https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-404-Let-Him-Continue-His-Madness/12918712/
Chapter 405: Inherited Friendship
Chapter 405: Inherited Friendship
"Eh?"
As Mr. Sun was apologizing to the red lanterns on the pagoda gate, he saw Hu Ma and his men approaching. Startled, his face filled with vigilance.
He wasn't afraid of Hu Ma. After entering the valley, he had only shouted a few times, and he hadn't really taken action. His skills remained untested, and he was confident in his abilities against anyone.
But he was afraid of the Red Lantern.
He had heard of Lady Red Lantern before, but since they weren't from the same state, he didn't have much interaction with her. No matter how others praised her, he didn't take it seriously, thinking that she was just a small deity who had defeated the Green Robed Evil Ghost and built a temple.
As for the Year-End Guardian, that was the Year-End Lord, and one should naturally respect such a guardian of evil spirits, but there was no need to bow and scrape.
But now, things were different. He had personally witnessed Lady Red Lantern's methods. With just a strand of her mystic power, she could drive away the Lotus Mother and severely injure the evil deity of the shaman village. What kind of power was this?
If the manager of the Red Lantern Society took this opportunity to borrow Lady Red Lantern's power to make things difficult for him, he would be in deep trouble.
"There's no need to panic, old man."
Hu Ma glanced at him and said indifferently, "Our Lady Red Lantern isn't unreasonable. She just hates it when people don't follow the rules. Earlier, you all barged into our mine without any warning, causing trouble. It's only right that you suffered a loss."
"But now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, and we're all from the Year-End Guardian lineage, why be unreasonable?"
"..."
Hu Ma spoke politely, and his manners were impeccable. Mr. Sun slightly relaxed and carefully examined Hu Ma, saying, "You're quite something, young man. I heard your master is Mr. Zhou from Old Yin Mountain?"
"How skilled must your master be to have taught a disciple like you... What do you call yourself?"
"..."
Hearing his words, Hu Ma smiled and nodded, "My surname is Hu, and I'm the manager of the Red Lantern Society."
"Your name isn't important. We're just here to handle matters for the Lady. If you're not satisfied, feel free to come to Mingzhou and find us. Our Red Lantern Society has many capable people who can accommodate you."
"..."
"Hey, what's this talk about being satisfied or not?"
Iron Bridge Sun San suddenly laughed and shook his head, "This is a matter within the sect, not a personal grudge. Little Hu, I appreciate your face-saving today. I'll return the favor in the future."
Hu Ma smiled, "You're too kind, sir. If there's an opportunity in the future, I'd be happy to learn from you."
Mr. Sun finally relaxed at this point and turned to check on the injuries of those who had accompanied him. However, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
The Dharma King of the One Coin Sect, whose Dharmic body had been forcibly suppressed by the Lotus Mother, had lost too much vital energy and was now white-haired and frail, appearing to have aged twenty years. Even if he was saved, he might not have many years left to live.
As for his disciples and grandchildren, except for Zhuang Erchang, who had a deeper cultivation, the others had been stung by the venom bees and were covered in holes, already dead beyond recognition.
This trip had been a significant loss, but most of their resentment was directed at the shamans. They couldn't bring themselves to blame the Blood Feast Guild manager, who was polite and respectful to his elders.
Grabbing the half-dead Dharma King, who had lost his mystic powers, and lifting up the unconscious Zhuang Erchang, he turned and headed out of the valley.
Hu Ma was surprised by his decisiveness and said, "Old man, Zhuang needs to recover before returning to settle the accounts for this mine. Our Lady will ask about it later, and I'll need to report to the higher-ups..."
"..."
"Understood!"
Mr. Sun didn't turn back and muttered, "If he doesn't come, I'll break one of his legs!"
"Hey, you're leaving just like that?"
Seeing Mr. Sun's swift departure, everyone in the area looked at each other in disbelief.
"Sect matters are sect matters, and there are friendships within the inheritance."
Hu Ma shook his head, "He came to seize the Skeleton Head for the One Coin Sect, and we wanted to protect the treasure for Lady Red Lantern. These are official matters; there's no personal grudge."
In truth, he also felt relieved. If they were to discuss it, the person he feared the most was the Year-End Guardian. He seemed to have used some kind of signature skill of the Year-End Guardian level, and his entire body was enveloped in a chilling malevolent aura, with a fierce and intimidating appearance.
However, he hadn't found his place, unsure whether to take the lead or follow from behind. He didn't know the details and was intimidated by Lady Red Lantern's mystic power, so he didn't dare to use his true skills to fight.
In fact, if he had gone crazy and used this borrowed power to kill and cause chaos in the mine, it would have been a headache for anyone.
As he thought this, he waved his hand and turned to look at the mineral vein wrapped in crimson cloth, his gaze still sharp. He asked the old abacus beside him, "Old brother, what's the situation with that mineral vein?"
"You're not going to pretend you know everything?"
"..."
"Me?
The old abacus-wielder was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself that he still had many questions to ask. How did you withstand the strike from that dignified ascended guardian? How did you force the possessed esteemed guest out with a single strike, even scaring them away?
But sensing the urgency in Hu Ma, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise, quickly saying, "In my long life, I've witnessed many things, but how can I explain this situation..."
"I only know that these sorcerers don't worship a true shaman god. A true shaman god is one who has received an official seal. This group, because of their involvement in the Capital Great Altar incident years ago, faced punishment and were exiled by their original tribe, which is why they ended up here."
"A true shaman god, one with an official seal, wouldn't bless those who have committed crimes..."
"..."
"Another tribe affected by the Capital Great Altar incident? Their situation seems similar to that of the Cave Li Family..."
Hu Ma's heart stirred slightly as he quietly pondered, slowly saying, "If the shaman god doesn't bless them, then what are they devoutly worshipping?"
After the confrontation, he also felt that the summoned entity seemed different from the malevolent spirits and esteemed guests he had encountered before, with an indescribable strangeness.
"Perhaps it's some kind of malevolent spirit that took advantage of their tribe's disarray and pretended to be a shaman god, deceiving them to gain offerings and incense..."
The old abacus-wielder also hesitated, speaking slowly, then suddenly exclaimed in shock, "Or maybe, it's just because the Dark Empyrean consumed too much and went mad, creating some unknown entity..."
Listening to the old abacus-wielder's doubtful words, Hu Ma also suddenly seemed to realize something. He pondered: The summoned entity wasn't a shaman god, but rather a figment of the imagination of these sorcerers who had consumed the blood and flesh of the Empyrean...
But if it was just a figment of their imagination, it shouldn't have had a will of its own, let alone a clear purpose beyond the scope of the sorcerers' prayers!
However, the entity outside clearly had a will and a definite intention to borrow something from the mineral vein to come to the mortal realm...
Where did this will come from...
His heart skipped a beat as he realized, "Could this will belong to the Empyrean Lord?"
Thinking of this question and recalling the chaotic information that flooded his mind when he absorbed the Dark Empyrean's blood energy, Hu Ma took a deep breath, sensing a terrifying issue.
'Did I just fight against the Empyrean Lord?'
'...'
"These things are too difficult to guess..."
While Hu Ma was deep in thought, the old abacus-wielder sighed softly and said, "The more powerful the esteemed guest, the more they dislike the blood feast mine, or perhaps... they instinctively fear it."
"Even our Red Lantern Society's Lady Red Lantern is reluctant to be invited to the blood feast mine. What more can be said about those more powerful than her?"
"But there are some blood feasts that they can't do without. Moreover, these feasts can invisibly create more powerful malevolent spirits. Some even have an irresistible allure for them..."
"..."
"Attracted yet instinctively afraid?"
Hu Ma grasped the key point in the old abacus-wielder's words and looked intently at the mineral vein, sealed off by red cloth. He spoke softly, "So, what is it that they're all fighting over? Something called a Skeleton Head, but what exactly is it?"
"That's what I find strange..."
The old abacus-wielder paused, then spoke in a low voice, "What they said seems different from what I know. If this is indeed related to what the people from the Capital were fighting over more than twenty years ago, how could it appear here?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing the old abacus-wielder's words, Hu Ma was also taken aback and turned to look at him.
The Capital Great Altar... I had heard about it from the Cave Li Family before. But wasn't that altar established to uncover the origins of the Empyrean Lord? Later, I also heard from Senior Lord of the Mountains that the altar was related to the previous generation's reincarnate, the Great Sage Master...
Now, there's also something in the mineral vein?
Considering the old abacus-wielder's usual unreliability, Hu Ma's gaze couldn't help but show skepticism, causing the old abacus-wielder to panic and say, "Don't look at me like that. I can't guarantee anything. I'm just telling you what I've heard from others."
Hu Ma asked, "Why haven't others heard of this, but you have?"
His doubt was evident in his words.
Hearing this, the old abacus-wielder glared at him, "Do you know what I did before becoming a devotee in the Red Lantern Society?"
"To make a living, I used to be a storyteller on the streets. If I didn't listen to these strange tales and gossip, how could I have earned tips from the tea-drinking patrons?"
"Damn..."
Hu Ma, who had been suspicious of the old abacus-wielder, was now stunned, "His answer is surprisingly reasonable..."
He sighed softly, seeing that everyone was looking at him. The mineral vein, no matter how much they discussed it, wouldn't change anything...
So, he took a bold step and said, "Datong, go get a shovel!"
(End of Chapter)
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