702 Imitation (1/2)
Red Bat now had a personal experience with the eccentricity of the Waning Moon Hall. She used to be the handmaid for the nobles of the Land of Fragrance and had a cursory knowledge of the Indra Fragrance. From what she remembered, it shouldn't have caused diarrhea. Evidently, Both the drug and the antidote had been changed while in the hands of Lotus.
She really wished that nobody would be outside the tent but the murmur of voices clearly indicated that there were still many people out there. She could only summon up all her courage to walk out.
”Feel better?” Shangguan Ru asked.
”Hmm. My power is recovering.” Red Bat whispered with her head lowered, glad that she wasn't the center of attention.
Nobody knew why but Shangguan Fei blurted out, ”Oh no, Red Bat. You dirtied the camp and they came knocking for you.”
”Don't speak such nonsense.”
Afraid of his sister's 'order,' Shangguan Fei stopped mocking Red Bat and just chuckled.
Red Bat's face immediately turned red. She knew that the newcomers had nothing to do with her but still couldn't help but glance at them.
There were completely surrounded by at least twenty-odd people scattered in all directions. With their backs to different bonfires, each seemed old enough to live fearlessly. But the real refugees had already wisely hidden themselves, and these newcomers were the only ones within a few dozen paces of them.
Long Fanyun hurried back. After a quick exchange of glance with Red Bat, he turned his head around at once, drew his grandsword, and shouted, ”Who are you?”
The opposing Han Fen was a captive now but she didn't seem to be particularly afraid. She imitated Long Fanyun's tone and said right back at him, ”Right, who are you?”
A newly arrived old man removed his disguise and nodded to the Dragon King. ”We are all disciples of the Kongtong Sect.”
Shangguan Fei pointed at this man and said, ”Ehh, aren't you that Fan Yongda? The Dragon King saved your life in the forbidden zone of the palace.”
”I will always keep the Dragon King's favor in mind.”
”It's good to keep it in mind, but it's time to do something practical. Tell the old man and old woman of your sect to…”
Dog Butcher chimed in leisurely, ”Do not use the word 'old man' to describe me, at least not until I defeat Old Man Mu.”
Shangguan Fei couldn't understand why a man would stick to such a silly promise so stubbornly, but at heart, he admired Old Man Mu means even more. ”Either way, we hold no grudges towards each other and there's no need to fight. You've seized Han Fen and there's no more need to snatch our antidote.”
Dog Butcher looked at the old woman and said, ”He's got a point.”
Fan Yongda feared the old woman very much but the Dragon King did indeed save him in front of thousands of people. So he also came forward and said, ”Aunt Master, the Dragon King has saved my life before…”
The old woman had been staring at the Dragon King the whole time. Upon hearing this, she snorted, ”The men of our Kongtong Sect are really spineless. You are so easily bought over by petty favors. He did save you, but he also killed Shen Yongjiu. Your martial arts skills are not even half as good as Yongjiu's. That means that he still owes us half a life. Dog Butcher, you know that this kid has saved Old Man Mu several times. Can you just forget about the humiliation that has tormented you for more than a decade?”
Ashamed, the old and the young alike bowed their heads. Fan Yongda cupped his hands and silently bowed to the Dragon King before he retreated back to his fellow disciples. Dog Butcher seemed to muster his strength, and he suddenly raised his head, drew his walking stick, and again thrust it heavily against the ground. ”Yes, you are in leagues with Old Man Mu and you act vilely in collusion with him… You two are on the same side and I can't let you go.”
”Well said!” The old woman gave a resounding affirmation, loud, clear, and resonant.
”Well said indeed!” Shangguan Fei called out after her. He wasn't able to defeat Dog Butcher with his fists so he was determined to render a service through words, ”You two: one ugly, and the other wicked, crow like a cock and snatch like a dog. You adulterers sleep in the same bed but dream different dreams… You are just a couple of bitches despised by the whole world.”
The old woman's face turned red with anger but Dog Butcher was only surprised, saying, ”We do dream different dreams but we don't sleep in the same bed, and neither are we adulterers. I'm practicing the Virgin Boy Skill and she's practicing…”
”Shut up and bring me the Dragon King first.”
Dog Butcher was very obedient. He poised to pounce at his opponent but was checked by the other side. Gu Shenwei, who always fought a quick battle and forced a quick conclusion, wasn't in a hurry this time. ”Wait a moment; there's something I want to ask first. Was the Kongtong sect waiting for specifically me tonight?”
”We set a trap to…”
The old woman shrieked, ”Why are you telling him this?”
Dog Butcher stopped talking. Shangguan Ru said in surprise, ”I didn't know it was a trap…”
Flustered, Doctor Sun hastily echoed, ”Neither did I. I thought that this was just a common camp.”
Han Fen, whose hands were tied behind her back, feigned surprise and said with a voice that was surprisingly similar to Shangguan Ru's, ”I didn't know it was a trap either.”
Surprised and amused, Shangguan Ru asked that old woman, ”How did you know that the Dragon King would come here?”
Han Fen was very good at disguising herself and her ventriloquism was also first-rate. She immediately repeated the words of Shangguan Ru in the same tone.
The disciples of the Kongtong Sect guarding Han Fen uneasily looked at each other, their hands reaching for their saber hilts.
Instead of answering Shangguan Ru, the old woman looked at Han Fen and said, ”What tricks are you playing at?”
Han Fen glanced at Shangguan Ru and said nothing.
Feeling like she was being ignored, the old woman became furious. Her body swayed a bit and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared from where she was and appeared in front of Han Fen. The dozen or so paces seemed nonexistent in front of her. She raised her hand and tried to slap Han Fen in the face.
”No!” Several disciples shouted at the same time.
The old woman paused and puzzledly look at Han Fen, who was neither beautiful nor special. ”What? Were you all bewitched by the enchantress?” As she said that, she swung her arm and tried to slap again.
”Poison!”
The disciples' reminder was right on time. The old woman's palm stopped two or three inches from Han Fen's cheek. ”Poison? The Waning Moon Hall is indeed a rotten sect.”
Han Fen was trying to imitate Shangguan Ru so she had remained silent. But after hearing that remark, however, she couldn't help but reply, ”It's more than rotten. It's rotten from head to toe. You are short so you'll rot faster…”