https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-306-The-Well-of-Spirits-Third-Watch-/12918558/
Chapter 305: The Betrayer
Chapter 305: The Betrayer
With a clear direction, one must take things step by step, just as one eats a meal bite by bite.
To others, Hu Ma seemed to have suddenly become low-key after returning from Anzhou. Since his return, he had only entered the city once.
First, he went to Heart Herb Hall, settled the accounts, and had a drink with the Five Ghost Shopkeeper. They discussed the matters of the Cave Li Clan, and then he went to Xu Boss's place. He followed Xu Boss to pay respects to RedLanternLady and respectfully burned a stick of incense, expressing gratitude for the Lady's assistance on the road.
Surprisingly, RedLanternLady showed no reaction and didn't mention any conditions.
Hu Ma couldn't help but admire the Lady's kindness and sincerity.
That night, as usual, there was the Yang Gong Gathering, and Xu Boss invited Hu Ma and other old acquaintances to dine at Spring Harmony Pavilion. After a few drinks, Xu Manager brought up the matter of arranging for Hu Ma to go to the Blood Meat Mine.
Everyone understood, and it seemed like a happy ending for all.
Hu Ma stayed the night at Xu Manager's place and only returned to the manor the next day. Before returning, he made a trip to the Carriage and Horse Stable to see the three carriage drivers and two companions who had accompanied him to Anzhou.
He not only paid their wages but also gave them extra rewards. The three men were deeply moved and promised that if the Little Shopkeeper had similar long-distance trips in the future, they would be the first to volunteer.
"It seems they were truly scared..."
Hu Ma thanked them with a smile and agreed that the next trip to Old Yin Mountain would definitely be less dangerous.
The carriage drivers and companions readily agreed, but they declined to take on the task.
After leaving the stable, Hu Ma took a detour before returning to the manor. He went to visit the old GhostHunter who raised cattle, and then, with his guidance, they headed to another village to see Zhang Agu.
It turned out that Zhang Agu lived outside the village, in a few thatched huts built on the mountain slope. Seeing Hu Ma's return, she was delighted and asked about his journey, whether it went smoothly.
"It's all thanks to your skills, Agu, that I was able to safely send Miss Fragrant Jade home..."
Hu Ma thanked Zhang Agu and stayed for a meal. Before leaving, he left thirty taels of silver and two Blood Food Pills.
Fearing she wouldn't accept them, he quietly slipped them into her bedding.
But to his surprise, less than two li from the village, he encountered a headless little goblin blocking the road with its arms outstretched.
Soon after, Zhang Agu caught up with them, her face flushed. She said that she had already felt embarrassed accepting the thirty taels of silver, and she insisted that Hu Ma take back the two Blood Food Pills. Hu Ma, seeing her sincerity, had no choice but to accept them. He smiled and asked, "Do you still remember what I mentioned earlier?"
"I'll take a break after this trip and then look into it. I'll try to help you."
"..."
"Shopkeeper Brother, don't worry about it..."
Zhang Agu's face turned red upon hearing this. She said, "There are so many pitiful people in this world; I'm not the only one."
Perhaps she thought that Hu Ma, in his youthful enthusiasm, had made a casual promise without much thought.
Hu Ma didn't offer further explanations. After leaving the thirty taels of silver, he hurried back to the manor in the carriage.
After settling these matters, he felt a sense of relief. He quietly practiced and contemplated, and as the days passed, the New Year's Eve arrived.
Hu Ma had made promises to these companions earlier, and now he couldn't go back on his word. He gave Zhou Datong twenty taels of silver and asked him to go to the city to purchase New Year's goods and distribute them to the companions.
Half a month before the New Year, Hu Ma arranged for two companions to stay and guard the manor, promising them more New Year's goods and a longer break after the celebrations. Then, with Zhou Datong and the others, he loaded the carriage with New Year's goods and headed back to GreatSheepVillage to celebrate the New Year.
This time, they didn't bother hiring a carriage driver, as the horse pulling the carriage was exceptionally obedient.
The only change was that whenever there was important business, Hu Ma would use this horse to help pull the carriage, which made things easier for the donkey he had brought back from Zhu Gate Town.
Every time the horse was chosen to pull the carriage, the donkey would feel content, enjoying its grass in the stable and basking in the sun. Occasionally, when no one was around, it would even let out a sly chuckle.
Upon returning to the village, there wasn't much to report.
The Second Lord's health remained robust, and the Elder Patriarch seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. Knowing that Hu Ma and his group would return this year, the Elder Patriarch had people waiting for them at the village entrance several days in advance.
When they arrived, the Elder Patriarch was relieved to see that these promising youngsters had brought back even more New Year's goods than the previous year.
"I was worried that your young manager wouldn't perform well and would be fired within a year..."
The Second Lord sighed, patting Hu Ma's shoulder. "But now it seems he's doing well and has managed to hold his position at such a high level. It looks like he's secured his place."
"It's not that secure..."
Hu Ma smiled bitterly, thinking to himself, "After all, I'm no longer the manager..."
Of course, since Hu Ma had given instructions, none of the companions dared to reveal that he had become the shopkeeper.
Only Zhou Datong was put in a difficult position, as he had to pretend to be a companion even though he was now the manager.
In the following days, they feasted, cleaned the house, paid respects to the Old Fire Pit, and invited Grandma back for the New Year celebrations. After the festivities, it was customary to visit the woods... no, to pay respects to his wet nurse. If he were to say he was going to the woods, he'd still be unable to remember it.
After a year, his wet nurse seemed to have grown thinner...
Standing alone by the river, a few thin willow branches hung limply...
At the base of a tree, there were signs of many paper offerings, likely from the villagers who came to burn them.
The first year they came to pay respects to his wet nurse, the Old Sheepskin Elder from Python Village brought people to cause trouble. This year, they arrived even earlier, but they came to pay respects to the wet nurse, and everyone offered their tributes and bowed to her.
As usual, no one knew how many strange creatures from the woods came to witness the ceremony. His wet nurse now lay still, allowing the many people to bow to her without moving a muscle.
However, unlike last year, after the ceremony, Hu Ma immediately found a secluded spot.
He respectfully bowed and said in a low voice, "Elder, I have officially started learning the skills from the Year Guard Scroll."
"I've tried my best to prepare, but I still know too little."
"I don't know if learning this will have any impact..."
"..."
"There will be an impact, and the biggest one is whether there's anyone left in your Hu family."
The Old Stump Elder, as expected, didn't rush to leave. Instead, he quietly appeared behind Hu Ma and whispered, "All ten surnames have descendants, but the Hu family's heirs have no one to guide them. That's truly pitiful."
"If you only want to learn the family's skills, then you should have been subjected to some mysterious calculations. In that case, your grandma's initial request to me would have been in vain."
"..."
Hu Ma was surprised. Was the Old Stump Elder agreeing to shield him from some mysterious forces? His heart stirred, and he quickly asked another question: "Also, I heard there's something called the Five Sorrows Deity in the Hall?"
"I have a friend who's being targeted by it, and I was thinking..."
"..."
The Old Stump Elder said, "You want to get rid of it?"
Hu Ma closed his mouth abruptly. He did have this thought, but should he really talk about it?
"If you want to get rid of it, then do so."
The Old Stump Elder seemed to sense Hu Ma's inner conflict and spoke frankly, "It's not going to be smooth sailing for the Hu family's heir. If you don't act on your thoughts of eliminating it, it might even come after you."
"Now that your grandma is in the ancestral shrine, what you should fear is not the Meng family or the ten surnames, but some things from the Hall itself..."
"..."
"Things from the Hall?"
Hu Ma asked this question to indirectly inquire about the Old Stump Elder's opinion of the Five Sorrows Deity, but he never expected it to lead to such a lengthy response.
Could there be some things in the Hall that were concerned about the return of the Hu family's heir?
"On this trip, you also paid respects to the Old Fire Pit and replaced the protective ash."
The Old Stump Elder slowly said, "The lives of the hundreds of people in GreatSheepVillage depend on the Old Fire Pit. It's what allows them to survive in Old Yin Mountain. Even the malevolent spirits outside the village are intimidated by its authority and protect the villagers."
"But if these spirits have their own ideas and no longer protect the village, and instead want to claim the Old Fire Pit for themselves, who do you think they'd want to get rid of the most?"
"..."
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat at this. "So, it's not just the reincarnated one who has their eyes on the Hu family's belongings?"
"That's how it is. If you don't think about it, sooner or later, someone else or something will."
But the Old Stump Elder just smiled and said, "It seems they can't lay claim to it now, but don't forget, humans are the smartest. Just because it's not possible now doesn't mean it won't be in the future..."
"Hehe, I've said enough for today. I came here first at this crucial time to give face to the Hu family's heir. But do you know how many people came to pay respects to me in Old Yin Mountain today?"
"I'm still rushing to attend the feast..."
"..."
Hu Ma was a bit helpless.
Just as he was about to talk about the most crucial matter, the elder wanted to go to the feast...
Having realized earlier that the Old Stump Elder didn't listen to him, Hu Ma deeply bowed to send him off.
After receiving this reminder, before returning to the manor, he made another trip to Extinct Village. This time, he didn't enter but carefully observed the village's terrain, customs, and the position and appearance of the four protective stones at the village entrance, committing them to memory.
His mind was already preparing to resolve the issue of Extinct Village and obtain his warding object.
"Indeed..."
Two days later, after replacing the protective ash and putting on new clothes, Hu Ma returned to the manor, silently thinking, "This year will be a lively one..."
"If you don't take the treasure coins under the bed, sooner or later, a thief will have their eyes on them, be it a family member or an outsider..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
