Chapter 274: The Painted World
Chapter 274: The Painted World
Resurrection of the Dead?
Hu Ma listened intently, suddenly startled by what he heard.
The idea of a dead person coming back to life seemed like a fantastical tale.
In all his time in this strange world, he had only known of one instance of resurrection.
And that was himself.
But from his previous life's death to his own resurrection, he had endured countless hardships. Without the immense power of his grandmother, who summoned his soul and gathered the blood centaurs to nourish his body, his revival would have been impossible.
Yet, the Li Clan from the Cavern seemed to have accomplished this feat with just a single copper coin, bringing the dead back to life...
...Could it be that the Li Clan's abilities surpassed even his grandmother's?
Impossible.
No matter how powerful the Li Clan might be, they were not one of the Ten Clans. His grandmother, on the other hand, could hold her own against the Meng Clan.
If his grandmother's abilities were not inferior to the Li Clan's, then there must be another explanation. Could it be that the Li Clan...
...was truly guarding the Gate of the Netherworld?
His grandmother had brought the dead back to life through great effort, but the Li Clan seemed to have directly retrieved souls from the Netherworld.
"Don't worry!"
As if sensing Hu Ma's thoughts, Miss Red Wine spoke softly, "The Li Clan is probably not guarding the Hall of King Yama."
"There are no Ten Kings of Hell in this world, nor is there an Underworld."
"..."
Just as Hu Ma had this realization, Miss Red Wine seemed to read his mind, causing him to pause and turn towards her.
"Why are you so certain?"
"..."
"Because I'm from the Deception Sect."
Miss Red Wine sighed softly, "We in the Deception Sect play the most elaborate tricks and witness the most genuine truths."
"And we're curious."
She smiled faintly before continuing, "Most reincarnates are lazy and cautious, but some are diligent, and I'm one of them. I not only acquired these skills but also took an interest in this world."
"So, I've been trying various methods to gather information about this world, understand its workings, and uncover the truth beneath its bizarre and absurd surface."
"I've always believed that while reincarnates can be cautious, their exploration of this world should never cease."
"Only by truly understanding this world can we evade the Ten Clans' purge and perhaps even discover how we came to be here."
"..."
"This..."
Hu Ma tilted his head slightly, only to catch a glimpse of Miss Red Wine's profile.
She was nothing like Miss White Wine, who was exquisitely refined. Despite being a reincarnate, she lived like a peasant woman in this world.
However, she had a beautiful face, with cheeks like carved sculptures.
Or perhaps her beauty didn't come from her appearance?
Most reincarnates were lazy and bored, so it was rare to find someone with such initiative.
Miss Red Wine's most distinctive quality was her eagerness to delve into matters that others avoided.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Hu Ma became intrigued.
Miss Red Wine's deep understanding of this world might be what he should focus on. Before coming here, he hadn't decided what to ask for in return for delivering this letter. Now, he had a clearer idea.
Perhaps, instead of the New Year Guardian's unique skills, the two oil lamps he hadn't obtained yet, or the blood meat pills, it would be more valuable for him to engage in a conversation with Miss Red Wine, uncover those secrets, and gain a deeper understanding of this world...
"Let's not talk about it now. Let's deal with this matter first!"
Before Hu Ma could ask, Miss Red Wine sighed softly, "The thing you've been hiding from is already outside the farmhouse."
Hu Ma snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the farmhouse gate, shrouded in the night's darkness.
Everything seemed normal, but a subtle chill in the air made his skin tingle.
Some of the livestock in the farmhouse had sensed something, raising their heads slightly and looking around in confusion.
Others continued to lie down, chewing on the grass one bite at a time.
Hu Ma felt a slight chill, but he quickly took out the fire stick from his embrace and blew gently to light it, igniting the fire basin at his feet.
As he watched the flickering flame slowly turn green, his expression became grave.
"Don't be nervous!"
Miss Red Wine glanced at him, smiled faintly, and suddenly stood up, grabbing Hu Ma's hand and pulling him up from the wicker chair.
As he stood up, Hu Ma felt like he was waking from a dream, suddenly realizing that he was standing with Han Womzi in the dilapidated and eerie farmhouse, surrounded by solitude.
The fire basin he had lit and the folding screen Miss Red Wine had brought over were still there.
He couldn't relax, instinctively scanning his surroundings, everything seemed normal, even the color of the flame in the fire basin hadn't changed. But he knew Miss Red Wine had sensed something, so he patiently waited.
After a brief wait, outside the manor, the sound of rattling iron chains echoed, and a gust of cold wind seemed to brush past their eyes.
A figure with a tall hat and chains wrapped around its body appeared in the manor. It was at least twice the height of a normal person and slowly walked through the manor.
Previously, they had only sensed its presence, and this was the first time they had seen it, hiding on the third floor of the inn, looking down from above.
But now, sitting inside the manor, they felt an intense oppression emanating from it. Accompanied by a strong aura of darkness, it slowly moved from left to right, from the entrance of the manor to its far end, coming as close as a dozen yards from Hu Ma.
However, it didn't look at Hu Ma. It just silently passed by.
Hu Ma caught a glimpse of its face beneath the tall hat—ghastly pale, rigid, and exuding an inhumanly evil aura.
His heart was filled with worry, fearing it would stop by the little hut where Fragrant Girl was hiding. But as it passed by, Hu Ma breathed a slight sigh of relief, feeling that Red Wine Miss's arrangements were indeed well thought out.
When the creature reached the hut, it seemed hesitant, but it continued on its way. Unexpectedly, upon reaching the end of the manor, it slowly turned back.
Hu Ma's heart was in his throat.
In the past, when this ghost thing came to look for someone, it would only search once.
But now, it had walked back and forth three times, persistently searching for something, even stopping by the hut.
Yet, it still didn't enter. It paused briefly and then left, only to return again shortly after.
The air seemed to freeze, and the breath they exhaled carried a chill.
The livestock in the manor seemed to sense the tension, some raising their heads and letting out a few deep calls.
Red Wine Miss stood quietly, saying nothing. But when the creature had circled the manor three times and showed no signs of leaving, she sighed softly. Suddenly, she gently pulled aside the folding screen in front of her.
At that moment, the surrounding dark aura intensified, and the temperature dropped sharply.
The tall-hatted creature, hovering near the hut, suddenly lifted its head, its rigid gaze fixing on Hu Ma.
"Stop looking."
Han Womzi put away her painting, not looking at the eerie chain ghost with the tall hat. Instead, she gazed into the deep night outside the manor and laughed, "There are many who should die in my manor, but since they've entered my circle, it's not yet their time."
"If you want to reap souls, go elsewhere. Don't startle my livestock."
"..."
"Who is Han Womzi addressing?"
Hu Ma focused his attention, also looking outside the manor, but he couldn't see anything there.
Behind him, the tall-hatted chain ghost stared at him intently with rigid, piercing eyes, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Boom..."
Just then, the wooden door of the manor suddenly burst open in a gust of wind. The night outside seemed to thicken, and Hu Ma vaguely saw a black carriage appear in the heavy darkness.
From blurry to clear, it silently stopped outside the manor, separated from Han Womzi by the gate, as if conveying a cold gaze from within.
"Skin Cloak Han Womzi..."
A cold voice came from the carriage, "I know you're hiding someone here."
"Many of the evil bandits on the Anzhou road are hidden in your place, and the government knows it but dares not investigate."
"But if you hide them, that's one thing. There are some people you shouldn't hide."
"Our Ghost Cavern Li Clan has always maintained a neutral relationship with the underworld, treating everyone with courtesy. But if you insist on interfering in our family affairs, you're breaking the rules of the underworld. Could it be that Han Womzi has a grudge against our Li Clan?"
"..."
"A grudge?"
Han Womzi smiled, "Not at all. Why would I hold a grudge against the Li Clan? On the contrary, I was just about to pay a visit to the Li Clan!"
"I'll set off at dawn tomorrow, and I'll invite all the Anzhou underworld to join me. What do you think?"
"..."
These words were clearly provocative, and the person in the black carriage became furious. The curtain was suddenly lifted, and two black spirit scrolls were thrown out, floating in the air as if blown by the wind, circling several times before falling to the ground.
As they landed, they turned to ashes, and a gust of wind blew them away, but the order had been given.
The tall-hatted chain ghost suddenly raised its head, and the chains wrapped around its body snapped out, instantly smashing the little hut where Fragrant Girl was hiding into pieces.
The walls, roof, and even the bed and cabinet inside were all shattered.
Hu Ma's heart leaped into his throat.
The wooden hut was not very big to begin with, and now that it was in disarray, Fragrant Girl, being a living person, could no longer hide...
(End of Chapter)
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