Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Lady Wu and the Man in the Ding
The moment he saw Dao Wuming, the question ’Why is he here?’ didn’t even cross Jiang Ran’s mind.
Instead, the first thought that popped into his head was:
’This guy... just how bad is his addiction!’
It was raining, and the surroundings were pitch-black. Someone was shielding the nearby brazier, so the rain hadn’t extinguished it.
But what could its trembling light possibly illuminate?
’He’s still persistently reading those "Annals" with just this tiny bit of light. Now that’s deep devotion!’
Jiang Ran’s gaze lingered on him for only a moment before moving on.
A bloodcurdling scream drew his attention. He turned to see a man in the center of the arena, his hands and feet being forcibly crushed by an opponent’s grappling technique.
The attacker followed up by reaching out and grabbing the man’s throat. A sharp CRACK echoed.
The man was dead on the spot.
Jiang Ran frowned slightly as he watched the victor toss the corpse aside. Immediately, two short-statured dwarves, as nimble as monkeys, scurried out. They tumbled and scrambled over to the body. With practiced ease, they pulled out a sack, stuffed the corpse inside, sealed the opening, tied it tight, and hauled it away.
The victor let out a hearty laugh.
"Who else is bold and unafraid of death? Step forward and test me..."
His words trailed off as his expression suddenly changed dramatically.
A streak of Cyan-Black color snaked up from his neck.
In the blink of an eye, his entire face had turned Cyan-Black. The light in his eyes faded in an instant, and his body fell stiffly to the ground, his last breath gone.
No one had expected such a turn of events. For a moment, the only sound in the arena was the falling rain.
A strained cough, coming from within the crowd, broke the silence.
"My little darling... Oh, my little darling, where are you?"
Everyone turned to look. A woman dressed all in a Black blouse and skirt, with a rather charming face that was as pale as a sheet of paper, was slowly walking out from the crowd.
She coughed softly as she called out in a low voice.
She looked frail and weak, inspiring pity.
Yet to everyone present, she was like an Evil Ghost. Wherever she passed, the crowd gave her a wide berth, not daring to get close.
Finally, the woman’s gaze fell upon the corpse in the center of the arena. An inquisitive "Hm?" escaped her lips.
’So that’s where you are...’
As she spoke, she slowly approached the corpse.
Two short dwarves in white clothes were somersaulting back and forth nearby, seemingly wanting to collect the body but not daring to.
Seeing the woman approach, they immediately tumbled and scrambled out of the way.
The woman stepped forward slowly and pointed a finger at the dead man’s forehead.
’Here?’
She tapped it lightly, then shook her head in disappointment.
Then, her finger slid down along his cheek.
The crowd watched as a large lump bulged under the corpse’s skin wherever her finger stopped.
As her finger moved down, the lump moved with it.
It was as if some living creature was hidden beneath the skin.
Finally, when her finger reached the corpse’s heart, a bloody stain seeped through the man’s chest.
The woman sighed and ripped open the man’s shirt.
A creature was burrowing its way out from his heart—it was a giant centipede.
After suddenly appearing, the massive centipede zipped into the woman’s sleeve with a SWOOSH.
The woman frowned with a hint of disgust.
"Covered in blood... you’ve dirtied my clothes... cough, cough..."
As she spoke, she began to cough violently, spitting up Black blood from the corners of her mouth that splattered in all directions.
This made the surrounding people recoil even further, as if fleeing a plague god.
The woman looked up, her eyes holding a pitiful and endearing glimmer.
"Everyone... why are you all so far away from me?
"Surely you don’t think I’m going to eat you?"
"Lady Wu, you have overstepped."
A voice cut through the rainy night, followed not by a person, but by the WHOOSH of rushing wind.
Turning toward the sound, everyone’s expression changed drastically.
A three-legged golden cauldron was hurtling toward them, whistling through the air with immense momentum.
Getting hit by that would be no less deadly than being struck by Lady Wu’s gu-poison.
They all scrambled to get out of its way, not daring to let the golden cauldron smash into them.
But the golden cauldron’s target wasn’t them; it was aimed straight for Lady Wu in the center of the arena.
Lady Wu’s eyes narrowed. She waited until the cauldron was right in front of her before suddenly reaching out a hand.
Her body shifted with her footwork. With a single hand, she caught it, redirected it, and flung it, sending the massive, powerful cauldron soaring into the sky.
"Ridiculous!!"
A voice boomed from within the golden cauldron. Immediately, the great cauldron, which had been flying skyward, plummeted straight down.
Lady Wu frowned slightly, tapped her foot, and moved aside.
With a tremendous BOOM, the golden cauldron landed, its three legs sinking deep into the ground, immobilizing it.
Lady Wu leaped into the air. With a slight movement of her sleeve, a Black shadow flashed through the night, darting straight for the cauldron’s opening.
At the same time, a figure suddenly flew out of the great cauldron. He launched a kick, sending the golden cauldron flying. It spun, whistling through the air, before landing with a dull THUD, trapping the shadow beneath it.
Lady Wu was taken aback.
"Coward hiding in your shell!"
But the golden cauldron began to spin, rolling toward Lady Wu with a deafening whistle.
Jiang Ran, hiding off to the side and watching them fight, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He had figured out Lady Wu’s methods. Her martial arts were not weak, and she was especially skilled at raising venomous insects. She probably also knew some gu-poison techniques.
However, against this opponent with the golden cauldron, she was like a tiger trying to eat the sky—there was simply no way for her to get a bite.
The man usually hid inside the cauldron. It was heavy, thick, and difficult to break from the outside. Lady Wu’s venomous insects were completely unable to breach it to take his life.
Using the cauldron for cover and relying on this bizarre fighting style was, frankly, a bit like cheating.
But by the same token, he would also have a hard time defeating Lady Wu.
The two could only remain at a stalemate...
Jiang Ran’s gaze drifted upward, and he saw another person off to the side, sitting on a recliner.
Attendants on either side held large umbrellas to keep the rain off him.
The man’s features were unclear. He wore a gold-and-jade-inlaid half-mask that gave him a somewhat demonic air.
Beside him was a group of dwarves in white, some serving him tea and water, others massaging his legs, and still others somersaulting for his amusement.
He was just placing a piece of fruit in his mouth, seeming to have grown bored with the spectacle before him.
He spoke softly:
"You two, that’s enough."
The two fighters in the arena actually stopped.
After taking their positions, they looked toward the man. Lady Wu spoke softly:
"Young Villa Master, do you have any instructions?"
"Not at all."
The man gave a soft laugh and glanced at the crowd.
"I simply wish to ask everyone, for what purpose have you all gathered here today?"
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