https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-455-Sealing-the-Corpse-in-a-Bronze-Coffin/12918819/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-457-The-Legend-of-the-Stone-Horse/12918821/
Chapter 456: Elder Pine
Chapter 456: Elder Pine
Indeed, it was a bowl of shredded egg soup.
In a delicate porcelain bowl, a few drops of oil floated, and a poached egg, white with a hint of red, soaked in the soup, accompanied by a silver spoon on the side.
Hu Ma watched as Miao Shan Fairy brought it over and carefully placed it on the side table, not daring to touch it. In his heart, he sighed: "Why bother with this broken thing? Can't Blood Food Pills satisfy one's hunger?"
On the surface, he maintained a polite demeanor and said, "Why did the Sect Leader go through all this trouble? I'm merely an assistant, and regardless of the Non-Vegetarian Sect's affairs, I'm just following your guidance and doing my best to help out!"
"The Sect Leader is so kind..."
Miao Shan Fairy, upon hearing Hu Ma's words, sighed inwardly, "He says he's just here to help, yet he asked me to take off my Daoist robe, and I did..."
"But it's true that the leader of the Non-Vegetarian Sect needs the consent of the senior brothers. Now, there's just one more thing needed, but after passing through three trials and twelve tribulations and cultivating the Grand Heavenly General Bodhimanda, who would dare not acknowledge him?"
"..."
"As a junior, serving the Sect Leader... isn't that what I should do?"
As she thought this, she became more humble, unable to hide the joy in her expression. She reported to Hu Ma, "With this demon corpse restrained, everyone in the One Coin Sect is greatly encouraged."
"Tonight's Lantern Festival Fair will surely be lively."
"..."
Hu Ma had questions he wanted to ask her, but her words suddenly threw him off: "Lantern Festival Fair?"
"Yes."
Miao Shan Fairy quickly explained, "I followed the instructions of the senior brothers and came here to establish the main headquarters in this town. Although we've caused quite a stir, we're still missing the Lantern Festival Fair to officially establish our name. Now, we're well-prepared and the time has come."
"However, the Lantern Festival Fair requires the presence of the sect's guardian deity to bestow blessings upon the believers. Unfortunately, several of our guardian deities have been killed, and I don't know where to find a replacement..."
"I was just about to ask for your guidance, Senior!"
"..."
"Hmm?"
Hu Ma couldn't help but chuckle, "With such a dire situation upon us, you're still thinking about this so-called Lantern Festival Fair?"
"Of course!"
Miao Shan Fairy's words surprised Hu Ma. She spoke earnestly, "Our master had given a prior order: the disciples of the Non-Vegetarian Sect bear a heavy responsibility and must not be constrained by minor details. They can deceive officials, bandits, and even ghosts and gods, but they must never deceive the common people."
"The One Coin Sect promised that this day would be the Lantern Festival Fair, and now that the day has arrived, the commoners are waiting. It's absolutely unacceptable to go back on our word..."
"..."
"Deceive officials, bandits, ghosts, and gods, but never deceive the common people?"
Just as Hu Ma's thoughts were in disarray, he heard Miao Shan Fairy's words and suddenly became stunned.
His gaze passed through the door, and he saw Miao Shan Fairy's clear face outside. Initially, he had felt that she possessed a mysterious and noble beauty, but after seeing through her true nature, he often noticed a bewildered expression on her face.
However, when she spoke these words, she didn't seem to be joking; instead, she displayed a rare determination and a sense of faith.
Hu Ma rarely saw this expression on the faces of the natives. In fact, he himself had rarely seen this expression on his own face.
His emotions became complicated. After a long while, he slowly exhaled and said softly, "Have you prepared the ledgers and other matters I asked you about earlier?"
"I prepared them after you instructed me to."
Upon hearing this, Miao Shan Fairy quickly retrieved a stack of ledgers and rosters from the nearby cabinet and placed them before Hu Ma.
These documents contained information about the One Coin Sect's development, the number of armored soldiers, magical artifacts, the Dharmaraja's guardians, and more. It was as if she had handed over the very foundation of the One Coin Sect to Hu Ma.
Although she was said to be clear-minded, she wasn't without her wits. After Hu Ma passed through the three trials and twelve tribulations, she had bowed and addressed him as the Sect Leader. However, when it came to preparing the ledgers, she hadn't been as thorough in her submission.
But now, after witnessing Hu Ma's cultivation of the Grand Heavenly General Seal, she had truly surrendered and revealed everything.
"When did you decide to establish the main headquarters of the One Coin Sect here? Was the stone horse already in the town when you arrived?"
Hu Ma took the ledgers and flipped through them as he casually asked her a few questions.
Initially, he had asked for these ledgers to assess the strength of the One Coin Sect and see if they could compete with the County Magistrate. Now, he wanted to learn more about the sect to uncover the secret of "awakening the stone horse."
Miao Shan Fairy, upon hearing this, became excited. She thought, 'The Sect Leader says he's just an outsider helping out, but isn't he diligently inquiring about the sect's affairs?'
So, she honestly explained everything.
As Hu Ma listened to her, he indeed gained a deeper understanding of the One Coin Sect. However, when she mentioned the stone horse, Miao Shan Fairy's expression turned blank, as if she had no clue about it.
"The stone horse is just a stone horse."
"It's been in the town for many years. When we arrived, the grass was almost covering the horse..."
She looked at him sincerely and said, "If you like it, Senior, I can have it moved here and made into a decoration for you. But what use is it?"
Hu Ma could only wave his hand and said, "That's not necessary. However, your One Coin Sect's foundation seems to be mostly in the various prefectures of Runzhou. Why did you choose to set up the main headquarters here?"
"This..."
Miao Shan Fairy was taken aback and replied, "My senior brothers sent me here..."
"Actually, before I came, my senior brothers had already arranged everything here. Elder Sun, Tang Master from Great Treasure Bao, and the Ten Thousand Horses Guild, as well as Xia Guxian... they are all connections left by my senior brothers. I just needed to come, and they would naturally rally around me."
"..."
"So, you really are just the Scarlet Lantern Lady?"
Hu Ma asked a few questions, confirming that her involvement here was limited to mundane affairs. She seemed to know little about deeper matters, so he let her continue with her tasks. He then slowly flipped through the ledger she had left behind, hoping to find some clues that even Miao Shan Fairy might not know.
"The Great Crimson Robe mentioned the stone horse in the information he left behind. The disciples of the Cow Meatless Sect have already chosen this place, which suggests that there might really be some secret here."
"But how do you awaken a stone horse, which is clearly just a stone and mud sculpture?"
"..."
He pondered silently, flipping through the ledger for a long time, but the more he read, the more confused he became. The ledger contained many records, but each entry was straightforward and did not seem to hide any secret clues.
At first glance, the One Coin Sect had a solid foundation. Currently, the town of Stone Horse has over a thousand residents, and the majority of them are disciples of the One Coin Sect. Among these disciples, about a hundred or two have been trained and equipped with talisman armored weapons, and can be mobilized uniformly. If they were to rally, distribute grain, money, and armor, they could quickly gather seven or eight hundred able-bodied men.
The number might seem small, but it was quite substantial. In this small town, seven or eight hundred talisman armored soldiers would have the capability to cross counties and resist the local government. Moreover, if they were to claim a large number, they would often boast of having tens of thousands of troops.
From this, it was clear that the One Coin Sect was indeed preparing for something significant, not just boasting.
However, considering the abilities of the Iron Horse Magistrate outside, Hu Ma's thoughts grew heavy.
The One Coin Sect had a solid foundation, with one Sect Leader, two Upper Pavilion Masters, eight Lower Pavilion Masters, and four Dharmarajas, along with their disciples and followers. It certainly seemed to be a formidable gang.
But only one of the two Upper Pavilion Masters was here, and the eight Lower Pavilion Masters only had the capabilities of the initiation level. The four Dharmarajas and their disciples were all incapacitated and could not help.
There were also magical artifacts, like the ten large vats that housed some kind of blessing, and some talisman bows and hard swords. These were useful in normal times, but they would not be enough against the County Magistrate.
Surprisingly, what the town of Stone Horse had in abundance was grain, cattle, sheep, and medicinal herbs.
"... Why are they stockpiling so much of these things?"
Sighing softly, Hu Ma threw the ledger aside. He was beginning to suspect that there was no information about the stone horse in it. He was also more certain that with the One Coin Sect's current strength, trying to oppose the New Year Hall Official was a joke.
"I wonder if Brother Second Pot and Miss White Wine can arrive in time..."
He couldn't help but think about it. Earlier, Monkey Wine had delivered his message efficiently. These few people knew the severity of the situation and had set out immediately. However, the distance between the two places was considerable. Could they really have the skills to reach here within three days?
More importantly, even if they arrived, did any of these old friends have the means to help deal with the Iron Horse Magistrate?
Brother Second Pot seemed unlikely. He had previously mentioned that he had stopped learning his skills at the Mansion level to avoid being discovered and had not continued further.
But Miss White Wine...
He sighed softly. He wasn't without hope, but it was unwise to be too optimistic.
As Hu Ma's mood grew slightly depressed and he sighed softly, a breeze blew through the courtyard. The old willow tree, with its drooping branches covering the entire yard, rustled softly, sounding like an old man's sigh.
He had not slept for two days and a night. Although the Year-End Guardians were robust, he was now feeling a bit drowsy.
Just as he was dozing off, he heard a "creak," and the door was pushed open. An old man with a white beard, hunched over, walked in with a smile, and politely bowed to Hu Ma, "Young Master, greetings..."
"I am Old Willow, from the Western Kunlun. I have lived here for over sixty years. I heard your worried sighs just now and came to visit. Is there anything I can help with?"
(End of Chapter)
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