https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-191-A-Living-Soul-Second-Update-/12899829/
Chapter 190: Unchanging in the Face of All Changes (First Update)
Chapter 190: Unchanging in the Face of All Changes (First Update)
"Will the consequences of Zheng digging this pit for me be severe?"
"Will the Meng family members immediately fly into a rage when they hear that I stopped them from taking people away and send Blue-robed Evil Spirits to kill me?"
After this terrifying night, the apprentices in the village were all trembling with fear.
After all, they were just young men from the village who had come out to make a living. They were not afraid of dealing with minor Yin filth because they were used to it, but when they saw those demonic-looking Blue-robed Boys, who wouldn't be frightened?
They could only look at Hu Ma with a pleading gaze, but Hu Ma's heart was no more at ease than theirs.
After the Red Incense Master Zheng left and Hu Ma understood the sinister intentions of this person, he immediately had the apprentices pack their things, carrying all the pot ash, leading out the horses, and saddling them. Little Red Apricot was outside, watching for any signs of their return.
If anything went wrong, they would immediately flee into the Old Yin Mountain.
But after a night of heart-pounding anticipation, when the sky turned Fish Belly White, there was still no sign of any trouble.
What was going on?
Hu Ma was somewhat surprised. He thought that such a powerful figure, if angered, would simply issue a command and take his life. Why wait a whole night? Or perhaps he had misunderstood the Red Incense Master Zheng, and he hadn't really gone to report him?
... No, that was impossible. If he were in his position, he would have reported it too. What a great opportunity to get rid of an enemy with a single stroke of a powerful figure's anger?
Feeling uneasy, he still sent Little Red Apricot to the city to gather some information.
Little Red Apricot returned with news that surprised Hu Ma: "Grandpa Xu with the Big Beard and Elder Brother Yang Gong both said that they know about the Red Incense Master Zheng causing trouble for you, but it's no problem. The matter has passed!"
"Several apprentices who were taken away from the village have been released. They seem a bit shaken, but at least they're alive. The Blue-robed Boys have all been recalled."
"They guess that the matter should be over. They told you to be at ease, and they will visit you when they have the time."
"..."
"It's over?"
When Hu Ma heard this, he was surprised. The Meng family had caused such a commotion in Mingzhou Prefecture, and now it was suddenly over?
He felt a vague sense of disbelief but couldn't quite grasp the situation.
A farmer couldn't imagine whether the Empress used a golden or silver hoe, and the apprentices from the village couldn't understand the thinking of the Yin-Communicating Meng family.
But since he came from an age of information explosion, he did his best to put himself in the shoes of a young man from one of the Ten Surnames.
The Old Tree Stump didn't tell him everything, but the information was enough.
No matter what conflicts existed between the Hu and Meng families, it seemed that things changed when the old lady returned to the ancestral hall. The Meng family's visit now was not to kill him...
... at least, not openly.
But since they weren't there to kill him, and given the long-standing enmity between the two families, why would they want to find him?
Furthermore, if the mirror was used to find him, what exactly did it show?
Hu Ma couldn't find the answer within himself, but he carefully questioned Zhou Datong and the few apprentices whose red lines were longer when they were illuminated by the mirror. He noticed a common thread among them.
Their surnames, backgrounds, and family wealth varied, but the one common point was that they all came from more remote villages.
And in those villages, there were ancestral halls or traditions of the ancestral hearth.
This common point immediately opened up his thinking. Could the mirror be showing the ancestral hearth, or rather, the protection of the ancestors for their descendants?
Whether it was the ancestral hearth or the ancestral hall, they formed a force that cared for the descendants, invisible but real.
When the Diguashao went to fetch the treasure, they had to pretend to be descendants of the Ma family's ancestral hall.
If he thought about it this way, he could understand why Zhou Datong and the others had noticeably longer red lines...
Because they all came from Big Sheep Village, so Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and even Li Wa Zi had relatively high red lines because they were all protected.
However, Zhou Datong, being the eldest grandson of the Zhou family, received the highest protection.
Zhou Liang was second, as he also shared the same surname.
Zhao Zhu and Li Wa Zi, although from the four major surnames, received slightly less protection.
"This is something to be cautious about. I come from the same place as them, but the protection shown by the mirror is low. Could this ironically backfire, arousing other people's suspicion?"
Hu Ma analyzed this point, initially surprised, then realized.
"Right, it won't raise suspicion."
"After all, from an outsider's perspective, my family only has one ancestor in the ancestral hearth, so it's reasonable for the protection to be low."
"..."
Thinking this way, he became even more convinced: "Even though I don't feel it, if I truly belong to the Hu family of the Ten Surnames, then this body receives special Yin protection?"
"So when they used the mirror, they only needed to shine it on me to immediately pick me out of the crowd. It would be impossible to hide."
"If not for the Old Tree Stump's help, I wouldn't have even thought that they would use this method to find me."
"However, the old lady's arrangement was good. She found this senior from the Old Yin Mountain to protect me, helping me through this crisis. But these apprentices, who are protected by the hearth, have suffered unjustly, being dragged into this..."
"But speaking of the Meng family, if they can't find me after all this trouble, will they easily give up?"
“……”
Hu Ma immediately gave a denial: "No, if he were to give up so easily, he wouldn't have come here in the first place."
"But now, with such a grand setup, and they only ended up with nothing, what will he do next?"
"… Or perhaps, on the surface, he wants to use this method to find people, but in reality, he knows it won't work and is just laying the groundwork for other means?"
"……"
After silently pondering for a while, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
The Hu family actually has another characteristic, one that might be even more obvious than their bloodline and so-called Yin protection power…
The Book of Year-Taming! The old tree stump had already told him that if he didn’t learn the Hu family’s techniques, he couldn’t be considered a member of the Hu family.
So, would the Meng family also try to act on this?
If that’s the case, how would he arrange things afterward?
The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became.
All his speculations were just that—speculations. He tried his hardest to put himself in the perspective of those in high positions, imagining a lot.
But it all remained at the level of imagination, and he had no real confidence…
But that didn’t stop him from being afraid.
He was preparing for the worst-case scenario and, of course, he was afraid that this possibility might actually happen.
With uncertainty in his heart, and unable to discuss with the reincarnated ones, he felt utterly helpless.
Should he just run away?
That’s not an option.
It’s not because he’s attached to his position as a shopkeeper or the money and blood food in the village. The main reason is that if he runs now, it would be a confession of guilt, making it clear that he’s up to something.
What would that be called? They haven’t even made a move, and I’ve already admitted to it.
"Brothers, stay vigilant."
After thinking carefully for a long time, Hu Ma gathered Zhou Datong and others, sternly instructing them: "Increase patrols around the area, but be cautious at night. If it’s too dangerous, don’t go out after dark."
"After all, in the current situation, the Red Lantern Lady wouldn’t demote me just because we miss a couple of night patrols…"
"… Equip yourselves with weapons, and don’t go out alone in the future."
"…"
Zhou Datong and the others, unsure of what to do, hurriedly took note.
After giving the instructions, Hu Ma thought for a moment and then specifically called over Li Wa Zi, saying, "You’re quite familiar with that family outside, right?"
"Outside?"
Li Wa Zi was stunned for a moment before reacting, "Ah? You mean the Yellow Immortals? They’re family."
"I can talk to Fourth Aunt, Third Uncle, Second Uncle, and the little brother."
"Sometimes when they’re craving something, they come over to ask me for red sugar eggs or a drink, and I cook them a pot."
"… I’m not being greedy, it’s all from my rations."
"…"
"From now on, you don’t need to save from your rations. Just put it on the public account."
Hu Ma quickly said, "During this period, you should talk to them and help us keep an eye on the surroundings."
"Sure thing."
Li Wa Zi readily agreed, "This is important, I’ll talk to Seventh Aunt directly."
"Good, good."
Hu Ma agreed, then suddenly felt something was off, "Seventh Aunt, ranked seventh, how did she become the oldest?"
"She’s the oldest…."
Li Wa Zi laughed, "The Yellow Immortals don’t know numbers, they think the bigger the number, the more powerful the person."
"If another one is born later, Seventh Aunt’s seniority will increase, maybe becoming Eighth Aunt, Ninth Aunt…."
"…"
"… This sounds strange, but it makes sense for this family."
Hu Ma felt relieved, and arranged for Li Wa Zi to go.
As for himself, he quietly considered and packed up the red wooden sword, the ash from the ancestral hearth he brought out during the New Year, the soil he dug from the Old Yin Mountain a few days ago, and the things he earned from the Diguashao deal, all in one place.
Having been away from the village for over a year, the skills he earned are with him, and these are his capital.
When the enemy comes, we’ll face them; when the water comes, we’ll block it. That’s all we can do.
No matter what the other side does, or what move they make, we can’t interfere with them. We can only focus on ourselves and do our best.
As the old tree stump said, if I get flustered by a little move from them and can’t do anything, that would be truly disappointing.
Anyway, thinking carefully, that Chief Zheng using underhanded tactics on me actually helped me.
What can you do to me? At worst, I’ll go to the old tree stump!
If he really targets Zhou Datong and the others, I would have already left the village, and my identity might have been exposed, possibly drawing the attention of the Meng family. But because he’s targeting me, it inadvertently helped me avoid a disaster…
… Chief Zheng is just like his little brother-in-law, a good person!
(End of Chapter)
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