Chapter 288: Team Building for Reincarnates
Chapter 288: Team Building for Reincarnates
"Heart Piercing Needle, Soul Binding Chain, Great Stone Slammer... Chest Shattering Boulder?"
The wheels rumbled as Hu Ma, wearing a straw hat, drove the horse-drawn carriage along the solid and hard dirt road.
Because this horse was unique, and he didn't need to focus all his attention on driving, he loosened the reins and sat in the carriage, holding a gourd in his hand.
The sky was overcast, and since he had left only a breath of life in his heart and transformed the rest of his body into a lifeless state, the Yin Energy around him increased significantly. So, he poured the water from the gourd onto a blank paper scroll, focusing on the contents of the scroll.
If others saw this, they would probably think he was reading a book of heavenly scriptures without words.
But in Hu Ma's eyes, he was delighted the more he looked, even feeling a bit greedy as he memorized every detail of these unique and ingenious techniques.
The art of the New Year Guardian seemed simple on the surface, with a single fundamental principle: transforming life into death and then death back into life, straddling the boundary between life and death.
However, despite this seemingly simple principle, countless New Year Guardians had developed countless ingenious techniques by leveraging their unique strengths and robust physiques within this art. Many of these techniques were so unexpected that they could take a person's life by surprise.
Each of these techniques had its own remarkable utility, ensuring one's survival and prosperity.
In the Red Lantern Goddess Sect, mastering such a technique could earn one the position of manager, allowing them to lead a few disciples and live a carefree life in this chaotic world.
But now, these ingenious techniques were laid out before him without reservation, explained in intricate detail.
They were even guaranteed to be genuine, as the dead could not lie.
It was only after starting to learn these techniques that Hu Ma realized how shallow his understanding of the New Year Guardian's path had been.
He had initially thought that by transforming his five viscera and acquiring two unique techniques, he had enough. But now, he felt as if his horizons had suddenly expanded.
Each technique had its own intricacies. Some seemed simpler and could be grasped instantly, while others required time and effort to master. Some had intimidating names, while others sounded down-to-earth.
Nonetheless, they were all undeniably useful to him.
The essence of the art was often encapsulated in a single sentence, and that one true sentence was likely the culmination of countless failures by his predecessors.
"This is a real bargain..."
He remained silent for a long time before slowly opening his eyes and heaving a sigh.
On his journey, he had learned the skills of a Ghost Walker and a few Deception Sect techniques, but the Ghost Walker's skills required him to return and thoroughly integrate them, laying the foundation for truly understanding the Year Guard Scroll and its secret arts.
As for the Deception Sect's techniques, they were more for entertainment, useful for his future travels in the Wulin world, but he didn't expect to learn much from them.
However, the New Year Guardian's techniques were different. With his solid foundation, he understood them instantly. Some simpler techniques, with just a slight attempt, revealed their essence, allowing him to replicate them effortlessly.
"So..."
As he spoke, he clenched his left hand, slightly rotated his wrist, and gently tapped outward.
He didn't actually strike anything, but he was secretly feeling the changes in his strength.
"This Heart Piercing Needle is actually a technique that uses Yin Energy with the New Year Guardian's method to strike at the heart?"
He pondered, "It can be direct, it can borrow force, and if perfected, it can even be conducted through weapons, primarily catching opponents off guard and harming them invisibly..."
"Hiss..."
"Why do I feel like most of the New Year Guardian's techniques are rather Yin and resemble evil sect skills?"
"..."
But after a brief thought, he quickly shook his head in denial.
That couldn't be true. Compared to those from other sects who would harm others without showing their faces or even giving a warning, the New Year Guardians were far more upright and open.
Reassuring himself, Hu Ma continued to ponder the usage and key points of this ingenious technique.
The Cave Li Clan had provided numerous ingenious techniques, and Hu Ma tried his best to remember them all. However, learning them all in a short time was impractical, especially the Great Stone Slammer, which required day and night practice and the use of talismans and secret potions to nurture his palms.
But there were also simpler ones, just techniques for channeling energy, which he could leisurely study along the way.
Of course, there was another reason he started researching these techniques on the road: traveling alone was incredibly boring, and he didn't have anyone to talk to for days.
It had taken him seven days to travel from Dongchang Prefecture to Anzhou.
But that was when he and Fragrant Girl had ridden fast horses, pushing themselves to the limit to make it.
Now, driving a horse-drawn carriage at a leisurely pace, he didn't know how much longer the journey would take.
Of course, he had no choice. He couldn't dare to whip the horse pulling the carriage, and he had to take good care of it every night.
On the road, when boredom overwhelmed him, Hu Ma tried talking to the horse, but it ignored him. He tried making it shake its ears and blink, but it didn't seem to understand. It just diligently pulled the carriage every day.
However, after a few days, Hu Ma realized that the horse might not be as clueless as he thought. One evening, while resting by the campfire, Hu Ma held a jar of wine and asked if the horse wanted a drink. The horse nodded.
From that day on, whenever conditions permitted, Hu Ma would buy a jar of wine and pour it into the horse's trough during their evening rest.
"Brother Hu Ma, Brother Hu Ma..."
On top of the carriage, Little Hong Tang's figure suddenly appeared, crouching on the horse's back. She whispered to Hu Ma, "Ahead, two hundred zhang, there's a crossroads."
Hu Ma nodded and took out an oil cloth bag from his embrace, producing a Blood Food Pill. He generously handed it to Little Hong Tang.
Little Hong Tang was overjoyed, holding it with both hands, and quickly went off to scout again.
Judging by her enthusiasm, Hu Ma guessed that even if he asked her to take out the beggars blocking the road, she wouldn't refuse, after all, her food quality had improved again.
Little Hong Tang had already started eating Blood Food Pills!
One pill at a time!
...Of course, Hu Ma divided the entire Blood Food Pill into ten portions, squeezing each one into a rough sphere.
Although they weren't all the same size, they were still one pill, right? At least Sister Hong Tang was always happy and never questioned these details.
"Huff..."
As the carriage moved forward, indeed, about two hundred zhang away, when they turned into another intersection, Hu Ma saw several lazy beggars lying in the woods, resting. They glanced at him, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, as they quietly passed by.
"The further I get from Anzhou, the tighter these Beggar Sect spies are watching me."
Hu Ma thought to himself.
Initially, after leaving Red Wine Miss's estate, he was cautious, fearing that someone from the Beggar Sect would come after him directly.
Later, he realized that it was different from what he had expected. Although he was quickly spotted after leaving the estate, they didn't take any action.
Perhaps they didn't understand the Ghost Cavern Li Clan well enough and were also concerned that the Li Clan might indeed have the ability to protect him easily in Anzhou, so they were waiting until he left Anzhou to make their move.
"Where will they make their move?"
Hu Ma silently calculated. This was already the third group of beggars he had encountered today, and they were clearly watching him more closely than before. He couldn't help but start thinking about this question: "Or, what method will they use to make their move?"
"Will they directly block the road, or pretend to be a shopkeeper in some remote inn, first drugging me, and then throwing lime powder in my face?"
"..."
He couldn't think of the answers to these questions, but compared to them, they weren't that important. What he should be more concerned about was: How will Red Wine Miss make her move?
She had only said that after the Beggar Sect's leader appeared, she would make her move in time.
But how would she make her move, and how could she ensure that she would appear in time when he was in danger, yet she refused to explain, as it would reveal the secrets of her Deception Sect.
She was even more open than Zhou Manager...
However, because of this, Hu Ma could only pretend to be unaware of everything and honestly play the role of bait.
The more Beggar Sect members he encountered, the more brazen and sinister their gazes became, and Hu Ma felt as if he was walking into a large net, one that was tightening around him, not allowing him to escape.
He remained calm and collected, gathering his thoughts to continue perfecting his special skills.
That night, Hu Ma stayed at a wild inn by the official road, paying for a shared room. He asked the manager to bring up the best wine and dishes the inn had to offer, two jars of wine, and the cleanest and best dishes, not skimping on the silver.
He fed one jar of wine to the horse and drank the other himself. After that, he soaked his feet in hot water and then lay down on the bed, falling into a peaceful sleep.
"The Beggar Sect members will likely make their move on you tomorrow."
Soon, a voice rang out, and in the Temple of the Life Spirit, Hu Ma heard the Burnt Blade's reminder.
He looked closely and was slightly startled.
They had agreed that in critical moments, they would exchange information in the Temple of the Life Spirit, but now, he saw at least seven or eight incense threads passing through the reddish mist, connecting to his incense burner.
Each incense thread represented a mysterious reincarnate!
"These guys haven't shown their faces the whole journey, making it seem like I'm traveling alone, but now they've suddenly appeared?"
Hu Ma was momentarily excited and quickly composed himself, listening intently to their shared intelligence.
The Burnt Blade spoke first: "The Beggar Sect's Ji Tang is gathering all the small leaders on the Ping Nan Dao and heading towards Niutou Town. The deadline they gave is tonight."
"And this place is where you'll pass through tomorrow at noon."
"..."
As his voice trailed off, a lazy voice suddenly spoke up: "Code name Jade Ice Distill, I inquired around according to Red Wine Miss's instructions."
"The Weihe Escort Agency in Liuti Town had a family heirloom saber stolen two nights ago. It seems like the work of the Beggar Sect. He probably intends to use this saber to deal with the Old Bai Gan Brothers tomorrow."
Another person said: "Code name Old Millet Liquor, I'm following the Beggar Sect's Ji Tang. He's currently in Sishui Town, at his lover's place."
"..."
"Code name Bamboo Leaf Green, I'm ready to extract and search souls, hehehe..."
"..."
Hu Ma, who was eager to hear their news, was suddenly stunned by the reports of one reincarnate after another.
So, Red Wine Miss wasn't joking, she was really planning a team-building exercise?
(End of Chapter)
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