Chapter 269: The Netherworld Official's Summons
Chapter 269: The Netherworld Official's Summons
"Which day was it...?"
Hu Ma never expected the Red Wine Miss's attention to be on this matter. He paused for a moment, then remembered that he had encountered this thing for the first time two days after leaving Dongchang Prefecture. He spoke softly, "Counting from then, it's the sixth day."
"The first time I felt its presence was at midnight, six days ago. I set up an incense array and managed to hide from it."
"After that, it appeared a few more times, but I managed to evade it each time."
"..."
The Red Wine Miss suddenly fell silent.
Hu Ma vaguely felt that she must have guessed something, and his heart was filled with a hint of worry. As he waited, he heard the Red Wine Miss suddenly say, "Do you trust us?"
"What?"
Hu Ma didn't expect her to ask such a question.
The White Wine Miss had mentioned that the Reincarnators in Anzhou could be trusted, but it seemed that her relationship with the Red Wine Miss was a bit...
"The trouble you've encountered is not minor."
The Red Wine Miss's voice echoed softly, but with a hint of gravity. She spoke in a low voice, "It seems that we'll have to personally receive this letter."
"But it will inconvenience you, asking you to make another trip. Tomorrow, at the first quarter of noon, you can go to the south of Anzhou Prefecture, to the entrance of Silk Sandal Alley. There are two large Chinese parasol trees there, and you'll find Liu'er Shrine. I'll have Burn Blade meet you there."
"Bring that letter with you. If there's anything, I'll decide whether to tell you after reading it."
"..."
Hu Ma was surprised by her words, "To receive it in person?"
Among Reincarnators, delivering letters in person was the riskiest method.
This was their first connection, and aside from whether he could trust them, why would they trust him so easily?
Or perhaps the White Wine Miss had enough influence that they didn't mind this?
But upon further thought, he realized that this arrangement might be related to the summoned ghost she had mentioned. He quickly weighed the situation in his mind and replied, "Alright, I'll go tomorrow."
After leaving the Life Spirit Temple, he silently pondered for a moment and then fell asleep in a chair.
The next day, he began his preparations.
Zhou Manager was quite good. Although he had ulterior motives, he still answered some of Hu Ma's questions honestly.
Among them were the most basic skills for the Deception Sect, such as disguise and ventriloquism. Ventriloquism was difficult to practice, but disguise was not easy to master either. However, it was simple to use for a quick fix.
Early in the morning, he bought several pieces of pigskin and a few brushes, and then went to a pawnshop to get some old clothes.
Back at the inn, he quickly applied the pigskin to his face, transforming himself into an old man with a white beard. Of course, it only looked convincing from a distance, and the flaws were quite noticeable up close. He had no choice but to wear a bamboo hat to hide his face.
Firstly, he hadn't thoroughly studied these skills, and secondly, there wasn't enough time.
Creating a human skin mask like Zhou Manager had mentioned required making a mold, drawing the lines, and using silver needles to alter the skin's texture, which was quite troublesome.
But according to Zhou Manager, there were experts in the Deception Sect who knew how to 'paint skin'.
That was truly becoming an entirely different person.
After making these preparations, he instructed the Fragrant Girl and left the inn, heading towards the south of Anzhou Prefecture and the entrance of Silk Sandal Alley. The Fragrant Girl saw him busy and knew he was doing something important, so she didn't dare disturb him and waited quietly.
They found their way to the south of Anzhou Prefecture and located Silk Sandal Alley. Hu Ma disguised himself as an old mercenary and wandered around the area. He found the alley and even saw the two Chinese parasol trees and the ancient well that the Red Wine Miss had mentioned. However, he couldn't find the Liu'er Shrine she had spoken of.
The area was empty, with only a small shrine, and no sign of a temple that could accommodate people. He searched for a while, staring at the shrine for a long time, gradually understanding something. He had doubts in his heart, but the first quarter of noon was approaching.
"Be more cautious, but a decision must be made."
"If you're seeking help, it's not a good idea to appear hesitant and doubtful..."
"..."
As he thought this, he decided to pretend to be a passing traveler taking a break. He sat down in front of the shrine, using the bamboo hat to shield himself from the sun, while his peripheral vision kept an eye on the passersby.
However, after waiting for a long time, he didn't see many people passing by, let alone anyone suspicious.
Time slowly passed, and it seemed like a quarter of an hour had gone by. The sun was warm, and the nearby well water carried a hint of coolness. A faint, strange floral fragrance wafted by, and Hu Ma began to feel drowsy. He faintly heard coquettish, panting laughter from a woman.
He turned his head and was surprised to see that the small shrine beside him seemed to have many small figurines, about a finger's length, playing musical instruments like the zither and flute.
"Old Bai Gan brother, you're being too cautious. Come in and chat!"
Hu Ma suddenly heard a cheerful call coming from the small shrine. He felt his body become light, and before he knew it, he found himself in a spacious and exquisite hall, beautifully decorated and filled with a pleasant fragrance.
Surrounded by coquettish women, wearing thin veils, they caressed and flirted nearby.
A voice calling him suddenly came from ahead, and he saw a man lazily lying on the steps, wrapped in a loose black robe, smiling and waving at him.
Hu Ma was in a state of semi-consciousness and confusion, feeling slightly surprised, he said, "This is..."
"White Wine Miss' Dream Induction Technique..."
The man in the black robe had a vaguely handsome appearance, but for some reason, the more Hu Ma looked at him, the less he could remember his features. The man laughed and said, "Although it's an illusion, she doesn't casually use it."
"In reality, when meeting to gain trust, one should still be cautious. That's why she borrowed this technique."
As he spoke, he extended his hand towards Hu Ma, saying, "Give me the letter, I'll deliver it to Red Wine Miss first."
Although they were currently in an illusory realm, Hu Ma patted his chest and indeed found the letter. However, just before handing it over, he became slightly more vigilant and glanced at the man in the black robe.
The man in the black robe paused, saying, "I don't know where Red Wine Miss' birthmark is located, so I can't verify the secret signal."
"I wouldn't dare to match it either!"
Hu Ma asked, "I wanted to ask you, what's the name of the dog that Miss keeps by her side?"
"..."
The man in the black robe was taken aback, his expression showing surprise, "She keeps a cat named White Wax... How could she like dogs? She hates dogs the most."
"..."
Hearing this, Hu Ma finally relaxed.
It wasn't that he was being overly cautious; in such matters, one had to be extra vigilant. Smiling, he handed over the letter, but the man in the black robe simply took it and casually passed it to a woman beside him. She gracefully drifted away.
The man in the black robe sighed and smiled at Hu Ma, "No wonder you're so cautious, just like someone who follows White Wine Miss."
"But sit down, I have something important to tell you."
"..."
"What?"
Hu Ma had a vague guess and looked up at the man's serious gaze.
"Do you know why we're eager to meet you during the day?"
The man in the black robe spoke in a low voice, "Tonight is the seventh day, and that summoned ghost will definitely find you. Brother, I'm not exaggerating, if you're not prepared tonight, I fear you won't make it through."
Hu Ma exhaled softly, realizing that the matter was indeed not simple. He had sensed something when they questioned him yesterday.
"Summoned ghosts are not of this world."
Burned Blade whispered, "That thing is not something ordinary people can control. But once summoned, it will definitely find its target."
"From the first day it started searching for you, you've already lost your chance to escape."
"Within seven days, even if you use the Incense Array, as long as you pay attention in advance, or hide in a filthy place, or behind a divine statue, or even under the bed, you might be able to escape it. But only for the first six days."
"On the seventh day, no matter how you hide, it will definitely find you."
"..."
Hu Ma thought of that strange thing, and his heart suddenly understood.
No wonder these past few days, although he could avoid it using the Incense Array, he never felt at ease.
Immediately, he asked, "Then... what can be done now?"
"We're here to help you!"
Burned Blade sighed and said, "To deal with this thing, we can only ask Red Wine Miss to personally intervene, and it must be after you meet her in reality that she can help you."
"In other words, after just one connection, she will appear before you and even reveal her identity."
"..."
"This..."
Suddenly, Hu Ma understood why the other party was so cautious.
For a reincarnator, this was indeed a risky and difficult matter. Hu Ma fell silent for a moment, then said to him, "What about Red Wine Miss...?"
"She definitely doesn't want to refuse, such a carefree person..."
Burned Blade sighed, "Before, countless reincarnators heard about her and sought her help, and she never refused. But we had to advise her to be cautious."
"That's why we needed to see the letter first."
"Only after reading the contents of the letter can we decide whether it's worth expending so much effort and taking such a big risk to help you in reality."
"..."
As the other party spoke frankly, Hu Ma felt more at ease.
Calculating the time, the letter had been taken away for a while. He whispered, "And the result?"
Burned Blade narrowed his eyes slightly, looking into the distance. Suddenly, a light fragrance wafted through the air, and all the coquettish women surrounding them disappeared, leaving the surroundings extremely quiet.
"Red Wine Miss has already read the letter."
Burned Blade sighed and smiled wryly, "It seems White Wine Miss has vouched for you in the letter, and you're someone worth our utmost effort."
"Now, your matter has become our matter."
(End of Chapter)
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