https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-411-The-Three-Tiered-Mansion-Gate/12918719/
Chapter 410: The General's Seal
Chapter 410: The General's Seal
I was just an innocent and pitiful little shopkeeper, managing the drilling operations. It was no easy feat to secure a job at the mine from Xu Xiangzhu, hoping to make a small fortune.
But before I could even settle in, all hell broke loose with the One Coin Sect and the sorcerers causing chaos. Through all the risks and efforts, how much had I endured to help Lady Red Lantern secure the Blood Meat Mine?
Feeling aggrieved, I couldn't focus on anything else.
As these thoughts ran through my mind, Hu Ma decided to put aside the mine's affairs for now. He carried Little Hong Tang back to his room and instructed her not to wander off again, asking her to keep watch at the door. Then, he sat cross-legged on his bed.
The mysterious vein, the stone weigher that weighed the heavens, the eerie Shadow General, and the lost general's seal were all astonishing discoveries. However, for Hu Ma at this moment, they had to take a back seat.
Since entering the mansion and experiencing the autonomous departure of his divine soul, enjoying the blood of the Dark Empyrean, and now discovering that even the things within the secret divine vein were amiss, he couldn't describe the apprehension in his heart.
Eager to enter the Life Spirit Temple and investigate thoroughly, he put aside other matters for now.
After securing the door, he first checked on Wu Ya's condition, which slightly relieved him. Wu Ya's state seemed better than he had anticipated.
Focusing his mind, he realized that this was also related to the Shadow General. The semi-finished product had left the vein and immediately absorbed a large amount of blood essence. Even Wu Ya, within this range, had some of the Dark Empyrean's power drawn away.
Of course, it was minuscule, and Wu Ya's condition was still terrible. He could only wait until he was more confident before helping her heal. For now, maintaining such a stable condition was already ideal.
Calming his mind and settling his qi, Hu Ma entered the Life Spirit Temple. He gazed at the incense burner with a golden meridian statue behind it and couldn't help but sigh softly.
Ever since experiencing that illusion, his heart seemed to carry a shadow, as if the statue were silently observing him.
He silently stared at the life-bound statue and suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Who exactly are you?"
There was no response from the silent statue, outlined by golden threads, sitting in meditation. Hu Ma felt like he was talking to himself in a mirror.
Could it be that he was overthinking things?
Although he found this idea ridiculous, Hu Ma couldn't help but consider it. After all, it was common knowledge that consuming the blood of the Dark Empyrean could drive one insane, like this sorcerer who had eaten so much that he created a Shaman God.
Having consumed the blood himself, it was only natural to experience some mysterious perceptions.
But to believe that everything he had heard, perceived, and even the conversation with the Shadow General were all illusions? That was impossible.
'I must admit, there is definitely a problem. Because, strictly speaking in terms of timing, my divine soul exhibited abnormalities first, and then I came into contact with the blood of the Dark Empyrean...'
Hu Ma tried to calm himself, thinking, 'Since there's a problem, I need to consider when it occurred and why it happened.'
It couldn't have been a mere coincidence that it landed on him. If this thing appeared, there must be a reason or a hidden motive. If it was hidden within him, there must be a purpose. What was it after?
As he pondered this, Hu Ma's heart suddenly raced, "The Evil-Suppressing Office?"
Of course, it had to be the Evil-Suppressing Office. What else could it be, other than Little Hong Tang? As a member of the Hu Clan, he would inevitably come into contact with the Seasonal Guardian Scroll, the Hu Clan's heirloom, and the Evil-Suppressing Office. This wasn't a secret; anyone familiar with the Hu Clan could make this judgment.
He even thought of more. When he borrowed the heirloom and reopened the Evil-Suppressing Office, he had also undergone a surge of chilling malevolent aura, as if countless cold and indifferent eyes were watching him. Did that also mean the Evil-Suppressing Office was observing him?
The Evil-Suppressing Office had observed him, confirmed his identity as a descendant of the Hu Clan, and then reopened, granting him the authority to command its ghostly forces.
However, although the Evil-Suppressing Office was stern, it wasn't a living entity. Could it be that it had been deceived by something?
If he had taken the Hu Clan's heirloom and truly inherited the Evil-Suppressing Office under these circumstances, would something hidden within his body suddenly appear and try to seize control of the office's authority?
...
...
The more Hu Ma thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
Considering his situation, the only thing that could make someone so attentive was the Evil-Suppressing Office...
So, who had the audacity to orchestrate such a scheme, and most importantly, how had he remained completely unaware until this recent entry into the mansion, only to be suddenly surprised?
Whoever could plot something like the Evil-Suppressing Office must be of the same caliber as the Ten Surnames. Therefore, the most suspicious person was...
...the Meng Clan?
As he considered this possibility, Hu Ma suddenly confirmed an issue. He was certain that if there were any abnormalities within his body, tracing the root would lead to an event that occurred before he truly arrived in this world.
The Year-End Guardian's path involved cultivating his body, transitioning from life to death and back to life, all under his control. Therefore, shortly after his reincarnation, Hu Ma, who had begun the Year-End Guardian's cultivation, confirmed that he hadn't experienced any secret intrusions.
So, this happened to my predecessor? But as far as Hu Ma knew, his predecessor had always stayed in Dayang Village, by his grandmother's side. If something had invaded him, how could his grandmother not have noticed?
...That's not right either!
There was at least a period when his predecessor was completely out of his grandmother's control. It was when the Meng family sent a ghost to abduct him. For three whole days, he was in the hands of the Meng family's ghost.
Furthermore, after his predecessor was found and brought back, his grandmother tried to save him through soul summoning, but instead, she summoned me. Her attention shifted entirely to my unfamiliar divine soul.
Could it be that the Meng family did something to my predecessor during that time, and it was my behavior that deceived my grandmother?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Was the Meng family's intention merely to ensure the Hu family line ended? Ending the lineage would have been too easy. Why didn't they just destroy my body directly instead of leaving an opportunity for my grandmother to summon my soul? The Meng family was hostile to the Hu family, and they fought to the death. How could they not know the skills my grandmother excelled at?
Thinking along these lines, Hu Ma felt increasingly unsettled. However, these were all just speculations, and many questions remained unanswered, leaving him confused for the moment.
For instance, the words he heard in this Life Spirit Temple—they sounded so much like the words of a reincarnate.
"Heaven's Dead, Yellow Heaven Ascends.
The Year of the Rat, Great Fortune for the World!"
These were not auspicious words, especially in this world.
Another question was why the contents of this divine soul revealed themselves at the critical moment of my ascension to the mansion. Was it because the things in this vein were too tempting, and they couldn't resist?
"Huff..."
There were many more questions he couldn't comprehend, but Hu Ma was already too exhausted to think further. Some things were simple and obvious.
He had a vague idea of their purpose, and his heart was already disturbed.
His emotions were in turmoil, and he suddenly stood up, slowly approaching the incense table. The massive Life Soul Statue loomed behind the table, towering in the darkness, as if it were incredibly tall, exuding a subtle sense of oppression over him.
"Are you really hiding here?"
Hu Ma muttered to himself, inching closer, attempting to bypass the incense table for the first time. He slowly approached the Life Soul Statue, reaching out as if to touch it.
The surroundings seemed to grow quieter the closer he got, accompanied by a chilling tremor.
"Clang!"
Just as he reached the side of the incense table, Hu Ma's foot kicked something, creating a crisp sound that echoed through the Life Spirit Temple, startling him. His steps came to an abrupt halt.
After a moment of silence, Hu Ma slowly crouched down, feeling around until he found a hard object, which he grasped in his hand.
He stood up slowly, looking at the object in his hand. Layers of dark red mist seemed to dissipate from his hand, and he saw clearly what he was holding—a blackened token, seemingly still clinging to fragments of flesh and blood.
Hu Ma suddenly felt relieved, a bizarre feeling arising within him as he realized what it was:
"General's Seal!"
"..."
The same object that was sealed with the stone weigher in the vein, capable of commanding the Shadow General, had indeed been taken out by me, and it had even made its way to the Life Spirit Temple without my knowledge.
This thing could drive countless malevolent spirits crazy and was related to the source of chaos in this world. How did it end up in my hands? What was "I" thinking?
What trouble could the Shadow General, who had escaped from the vein, cause?
Holding the dark, rusted-looking token in his hand, Hu Ma knew it was a rare treasure, but he felt no joy. Instead, he looked at the Life Soul Statue with even more complex emotions.
Suddenly, the Life Spirit Temple became eerily quiet, so quiet it was unsettling. It seemed like everything normal had taken on a bizarre quality.
"Are you sure you can save Wu Ya?"
Just as the silence reached its peak, a voice suddenly intruded into the Life Spirit Temple, snapping Hu Ma out of his daze. He realized he had been standing in front of the incense table the whole time, as if he had never tried to enter the space behind it.
The sound of Monkey Wine echoed through the Life Spirit Temple, bringing him back from his reverie.
Looking down, he saw the General's Seal still firmly in his hand. Hu Ma fell silent for a moment, not removing the incense from the incense burner to block out the sound of the Monkey Wine.
After a long silence, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and slowly replied to the incense burner: "I said before, I can't guarantee it, but I'll do my best."
(End of Chapter)
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