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Chapter 531: The No Beef Decree
Chapter 531: The No Beef Decree
"It has indeed begun..."
In the quiet of the night, everyone in the camp was asleep, but Hu Ma secretly brought Little Red Tang and quietly left the camp. Using the power of the Measure Heaven Boots, they traveled over a hundred li to the outskirts of Old Yin Mountain, reaching an abandoned graveyard that was now deserted.
He sat cross-legged between the dilapidated graves, intently listening to the sounds of the wind and the faint wails of ghosts, seemingly in deep concentration.
At times, to listen more carefully, he would even lean his head against the grave markers.
Little Red Tang squatted beside him, her small hands supporting her chin, wondering why he didn't stay in the camp to farm or sleep in the house. Every other day, he would come to this graveyard to listen to something.
She noticed that sometimes he would frown, and other times he would look solemn, sitting there for a long time before slowly standing up, his face showing that he had found the answer. He then led Little Red Tang out of the graveyard.
"What are you doing, Brother Hu Ma?"
Only when they were far away from the graves did Little Red Tang tilt her head and ask curiously.
"Listening to the graves."
Hu Ma explained to her, "This is our family's practice. We can hear the wails of ghosts from the graves. These graves belong to the deceased from Bright State Prefecture. By listening carefully to their voices, we can understand the current situation in Bright State Prefecture. Just like these past few days, I've noticed that the resentful voices in the wind are becoming heavier."
Little Red Tang clearly didn't understand, "And then?"
"The heavier the resentment, the more it indicates that outsiders are not following the rules and are becoming increasingly excessive. Not only are the living suffering, but even the dead of Bright State Prefecture can no longer tolerate them..."
Hu Ma patiently explained, knowing that Little Red Tang wouldn't understand, "And as this resentment grows, we will soon encounter their wrath..."
Thinking about the ghostly wails he had heard in the graveyard that night, even though he rarely used this skill from the Zhen sui Book, he could still clearly sense the difference between tonight's voices and those from the previous days.
He sighed softly, knowing that the time was almost right.
Once they reached a secluded spot, he summoned the Measure Heaven Boots again and quickly brought Little Red Tang back to the camp. Then, in his small thatched cottage, he lit a special incense and patiently waited while sipping tea.
Sure enough, in the middle of the night, a gust of yin wind blew in from outside, and a small ghost wearing a red official robe that was a size too small, with two wings on its head, entered the room.
It walked in a square pattern, its hands behind its back, and upon seeing Hu Ma sitting in the chair, it immediately approached and bowed respectfully.
"Oh, Ghost Envoy Douguan, paying respects to Master."
"I've heard so much about you from Auntie, and now that I see you in person, Master, you are indeed handsome and awe-inspiring. Seeing you, Ghost Envoy Douguan feels refreshed and his mind becomes sharper. Meeting you for the first time, I have nothing to offer but to bow deeply to you..."
"..."
"What on earth is this?"
Hu Ma was momentarily stunned by what he heard. The incense he burned was given to him by Immortal Miao Shan, and when lit, it could summon her little ghostly envoy to convey messages.
But why was this ghost raised by Immortal Miao Shan so peculiar?
He composed himself and said, "I've been back from Stone Horse Town for some time now. How is it there?"
"Not good."
The little Ghost Envoy Douguan replied, "The Lantern Festival is over, and after waiting for some time, no one has come to seek revenge. Immortal Miao Shan thought she could relax, having accomplished a great feat. She didn't want to stay there and keep guarding."
"Senior Brother tried to persuade her, saying that they had made a good start and should continue their work there. Auntie then asked Senior Brother what else needed to be done, and he patiently told her about this and that..."
"He said a lot, and I didn't quite understand it either. It just made me feel annoyed."
"Immortal Miao Shan understood even less and felt more annoyed. She complained that Senior Brother only spoke in confusing terms, unlike our Sect Leader Master, who speaks clearly and doesn't boss people around. If there's something to be done, he just takes care of it himself..."
"Senior Brother couldn't argue with her and left in frustration, sighing that everything was fate. Fortunately, No Beef had learned to hedge his bets from the start, or else nothing would have been accomplished."
"..."
'Indeed, a professional rebellion like this cannot accommodate amateurs like Immortal Miao Shan...'
Hu Ma couldn't help but shake his head as he listened. He turned to the little ghost and said, "I summoned you here because I have a message for you to deliver."
"I know about the situation in Stone Horse Town, and you don't need to be afraid. No one will come looking for trouble there in the short term. If they want to make a big move, they'll need to wait for a good opportunity. Right now, Bright State Prefecture is quite lively..."
"Tell her to send a message to No Beef's disciples. If they have free time, they should come and join the fun. Also..."
As he spoke, he paused for a moment, weighing his words, and said in a low voice, "And let her know that the head I left in Stone Horse Town should be brought back as well. It's time for it to return to its original owner."
"..."
"Understood, understood!"
The ghost, who looked like a little adult, hurriedly bowed and said, "When I deliver this message, Immortal Miao Shan will be overjoyed."
"She has been longing to serve by your side and learn from you. There's something I should not say as a ghostly envoy, but since you are not an outsider, I believe you won't blame me..."
"Our Immortal Miao Shan, although nearing thirty and still unmarried, has long prepared her dowry—three loads of gold and ten loads of silver, a generous amount..."
"..."
"No, this is not something a little ghostly envoy like you should worry about."
"Hu Ma found the situation absurd. Yu Yan looked up, and just then, Xiao Hong Tang also poked her head out, listening to the little Ghost Envoy's detailed explanation, clearly broadening her horizons. She quickly waved her hand and said, "There's no need to spread unnecessary rumors. I'm afraid you won't remember it accurately..."
As she spoke, she took a piece of paper with pre-written content and pulled out a seal from her bosom.
It was the wordless seal that had fallen from the old elm tree when they left Stone Horse Town. There were leftover mulberries on the table beside her, and she pressed the seal onto one of the mulberries, leaving an impression on the paper, which she then handed to the little Ghost Envoy.
Only then did she extend her hand, and Xiao Hong Tang reluctantly passed the jar to her. Hu Ma reached into the jar and took out a piece of Blood Food, offering it to the little Ghost Envoy as a reward.
But the little Ghost Envoy didn't take it. Instead, he tilted his head to examine it and asked, "Master, how much is this worth?"
"?"
The little Ghost Envoy wanted a reward, and he was even asking about the quantity?
Hu Ma found this bizarre. He weighed it in his hand and said, "About one tael? Do you think it's too little?"
"No, no..."
The little Ghost Envoy was touched. He immediately knelt down and said, "Master, you're so generous with your reward. Let me bow deeply to you."
"But I won't accept this reward. I'll go back and tell my aunt that you rewarded me with one tael of Blood Food, but I didn't take it. This will make my aunt proud. Seeing how obedient I am, she'll surely give me two taels or even more. That would be a better deal..."
"..."
After saying this, he took the paper with the wordless seal on it, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed it. Then he bowed and said, "Master, I'm off!"
As he spoke, a gust of yin wind blew, and he drifted out of the house. In a daze, he disappeared into the night.
"No..."
Hu Ma was a bit confused after the little ghost left. "Miao Shan Immortal is so pure..."
"How did she end up with such a smart little Ghost Envoy?"
"..."
Unconsciously, he glanced at Xiao Hong Tang on the beam and secretly reflected on her behalf. It was a pity...
When it came to intelligence, their Xiao Hong Tang had dropped a notch.
After delivering this letter, Hu Ma felt a bit more relaxed. He slowly walked out, pondering: This was the first time he had summoned the No Beef Sect disciples. It was hard to say how lively it would be. He wasn't entirely sure if the plan he had in mind would achieve the desired effect.
How should he put it? After calculating everything, at most, he had an eighty percent chance of success.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
As he was thinking, suddenly, a head popped out from behind the short wall next to him.
It was the second uncle, who had drunk too much and came out to relieve himself. He saw Hu Ma strolling in the courtyard.
He hurriedly smiled and said, "I've slept too much. Time to stretch my legs..."
"Okay, but you don't do farm work. Are you sure you're not sleeping too much?"
The second uncle finished relieving himself and said, "But you've been back for so long, and we still haven't left?"
"?"
Hu Ma was surprised. When he had just returned, the second uncle was overjoyed, hoping he would stay in the camp every day.
But after only seven days, he was already urging him to leave, and he seemed to find fault with everything Hu Ma did.
"I've barely had a few days of rest since returning. Are you tired of me already?"
"..."
"It's not that. You're still young and capable, but you stay in the village without going out. People are talking!"
The second uncle said, "I tell them that you're now in charge of the Blood Food Mine, but they hardly believe it. They only see you staying in the camp every day, as if you're being driven out by the Blood Food Mine."
"That's fine, too..."
Hu Ma sighed helplessly and said, "I should leave in the next day or two. There's still a bit of a tricky matter I haven't figured out yet. Second Uncle, distant relatives have come to take advantage. What do you think I should do?"
"This kind of thing?"
The second uncle was caught off guard by the question. He thought for a moment and said, "How should we handle it? We should first see what they've brought."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma hadn't expected this answer and quickly asked, "What do you mean?"
The second uncle said, "You said they're distant relatives, and you don't usually visit each other, right? Since they've come all this way, it wouldn't be polite if they didn't bring something, would it?"
"..."
Hearing these words, Hu Ma felt enlightened and sincerely praised, "Second Uncle, you're brilliant..."
As they were talking, in the dark night, a sudden gust of malicious wind blew outside the camp. The wind was abrupt, as if it had blown directly from the other side of the mountain. It even carried a hint of bloodlust and the sounds of fighting.
The second uncle, who had just finished relieving himself, was startled by this strange gust of wind. He looked around in bewilderment, wondering where this strange wind had come from.
"They're here?"
Hu Ma suddenly raised his head and looked at the gloomy night sky, saying softly, "They're a day or two earlier than I expected. Brother Yang Gong, you didn't disappoint me..."
(End of Chapter)
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