Chapter 527: Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace
Chapter 527: Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace
"Senior, it's time for me to retrieve the Hu Family's relic..."
He remembered when he first learned the Longevity Practice, Shopkeeper Wu Hong had told him that the Year Guardians were the least entangled in cause and effect.
But fate had it that he could only tread the Ghost Walker Techniques, the most entangled path.
The strangest thing was that when the pressure on his mind reached its peak, he thought of claiming the world in the name of the reincarnated, and blocking the Meng Family as a descendant of the Hu Family. The only peaceful identity, that of the little shopkeeper of the Bloodfeast Gang, had become the leader of rebels.
...He felt relieved!
Perhaps it was like carrying an unknown number of debts and grudges, and he might as well let it all go, for with so many debts, there was no need for worry.
What else could he think of? A bitter smile played on his lips as he withdrew his gaze and bowed slightly to the Mountain Lord before him, just for show, as a deeper bow might cause this senior to hide again.
Then, he stood up and walked straight towards the millstone. His mood was the calmest it had been since his reincarnation, as if the wind in the village had completely stopped.
For some reason, when he reached the box, he couldn't help but look at the stele still standing in the east of the village. The power of the stele had dissipated, and the traces left by the Elder had disappeared.
But Hu Ma still saw her, as if she were standing under the stele, silently watching him with eyes that weren't very good at expressing emotions.
Hu Ma bowed slightly to the Elder, then turned and walked straight to the millstone.
Something deep in his bloodline seemed to be awakening. His identity as a reincarnated soul, the cautiousness of being the little shopkeeper of the Bloodfeast Gang, all vanished in an instant, leaving him with only one identity—a descendant of the Hu Family, ready to shoulder his responsibilities.
He straightened his robe, his expression solemn, and took a step forward, slowly bowing towards the iron box.
At this moment, even the wind in the village seemed to disappear completely, and the countless wraiths in the village raised their heads to watch Hu Ma bow before the box.
Only Hu Ma's voice echoed, "A descendant of the Hu Family has come to summon the troops!"
"Huala..."
As soon as he spoke, the iron chains wrapped around the box instantly turned into sections of rotten grass ropes.
Inside the box lay a black and heavy bronze mace, with a human face and tiger claws, adorned with the Xiezhi rune. The rune seemed to come to life, slowly moving its body, and its sinister gaze fell upon Hu Ma's face.
Hu Ma stood up, facing the gaze of the rune, and slowly extended his palm into the box, grasping the handle of the mace. With his Four Pillar Proficiency, he infused his power into the incense burner, causing his soul light to glow brightly. Then, with all his might, he lifted the mace.
"Hmm?"
This exertion of strength once again brought surprise to his heart.
He remembered that when he had borrowed the relic before, it had been extremely heavy, and even with his Three Pillar Cultivation, lifting it had been a struggle. Therefore, this time, he used his Four Pillar Proficiency to lift it.
Although it was only a difference of one pillar, there was also the separation of the mansion's interior and exterior. Compared to before, his strength had increased by at least threefold. However, holding this object still felt as heavy as the last time, as if there was no difference at all. He needed both hands to finally remove the iron mace from the box.
Then, bit by bit, he raised it above his head.
Boom!
As the mace passed over his head, the nine sections of the mace collided, creating a series of loud clangs, like invisible thunderbolts exploding one after another. A rolling gale appeared out of nowhere, swirling around Hu Ma's body and lifting the corners of his robe high.
Hu Ma seemed to experience an illusion, as if he had entered a place similar to the Imperial Hall, but with an added sense of sinister solemnity. He heard a loud voice from above, sternly shouting,
"Behold, the Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace of the Hu Family, bestowed to smite ghosts and suppress evil, to destroy gods and demolish temples. Dare you accept it?"
"By accepting this mace, you uphold the boundary between Yin and Yang, the order between humans and ghosts. From the Nine Heavens of the Netherworld to the Eight Sceneries of the Yellow Springs, those who break the rules shall be struck without exception. Dare you shoulder this responsibility?"
"..."
"..."
The invisible shouts echoed in Hu Ma's ears, causing his entire body to go numb, as if his soul couldn't withstand the pressure. Any hesitation or weakness seemed to make his bones want to shatter under the weight of the mace.
But he gritted his teeth and held on, lifting the mace with determination, allowing the thunderous shouts to resonate in his ears. He answered with a single word:
"Dare!"
"..."
The moment he agreed, the gale surged in all directions. The energy from the mace spread out from him to the entire dilapidated and oppressive village, forming countless layers of sound, each resonating loudly.
Not only was this his response, but every generation of the Hu Family's ancestors had given the same answer when they received the Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace. Only by making this promise could one become the master of the Zhen Sui Hu Clan.
The raging gale swept towards the four directions, and the countless ownerless vengeful spirits around instinctively felt terrified and trembled, not daring to look at Hu Ma holding the mace. Even just standing in the village, they struggled to keep their balance, almost blown away by the gale.
"Your sins are grave, and though you fell victim to that filth, you cannot escape the karmic debts engraved in your bones."
At that moment, the Mountain Lord, who had been observing the ceremony, witnessed Hu Ma raise the bronze mace. Despite his blurred features, he sighed and turned to the surrounding vengeful spirits, whispering, "That's why you must bow to him."
"The Plague-Suppressing Hu Clan can disregard your karmic debts and send you to where you belong..."
"Restoring order, the Execution Deity vanquishes ghosts, and it's all thanks to the Zhen Sui Hu Clan..."
"..."
These vengeful spirits, long decayed, might not understand the Mountain Lord's words, but they were intimidated by the mace in Hu Ma's hand. They knelt one by one, not daring to lift their heads.
A bizarre scene unfolded as they knelt before Hu Ma. The raging wind that had approached seemed to spare them instantly, swirling over their heads and sweeping away the lingering ominous aura that had lingered in the village.
The remnants of objects carried by these spirits were also blown away by the wind, and even their ghostly bodies seemed lighter. The Mountain Lord's face beamed with joy as he gently opened his right sleeve, and countless spirits entered it.
Then, he slowly raised his sleeve, wiping his eyes. Despite his blurred features, a genuine look of delight appeared on his face.
"The Zhen Sui Hu Clan has a successor..."
"..."
"..."
Hula...
Not far from Stone Chest Village, within the Great Sheep Camp, a gust of eerie wind suddenly rose near the Old Fire Pit, causing the usually calm ash to swirl into the air.
Amidst the ash, a faint yin wind seemed to rise, even though it was noon and the sun shone brightly. This yin energy, however, seemed unaffected by the sunlight, gently following the wind and swirling above the fire pit, floating and swaying.
It seemed like an optical illusion, but within the wind, an old hunched figure resembling a grandmother appeared. She hovered above the Great Sheep Camp, gazing towards the Extinct Village, and nodded slightly.
Her face bore a relieved smile, mixed with anticipation and hesitation. After a long pause, she eventually followed the wind, drifting northward.
In the distant north, before an ancient and desolate grand tomb, stood ten ancient ancestral halls, each with a fire basin containing an eternal flame that illuminated the world.
Arranged in a circle, there were ten basins, and one of them had been extinguished for twenty years.
But at that moment, a faint firelight emerged from the basin, like a tender sprout, slowly growing brighter. Then, as if gathering strength for twenty years, it burst into a brilliant flame.
In an instant, it soared towards the sky, outshining the other nine basins, whose light paled in comparison. Even combined, they couldn't match the brilliance of this single flame.
"What?"
The tomb guardian was startled awake, his eyes fixed on the rising flame. After a moment, he reacted and rushed to the ancestral hall behind the fire basin, unlocking the heavy black door.
"Ka-ka-ka..."
A faint rattling sound filled the air as he focused on the rows of memorial tablets, noticing one at the bottom that seemed different in material and color, appearing newer and slightly trembling.
The guardian was shocked, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He shouted, "Quickly! Protect the soul and return it to the body! It's time for White Family Ancestor's ascension..."
"No..."
Before he could reach out with trembling hands to hold the tablet, a deep voice resonated from outside. A tall figure stood at the hall's entrance, slowly bowing and paying his respects.
After three bows, he spoke in a solemn tone, "Not the White Family Ancestor, but the Hu Family Ancestor."
"An orphan and a widow, a woman of the household, who never received the true teachings of the Hu Clan, shouldered the responsibility of passing on the Zhen Sui tradition with her aged shoulders. Now, her virtuous deeds are complete..."
"In this ancestral hall, who else is more worthy of being called a member of the Hu Clan than her?"
"..."
"..."
At that moment, in the Meng Clan's ancestral home, a maid was massaging the legs of a napping elderly woman, who suddenly woke up with cries of surprise. She rushed towards the ancestral hall, exclaiming, "What's happening?..."
"There was no news for one or two years, and now they're appearing one after another. Can't we have some peace?"
"..."
In other places, an old farmer working in the fields, a colorful-robed wanderer on the rivers and lakes, a herbalist collecting medicine in the deep mountains, a wealthy aristocrat meditating in a secluded room, and a lone law enforcer quietly burning incense in the government office, all looked up, their faces filled with astonishment and joy.
"This family truly hasn't perished..."
"Now that the Hu Clan has appeared, others no longer need to hide. It's time to enter the rivers and lakes and prepare for the Stone Pavilion Pact..."
(End of Chapter)
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