Chapter 104: Special Reward
Chapter 104: Special Reward
After confirming the distribution of the batch of Blood Food, Hu Ma finally slept soundly. Indeed, the night had been filled with shock, fear, and injury, depleting his energy.
The next morning, he got up early and stepped out of his room to find everything already arranged.
Zhou Datong and the brothers from the village had handled things steadily. Following Hu Ma's instructions, they wrapped the remains of the Vat Sect's remnants in straw mats. Those that were still recognizable were placed in the village, while the unrecognizable ones were piled up.
The corpses of the monsters in the jars mostly rotted to mere bones under the sun, and some were directly burned.
As for the remaining items of the Vat Sect's remnants—weapons, clothes, and jar fragments—these were also piled up.
This was to preserve evidence for the people from the city who would come to inquire.
Upon detailed questioning, Hu Ma learned that the Old Shopkeeper had already come out once in the early morning to inspect everything after a brief rest. The apprentices didn't know what he was up to.
Hu Ma understood that the Old Shopkeeper likely intended to conceal the matter of the Blood Food to avoid greater losses, so he had to ensure that all the Vat Sect members were dead to prevent any leaks and further complications.
He knew this and didn't say anything.
Even the daily morning greetings were skipped, as he was still upset!
After a night of toil, the apprentices looked weary, but as practitioners who had lit the furnace, they could still hold up. Hu Ma knew the importance of the timing, so he didn't let them rest but had them clean the courtyard and wait patiently.
During this period, many neighbors came by, peeking and asking questions.
Hu Ma knew that the commotion last night had frightened them, so he reassured each of them.
Before long, it was noon, and it was time to prepare the meal.
But Hu Ma had the apprentices endure temporarily, and sure enough, soon after, the sound of hoofbeats was heard from outside the town.
The apprentices opened the main gate and saw several horses galloping into the village. Looking closely, they saw two managers and three or four apprentices. These apprentices looked young, similar to Hu Ma and his group, but they wore red sashes around their waists.
"Red Fragrance Disciples?"
Hu Ma thought to himself, recognizing a couple of familiar faces.
His own Green Fragrance Disciples hadn't even ridden horses yet, but these Red Fragrance Disciples were already riding swiftly.
The apprentices in the outer courtyard, seeing such important figures suddenly arrive, were uneasy and stood by silently.
"Brother Sun, Brother Liu, it's you two. I'm relieved..."
The Old Shopkeeper, hearing the hoofbeats, also came out from the inner courtyard. After a night, his injuries seemed not only unhealed but worse.
His eye sockets were sunken, and he smelled strongly of herbal medicine. His movements were slow.
For an Age Keeper, this was highly unusual. Age Keepers, who refine death into life, have the strongest vitality and heal much faster than others, known for their hardiness. Even severe injuries would improve after a night's rest.
The Old Shopkeeper's injuries, however, were real, likely from a brutal battle the previous night, which had deeply affected him.
"Mr. Wu..."
The two managers dismounted, arching their hands from a distance, sighing, "How did this happen?"
"We received the Lady's message last night and came as soon as the city gates opened."
"..."
"Wasn't it the Vat Sect's remnants causing trouble?"
The Old Shopkeeper smiled bitterly, saying, "To be able to keep this life is already thanks to the Lady's protection..."
"Please, come inside and sit down. I'll explain everything to you."
"..."
Saying this, he led them into the inner courtyard. The two managers followed, but one of the Red Fragrance Disciples, who had a long face, frowned and glanced at the apprentices in the outer courtyard and the Vat Sect's remnants' bodies.
"Why not ask here? If anything is needed, we can ask these village apprentices."
Mr. Wu looked somewhat troubled and glanced at the two managers.
"Hehe, let's go inside and talk!"
One of the managers smiled and spoke very politely to the Red Fragrance Disciples, saying, "What could these apprentices know? Besides, some things are better discussed behind closed doors..."
The other manager also smiled at Hu Ma and the others, saying, "Don't just stand there."
"Move these bodies outside, and have a few people prepare a feast. We'll eat here for lunch."
"We've been traveling since early morning, and our stomachs are empty."
"..."
Seeing that they both agreed, the Red Fragrance Disciples fell silent, dismounted, and followed into the inner courtyard.
Hu Ma knew they were sent by the Red Lantern Lady to inquire about the Old Shopkeeper's account. Everything else was fine, but he was unsure how the Old Shopkeeper would cover up the matter of the Blood Food. But that was his responsibility.
Hu Ma thought about the rewards for a while, he had been pondering what to say. he finally decided to arrange for the apprentices to carry the bodies outside and hurry to prepare the food and buy some alcohol. These arrangements were primarily for the people coming down to see the scene, but they didn't seem to care much. The people upstairs also didn’t take this matter seriously and only checked the bodies superficially. After setting up a few tables in the outer courtyard, they slaughtered sheep and cooked a hearty meal. They were busy and lively, and a considerable amount of time passed.
When the Old Shopkeeper entered the inner courtyard, he didn’t ask much and came out with a faint smile, seemingly unbothered by the situation. The Red Fragrance Disciple, sitting at the table, didn’t say anything and just smiled satisfactorily, nodding his head, indicating that he acknowledged the shopkeeper’s instructions. This young steward, although looking slightly uneasy, maintained a calm demeanor and stopped for a moment, asking everyone what the matter was. Hu Ma, after a brief hesitation, looked at Wu He’s Junior Sister and asked, “We already know that evil spirits came last night, and the deity statues were blown over. I was only following orders and guarding the lanterns, not letting the evil spirits extinguish. lanterns. Now, the Red Lantern Lady has descended and solved the problem of those evil spirits affecting.”
“Tell me, what reward do you want?” he said, “I understand my responsibilities, but I will continue to guard the lanterns and not let those evil spirits blow them out. This is my duty, and I will do my best to protect the Red Lantern Lady.”
- taels (instead of "two silver") to maintain the original measurement context
share.
Hu Ma estimated that the fire was almost ready and said, “If possible, I will...”
Wu He’s Junior Sister, who was looking at Hu Ma with wide eyes, said, “Isn’t that a bit much? It’s been three or four years since...”
Not only the apprentices, but even the Red Fragrance Disciples were somewhat surprised and envious of Hu Ma’s rewards. They all looked at Hu Ma, who, with a serious expression, made the request, indicating that he had thought it through and discussed it with Elder Brother Er Guotou. To change the reward for Wu He’s injury and to get the Green Jade Ointment to treat her ailment, they paused.
The gaze of the people in the inner courtyard, which had been quietly watching, suddenly became chaotic, with faint sobbing sounds. Hu Ma just looked up at the shopkeeper, his face heavy with the request, which he had thought through in advance and discussed with Elder Brother Er Guotou.
(End of Chapter)
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