Chapter 12: Lord Ta Sui
Chapter 12: Lord Ta Sui
"Second Master, you’re truly formidable..."
Not only did the group of young boys listen with eyes full of admiration, but Hu Ma was also taken aback. He wasn’t sure if this unassuming Second Master had really experienced such incredible feats in his youth, but he could see from the attitudes of the Second Master and the boys that people in this world had a different perspective on ghosts, spirits, and evil entities.
Not everyone was as terrified as he had initially thought; some even held a rather contemptuous attitude...
Of course, they could just be boasting!
But still, hearing it for the first time, he couldn’t help but feel that the evil spirits weren’t as terrifying as he had imagined. If he could learn the same skills as Second Master, then encountering something like a standing sheep or a beautiful snake...
...he would definitely be no match for Second Master.
But could it be that Old Lady sent him here to learn these skills from Second Master?
...
...
"Enough talk. While the sun hasn’t set yet, let’s run twenty miles around the area."
At this moment, Second Master used Hu Ma’s situation to teach the boys a lesson. Without further ado, he gave the order:
"Anyone who doesn’t return within half an hour will have to lift fifty stone pillars."
"..."
"Twenty miles? On a mountain path?"
Hu Ma was genuinely frightened by the intensity of the task. He wondered if it was an exaggeration, but to his surprise, the boys all rolled up their pants, some even kicked off their straw shoes, and started running out of the yard with shouts and grunts.
They ran along the rugged mountain path, which had been trodden solid by countless feet, circling the village.
It seemed they were well-versed in this kind of routine.
They were actually running, and some were even laughing and playing as they chased each other, looking very relaxed.
Hu Ma, after following them for a few miles, was utterly stunned:
"What kind of unearthly stamina is this?"
"..."
These boys, from the moment they started running, did so with a sprinter’s attitude. Their speed never slowed down, and they even accelerated a few times.
Although Hu Ma had been well-nourished recently and could keep up at first, after circling the village once, he was already gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and his legs felt weak. Yet, they seemed unaffected, and some even yelled as they ran.
Within a few minutes, there was no one in front of Hu Ma.
Another five or six minutes later, he heard the sound of laughter and play from behind, quickly catching up.
Some even turned around to stick out their tongues and make ghost faces at him...
"They’re on a completely different level!"
Hu Ma gradually felt a sense of despair at the gap between them...
His body was already very weak, and he had recently been hung by iron hooks, losing a lot of blood.
Though he had recovered quickly by eating meat and resting, he was still as thin as a reed.
Compared to these energetic boys, he was still a convalescent, how could he keep up with them?
But thinking that this was his first day and Old Lady had instructed him to learn from Second Master, he gritted his teeth and pushed on.
After all, in such a strange world, having a strong body could be useful, right?
At least when encountering something sinister, he could run faster than others.
...
With this thought, he ignored the boys who lapped him again and again, and just gritted his teeth and persevered.
To his surprise, he actually managed to complete the twenty-mile mountain run, something he had never even considered possible.
When his body was pushed to its limits, just before he was about to faint, a warm, invigorating energy seemed to rise from within him, supporting his body and maintaining his speed.
His head was steaming, and his clothes were drenched in sweat layer upon layer.
When Second Master shouted from the mountain, "Enough, come back," Hu Ma finally returned to the village.
He leaned against the wooden fence, panting heavily.
For a moment, he was genuinely astonished: "I actually ran twenty miles on a mountain path?"
"Not bad, you only got lapped three times."
By this time, the boys had long returned to the village, their sweat already dried.
They looked at Hu Ma with surprise.
Clearly, these energetic boys had initially looked down on Hu Ma’s frail frame.
His pampered upbringing had also left a poor impression on them.
Using the mountain run as an opportunity, they had intended to humiliate him.
Indeed, they ran faster than Hu Ma and lapped him several times.
But Hu Ma unexpectedly managed to keep up, performing better than they had expected when they first went up the mountain.
This performance made them take Hu Ma a bit more seriously.
"You don't seem half bad, kid..."
Elder Two was clearly surprised as well. He called Hu Ma over, pinching his shoulders and legs.
He happened to pinch the wound on Hu Ma's shoulder, causing him to flinch instinctively.
Only then did Elder Two notice the two egg-sized, scabbed-over wounds on Hu Ma's shoulders, his expression growing even more astonished.
Such severe injuries, clearly from a serious past encounter, had not fully healed yet.
After a moment's thought, he asked in a low voice, "You usually eat mountain meat, right?"
"Mountain meat?"
Hu Ma was a bit confused and explained, "Granny gives me meat every day, but it seems to be the flesh of Lord Taishui."
"That's it."
Elder Two sighed deeply, "Granny really does take good care of you."
"In this entire village, no one can afford to eat Lord Taishui's flesh every day!"
"..."
"Not just eating Lord Taishui, but Blood Taishui..."
Hu Ma thought to himself but gathered his courage to ask the old man, "Elder Two..."
"What exactly is this Taishui or mountain meat you keep talking about?"
"..."
"Eh?"
Elder Two was taken aback, looking at Hu Ma with a strange expression.
"Granny said you don't remember much, but this is quite severe. You even forgot about mountain meat?"
"..."
"I..."
In Granny's presence, Hu Ma dared not ask many questions, as if doing so would expose him.
Now, despite just meeting Elder Two, he felt more relaxed, for some reason...
...Maybe it's because old perverts always give a sense of security?
He decided to ask directly, "After I woke up, my head was empty. I don't remember much from before."
"I keep hearing about mountain meat and Lord Taishui. What exactly are they?"
"..."
"Elder Two has taught martial arts all his life, but this is the first time I have to explain this..."
This question seemed to stump even Elder Two. The young men nearby exchanged puzzled looks.
After a moment's thought, Elder Two laughed and threw away the last bit of his cigarette, standing up. "Alright, you all stay put. Elder Two will take Little Hu Ma to see Lord Taishui..."
"Now?"
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat as Elder Two turned to walk out. It was already evening, the sky was dark, and the surrounding forest was shrouded in night.
He remembered how carefully Granny had to navigate the forest during the day, wary of any potential threats.
Now, at night, when evil spirits were more active, Elder Two was taking him out?
But Elder Two didn't explain anything, giving Hu Ma no time to think. He strode out the door, picked Hu Ma up effortlessly, and slung him over his shoulder, then marched out of the village.
Tall and strong, with long limbs, Elder Two walked as if he were running, quickly entering the forest.
Rustling...
The forest was filled with unseen, sinister creatures that scattered like startled birds.
Hu Ma, hanging from Elder Two's neck, felt his body temperature rise slightly, and the eerie atmosphere around them seemed to dissipate on contact.
On his own, he had encountered many evil spirits, but following Elder Two, he didn't encounter a single one.
They emerged from the forest, and the view suddenly opened up. Elder Two stopped, not even out of breath.
His voice was deep and strong, "See that?"
"That's the flesh mountain, or Lord Taishui, as the villagers call it..."
"..."
Hu Ma looked up and saw a sight he would never forget.
In the dim light of the setting sun, he saw a wound-like mark on the ground ahead.
It was as if the world had been split open, the crack abruptly cutting across the earth.
And from this crack, a bloodied, swollen, and fatty mass was oozing out.
Faintly, he could even sense its breathing.
...
...
"In our village, we call it Taishui, but in the city, it's known as blood food."
Standing before this massive, unsettling entity, Elder Two's voice sounded distant, his tone heavy with a sigh.
"According to the elders, Lord Taishui has been here for hundreds of years."
"Cut it, and it grows back. Cut it again, and it grows back..."
"The mountain meat you eat is what Granny cuts for you, braving the evil spirits' attacks!"
(End of Chapter)
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