Chapter 318: The Greatest Intelligence in Mingzhou Prefecture (Third Watch)
Chapter 318: The Greatest Intelligence in Mingzhou Prefecture (Third Watch)
"What more is there to say? What's there to say..."
White Wine Miss' authority was still present, and after saying this, Brother Erguotou didn't really leave, but his voice was filled with helplessness and annoyance, "That's the Five Sorrows Deity, brothers and sisters..."
"The ones under the Five Sorrows Deity, they're called Treasure Hoarders, I think they're his Incense Burners, right?"
"Hoarding treasure and creating evil, that's indeed their style... But Brother Lao Bai Gan, is this big project you're so excited about really aimed at dealing with them?"
"..."
"Yeah..."
Hu Ma calmly said, "They're outsiders, fat sheep, and they're here to rid the people of harm. The key point is that there's no need to worry about future troubles..."
At least these few elements were not problematic.
"So it's called having no worries?"
Brother Erguotou's voice suddenly rose by eight degrees, "The Five Sorrows Deity itself is a future worry, right? Do you really understand him, brother?"
"I don't understand him that well."
Hu Ma thought for a moment and smiled, "It's just like we discussed before..."
"Stop."
Erguotou said, "Our discussion wasn't serious, it was just idle chatter, like boasting while drinking. Moreover, even if we wanted to turn that idle talk into reality, I thought it would take a few years. Who would've thought you'd be so eager to take on this task..."
"You probably don't know how troublesome this Five Sorrows Deity is, right?"
"..."
Hearing this, Hu Ma became more serious and said, "I know he's a Hall Master, and Hall Masters are even more troublesome than Common Demons. The places they're worshipped are worse than ghost nests."
"Exactly..."
Even Sweet Potato Burn couldn't help but interject, "What's so great about the Five Sorrows Deity? I've heard that our RedLanternLady is more famous..."
"Can this be compared like that?"
Erguotou's voice carried a hint of powerless groaning as he sighed, "In Mingzhou Prefecture, his fame is indeed not as great as our RedLanternLady. But do you know the reason?"
"RedLanternLady is famous because she's been here all along, doing the blood feast business, and she's familiar with all sorts of Martial World people, merchants, and even the people in the villages and towns under her control."
"But with her small body, she can only stay in Mingzhou City, and at most, she can influence the seventeen villages under her lantern. Even the scattered Blood Feast Mines rarely see her."
"But what about after she becomes a Hall Master?"
"Once they're enshrined, they have the power to build temples and enjoy incense offerings. They travel around to receive worship, and with true spirit, they can transform into countless forms. They won't shrink into a small area to conduct blood feasts because they already enjoy the incense offerings of countless places..."
"With a commission, they become malevolent spirits, and this is the fundamental difference between them and Hall Masters..."
"..."
"Huh?"
Hearing Erguotou's serious tone, Sweet Potato Burn also became solemn, and with a hint of fear, she said, "Are Hall Masters more powerful than RedLanternLady?"
"That's not necessarily the case..."
Her words made Erguotou's emotions a bit incoherent, and he said, "Malevolent Spirit Hall Masters are not of the same caliber. They don't rely on brute force to determine their strength."
"Hall Masters are indeed powerful, but among the Common Demons, there are also some special malevolent spirits, or those with heavy malevolent energy, or those with extraordinary opportunities, or those residing in evil places, possessing astonishing power and malevolent energy. In a real contest, even Hall Masters would retreat three steps."
"Of course, there's also the logic that the shoed fear the barefoot. How many Hall Masters are willing to risk their lives?"
"But since they're Hall Masters, they must have a background. They were either once enshrined by the court or worshipped by the common people and later recognized by the court."
"Of course, many of them were also enshrined by the ten surnames."
"Each Hall Master has their own background. Some protect a region, some have meritorious deeds, and some can ensure good weather for a place. They may not all be skilled in disaster-fighting or spellcasting, but they're definitely not to be trifled with."
"Everyone in the Martial World knows not to provoke those with official status. If we, as reincarnators, go against Hall Masters, aren't we crazy?"
"..."
These words made even the previously excited Sweet Potato Burn silent.
White Wine Miss, who had been silent, slowly spoke, "I have to say, Brother Erguotou's concerns are valid."
"If it's just a few Treasure Hoarders, they're not hard to deal with."
"In essence, they're Incense Burners. When their master is a malevolent spirit, they become Incense Burners. When their master gains incense offerings, they transform into the temple's Incense Burners. But ultimately, they're all servants of their master."
"Dealing with them isn't difficult, and even their master, the Five Sorrows Deity, though troublesome, isn't something we should fear to this extent..."
"It's just the rules and taboos represented by the Five Sorrows Deity behind them, hehe..."
"..."
As she spoke these words, Hu Ma knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for all night had arrived.
"I understand Brother Erguotou's concerns..."
Taking a deep breath, he slowly said, "I've also considered the risks of this matter, but I'm more aware of the rarity of opportunities. We reincarnators aren't afraid of progress; we're just worried about attracting trouble."
"However, as one's abilities grow, each step forward becomes increasingly challenging. Even the smallest object can trip you up. Just like how White Wine Miss currently needs something, I know what it is."
"I also know what Second Pot Head needs right now..."
"..."
At this point, he paused slightly, and Sweet Potato Liquor's anticipation rose, "What about me?"
Hu Ma skipped over her and said, "It's precisely because I know how difficult it is to obtain these two things that when I came across this opportunity, I couldn't help but share it with you two."
"The Five Sorrows Deity is a Hall Master, and his notorious reputation is well-known. But now, it's the best time to get rid of him, and there's no risk involved."
"..."
The word 'no risk' was spoken with such certainty that it left no room for doubt.
This statement immediately puzzled everyone present, and after a long silence, White Wine Miss was the first to speak up, "Why do you say that?"
"Because I have some information."
Hu Ma replied nonchalantly, "But to reveal this information, I'd have to disclose some secrets."
"For reincarnators, these secrets may not be something that can be repaid with a simple favor. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"..."
After speaking, he paused briefly, waiting for the others to leave.
He had seen Second Pot Head do this before; by sharing an inside scoop, he was doing a big favor to the others. He could share the information, but whether they wanted to accept the favor was up to them.
Of course, no one left.
Even White Wine Miss and Second Pot Head were slightly tense, waiting for Hu Ma's answer.
Sweet Potato Liquor didn't dare make a sound, afraid that Old Bai Gan would kick her out for not being up to par...
Hu Ma took a deep breath and said, "Previously, when the Green Robe Brotherhood caused trouble, someone from the Meng family came, but they were killed by a Nobleman in Mingzhou Prefecture, and the Meng family was driven away."
"The entire Mingzhou Prefecture wants to know who this person is, including us reincarnators, but no one dares to investigate."
"..."
"Whoosh!"
Upon hearing this, the three people in the room breathed a little heavier, and the atmosphere became somewhat oppressive. Hu Ma didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "But I, by chance, happen to know who this person is."
"You..."
White Wine Miss couldn't hold back and asked, "Do you know who it is?"
"Yes."
Hu Ma's voice had never been so certain. He spoke in a low tone, "That Nobleman... is me."
"Ah?"
Several short exclamations of surprise echoed around the Life Spirit Temple.
But Hu Ma suddenly continued, his voice heavy with indescribable solemnity and seriousness, "The people in Old Yin Mountain Village worship him every year, and he protects them and keeps away malevolent spirits."
"Or perhaps I should say, I'm not even sure if he's an old man. He's used to sitting on a tree stump, surrounded by incense energy, with a face that's hard to make out. He has great abilities but doesn't seek attention."
"...Oh, and he loves feasts!"
"..."
"This..."
The Life Spirit Temple fell silent, as if everyone needed time to process this shocking news.
Hu Ma sighed deeply and said, "I learned this information by chance, but I'm certain of it. I was born in Great Sheep Village and had contact with the outside world, but I also had access to things that others couldn't."
"This Mountain Lord is one of them. When I was young, I even bowed to him with my grandmother!"
"During the Green Robe Brotherhood's disturbance, because my village is close to Old Yin Mountain, I got involved and helped the commoners. I didn't expect to catch his attention."
"This time, when I returned to the village for the New Year, he appeared before me, praised my work, and even gave me some blessings and guidance. It was then that I finally confirmed that the Nobleman who killed the Green Robe Brotherhood was him..."
"..."
After speaking so much, Hu Ma finally relaxed and said, "Oh, and there's one more piece of news I'll share with you for free..."
"Recently, Mingzhou Prefecture gained a new Little Hall Official..."
"...He casually granted the title!"
"Right next to our village, there was a nest of Yellow Immortals. Their cultivation was limited, but during the Green Robe Brotherhood's disturbance, they helped the villagers. This caught the attention of the old man."
"What happened then?"
"The Yellow Immortals were summoned to Old Yin Mountain to meet him. Now, they've transformed and are no longer the same."
"Not long ago, I witnessed the Third Disciple from Plum Alley going to our village to take care of some business. They prepared blood feast and altar just to deal with a rootless malevolent spirit. Guess what happened?"
"The Yellow Immortal, also known as Seventh Auntie, spoke a few words, and they all ran away scared. Our village reaped the benefits!"
(End of Chapter)
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