Chapter 152: Siheyuan

Chapter 152: The Siheyuan

As the three young Nuo opera performers reached up to remove their masks, three heads wrapped in red cloth were revealed before Li Huowang.

They were not entirely covered; deliberate openings were left for their mouths and noses. After taking off the masks, they immediately began unwrapping the red scarves from their heads.

In no time, young men roughly his own age stood before Li Huowang.

Their faces were perfectly normal, with no extra features and nothing missing, and their expressions were entirely ordinary.

"Daoist, what are you looking at? They've stopped performing, so what's there to see? Let's go somewhere else to have fun; who knows, we might even do some good deeds on the way."

The monk beside him looked thoroughly impatient, grumbling and itching to leave.

"Monk, hold on a moment, wait with me a little longer." The terrifying image of them baring their fangs flashed through Li Huowang's mind, and he still hadn't let go of his suspicions.

He wasn't afraid of them attacking him head-on; what Li Huowang feared was them playing dirty tricks.

Shortly after Li Huowang spoke, he suddenly noticed the three men packing up their things with increasing haste, their expressions somewhat solemn, occasionally stealing glances in his direction.

Li Huowang's expression hardened, thinking to himself, "There's definitely something going on; they're hiding it deep."

The suspicions he had halved due to Lü Zhuangyuan's words instantly surged back to their peak.

The three men, along with the other musicians, loaded all their belongings onto the camels and hurried down a narrow path.

"Monk, let's go! Follow them!" Li Huowang said, quickly stepping forward to keep up.

"Oh, why are you following them? Are you planning to pay them to put on a private show just for you?"

The helpless monk said this, but still followed along.

The two of them trailed far behind, following them as they wound through the town.

At first, it was fine, but gradually, Li Huowang saw the camel carrying the boxes in the distance actually start to run, with someone whipping it.

"They've spotted us! Hurry and chase!" Li Huowang, gripping the hilt of his sword behind his back with one hand, quickened his pace.

Although the town wasn't large, they were locals after all, and after weaving through alleys and hutongs a few times, Li Huowang unexpectedly found he had lost them.

Looking at the identical, dusty gray walls all around, Li Huowang's expression darkened.

"Hah... hah... Daoist, slow down, I can barely keep up..." the monk panted from behind, leaning against the wall.

Li Huowang glanced back at him; it was only natural that the older man lacked his stamina.

"If you really can't make it, go back first, don't follow." With that, Li Huowang continued searching along the small path.

Although the monk's suspicion was minimal, it hadn't been completely cleared, and he didn't want to drag this burden along when facing the enemy.

"Fine... I'll head back then, you run slowly by yourself." The helpless monk, supporting his waist, walked toward another alley.

"I hope I'm just overthinking this." Li Huowang shook his head, but after taking only a few steps alone, a sudden scream rang out from behind.

"No! That was the monk's voice!"

Li Huowang immediately rushed toward the sound, rounded a wall, and stopped in front of a large, square pit.

It was an earthen pit, with wooden doors and windows arranged on the four sides below, looking like a sunken courtyard house resembling an earthen cellar.

Several large wooden masks hung on the four walls, their ferocious designs unmistakably the same ones the three men wore for the Nuo opera.

From the camel grazing in the yard, it was clear this was the home of the three brothers.

"Daoist!! Give me a hand and pull me up, ah, you've really screwed me over, why do they build houses underground in this wretched place, it's not like they're digging a grave."

Li Huowang looked down toward the voice again, only to see the monk lying below with a pained expression, groaning softly.

Gripping his sword with one hand, Li Huowang jumped down, using the windowsill for a slight boost, and landed steadily beside the monk.

He didn't reach out to help the monk first; instead, he instantly gripped his sword hilt, vigilantly scanning the tightly closed doors and windows around them.

Through his keen perception, he sensed gazes shooting from behind the doors and windows; there were people inside, and quite a few of them.

With the enemy's strength unknown, Li Huowang didn't want to strike first.

Strangely, the other side seemed to be thinking the same thing and also made no move. The atmosphere grew tense and deadlocked for a moment.

"Are these people thinking the same as me?" Li Huowang mused silently.

"Daoist, what are you just standing there for?" The monk, face contorted in discomfort, climbed up from the ground.

"Wait a moment! I don't have time to chat with you now." No sooner had Li Huowang spoken than he felt several more gazes falling upon him.

They weren't coming from inside the house, but from the eyes of the masks on the walls; those masks seemed to have come alive in this instant.

Regardless of whether this place was related to the copper coin mask from last night, Li Huowang had no intention of maintaining this standoff any longer.

After a moment of deliberation, Li Huowang spoke up, "This junior Xuan Yang pays respects to everyone. I happened to pass by this esteemed place with no intention to offend, and I hope you can forgive my intrusion."

Li Huowang's words received no response. Thinking for a moment, he tried a different approach to test them.

"Does the Spring Code open?" Yet, there was still no response.

"As for what happened last night, I shall pretend it never occurred; how about we value harmony above all?"

After explaining himself, Li Huowang didn't care whether they understood his meaning or not, and led the monk toward a ladder nearby.

A long ladder was set up, and Li Huowang let the monk climb out first.

Seeing him safely back on the ground, Li Huowang instantly stepped on the ladder with his right foot and followed.

After Li Huowang and the monk left, people with tattoos on their ears walked out from the house.

Among them were men and women, and even children of just a few years old.

At this moment, every face was filled with grief, indignation, and fear.

One of the three Nuo opera brothers, his fists clenched and trembling, said to a white-haired old man, "Grandfather! What that man said is true! We can't wait any longer! We must strike first!"

The old man, clearly furious, gripped his cane in his right hand and slammed it heavily onto the ground.

"Go gather all the young people in the family and deal with that red-robed Daoist! Don't think our family is easy to bully!"

After Li Huowang and the monk left the underground siheyuan and returned to the bustling streets, the monk still seemed unable to process what had happened.

"What's going on? What exactly is going on?" he asked, his face a mask of bewilderment.

"You really don't know what's going on?" Li Huowang scrutinized the monk before him once more.

He hadn't forgotten that this man was also a source of trouble.

Last time, it was because of the monk that he uncovered the conspiracy of Zhengde Temple, and this time, it was again because of him that he found the home of those Nuo opera performers.

Once could be written off, but a second time? If this was still a coincidence, it was far too convenient.

(End of Chapter)