"It’s getting late. Quickly pull it out!"
At that mont, on the northern side of the village, the Second Master was anxiously pacing in circles. Seeing that he had been waiting for a long ti but no one had pulled the grass rope, he finally couldn’t bear it and rushed over.
The people around were still hesitating. After all, it was agreed in advance that soone inside would pull the rope before those outside could do the sa. The Second Master, however, anxiously said, "This Juehu Village is only so big. Even if they crossed through it, it should have been ti by now. Sothing must have happened, right?"
As he spoke, he pulled the rope forcefully, but unexpectedly, the harder he pulled, the looser it beca, and he only pulled out a rope end.
Whether it was Old Yangpi, the Clan Leader, or Zhou Datong and the villagers following behind, they were all stunned.
"Oh, my dear mother..."
The Second Master groaned, his body trembling. He tore off his coat and dashed toward Juehu Village, shouting, "I’m going to find him!"
Old Yangpi hurriedly stopped the Second Master. "Calm down, Second Master!" he shouted. "With the little skill you have, how dare you rush into Juehu Village? You’ll even blow out a centuries-old fire pit!"
The Second Master was so anxious that his eyes grew moist. "Even if it’s out, I have to find him!" he shouted loudly. "If sothing happens to Little Huma, how could I ever face his granny again? Forget about ! If I die, you don’t even need to bury in the old fire pit!"
Saying this, he truly started striding toward the village, and no one from either of the two villages could hold him back.
But just at this mont, a voice called out, "What’s this about dead or alive?"
Everyone hastily turned their heads and saw Hu Ma, safe and sound, looping back from a small path nearby. They were both surprised and delighted and quickly rushed up to him. Looking at him closely, they saw it was really him and were overjoyed. "You went in from there, so how did you co back from over here?"
"Got lost," Hu Ma said. "Took a long detour back."
The people around were stunned upon hearing this. "Who gets lost while rushing into the Ghost Village?"
But seeing Hu Ma safely back, they all breathed a sigh of relief. The Old Clan Chief took the opportunity to quickly wrap the padded jacket around the Second Master.
Only Old Yangpi, who had seen many of the evil spirits in this Juehu Village, remained cautious at heart. He secretly squeezed Hu Ma’s palm. Hu Ma knew what he was thinking, so he intentionally let the vital energy leave his hand. At the squeeze, it felt cold to the bone, not like that of a living person.
"ARGH!" Old Yangpi’s face turned pale with fright, and he staggered back. Hu Ma reached out to steady him, laughing. "Be careful."
At this point, vitality returned to Hu Ma’s hand, and his palm felt warm and moist. Old Yangpi stared, bewildered for a mont. Only then did he suddenly realize that the lad was teasing him, which sowhat reassured him. "It’s all right, it’s all right... What evil spirit is so mischievous?"
"There was just a small issue, but at least I got out smoothly," Hu Ma finally explained to everyone. "My skills aren’t fully developed yet, so claiming I can solve the problems here would be boasting. However, at least I understand the situation now. I’ll prepare more thoroughly next ti and see if I can find a thod."
"That’s right, that’s right..." the Second Master chid in. "Granny said earlier to first seal off the village and dispel ten years of resentnt. It’s only been seven or eight years." He added, "It’s still early. If it weren’t for this anxious shepherd, we wouldn’t have needed to take this risk."
Just monts ago, he had been worried the two villages would start fighting, calling Old Yangpi "brother." But due to this false alarm, the Second Master didn’t hold back and started revealing Old Yangpi’s past.
Old Yangpi, who hadn’t followed a conventional path and had beco a Divine Man shepherd without a master, normally hated when others said such things. However, feeling deeply guilty now, he said softly, "Kid, the Second Master is right. It was us who were being small-minded. We should have known all along that the Walking Ghost Granny’s grandson wouldn’t ss things up..."
This statent solidified the nature of the incident. The prominent figures of Python Village had apologized to a re child. From now on, whenever people from Python Village saw Hu Ma, they would have to show respect.
The Old Clan Chief, his eyes crinkled with mirth, said, "Stop bickering here. It’s getting dark. Little Huma’s godmother hasn’t even received her incense yet. Whoever heard of soone leaving a sacrifice midway to tend to other matters?"
"Right, right!" Old Yangpi also hurriedly said. "Your godmother accepting such a godson isn’t just a family matter; it’s a significant event for our entire community. Co on, everyone, let’s go and kowtow."
"Excellent..."
The smooth turn of conversation surprised even the Second Master and the Old Clan Chief. Looking at this cunning old man wrapped in sheepskin, they secretly thought, So he’s just going to seize the mont and climb right up, is he?Did we underestimate this shepherd from the start? Was this his intention all along?It’s just that being forced to co and kowtow would be too embarrassing—besides, he also wanted to see if Granny’s little grandson held grudges...
anwhile, Lady Liu’er felt as if she had been pushed onto a stage without understanding the play. Seeing these people leave, she had thought her ordeal was over. Unexpectedly, she saw them return, and in an even larger group than at noon. They imdiately began kowtowing and burning incense. She had never witnessed such a grand display, and her few pitiful twigs shivered uncontrollably.
After everyone finished their worship, they made plans to go to Dayang Village for drinks, leaving her be.
But the Second Master, taking advantage of a mont when no one was looking, quietly approached her again before leaving. He tied a red rope around her. The last ti, it had only been a red thread, but this ti, the rope was as thick as a finger. This was to prevent Lady Liu’er from getting scared and quietly running away.
She couldn’t run. This was just the beginning. Later on, when the children made sothing of themselves and held proper sacrifices to the forest, to Tai Sui, even to Old Yin Mountain, she would have to be present...
「That night」
The village once again set up a running banquet to host the villagers from Python Village.
For the impoverished families in Dayang Village, this was truly an extravagance. Throughout the entire year, they had only a few such feasts, perhaps during the New Year, or for weddings and funerals. But this year, one feast followed another, so much so that even the Clan Leader’s daughter-in-law felt distressed. All this food and drink! It would have been so much better if Datong and the others had taken it to the city after the New Year. It could have helped you all with your needs.
The Old Clan Chief saw his daughter-in-law’s sulky face and good-naturedly scolded her, "You won from Python Village who marry in are so petty-minded. Borrowing from the future isn’t good, but you must also see what prospects the Mao Year holds. What do you know? The things we’re eating now—just watch—before a year passes, we’ll have earned it all back..."
"What does it an, leaving sothing in the Stone Box?"
As for Hu Ma, he was actually a bit weary of such banquets. Though he was going through the motions of this lively event, his mind was preoccupied with the tree stump he had encountered at the village entrance and the words it had spoken.
That stump, whom Granny referred to as an "acquaintance"—a being before whom one should bow respectfully upon first sight—had intentionally sought him out. What deeper aning lay behind those few seemingly agreeable words he’d spoken?Being Granny’s grandson didn’t equate to being a Hu Family descendant... Could it be that the status of a Hu Family descendant was determined by skill rather than bloodline?
He had an inkling that the matters Granny faced were far more complex than he’d assud, and the preparations she had made were more extensive than he’d imagined. Take the Juehu Village incident, for example. To the surrounding villages, it appeared as if Granny had suddenly passed away, leaving this unresolved situation that consequently beca a source of fear.
But Hu Ma, upon hearing about it, realized it wasn’t that simple. Granny hadn’t suddenly died; she had rely returned to the ancestral hall at a ti of her own choosing. Given her benevolent nature, if Juehu Village had truly posed such a significant threat, she would certainly have dealt with it in advance, or at least left behind a thod to do so.It shouldn’t have been left unresolved, yet it was. This could only an it was left for him.
He recalled Granny’s words before she returned to the ancestral hall. She had said she was going to help delay the ng family’s sches, though she herself was unsure how long she could hold them off. She only hoped to secure more ti for him to master his abilities...
I’m still too slow, far too slow, he pondered silently, an imnse pressure building within him. But ultimately, with this matter resolved, it’s ti to return to the Manor. First, I must secure that batch of Blood Food; that is the foundation of everything...
When the banquet ended, many people from Python Village who had relatives in Dayang Village went to stay with them. Those without kin were found a few vacant houses to sleep in. Hu Ma also helped escort the tipsy Second Master back to his ho and brewed tea for him.
Granny left behind many profound things, so beyond my current perception.But having the Second Master around is a blessing. Though he’s unaware of Granny’s specific arrangents, he guides toward the correct path.Hu Ma always felt deeply grateful to him and knew what truly troubled his heart.
"Oh my..."
However, the Second Master, upon hearing the words "Shousui man" from Hu Ma, sobered up instantly from fright. He stared intently at Hu Ma and said sternly, "Hu kid, don’t talk nonsense! Second Master didn’t hear a thing... No, youngster, you need to be more cautious. Don’t I know you’ve learned real skills? Why do you think I’ve never asked about them?
"Learning arts from a Master is a great kindness. To share them without the Master’s permission is a deadly sin.
"You blurt it out just like that? Have you no sense?"
"It’s okay," Hu Ma said with a smile, seeing the Second Master’s anxiety. "The arts we possess are our own. I’ve already repaid my Master; I owe nothing to anyone."
Seeing his certainty, the Second Master hesitated. He knew Hu Ma had experienced more than what had been relayed back to them. Moreover, the art of the Shousui man was indeed his lifelong tornt.
"Second Master, to put it plainly, it all boils down to one crucial word." Hu Ma smiled, leaned in, and murmured sothing in the Second Master’s ear. The Second Master’s eyes suddenly widened.
That single utterance seed to strike him like a bolt of lightning. His expression fluctuated between realization and doubt, understanding and greater confusion. Finally, slowly, his old eyes began to moisten. He turned his back to Hu Ma, not wanting him to see him cry, but his voice was filled with boundless emotion as he said, "I’ve pondered it my whole life, my entire life... But who would have ever thought... who would have thought this was the way..."
Seeing the Second Master in such a state, Hu Ma also felt a surge of emotion and was about to impart all the dharma thods to him, but the Second Master waved his hand.
"It’s too late..." he said. "Hu kid, you’re overthinking it. Twenty years ago, I might have been able to train. Now, this old body of mine... it just can’t take it anymore..."
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