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Chapter 210: Saving People and Exorcising Evil
Chapter 210: Saving People and Exorcising Evil
Hu Ma tightened his legs around the horse, urging it to quicken its pace as they left the territory of Old Yin Mountain.
Once they emerged, the sun was shining brightly over the fields.
In the distance, people were bustling about in the villages, some cheering, some crying, and others spotting Hu Ma approaching from afar, rushing forward to kneel before him, bowing their heads.
They didn't know about Hu Ma's battle with the evil ghosts in Old Yin Mountain, but they remembered his tireless efforts over the past few days as he traveled from village to village.
Hu Ma hurriedly helped them to their feet, declining their bows, and asked, "How did things go?"
"How many people were injured in the village?"
"Where are the Ghost Walkers who came from other places to help?"
"..."
The villagers answered, and Hu Ma comforted them briefly before heading towards the next village.
Though the dark yin qi that had shrouded the area was now gone, the thirty-mile radius around the villages still felt drained and desolate, as if the vitality had been sapped from the land. The crops were withered and yellow, and it was unclear how long it would take for them to recover.
Upon arriving at the next village, Hu Ma saw that many Ghost Walkers were still busy. Some were tending to the villagers who had been affected by the evil spirits, preparing herbal medicines and instructing them on how to recover. Others were comforting the surrounding villagers, assuring them that there was no need to fear, as the evil spirits had been dealt with and would not return. Some were already packing up their belongings, preparing to leave.
Hu Ma hurriedly urged his horse forward and said, "Old sir, grandmother, big sister, there's no need to leave so quickly."
"Thank you for your hard work today. Please come with me to the village, and I'll prepare some food and drink to fill your stomachs."
"..."
Under normal circumstances, when Ghost Walkers came to help a village, the locals would prepare food and drink to show their gratitude and offer them a reward without being asked.
However, this time, the situation was too chaotic, and the villagers were too anxious to think of such things. Hu Ma, however, remembered.
"This isn't right..."
The Ghost Walkers quickly waved their hands and said, "We are Ghost Walkers, and you are from the Blood Food Gang. It wouldn't be right for us to eat your food."
"..."
Hu Ma had not realized this before.
Ghost Walkers came from the villages, while the Blood Food Gang was an organization centered around the blood and flesh of Ta Sui. They usually did not associate with each other.
But after a moment's thought, Hu Ma said to Little Red Apricot, "Go find Zhou Datong. Tell him to get rice, flour, and food from the village and set up a continuous feast in Huanggou Village. Then invite all the Ghost Walkers from the surrounding areas. They came to help, and we can't let them leave with empty stomachs."
"Also, ask him how many people were killed or injured."
"..."
Little Red Apricot jumped off the horse and ran off on her short legs.
She quickly found Zhou Datong, who, along with others, was still helping to dig pits and bury the strange and demonic Blue-robed Boys in the neighboring village.
These Blue-robed Boys had run amok, killing people with their malevolent aura, but once the Blue-robed Evil Spirits were captured, they became weak and were beaten to death by the enraged villagers.
Such people were typical outsiders and demons. They were killed and buried, with stones placed on top of their graves to prevent them from rising again.
The local government, which was more of a facade, would likely not intervene.
Even if they did, the villagers, driven by their anger, would not have shown mercy.
"Don't bury them yet..."
Hu Ma, upon learning this, immediately instructed them, "Burn them first. Pour oil on them and burn them. After burning, crush the remains."
"Then bury the ashes in a pig pen to exorcise evil."
"..."
He demonstrated the process himself and then sent Zhou Datong and the others back to the village to fetch rice, flour, and food.
When the apprentices arrived, the village head understood Hu Ma's intentions and quickly mobilized some people to set up tents, tables, and chairs. They also set up large pots and sent people to the surrounding villages to invite the Ghost Walkers to come and eat.
However, when Hu Ma heard about the casualties among the Ghost Walkers, his heart sank.
Three Ghost Walkers had died, seven were severely injured, and several others had been sprayed with yin qi by the suddenly powerful evil spirits and were still unconscious.
Hu Ma could only sigh and began making arrangements.
For those who had died, he instructed them to be carefully collected, and other Ghost Walkers were brought in to identify them and record their names. They needed to be sent home properly.
For the injured, the village provided black oil ointment, blood wine, white food, green food, and even blood food from the village's supplies. These were distributed to treat their injuries, with the costs to be reimbursed by the Lady Society.
The Ghost Walkers were surprised to see such a generous supply of items. Usually, when they traveled from village to village, a bowl of meat and vegetables was considered a treat. They had never received such rich provisions before.
From this, Hu Ma realized that while everyone in the sects had their own ways, the Ghost Walkers and the Age Keepers were indeed very different. The Age Keepers, though not necessarily wealthy, were not poor. The Ghost Walkers, however, were truly simple and plain.
Perhaps the only valuable things they had were the items they used during their ghost-walking, which were only valuable in specific circles.
After settling these people, he returned to the manor and took a light nap.
Since he left the manor, he hadn't closed his eyes for two days and three nights, and after continuous battles and travel, even with the foundation of an Age Keeper, he was starting to feel the strain. Once he lay down, he slept for two hours before abruptly waking up.
When he reached the inner courtyard, he saw Li Wa Zi lying on the bed, nursing his injuries, and being fed porridge by someone.
Zhou Datong and the others were nowhere to be seen. Upon asking, he learned they had gone to help with various matters in the villages.
Hu Ma washed his face to clear his head and then left the manor.
It was now deep into the night, but after all the commotion, the night was even safer than the day. However, he still saw many Ghost Walkers bustling about in various places.
Some were burning incense, others were burning paper, and some had set up spell altars, muttering low incantations.
Hu Ma saw a devout and mysterious aura on their faces. He quietly stood to the side, waiting for them to finish their rituals before speaking.
"Little Shopkeeper."
The old man who had led his ox and his grandson out to exorcise evil spirits nodded and smiled when he saw Hu Ma.
They didn't often deal with the Blood Food Gang, but they all had a good impression of Hu Ma.
Hu Ma saw him light a large bundle of incense and walk through the wild fields, inserting a stick of incense into every grave mound he encountered. Not understanding the purpose, he politely asked in a low voice, "Old Sir, what are you doing now?"
"Calming the spirits."
The old man laughed, showing his gap-toothed smile. "Ghost Walkers don't just take care of the living; we also take care of the dead."
"This time, the spirits suffered along with the people. Not all of them were acting out of their own will. They were suppressed by evil energy, forced to act against their will, and they are all quite injured."
"Most of them are wandering spirits that can't enter the Underworld. They are stuck in this world, waiting to die. When the spirits are active, we focus on protecting the living, but after the spirits are calmed, we can't just leave them to suffer."
"..."
"Spirits that can't enter the Underworld..."
Hu Ma was slightly startled by this.
He took a deep breath and looked into the depths of the night. In this era, there were few lights, and the night was pitch black.
But now, he could see flickering flames in the deep night, at the entrances of various villages or in the wild fields. Occasionally, he could hear distant, low chants, ancient and mysterious, yet somehow comforting.
The practices of these Ghost Walkers seemed to follow some ancient rules.
This was something he hadn't thought about before: Does the Underworld really exist in this world?
If it does, why is there so much evil in the world, and why is the order of Yin and Yang in chaos?
He had always focused on the cultivation techniques of Age Keepers because they were tangible and real. The Book of Year-Taming, though powerful, made him feel uneasy.
It was like wielding power beyond his own limits, and reincarnated beings didn't like the feeling of handing their fate to others.
But this time, with the help of Mountain Lord, he used the techniques from the Book of Year-Taming and truly felt the existence of that power. It was like wielding an authority, summoning a solemn and awe-inspiring force.
It wasn't his own power, but he was using it, much like a magistrate questioning a criminal on the bench.
Where did this power come from?
"Old Sir, I'm not a Ghost Walker, but I'm curious. Do the souls of the dead really have a place to go?"
He organized his thoughts, suppressing his curiosity, and gently asked the Ghost Walker.
"Of course."
The old Ghost Walker smiled. He felt more at ease with Hu Ma than with the Blood Food Gang's managers and was willing to share more.
He chuckled, "The Impermanence spirits hook souls, the judges assess sins, and the cycle of hell and rebirth exists, doesn't it?"
Hu Ma found this even more bizarre and asked, "Then why is there so much Yin filth in the world? Why do you say they can't enter the Underworld?"
"Because the gates of the Underworld are closed," the old Ghost Walker explained. "They've been closed for many years. Because the gates are closed, there are no rules, and so the wandering spirits and Yin filth have multiplied, and the work of Ghost Walkers has increased."
"Closed?"
Hu Ma was even more surprised. "Why are they closed? If they were closed, that means they were open before?"
"If there is an Underworld, then there must be soul hooking messengers and the cycle of rebirth, right?"
"Have you, Old Sir, ever seen these things?"
"..."
The old Ghost Walker, who had been smiling, now looked a bit awkward.
He thought this little shopkeeper was a good person, but it turned out he was trying to corner him.
"Where would I see them?"
He glared at Hu Ma with a bit of annoyance. "The gates of the Underworld are closed, and evil spirits have emerged, causing chaos in the world. Later, a capable person stepped up and set rules, using dusk as the boundary. But that's what everyone says!"
(End of Chapter)
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