https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-255-The-Unpredictable-Red-Lantern-Goddess/12917072/
Chapter 254: Two Incense Sticks' Cultivation
Chapter 254: Two Incense Sticks' Cultivation
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the woods, the artisan was hammering nails into the puppet's head, and Hu Ma, who was standing at a distance, could still hear the sound of the hammering.
Not only did he hear it, but it seemed to echo right next to his ear, or rather, it felt as if the nails were being hammered directly into his own head, one blow after another, pounding mercilessly into his skull.
He couldn't touch or see it, but the sensation of nails being hammered into his head was all too real, causing excruciating pain that made it difficult to think straight.
"Be careful, watch the lamp!"
At that moment, Zhang Agu's warning voice rang out.
Hu Ma looked down and saw that the oil lamp in front of him had almost gone out, affected by the sound of the hammering nails.
With each blow, the lamp grew dimmer, and now only a faint flicker remained, as if it could extinguish at any moment. This sudden development startled him. What kind of eerie spell was this, attempting to take his life from the very start?
At the same time, he couldn't help but think of Xiang Yaotou. Was this the same thing she had mentioned earlier, about a nail being hammered into her head?
Zhang Agu wasn't the one who initiated the ritual, but she seemed more nervous than Hu Ma, who was performing it. Additionally, since Hu Ma was using all her items for the ritual and she was concerned that he might not be able to handle it as a novice, she was also half-prepared to take over, making her almost like a participant in the ritual.
Now, upon seeing the situation, she vaguely guessed, "They say that harming the head controls the ghost, but we've set up a proper altar and prepared for the spirit summoning, so we're not afraid of him!"
In fact, Hu Ma was a New Year Guardian, but since he was currently performing the ritual, she casually referred to him as a ghost walker.
"Yes," Hu Ma replied, enduring the intense pain and steadying his mind. He looked into the bowl in front of him and saw the water rippling, faintly revealing a person holding a hammer and swinging it forcefully, driving nails into the head of a wooden puppet.
"They probably don't know my name or birthdate, and they might not have even seen my face clearly."
"How can hammering nails into a wooden puppet make my head hurt?"
"..."
This method of harming the head to control the ghost was something he had never heard of before.
As he tried to discern the situation, it seemed that at the beginning, the other party had used some kind of spell to turn the ritual site into an evil land, which was also part of their spellcasting methods.
Hu Ma's mind raced, but knowing what spell the other party was using was enough for him to quickly plan a counterattack.
He felt a dull pain in his head again, as if the nail that had pierced his forehead was about to penetrate deep into his brain. The oil lamp in front of him grew even fainter, almost going out.
For a moment, he couldn't imagine what would happen if the nail were completely hammered into his head.
He had been about to urgently ask Zhang Agu how to deal with this situation, but suddenly, he saw a chilling sight in the woods ahead. A dark mist seemed to roll towards the hillside, causing a sense of terror to rise within him.
Had the other party also sent a powerful expert to take action? In a battle of spells, both sides had to be extremely cautious, as one misstep could lead to total defeat.
If the altar were to be broken, it would result in severe injury, if not death.
But now, the other party had sent an unknown number of demonic experts, and if they chose to attack, their moves were so swift and relentless that it was difficult to keep up.
Zhang Agu, seeing that Hu Ma had been affected by the spell, was also anxiously thinking about how to deal with it. However, before she could react, Hu Ma, seeing the other party's fierce approach, gritted his teeth and made a bold decision.
In his incense burner, there was originally one incense stick, but at this moment, he directly inserted two incense sticks.
This sudden change caused the almost extinguished oil lamp to suddenly brighten.
Even Zhang Agu, who was helping to protect the altar, was startled, thinking it was an illusion. How could the oil lamp of the young manager suddenly brighten like that? In that instant, Hu Ma secretly channeled his inner energy, forcing it towards his forehead, and the nail that was about to pierce his head was instantly repelled.
"Hiss!"
At that moment in the woods, the artisan had just obtained this treasure and was feeling triumphant.
Their sect specialized in harming the head to control ghosts, and they had unique skills. However, when it came to dealing with people, it wasn't so easy. Their spells either had strong backlash or were troublesome to set up.
But now, with the Seven Shackles Execution Official Wood in his possession, things were different.
This was originally Old Lady Cui's treasure, and he had coveted it many times, but he didn't know how to ask for it.
Now, Old Lady Cui had actually given him this treasure. Not only would the ghost walker be suppressed by him, but in the future, when traveling on Ping Nan Dao, his identity and status would likely be respected by all.
The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became.
Just as he was about to completely hammer a nail into the wooden puppet's head, he suddenly felt as if he had hammered it into a rock, no, something even harder than rock, and it had a rebounding force.
With one blow, the force inside doubled and rebounded, causing the nail to fly out of the puppet's head like a hidden weapon, with a hissing sound.
He cried out in agony, covering his eyes, and when he removed his hand, he saw that the nail had pierced his left eye, halfway into his eyeball.
The scene was gruesome and terrifying.
A voice filled with shock and fear, laced with resentment, asked, "How did his Dao virtue suddenly increase?"
"Old Lady Cui, you're not trying to harm me, are you?"
"..."
On the other side, the man blowing the bamboo whistle felt something amiss. The more he blew, the more he felt something was wrong. It was as if the whistle was broken, unable to produce any sound. He also felt a slippery sensation on his body, as if countless things were clinging to him, and his expression couldn't help but show his surprise.
"Why can't I feel my children anymore?"
"..."
Two sudden changes caught everyone off guard, even Old Lady Cui, who was performing the ritual by striking the altar, couldn't help but slow down her movements.
She had intended to first use the Harm-the-Head-and-Walk-the-Ghost technique to disrupt her opponent's mind, and then summon the Four Altar Armies to finish them off in one go. However, before her spell was even complete, her side had already suffered a setback.
After all, she had come in a hurry and had no time to investigate the opponent's background, so she was feeling a bit uneasy.
But now, she was in a difficult situation. Even though she felt apprehensive, she had no choice but to take action. She suddenly turned her head and glared at the scar-faced Shou Ye, shouting, "The needle is already sharp enough. Why are you still hiding it? Are you not afraid of suffering a loss?"
"Brother, we didn't invite you here just to watch the show!"
"..."
"Sigh, we are doctors who treat illnesses. We don't usually engage in such harmful deeds..."
Her hair was disheveled, making her look like a malevolent spirit. Her eyes were fixed on the scarred old man.
But the old man remained calm and unhurried, speaking slowly. Old Lady Cui's gaze was so intense that it seemed like she could kill with a look. Finally, she said, "But who can blame us for having a close relationship with Old Lady Cui?"
"By helping you this time, I'll have to save a few more unfortunate girls later to make up for this act of Yin virtue..."
"..."
Old Lady Cui gave a cold laugh. "Yes, yes. Later, when you walk on the street, look for a girl who is suffering, and I'll bring her over for you to save."
"Old Lady Cui is too kind..."
The scarred old man smiled triumphantly and walked towards the carriage. He reached out to touch the head of the green mule, saying to the snake charmer, "Brother Wang, if my items aren't enough, you can use this green mule."
"Anyway, your treasures won't be coming back. Later, let your children help you pull this empty carriage back... Later, you can ask Old Lady Cui to accompany you, and that's it."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and stuck it on the mule's head.
Upon closer inspection, the paper was covered in writing, looking old and worn, almost like a prescription.
Immediately after, he quickly pinched and pressed the mule's body, then took out a strange porcelain bottle. Covering his mouth and nose with one hand, he held the bottle close to the mule's nose and shook it. Then, he quickly recited an incantation and abruptly extended his hand, pointing towards the direction of the hillside.
"Go!"
"..."
The mule's eyes suddenly turned red, and a mass of white foam poured out of its mouth.
It panted heavily, and the breath it exhaled carried a nauseating stench that made people dizzy.
With a fluttering sound, the mule broke free from its tether and charged madly towards the hillside.
...
...
"Another one has made a move..."
Hu Ma suddenly raised his head, sensing something. Above the forest, a mass of black mist had gathered, and within it, faint cries of ghosts and wolves could be heard, carrying a heavy aura of evil. No one knew when it would pounce.
At this moment, the evil aura continued to accumulate, slowly pressing down. No one knew what would happen if it suddenly rushed forward.
Currently, they were still at a distance, and he couldn't see clearly what it was, but since he had initiated the ritual, his sensitivity to the surrounding Yin-Yang boundaries was heightened, centered around the altar.
The invisible yet terrifying pressure had already made his heart race.
Immediately after, he heard a loud crashing sound, as if some crazed large animal was charging towards them.
For the moment, he couldn't identify what it was, but it was definitely not an ordinary creature.
It seemed that after waiting for so long, they had finally grown impatient and couldn't hold back any longer, so they had all brought out their ultimate moves!
"Aunt Zhang..."
He immediately turned his head to look at Zhang Agu, who was helping him protect the altar.
Zhang Agu nodded. "It's time."
Hu Ma took a deep breath and pointed his redwood sword towards the oil lamp in front of him.
The flame suddenly flared up and jumped onto the tip of the sword.
Then, Hu Ma moved the tip of his sword towards the half-length red incense, and the incense immediately lit up, sending up a wisp of smoke.
"Heaven Spirit, Earth Spirit, I summon the Red Lantern to descend her Dharma Body."
"The Red Lantern descends to drive away evil spirits, and I offer money and rice, kneeling before the Red Lantern!"
"..."
As he quickly recited the incantation taught by Zhang Agu, the red dot on the incense became brighter and brighter.
"Huff..."
The white lantern that Hu Ma had placed to the side also lit up automatically at that moment. Then, the white lantern gradually burned with a red glow, becoming increasingly red, almost like the color of blood.
A confused voice sounded, "Huh?"
(End of Chapter)
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