Chapter 153 The Great Joyful Bodhisattva

Time gradually deepened into late autumn, the weather growing increasingly cold. The leaves on the trees lining the road had all turned golden, leisurely falling to the ground.

Night fell, a bright moon hung high, and a cold breeze whispered.

Even Cangzhou City, a millennia-old fortress city, gradually grew quiet at this hour.

The air, which had been clamorous during the day due to the influx of many Jianghu figures from other prefectures, also gradually settled into calm.

Cangzhou Prefecture, the Marquis of Annan's Estate.

Deep within the estate, in Sima Yutang's residence.

This was Sima Yutang's secluded cultivation place, not far from the rear mountain where the Old Marquis, Sima Tao, resided. Few ever came here without Sima Yutang's command.

But tonight, an uninvited guest had arrived.

Sima Yutang did not invite the other party into his room. Even though his room was spacious enough, the doorway was not tall enough to accommodate his guest.

Thus, they could only sit in the courtyard, receiving the guest amidst the cool breeze and bright moon.

At this moment, Sima Yutang's expression was less than pleasant, for the other party had come uninvited.

The Guest Elder, Duan Cheng, lay limp on the ground, unconscious.

Although Sima Yutang was quite certain his father had already detected the other party and was capable of killing them, it was very likely that he himself would die at the other's hand before his father even made a move.

Therefore, he did not act rashly.

Of course, he believed the other party wasn't that foolish either.

With his father guarding the Marquis's Estate, would the other party be so reckless as to deliver themselves to their death?

So, the other party's visit tonight likely had a purpose.

Confident that his father would not attack them.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind. Sima Yutang spoke first, his voice deep and serious:

"Red Sleeve Beckon... my Marquis of Annan's Estate seems to have no dealings with you, does it? I wonder what brings Your Excellency here tonight? Could it be you also wish to challenge my father?"

His gaze held a touch of peculiarity. Although he had heard tales of the person before him, witnessing them in person was truly an eye-opener.

Opposite Sima Yutang stood a small hill, over three meters wide and more than four meters tall.

A closer look revealed it was no hill at all.

It was clearly a person—a woman of extreme, immense obesity.

She had a crew-cut, short hair. Layers upon layers of flesh piled on her body, forming rolling waves of fat that cascaded from top to bottom, spilling onto the ground.

But those seemingly slick, greasy waves of flesh, under the moonlight, emitted a faint metallic sheen.

Behind the fleshy waves stood four middle-aged men with pale, beardless faces.

All were expressionless, exuding faint, elusive killing intent.

The woman before him, this mountain of flesh, was none other than one of the Red Sleeve Beckon's twelve Wuchang Emissaries—Great Joy Bodhisattva.

As a top-tier assassin organization of the Great Jin Dynasty, Red Sleeve Beckon's members were extremely mysterious.

The outside world only knew they possessed twelve Wuchang Emissaries capable of assassinating Ninth Realm Supreme Grandmasters, but their true identities remained completely unknown.

Great Joy Bodhisattva was the sole exception.

For no other reason than her appearance being far too distinctive—impossible to conceal even if she tried.

At first glance, you couldn't see her face at all, only layers of flesh piled together, seemingly obscuring even her nostrils and eyes.

A voice, milky and childlike as if from a three-year-old, rang out in the courtyard.

Yet Great Joy Bodhisattva's mouth did not move. Instead, her abdomen swelled and contracted, the sound emanating from within her belly—a stark contrast to her mountainous physique.

"The Old Marquis's might shakes Cangzhou Prefecture. How would this little woman dare to provoke him!"

"Coming tonight, I merely wish to discuss a matter with Marquis Sima."

Little woman...

Sima Yutang's face tightened, forcing himself not to laugh. He inwardly cursed: *How the hell do you have the nerve to call yourself a 'little woman'?*

Aloud, he said:

"Oh? I wonder what matter there is for us to discuss?"

"Giggle~ giggle~"

Two coquettish laughs came from within the mountain of flesh, making Sima Yutang's skin crawl and sending a chill down his spine.

Truly, hearing such an alluring laugh emerge from such a nauseating mass of flesh was utterly demonic.

"The matter of Blade Demon Yan Chu challenging the Old Marquis has now spread throughout the land. This person, despite his youth, has repeatedly provoked the Marquis's Estate. I imagine the Marquis must be eager to see him dead, is he not?"

"Hmph! So what if he is?"

Hearing the name Yan Chu, Sima Yutang's voice turned several degrees colder.

It wasn't just that he wanted Yan Chu dead—he wanted to grind his bones to dust!

"Giggle~ giggle~" Great Joy Bodhisattva laughed again.

*Can't you just stop laughing!!!*

Sima Yutang roared inwardly. *Hearing you laugh twice is worse than taking two blades myself.*

At this moment, he felt a pang of envy for the unconscious Duan Cheng beside him.

Spared from this torment.

"That Yan Chu also holds a great grudge against my Red Sleeve Beckon. This one has long wished to see him dead. It's just that I never expected him to grow so quickly."

"Coming tonight is to discuss with the Marquis a proposal: my Red Sleeve Beckon provides the personnel, your Estate provides the item, and we eliminate him together!"

"Oh?"

Sima Yutang narrowed his eyes slightly and asked:

"I wonder what 'item' you wish my Estate to provide?"

"Giggle~"

*You damn...*

Hearing that laugh again, a vein throbbed at Sima Yutang's temple. He felt a strong urge to kill.

"I heard that some years ago, the Marquis's Estate obtained a dragon tiger great restoration pill, capable of increasing a Ninth Realm Martial Artist's power by thirty years. That is correct, is it not?"

"It is!"

Forcibly suppressing his anger, Sima Yutang snorted coldly:

"You want the great restoration pill? Then you've miscalculated!"

"Even without your intervention, in half a month when the appointed duel date arrives, Yan Chu will still be killed by my father!"

That dragon tiger great restoration pill, originating from Dragon Tiger Mountain, was one of the Estate's most precious treasures. He had prepared it for his own future advancement to the Mountain Shaking Realm. How could he possibly hand it over?

"Giggle~"

Great Joy Bodhisattva laughed again.

Sima Yutang took a deep breath, his face ashen. The hand behind his back clenched tightly into a fist, then slowly relaxed.

"That Blade Demon's cultivation improves daily. Waiting another half month, he will likely have become a Supreme Grandmaster. Can the Old Marquis be certain he can kill him then?"

"Moreover, he has the backing of the Empress Dowager's faction. It's unlikely they will sit idly by and watch the Old Marquis slay him, is it?"

"But my Red Sleeve Beckon is different."

"If the Marquis is willing to part with his treasure, I can guarantee you will see Yan Chu's head tomorrow!"

"Furthermore, besides the matter of killing Yan Chu, this little woman also has an item to offer, to exchange for the dragon tiger great restoration pill."

One of the middle-aged men behind Great Joy Bodhisattva stepped forward, produced an ornate brocade box, and opened it. Inside lay a pink Medicinal Pill.

"What is this?"

Sima Yutang frowned, looking at the pink pill.

Great Joy Bodhisattva's abdomen contracted, about to let out another giggle.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and she could laugh no more.

Before Sima Yutang, a tall, imposing young man appeared. He wore black brocade robes, his hair half black, half white.

His mere presence solidified the air in the entire courtyard. Even the moonlight could no longer penetrate.

And that brocade box was now in the young man's hand.

"Ol... Old Marquis..."

Great Joy Bodhisattva's voice was filled with apprehension. Her words no longer came from her abdomen but from the quivering waves of flesh on her face, sounding hoarse and unpleasant.