyone knew the Zhu Clan was on the brink of change.
If Xiaosuo really rose to power, the constable leader would be in a favorable position.
So the constable leader responded warmly.
"To be honest, I was still a step too late. But the young master is lucky. Last night, there were three ambushes near the Zhu Clan, and only the young master survived. They say surviving a great disaster brings future fortune. The young master's rise is imminent! I, Wei Min, wish the young master good luck!"
"Thank you, Master Wei."
Wei Min wanted to chat more, but seeing Xiaosuo's subordinates approaching in a hurry, he didn't want to intrude further, so he found an excuse to leave.
The newcomers were Wang Zhengwu and Zhu Sangao.
Seeing their anxious expressions and the Shop Assistant following behind, Xiaosuo knew the Shop Assistant must have told them what the Old Monk had said.
Originally about to leave, Wang Zhengwu hesitated after hearing the Shop Assistant's words.
He and Zhu Sangao both thought it was worth questioning the Old Monk further, agreeing with the Shop Assistant's view.
"Young Master, did the Old Monk really say we shouldn't go to the Zhu Clan in the next two days?"
Xiaosuo hadn't intended to hide anything.
"The Master didn't say it outright, but his words did imply that."
After speaking, he didn't respond further.
Wang Zhengwu and the Shop Assistant both looked at Zhu Sangao.
Wang Zhengwu was an outsider planning to split ways, and the Shop Assistant had already expressed his opinion.
Now only Zhu Sangao was suitable to speak.
With matters of life and death, Zhu Sangao was decisive: "Young Master, although you are broad-minded, my life is entrusted to you. The Old Monk's words have unsettled me, whether to go or not. Could you speak with the Old Monk again to get a clearer understanding?"
Xiaosuo shook his head.
"I won't ask, and I will stay here for two days. I suggest you all wait here too."
Hearing this, Zhu Sangao could only stand there helplessly. Wang Zhengwu furrowed his brow, contemplating.
The Shop Assistant, however, showed a determined expression: "Master, may I have a word with you?"
The two walked a short distance into the temple, with Zhu Sangao and Wang Zhengwu following at a respectful distance.
"What do you want to say?"
"Ding—"
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