https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-505-The-Shortcut-to-Returning-Home/12918932/
Chapter 506: Ghost-Carrying Chair and Heaven-Measuring Boots
Chapter 506: Ghost-Carrying Chair and Heaven-Measuring Boots
"This guy..."
Hu Ma never expected that Sweet Potato Burn would be so sharp-eyed, and she even greeted him so boldly. He felt a bit helpless, as he had waited for Sweet Potato Burn to leave at around the same time, mainly because he was worried about her unreliability, and didn't want to waste time.
But since they were both reincarnators, even if they knew each other, it was best to keep interactions to a minimum, at most exchanging a simple nod, and then going about their own business.
As for Sweet Potato Burn, she didn't care about this at all. Instead, she excitedly waved her willow whip and shouted, "Run faster! Run faster! Let's overtake him!"
The ghosts carrying the palanquin beside her cried out, "Madam, we're already running as fast as we can..."
"We were beaten by you yesterday, and our waists still hurt today. We can't run faster..."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Sweet Potato Burn glared and grabbed a handful of spirit money, which she threw high into the air. "I said you should listen to me. There are plenty of rewards..."
"Madam, I have a willow whip in my left hand and money in my right. Which one do you prefer?"
As she spoke, the spirit money fluttered down, covering the sides of the palanquin and hitting many of the ghosts on the head.
These ghosts, with their bruised and swollen faces, were initially listless, but after being hit by the spirit money, they instantly became energized, their eyes even glowing. With their short legs, they hurriedly shouted, "It doesn't hurt anymore..."
"Madam is so generous with her rewards, much better than the previous master. And Madam is so light; even without using the willow whip, we can run faster than anyone!"
"..."
As they spoke, the chilling yin wind howled beside them, and they indeed quickened their pace. Soon, they were leaving Hu Ma far behind.
"Hehe, childish!"
Hu Ma found it amusing as he watched from behind. "Is she trying to compete with me?"
As the descendant of the Hu family and the Lord Who Does Not Eat Beef, he naturally wouldn't engage in such childish behavior.
... As he thought this, he quickened his steps, as if the wind was beneath his feet. In an instant, he caught up and even overtook Sweet Potato Burn, leaving her behind the palanquin.
It wasn't about competing with Sweet Potato Burn, but rather testing the speed of his Heaven-Measuring Boots against the ghost-carrying chair.
In fact, he had already competed with Meng Family's Second Son earlier, but at that time, the ghosts carrying the palanquin had been injured, affecting their speed. Now, he wanted to see the true capabilities of this skill.
"As expected of a senior, even your traveling techniques are so exquisite..."
Sweet Potato Burn, seeing this from behind, was also deeply impressed. She threw out a handful of spirit money and urged the ghosts carrying the palanquin to quickly catch up.
"Did this little girl just learn this ghost-carrying chair technique last night?"
Hu Ma noticed that Sweet Potato Burn was catching up and felt a bit puzzled. "She's running this fast after just one day?"
He relaxed his vigilance slightly and took a closer look, using his enhanced vision after entering the mansion. He soon discovered the secret.
Impressive! Those handfuls of spirit money were all imbued with spiritual power. Earlier, when he had played along with Sweet Potato Burn's act, he had been hit by her spirit money, unknowingly losing a significant amount of his cultivation.
Cultivation was closely tied to one's life force, and for ordinary people, this spirit money was like buying their lives.
Yet, the spirit money she was throwing out now had already been used to buy lives.
By scattering this spirit money and buying the lives of living people, she was rewarding these ghosts. How generous was this? What kind of good person would waste their resources like this? No wonder the ghosts carrying Sweet Potato Burn, despite their bruised and swollen faces and the losses they had suffered, were now so enthusiastic. If he wasn't careful, she would catch up to him.
It was as if she was using blood food to command these ghosts.
Feeling amazed, Hu Ma slightly increased his speed, leaving Sweet Potato Burn behind once more.
Through this competition, he gained a better understanding of this secret technique. In this world, people relied on their legs to travel, and even the wealthy used horses. Those with secret techniques had their own methods, but they all had their limitations.
Sweet Potato Burn's traveling technique relied on spirit money that had bought people's lives, while Hu Ma's Heaven-Measuring Boots consumed his own cultivation.
Earlier, when he had borrowed the power of the Heaven-Measuring Boots to chase after Meng Family's Second Son, he hadn't noticed the consumption because it was a short chase. But now, he realized that the consumption was quite rapid, equivalent to the energy required for a supernatural skill within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
However, the most powerful traveling technique seemed to be borrowing a path from the Netherworld.
That technique was mysterious and formidable, but he didn't fully understand it. Later, he would seek guidance from Second Pot Head.
Any technique related to the Netherworld in this world was mysterious and bizarre, beyond the comprehension of outsiders.
Especially within the Year-Guardian Sect, there was no mention of this at all.
The current Hu Ma knew of the "Netherworld" but couldn't explain what it was. Long ago, he had heard a Phantom Walker mention that the Ghost Gate was closed, which was why so many strange and evil spirits lingered in the mortal realm.
In reality, there were also the likes of Xiang Yatou, a Netherworld Guide, who could lead the living souls of the world to the black gate, and there were Borrowed Army Permits, which could summon Yin soldiers from the Netherworld.
There was even talk of a Netherworld like the Sweet Potato Burn, which could record people's sinful debts...
...It could only be said that it was a mysterious and vast world. At present, he wasn't prepared to delve too deeply into it.
Familiarizing himself with the Mansion Level's supernatural skills and abilities while on his way to Mingzhou, he couldn't help but think.
The two of them, Sweet Potato Burn and himself, took turns chasing each other, and in just one night, they had covered over two hundred li.
It wasn't until the sound of roosters from the nearby village that they slowed down and began searching for a place to rest along the sides of the Imperial Highway.
Normally, it would take eight or nine days to travel from the Blood Food Mine to his family's estate by horse or mule. Even if they pushed the horses to their limits and rushed day and night, like Sweet Potato Burn had done before, it would still take more than three days.
However, with the Heaven-Measuring Boots borrowed, two nights of running seemed to be enough.
But now that he had stopped to calculate, he also realized that this method of traveling took a significant toll on his cultivation. If he were to run at full speed, relying solely on his Three Pillar Proficiency, he would need to rest every two hours or so.
Compared to Sweet Potato Burn, the advantages and disadvantages were clear.
Over short distances, he was much faster than Sweet Potato Burn and could easily leave her behind. But when it came to long-distance travel, he seemed to fall short.
On the other hand, the stacks of spirit money she used up were from her daily accumulation, and in that regard, it was less efficient than his use of the Heaven-Measuring Boots for traveling.
As the sky brightened, he merely wanted to find a place to nap and replenish his energy. Instead of entering the village, he found a shrine, rested, nibbled on some Green Food, fetched some spring water from a nearby stream, and managed to fill his stomach.
Using the Heaven-Measuring Boots allowed him to practice his arts during the day, but it was likely to startle and shock the world. Moreover, the continuous day and night travel would deplete his cultivation too quickly.
This was still better than Sweet Potato Burn's method, which could only be used at night.
After resting for a day, as dusk fell and night descended, Hu Ma once again stepped onto the Imperial Highway, performed his art, and strode swiftly towards Mingzhou. With growing familiarity, he was even faster than the previous night.
By the second half of the night, he had already entered Mingzhou's territory, so he slowed down. As the morning mist rose and the sky brightened, he even returned the Heaven-Measuring Boots.
He estimated that he was only about twenty or thirty li away from the Old Yin Mountain area, a distance easily covered on foot.
"Huh?"
As soon as he returned, he noticed from a distance that there were many more green banners standing tall in various places between the villages and alongside the Imperial Highway.
Some were placed at the village entrance or beside trees, while others were held high by believers wearing green robes and crowns, slowly following the banners as they passed through the countryside roads. In the fields on either side, working commoners saw them from afar and hastily bowed.
On each green banner, without exception, was the character 'Truth'. Combined with their demeanor and attire, Hu Ma could guess that they were members of a religious sect.
However, these sects were usually cautious and avoided exposure. Even the One Cent Sect, with its significant influence, had planned to rebel but only dared to hide in the mountains. How could the Blue Lotus Sect dare to openly parade outside like this?
He found it strange but didn't want to get involved. Without a second glance, he turned away as a gust of Yin wind blew towards him from the distant fields. Sweet Potato Burn, who had arrived just half an incense stick's time behind him, was shouting excitedly.
At that moment, she was thrilled, and the ghosts carrying her palanquin were even more so, as they rushed forward.
Suddenly, on the highway, there were people carrying green banners walking in the middle of the road. Passing horses and pedestrians moved aside, but Sweet Potato Burn's reckless intrusion caused a collision.
Below the banner, a believer held an incense burner, and as the collision occurred, an invisible Yin energy suddenly dispersed to the side.
"Whoa..."
It looked dangerous, but Sweet Potato Burn was prepared. Just as they were about to crash, she exhaled and raised the Willow Whip in her hand, slashing it in the air. The ghosts carrying the palanquin immediately stopped, still a considerable distance from the banner! They also heard the believer below the banner shouting, especially with the gust of Yin wind, which was quite rude.
After two days of interaction, the ghosts carrying the palanquin had already pledged their loyalty to Sweet Potato Burn. They immediately started cursing:
"What kind of demon dares to offend our Seventh Aunt?"
"Let's fight!"
"..."
Sweet Potato Burn, sitting in the palanquin, stretched lazily. Looking down at the believer under the green banner, she said coldly, "I am a White Waist Junior Priestess from the Red Lantern Lady's Society. Who are you to dare bully me on the Red Lantern Society's turf?"
(End of Chapter)
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