"A perfectly good Spiritual Treasure Land, and yet you all..."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper witnessed this scene, and there was no way to describe his fiery heartache.
When he first entered the village, he also sought the reason for its residents’ longevity. After so calculations, he realized that the village’s blessing lay in this seemingly insignificant wild pond. If his calculations were correct, there should have been an old tortoise with a long lifespan here, borrowing the village’s qi to sustain itself, while the tortoise, in turn, protected the village.
But now, the pond had been filled with stones, its water drained, and it seed filth had been dumped into it as well. This suppressed the old tortoise inside, forcefully turning this Spiritual Treasure Land into a place of potent resentnt and evil. Additionally, for so unknown reason, rumors had run rampant through the village. The long-lived elders, once respected, beca feared as demons. Within days, five or six of them died. Their hearts, filled with resentnt from this injustice, festered, and they transford into evil spirits.
Thus, Longevity Village was likely transforming into Short-Lived Village. If this continued, the village would no longer produce centenarians; even living past forty would beco rare.
This pained the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper even more than seeing Blood Food Pills fed to little ghosts. He was already furious. Shouting loudly, he approached a person by the pond who was directing the filling of it with stones.
"Where did you co from, you wild doctor, daring to use Sorcery to harm people here?"
Though usually composed, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was now consud by rage. He grabbed the person by the collar, ready to strike. The man wore a long gown and cloth shoes, with a bamboo basket on his back filled with herbal dicine. He certainly looked like a doctor. Yet, as a doctor, how could he not recognize the Grass Heart Hall?
He, however, did not recognize the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper’s attire. He rely rolled his eyes and said coldly, "I am here to save these villagers, lest they have their lifespan stolen by those old, undying creatures. Who are you to interfere?"
"Nonsense!" The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was about to scold him but suddenly noticed the man’s eyes and was inexplicably startled. Those eyes were utterly lifeless, like those of a dead man.
"He is not a doctor."
At that mont, a gentle sigh ca from the sedan chair, as if the lady inside had discovered sothing. She slowly spoke, "I do not know your origins, but since you understand matters of lifespan, you should know what a grave sin it is to destroy such naturally auspicious feng shui, correct?"
"HEE HEE HEE HEE..."
As Miss White Wine’s voice faded, a strange laughter echoed, startling the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper, who hastily retreated. Looking closely, he saw the sound actually ca from the bamboo basket on Doctor Wu’s back. As the voice spoke, the herbal dicine on top was pushed aside, revealing a head resembling a child’s, its cheeks sared with bright rouge.
Its voice was high-pitched and bizarre, filled with a disconcerting amusent. "What good place? What bad place? For this small village to beco a Magic Altar for the worship of the Five Evil Master, to bask in the Old Master’s blessings—that is a fortune they’ve accrued from past lives..."
"The Five Evil Master?"
Seeing such a strange individual erge from the doctor’s bamboo basket, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper’s hand instinctively moved towards the small bottles hanging at his waist. But upon hearing the na ntioned, he slowly withdrew his hand. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back and bowed respectfully. "So, you serve the Five Evil Master. My apologies for the offense."
"We are of the Siming Path, practitioners of dicine. We initially thought soone was here creating evil and causing harm, but we did not expect to offend an esteed personage. It is all a misunderstanding. We hope for your forgiveness, as we wish to take our leave now."
He was a veteran of the jianghu. Upon seeing the evil formation here, he had truly felt both heartache and anger. But hearing this matter involved the Five Evil Master, he imdiately changed his deanor, his words becoming impeccably polite. If anyone else had done such a thing, it would be considered harming people. But if those under the Five Evil Master did it, was it not harming people? Of course, it still was. However, the Five Evil Master was a revered figure, one worshipped on the altar. What right did a re jianghu wanderer like himself have to criticize the actions of such a Guest? Naturally, such deferential words, admitting fault and backing down, could not co from the lady. It had to be him who spoke them.
"Haha, well said, well said." The head erging from the bamboo basket chuckled gleefully, not attempting to stop them. It rely said, "We are appointed by the Five Evil Master to manage lifespan. You are of the Siming Path. In the future, when you set up altars in Mingzhou, perhaps we’ll have the chance to interact..."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper had no desire whatsoever to associate with such a grotesque creature. He was just offering perfunctory replies, intending to retreat.
However, just then, the lady inside the sedan, who had heard the entire exchange, showed a faint smile curling her lips. Then, she slowly took a small, exquisite gold pot from her sleeve, gently removed its lid, and fanned the air towards it with her hand.
"Wait!"
The Longevity Evil Altar Envoy in the bamboo basket had not intended to cause further trouble, especially not with people from the Siming Path. Seeing them about to leave, he was also preparing to shrink back into the basket. Suddenly, however, he seed to sll sothing. His nose twitched vigorously twice, and his expression changed dramatically. He shouted towards the sedan, "Little lady in the sedan, what is that you have on you? Bring it out for to see!"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was greatly alard. The sedan ca to a halt. A cold, displeased voice erged from within, "Are you trying to take my Life Hooking Pot?"
"Is it truly the Life Hooking Pot?" Behind the doctor, the bizarre child in the basket, its cheeks brightly rouged, looked as if it were about to drool. "This thing... it’s been a very long ti since anyone knew how to refine one of these..." it stamred. "It must be your grandpa’s lucky day! To stumble upon such a treasure while just out running an errand. Little doll, you offer this Life Hooking Pot to your grandpa, and I’ll help you invite the Five Evil Gods to your ho to protect your family for generations. How about that?"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper turned deathly pale, montarily speechless and hesitant. He didn’t know why the lady had brought the Life Hooking Pot with her. It was truly unfortunate that this monstrous thing had sniffed it out. He was even more worried that if matters escalated, the lady wouldn’t show any rcy or try to de-escalate. Seeing how things were already becoming tense, if this continued... wouldn’t it lead to disaster?
"Incense-burning official, please forgive us..." With this thought, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said loudly, "Incense-burning official, please see clearly! My lady is the owner of the Grass Heart Hall. We have always been on good terms with the Siming Path and have always revered the masters on the altar. We are not outsiders. We were rely passing through to collect herbal dicine and had no intention of offending your altar. Please, be magnanimous and allow us to depart..."
"From the Grass Heart Hall?" His words were extrely polite, even obsequious. Yet, the bizarre child only laughed. Its voice, originally high-pitched, now sounded hoarse, like that of an old man. "No wonder you possess such a treasure. And as for , your grandpa, I particularly fancy people of Si Ming. I could eat several of them in one sitting..."
As it spoke, its body wriggled further out of the bamboo basket. It suddenly blew out a breath, conjuring a gust of sinister wind that seed intent on lifting the sedan chair’s curtain...
"Not good!" Seeing the creature about to make a move, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper’s expression changed drastically. He was about to speak, but the lady’s voice from inside the sedan, now clearly tinged with anger, cut in, "Say no more."
"Since you are an incense-burning attendant of the Five Evil Gods, I was willing to show you so courtesy. But you wish to seize my Life Hooking Pot and also presu to lift my sedan curtain. Do you truly believe the Grass Heart Hall has no one capable of stopping you?"
As she finished speaking, the sedan curtain, which had billowed up, fell back into place. Then, a slender hand erged from within, holding a small, golden bell. She gave it a gentle shake. The tinkling sound was crisp and pleasant to the ear. However, the bizarre child with the brightly rouged cheeks experienced a dramatic change in expression. Its head instantly snapped back into the basket as it shrieked, "You dare use that thing against your grandpa?"
Amidst its shriek, the figures of the Longevity Ghosts by the pond suddenly turned with stiff, unnatural movents. They all faced the sedan chair, simultaneously opening their mouths wide, bending at the waist, and exhaling a unified blast of air.
"Not good—" The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper’s face paled. He lunged forward, intending to shield the sedan chair, shouting, "Miss, be careful! That’s the Life-shortening Evil..."
"Stay put!"
Unexpectedly, just as he was about to position himself before the sedan, the hand holding the bell suddenly turned slightly and flicked towards him. Instantly, his body stiffened, and he found himself frozen in place, unable to move a muscle.
But with the bell having been directed at him, a clear path was now open in front of the sedan. The concentrated blast of evil breath exhaled by the row of Longevity Ghosts struck the sedan squarely. For a mont, the sedan’s curtains billowed and fluttered violently as the evil breath passed straight through it. Yet, that was all. The inside of the sedan seed empty. As the curtains settled, there was no sound or movent from within, as if the occupant had paid no heed whatsoever to that potent blast of Life Evil.
"You..." The bizarre child also abruptly realized sothing was amiss. It shrieked, "How many lives do you possess? Who exactly are you—"
"SWOOSH!"
But before it could finish its sentence, the sedan curtain suddenly flew up again. A fluffy, snow-white, rather chubby cat darted out from within. Though it appeared sowhat portly, the cat moved with the speed of lightning. It leaped out and landed directly on Doctor Wu’s head. The bizarre child in the basket reacted with extre speed; its head instantly retracted back into the depths of the basket, clearly attempting to flee.
However, the cat simply dived into the basket after it. A mont later, it re-erged, apparently having caught sothing. It then leaped back, bit onto the child’s head, and with a twist of its body, darted back into the sedan. This was imdiately followed by the faint sound of a pot lid being gently lifted and sothing being stuffed inside.
"Owner, we..." Only then did the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper find he could move again. He was utterly dumbfounded, exclaiming in disbelief.
The voice from inside the sedan sounded cold. "Destroying our herbal dicine, coveting our treasures... this Five Evil God has truly overstepped all bounds and broken every rule. Quickly summon all our shopkeepers and traveling doctors. In the na of the Grass Heart Hall, have them dismantle this Heart Piercing Death Altar and restore tranquility to this place. Since we’ve already offended the Five Evil God, we might as well offend them thoroughly."
"Furthermore..." She paused briefly before adding, "Since we’ve already offended such a prominent figure from one of the major powers, send word to Shangjing City as well. Tell my father that I’ve been bullied."
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