https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-42-The-Red-Lantern-Lady-Assembly/12834436/
Chapter 43: Rising Above
Chapter 43: Rising Above
In his past life, Hu Ma had heard of groups like the River Gang, the Canal Gang, and the Salt Gang. If he judged them by the standards of his previous life, they seemed to be on the fringes of society, often associated with the dark or gray areas. But in reality, they were just groups of struggling people banding together to survive, each one fighting hard for a living.
This world was different from his past life in many ways, but the Blood Food Gangs, whose main business revolved around worshipping the Great Year, shared some similarities. These gangs couldn't be simply categorized; in this world, they were the providers of food and clothing, and it was thanks to their annual worship of the Great Year that the village saw some extra income. Joining the Blood Food Gang as a helper was a significant step up for the villagers.
After all, joining the Blood Food Gang meant the difference between being a regular employee and a temporary worker, compared to the short-term meat cutters. For the villagers, it was indeed a good start in life. Throughout history, those who toiled in the fields were always the most miserable, without exception.
Knowing that talking too much could lead to mistakes, Hu Ma didn't ask many questions. He and Zhou Datong hurried to the village, and from a distance, they could see the bustling road and the even more crowded village. It was a sight to behold, with countless people vying to enter this usually overlooked village.
Elder Two stood at the village entrance, kicking away those who tried to squeeze in.
"Lazyhead, stop pushing. You won't be part of the Red Lantern Assembly this time."
"You did help me light the furnace before, but now that you have a wife, what are you doing here?"
"..."
Some in the crowd were not satisfied and shouted, "Elder Two, I'm not married yet!"
"I lost all my earnings from cutting meat the past two years to gambling and couldn't afford a wife. If you let me join the Red Lantern Assembly, I'll buy a pig's head to honor you during the New Year!"
"..."
Elder Two glared at him, "If you're not married, how do you release your fire?"
Hearing this, the man who wanted to join the assembly looked utterly dejected, on the verge of tears, "It's all because of Lazyhead's wife..."
This made the scene even more chaotic, with people fighting, throwing shoes, groping others' wives, and trying to sneak in.
The news of the Red Lantern Assembly opening had spread, and logically, they would select members from those currently learning under Elder Two. So, those who had been learning for a few years also tried to squeeze in.
What if they were picked by the manager?
Elder Two knew the manager wasn't easily fooled and kicked them out one by one.
Hu Ma and Zhou Datong, who were officially learning under Elder Two, almost couldn't get in. Fortunately, they were smaller in stature and managed to slip into the village during a fight between Lazyhead and Second Dog. They accidentally bumped into someone helping Elder Two maintain order, who sneered at Hu Ma, "You've only been learning under Elder Two for less than a month. What are you doing here?"
"..."
Hu Ma looked up and saw it was the third son of the Cui family. He had no good feelings toward the Cuis in the village and ignored the sneer.
"Huh, the newcomer is getting cocky, not even calling me Uncle..."
The third son of the Cui family was displeased but didn't have the chance to say more due to the chaos around them.
The commotion continued until midday, when the crowd surged again. The manager, accompanied by the village chief and a group of elders, arrived.
The villagers, who weren't afraid of Elder Two, were terrified of the city manager and quickly made way, watching him enter the village with a mix of respect and fear.
"What a lively scene..."
Hu Ma observed from a distance. The manager was about forty years old, plump, and dressed in fine silk. He rode a blue donkey with two attendants, exuding an air of importance.
He dismounted with the help of his attendants and smiled, "Our Red Lantern Assembly can't afford to support so many people."
The old village chief, who usually commanded respect, now smiled obsequiously, "Please choose the best and take them under your wing."
"Of course."
The manager smiled, "In our Mingzhou Prefecture, there are at least thirty, if not a hundred, gangs that rely on blood food for survival. But our Red Lantern Assembly is known for its great skills and good treatment of members."
"Once you join our assembly, you'll be treated like family. We provide food, lodging, and wages. Most importantly, we teach you skills. But whether you can join depends on your daily efforts and dedication."
This statement made the young men nervous.
Previously, they followed Elder Two just to get by as miners and earn some wages, so they only lit the furnace enough to change the talisman once. But now, to be chosen for the Red Lantern Assembly, they needed to keep the furnace burning as brightly as possible.
Many who had been lazy or couldn't resist treating themselves were now regretting their actions.
"Alright, you all look spirited."
The manager smiled and approached the young men, "Extend your hands."
The young men looked at each other, and Elder Two kicked the one in front, "What are you waiting for? Extend your hands!"
The young men finally reacted, hurriedly extending their hands.
His hands were dirty, so he quickly wiped them on his clothes before sheepishly extending them.
"Let's start with you!"
The overseer walked up to the first boy, a dirty-faced youth standing at the far left. He extended two fingers and carefully pinched the boy’s hand.
Without any visible movement from the overseer, the boy suddenly shivered.
He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
The overseer frowned and said, "This one won’t do."
The second-in-command quickly helped the boy up, checked that he was unharmed, and then smiled apologetically. "He’s only been training for a year, so his foundation isn’t very strong."
"Then we’ll wait until next year, I suppose."
The overseer moved on to the second boy, who seemed oblivious and truly believed he would have another chance next year.
But the boy’s father was heartbroken, knowing that "next year" was just an excuse. The Red Lantern Lady had a strong and growing following; they wouldn’t need to come to a place like the Great Sheep Village to find new recruits. Missing this year meant missing the opportunity for life.
When the overseer reached the second boy, he again used two fingers to touch the boy’s hand. The boy shivered.
He seemed to go weak, but managed to stay standing.
"Good."
The overseer praised him and continued forward.
He went to each boy, using two fingers to lightly pinch their hands. Some boys trembled and fell, while others turned pale but managed to stand firm.
After testing about a dozen boys, eight of them managed to stay standing. The rest grew increasingly nervous, fearing that the overseer would have enough by the time he reached them.
"Cough, stand up straight!"
Hu Ma and Zhou Datong had arrived late and were already at the back of the line. They heard a light cough, and someone stood in front of them.
Looking up, they saw the tall and slender Cui Xie'er.
He had been helping the second-in-command maintain order and had naturally taken a position at the end. Now, he had somehow moved in front of Zhou Datong.
Hu Ma chuckled inwardly but said nothing.
Soon, it was Cui Xie'er’s turn. He extended his hand with a serious expression, as if handing over his fate.
The overseer’s two fingers pinched his hand, and Cui Xie'er shivered, letting out a muffled sound. But he stood firm, not even swaying. The overseer looked at him with surprise, smiled, and moved on without comment.
It was Zhou Datong’s turn next. He eagerly called out, "Grandpa Qian!"
He had met the overseer with the old village chief the previous day.
"Fat boy, you’re not bad."
The overseer smiled at him. "I already tested you yesterday. You don’t need to be tested again today. Just wait!"
Zhou Datong’s face lit up with joy, and he moved to the side.
The old village chief visibly relaxed, stroking his short beard with a contented look.
"It’s your turn."
The overseer smiled at Hu Ma, nodded, and pinched the edge of Hu Ma’s palm with his thumb and index finger.
Hu Ma had only seen his friends’ reactions and didn’t know what to expect. Now, as the overseer’s fingers touched his palm, a sudden chill rushed through him.
It felt as if he had encountered an evil spirit. Cold, eerie whispers filled his ears, as if he were being pulled into another world.
But then, the fire in his furnace flared up.
As the cold aura invaded, the fire within his belly was naturally ignited and pushed outward.
It struggled against the cold aura, pushing it back and eventually expelling it from his hand.
In reality, this burst of fire came from Hu Ma’s second incense stick.
His first incense stick also responded, but Hu Ma realized that the second incense stick was enough to handle the situation. So, he held back and didn’t activate the first one. In other words, he only used half the power of one incense stick.
"Hmm?"
The overseer’s two fingers were pushed away, and a look of surprise crossed his face, gradually turning into a smile.
The onlookers didn’t understand what had happened, but they saw that the overseer, who had been serious with the other boys, only lightly touched Hu Ma’s hand and quickly withdrew. No one knew the final result.
But since all the boys had been tested, everyone stretched their necks to hear the results.
"Things have been good these past few years..."
The overseer straightened up, took a cloth from his attendant, and wiped his hands. He smiled at the crowd. "The boys in the village are getting stronger. If it were up to me, I’d take them all back with me."
"But, alas, I’m just following orders, so I can only choose a few of the better ones."
"So, it’s like this. You, you, and you..."
He pointed at several boys, and when he said "and you," his finger skipped over Cui Xie'er and pointed at Hu Ma’s face.
He smiled and said, "You, come to the city in a few days to burn incense."
(End of Chapter)
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