Chapter 16: The Hearth Fire Wards Off Evil
Chapter 16: The Hearth Fire Wards Off Evil
Could a blazing furnace inside one's body ward off evil and cure diseases, countering the bizarre?
Hu Ma marveled at the wonders of this world while finding immense comfort in his heart:
First, in this eerie world, he finally had a means to protect himself.
Second, if what Second Master said was true, that once the furnace was lit, evil spirits would find it unbearable to approach.
Did this mean that, though not an original, he wouldn't be burned by this body like ordinary evil spirits?
Was it because of his status as a "reincarnated being," or was there some other reason he wasn't aware of?
Perhaps these questions could only be answered after talking to other reincarnated beings.
After checking, Second Master confirmed that the furnace was properly lit for Hu Ma and then led him to the side room to rest.
Good grief, it was a large communal bed, filled with half-grown boys.
When Hu Ma first woke up, he slept in the side room at home, where only an old woman who chanted scriptures all night and a mysterious little girl named Xiaohongtang were present. He had hidden in the side room, feeling lonely and afraid. Now, he was suddenly thrown in with over a dozen peers.
They were all energetic, running in the mountains and practicing martial arts during the day, and their hygiene was clearly not a priority.
He almost stumbled from the smell as soon as he entered the room.
Hmm, the air was thick with the stench of teenage boys...
"Once you're with Second Master, you won't be as comfortable as you were in the village," Second Master noted, seeing Hu Ma wrinkle his nose in discomfort. "The old woman spoiled you, but now that you're here to learn, you'll have to make do. I can't have you sleeping in my room, can I?"
"..."
Hu Ma thought: The smell in your room isn't much better...
But he nodded and asked Second Master where he should sleep.
Second Master glanced around and pointed to a boy by the hearth, telling him to move over to make space for Hu Ma.
The large communal bed had a hearth built into the corner, connected to a chimney. It wasn't in use during this season, but the hearth divided the bed into two sections. One side was crowded with seven or eight boys, while the other, against the wall, had only a narrow space, enough for one person.
Compared to the rest of the room, this was like a private bed.
It seemed that despite saying he wouldn't give Hu Ma special treatment, Second Master still did.
Hu Ma agreed and laid out his bedding.
Looking at the others, their quilts were either tattered with cotton spilling out or thin like rags.
But the old woman had brought Hu Ma a thick, wide black cotton quilt, perfect for both laying and covering. The others didn't have proper pillows, using a pair of cloth shoes as a substitute, while the old woman had given Hu Ma a wheat straw pillow, making for a comfortable and peaceful sleep.
"Everyone, go to sleep early. We'll practice martial arts early tomorrow. Don't make noise at night, focus on your cultivation, and don't let your minds wander!"
Second Master was surprised to see Hu Ma lie down quietly without complaint. Feeling a bit awkward, he scolded the boys before slowly returning to his own room.
"Hei, he must be starving. They lit a furnace for him as soon as he arrived; that's some good treatment..."
"Hehe, he can't even keep up on the mountain runs, and they lit a furnace for him..."
"..."
After Second Master left, the side room was silent for a moment before the boys started whispering and joking.
According to Second Master, these boys were all like him, with their furnaces lit, and their fires were more intense, making them even more energetic and prone to causing trouble. Add to that the fact that Hu Ma's treatment was better than the rest, and it was no surprise they were curious.
Hu Ma understood and remained silent, lying down without acknowledging them.
He needed to understand this world better before he could relax. For now, it was best to remain unchanged and adapt to the situation.
"Hehe, just like a spoiled rich kid, acting all high and mighty, ignoring us..."
Seeing Hu Ma remain silent, the boys lost interest. After a while, some started counting the days until they could return to the village and eat, while others planned how much they could earn during the New Year's festival and how many years it would take to marry. There were also whispers of "Do you like the Dong family's sister?" and "You're hard again," before they gradually fell asleep.
Hu Ma pretended to be asleep, quietly listening to their conversation, trying to gain a deeper understanding of the village.
Only when everything around him grew quiet did he quietly sort through his thoughts, shifting his attention to the talisman drawn on his chest.
He could clearly feel that with this talisman, the warm energy inside his body no longer dissipated outward but slowly accumulated within him.
As it gradually built up, his body felt increasingly bloated.
Hu Ma focused his mind, following the instructions from Second Uncle. He pressed the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, half-asleep, and deliberately guided the warm energy through the talisman drawn on his chest, slowly directing it into his "furnace" in his lower abdomen.
To his surprise, the process went much smoother than he expected.
According to Second Uncle, this first step, called "cultivation," required a gradual and patient approach.
The body's yang energy was scattered and weak, needing to be guided bit by bit. Initially, it was hard to grasp the subtle sensations.
But when Hu Ma tried, he felt a strong, rolling heat within his body.
With almost no effort, the warm energy quickly followed the cold talisman, flowing into his furnace.
The process was incredibly comfortable. Before long, he felt his lower abdomen become warm and full of energy.
With his energy full, his courage grew.
Since his rebirth, he had always felt restless and fearful. Now, he no longer felt that way.
Thinking about the dark night outside, he even dared to go out alone to relieve himself...
...but he decided against it.
This discovery filled him with joy.
"Is this the truly useful method? Why didn't Grandma let me come here earlier?"
He felt elated, remembering how, whenever he encountered evil spirits, or even in the old hearth, he would first feel a chill, followed by strange hallucinations.
Some instinctive awareness told him that the warmth now rising within his body was entirely different from that chill.
With his body warm, he no longer feared the cold, and with his furnace burning bright, no evil spirits would dare to bother him.
This method seemed even better than the old hearth! Relying on external things was never as good as strengthening one's own foundation, right?
If Grandma had let him learn this method earlier, he probably wouldn't have feared those evil spirits. Could it be...
...that Grandma was just worried he wouldn't find a wife if he learned this method too soon?
These questions had no immediate answers, but Hu Ma felt a newfound confidence in this world.
The first time he cultivated, he achieved such remarkable results. Once his furnace burned brightly, where would he not dare to go?
A sense of unprecedented stability and elation filled his heart, and he continued to "cultivate" with enthusiasm, making the fire in his lower abdomen burn even brighter.
Then...
...a sudden, sharp breath, and Hu Ma abruptly woke up.
He instinctively looked out the window, which was still dark, unsure of the time.
The other boys his age slept soundly, some grinding their teeth, some mumbling in their sleep, and others turning over, their legs rubbing against the blankets.
It was late autumn, early winter, and the boys, with their robust energy, didn't mind the cold, despite being half-naked.
But Hu Ma had been woken by the cold.
He had slept well, and the thick blanket still covered him.
Yet his body felt like ice, a cold chill rising from his limbs and slowly seeping into his body.
Only when it reached his lower abdomen did the chill begin to dissipate, as if the few remaining embers in a cold furnace were emitting a faint glow.
"This isn't right..."
The more Hu Ma felt his current state, the more uneasy he became.
Didn't Second Uncle say that after he lit the furnace, the warm energy in his body would be contained?
Guiding this energy to his lower abdomen should create a growing fire.
This fire should continuously grow stronger, day by day, but why did it seem to be subtly shrinking?
Why was his body emitting cold energy instead of warmth?
This sudden, strange sensation made Hu Ma too anxious to sleep. He sat up halfway, staring blankly out the window.
The dark, indigo sky had quietly turned to a pale gray, and in the distance, a rooster crowed.
"Boys, get up and run the mountain..."
Outside, near the main hall, Second Uncle's loud voice rang out.
(End of Chapter)
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