The three exchanged glances, and finally, the young man in the large red brocade robe spoke:
"Daoist Priest, it's not that we don't want to tell you, but the opponent's strength is immense, and they have several Martial Master experts under them. We can't do anything."
'Martial Master? What the hell is that?'
This unfamiliar term for power reminded him of the ranks like "Great Hero" and "Magnificent Hero" from his childhood hometown. He guessed it was likely just the local way of addressing such people.
So, without dwelling on what this "Martial Master" strength entailed, he picked up a chopstick from the table and lightly drew it to the side.
"Boom—!"
Overbearing might erupted from the chopstick, and a deep crack appeared on the blank wall.
"With this level of strength, I should be no weaker than these so-called Martial Masters, correct?
Don't try to provoke me. From the moment you intentionally mentioned the insider story wasn't simple, you were deliberately trying to get me involved.
If you still won't speak, I'll proceed my own way."
The three were stunned by Yang Nuo's display. Hearing his words, they knew their little schemes had been exposed. They exchanged glances, rose in unison, bowed to Yang Nuo, and said:
"We beg your forgiveness, Daoist Priest. We actually just wanted to casually mention a few things to make your impression of them worse.
We never expected to actually encounter a formidable person..."
Yang Nuo didn't care whether they genuinely intended it or not; he was here for this matter anyway.
He looked at them with a half-smile and said:
"Since that's the case, then tell me."
The young man in the large red brocade robe spoke:
"My name is Zhou Wei, and these are my friends, Zhu Yu and Liang Tai. We are all sons of wealthy merchants in this city of Huai'an."
He paused, wanting to hear how the Daoist Priest would introduce himself. However, Yang Nuo simply nodded, indicating for him to continue.
With no other choice, Zhou Wei continued:
"Actually, these children who steal are all being manipulated by a group of bandits. They abduct children from various places through theft or robbery, and from a young age, they are trained in stealing, toughening their resolve, and fighting. As they grow older, they are taken in as subordinates and thugs."
"And what is your relationship to this?" Yang Nuo asked.
The three exchanged glances, and Zhu Yu, with a hint of embarrassment, replied:
"This... actually, it's our fault for being ignorant of our own limitations. Once, after a few too many drinks, we felt invincible and boasted that we would rescue these children from their suffering.
Naturally, we failed, and it caused our families significant losses. That's why we dare not act on our own now. We just can't help but fan the flames when we see someone at odds with those bandits."
Liang Tai, the youngest, chimed in:
"We never imagined Daoist Priest, you would be so ruthless, causing them to die from festering hands and suppurating heads and feet..."
The other two nodded in agreement.
Yang Nuo just smiled and thought to himself:
"With the financial resources and influence of your three families, you shouldn't be afraid of them, right? Have you never considered eliminating them?"
Zhou Wei shook his head and said: "I asked my father the same thing back then, but he said we are businessmen and value peace. These are desperate outlaws with their lives on the line; in a desperate fight, we are naturally at a disadvantage. Most importantly, they have several Martial Master level experts, which greatly influences the battle. And the City Lord's office doesn't handle such matters. Our families have too much to lose; there's no need to confront these street brawlers head-on.
Furthermore, their activities don't conflict with our businesses.
Therefore, the adults in our families were unwilling to get involved..."
As he spoke, their expressions clearly showed a hint of dejection.
Yang Nuo nodded and asked his final question:
"Then why do you want to save those children?"
Upon hearing this question, the three looked at each other. Finally, Zhu Yu replied with uncertainty:
"It seems... we haven't really thought about a reason. Perhaps because... we just felt they could have lived a less miserable life..."
His voice trailed off, as if he himself lacked confidence in this reason.
But Yang Nuo smiled and tapped his fingers on the table.
"Then, if I eliminate those Martial Masters, will you handle the rest?"
Zhou Wei pondered for a moment and said:
"Daoist Priest, I apologize, but I must consider my family. I cannot involve them.
However, I can personally bring some of my brothers. We'll rescue as many as we can."
The other two also stated that they could only do so much.
Yang Nuo, however, felt these three young men were even more admirable.
Despite appearing to be wealthy young idlers, they still held onto the kindness in their hearts, while also not impulsively endangering their families. They were truly quite remarkable.
So he said:
"Very well, I'll give you three days to prepare."
With that, he stood up and left, leaving the three looking at each other.
"Just like that? Wei ge, should we really trust someone we just met?"
Zhou Wei's eyes flickered.
.
For the next three days, Yang Nuo set up his stall in the small city, just like a real fortune-teller.
Unfortunately, no one came to him for genuine divination. Instead, many young wives and noblewomen, finding him handsome, used the guise of fortune-telling to speak with him. Before they knew it, they were confiding in Yang Nuo about various aspects of their lives, turning him into a psychological counselor for three days instead of a fortune-teller.
In reality, these three days were not just for Zhou Wei and his companions but also for Yang Nuo himself.
He knew that everything had two sides and could not be judged solely by its appearance. Therefore, these three days were also for him to confirm whether they were truly villains and if they truly needed to be eliminated.
If he were to kill the wrong person based on a superficial impression, he wouldn't know how to arrange for those children.
As for the Martial Masters, he had already inquired. They were mere mortals, easily extinguished by him, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Whether Zhou Wei and the others showed up or not would not affect his actions.
On the third day, as the last ray of lingering sunlight faded, Zhou Wei and his companions still hadn't come to meet him.
But he was unconcerned. He stood up, stretched his arms, and twisted his neck.
He then leisurely packed up his stall, propped up his divination banner, and walked towards a back alley.
Deep within the alley, a man with a rugged face sat on a large chair, holding a crystal-clear glazed seal. The upper part of the seal was carved with a winding, coiled divine dragon, exquisitely crafted and lifelike. Combined with the impurity-free glazed material, even someone with no experience could tell that the seal was extremely valuable.
At the bottom of the seal, eight characters were engraved:
"Shou Ming Wu Tian, Ji Shou Yong Chang"
He ran his fingers over these eight characters, unable to understand their meaning. And the Daoist Priest who had brought this treasure had been unusually quiet these past few days, as if he hadn't even noticed it was missing.
Suddenly, a subordinate rushed in from outside, shouting:
"Boss, boss! That Daoist Priest, he's broken in!!"
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