Chapter 118: The Lame Lesser Servant Ghost
Chapter 118: The Lame Lesser Servant Ghost
Hu Ma didn’t really believe that Yang Gong could accomplish much. Among their batch of Red Fragrance Disciples, only a few were from well-off families. Most of them were from impoverished backgrounds.
Yang Gong was one of the few who knew where his home was and what his name was. The majority were oblivious, having forgotten their hometowns. They entered the Red Lantern Lady Association, risking their lives for a future, trading blood for food.
Despite their high status and good treatment within the association, their lives were often short-lived. They might be laughing and talking with grand ambitions today, but they could die in some dark alley tomorrow, forgotten by all.
Yang Gong was a typical example. He was ambitious and proud. Having served the Red Lantern Lady for a year and still being alive certainly meant he had some skills. These Red Fragrance Disciples who could survive a year of elimination might even be more capable than himself, but trying to take the lead and compete with those vicious and ruthless for Blood Food was still a stretch.
Hu Ma even thought that he would likely lose his life in the process.
However, he couldn’t persuade Yang Gong. Yang Gong lived by his fiery spirit, and if he tried to dissuade him, Yang Gong might turn his anger on him.
So, he only treated Yang Gong to a meal and a drink, helped him feed the horse, and watched as the night deepened. He wanted to offer him a place to stay for the night, but Yang Gong didn’t care. He led the rested horse away and set off in the middle of the night. After all, those who served the Red Lantern Lady were not afraid of the ghostly things that prowled at night.
Or perhaps, compared to living people, he now resembled a ghostly presence more.
After this, Hu Ma only focused on the accounting, planning to submit everything to the city later.
The Red Lantern Association had many capable people who strictly monitored the Blood Food in and out of each village, likely to prevent private embezzlement.
Of course, Hu Ma’s village didn’t have to worry about that. The people in these villages rarely even saw what Blood Food looked like, and each visitor was extremely cautious.
"It’s as if someone in our village is eyeing the Blood Food..."
"Whether it’s white or green, who would care?"
"..."
The accounting was usually handled by the Innkeeper, but their Innkeeper’s heart was already elsewhere. He had planned to endure for one more year, deal with the Red Lantern Association’s affairs, and then resign, taking Wu He Sister out to seek medical help from Master Zhao’s Family.
Hu Ma didn’t know if he had any leads, but he had heard that Mr. Wu had already sold his house in the city through an old servant.
Now, Hu Ma handled many of the village’s affairs on his own, without needing to consult the Innkeeper.
For Hu Ma, as long as nothing went wrong in the village, the key was still in his cultivation.
In the Old Innkeeper’s eyes, he had already cultivated both hands and one foot, nearly completing the Second Stage cultivation, but in reality, he had secretly begun the cultivation of the Five Viscera.
However, it was a significant matter, and Hu Ma didn’t dare take it lightly. He considered every step carefully.
The heart would be the last, as it was the most crucial and represented the completion of the Third Stage. The other four organs were up to Hu Ma to decide.
Although he had a Life-bound Divine Statue to guide him, and his entire body was dead, making cultivation easier, after some contemplation, he decided to start with the lungs.
This was because the Old Innkeeper also started with the lungs, and the notes were the most detailed for this part.
Moreover, the lungs were crucial for inhaling and exhaling Yang Qi. Once he refined them, the power of his True Yang Arrow technique would greatly increase.
Currently, Hu Ma could spit a True Yang Arrow to injure an Evil Spirit up to half a meter away. If he refined his lungs, he might be able to spit it to a distance of over ten meters.
Additionally, refining the lungs would greatly enhance his stamina and physical abilities.
“Sigh...”
But once he started this cultivation, he suffered a lot.
Usually, with ample Blood Tai Sui, his body was well-nourished, and he didn’t feel weak. But during cultivation, when he withdrew the blood and qi from his lungs, he immediately felt weak, pale, and short of breath, as if he had tuberculosis.
People often misunderstood that Age Keepers were prone to illness, but this was just a stage in their cultivation.
However, because of this, Hu Ma never dared to cultivate during the day, fearing the Innkeeper might notice.
He only practiced in the dead of night when no one was around. During the day, he relied on Blood Tai Sui to maintain the qi and blood in his lungs, pretending everything was fine.
He was like a green-tea scholar who studied hard at night and pretended to play during the day.
He often thought that if he could become the Innkeeper, at least he wouldn’t have to practice in secret.
A few days passed, and the annual Blood Tai Sui harvest was just over. Hu Ma was preparing to cultivate that night when a cool breeze suddenly blew outside his window, making the paper window rattle. Feeling a chill on his skin, he sat up and looked towards the door, sensing something standing there.
“Who’s there?”
He frowned and asked in a low voice, but no one responded. Only a weak knocking sound came from the door.
“Speak!”
Hu Ma frowned and repeated, but still, no one answered. The knocking sound came again.
It wasn’t one of the village apprentices. Hu Ma thought that the apprentices wouldn’t stand there knocking without responding.
He became slightly alert, glanced at Little Red Apricot rubbing her eyes on the beam, and saw that she was also awake, curiously looking at the door. He knew that the visitor was likely not human.
He caught the Red Wooden Sword thrown by Little Red Apricot and slowly walked to the door. With a sudden pull, he opened it.
“Woo...”
As soon as the door was pulled open, a cold, chilling breeze rushed in.
Hu Ma’s vision blurred, and he suddenly saw a small ghost about the height of his waist, with a round head and a ghastly, eerie face.
One of its legs was lame, and it stood crookedly by the door, clearly startled by the sudden opening.
It took a couple of steps back, then suddenly bowed its head and knelt down, bumping its head on the ground.
“What the heck is this?”
Hu Ma was startled and almost slashed it with his sword.
Who wouldn’t be scared to have a little ghost knocking on the door in the middle of the night, bowing and bumping its head?
But before the sword could reach it, the little ghost started to speak in a muffled voice: “Master Yang Gong sent me to find Manager Hu.”
“Yang Gong?”
Hu Ma’s sword stopped in mid-air, almost striking the little ghost dead.
However, the little ghost seemed unaware of the danger, and dumbly said, “Master Yang Gong sent a message, saying he has succeeded and is at the Water God Temple. But the river current is too strong to cross, and the pursuers are too close. He asks Manager Hu to come and help him...”
While speaking, it pulled out a piece of cloth from its clothes, holding it out with both hands. The cloth was soaked in blood, and the words “Rescue” were clearly written on it.
“Yang Gong actually succeeded?”
Hu Ma was surprised. He glanced at the lame little ghost and understood.
This was Yang Gong’s little servant ghost, just like Little Red Apricot...
...Thinking of this, he turned and looked up at the beam, where Little Red Apricot was perched, her little braids in the shape of horns, curiously peering down.
Hmm, she is indeed very pretty.
But before he could feel proud, he had to focus on the matter at hand. Hu Ma took the cloth from the little ghost’s hand.
The two words on it were written crookedly, indeed like the style of someone like Yang Gong, who couldn’t read or write before joining the Red Lantern Association.
He hurriedly asked the little ghost a few questions. Its speech was muddled and incoherent, so he had to ask several times before he understood clearly.
This was truly astonishing. Yang Gong had actually managed to steal that batch of Blood Food.
According to their plan, Yang Gong was supposed to pass through Niujia Bay, head north, and deliver the Blood Food to Hu Ma’s village before nightfall.
However, it seemed he had encountered some danger, which delayed his journey and trapped him on the opposite side of Niujia Bay.
Now unable to escape, he had sent the little servant ghost to the village for reinforcements.
“You go back and tell him I know.”
Hu Ma said softly, then turned to light the oil lamp and search for a map.
He was surprised to see the lame little ghost still standing by the door. It bowed its head when he turned back and said, “Thank you, Master Hu.”
“Why are you thanking me?”
Hu Ma frowned, and the little ghost bowed again, saying, “May Master Hu be blessed.”
It looked up at Hu Ma, and seeing that he still didn’t understand, it bowed again, saying, “May Master Hu be safe and prosperous.”
“?”
Hu Ma finally understood; the little ghost was asking for a reward.
He reached into a jar by the bed, pinched a piece of dried meat, and threw it into the little ghost’s hand.
The lame little ghost left happily.
“No wonder Yang Gong dislikes his little servant ghost. It’s not very good at delivering messages, but it’s quite skilled at asking for rewards...”
Hu Ma smiled helplessly and continued to search for a map of the Niujia Bay area.
Since most of their work involved escorting, they had plenty of maps, all self-made, though rough, they were still readable.
Hu Ma leaned closer to the oil lamp and quickly found the place the lame little ghost mentioned.
“Niujia Bay Water God Temple...”
He pondered for a moment. This place was about seventy or eighty li from his village, not too close, but not too far.
The apprentices from the village usually went out to assist at about this distance.
However, Niujia Bay was not within the usual range of the Red Lantern Lady Association’s activities, being too far from Mingzhou Prefecture.
Should he really go to help him?
After a moment of thought, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table and made a quick decision.
He would go. The place wasn’t far, and with the agility of an Age Keeper, it would take him just an hour or so to get there.
If what Yang Gong said was true, it would indeed be a significant achievement, something he badly needed. The Old Shopkeeper wanted to promote him to manager, but his short membership and lack of major achievements made it difficult.
If he could earn this merit, it might work out.
Moreover, while he wasn’t particularly interested in the manager position, he had to admit that it had significant benefits.
With Mr. Wu here, he had to be cautious with everything he did.
If a stranger took the position, who knows what chaos might ensue?
Furthermore, if the Blood Food Yang Gong had was valuable, he might earn some extra profit.
Who wouldn’t want more Blood Food?
Of course, there might be other complications, and he couldn’t rule out the possibility of a trap.
But if that was the case, he would still go, just not reveal himself immediately. He would go in secret to check if someone was plotting against him.
(End of Chapter)
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