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Chapter 313: The Five Sins Lord
Chapter 313: The Five Sins Lord
The old servant had prepared himself, and even though he was blindfolded, he mustered up the courage to grope his way forward.
But the moment he opened his eyes, he was still startled by the scene before him.
"Am I worshipping a person or a ghost?"
This servant of the Wei family had seen the world; he had worshipped at various temples, but now, as he opened his eyes, he was stunned by what he saw, and for a moment, he couldn't speak.
This place, according to reason, should have been dedicated to the hall guests. Dedicating it to them meant that there should be a deity guarding it, ensuring peace and prosperity, if not a harmonious climate. But now, as he opened his eyes, what he saw was more like entering the underworld.
Ever since arriving here, he hadn't seen a single person. There were only collapsing houses and wild weeds everywhere, and among the weeds were scattered, withered bones.
And now, even the weeds seemed to be disappearing, leaving only a suffocating aura of death.
"Hehehehe..."
Just as he was momentarily overwhelmed and unable to speak, countless eerie laughs suddenly echoed in his ears. Those laughs seemed to have been waiting for him to open his eyes, sounding triumphant, mischievous, and greedy, ringing endlessly.
The laughter stirred the surroundings, as if everything was laughing.
On the branches of the surrounding trees, dried, human-faced membranes were laughing, and countless vague, indistinct shadows were laughing too.
Even the blood-soaked, naked things hanging on the racks in front of him seemed to be raising their heads, staring at him with fixed grins.
Amidst the laughter, a voice that made one's heart tremble with fear sounded, "There's actually someone who comes knocking?"
"It's a pity he's old, only good for torch salvation!"
"Torch salvation is fine too. It's fresh, with flesh, tendons, and bones, perfect for wine."
"..."
Amidst the dense, low whispers, the old servant felt his vision blur, and he vaguely saw swirls of evil wind around him, as if countless hands were reaching out to grab him.
Behind him, the withered, strange branches seemed to come to life, inching closer to the old servant's back.
The servant had seen the world, and he suddenly felt like he had fallen into a den of ghosts. But just as the fear was about to overwhelm him, he clenched his teeth, snapped out of it, and rushed forward. He performed a full prostration toward the black temple, shouting, "A servant of the Huai'an Wei family pays respects to the Lord. I beg the Lord to save my life..."
"..."
With this bow, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. The branches that had been reaching for the old servant's back stopped, and the scattered, swaying shadows seemed to disappear.
"You..."
A low voice sounded, and the old servant, with his forehead still touching the ground, dared not lift his head. He felt like the voice was right in front of him, accompanied by gurgling sounds and a strong scent of meat.
"You're asking my lord to save your life?"
"..."
The voice chuckled softly, "You sure know how to pick a place. My lord is indeed best at saving lives."
Several other voices chimed in, laughing, "Of course, the Lord is best at saving people..."
"Life is hard, better to seek rebirth..."
"Leave behind the stinking flesh and let the true spirit remain here..."
"Hehehe, the Lord's power has diminished, and people look down on him now. Even a servant dares to come and pay respects to the Lord..."
"..."
The servant, still kneeling, felt like knives were slicing his body. He was terrified, but suddenly, he steeled himself and shouted desperately, "My old self is worth nothing but a few pounds of meat. I'm willing to offer the incense offerings of an entire county to the Lord..."
"The incense offerings of an entire county?"
As these words left his mouth, the eerie chaos around him suddenly vanished. The swirling evil wind seemed to dissipate, and the strange voices turned into the questioning tone of a middle-aged man:
"How can a mere servant offer the incense of an entire county?"
"Be careful when speaking before the Five Sins Lord. Say the wrong thing, and your tongue might be pulled out..."
"..."
"The Five Sins Lord? This temple worships the Five Sins Lord?"
The old servant's thoughts were in disarray, but he knelt down and shouted, "I, as a mere servant, have no means, but my master does."
"He has obtained a commission and will soon assume his post in Li Yuan County. But now, he's being disturbed by malevolent spirits, and his life is in danger. I sought guidance from a wise person and came to worship the Five Sins Lord. If the Lord saves his life, I will offer incense to the Lord..."
"..."
Upon hearing these words, the surroundings became even quieter, and the atmosphere, though no longer chaotic, remained cold.
The old servant knew that his life hung by a thread. He dared not breathe, but at this moment, he heard a voice, "Lift your head!"
His body trembled, and he cautiously raised his head, his eyes still closed due to fear. But with a surge of courage, he slowly opened his eyes and looked forward.
As he did, his heart skipped a beat.
When he had been groping around with his eyes covered, he had felt like there were people everywhere, a bustling scene with countless hands reaching out.
And when he had touched his forehead to the ground, he had also felt surrounded by countless mysterious things, making his soul tremble.
But when he opened his eyes, he found himself still on the desolate mountain, in front of the black temple. On both sides were wooden racks, filled with fresh red flesh, dripping with blood that slowly trickled down the racks and onto the ground.
In front of the temple, between the wooden racks, stood five strangely dressed individuals. Each wore a different robe, but they all shared one peculiar feature—a stick of incense was stuck directly into their heads, emitting smoke. The incense burned continuously, and the smoke seemed to connect with the eerie idol inside the temple.
The man speaking to him was a middle-aged man in a black robe, holding a knife and skillfully peeling the skin off something at the end of the wooden rack. The object being peeled was still alive, its eyes rolling in terror.
Next to the man was a farmer's wife with her blouse open, breastfeeding a child, her expression a mix of a smile and a frown.
Beside her stood a thin, slender man with a scythe on his shoulder, his gaze fixed on the old servant's neck.
The remaining two were a fat, bulky man sitting on the ground, tearing into a meat leg with his mouth, and a child-like figure in bright red and green clothing, holding a kite and with two streaks of rouge on his face, appearing extremely short and stunted.
"Are these the incense masters of the temple?"
The old servant glanced at them and quickly lowered his head, feeling terrified. He was a servant of a wealthy household and had seen countless things, but he had never encountered incense masters who looked more like malevolent spirits than humans.
"Does your master truly intend to offer the incense of an entire county to our Five Sins Lord?"
A cold voice echoed between the racks, as if the temple itself had opened its eyes, staring intently at him.
"My... my master..."
The old servant gathered his courage and tried to steady his trembling voice as he replied, "He is the son-in-law of the Huai'an Wei Family. Twenty years ago, he passed the scholar exam, and now, with his commission, he is about to take up his post in Li Yuan County. He is in need of the blessings of the Wei Family Patriarch..."
As he spoke, he quickly followed the instructions of the old master of Plum Blossom Lane, explaining the entire situation.
"Hehe..."
Before he could finish, another eerie voice spoke up, "Do you know that our lord is kind-hearted, but wherever he goes, the local blessings may not be enough to protect him..."
The old servant immediately said, "My master is currently in Bright State. Please, Five Sins Lord, grant him your protection..."
"Bright State..."
The five individuals looked at each other, and suddenly, they all burst into laughter, "Our lord is about to go to Bright State for a joyous occasion, and now it seems we are going together?"
As they laughed, a sixth laugh seemed to join in, growing louder and louder, drowning out their laughter.
...
...
Ten repetitions of the punishment spell, ten of the killing spell, and ten of the shackling spell.
The New Year Guardian's progress in the doorway must not be rushed, but the skills from the Year Guard Scroll must not be neglected. Hu Ma had previously set three key points for himself: physical strength, spellcasting, and warding objects.
Over the past few months, he had learned to make straw dolls, clay figures from soil and water, and paper dolls from torn paper. His skills had greatly improved, and he gradually gained insights, understanding that different mediums had different effects.
After that, he delved deeper into spellcasting, focusing on the four major spells from the Year Guard Scroll: punishment, killing, shackling, and exorcism. He had already used the punishment and killing spells before, and now he was learning the shackling spell. As for the exorcism spell, it was too profound, and learning it now would be premature.
Of course, to truly master these three spells and recite them fluently required dedicated practice.
On this day, he first practiced the Great Stone Slapper technique, then recited the punishment spell several times on his way back to the village. Upon returning, he wiped his face and hands with a hot towel and went to bed, exhausted.
Suddenly, a chill wind blew in his face, and he felt groggy. He realized he had sat up in bed, and when he focused on the dimly lit room, he saw a crying shadow kneeling before him.
Hu Ma was no longer the man he used to be; he could recite the punishment spell at any time, and his courage had grown. He wasn't afraid, but he sternly demanded, "Who are you, daring to come to my place?"
"..."
"My benefactor has become so powerful, yet he doesn't remember his old neighbors..."
The ghostly figure kneeling before the bed sobbed, "In the past, I was trapped at the bottom of a well. It was you who advised me to move, relocating me to the roadside. Thanks to you, I was finally able to keep an eye on that unfaithful lover and had the chance to seek revenge for the wrongs he had done."
"But that unfaithful lover is no longer the same. He has powerful connections now, and he takes advantage of my weakness, even summoning the Five Sorrows Deity to scatter my soul. I beg you to save my life..."
"..."
"The Five Sorrows Deity?"
Hu Ma was patiently talking to her, but when he heard this name, he was startled, and suddenly, he woke up from his dream.
He looked towards the bed, but there was nothing there.
Only the wailing voice of the vengeful spirit seemed to linger in his ears.
(End of Chapter)
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