Chapter 20: The Mountain Deity's Wedding
Chapter 20: The Mountain Deity's Wedding
Old Lady truly found an excellent method for me.
With a steady supply of blood food, Hu Ma not only avoided the icy sensation in his limbs but also felt his inner fire growing stronger.
He gradually discovered the relationship between his condition and the flesh of the Ta Sui.
After eating the white Ta Sui, even in small amounts, his body would warm up, though the effect was quite weak and almost negligible.
Eating the green Ta Sui, however, would produce a warmth that could last for a day or two.
Of course, this was under normal circumstances. If he practiced his techniques, the warmth would be consumed within half a day.
Eating the blood Ta Sui had an even more significant effect. For a day or two, his body would be filled with a rolling warmth, and his energy would be boundless.
When practicing his techniques, the results were twice as effective.
During this time, he felt the fire in his abdomen growing stronger, from a subtle flame to a full-blown fire pit within a few days. After a few more days, it felt as if there was a roaring furnace in his lower abdomen.
His body was always warm, and he felt an endless supply of energy.
Every morning, he would wake up with his flag standing straight.
Of course, Second Master didn’t raise pigs, and he hadn’t returned to the village, so he didn’t know if he would feel hungry at the sight of a pig's rear end…
However, with this vigorous inner fire, the bone-chilling cold he used to feel from time to time had indeed diminished, and the eerie shadows he often saw seemed to have vanished.
He no longer needed constant supervision and could occasionally venture out of the village.
Of course, after dusk, he still dared not step outside.
And the eerie, terrifying forest was a place he never dared approach, day or night.
The good news was that Second Master’s method worked, and he had managed to avoid the evil spirits to some extent, even strengthening his inner fire.
The bad news was that without the Ta Sui, his fire would gradually weaken and could not be sustained.
So, it all came down to the Ta Sui.
Or, rather, Old Lady.
But Hu Ma couldn’t figure out where Old Lady was getting so much of this precious blood Ta Sui.
How much more could she provide?
Hu Ma didn’t know the answer to this question. All he could do was not waste a single bit of the warmth.
...
In the quiet side room, Hu Ma sat cross-legged on his bed, slowly practicing his techniques, channeling the warmth into his inner furnace.
Hu Ma wasn’t diligent in his physical training, but he was the most diligent in his internal cultivation.
Whenever he had the chance, he would practice, channeling the warmth into his furnace to store it. This way, if he ever lost his supply of blood food, the accumulated fire in his furnace could help him last longer.
After all, if he didn’t practice, even though the life force was sealed by Liu Er’s talisman and wouldn’t dissipate, it would still be gradually lost through daily activities and intense exertions.
Only by storing it in his furnace could he effectively utilize it.
Of course, others might see his actions as pretentious, especially since he was at an age when he should be active and energetic. They were enthusiastic about physical training and fighting, but sitting still to practice internal techniques seemed to go against their nature.
Hu Ma ignored them, estimating how much warmth he needed to keep and channeling the rest into his furnace.
But during his practice, he suddenly heard an annoyed voice: “You two, go fill the water barrel.”
He opened his eyes to see a tall, thin boy staring at him coldly, giving orders.
“Ah?”
Not far away, Zhou Datong, who was lying on a pile of bedding, was startled awake and swallowed hard.
“I said, you two, go fetch some water.”
The tall, thin boy glared at them, his face cold. "Everyone else is practicing their techniques, learning herbal medicine, and even accompanying Second Master on patrols. You two lazybones just hide in your room and do nothing. Fine, you don't want to learn anything, but can't you at least do some chores?"
“The kitchen is out of water. Go to the spring and fetch a few buckets, and fill the barrel.”
“...”
The spring was at least three or four miles away, and each bucket of water weighed at least fifty to sixty pounds. Hu Ma frowned.
But before he could speak, Zhou Datong complained, “I told Second Master that someone stole my blanket at night, and I caught a cold, so I have diarrhea…”
“Diarrhea? Even if you’re having a bowel movement, you still have to go!”
The tall, thin boy said coldly, "Learning skills requires effort. Are you two so lazy?"
“Go, or try it out!”
“...”
With that, he slammed the door frame, glared at Hu Ma and Zhou Datong, and left.
His name was Cui Xie’er, a child from the Cui family in Dayang Village. He was the oldest among the group of young boys learning skills from Second Master.
Last year, he had already paid respects to the Ta Sui with Second Master. Because he had learned the skills well, he no longer needed to run and practice with the other boys. Instead, he cooked and helped Second Master with various tasks, making him a senior among the boys.
He had already learned all the necessary skills and stayed to assist Second Master with various tasks and handle minor issues.
Hu Ma had been around for a short while, so he had few friends and was careful not to make enemies. However, it seemed this person had a natural aversion to him. Every morning when the porridge was served, Hu Ma’s dried meat was always a bit smaller than others, and sometimes he didn’t get any at all. In the early days, it was this same person who always led the way in making snide remarks.
But because Hu Ma kept a low profile and didn’t actively engage with others, he didn’t complain about the missing piece of cured meat, and the man initially didn’t know how to get a rise out of him. However, he didn’t give up and gradually became more brazen, even going so far as to boss Hu Ma around with a sense of entitlement.
"Hey, shall we go?"
Zhou Datong blinked, looking at Hu Ma uncertainly.
He was genuinely afraid of Cui Xie, who could be ruthless during training sessions.
Unlike Hu Ma, who was clearly not interested in learning martial arts and thus avoided beatings, Zhou Datong had no such luxury.
"Alright then!"
Hu Ma let out a sigh. At the moment, heavy labor was not good for his condition, but he could still handle the regular workload. Besides, he wanted to use this opportunity to ask Zhou Datong some questions.
In the village, the old chief’s grandson was the first friend Hu Ma had made here. As the second uncle would say, "You two can’t help but be friends, can you?"
Hu Ma used to be pampered and was notorious for being a disappointment in the village. Zhou Datong, on the other hand, was a troublemaker, always causing mischief and known as the village’s biggest rascal. In short, they were the two troublemakers of Dayang Village.
However, in the past, Hu Ma’s original self had never been friends with Zhou Datong; they even disliked each other. But now, under the second uncle’s care, Zhou Datong had become more subdued due to his younger age among the group. Hu Ma, having changed inside, was no longer as irritable and had started to get along with Zhou Datong to learn martial arts. They gradually became more familiar with each other.
Of course, Hu Ma had also chosen Zhou Datong as a friend because he found the boy naive and full of gossip, making it easy to get information from him.
The two picked up their poles and hooked two water buckets, then walked out of the village.
"What’s up with that guy? He seems to have a problem with me?"
Once they were alone, Hu Ma whispered to Zhou Datong.
He was already cautious from his past life, and with his poor health, he wouldn’t waste energy on unnecessary conflicts. Even if he didn’t run in the mountains or practice martial arts, it was his own business and didn’t affect others. But this Cui Xie guy had been hostile from the start and was now openly bullying him.
Zhou Datong looked at Hu Ma with surprise and said, "You forgot about the Cui family’s sister?"
"What about the Cui family’s sister?"
Hu Ma felt a deep sense of frustration.
Everyone knew he had trouble remembering things, but they thought he only forgot a little. In reality, he had forgotten everything. However, he didn’t show it and often pretended to understand.
"It was a few years ago..."
Zhou Datong explained, "Cui Xie’s sister, Cui E, went out to harvest rice and fell ill when she returned."
"She couldn’t eat or drink, and even venerating the old fire pit didn’t help. The Cui family then asked your grandmother for help. She examined Cui E and said it was the Mountain God’s doing, ordering the Cui family to throw away everything they had recently picked, lock Cui E in a room, and seal the doors and windows with red thread. No matter what happened at night, they couldn’t open the door. She went to talk to the Mountain God to see if they could resolve the issue."
"However, that night, Cui E cried and screamed for half the night, and the next day, they found her hanging."
"..."
"What?"
Hu Ma was taken aback and instinctively said, "Even if they couldn’t save her, it’s not your grandmother’s fault, right?"
"Regardless, the Cui family was very dissatisfied and came to your house to yell at the door. It was my grandfather who calmed them down. I heard the Cui family complaining that there was no such thing as a Mountain God. They knew all the powerful evil spirits around the village, and even the ancestors in the fire pit would have warned them in a dream. Only your grandmother mentioned the Mountain God."
Zhou Datong continued, "We don’t know the full story, but your grandmother never brought it up again with the Cui family."
"I didn’t know, so I’m even more confused..."
Hu Ma sighed, but at least he understood why Cui Xie was targeting him.
"But..."
He looked at Zhou Datong beside him, "Why is he so rude to you too? You’re the chief’s grandson, after all."
Do people here disrespect the village’s second generation so much?
Zhou Datong looked so pitiful, "I don’t know why, but it seems beating me up gives him a lot of face."
"..."
This village’s second generation must be having a rough time...
Hu Ma silently pondered the situation, weighing the pros and cons, and gradually formed an idea.
(End of Chapter)
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