The Red Lantern Lady...
Whether it was the Ninth Grandfather carrying the jar, the old shopkeeper, or Wu He, who was wrapped in dog skin, everyone knew exactly what that glimpse of red light represented.
They were also well aware of the presence that had instantly made itself known, bringing immense pressure that even suppressed the resentment of the Jar Auntie...
Within a ten-mile radius, only the Red Lantern Lady could command such awe.
"You... you actually invited the Red Lantern Lady?" The Ninth Grandfather's laughter was cut short, replaced by shock and a hoarse voice.
He couldn't understand why Old Wu, who had fought so hard for the blood offering, would end up inviting the Red Lantern Lady.
But to his surprise, the old shopkeeper also looked toward the manor with a face full of despair and confusion.
"Why would I invite her? If I were going to invite her, why would I have guarded this place for so long and gone through all this trouble? What would be the point?"
If he had wanted to invite her, he would have done so long ago.
What he couldn't figure out was how the Red Lantern Lady had been summoned.
To ensure safety, he hadn't taught anyone in the manor how to summon her.
He had even reduced the amount of oil in the lanterns...
Most importantly, if the Red Lantern Lady had arrived, all his plans would be ruined...
"Old Wu, Shopkeeper Wu..."
After a suffocating silence, the Ninth Grandfather of the Jar Sect suddenly realized something and shouted, "You didn't summon the Red Lantern Lady, did you? You're not that foolish. If she's alerted, none of us will benefit. Let's stop fighting and just leave. We can split the blood offering in half and leave before she arrives!"
The suggestion sounded absurd.
The two sides were sworn enemies, and to do such a thing would be unthinkable.
Yet, Shopkeeper Wu was indeed filled with hatred, his mind flashing with images of his dead disciples and workers.
But as his hatred burned, a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and his fierce gaze turned toward the Ninth Grandfather.
His hatred for the Jar Sect was genuine, but now he was truly tempted.
Should they leave now? Or should they wait for the Red Lantern Lady to arrive, offer the blood offering, and claim they had redeemed themselves? The latter was safer, but the former offered greater gains.
Only he knew the true value of this blood offering.
How many years would he have to serve the Red Lantern Society to earn such a reward? Moreover, although he still had some fight left in him, his substitute was already dead.
Even with his third-tier Shousui abilities, he wasn't sure he could withstand the Jar Auntie's attacks.
If they fought, he might not last until the Red Lantern Lady arrived from the manor...
Wu He, who had removed the dog skin from her head, shouted, "Father, kill them! Avenge us! Return the blood offering!"
"Ninth Grandfather, we should leave. If the Red Lantern arrives, we'll be..."
The other members of the Jar Sect also shouted.
They had been severely injured by the old shopkeeper after just a brief exchange.
But despite their pleas, neither the Ninth Grandfather nor the old shopkeeper dared to move.
One was worried that if he left now, Shopkeeper Wu would desperately try to delay him, wasting precious time.
The other knew that if he attacked again, the Jar Sect would fight back with everything they had.
Without his substitute, he might not gain the upper hand.
Even if he managed to hold them off, once the Red Lantern Lady arrived, he wouldn't get even half of the blood offering...
As he thought about it, he suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with the Ninth Grandfather.
It seemed as though the two were about to reach some kind of agreement.
But just then, a cold laugh echoed from the shadows.
Both sides immediately held their breath.
They had been so engrossed in their fight that they hadn't noticed when this person had arrived.
Or perhaps she had been waiting there all along?
Through the darkness, they could vaguely make out a slender figure, seemingly a woman, with something perched on her shoulder, its eyes glowing brightly.
The woman let out a cold laugh but said nothing.
Instead, she slowly pulled something from her robe and shook it gently, producing a jingling sound.
It was a bell.
As the bell rang, the porters, who had been standing motionless and uninvolved in the fight, suddenly began to move.
One by one, they picked up their carrying poles, hoisted the bags of blood offerings, and, ignoring everyone around them, slowly walked toward the woman.
"You..."
Seeing this, everyone was momentarily stunned.
The Ninth Grandfather and Shopkeeper Wu exchanged bewildered glances before realizing:
"A peach picker?"
While they had been fighting to the death, someone had been waiting on the sidelines to reap the rewards?
Both Shopkeeper Wu and the Jar Sect members were shocked, feeling a sense of absurd urgency.
They shouted, "Friend, which path do you walk?"
But the figure didn't respond.
She simply stood there silently, allowing the porters to walk past her and disappear into the darkness behind her.
The Ninth Grandfather and the old shopkeeper were both unnerved by this mysterious figure.
They were certain she wasn't an ally of the other side, which made the situation even more unimaginable.
In their desperation, they could no longer hold back.
Both of them suddenly leaped forward, launching fierce attacks at the silent figure.
The Ninth Grandfather placed his hand on the cracked jar and began chanting a spell.
A deep, resentful energy, carried by the night wind, swept toward the figure.
Meanwhile, the old shopkeeper pulled a chain dart from his bag and whipped it toward her heart with a gust of wind.
Not just the two of them, but the other Jar Sect members also reacted, simultaneously channeling the Jar Auntie's resentment.
In an instant, both sides joined forces to attack this mysterious figure.
How dangerous!
But the woman standing in the shadows, shaking her bell, seemed completely unfazed.
She stood there motionless, but the creature on her shoulder suddenly let out a shrill, ear-piercing cat cry.
The cry was so sharp and filled with an invisible pressure that everyone felt dizzy and unable to move.
As the cat cried, something seemed to explode in the air.
The old shopkeeper's chain dart, which had been thrown with full force, suddenly flew back at him, faster and heavier than before.
With a whoosh, it struck him, sending him tumbling to the ground, blood spewing from his mouth.
The Jar Sect fared even worse.
The resentful winds they had summoned were blown back, and the jars in their hands exploded one after another.
The Jar Aunties inside let out desperate, agonized screams before their remains—red and white—scattered across the ground.
With just this one move, both the Jar Sect and the old shopkeeper realized how terrifying this opponent was.
If they had been at full strength, they might have stood a chance.
But now, both sides were weakened and had no courage left to fight.
The Ninth Grandfather's voice was hoarse as he cried out in despair, "Friend, who are you? Leave us your name, so we may accept our defeat with dignity."
But the figure in the shadows didn't answer.
She simply let out a low chuckle.
The porters had already walked past her and disappeared into the night.
She stopped shaking the bell and seemed about to leave, but then, as if remembering something, she stepped forward.
This movement frightened the Jar Sect members and the old shopkeeper, who thought she was going to silence them.
But instead, she walked over to Wu He and gently reached out.
Wu He was startled and tried to resist, but before she could do anything, the woman's slender fingers touched the dog's head.
With a flip of her hand, she tore off a piece of the dog skin from Wu He's back.
Wu He felt excruciating pain and closed her eyes, waiting for death.
The old shopkeeper also tried to jump up, but the strange cat on the woman's shoulder stared at him, making him feel unbearably heavy.
But the woman didn't do anything else.
She simply pulled out a fire starter, lit it, and shone it on Wu He's back.
She let out a low, hoarse laugh.
"How pitiful. It's indeed the evil art of beast transformation... But the Jar Sect's method of raising the Jar Auntie is quite impressive. However, their beast transformation technique is lacking. If you can find someone from the Divine Hand Zhao family, you might still be cured..."
After saying this, she turned around without another word.
The sound of the bell jingling faded as she disappeared into the night.
When everyone came to their senses, the woman with the bell had already led the porters away into the darkness.
She had come mysteriously and left just as quickly.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what had just happened.
After a while, Shopkeeper Wu suddenly realized something.
He felt that this mysterious person had appeared out of nowhere and left just as abruptly, exuding an indescribable air of mystery.
But he couldn't afford to hesitate.
The blood offering was gone, and the Red Lantern Lady would likely arrive soon.
Most importantly, without his substitute, he might not be a match for the Jar Sect members he had just fought...
But now, most of their jars were broken, and although he had vomited blood, he still had some fight left in him...
Suddenly realizing this, he turned his fierce gaze toward the Jar Sect members.
The Ninth Grandfather and the surviving members also noticed his look and immediately understood.
"This old man is going to silence us... Brothers, fight to the death!"
And so, another brutal battle ensued, while the mysterious figure had long since vanished without a trace.
(End of Chapter)