Chapter 103: Chapter 108

  Huoxiao Zhe was standing on the high platform, where Ati Mu and Zheng Zedao had just finished a loud argument. The sound was quite large, so naturally, Zhuo Wang Nujiang and Bing Guangzi, who were fighting below, also heard it. At this time, these two people had been standing still for almost an hour, seemingly exhausted, but trying their best to hold on. Zhuo Wang Nujiang clenched his teeth tightly, with big drops of sweat on his head, no longer motionless, but slightly shaking back and forth. Bing Guangzi's body shook even more violently, his hands waving wildly as he struggled to maintain his balance.

  The two heard Zheng Zedao telling them to be quiet, and the sick jar slowly turned his eyes to one side, wanting to take a look at their movements. Zhuo Wangnu Jiang saw that the sick jar's attention had shifted, and he secretly hummed in his heart: "You lost!"

  Zhuo Wangnu Jiang's mind moved, and his body suddenly sprang up. He stretched forward, both palms simultaneously thrust out, and violently pushed the shoulder of the sick jar. Seeing the sick jar receive this blow, it let out an "ah" sound as it flipped over backwards. Zhuo Wangnu Jiang loudly shouted again, following with another palm strike, wanting to push the sick jar down onto the rock below in one move.

  The body of the sick jar was pushed back by Zhuo Wangnu's double palms, and suddenly his knee bent slightly, and then his waist seemed to be cut off, keeping his upper body still. With a loud crack, he folded backward at an angle of nearly ninety degrees, and his entire body became a three-stage staircase that defied common sense. Zhuo Wangnu was shocked, never expecting the sick jar's skeleton to be so peculiar. The palm he struck out was already too late to withdraw, and it hit empty air. The sick jar let out a low hum in his throat, and with a great effort, he twisted his body half a turn, turned sideways, and grabbed Zhuo Wangnu's wrist with one hand, pulling lightly.

  Zhuo Wangnujiang's center of gravity was lost, and with just a slight pull, he couldn't stand up anymore. He let out a loud cry and fell forward. Zhuo Wangnujiang rolled under the rock, defeated. Bingguanzong's body shook, and he stood up straight again, still standing on one leg. In his hand, he held Zhuo Wangnujiang's flag, coughing continuously as he said: "I won! Cough, cough!" He coughed desperately, using one hand to cover his mouth with a handkerchief, but blood was still spouting from the side of his mouth, indicating that his coughing up blood was extremely severe.

  Zhuo Wangnu slowly got up from the ground, his face gloomy, and bowed to the doctor, saying: "Mr. Wang, I admit defeat!

  The pot-bellied monk hugged his fist: "I admit defeat! If it weren't for the Great Lama's haste, who knows who would have won or lost?"

  Ku Deng monk sighed on the side: "Amitabha, King Shizhu has been coughing all day, and it's actually due to damage to his chest vertebrae. It's hard! Little monk bears witness, you won, King Shizhu."

  The sick jar wiped the blood from his mouth and said slowly: "Suffering lamp monk, you are right about 50%, cough! Cough!"

  Zhuo Wangnu Jiang bowed again to the sick jar and retreated in a melancholy manner. The sick jar called out: "Where is the great lama going?"

  Zhuo Wangnu Jiang said lightly: "I've lost, now my heart is as dead as ashes. I'll withdraw from this cave and no longer contend with you all."

  Alas! said Ku Deng: "Good! Good!"

  The sick jar said faintly: "Goodbye, Big Trumpet!"

  Zhuo Wangnu nodded slightly and quickly left the place.

  The sick jar saw Zhuo Wangnu walking away, slowly walked to the side of Kudeng monk and said: "Kudeng monk, you should have three numbered plaques in your hand, already passed the pass, why do you still want to stay in the cave?"

  Ku Deng said: "Jia Ding Yi doesn't leave, I won't leave either."

  The sick jar nodded and said: "Then goodbye! See you outside the cave!" The sick jar finished speaking, turned around slowly without looking back, and disappeared from view.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié sat on the high platform, witnessing with his own eyes the outcome of Zhuó Wàng's anger and Bìng Guànzi's victory. He couldn't help but sigh at the complexity of the world's thieving techniques, which could be so intricate. Thinking about how Bìng Guànzi's body could bend and twist, he must have often hidden in unimaginable places, suffering pain that was difficult to put into words. What drove someone to self-cultivate to such an extent? Huǒ Xiǎo Xié couldn't understand this question for the time being.

  "Oh, ahah, what's your name? Huo Xiao Ye?"

  Huoxiao Ye knew that Atimud had returned, and turned his head to look. Atimud pinched his mustache, with a face full of anger, walked up onto the high platform, stood beside Huoxiao Ye, and whispered: "Oh? You're called Huoxiao Ye?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié looked at him with disapproval and said irritably, "I am Huǒ Xiǎo Xié. What? Want to compete with me?"

  Atimuda said: "Oh ah, you don't have a signboard, I also don't have a signboard, won't compete with you! Ah oh oh, Xiao Xie Huo, Zheng Zedao deceived me, saying you are an expert, but I see that you don't look like one at all."

  "Am I a master or not, what's it to you? You lost to Zheng Zedao and now you want to vent your anger on me? I'm friends with Zheng Zedao, what about you? Not convinced?"

  "Ah lah, little kid, Zheng Zedao is a sly rabbit! But he must come back to find you. I'll just wait for him here! If he doesn't return my token, I'll catch you and deal with you! Oh ah ah."

  Ati Mu sat down beside Huo Xiao Ye with a plop and glared at him fiercely.

  "Damn it, are your brains filled with crap? Alright, alright, sit down, just sit down!"

  The two men didn't speak to each other, and sat in silence for a moment. Then, three gong sounds came from the cave, followed by someone shouting loudly: "Number 16, Nanjing Zhang Jian, alias Kiln Hook, voluntarily withdrew from the competition! His number 16 token has been hidden in the cave, all guests, hurry up and find it! Whoever finds it will be lucky!" The three gong sounds rang out again, repeating the words once more. After another three gong sounds, there was silence.

  Atimuda stood up, pinched his beard and laughed: "Ah lah lah! Too good! There's a sign now!"

  Ati Mu kicked his foot and was about to leave, but before he did, he glared at Huo Xiao Xie and said viciously: "You little brat! Consider yourself lucky this time! If you have the guts, don't run away, I won't let you off that easily. Ahh!"

  Atim scolded and hurriedly jumped off the high platform, searching everywhere.

  "Ah lah lah, oh ah ah, you're a stupid fool, oh oh oh, a wild boar with a brain disease!"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé scolded, his heart skipped a beat, thinking: "Damn it, this Atimood won't really come back again, will he? If so, I'll be in trouble, and if I'm not his match, I'll be caught by him. Wouldn't that implicate Zheng Zedao, Big Brother Zheng? No way, no way, looks like I can't stay here anymore, staying any longer would be hopeless!"

  Hu Xiaoxie made up his mind, looked around, stood up and slowly stepped down from the high platform.

  In the stone room of Qingyun Inn, a man walked out quickly from the entrance and bowed to the shopkeeper with his fists clenched, saying: "Shopkeeper, all the young clerks, Zheng Zedao has already obtained two number plates and passed the checkpoint."

  The shopkeeper and the young apprentices looked at him with joyful faces, as Zheng Zendao walked towards them with a smile.

  The shopkeeper hastily returned the courtesy and smiled: "Congratulations! Mr. Zheng, please show your token."

  Zheng Zedao smiled slightly and took out two nameplates from his bosom, handing them to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper took a look at the nameplates and found that they were the first nameplate of Atimuda and the third nameplate of Zheng Zedao himself. The shopkeeper looked at Zheng Zedao with great satisfaction and said: "Mr. Zheng, you only have two nameplates? If there are more, please return them to us."

  Zheng Zedao smiled and said: "There are many masters in the cave, it's already difficult to get one number plate, getting two number plates is enough, why be greedy?"

  The shopkeeper looked at Zheng Zedong with a smile and said, "In this chaotic world, if everyone were as humble and practical as you, Guest Zheng, there wouldn't be so many disputes. You are the first to pass the test, congratulations again!"

  "Ah! I'm actually the first one to pass! I really didn't expect it, didn't expect it, it's purely luck, purely luck!"

  The shopkeeper said: "Mr. Zheng, please follow us back to the guest room to rest, this third number plate is given to you, take good care of it."

  Zheng Zedao took it and said, "Thanks!"

  The shopkeeper asked: "Mr. Zheng, I have a question for you."

  "Please go on."

  The shopkeeper said: "Do you know that the sixth person in the cave, Jia Dingyi, killed several people?"

  Zheng Zedao's face was heavy with concern as he said, "I know, his methods are ruthless and unreasonable. I am completely baffled by what he has done."

  The shopkeeper nodded twice and said: "Alright, alright, I won't ask any more questions. Please, Mr. Zheng, go back to your room and rest well."

  The two shopkeepers were overjoyed and politely invited Zheng Zedao out of the stone room, back to his quarters to rest, but for now, let's not mention it.

  The shopkeeper saw Zheng Zedao leave, sat back in his rattan chair, stroked his beard, and chuckled to himself: "Zheng Zedao, what a talent! He's sure to make a name for himself as a Huo family disciple. Ha ha! Ha ha!"

  The shopkeeper muttered to himself, picked up the small teapot by the rattan chair, closed his eyes and took a sip. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of something black flashing! The shopkeeper jumped up with a "pa" sound and shouted: "A Ding Y, you again?"

  "Haha! Haha! Shopkeeper, it's me, I've passed too!" A low and gloomy voice sounded from Jia Ding Yi, two nameplates wrapped in a black scabbard were thrown onto the rattan chair.

  The shopkeeper picked up the two number plates, one of which was Jia Dingyu's sixth number plate and Huo Xiaoxie's eleventh number plate. The shopkeeper said: "Jia Dingyu, you killed several people, why are there only two number plates? Please return the rest."

  "Haha! I've given away many license plates! Haha! Shopkeeper, I'm passing through!"

  The shopkeeper picked up the sixth number plate and said: "Yes, you passed. Please take good care of your sixth number plate and go back to rest."

  "Heh heh!" A black light flashed by, and the sixth number plate was rolled away. Immediately, a figure like a cloud of black smoke quickly rushed out of this stone room.

  The shopkeeper held the eleventh token of Huo Xiaoxie in his hand, muttering to himself: "Eleventh place, Huo Xiaoxie, I'm afraid it's more bad luck than good."