At this moment, the gray-robed man's face was so gloomy it seemed water might drip from it. Hu Yue, meanwhile, shielded a sallow, emaciated little girl of seven or eight. The child trembled violently in fear, still clutching half a blackened cornbread bun in her hand.
"What happened?" Escort Chief Hu strode over.
Pointing at the gray-robed man, Hu Yue said furiously, "Grandpa! They... they won't even spare such a little girl! I saw him with my own eyes trying to feed that ghostly pill to her. He even spouted nonsense about 'the holy seed housing a spirit, bringing blessings to one's family'! The child didn't understand and nearly took it!"
"Shut up!" Escort Chief Hu barked, his face turning livid.
He quickly stepped forward and blocked Hu Yue from view, piling a smooth smile onto his face. "Please calm your anger, Cult Envoy, calm your anger! My granddaughter is young and ignorant. She rashly offended you, Cult Envoy—she truly deserves death! Children have never seen the world and misunderstand many things. I beg the Cult Envoy to be magnanimous and forgive her, forgive her!"
The gray-robed man's originally gloomy expression eased somewhat after he sensed the Gang Jin aura on Escort Chief Hu, and some of his arrogance receded. Yet his eyes remained icy.
With a cold snort, his gaze swept over the several dark-red pills rolling on the ground. He then glanced at the escort carts and banners behind Escort Chief Hu, but did not fly into a rage at once.
Escort Chief Hu had traveled the martial world for many years. With his keen eye, he immediately drew a stack of banknotes from his robes—judging by its thickness, worth several hundred taels—and slipped it into the gray-robed man's hand. In a low voice, he said, "Just a