Chapter 109 Chapter 114

  A moment later, the smoke was like a mist that came quickly and went away quickly. In the blink of an eye, it had already dispersed. Huā Niángzi collapsed to the ground, curled up into a ball, trembling uncontrollably like a spoiled child. Yān Chóng stood on one side, with a new ordinary cigarette in his mouth, holding two number plates in his hand, coldly staring at Huā Niángzi lying on the ground.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé leaned against the stone, not daring to move, silently watching the shocking scene in front of him.

  The smoker took a drag on his cigarette and suddenly let out a sigh. He turned around and walked towards Huo Xiaoyi, who was extremely nervous but didn't dare to run away.

  The worm walked up to Huo Xiao's face, curled its mouth into a smile and said: "Huo Xiao, that naughty treasure was saved by you, wasn't it?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē gazed intently at the smoke worm, nodding slowly.

  "Great, you're really something! I like your style. Don't you have a license plate? Here, take these two plates, they're on me!"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē was stunned, not knowing how to respond. Yan Chóng had already pulled Huǒ Xiǎo Yē's hand and slapped two numbered plates into it, grinning: "You should pass! Little brother!"

  It's been revised and now everything is sent out, let's take a look together.

  The smoke worm hummed and turned around to leave. Huo Xiao was stunned, holding two number plates, and suddenly shouted: "Did that flower girl get poisoned by her own poison?"

  "The worm-headed creature said without turning its head: 'That's right! But she won't die!'"

  Huo Xiao Ye asked loudly: "Big brother, what kind of grudge do you and Hua Niangzi have?"

  The worm still didn't look back, just slowed down its pace and said: "Huo Xiao Xie, you have a younger brother, unfortunately he died ten years ago! Little brother, curiosity can be fatal to you! Remember!"

  The smoker swaggered into the stone forest, still looking nonchalant, and disappeared from view.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié looked at the two number plates in his hand, which were the 15th ranked Little Treasure and the 7th ranked Red Little Clown's number plates.

  Huo Xiao Xie didn't have time to think carefully, and hastily tied the number plate to his waistband, preparing to leave. Just then, the four-sided clock struck again, this time for the last time. If he didn't hurry back, he would be late. Huo Xiao Xie glanced at the four-sided clock, and with a flash of inspiration, ran three steps forward and kicked the clock over. He bent down to look and saw a small cover on the ground. Huo Xiao Xie quickly opened the cover, and indeed, the 16th number plate that had been thrown back into the cave was quietly lying underneath.

  The shopkeeper and five apprentices stood in the stone room, all focusing on the road ahead. The shopkeeper held a pocket watch in his hand, with a serious expression.

  A flash of light from a cigarette butt at the intersection, and a person swayed out, it was Yan Huo.

  The smoker swaggered into the store, cigarette in mouth, and said to the shopkeeper with a sly tone: "Not late, am I?"

  "The shopkeeper smiled and said: 'No, no, if you're late again, it will be too late.'"

  The smoker let out a sound, took two tokens from his pocket and tossed them to the shopkeeper, saying: "Two tokens, I've passed."

  The shopkeeper looked down and saw that one was the tobacco worm's own, and the other was the 18th flower girl's token. He couldn't help but smile and said: "You passed! Please take good care of your own 14th token and go back to rest."

  Yan Chong took the number plate and said lazily, "Don't rush, there's a little brother named Huo Xiao Xie who also got two number plates, he should be coming up soon. He's half my fellow countryman, I'll wait for him for a while. Shopkeeper, that kid has poor legs, give him some more time."

  "The shopkeeper smiled and said, 'Sir, we have our own way of doing things. Please go back and rest for now. Time can be flexible to some extent, but it's not good to break the rules either. Sir, please leave.'"

  The smoker took a drag on his cigarette and said indifferently: "Alright then."

  The two shop assistants, Dian Xiao Er and Dian Xiao San, were invited away by them, and for now, let's not mention this.

  The shopkeeper held the pocket watch, frowning repeatedly, and there was still no sign of anyone returning at the crossroads. The two apprentices who had sent the tobacco worm back to rest in their room returned to the stone chamber, and seeing that no one had come up from the stone chamber, the second apprentice couldn't help but whisper to the shopkeeper's ear: "Shopkeeper, if we got the token, it shouldn't take so long to come up, could they have gotten lost?"

  The shopkeeper looked at his pocket watch and said: "Wait for one more minute, if he doesn't come up, even with two numbered plates in hand, it will still be considered eliminated."

  Time ticked away, but there was still no sign of Huo Xiao at the crossroads.

  The shopkeeper slammed his pocket watch shut and said to the young apprentices, "Time's up, sound the bell!"

  "Wait! Wait a minute! I'm coming! I'm coming! Don't blow the whistle!" someone shouted loudly with great effort at an intersection.

  The waiters were just about to strike the gong when they heard the shouting and couldn't help but pause, all turning their heads to look at the shopkeeper.

  The shopkeeper raised his hand and said to the young shop assistants: "Slow down."

  "I'm here! I've arrived!" A figure slowly emerged from the intersection, footsteps hesitant.

  Everyone looked at Huo Xiaoyao, who was covered in dust and sweat, with a big person on his back. Huo Xiaoyao walked into the stone room, exhausted, and plopped down on the ground, putting the person he was carrying to one side, it was actually Little Treasure.

  "Stop ringing the bell, stop ringing it! I carried him up here and it took a lot of time. He's a naughty little thing, he was poisoned by Huāniángzi's spring poison. Huāniángzi is still down there, and I'm afraid that if I leave, she'll harm him, so I just carried him up."

  The shopkeeper, unsure whether he was happy or worried, took a step forward and asked: "Sir, do you have the number two signboard?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé sat on the ground, panting and saying: "There is! There is!" As he spoke, he reached into his waistband and pulled out three numbered plates. The crowd was in a state of quiet astonishment, finding it unbelievable.

  The shopkeeper took over the three number plates, which were the 15th Noisy Treasure, the 7th Red Clown and the 16th Kiln Child Hook that was thrown back into the cave.

  The shopkeeper exclaimed: "How did you..."

  Huoxiao Ye said, "I still have one more, I still have one more." Huoxiao Ye flipped over and got up, walked back to the entrance of the road, searched around for a bit, and somehow managed to dig out another number plate from somewhere. He took it in his hand and walked back in front of the shopkeeper, handing it over to him.

  The shopkeeper was already stunned, and when he looked at the token handed to him by Huo Xiao, it turned out to be the nameplate of the second monk of Ku Deng. His mouth was agape, unable to speak, full of doubts.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xiào laughed and panted: "Yes, yes, it was Sù Dēng Hé Shàng, he lost to me. I took precautions just in case, let him follow the agreement, put it at the exit of his route... but unexpectedly, didn't use it after all. Shopkeeper, did I pass?"

  The shopkeeper took a deep breath and said, "Yes, you passed."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié Hān smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, I'm asking you, I took four numbered plates with Xiao Bao, two of which originally belonged to him. Two were mine, and two were his. We passed the test together, does that count?"

  The shopkeeper was taken aback, he had never encountered such a situation before, and after a moment's thought, said: "It seems there is no such rule."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "You guys started first and didn't say that two people can't take four number plates together, it's just that Xiǎo Bǎo is unconscious now and can't speak. Since you didn't say it's not allowed, then let's consider both of us passed!"

  The shopkeeper was in a dilemma, and Huo Xiaoyao's words also made sense. He could only say: "Sir, you have passed the test, please go back to your room and rest first. We need to discuss this further before making a decision."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Alright then, alright, you can't regret it afterwards, or I'll look down on you."

  The shopkeeper sighed, speechless, and temporarily avoided the topic of Huo Xiao's words. He shouted to the store clerks: "Ring the bell! The third gate of the Fire Gate, the chaotic theft gate, is closed!"