Chapter 252: Altar Skills
Chapter 252: Altar Skills
"Aunt Zhang, something feels off."
After killing the evil spirit that had come to scout their location, Hu Ma prepared himself, curious to see what other tricks their opponents might have up their sleeves.
More importantly, once their opponents were lured into the trap, and their true intentions were revealed, they would summon Red Lantern Goddess to deal with them once and for all.
However, to their surprise, after the opponents' initial test, they didn't make any further moves. Instead, Hu Ma, who was sitting on the altar, started to feel extremely uncomfortable, as if his clothes were too tight, and his neck was being choked.
He tugged at his collar a few times, but the feeling persisted.
The night wind blowing around the altar had turned cold and eerie, carrying a bone-chilling chill and a hint of putrid stench.
He looked around several times but couldn't see any changes in the surroundings. Feeling uneasy, he glanced at the altar and noticed the oil lamp flickering erratically.
He turned to ask a question, but before he could speak, he was startled.
He spun around and saw the objects on the altar shaking and falling over, as if an invisible force had jumped onto the altar, disrupting the arrangement.
"They're using dark magic!"
Aunt Zhang noticed it too, her dark face turning solemn. She scanned the area and whispered, "These opponents are not playing by the rules. We've set up the altar, and they should be dueling with us, but instead, they're using underhanded tactics."
"It seems they have someone skilled in dark arts who's using curse magic to disrupt the feng shui of our altar site."
"We chose a good spot for the altar, but they've somehow turned it into a cursed place."
"..."
Hu Ma furrowed his brows and asked in a low voice, "What should we do?"
"Find a protector."
Aunt Zhang whispered, "When setting up an altar, if conditions permit, we should always summon a protector or a warrior to guard against such unexpected situations."
"A protector?"
Hu Ma was taken aback. "Do we have one?"
"Of course!"
Aunt Zhang explained, "When we walk with ghosts, we always have a small ghost servant. During the ritual, they become our protectors!"
Hu Ma suddenly understood and found it intriguing. He quickly joined Aunt Zhang in lighting incense, and in the blink of an eye, Little Red Tang was squatting in front of the altar, her eyes wide with curiosity.
After a while, in the darkness not far away, the headless little ghost approached, stretching out its arms and groping its way forward.
Hu Ma sighed and said to Little Red Tang, "Go get its head!"
"I didn't take it!"
Little Red Tang showed him her small basket, lifting the cloth to reveal dried meat, a tambourine, and some strange items, but no paper doll head.
Hu Ma was surprised. Little Red Tang explained, "It just fell over there on the slope. I saw it, but I didn't pick it up."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma felt embarrassed. "Why didn't you help it then?"
"Hu Ma brother told me not to pick it up," Little Red Tang replied.
"..."
Hu Ma was momentarily speechless. She was right; Little Red Tang was an obedient child.
Taking a deep breath, he put aside their conversation and sternly instructed Little Red Tang, "I'm dealing with serious business, and someone is causing trouble. You're my protector now, Little Red Tang. Take it with you, and go check the surroundings to see if anything is causing mischief."
"If you find it... beat it up!"
"Beat it hard!"
"..."
Little Red Tang blinked in surprise, listening to Hu Ma's words.
Hu Ma looked at her intently and said, "If you do a good job, there'll be a reward!"
"Oh, and before you start, go get its head back!"
"..."
Little Red Tang's eyes lit up with excitement, and she nodded vigorously. She turned and transformed into a gust of cold wind, disappearing in an instant. She hadn't gone far when the headless little ghost, who had just reached the altar, was pulled away by her again.
Even Aunt Zhang was surprised, whispering to herself, "Young Master Shopkeeper, you do have a talent for ghost-walking."
"It seems to be something inherent in our bloodline..."
Hu Ma sighed softly, sitting in front of the altar, feeling a sense of freshness as his senses heightened. He took in every movement around him.
This trip was meant for him to learn the ways of ghost-walking, and although the skills of ghost-walking might seem rudimentary compared to the contents of the Book of Year-Taming, they were like keys, unlocking a deeper understanding of the book with each new insight.
Now that he had set up the altar, it was like opening a new door, and every movement and stillness brought a fresh experience.
How to describe it?
This was a skill entirely different from that of a New Year Guardian. The New Year Guardian's power resided in their body, flowing outward, while the ghost-walker, upon setting up the altar, became the center of the region, with power emanating from within.
"Aunt Zhang, after setting up the altar, is the three-foot-three area considered sacred ground? Is this a rule?"
As he carefully experienced these sensations, he didn't forget to ask questions.
"For a newly set altar, it's three feet three," Aunt Zhang explained. "The deeper your Dao virtue and the thicker your spell power, the further it can reach—six feet six, then nine feet nine. The wider the range, the greater your skills."
"So..."
As she spoke, Hu Ma suddenly had a thought: 'Earlier, I used the spells from the Book of Year-Taming to capture the blue-robed evil ghost from a distance. What level of skill was that?'
Just as he was thinking this, he heard unusual sounds coming from the surroundings.
Xiao Hong Tang and the Headless Little Ghost, as the protectors on the altar, had gone to the eerie and silent surroundings. Before long, the quiet atmosphere suddenly became lively, with occasional strange noises and sounds of chasing and fighting coming from the night wind.
Hu Ma quickly asked Aunt Zhang to use the Coffin Bottom Mud to give him sight, and as he strained to look, he saw Xiao Hong Tang waving her fists in the distant starlight, seemingly fighting with a cat on the hillside, with its squeals and rolls from east to west.
On the other side, the Headless Little Ghost was hopping and jumping under a crooked-necked tree in the distance, as if reaching for something, its head almost falling off.
However, with all the commotion they caused, the spell altar temporarily found peace. Earlier, Hu Ma had sat on the altar, and the feeling of something running by his side or something tightening around his neck had already disappeared.
Now, he had some free time, sensing the spell power on the altar, feeling satisfied and ready for a duel.
But the darkness in the forest ahead remained still, and the opponent had yet to make a move. Hu Ma began to feel a bit anxious, but he reminded himself to stay patient.
He had learned the skills of a New Year Guardian, who valued taking the initiative and seizing opportunities. Now, as he initiated the ritual and cast spells, he had to be reactive, which required a change in habit.
He was about to say something, but suddenly, he was startled. He grabbed the redwood sword and pointed it towards Aunt Zhang's skirt.
Aunt Zhang quickly retreated, only to see a snake already pierced by Hu Ma's sword tip.
Everyone was shocked, and as they looked forward, they heard a rustling sound all around, not knowing how many snakes had slithered over.
For a moment, their scalps tingled.
Many people were naturally afraid of snakes, and Hu Ma was one of them.
Especially in the darkness of night, this world was unlike the previous one with streetlights everywhere. Now, with the rustling sounds in their ears, they couldn't tell how many snakes and bugs were crawling nearby. The oil lamp in front of them only illuminated a small area, but they could already make out numerous moving shadows.
Even the coachman and his companion behind Hu Ma cried out in surprise, indicating that they also sensed the danger.
These guys were really something! During the duel, they actually released snakes to bite people!
At this moment, Hu Ma almost wanted to curse out loud. Traveling in the jianghu was indeed different from everyday life. The people he encountered in the jianghu would use whatever means necessary, whether it was throwing lime, releasing snakes, or using poison, without any regard for rules...
Cursing inwardly, he quickly pressed his hand to his ribs and suddenly unleashed a thunderous roar.
Like a thunderclap, like a toad's croak.
Everyone instinctively covered their ears, and even the snakes and bugs that had crawled close froze in their tracks.
Hu Ma immediately swept his redwood sword, sending the snakes and bugs flying away.
Although he had swept away seven or eight snakes, which seemed like a lot, the rustling sounds continued, and the grass swayed in the night wind, carrying a faint stench, indicating that countless venomous snakes were still approaching.
"Young Master Shopkeeper, don't panic. They're just testing us!"
At this moment, Aunt Zhang, who had also been startled, regained her composure. She whispered, "Young Master, this is your first time initiating a ritual, and your senses aren't sharp enough. That's why the snakes and bugs were able to crawl over and reach the altar."
"When we, the ghost walkers, are on the altar, every word and action is part of the spell, and every movement is a technique. Snakes, bugs, and evil spirits cannot come near."
"They're taking advantage of your first time initiating a ritual to see if you're careful or not!"
"..."
Surprised by the sudden appearance of snakes and bugs, Hu Ma indeed felt a bit caught off guard. But after hearing Aunt Zhang's words, he immediately calmed down and listened intently.
Indeed, being on the altar seemed to enhance his senses. As he listened carefully, he could clearly hear the rustling sounds and pinpoint the locations of the snakes and bugs.
Within three feet three of the altar, his hearing was most acute, and he could even 'hear' the appearance of the snakes and bugs.
He took a deep breath and asked, "Aunt Zhang, how do we deal with these snakes and bugs?"
Aunt Zhang was also surprised by Hu Ma's quick recovery. She whispered, "I'll teach you a snake-repelling charm. Just recite it silently."
She whispered the charm into Hu Ma's ear, and he immediately held his breath, focused his mind, and sat upright on the platform, quietly reciting, "The sun rises in the east, shining brightly. Snakes and bugs, retreat and hide..."
Strangely, it was just a charm, but as Hu Ma recited it, it spread from the spell altar to the surroundings.
On the hillside and in the wilderness, the slithering snakes and bugs, as if influenced by some force, emerged from the grass and headed towards a certain open space in front of the spell altar. They tangled into a ball, one by one, making everyone's scalp tingle.
In the forest, the snake driver was enthusiastically blowing his bamboo whistle, but it suddenly went silent.
His face changed slightly, and he turned to look at Old Lady Cui, "Mother Cui, who have you offended? That spell altar is so powerful!"
(End of Chapter)
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