Chapter 233: Ghost Walker Aunt
Chapter 233: Ghost Walker Aunt
Since Hu Ma was planning to hire a Ghost Walker, he took the matter seriously and considered carefully, who would be the best person to invite!
First and foremost, the person must be highly skilled.
The Ghost Walker must not only be knowledgeable about the techniques but also be someone who can mentor and guide him further in the Year-Guarding Book. In essence, this person would be like a tutor to Hu Ma.
Secondly, the person must have a good temperament.
Hu Ma was learning secretly, not through formal apprenticeship. If he offended the Ghost Walker, it could backfire on him. However, he wasn't entirely against the idea of formal apprenticeship; it was just too complicated. As the innkeeper of the Blood Food Gang and a Year Guardian, it would be difficult to switch to another sect and take on a new master. The rules and practices of different sects were too different to manage both.
Formally apprenticing would waste a lot of time and effort.
Of course, besides being highly skilled and having a good temperament, the most important quality was a kind heart, someone without too many ulterior motives. Otherwise, they might just deceive him and leave a hidden problem for the future.
With these criteria in mind, Hu Ma recalled several Ghost Walkers he knew. During the previous incident with the Blue Robe Ghosts, many Ghost Walkers had come to help. Though their interactions were brief, they left a lasting impression.
Thinking back, he remembered the old man who was leading an old ox with a child on its back. He recalled the old man's surname was Zhao, and he lived in the Zhao Family Inn.
So, before setting out, Hu Ma made a special trip to visit the old man. The old man was weeding in the fields when he was called back. Upon seeing Hu Ma, he was taken aback: "The little innkeeper is here again..."
Hu Ma hurried over and laughed, "Not for business, just curiosity!"
"Old man, I actually need your help this time."
"..."
Zhao Laohan's face instantly turned wary: "Is there another spirit disturbance at your place?"
"Not exactly..."
Hu Ma forced a bitter smile and shook his head, "This time, a friend of mine passed away, and I need to escort her spirit back to her hometown in Anzhou's Lingzhou Prefecture."
"I remember someone mentioned that you are skilled in spirit escorting, so I came looking for you..."
"Escort a spirit?"
Zhao Laohan was a bit surprised, "You need to find me for spirit escorting?"
"You are the innkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, highly skilled. With you leading the way, who would dare to provoke us?"
"..."
Hu Ma quickly smiled and said, "I’m not afraid of bandits or river bullies, but I don’t understand the customs and rules of the journey. My friend has already passed away, but I want to ensure her safe passage."
"That’s fair."
Zhao Laohan listened to Hu Ma's sincere words. He tied up the ox and said, "When do we set out?"
Hu Ma thought for a moment and replied, "We shouldn’t delay. We’ll set out in the next couple of days."
Zhao Laohan said, "That’s a bit too hasty, isn’t it? We haven’t prepared enough..."
Hu Ma quickly said, "All the food and travel expenses are already prepared in my village. The route and itinerary have been planned with the help of the Mule and Horse Caravans and the Escort Service. The vehicles and animals for the journey are also ready."
"Moreover, besides the family of my friend, I will be accompanying the journey, and we’ll also hire two strong apprentices to help with the work and add to our numbers. There’s no need to worry about the dangers of the journey. All we need is your expertise, and you can follow us."
"..."
"Following the Blood Food Gang, the food should be decent..."
Zhao Laohan grinned, showing a gap-toothed smile, and said, "How much will you pay?"
"?"
Hu Ma had intended to offer a sum, but didn’t expect Zhao Laohan to ask. Ghost Walkers usually don’t ask for payment upfront, right?
"Anyway, the Blood Food Gang isn’t short of money."
Zhao Laohan seemed to understand what Hu Ma was thinking and smiled, "So, you should have said the amount first. I’m just checking if you, the little innkeeper, are generous enough."
Hu Ma thought for a moment and held up three fingers, "Three..."
"Thirty taels?"
Zhao Laohan was surprised, "Thirty taels? Let’s make it clear."
"..."
"I meant three hundred taels!"
Hu Ma was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood.
Yes, with his current skills and wealth, he subconsciously felt he should offer a higher amount.
Without three hundred taels, it would be a waste of effort.
But for a Ghost Walker in the village, being fed and housed for a couple of months and earning three hundred taels of silver was already a good deal. Hu Ma smiled and said, "Of course, if the journey is tough, I’ll give more!"
"The little innkeeper is indeed generous..."
Zhao Laohan sighed, "But I’m thinking, I shouldn’t take this job..."
"?"
Hu Ma was genuinely surprised, "You think it’s too little?"
Zhao Laohan hastily waved his hands, "Little innkeeper, don’t misunderstand. I saw from the start that you are a generous and upright person. But in front of you, I won’t lie."
"I am a Ghost Walker and have helped with spirit escorting before, but only for a hundred miles or so. I’ve never done such a long journey."
"I’m not unwilling to earn your silver, but I’m mainly concerned about not letting you down. So, I think it’s better to introduce you to a more capable Ghost Walker."
“
But he's a sincere person, so you don't need to worry."
"……"
"Even more skilled?"
Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. Among the Ghost Walkers who had helped out back then, Old Man Zhao was already quite capable. What kind of person could he be talking about who is even more skilled?
"Of course, I'm just a small Ghost Walker, but she is a Great Ghost Walker..."
Old Man Zhao's face turned serious as he mentioned this person, and he sighed, "Last time when the evil spirits were rampant, I went to help you, and she went to the city to help, saving many people!"
"In our village, whenever we encounter something we can't handle, we all go to her, and she never refuses to help."
"I asked such detailed questions earlier because I was thinking of giving the job to her!"
"What do you think, Little Shopkeeper?"
"……"
"There's no reason to say no to such a request..."
Hu Ma quickly replied, "Old Sir, you have much more experience than I do, so I naturally have to listen to you. If it's appropriate, I won't forget to show my respect to the senior."
"You people from the Blood Food Gang always talk about money, lacking in warmth and human touch."
Old Man Zhao waved his hand and said, "I'll ask her tonight, and if it's suitable, I'll bring her to your manor early tomorrow morning."
"Then I'll trouble you, Old Sir!"
Back at the manor, Hu Ma first sent Little Red Apricot to the city to inform Incense Master Xu that he needed a month's leave. This was a simple matter, as it wasn't a busy time, and they were all part of the same group. Not only did Incense Master Xu grant the leave, but he also gave Little Red Apricot a document to bring back.
With this document, he could travel freely. Although the government wasn't involved in such matters, it could be very useful if he encountered any inspections.
Fragrant Girl had already been brought back from Caoxin Hall, and the coffin was placed in the inner courtyard.
At first, the apprentices were startled when they saw the coffin being brought into the manor. They had even prepared paper money for the funeral, but then they realized it was a false alarm and stretched their necks to look.
The old steward placed pillows and thick quilts inside the coffin. Zhou Datong, worried that Fragrant Girl would suffocate inside, drilled holes in the coffin and even lay down in it himself to ensure it was safe.
The old steward was deeply moved by this and then changed the quilts again.
After all this was done, Hu Ma took out a large bag of Green Food jerky from the Blood Food Gang's reimbursement, along with some silver, steamed buns, cakes, cornbread, and dried vegetables. He also prepared two large leather bags for water and two bags of rice and flour for emergencies.
He went to sleep and woke up the next day to find that Old Man Zhao had already arrived. He didn't barge in but waited outside the manor. Zhao Zhu, who had woken up early, saw him and hurriedly welcomed him in. Hu Ma, hearing the commotion, came out and was slightly surprised.
Besides Old Man Zhao, there was also a woman wearing coarse cloth clothes and carrying a small bundle. She was tall and slender, looking only about twenty years old, with a ruddy complexion. She was shy and a bit bashful, following Old Man Zhao with her head down.
Hu Ma curiously sized her up, "Is this the Great Ghost Walker that Old Man Zhao mentioned?"
He had thought that since Old Man Zhao, who was over fifty, called himself a small Ghost Walker, the person he was recommending would be older.
But he hadn't expected such a young woman.
Hu Ma was curious but didn't show it on his face. He stepped forward and bowed, "Thank you for coming. May I ask how I should address the Ghost Walker?"
The woman seemed to be a quiet person. Seeing Hu Ma smile and bow, she blushed and instinctively tried to dodge, but then thought it was inappropriate and mustered the courage to say, "I've heard of Hu Ma Village's Innkeeper's reputation. You are a good person, and helping is your duty."
"My name is Zhang..."
"Where is the deceased? I'll go take a look."
"……"
Old Man Zhao smiled and said, "Little Shopkeeper, don't ask her name. We all call her Aunt Zhang, and she is very skilled, even more so than us."
"Understood."
Hu Ma quickly agreed and invited Aunt Zhang in. She walked around the coffin, examining it for a while.
Her hand lingered on the coffin for a long time, and her expression turned somewhat doubtful. She turned to look at Hu Ma with large eyes.
"Have you figured something out?"
Hu Ma was slightly surprised, met her gaze, and smiled.
So Aunt Zhang, she meets his gaze, right? And she blushes a little bit and looks down, thinking for a moment without saying anything. But she's already taken out some talismans with the character "Zhen," which means 'to stabilize,' from her bundle, and she seems like she wants to put them on the coffin.
But now, she put the "town" talismans away and rummaged through her bundle again, placing a talisman with the character "pure" (Jing, meaning 'to purify') on the coffin.
Hu Ma felt she must have noticed something, but with so many people around, he didn't ask immediately. Instead, he invited everyone inside to eat.
Once everyone was seated, Aunt Zhang was still standing by the coffin. Hu Ma walked over and bowed slightly, whispering, "Have you noticed anything, Miss?"
"Don't call me Miss, just call me Aunt Zhang."
Aunt Zhang blushed again when Hu Ma came closer, took a step back, and whispered, "Little Shopkeeper, the person in this coffin... I don't think they are dead!"
(End of Chapter)
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