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Chapter 148 Salesman
Wang Xi turned around and walked back.

First they walked, then quickly turned into running.

He wasn't afraid.

I just want to go back to the martial arts gym and get some sleep.

'You've only just arrived and already run into trouble. Wow, this is truly a wondrous world.'

Wang Xi thought to himself.

Caius couldn't get any results; his frog eyes couldn't see a heartbeat. He had no idea what that funeral procession was; it was too eerie.

As he passed the alley entrance, Wang Xi's pupils contracted slightly, and he ran even faster, as if the wind was blowing through his feet—he couldn't find a single piece of the scattered paper money.

There wasn't even a speck of ashes!

What would normally be a 20-minute walk, Wang Xi completed in just a few minutes.

Along the way, not a single person could be seen.

It was eerily quiet.

Wang Xi finally returned to the main street where the Huo Family Martial Arts School was located, and the newly hung plaque could be vaguely seen in the distance.

But that's it.

He suddenly heard a mournful sound – the unique hoarse sound of the erhu.

Not again?!

Wang Xi suddenly had an idea.

The sound of the erhu seemed to be seeping out from the darkness of the roadside ahead.

At first, it was just a wisp of tremolo, appearing and disappearing in the night wind. Gradually, the sound of the strings deepened, transforming into a deep pool of autumn water, with mournful cries and sobs intertwining, tearing the melody to pieces.

Wang Xi's expression was solemn. He silently activated the "Mud Howling Dark Frog" and took a step forward without making a sound.

Suddenly, the erhu slid down, as if someone had stumbled in the dark. The bow began to strike the strings with a spiccato technique, producing intermittent sobbing sounds.

The two strings sometimes harmonize, sometimes contend; the high notes are as faint as a mosquito's buzz, like the murmur of a traveler far from home separated by thousands of miles. The low notes are as deep as an ancient well, like the sigh of an old mother leaning against the doorframe.

A mist began to rise, and the music seemed to be dampened by the moisture. The last note trailed off with a trembling tail, the bow hovering on the string, hesitant to leave, before finally disappearing into the sound of the night watchman's clapper.

The sound of a clapper?
Wang Xi was stunned.

Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three sharp, muffled sounds came from afar, accompanied by a man's shout: "Midnight! All is well—here we go!"

Wang Xi felt as if he had just woken up from a brief but bizarre nightmare.

The chirping of insects and the barking of dogs finally began, and a child from some unknown household was crying. A woman whispered comforting words and hummed a lullaby.

He looked again into the darkness and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He finally saw the red heartbeat.

That's a person.

"Peddler Xie Er (Neutral/Skeleton/Hero)"

Silver-framed skull!

Where did such a powerful person come from in this small town?

Moreover, sitting by the roadside playing the erhu in the middle of the night doesn't seem like a respectable person.

"Rouge and face powder, needles and thread; rare treasures, as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns... bronze mirrors reflect people, compasses guide the way; buy now if you want, don't touch if you don't want to; limited stock, fleeting opportunities, today—"

The peddler called out from the darkness.

It was a mature, deep male voice, magnetic and full of experience.

"Hey buddy, wanna buy something?"

These words were clearly spoken by King Xi of Chao.

Wang Xi took a deep breath and moved closer.

Then I saw a man in a gray long gown sitting on the ground under the eaves and on the steps of a house. His clothes were faded and patched, and he looked travel-worn.

He was in his early thirties, tall and thin, like a bamboo pole worn down by the wind. He held an old erhu in his arms.

His eyebrows and eyes were plain, his nose was straight, his lips were thin and dry, and he had a stubble of beard. He was the kind of person who would be unrecognizable if thrown into a crowd.

But Wang Xi noticed something unusual about this person.

First was his belt, a piece of linen about the width of a palm—covered with tiny red characters that looked like scriptures or indistinct symbols.

Secondly, there was a square sandalwood display case beside him, about half a person's height. The two straps were made of woven hemp rope, with countless small red characters on them as well.

At each of the two corners of the container hung a string of bells and a jade gourd, and the four sides were covered with incomprehensible yellow paper talismans.

"Selling goods this late?"

Wang Xi stopped four or five steps away and asked tentatively.

The peddler didn't take it to heart and explained with a smile:

"After a long and dusty journey, I've just arrived in this town, and unfortunately, it's already late... I've only just sat down to rest my feet when I saw you, young man. It's quite a coincidence. I, Xie Er, sell my goods regardless of location or time. When I meet the right person, I'll sell some trinkets."

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow.

Now, he's become the person others call the "destined one."

"Which way are you coming from, peddler?"

Wang Xi asked again.

The peddler shook his head and said:
“Shouldering all the burdens of the world, the bells jingled as I entered the gates of hell. I’ve sold willows in the south, peddled autumn leaves in the north, and now…” He coughed twice. “All that’s left is an empty shell wandering the states.”

"Young man, please don't ask where you came from."

"..."

Wang Xi observed the peddler without making a sound.

This man named Xie Er exuded a mysterious aura.

He then asked:
"What do you sell? Can I take a look?"

"Sorry, I can't look," the peddler shook his head and asked instead, "What would you like to order?"

"The peddler is quite interesting."

Wang Xi smiled.

"Normally, when you sell goods, you show them to the customer, and once they pick something they like, you pay and the goods are exchanged... But your goods can't be shown to the customer. Does that mean you have everything they want?"

"Not really."

The peddler waved his hand.

"But my store has a wide variety of goods; whatever the customer wants, we usually have it in the display case. If not, there are similar alternatives to choose from."

"Hmm..." Wang Xi pondered for a moment, then, wanting to test the waters, said, "I'd like to buy something for my master, mistress, and fellow disciples. Do you have any, peddler?"

"You're so kind, sir," the peddler said with a smile. "Of course."

After saying that, he took the heavy sandalwood cabinet, opened the second, third, and fifth drawers, and took out six items.

"How about these items?" the peddler said, using the cabinet as a table and placing the items on it one by one.

A small porcelain bottle, a bronze mirror, a piece of ginseng root, a string of copper coins, a stick of incense, and a box of rouge.

Wang Xi looked closely, and his pupils contracted slightly.

"Black Sandpiper", "Love and Separation", "Duan's Hu", "Five-Coin Duck", "Rain-Praying Incense", "Beauty-Nourishing Yin".

These six items are clearly not simple.

"How much?" Wang Xi asked in a deep voice.

"Not expensive," the peddler said. "100 yuan notes, 30 silver dollars, plus a small yellow croaker."

"..."

Wang Xi felt a chill run down his spine.

The price was exactly half of the wealth in his pocket!
coincidence?

impossible.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world?

Wang Xi couldn't help but wonder if this peddler was proficient in divination techniques such as the Six Lines and Ziwei Divination, and could calculate how much wealth he had with a simple calculation, and then take half of it as payment?
That's too far-fetched.

“It’s really not expensive.” Wang Xi nodded, opened the leather bag, took out the full amount of money, and placed it on the shelf.

"Thank you for your patronage." The peddler stood up, bowed to Wang Xi, and said with a smile. "Young man, please take a look. The money and goods are settled, and there are no refunds or exchanges."

Wang Xi nodded, pretending to pick it up and inspect it, but it was actually completely unnecessary.

After Caius investigated, he was fairly certain that these six items were objects with extraordinary powers.

Just as he was putting the goods into his sleeve pocket, he heard the peddler say meaningfully:
"Young man, this is something you bought for your sect, so please do not use it yourself."

"Oh?" Wang Xi asked. "What would happen if I used it myself?"

"The customer chooses the goods, and the goods also choose the customer; there is a destiny at play. I am merely following the will of heaven and acting as a matchmaker for the customer."

The peddler smiled and shook his head.

"If you insist... and something happens, don't blame me."

Wang Xi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

This peddler is really interesting.

It appears to be selling goods, but in reality, it involves choosing owners for the "items" in a customer's display case based on their needs.

The two chatted for a few more words.

The peddler then gave a final reminder, explaining which item was best suited for which person, urging Wang Xi not to make a mistake.

...

...

The next morning, Huo Qiao'er carried a bucket of water and a rag into the side room. Just as she was about to clean, she suddenly saw a figure sitting by the bed and instinctively cried out in surprise:

"ah!"

Soon, her surprise turned to joy.

"Senior brother? When did you get back!"

Wang Xi was sitting on the edge of the bed flipping through a manual of hand techniques when he heard this. He looked up and smiled.

"I returned last night and, seeing that you were all resting, I didn't disturb you."

He waved as he spoke.

"Qiao'er, come here. Your senior brother brought you a gift."

The morning light shone through the window, making his smile appear exceptionally warm, which made Huo Qiao'er stare in a daze.

"Senior brother." She blushed, put down the bucket and rag, and obediently walked over. "Yesterday, my parents, Senior Brother Yu, and I were all very worried about you... Did the militia bureau make things difficult for you?"

Huo Qiao'er didn't take the gift her senior brother mentioned to heart at all; she just asked with concern.

"Mr. Zhong Minghui, the head of the Youth League, is a reasonable person. He didn't make things difficult for me."

Wang Xi put down the handbook and smiled.

"Really?" Huo Qiao'er hesitated. "But you killed Liu Mengzi in front of so many people, and you also injured Captain Mao..."

"Don't worry, it's all over now."

Wang Xi spoke casually.

As he spoke, he took out a rouge box and handed it to his junior sister. This was the "Beauty Nourishing Essence" he had bought from the mysterious peddler last night, which could nourish the skin and give it a radiant glow.

Wow! What a beautiful rouge box!

Huo Qiao'er's attention was immediately drawn to the carved iron box in front of her. After taking it, she examined it with great affection.

"Senior brother, this isn't cheap, is it?"

"Gifts are not about price, they are about what you like."

Wang Xi smiled.

After a while.

In the courtyard of the martial arts school, Huo Mingchuan and his wife, Yu Ruiyang, and Zhang Fuyun all arrived. Wang Xi briefly explained what had happened to them—of course, it was three parts true and seven parts false.

In short, the main purpose was to inform everyone that there was no need to worry about Liu Mengzi anymore.

After he finished speaking, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"No wonder I heard the neighbors talking this morning that the Sanhe Gang was fighting amongst themselves over the spoils, resulting in heavy casualties, and the leader and the third leader died together..."

Junior brother Zhang Fuyun said with a grin.

"And Mao Xinrong from the Black Eel Army yesterday, because of his crippled hand, was sent back to his hometown."

"Now, no one will bother the martial arts school or Senior Brother Wang!"

"..."

However, apart from Zhang Fuyun, everyone else looked serious.

Things aren't that simple!
Only Zhang Fuyun, with his blockheaded mind, simply couldn't grasp it.

"Xi Zhi, how did you get out of the militia bureau?"

At this moment, Master Huo hesitated for a long time before finally asking his second disciple in a deep voice.

"Commander Chung and I hit it off immediately."

Wang Xi smiled.

Everyone was stunned.

(End of this chapter)