I felt like this person had snatched my words right out of my mouth…

Why were all the transmigrator codenames related to liquor? Hu Ma had wanted to ask this question for a long time. The first time he’d met Erguotou, he’d thought it was probably because using such a name would make it easier for fellow transmigrators to notice each other. But then he’d met White Wine, and he’d found it a bit novel.

Because of the influence of those two, he’d casually picked the codename Lao Baigan, feeling like he’d instantly integrated into their group.

But now that he’d encountered a Sweet Potato Wine, he couldn’t help but wonder if all transmigrators were choosing names of liquors from their original world to use as codenames for each other.

Was it a tacitly understood rule, or just a habit?

If it was a habit passed down by predecessors, then was the first predecessor to choose such a name a distillery owner?

Also, weren’t they worried about having the same name?

…Or would they add a place name in front of the name? I'm Lao Yin Mountain Lao Baigan, and you're Wutong Town Sweet Potato Wine?

But if he had asked first, he would have already asked all of these questions. Since the other party had taken the initiative, Hu Ma only pondered for a moment before quietly asking, "Aren't you too?"

Projecting an image of experience and composure.

Sweet Potato Wine hurriedly said, "I only chose a name similar to Miss White Wine because I contacted her before. I originally wanted to call myself Red Wine, but she…"

Hu Ma asked, "But she what?"

Sweet Potato Wine hesitated for a while before replying, a little embarrassed, "...She said I wasn't worthy!"

"..."

Hu Ma immediately understood: 'Looks like this is a newbie, not much experience. It'll be easier to deal with him.'

'Newbies are the most reassuring.'

"..."

"Anyway, it's good that you're here, brother."

While Hu Ma was thinking, this Sweet Potato Wine seemed even more excited than he was.

He vaguely heard his voice was slightly high-pitched, like a child going through puberty, a bit androgynous. He didn't know if he was deliberately acting that way or if that was his original voice.

He heard him say, "I was really worried I wouldn't be able to wait for you. Our Wutong County is a small place, and I can't find any other transmigrators. I can't leave to go to a bigger city to look for people either. Fortunately, I had Sister White Wine introduce me."

"At least there are people coming and going in your Wutong County. Our Lao Yin Mountain is even more miserable…"

Hu Ma thought to himself, but he maintained a steady demeanor and said in a deep voice, "I'm very familiar with Miss White Wine. She couldn't get away, so she asked me to come here for this trip. Let's get down to business. She said you have a deal here that's worth a lot of silver?"

"Silver?"

Sweet Potato Wine sounded a little surprised, "What's silver worth?"

"Although I haven't cooperated with many transmigrators, I also know that transmigrators are incredibly powerful. Who would be so unambitious as to toil for silver? What I'm planning this time is a treasure!"

"..."

Hu Ma suddenly felt like he'd been scolded by him, but he didn't know how to retort.

He paused slightly, maintaining a composed appearance, and asked, "What treasure?"

"It's a treasure of our Xinghun (Soul Execution) Sect that's not very useful to outsiders."

Sweet Potato Wine hurriedly explained, "But if you help me, I'll owe you a big favor."

"There's only one of this treasure. I'm afraid I won't be able to share it with you, and besides, outsiders wouldn't need it. But for anything else, whether it's doing things or other treasures you want, as long as I have it, we can negotiate. If it really doesn't work out, I can get you some Blood Food Pills too."

Hu Ma was slightly startled when he heard this and hurriedly asked, "How many?"

Sweet Potato Wine thought for a moment and said, "At least seven or eight."

"..."

Hu Ma sighed and said, "It's not worth it to take action for that. If you're really in a difficult situation, then change it to silver. Although it's not much, one or two thousand taels can still be used."

"Hiss…"

Sweet Potato Wine was immediately stunned and whispered, "Brother, were you transmigrated into a noble family?"

"You look down on Blood Food Pills so much, and you're talking about tens of thousands of taels of silver?"

"..."

Hu Ma realized that Miss White Wine was a meticulous person. Although she'd set up this deal, and both sides were relying on her to trust each other, she hadn't revealed either side's information. He became even calmer.

Without confirming or denying, he simply said, "Let's talk about the main business first."

"How do you want me to help you?"

"..."

Sweet Potato Wine also breathed a sigh of relief before whispering, "That treasure is in Wutong County. It will soon mature. I want to take it before that happens."

"However, to be honest, I'm not the only one eyeing this treasure. Many capable people and strange individuals have come, but I don't care about the others. There's only one person I'm not confident in dealing with. I'll feel more at ease if I have someone to cooperate with."

Hu Ma frowned, "Who?"

"It's the eldest young master of the Lu family, a major grain merchant in Wutong County, Lu Xiujin."

Sweet Potato Wine paused before saying truthfully, "Don't be fooled by his appearance as a leisurely, wealthy young master. He secretly apprenticed to an old master in the martial world a few years ago and learned a unique skill with yellow ceremonial paper."

"In recent years, he hasn't killed a few people either. The maids who ran away from his family and the unclaimed corpses under the stone bridge were all the good deeds done by this glamorous young master."

"Secretly, he has also joined the Qingyi (Blue Cloak) Gang and can be considered to have some influence. Now he's competing with me for this treasure, planning to help the Qingyi Gang do something big. But don't worry, I've also made a lot of plans, and the advantages on both sides are about the same."

"..."

"People from the Qingyi Gang?"

Hu Ma was slightly startled when he heard this. He silently calculated and whispered, "Those people are probably not easy to deal with, right?"

"As expected, the older you are in the martial world, the more careful you become. Brother, your caution is worth learning from…"

Sweet Potato Wine sighed and lamented, "But don't worry, we now have the advantage of surprise, of course the advantage is on our side."

"Besides, you don't have to worry about him. Although he's insidious and has a unique skill, I know all the moves he knows. I also know what he's going to do and what his weaknesses are. I can tell you in advance."

"..."

'What?'

Hu Ma was really surprised when he heard this.

People in the same path usually keep their unique skills a secret. How could they be so easily figured out?

Once they were figured out, their lives would probably be in the hands of others, right?

"Hehe, it's not just that I know his unique skills and weaknesses, he also knows my unique skills and weaknesses."

As if noticing Hu Ma's surprise, Sweet Potato Wine chuckled and said, "Because we were originally taught by the same master. He's my senior brother. The treasure we're fighting for now was planted by our master back then."

"Whoever of us can get the treasure will be the face of our sect and can become a patron of the Qingyi Gang."

"Of course, we don't usually tell others our weaknesses. It's a taboo in this world. No one in the path would leak it, but what do I care? Revealing it to a transmigrator doesn't count as revealing it."

"..."

Hu Ma listened without changing his expression, but he was silently thinking in his heart.

He had to admit, this was also a terrifying aspect of transmigrators.

Some people in this world were able to establish themselves because of their unique skills, but once the unique skill was revealed, it was no longer a unique skill. It was just like a magician. Perhaps an unbelievable magic trick could be exposed with just a word, becoming ordinary and boring.

Neither this magician, nor his disciples, nor his assistants, would ever reveal this secret, otherwise they would become enemies of everyone.

But transmigrators obviously didn't have this belief. If they wanted to say it, they would say it.

Of course, although he understood clearly in his heart, he deliberately asked indifferently, "If you tell me, aren't you afraid…"

Among transmigrators, weren't there any who would fight to the death for profit?

He had told him the secrets and weaknesses of his path. Wasn't he afraid that he would turn around and kill him to steal the treasure?

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Sweet Potato Wine was stunned for a moment when he heard this and asked curiously, "Even if you covet that treasure and want to trick me, aren't you afraid that Miss White Wine will come looking for you?"

"..."

Hu Ma pondered to himself. He was still afraid of this unfathomable Miss White Wine.

But that didn't seem to explain why Sweet Potato Wine was so carefree?

"Hehe, of course there's an even more important point."

Sweet Potato Wine said, "I only know Miss White Wine, but she told me about a commonality between us transmigrators."

"At the time, she asked me if I'd ever thought about this question: why are many poor people we see clearly living very difficult lives, but they are always very kind and don't dare to do things that violate their conscience?"

"..."

He didn't expect him to ask back. Hu Ma was also stunned for a moment and said indifferently, "Because of their nature?"

"No."

Sweet Potato Wine said, "Miss White Wine said that this is because of a very simple reason: they believe in the afterlife, they believe in hell and heaven."

"Because they believe, even if they are poor and destitute, they don't dare to do bad things, because they are afraid of going to hell after they die, afraid of being reincarnated as pigs and dogs to suffer, afraid that if they suffer in this life, they will continue to suffer after they die…"

"We transmigrators are the same as them in some ways."

"We transmigrators were all sent to this world by a mysterious power. We don't know if we are time-travelers or reincarnated ghosts. Of course, we also don't know if there really is a netherworld, with ten Yama Kings waiting for us."

"If there really is, then what will we do once we die and our actions in this world are judged?"

"Then there's this point. Since there is the existence of the Awakener, um, that is, the voice that awakened us from chaos, since he can awaken us, does that also mean that he is always watching us?"

"If we trick each other for a little bit of profit, will he think we are black sheep and kick us out?"

"..."

This was the first time Hu Ma had realized this problem.

He hadn't seriously talked about the issue of mutual trust between transmigrators with Erguotou and Miss White Wine before.

Now that he heard Sweet Potato Wine say it, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. However, he didn't show it. He just listened silently. After a long time, he gently breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then, let's get down to business!"

"How should I cooperate with you?"

"..."

Sweet Potato Wine also smiled with relief and said, "Then it's simple. First, you need to find my senior brother."

(End of this chapter)