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Chapter 321: The Meat Seller
Chapter 321: The Meat Seller
Indeed, Sweet Potato Liquor's plan was the most sensible. Since the evil aura is so powerful, wouldn't we be formidable if we manage to seize it?
Everyone understood that this time, they would have to showcase their true abilities. They were also aware that each of them possessed hidden talents, which they usually kept concealed.
After finalizing their discussion, they went over a few details and then retreated to implement their plan.
Sweet Potato Liquor had initially considered shouting some slogans, but the other three unanimously vetoed the idea.
"Five Altars of the Five Sins, Life, Wealth, Blessings, Longevity, and Fortune. Which one should I choose to ensure the smooth handling of this matter?" he muttered to himself.
With a soft sigh, Hu Ma went over his plan in his mind, then called Li Waizi to deliver a message to Seventh Auntie. He also instructed the other members to stay low-key in the village and prepared to set out alone.
At the stable, he chose the donkey he had brought back from Wutong Town instead of the horse. Seeing the horse's resentful gaze, he smiled apologetically and said, "This trip won't be dangerous, really..."
The horse turned its big head away, ignoring him.
Hu Ma smiled helplessly, then instructed a passing servant to bring back a jar of good wine. He then led the reluctant donkey out of the village.
As he left, he used the technique he had learned from Steward Zhou to change his appearance.
Twenty li away from the village, he mounted the donkey and, seeing that he now appeared as a straw-hatted, thin middle-aged man, he patted the donkey's rear, urging it forward. The donkey trotted happily along the main road, and after half a day, they had traveled fifty or sixty li.
At this point, they were very close to Old Yin Mountain.
Hu Ma had previously accompanied Mountain Lord to observe the movements of the treasure hoarders, so he was familiar with their routes. The five altars of the five sins were all located near Old Yin Mountain, but strictly speaking, they were not within the territory of Old Yin Mountain.
However, with the altars activated, they could influence Mingzhou, and if they retreated, they could directly charge towards Old Yin Mountain. The meticulousness of their choice indicated that Mountain Lord's concerns were well-founded; these people had ill intentions from the start.
As he pondered, the donkey slowed down as they approached the edge of Old Yin Mountain. The road ahead was undulating and uneven, making it difficult to move quickly. Hu Ma let the donkey set the pace, and they slowly approached a village.
This village was the same one Hu Ma had seen earlier, where the Life Sins Messenger had visited. However, a day had passed, and he wasn't sure if the messenger was still there. As dusk approached, he reached the village entrance and dismounted, pretending to rest.
After all, caution was necessary when approaching a formidable enemy.
He cautiously glanced inside the village and noticed that it wasn't large but well-organized. The ancestral hall with its green walls and the willow tree in front of it, as well as the village's ancient well, indicated its age.
Looking further into the village, he saw that the houses were all closed, with only a few oil lamps visible, creating an atmosphere of calm and silence.
But when he had followed Mountain Lord earlier, the places where the treasure hoarders had passed were filled with malevolent energy, making them unbearable to look at. Why was this village so peaceful?
Hu Ma understood the situation, but his expression remained unchanged. Leading the donkey, he slowly entered the village. With a quick glance, he noticed three or four elders sitting on the steps of the ancestral hall, looking at him warily.
This village was isolated, and outsiders rarely visited, especially at such a late hour, so their wariness was understandable.
Hu Ma, covered in dust from his journey, led the donkey and approached the eldest of the elders with a smile. "Old sir, I'm a wandering ghost walker, and it seems I won't make it to the next place before nightfall."
"I'm here to inquire if there's a place to stay in your town?"
"..."
The elders had been wary of Hu Ma since he entered the village, their expressions unfriendly towards this unfamiliar face.
But when Hu Ma introduced himself as a ghost walker, their expressions changed, and one of them stood up and bowed to him. "Are you a genuine ghost walker, sir?"
"Are there dishonest ghost walkers?" Hu Ma asked with a smile.
"I've been a ghost walker since I was young, following my grandmother. After she passed away, I continued the practice on my own. It's been thirty years. If you don't believe me, you can ask around Old Yin Mountain. My reputation as Mr. Sheepskin is known throughout the area."
"..."
The villagers were taken aback by his words, glancing at each other. Then, one of them, gathering his courage, stepped forward. "You're a real ghost walker? I'll be honest with you. Outsiders aren't allowed in our village."
"You've met us, and we're kindhearted. If you had entered without permission, you might have been beaten. But since you're a ghost walker, I'd like to ask if you can diagnose and treat malevolent spirits?"
"..."
Hu Ma feigned surprise. "I'm a ghost walker, but I don't know how to diagnose illnesses. However, treating malevolent spirits is my specialty, and I can take a look."
Hearing his honesty, the villagers whispered among themselves.
One of them said, "Zhang Daoniu's illness might be beyond the abilities of a ghost walker."
"Some say it's an evil spirit that's causing his illness. The previous ghost walker couldn't cure him, so we should give this a try."
After much deliberation, they finally managed to convince Hu Ma to head into the village. Taking the opportunity, Hu Ma also asked around discreetly.
Upon inquiring, he discovered that his previous encounter with the Mountain Lord's borrowed eyes aligned with the villagers' accounts, confirming that something had indeed happened in the village. However, it was only now, through these villagers' words, that he understood the full story.
"It's all because of Zhang Daoniu's insatiable appetite for meat that this disaster befell us..."
An elderly villager sighed, revealing the strange occurrence in the village to Hu Ma.
Zhang Daoniu, known for his brute strength, was only in his mid-twenties. Despite growing up in poverty, he was naturally endowed with a robust physique, standing tall at eight feet and possessing a thousand pounds of strength in his arms.
When it came to slaughtering pigs, a task that typically required three to five people to hold the pig down, Zhang Daoniu needed only one hand to restrain the pig while using the other to thrust the knife in, a simple yet brutal method.
Not only was he strong, but he also had a voracious appetite. His usual diet of coarse bread and wild vegetable porridge never left him satisfied. On rare occasions of celebrations or funerals, he could barely manage to eat his fill.
Once, a wealthy villager teased him by giving him a ten-pound chunk of raw meat after slaughtering a pig. Zhang Daoniu grabbed a knife and sliced off pieces, sprinkling them with coarse salt before devouring them like a ravenous beast.
Still not satiated, he gulped down two bowls of pig blood soup to fill the gaps!
The villagers all agreed that with his strength and appetite, Zhang Daoniu was born to be a soldier, fighting on the battlefield and never going hungry.
Ironically, the person affected by the village's misfortune was none other than this very brute.
The incident had occurred three or four days ago when a meat seller arrived in town, pushing a single-wheeled cart covered with dirty cloth.
Upon entering the village, he began banging a gong, attracting the villagers' attention. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he unveiled the cloth.
To everyone's surprise, the cart was filled with fresh, tender, and vibrant red meat. According to the seller, there was venison, pork, lamb, beef, and even mutton.
Regardless of the type of meat, it was a mere copper coin per pound, an unbelievably low price.
The villagers weren't fools; they suspected something was amiss but hesitated to buy. The seller didn't pressure them, merely shouting out his wares under a willow tree. Most villagers resisted, but the brute couldn't help but be drawn in.
He was naturally a glutton for meat, yet he rarely got to indulge. Once, when a neighbor's chicken drowned in a cesspool and was half-rotten by the time it was discovered, he still retrieved and cleaned it before eating it.
How could he resist the sight of those juicy, red, and tempting pieces of meat on the cart?
Despite his financial constraints, he managed to scrounge up two copper coins, bought two pounds of meat, and hurried home to cook it.
But his gluttony got the better of him, and as he cut the meat, he couldn't resist popping two pieces into his mouth.
The taste was so exquisite that he couldn't wait for the pot to finish cooking. He devoured the entire batch, leaving nothing behind. In his haste, he rummaged through the house, finding a small amount of rice, which he took with him as he rushed out of the village in pursuit of the meat seller. He managed to trade it for another twenty pounds of meat.
As the meat simmered in the pot, the aroma that wafted through the village was almost torturous, making it hard for the villagers to resist.
Some hurried to find the meat seller, but he had already left without a trace. The villagers had no choice but to endure, but the tantalizing scent of meat lingered in the air, keeping them awake all night.
Finally, someone's self-control snapped, and they knocked on the brute's door, hoping to beg for a piece of meat.
However, upon entering the brute's home, they discovered that the meat he had bought was long gone, and even the broth from cooking it had been consumed. But where was the enticing aroma coming from?
"And then?"
Intrigued, Hu Ma asked after hearing the villagers' story.
"Then..."
The guiding elder sighed and said, "You'll see for yourself if you come in and take a look."
As he spoke, he pointed to a nearby dilapidated house with a broken door and said, "This is Zhang Daoniu's home. Care to take a look inside?"
Seeing that Hu Ma seemed hesitant to enter, he smiled and said, "Sure."
Lifting the front of his robe, he pushed open the broken wooden door and stepped inside. As soon as he opened the door, the villagers who had led him there quickly retreated a few steps, as if afraid of something within.
They stood outside, one foot propped up, calling into the house, "Zhang Daoniu, come out and greet us! We've brought a ghost walker to save your life..."
"Creak..."
As Hu Ma entered the courtyard, the main hall door opened, and out came a slender, frail woman, barely recognizable as such. By her side was a child, clinging to her leg in fear, hiding behind her as they observed Hu Ma.
Hu Ma looked at her, his brows furrowing slightly, but then he smiled gently and said, "I'm a passing ghost walker. I heard there was trouble here, so I came to take a look and see if I can help."
(End of Chapter)
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