Chapter 216: Red Lantern Prayer
Chapter 216: Red Lantern Prayer
"Since when has the Red Lantern Society been so generous?"
Looking at Mr. Xu's serious and earnest face, Hu Ma was momentarily stunned.
Normally, Mr. Xu wouldn't have the authority to make such decisions, especially with the Incense Burners and the Red Lantern Lady present. However, the Incense Burners never bothered with the society's daily affairs, and the Red Lantern Lady cared even less. Mr. Xu immediately recognized this as a good opportunity and didn't need to seek approval from the city. He decided the matter right in front of the Red Lantern Lady.
Of course, even if he wanted to seek approval, it would have been impossible. Grand Incense Master Zheng was missing, and the position responsible for this matter was vacant...
For a moment, Hu Ma was overjoyed, and Mr. Xu was also quite pleased.
Even the lantern in the Incense Burner's hand seemed to finally relax, quietly extinguishing itself as the Red Lantern Lady left.
Only Yang Gong, standing nearby with his arms crossed, gave Hu Ma a look of exasperation:
"Such a naive brother, daring to take on a task outside the village at this time, not even realizing what he's been through..."
"You've saved the Red Lantern Lady's face, but did you know you almost lost your life?"
"..."
After standing at the village entrance for a while, Hu Ma hurriedly invited Mr. Xu and the others inside. However, the Incense Burner, who had not dismounted, saw the red lantern extinguished and left without saying a word to Hu Ma.
Hu Ma hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to ask them to stay. Mr. Xu then said, "Let them go about their business. They have important matters to attend to!"
Hu Ma asked, "Should we invite them to stay for a meal?"
Mr. Xu smiled, "We're fine, the Incense Burners never eat with the village managers."
"Sometimes they don't even need to eat; incense is enough for them."
"..."
"Probably like the Blue-robed Boys, spending too much time with evil spirits makes them more ghost-like than human..."
Hu Ma nodded, not asking further, and busily welcomed Mr. Xu inside. Even Yang Gong had to follow the Incense Burners.
Upon entering the village, they saw Little Red Apricot beating a lame little ghost.
The little ghost held its head, not fighting back. When Hu Ma entered the village, it hurriedly shouted, "Mr. Hu, may you have good fortune!"
"What's going on here?"
Hu Ma quickly pulled Little Red Apricot away and gave the lame little ghost a piece of meat.
The lame little ghost was overjoyed, clutching the piece of Green Food and ran out of the village to catch up with Yang Gong.
It turned out that while the Red Lantern Lady was present, the little ghost didn't dare to ask for a reward and hid inside the village. But this was Little Red Apricot's territory, and it hadn't even greeted her, so it ended up getting a beating from her.
"Yang Gong's little servant ghost is quite famous in the society..."
Mr. Xu watched the lame little ghost run out of the village, wincing and smiling, "Earlier, people used to tease this little ghost with blood food, but now they don't dare, for fear of angering Yang Gong."
"Yang Gong used to complain every day, but now he's quite used to it. The society even thought about replacing him, but he refused, saying it was fine to use him for now..."
"..."
"Yang Gong has really come a long way..."
Hu Ma sighed inwardly. He had thought he was making good progress, but in the current Red Lantern Society, Yang Gong was far more capable.
He already had the privilege of accompanying the Incense Burners and acting alone with the Red Lantern Lady.
However, these Incense Burners and the Red Lantern Lady came to his village but didn't stay, not even for a meal. Where did they go?
As they entered the inner courtyard, Mr. Xu saw several apprentices with injuries, bandaged like mummies. He guessed the severity of the recent events and the risks the village had faced.
Once they sat down in the inner courtyard, Mr. Xu lowered his voice and spoke frankly to Hu Ma, "Hu Nephew, I'm not criticizing you, but you really dodged a major disaster this time!"
"Is this matter more complicated than it seems?"
Hu Ma cooperated, showing a look of realization.
"Not just complicated..."
Mr. Xu lowered his voice, "Some people we dare not imagine are involved. Otherwise, do you think the Blue-robed Evil Ghost, with such great power, would just disappear without a trace?"
"Even if our Lady herself fought the Blue-robed Evil Ghost, it would be easy to drive him away, but extremely difficult to kill him. Who would have thought that such a high-level expert could be hiding in the territory of Mingzhou Prefecture?"
"Indeed..."
Hu Ma, seeing his serious expression, could only sigh, "Who would have thought?"
"Now, the rules of the Red Lantern Society are going to change."
Mr. Xu continued, "After this incident, the Lady ordered the construction of a temple in Zhu Gate Town. In the future, all apprentices in the villages must strictly adhere to the rules, be kind to others, and any troublemakers will be severely punished by the Lady."
"This time, the Lady also came to pray to the Four Direction Deities, making a grand vow to receive incense and offerings and bring blessings to the surrounding people..."
"..."
"Pray to the Four Direction Deities?"
Hu Ma found this a bit strange. She, a major evil spirit, praying to deities? And she left so urgently with the Incense Burners and Yang Gong. Could there be more to it?
They were chatting with each other, but now, outside the village, near Old Yin Mountain, the atmosphere had changed.
The incense burners rode horses that had been specially trained not to neigh or be startled at night, blending into the darkness as they silently arrived at an open field.
They all remained silent, including the Red Fragrance Disciple Yang Gong and others who followed behind, feeling an immense pressure. They all closed their mouths, sensing the heavy night air.
They walked in silence until they saw a red lantern lit in a wild field ahead, surrounded by darkness. The red light from the lantern glowed faintly, and on either side of the lantern sat two people in red robes, one wearing a smiling mask and the other a crying mask.
The incense burners saw them and reined in their horses, lifting the lanterns high.
The red light in the lanterns was initially dim, emitting only a weak glow, but as they were lifted, the light grew brighter, spreading out and gradually illuminating a blood-red, eerie space, as if it were drenched in fresh blood.
The incense burners' expressions and eyes became even more serious and oppressive, and they began to chant strange incantations.
"Even the two guardians are waiting here?"
Yang Gong and the others who followed behind were not yet at the stage where they could chant the incantations, but they had to follow, closing their eyes and feeling the eerie power in the incantations.
He didn't know why the Red Lantern Lady had come here, but he knew that only loyal and favored Red Fragrance Disciples like himself had the privilege to follow. His palms were sweating.
Was it time to show his loyalty to the Lady again?
Yang Gong never doubted himself. From being a starving orphan, almost blinded and maimed to beg on the streets, to becoming a feared figure in the city, all of this was due to his loyalty to the Red Lantern Lady.
So, no matter who the Lady's opponent was, he was ready to charge ahead.
If he died, he died. If he survived, he would achieve something great.
Now, the Lady had come to this desolate place, bringing only her closest confidants, and the two guardians were already waiting. What was she planning to do?
He couldn't help but think of the rumor. Previously, various places in Mingzhou Prefecture were plagued by evil spirits, and the Red Lantern Lady had strictly ordered her subordinates not to leave. Later, it was said that a powerful figure had intervened and dealt with the Blue-robed Evil Ghost.
Could the Lady be here to find him?
It seems that today will be another tough battle...
Yang Gong wiped the sweat from his palms on his robe, tightened his grip on the nails hidden in his belt, and gritted his teeth.
The incantations grew more urgent, and the red lanterns became brighter, the eerie red light transforming the area into a hellish space. The red light seemed to come alive, squeezing and intertwining in the darkness, vaguely forming the figure of a delicate and graceful palace-dressed woman, lightly appearing on the open ground. Her figure was ethereal and illusory, overlooking the darkness with a regal demeanor.
This was the Red Lantern Lady, to whom Yang Gong had sworn loyalty since joining the Red Lantern Society, the supreme and revered figure.
Even as a Red Fragrance Disciple, Yang Gong had seen the Lady's manifestation only a few times, and each time, he was deeply moved, unable to control himself.
No matter whom the Lady was up against this time, he would stand with her...
...Just as Yang Gong was thinking excitedly, he saw the Red Lantern Lady materialize in the darkness, and then, suddenly, she bowed with a powerful and majestic presence.
"?"
Yang Gong's eyes widened in shock.
He saw the Red Lantern Lady bow towards Old Yin Mountain, or rather, not directly towards Old Yin Mountain, but towards a specific spot. Her voice was soft and indistinct, making it hard for ordinary people to hear, but as a Red Fragrance Disciple, he could vaguely make out a few words.
It seemed to be something like "Unaware of the divine presence here, I have offended," "Meng Family Incense Fire Order, temple building is mandatory," "Dedicated to good deeds, accumulating merit," and so on.
"Lady, that's enough."
After the Red Lantern Lady had knelt for a long time, one of the guardians with the smiling mask whispered, "If the noble person is here, they have already heard. For safety, we should visit all the possible places where they might be..."
"Once we've done that, even if the noble person is not in any of those places, they will understand the Lady's sincerity..."
"..."
The Red Lantern Lady finally agreed, reluctantly rising, her figure fading and returning to the lantern. But suddenly, the lantern's light grew brighter, as if she had remembered something important.
The incense burners' expressions seemed somewhat strange.
The two guardians who had been waiting here for a long time remained silent. After a long while, the one with the smiling mask said, "You're right, we should be careful. We can't let the young shopkeeper in Green Stone Town say anything that could damage the Lady's reputation."
Yang Gong was stunned...
The Red Lantern Lady had come here, not to find some powerful figure, but to... make a guarantee?
This scene was a huge shock to Yang Gong.
Originally, I didn't plan to update today because I have a cold and a fever, but since it's the end of the month, I decided to add an update. I'll take some cefalexin and rest to see if I can feel better. When I wake up, I'll continue writing.
(End of Chapter)
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