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Chapter 303: The Junior Magistrate
Chapter 303: The Junior Magistrate
At times, a sudden strike would cause the veins to bulge, but it could only make the riverbank's willows sway slightly.
Sometimes, a mere whisper would be like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the air.
When Seventh Auntie came to see Hu Ma for the sealing, it was likely because the time was right, and she had gained some insight. Normally, she couldn't possess a human body or even speak, but when she felt the time was ripe, she could ask a question.
And she approached Hu Ma not because she knew something about him, but because she felt that within a radius of several dozen li around the village, only Hu Ma was familiar to her, and he was also a manager.
The last time she came to ask this question, Hu Ma told her to wait for two months, and she did just that.
Now, after asking the question, she was unsure what it meant, even to herself.
But when Hu Ma gave his answer, she was startled, sensing that something had changed.
This sudden awareness made Seventh Auntie, who was always cautious and suspicious, instinctively want to flee. However, an invisible force seemed to hold her back, and she dared not escape. She wanted to crouch on the chair but felt it inappropriate. Jumping onto the table seemed even more impolite.
She felt like a village woman entering a grand hall, uncomfortable and out of place.
Just then, she heard a thunderous sound by her ear, and a vague, invisible shadow appeared above her head. It was a figure in a high-crowned robe, holding something in its hand, whispering to her.
The solemnity and dignity of the figure scared her so much that she wanted to shrink into her neck, but her instincts told her to bow to those shadows, and she did so three times.
As she finished bowing, something inside her body seemed to crackle.
Hu Ma sat across from the Eight Immortals Table, unable to see Seventh Auntie's perspective and not intentionally trying to. Instead, he was sensing the weight of the words he had just spoken.
He saw that after those words were spoken, Seventh Auntie's heart filled with unease. She wanted to escape, but then she seemed to listen intently, as if someone was speaking to her. Then, she became excited and knelt down to bow to an empty space, mimicking a human.
As she bowed, her shadow became blurry.
His eyes seemed to be stung by the wind, and he vaguely saw Seventh Auntie's thin, yellow figure stretching.
At times, she became slender, then robust, a rugged man, a rural farmer, a young boy with braids, and then a stout-legged peasant woman.
Finally, her shadow stabilized, and Hu Ma saw an old woman in a blue dress, adorned with jade and crystal, sharp-mouthed and monkey-cheeked. Her face was dark and skinny, with a long black mole on her cheek...
"Has Seventh Auntie become human?"
Hu Ma, experiencing his first sealing, was also astonished. He quickly confirmed, "It's not that she's become human, but she has gained a human shadow, and this shadow..."
He suddenly felt a mix of laughter and tears, wondering why she resembled the sharp-tongued matchmaker who went around the village arranging marriages.
...
...
While Hu Ma was sealing Seventh Auntie in the village, the city of Mingzhou was usually peaceful, with living beings and malevolent spirits each having their own territories, never encroaching upon each other.
Someone was calculating accounts in Plum Blossom Lane, while in the government office, someone was lighting an oil lamp to review petitions recently submitted by various counties and towns, arranging for the night watchman to patrol, and in the medicine shop, someone was pounding herbs, carefully adjusting the prescription.
In the Red Lantern Society, the Lady was also feeling displeased, wondering why the little shopkeeper hadn't come to pay his respects after inviting her. She considered giving him a hard time when they met to express her dissatisfaction.
Just then, they all sensed something, an indescribable feeling of a sudden surge of emotion.
Those who were silent, those engaged in conversation, those feeling annoyed, and those pounding herbs all paused, sensing that something had happened in Mingzhou.
They all felt uneasy and quickly stood up.
Those with supernatural powers instinctively tried to see what was happening.
Those skilled in divination wanted to cast their lots to determine the situation's fortune.
But as they cast their lots and summoned their powers, they simultaneously felt a stern and solemn gaze, as if two sword-wielding guards in black uniforms turned and shouted sternly:
"The affairs of the Year Guard Prefecture are not to be spied upon, or you will be executed!"
"..."
"Swish!"
The stern shout was bone-chilling, and they hurriedly escaped the inexplicable panic, already drenched in cold sweat.
Not qualified to witness?
The person calculating accounts in Plum Blossom Lane paused, and the brush in their hand stopped, dripping a large blob of ink onto the page filled with small characters. But they dared not move for a long time.
Finally, they slowly turned their head towards the slightly open window, where the moon in the sky was gradually being obscured by layers of dark clouds, adding a hint of solemnity to the world.
"The incense distribution next year might not go smoothly..."
After a long while, they looked down at their accounts, at the words smudged by ink, and sighed softly.
In the Heart Herb Hall, White Wine Miss, already dressed in a white undergarment, was startled awake from her slumber. She floated upright, and in a flash, she appeared at the window. There, she saw her cat staring intently at a spot, unmoving.
"Hu Ma's Sealing should only seal the body, but he..."
"..."
In the unfinished temple of the Red Lantern Society, RedLanternLady, who had been feeling stifled, suddenly knelt down with a loud slap.
Her body stiffened, and for a long time, she dared not move, unsure of what had happened.
In the Old Yin Mountain, where the yin energy lingered year-round, blocking out the sun, on this day, the yin energy surprisingly lessened. All the malevolent spirits and creatures in the mountain seemed to catch a faint whiff of a mysterious fragrance.
On a stump of an old tree, a figure in a wide-sleeved robe sat, wearing a smile that seemed to carry a hint of helplessness.
"Too cautious..."
"The silver under my bed... why does spending it feel like I'm a thief?"
"..."
At the Mingzhou government office, in the dead of night, the sound of drums and gongs reverberated, deafening the Chief Executioner. Others, however, couldn't hear a thing. A box placed deep within the document repository seemed to shake on its own, as if something inside was trying to break free.
He remained still, ignoring the commotion, and forcefully suppressed his curiosity, not daring to look at the additional names that had appeared. After a long wait, when everything quieted down, he sighed softly, "Even that Nobleman couldn't bear the loneliness?"
"Is there really only one Junior Magistrate in Mingzhou?"
"..."
"..."
"So, this is the form that Seventh Auntie herself wanted to transform into?"
As the people of Mingzhou were filled with shock and confusion, Hu Ma was also curious. He wanted to know the changes after the spirit sealing, so he didn't miss a single detail.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he never expected that when Seventh Auntie transformed, the form she took on would be so... down-to-earth?
"Oh dear..."
At that moment, across from him, Seventh Auntie was also delighted, twisting and turning to admire her new appearance. Her wrinkled face smoothed out, and she winked at Hu Ma, coyly holding a lotus finger to her cheek, "Little Shopkeeper, do I look good?"
"I saw an old lady riding in a palanquin, being flattered and feasted wherever she went."
"Such a majestic and dignified form, I wanted to transform into that..."
"..."
Hu Ma sighed helplessly.
It all made sense now.
No wonder Seventh Auntie had transformed like this; it was what she had wanted all along...
People have various descriptions—some noble, some practical, some rugged, some coquettish. But who could have guessed that Seventh Auntie's most envied form would be so ordinary? It was, indeed, quite respectable.
As he pondered this, he also sighed softly, gazing up at the deep night sky.
Having just assisted in the spirit sealing, he took the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the mysterious force. He only dared a glance, as his current abilities and cultivation were insufficient for a clear vision. But for now, it was enough.
This glimpse revealed a grand hall with a fire pit so vast and deep that he could hardly fathom its size.
"The Spirit-Suppressing Hu Family... that name is not given lightly."
Finally, he understood the true nature of the Year Guard Scroll and the weight of his identity as a descendant of the Hu family.
He sighed softly, then gathered his emotions. He raised his wine cup to celebrate with Seventh Auntie.
While the city was filled with people wondering about the Nobleman's sudden action, Hu Ma happily drank with Seventh Auntie, his spirits higher than ever.
With the joy of the occasion, Seventh Auntie was in high spirits, already enjoying two cups of wine. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the two live chickens tied to the table, both delighted and a little embarrassed, she tentatively asked, "Um..."
"Can we eat this chicken?"
"..."
"Haha, go ahead and eat. Today's feast is on me."
Hu Ma laughed heartily and generously invited, "Eat your fill and drink to your heart's content. You'll know what to do from now on, right?"
"I understand, I understand."
Seventh Auntie happily grabbed the chicken, saying, "I must follow the rules of a guardian!"
"If Little Shopkeeper helps me, I won't spread rumors. If Little Shopkeeper fights, my whole family will bite their toes..."
"..."
"After the sealing, her mind became much sharper..."
Hu Ma smiled happily.
Having seen the Hu family's old fire pit, large and deep, his mood was excellent.
After a brief conversation, seeing that Seventh Auntie was sensible and understood the rules, his final worries dissipated, and his mood improved even more.
Through this small sealing, he understood how to unlock the Year Guard Scroll, and his mood...
...was indescribably wonderful!
(End of Chapter)
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