Chapter 522: Stepping on the Heavenly Diagram
Chapter 522: Stepping on the Heavenly Diagram
This bow and these words were filled with sincerity.
At first, Hu Ma thought that the Mother-in-Law was merely testing him, that he would only receive the keepsake of the Extinct Village once he had the ability to resolve its curse.
But later, he realized that the Mother-in-Law wasn't testing him at all. Regardless of his identity, he was still a descendant of the Hu family, and regardless of his abilities, he was the only living heir to the Zhen Sui Hu Clan. There was no need for a test to inherit the family legacy.
Since this was the case, there must have been a reason for her to place the Hu family's keepsake here. The vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts within the Extinct Village were like guardians, protecting the relics for the Hu family.
Even if they were unaware and not acting intentionally, as a descendant of the Hu family, he should show his gratitude to them.
After this bow, Hu Ma straightened up and, without hesitation, took a deep breath before striding into the village shrouded in dark energy.
The four tall stone tablets standing around the village were like pillars, enclosing it within. The dark energy and countless shadowy ghosts swirling inside, like a tsunami, were contained and prevented from spilling out.
When Hu Ma, as a living person, passed through the Four Directions Sealing Stones and entered the village, the dark energy inside seemed to boil like hot water. The numerous indistinct ghostly figures emitted a chilling, eerie laughter that made one's scalp tingle, their faces filled with greed.
Even the four stone tablets shook slightly, seemingly warning outsiders, or perhaps the activity within was so intense that the tablets couldn't help but tremble.
But Hu Ma narrowed his eyes, ignoring everything, and with a light step, he crossed the boundary line formed by the four stone tablets. The next moment, he felt as if a sharp, wild wind capable of slicing through skin and flesh had instantly caressed his face.
He raised his sleeve to cover his face, silently invoking his Dao Virtue to block the Yin energy, and only then did he open his eyes. He found the sunlight glaring, and everything before him was a dazzling white. Focusing slightly, he looked around and realized that he seemed to be in a utopian village.
As far as the eye could see, the houses were well-maintained, and the place was bustling with people. Chickens and ducks ran amok, children chased after dogs and cats, and the white sun shone down from above while smoke rose from every household.
"Oh, we have a guest..."
As Hu Ma entered the village, a warm voice greeted him from the side. Smiling villagers approached, bowing in greeting from a distance, and said, "Please come inside, and let us guide you to the Clan Elder's house."
Hu Ma was slightly stunned but said nothing. He followed them, his eyes taking in everything around him.
Everywhere he looked, everything seemed so lifelike. The houses were spotlessly clean, and the children were neatly dressed. The villagers leading the way and those on either side, some feeding chickens, some eating, and some spinning cloth, all curiously observed the newcomer.
He had once entered this Extinct Village, vaguely remembering its layout, which was just as he had seen it before. He even looked ahead and saw the stone mill in the center of the village.
He recalled that on top of the stone mill, there was an iron box wrapped in chains, containing the Hu family's keepsake.
But when he looked now, he couldn't find the iron box. Instead, he saw a robust villager driving an ox, pouring millet from a bag into the millstone, which ground and produced a stream of white rice.
Observing all this, Hu Ma remained silent. The enthusiastic villagers led him to the Clan Elder's house, where an elderly man with a round hat and a cane greeted him warmly.
"A friend's descendant has come, and I have failed to welcome you properly. Please, take a seat."
"..."
Hu Ma was seated with assistance and looked at the old man, smiling. "The friend you speak of is..."
"Of course, it's the kind-hearted Wandering Ghost Elder from the surrounding villages..."
The Clan Elder expressed his gratitude, sighing, "She has done great kindness for our village..."
"If not for her, we would have abandoned our corpses, living in darkness, aimlessly drifting, with nowhere to turn. How could we have found this place, far from the mundane world, free from suffering and misfortune, and living in bliss?"
"Now, everyone in our Stone Box Village has entered the heavenly realm within the boxes, living a carefree life without desires or worries. We only regret not being able to repay the Wandering Ghost Elder's kindness. Now that her blood relative has come here, how can we not repay you properly?"
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, "Quick, quick, bring some tea..."
As he spoke, a red-faced, buxom young woman with a swollen chest entered from outside, carrying a cup of steaming tea that exuded a fragrant aroma.
Outside the house door and beyond the window frames, there were many small heads peeking in. These were the village's mischievous children, curious about the guest and eagerly crowding together to get a glimpse inside.
The tea was brought to Hu Ma's face, but he didn't take it. Instead, he looked at the Clan Elder and said, "I don't want tea. I'm just curious about the bliss you mentioned. How blissful is it?"
"Abundant life, any desire fulfilled, freedom from suffering and misfortune, what more could one ask for?"
The Clan Elder smiled, "There are even more benefits, but I'm illiterate and can't express them. The young benefactor will understand after drinking the tea."
"As he spoke, he nodded, his eyes gleaming with sincerity, and the villagers around him, including the blushing young lady who offered him tea, nodded and smiled in agreement. The sun shone brightly in the village, and the warm breeze caressed everyone's faces, leaving them content and smiling.
Hu Ma observed the scene, feeling an overwhelming sense of reality. He glanced down at the tea the young lady had offered, her face flushed with embarrassment. Floating within the tea were a few tea leaves, fresh and vibrant, emitting a fragrant aroma that seemed to come alive and fill his nostrils.
He reached out his hand, but instead of taking the tea, he grabbed the young lady's wrist. It felt smooth, warm, and soft, and he couldn't find any flaws in her touch.
"Oh dear..."
The young lady blushed furiously as Hu Ma tugged at her wrist, but she didn't try to pull away. Instead, she turned her head shyly, feigning embarrassment.
The clan elder beside him burst into laughter, and the villagers around them joined in. Even the mischievous children crowded outside the door and windows laughed along, their heads tilted back. "The young lady's face is red; she wants to get married and wed!"
The clan elder nodded and smiled, "Get married, get married. Drink the tea and get married."
Hu Ma felt as if countless voices were flooding into his mind, as if he were submerged underwater. His eardrums felt the pressure, and he sighed softly, preparing to activate his cultivation technique to turn his body into a lifeless state.
But as he began to cultivate, he was surprised.
His body remained intact, as if he had lost the ability to become a Year Guardian.
It was as if he were truly in a warm and prosperous village, with the sunlight shining down upon him. The warmth, the clan elder by his side, and the young lady offering tea—all seemed so real, every detail vivid and flawless.
Slowly, he released the young lady's wrist and scanned the smiling faces around him. "I don't want the tea, nor do I want to get married. If you truly want to thank me..."
His gaze shifted past the half-open door of the clan elder's house, landing on the millstone. "I want what's on that millstone."
The clan elder's laughter ceased, and he looked puzzled. "If you want farmland, our village has it. If you want a young lady, we have many. If you want chickens, ducks, pigs, or dogs, our village has an abundance of them..."
"...But you insist on asking for this stone mill?"
Hu Ma nodded. "Yes."
The clan elder's expression turned sour. "Why do you want this particular thing?"
Hu Ma smiled and replied, "Of course, it's because only this thing can hull the grain, revealing whether it's rotten inside..."
"Swish!"
As Hu Ma spoke, the countless smiling faces around him suddenly turned serious. Even the children crowded outside the door and windows stopped laughing, and countless eyes stared intently at Hu Ma.
The clan elder leaned on his cane, "We've treated you well, yet you ask for our village's blessing? If we give it to you, will we have to eat unhulled grain from now on?"
"Bring tea for the guest!"
At the command, the surrounding villagers rushed forward, pinning Hu Ma's arms and shoulders. The young lady who had offered the tea clenched her teeth and forcefully pushed the cup towards Hu Ma's mouth, pouring the tea into his mouth.
Hu Ma sighed softly and suddenly stood up, taking a step forward.
Hands reached out to grab him, and people crowded around, even the young lady trying to embrace him, but he ignored them all and took that step.
He twisted his body and took a second step.
With each step, a chaotic sound of shattering and tearing cloth accompanied him.
He took seven steps without looking where he was going. If it was a table or chair, he crushed it underfoot. If it was someone's arm or leg, he kicked it aside, breaking it. Even if there were nails on the ground, he let them pierce his soles, determined to take each step firmly.
"Slap!"
On his seventh step, as he firmly planted his foot on solid ground, everything before him rapidly lost its color. The bright sunlight turned into a dark and eerie wind.
The once-real faces became vague and distorted.
Even the tea that the young lady had forced towards his face transformed—the intact porcelain cup became broken shards, and the fresh green tea leaves turned into a few blackened teeth. The fragrant tea water became dark red, foul-smelling bloodwater.
All around him were pale, eerie ghostly faces, and the children's eyes had fallen to the sides of their noses, dangling like snot.
Outside, there was no one grinding grain. Instead, a group of eerie little demons surrounded the iron box, their mouths wide open, gnawing at it with all their might. It was unclear how long they had been at it.
"Huff!"
Hu Ma breathed a sigh of relief as he realized, "This is the normal atmosphere..."
(End of Chapter)
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