Chapter 1 This Can Be Done...

After careful consideration, Hu Ma immediately agreed. It would be ridiculous to miss such a good opportunity.

After all, Miss Red Wine was right; wasn't killing and seizing techniques the old tradition for reincarnated individuals?

However, to lure out Ji Tang, the leader of the Beggar Gang, with absolute certainty, he would have to put in a lot of effort. What should he do?

Hu Ma first analyzed what kind of person he appeared to be in the eyes of people in the martial world.

A poor teenager from a mountain village, who was lucky enough to enter the Shousui Ren (Night Watcher) sect, a shopkeeper making a living in the small Blood Food Gang in Mingzhou, who rescued Miss Dongzi Li out of kindness and traveled thousands of miles to send her back, thus having a stroke of good fortune.

In short, a newbie.

But this newbie not only made a name for himself in Anzhou but also received many benefits from the Dongzi Li family.

The key problem was that the journey from Anzhou back to Mingzhou, though difficult coming, was even more difficult and risky going back.

What difference was there between him taking these benefits back and a child carrying a valuable treasure through the marketplace?

Therefore, not to mention Ji Tang, the Beggar Gang leader with whom he had already forged a great feud, even some Jianghu people who were jealous of these benefits and had ulterior motives might secretly plot against him.

So, what should he do?

The answer was to do nothing, just follow the simplest path, leave Anzhou, and return to Mingzhou.

And this gave Ji Tang a reason to attack him, because even if he didn't, others would put the blame on him anyway, so he was destined to bear the consequences.

Those who should attack would naturally attack him.

"The first layer is that on your way back, you encounter Ji Tang, who tries to kill you, but you kill him instead and seize his technique."

Hu Ma made a decision immediately. What was there to hesitate about?

He was not only prepared to do it but even hoped that Ji Tang, the leader of the Beggar Gang, would be smart and make things lively.

"The second layer is that it looks like the little shopkeeper is returning to Mingzhou alone, but in reality, I have already told you about the possible risks on the road, and you have asked me for help. So, I used you as bait to lure Ji Tang out, and then I eliminated him while he was attacking you."

"The third layer..."

"Ah?"

But this also brought up another very important question. Hu Ma couldn't help but worry as he said to Miss Red Wine, "It's not difficult for me to do this kind of thing; I can just act a little stupid. Anyway, in other people's eyes, being kind-hearted is equal to being stupid."

Miss Red Wine only replied faintly, "I'm not very confident either. I've only set up a few layers of contingency plans."

Miss Red Wine smiled and said, "Then it depends on how smart the leader of the Beggar Gang is."

And so, he stayed at Madam Han's manor for another day, and then early in the morning on the third day, he changed his appearance, using simple disguise techniques to alter his features, and then led a horse, harnessed it to a cart, and drove out of the manor alone.

"..."

"But the key is you. Since Ji Tang is a Shousui Ren who has entered the Fu (Prefecture) and is also the leader of the number one gang in the world, you are confident that you can eliminate him, right?"

"To make Ji Tang die, in the eyes of outsiders, there are only a few possible developments."

Hu Ma was stunned for a moment and hurriedly looked at Miss Red Wine, whispering, "Then which layer do you think this fight with him will be on?"

"In the eyes of others, I am a kind-hearted person, so it is reasonable to act stupid."

"Then let's do it."

The horse was harnessed by Madam Han and didn't look very normal.

She smiled as she said, "It's been a while since the reincarnated individuals in Anzhou have had a group activity."

"..."

Hu Ma then gave Madam Han a questioning look, and Madam Han only nodded, "Yes."

"However, this one should have been released long ago, but it didn't want to and insisted on atoning for its sins as livestock."

"This road is dangerous, so harness it. If it is killed by mistake, it will be a relief."

"..."

Looking at the horse's big black eyes, Hu Ma only saw a void and was truly curious but didn't ask any more questions.

Taking advantage of the fact that the rooster had already crowed, and it was not yet dawn, Hu Ma left the manor.

Following the small road, without getting close to Anzhou Prefecture City, he quietly headed south.

On the way, in a secluded place, he whispered a few words to the horse, "Brother, can you understand me? Brother, everyone here in Madam Han's manor has committed heinous crimes. Why does she only say that you are voluntarily atoning for your sins?"

"Brother, if you can understand, twitch your ears?"

"..."

In the end, it was no use. The horse didn't say a word and just silently pulled the cart.

This left Hu Ma with no choice.

The good thing was that the horse was obedient and didn't require hiring a carter.

Counting this trip out, after separating from Aunt Zhang and the others, he and Xiang丫tou (Xiang-yatou) hired two fast horses together in Dongchang Prefecture. In theory, if he rode them back, he could still return them to the mule and horse shop in Dongchang Prefecture and get the deposit back.

But thinking about the dangers along the way, he didn't take those two horses and left them at Madam Han's manor. Fortunately, the benefits given by the Li family were enough, so he didn't care about this little bit.

While thinking, he silently apologized, then kicked the ground lightly with his shoes, quickened his pace, and headed south.

"Look, isn't that him?"

As Madam Han had guessed, sure enough, as Hu Ma drove the cart past an intersection, people appeared who were keeping watch.

They looked like a few dirty beggars, sleeping in an abandoned ancestral hall by the roadside.

When Hu Ma passed by, they were gathered around a bonfire, roasting a roast chicken they didn't know where they got from. Seeing Hu Ma drive the cart past, they immediately took out a portrait from their arms.

This was drawn by the beggars from Dongchang Prefecture who had kept watch but hadn't gone to join in the fun in the forest and had survived. Compared to the person driving the cart, the appearance could be said to be completely different, but they were certain.

Nodding secretly, he said, "Hehe, we don't dare to get close to Madam Han's 'Stripping Clothes and Making Clothes' manor."

"But anyone who comes out of that manor and is heading south must pass through this intersection. We've been guarding for two whole days, and there are only two or three suspicious people. We've divided our manpower to keep an eye on them. As long as he continues to head south, then he must be this person."

"Send a message to the gang leader!"

"..."

Pulling open the tattered cotton-padded jacket next to him,

There were actually literate people among the beggars. They wrote a few simple words, and then the pigeon was released.

Flying and stopping, passing through several hands, the message quickly reached a roadside teahouse hundreds of miles away.

This was no longer within the borders of Anzhou but at the northern end of Pingnan Prefecture.

Inside the teahouse sat a man with neatly combed hair, sharp sideburns, and features that could almost be described as 'sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.' He was wearing an extremely gorgeous robe.

Several servants stood beside him, and an old butler-like man helped him receive messages, relay words, pour wine, and serve tea. Judging from his demeanor, he was every bit a wealthy young master from a prestigious family.

But for some reason, when others saw him, they always felt a gloomy aura about him.

Especially those with keen eyes could see that his two hands were different sizes, one palm large and one palm small.

He took the note, glanced at it, and passed it out.

One of the servants hurriedly stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and allowed him to stuff the note into his mouth.

He chewed it twice, swallowed it, opened his mouth to signal, and then returned to his original position.

The man in the gorgeous robe smiled faintly, "He's almost here."

"Cui Qianniang didn't die unjustly. After being threatened, she should have reported it to me, but she didn't. She secretly did that thing. I guess it's because she wasn't confident in my skills and didn't think I could protect her from others."

"But she brought it on herself and deserved it."

"However, later on, things got serious, and she even dragged Shou-ye, Craftsman Li, and Wang Laizi into it, which wasn't very ethical."

"Now, because of her, three of our four elders in the Pingnan Prefecture Beggar Gang have died, and Wang Laizi, who was qualified to be promoted to an elder, has also been taken down with them."

"The Beggar Gang has been dominating Pingnan Prefecture for so many years and has never suffered such a big loss. More importantly, the Dongzi Li family is now treating us as their mortal enemy. The profits in Pingnan Prefecture have always been abundant, but we can't stay here anymore."

"We have to change masters."

"..."

The old servant attending him hurriedly said, "If we want to leave, the officials above have no reason not to agree, but in any case, we have to pay this year's tribute before they will allow us to establish a new base elsewhere, right?"

"That's natural."

The man in the gorgeous robe said faintly, "But I've used the profits from the past two years to enter the Fu (Prefecture), so where would I get the money to pay upwards?"

"Perhaps, we need to take the benefits that this kid got from the Dongzi Li family."

"..."

The old servant hurriedly said, "Yes, since we've set our sights on him, we can't let him run away. As soon as he leaves Anzhou and is away from the Dongzi Li family's territory, we'll make our move."

"Make our move?"

The man in the gorgeous robe sneered, "Is it that simple?"

"The children have seen clearly that he first went to Madam Han's manor, stayed for two days, and then came out."

"The martial world friends in Anzhou have also dismissed the idea of attacking the little shopkeeper because of Madam Han's actions. But Madam Han and he are only casually acquainted, so why do you think she helped him so much?"

"I guess that Madam Han must have taught him something. It looks like we're waiting for the rabbit, but maybe they're fishing."

"..."

The old servant was stunned for a moment, "Then we..."

"They know how to fish; can't we use their scheme against them?"

The man in the gorgeous robe snorted coldly, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes. He faintly picked up a cup of wine and said, "Let's take this opportunity to get rid of Madam Han as well."

"She's just a subordinate doing errands for a small official, but she's ruthless and doesn't show any mercy, violating countless rules and offending countless people. Getting rid of her through this opportunity is probably more likely to please the person above than paying a thick tribute."

(End of Chapter)