Chapter 408: The Stone Weigher Weighs the World
Chapter 408: The Stone Weigher Weighs the World
"Shadow General, the one who summons the Shadow Troops?"
Mr. Abacus' words sent a shiver down Hu Ma's spine, and he felt a chill as he pondered the implications.
Mr. Abacus, on the other hand, was furious and stomped his feet. Suddenly realizing something, he exclaimed, "Never mind him for now! Quick, go inside the mineral vein and see if there's anything else in there!"
"Anything else?"
The people around, still recovering from the recent panic, wiped the blood from their faces. They all looked at each other, their faces bloodied, and it was clear they were terrified, gasping for breath.
Hu Ma, however, remained relatively calm. As Mr. Abacus spoke, he had already reached the entrance of the mine, peering inside with a peculiar expression.
Just moments ago, the mineral vein had been filled with an eerie and bizarre atmosphere. But after that creature rushed out, the cave no longer held the strange bloody scent. Instead, it resembled an ordinary mine.
Strangely enough, when the bloody smell was present, it made one's heart race with fear. But now that the bloody creature had emerged, looking at the mine no longer induced the same level of anxiety.
Hu Ma didn't waste any more time. He lit a torch and, with a hunch, entered the mine. The crowd held their breath as he slowly made his way inside.
The flickering torchlight illuminated both sides of the stone walls.
Hu Ma was from Great Sheep Village, where there were many meat-carving craftsmen. However, this was his first time entering such a mine. He observed that the walls were made of stone, and within the crevices, there were peculiar blood-stained patterns.
First, there was white, then blue, and as he ventured deeper, he was surprised to find red—all connected to the stone walls like soil in the crevices. The surface bore numerous marks of being harvested.
This was how the meat-carvers worked, carefully cutting and harvesting the Heavenly Guardian's flesh and blood, then transporting it outside.
Hu Ma was filled with awe, but as he continued deeper, he gradually noticed that with the increasing presence of red, the surroundings turned crimson. The walls seemed to have crystallized, resembling dried-up flesh and blood.
Deeper inside, he could see faint golden veins—the Golden Vein Heavenly Guardian. This confirmed that Zhuang Erchang had not lied about this.
These were all valuable treasures...
However, he knew he hadn't reached the most crucial part yet, so he forced himself to remain patient. He slowly approached the depths, feeling he had ventured about ten zhang deep. Finally, the torchlight seemed to be obstructed, and upon closer inspection, a black, tar-like object appeared ahead.
The faint golden lines on the walls became denser as they extended inward, but they converged on this dark, round object. It was covered in black material, and within, cold golden threads and bloody rays could be seen.
"Is this the Skeleton Head they mentioned?"
Hu Ma's heart sank as he focused his gaze. The object seemed neither bone nor stone, and it was connected to the surrounding remnants of flesh and blood.
If not for the knowledge of its peculiar nature and the presence of golden threads, blood, and flesh, it would have resembled an ordinary stone found during mining.
Taking a few deep breaths, he summoned his courage and extended his hand, which transformed into a skeletal hand, to push the object.
Despite using the strength of a Year-End Guardian, the object didn't budge.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he stuck the torch on one side and took out a jagged blade. He cut around the object, severing its connection to the surrounding flesh and blood, detaching it from the cave wall.
He then emerged from the cave and called for several sturdy ropes. He wrapped them around the object and secured them tightly. Then, he re-entered the cave and wound the ropes around the stone several times before pulling the other end out.
"Come and help! Pull out what's inside and take a look. Also, bring over the few livestock from the mine."
At his command, everyone sprang into action. Some moved a large wooden frame, while others went to the back of the valley to retrieve the livestock from the southeast corner of the shed.
Fortunately, the shed was located in a remote area, sparing the livestock from being bitten by the venomous bugs during the chaos.
The ropes were wound around the wooden frame, and the livestock was harnessed. The meat-carvers, skilled in handling livestock, cracked their whips, and the four mules exerted their strength. The ropes tightened, but despite their efforts, the mules' hooves slipped, and they couldn't pull the object.
More ropes were brought, and positions were adjusted. The two remaining horses in the valley and the donkey led by Hu Ma were also harnessed.
No one paid attention to the dying Horse Master, as he appeared to be on his last legs.
With all the livestock harnessed and everyone pulling with all their might, even the wooden frame used as a pulley creaked and groaned under the strain. Yet, the object inside showed no signs of budging.
Hu Ma furrowed his brows at the sight, and Zhou Datong, standing nearby, quickly joined in to help. He, too, grabbed the rope.
With one final surge of strength, Hu Ma shouted, "Out!"
Finally, with the addition of Hu Ma, a Year-End Guardian, the object inside the mine was pulled out. However, due to the sudden force, the livestock stumbled and fell in a heap, several of them seemingly injured.
In the Blood Meat Mine, they found some black oil ointment to treat the livestock's injuries, but it would only be effective if applied externally, rendering the animal useless.
"What is this?"
Finally, they managed to pull out the object from within. The miners and Da Tong, along with the others, were equally curious and gathered around to examine it, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Now outside, with ample light, Hu Ma could clearly see the object's appearance. It stood about four to five feet tall, pitch-black, and surprisingly, it had an irregular round hole at the top.
The surface, which once had golden patterns, now appeared dull and darkened after being dragged outside. Its entire body was covered in a black, tar-like substance, resembling iron but without any discernible special features.
"Yes, yes..."
The others, however, remained puzzled. The old abacus, who had already squeezed his way forward, was eagerly examining it, touching and tapping it. After a long while, he let out a low sigh, appearing somewhat disappointed.
"It's not a Skeleton Head, it's a stone weight. This thing was used to suppress what was inside..."
"..."
Not only did the people around him fail to understand, but Hu Ma also gave him a slightly odd look. "You call this thing a stone weight?"
"Yes."
The old abacus waved his hand dismissively, his expression turning somewhat disinterested. He spoke in a low voice, "This was a peculiar object created during the Great Sacrifice in the capital. It was said to be used for weighing the world."
"Weighing the world? How does that work?"
Hu Ma furrowed his brows as he listened. He reached out and pushed it, "Just with this thing?"
Inside, when he had pushed it, it felt immovable. But now, outside, it seemed to have lost some of its weight. Although it was still heavy, it wasn't as unyielding as before.
"It's just a story. How can you take it seriously?"
The old abacus sighed, "I believe there must have been a master who intended to use this to suppress something. Think about it, if it can weigh the world, then this stone weight must have a weight that can compete with the world. How heavy must it be?"
"It's precisely because of this weight that it can suppress some extremely sinister things..."
"..."
Hu Ma's brows knitted together as he listened. "You mean the Shadow General?"
"Yes."
The old abacus whispered, "That thing was used in battles, and it's incredibly sinister!"
"Wherever it passes, all living beings die and turn into Shadow Troops, following it into battle. No matter how powerful a living person is, how can they withstand the existence of such a sinister entity?"
"It is also said that when the ruler of the world emerges, the Shadow General will assist, commanding the Shadow Troops to help them conquer the world."
"Similarly, the emergence of the Shadow General signifies the beginning of chaos in the world. However, the thing in our mine seems to have been dug up, and it hasn't fully formed, so it might not count."
"..."
"Commanding Shadow Troops and leading them into battle?"
Hu Ma was startled by his words, struggling to imagine a scenario where such a monster led countless Shadow Troops into battle. He suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the powers within the world and its various schools of skill.
"However..."
The old abacus' thoughts made him frown even more. Suddenly, he looked at Hu Ma with suspicion and asked, "Is there only the stone weight inside?"
"Logically, if there's a stone weight and the Shadow General has formed, there should also be a general's seal. The Ancestor said that these things would be kept together..."
The more he spoke, the more doubtful he became. Suddenly, he patted Hu Ma's sleeve, "Is it on you?"
"What nonsense?"
Hu Ma was slightly annoyed and shook his sleeves, "I don't have time for this useless thing. Even if I had it, I wouldn't recognize it. If you don't believe me, go back inside and check for yourself."
The old abacus could tell that Hu Ma wasn't hiding anything, and he also knew that this object was probably not something a Blood Xiu Guardian could conceal. He chuckled twice, "Why are you getting annoyed? I was just asking..."
But as he spoke, he actually summoned the courage to take a torch and explore the mine. He returned with a sullen expression.
Hu Ma had already seen that the mine was completely empty.
"Why are you so disappointed?"
Hu Ma patted the stone weight in front of him, "This thing, which is supposedly used to weigh the world, can't it be considered a treasure?"
"It's useless. The general's seal that controls the Shadow General is the valuable thing..."
The old abacus listened with disdain, "It seems there's not even a trace of it. Could the Ancestor have miscalculated? That old man will never enjoy the three sacrificial animals in his lifetime..."
Hu Ma watched him with regret but remained silent, standing aside deep in thought.
Just then, the flesh carvers nearby noticed that only the stone weight had been dragged out. They dispersed, and someone discovered an unusual condition on the surface of several nearby mineral veins. They exclaimed in surprise, "Why has the flesh mine dried up here?"
The old abacus suddenly froze, then slapped his thigh hard, "Damn it, Zhuang Erchang!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
