Chapter 10: Finding a Master
Chapter 10: Finding a Master
Blood Taisui...
The thing I've been eating for so long is actually the Blood Taisui that the old man mentioned?
Isn't this supposed to be incredibly rare, something ordinary people can only dream of? And yet, I've been eating it like it's just another meal?
Is this village so wealthy, or is this old lady I live with a hidden rich woman?
I couldn't help but feel a strong curiosity about this extremely precious Blood Taisui.
What does it do?
Why haven't I noticed any significant changes in my body?
...Though, my injuries do seem to heal faster than usual.
Despite the shock, I had to keep my face composed. Technically, I'm still supposed to be a child who doesn't remember much, so I shouldn't know about the value of Blood Taisui.
I lowered my head, trying to control my trembling hands as I helped the old lady pack the bundle. I tied the legs of the two roosters with hemp rope and carried them.
I casually said, "Oh," then changed the subject, "Old lady, where are we going with all these things?"
"To find you a master and learn some skills."
The old lady didn't look at me, speaking slowly, "The ancestors of the village don't recognize you, so we need to find another way to protect you from evil spirits."
"Learn skills?"
I finally understood. The old lady was preparing these things as gifts for a master.
I took this opportunity to shift my focus, trying not to let my shock show.
I couldn't think too much about the Blood Taisui, or the old lady might notice my expression.
After the failure at the old fire pit and my refusal of the ghost marriage, the old lady had been very worried about my condition. Besides using the best of the Blood Taisui to stabilize me, she had been looking for other solutions.
So, the master she was taking me to must be her third plan.
But who could this master be? In this strange world, the old lady herself seems quite capable.
Is there someone even more powerful here?
Though I had many questions, I didn't ask any. I had already figured out a survival strategy in this world, especially with the old lady: ask less, investigate less, observe more, and think more. In this unfamiliar world, I have no choice but to be obedient.
I changed into clean clothes, helped the old lady, and we walked out, one step at a time.
To my surprise, we weren't heading into the village but out of it.
"Not someone from the village?"
I was a bit startled as we reached the edge of the village.
Is she really taking me out of the village?
Since waking up, I've learned that the evil spirits outside the village are far more numerous than inside.
This is the first time I've left the village since arriving in this world.
Looking at the towering trees and the eerie scenery, I felt a slight tremor in my heart.
I wonder how many creatures like the upright sheep and the white-faced monkeys are hiding in this deep forest...
But then I thought, as long as I'm with the old lady and Little Red Tang (Red Tang), we should be fine, right?
Outside the village, a small path, trodden by many feet, led into a dense forest.
Everything was quiet, not even a bird's chirp could be heard.
The forest was too deep and too thick.
I wondered what had happened to this world, making the deep mountains so lush and suffocating.
It was midday, yet the forest was dark and oppressive.
The path was almost invisible, hidden by the thick undergrowth.
The branches and vines on either side were intertwined, and as we passed, they seemed to reach out, silently wrapping around my shoulders and legs.
But when I looked back, everything seemed normal.
I suppressed my growing unease and followed the old lady closely, step by step, deeper into the forest.
The deeper we went, the denser the trees became.
Branches and vines entangled in front of us, making it feel like we were walking through a thicket.
Deep in the forest, I felt as if something was watching us.
"Stop here."
The old lady suddenly stopped and spoke softly.
I immediately froze, holding my breath.
Glancing around, I was startled to find that the area around us was densely packed with branches, almost completely wrapping around the old lady and me.
But looking ahead or behind, the path was still clear, with no such dense branches.
"Are these branches alive?"
Hu Ma’s heart turned cold. The branches had wrapped around him and his grandmother, tightening their grip with each passing moment. What were they trying to do?
“This is my grandson. Everyone, take a good look. Remember, we don’t want the flood to wash away the Dragon King’s temple.”
Just as he was thinking this, his grandmother suddenly spoke in a cold voice, then slammed her cane heavily on the ground.
With a “swish,” a gust of cold wind swept through.
The fine branches that had entangled Hu Ma and his grandmother seemed to be cut by an invisible scythe, falling to the ground with a rustling sound.
In the distance, something seemed to cry out in pain, a pitiful moan.
Whether it was an illusion or not, after the wind passed, the branches around them swayed and retreated, as if they were afraid, clearing the path before them.
The road ahead was noticeably wider.
“Amazing…”
Hu Ma’s scalp tingled.
He wasn’t sure if he was more amazed by the sudden power of his grandmother’s cane or terrified by the fact that the forest seemed to have a life of its own.
He had heard that the outside world was dangerous, but he never imagined it would be this perilous.
Thankfully, he hadn’t really fled the village back then, and now he was grateful to be with his grandmother.
In this world, the rationality and disbelief in spirits from his past life were gone. He didn’t dare speak loudly, only silently following his grandmother deeper into the dense forest, being careful not to touch anything.
This world filled him with awe, especially since even his grandmother seemed cautious.
Besides the sinister branches and trees, the forest was full of strange things.
There was a small puddle that looked harmless on the surface. When it appeared on the path ahead, his grandmother frowned and led him around it. But not far ahead, they encountered the same puddle again, exactly the same as before.
They tried to go around it once more, but the puddle stubbornly reappeared.
His grandmother sighed and had Hu Ma hand her the live chicken he was carrying.
She cut the chicken’s throat with her fingernail and tossed it into the puddle, then turned Hu Ma away, telling him not to look at what happened in the puddle.
Soon, a strange chewing sound came from behind them.
A few minutes later, his grandmother said, “You can turn around now.”
Hu Ma turned to see that the puddle was gone. They continued on the now clear path.
Another time, they came across a tree stump that looked as if it had been struck by lightning. His grandmother stopped and had Hu Ma bow to the stump, then walk fifteen steps ahead and wait for her.
She stayed behind, mumbling as if she were talking to the stump.
“Why are there so many strange things?”
Hu Ma couldn’t understand these bizarre phenomena. He was both terrified and a bit intrigued.
He couldn’t help but ask the little girl, Little Redtang, “How do the people from our village dare to come out here?”
Little Redtang, who seemed cautious in the forest, didn’t say much.
Hearing Hu Ma’s question, she peeked out from behind a tree and said, “Others don’t encounter so many. They carry a strong aura of yang and the ash from the pond.”
“Brother Hu Ma is more fragrant, different from others.”
“…”
“?”
Hu Ma’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t Grandma drive these things away with her power?”
“Grandma is a Ghost Walker.”
Little Redtang explained, “Ghost Walkers usually don’t drive away evil spirits; they only guide them.”
“Ghost Walker?”
Hu Ma thought to himself, “Is this a title or a specific skill?”
Seeing his grandmother still talking to the lightning-struck tree stump, he took the opportunity to ask:
“Do you know which master Grandma is taking me to see?”
“…”
“After we leave the forest, we’ll head south…”
Little Redtang thought for a moment and said, “Grandma must be taking Brother Hu Ma to see Second Master!”
Hu Ma’s heart stirred. If this “Second Master” lived outside the village, he must be quite powerful.
Curious, he asked, “Who is more powerful, Second Master or Grandma?”
“I don’t know.”
Little Redtang was honest, “Little Redtang is close to Grandma, but I’m afraid of Second Master.”
“I’ve helped Grandma deliver things to Second Master, but I don’t dare go inside his house. I just throw them at the door and run.”
“…”
Hu Ma thought to himself, “If Little Redtang is so afraid of him, he must be quite powerful…”
Suddenly, he realized that if his grandmother couldn’t see through his problems, maybe someone even more powerful could.
“Let’s go!”
At that moment, his grandmother finally returned and said, “We ran into an old acquaintance. We should hurry along.”
“It’s just a short distance now.”
(End of Chapter)
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