Chen Ping's Sword-Chapter 53: Evil Rises a Step Higher

Chen Ping felt a bit speechless, looking at Hua Lian’er who was already holding four or five lanterns and couldn’t hold any more. He shook his head but couldn’t bear to dampen her enthusiasm.

"Isn’t it just about solving lantern riddles? I’m pretty good at this..."

Back in his past life when he was participating in underground boxing, besides practicing, there were countless activities, and he ended up reading a lot of miscellaneous books, including a complete collection of lantern riddles.

Chen Ping had a good memory; even for miscellaneous readings, he could recall most of them.

Besides, the riddles on the outskirts of the street weren’t very tricky, and the shop owners wouldn’t mind giving away a few lanterns...

Solving such riddles wasn’t a difficult task for him. Out of ten, he could guess seven or eight.

After a while, he collected so many prizes that his hands got tired from holding them.

So much so that Hua Lian’er was beaming with a smile that she couldn’t contain.

"It’s almost time." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Casually guessing the solution to the lantern riddle, Chen Ping took the Little Fairy lantern under the shopkeeper’s admiring gaze, placed it in Hua Lian’er’s hands, and turned to look into the distance.

It seemed as if he could hear a muffled "rumble".

Scarlet flames shot up into the sky.

Several people turned their heads at once, exchanged glances, and couldn’t help but smile.

"Can it blow someone up?"

Zuo Duanshou was extremely interested in this aspect, looking at the afterglow of the flames, his eyes full of excitement.

"It should be able to. No one would think we’re not inside the house, and if a sudden attack is launched, it’ll be quite amusing." Hua Lian’er was half worried, half expectant, "Moreover, Seventh Brother made such a large pile of black powder... If it’s ignited, it might blow up the whole house."

She glanced sideways, eyes upward toward Chen Ping, unable to hide her smile.

Thinking to herself, Seventh Brother is still as impressive as ever.

Not only can he write lyrics and compose, but he also learns martial arts so quickly.

This time, he even managed to make gunpowder that ordinary people would absolutely have no knowledge of...

Is there really someone who is innately knowledgeable, capable of anything?

"Serves them right, for hunting us down..."

Little Table cursed fiercely, yet there was a tinge of melancholy in his eyes.

Facts proved that his former trust in Tan Sihai’s reputation was indeed naive. The Squad Leader Tan he met as a teenager, who used to call him "worthy nephew," wasn’t really all that dear.

This world doesn’t believe in tears, and there’s not that much sincerity between people.

Even Tan Sihai, with his bold eyebrows and bright eyes, is a fraud after all...

Thankfully, I never thought of turning to him in the past.

The Jianghu is treacherous, who can you truly trust?

Although the Flower Market was bustling with people, full of laughter and joyful voices, Little Table felt a chill in his heart.

"Brother, are you okay?"

Little Stool asked softly from the side.

"I’m fine, I just kind of miss our parents."

Little Table lowered his head; the flickering light obscured his brows and eyes, making them indistinct.

...

"What a pity, only a few small fry were blown up..."

Chen Ping sighed.

Given the limited resources of this era, in a rush, they could only find common items like saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal, and grease.

Although he knew how to prepare it, without multiple tests, it was difficult to achieve the optimal effect...

The explosive effect might not have been ideal.

However, no matter what, if it could add a bit of discomfort to them, then it’s a delightful matter.

Seeing the 4 points of Tribulation and 2 points of Fortune added to the Spring and Autumn Silkworm’s Attribute Panel, Chen Ping felt quite happy inside.

Undoubtedly.

If he hadn’t detected Tan Sihai’s malicious intent in advance, waiting until nightfall to be surrounded at home would certainly have led to a vicious battle.

’Even if I could escape with injuries, the others could very likely die, so this tribulation was actually not small, thus the 4 points of Tribulation.’

The 2 points of Fortune, given that only some peripheral lackeys were taken out, didn’t have a far-reaching impact.’

Chen Ping was now well-acquainted with Qin Qiucan’s calculation mechanism for Tribulation and Fortune...

Based on the acquired numbers, he could roughly guess how much his arrangements accomplished in terms of results.

Feeling some regret, but also some joy.

’Soon, soon, just 4 more points of Tribulation, and [Silk Thread Puppetry] can be elevated again, breaking through to the [Great Success] realm, and my power can make rapid progress once more.’

’By then, I can reconcile both new and old scores at the same time.’

Looking back at the fading afterglow of the flames, Chen Ping retracted the light in his eyes as if nothing had happened.

As they walked.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his expression becoming slightly solemn.

Chen Ping saw that Zuo Duanshou, at some point, had quietly placed his hand over the Black Iron Short Spike at his waist, his body trembling slightly as if struggling to restrain his emotions.

"Calm down..."

Chen Ping reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Secretly, he exchanged a glance with Hua Lian’er and a few others.

Immediately, the group quickly dispersed, pretending not to recognize each other.

This was prearranged.

Whenever something happens, they will spring into action immediately.

Zuo Duanshou had some skills to protect himself and also shouldered the responsibility of guiding people, so he followed along with him;

Hua Lian’er and Kuihua Brothers would first find a crowded place to hide.

If the situation became too complicated and they got separated, they would meet at the old place on Brocade Street in Fireworks Alley.

That would be the Qii Family Mansion.

At that moment, Zuo Duanshou’s expression was unusual.

He had clearly seen a "familiar face."

Chen Ping’s guess was spot-on; the supposed big event of Chizi Hall was likely to take advantage of the crowded chaos to pull off a big operation.

Wherever the crowd was largest, wherever it was lively, that’s where they were most likely to find the people of Seven-Colored Hall.

He had already suspected that Chizi Hall’s main business was in fact the kind he despised most—the "trading" business.

Not knowing was fine, but now that he knew, he certainly had to interfere and ruin their plans.

Moreover, now he and Seven-Colored Hall were entangled to the point of fighting to the end.

Making the enemy unhappy, making them suffer.

That’s how he would find joy.

...

"Oh my..."

A child’s cry of pain suddenly startled everyone.

Looking ahead, near the entrance of a restaurant, a little girl about seven or eight years old had fallen to the ground...

Her forehead was swollen and red from bumping, her eyes filled with tears, but she tried hard to hold them back, refraining from crying loudly.

The one she collided into was a tall and robust young woman, with a sword strapped to her back.

Using the word "robust" to describe a woman was indeed quite odd.

However, Chen Ping truly couldn’t think of any other words to describe her, only "robust" seemed to capture her demeanor.

This woman was eight feet tall, with a waist as slim as a bee...

The issue lay in her upper and lower torso.

Her bronze muscular body stretched her sapphire sword shirt tight, displaying a perfect hourglass figure.

At a glance, people couldn’t help but look again, and then they couldn’t take their eyes off her.

Only to declare, amazingly, wonders never cease...

The figure of an Ancient Greece Valkyrie placed in the East was bound to incite a few exclamations.

If not for her exquisite and heroic face, which showed some softness and youthfulness, Chen Ping almost mistook her gender at first sight.

One had to admit, a larger figure comes with a larger appetite.

The sword-shirted woman, just coming out of the restaurant, rolled up one sleeve while gnawing on a drumstick, gulping it down in a few bites, and then moved onto another.

However, she didn’t anticipate the little girl running about would bump into her rear, bouncing three meters away before falling to the ground.

The sudden incident clearly caught the woman by surprise.

She held a large stack of drumsticks and pork knuckles, feeling a bit at a loss.

"She bumped into someone, she bumped into someone..."

Someone nearby shouted in alarm.

"Look, it seems like there’s blood."

The sword-shirted woman felt even more uncomfortable, a trace of guilt flashed on her face, and she quickly stepped forward to the girl’s side, gently helping her up: "Are you badly hurt? I’ve got food here, I’ll give you a drumstick, and also this..."

The little girl stared at her dazedly, as if her wound didn’t hurt anymore. Hesitant, she timidly accepted the drumstick and under the encouraging gaze of the female swordswoman, took large bites.

Before she swallowed a mouthful of the meat, she was already content, closing her eyes, her tears held back, and a sweet smile forming.

"Is it tasty?"

"Yes, thank you, big sister."

The little girl was very polite, completely forgetting about her fall, making her seem even more endearing.

"Eat slowly, don’t choke."

The woman felt relieved, then put down her bundle and picked up another drumstick to pass over...

Her gaze lingered on the girl’s forehead for a while, then she turned and rummaged through her waist pouch for medicine.

Just as she found the medicine bottle and unplugged it, about to apply it to the girl, she noticed the child suddenly close her eyes, roll over, and collapse, her face turning black.

"Not good, the drumstick is poisoned."

Nearby came a harsh cry.

A ragged, gaunt woman with a broken section of eyebrow on the left side rushed over, crying, "How cruel, you actually gave my precious child a poisoned drumstick to eat..."