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Chapter 554: The Mountain Lord's Regret
Chapter 554: The Mountain Lord's Regret
"Everyone, get up!"
Gazing at the black sedan disappearing into the hazy mist, Hu Ma finally understood the gift his distant relative had brought him—a chilling, bone-piercing Yin Wind.
Taking a deep breath, he brandished his Executioner's Saber and shouted, his voice like thunder, waking up the sleeping soldiers around him. As they stirred, others were roused, and the entire army, kneeling on the ground, emerged from their daze and stood up, opening their eyes to a bewildered state.
They had just celebrated a great victory, even witnessing the Heaven's Will General trapped in the formation, about to be captured.
Why did they suddenly fall asleep? Now, as they looked again, the Truth Sect's troops had vanished, leaving only a bewildered crowd.
The recent charge and battle seemed like shadows lingering in a dream.
Looking at each other, they all had pale faces, and in their dreams, there was an image of a massive deity towering over Mingzhou City, looking down upon them, its might still lingering, suffocating them.
But now, as they looked towards Mingzhou, they couldn't even see the city, and the image seemed like an illusion.
What did this strange phenomenon signify?
"The real enemy of the Grain Protection Army has arrived..."
Amidst the crowd, Hu Ma sighed softly, then, after waking everyone up, he sheathed his sword and turned to the Seventh Aunt and Zhang Agu, saying, "I need to return to the mountains to report to that Nobleman. As for matters here, I entrust them to the two of you, the Reasoning and Inquiry Masters."
"Everything is determined by the heart. As long as we hold onto the principle of reason, there's nothing to fear."
"..."
Without further explanation, he strode away, quickly passing through the army. Even those nearby, like Yang Gong and Xu Clan Chief, Zhou Datong, and others, remained silent, exchanging glances.
"Hu..."
Yang Gong instinctively called out to stop him, but Xu Clan Chief grabbed his arm, "Don't call out, don't ask."
"Why?"
Yang Gong was still processing, "He's family..."
"Once you leave and enter the mountains, you're no longer part of the Jianghu."
Xu Clan Chief whispered, "You don't understand the rules of the Jianghu. You saw who it was, and I did too. Zhou Datong and the others saw it as well. Even Red Lantern Lady might know..."
"...Of course, she might not know either."
"But as long as he wears the mask, you can't acknowledge him. As long as he's masked, he's not our Red Lantern Society's Little Shopkeeper. This isn't pretending; it's our way of showing respect to the Nobleman in the mountains!"
After carefully reminding him, he sighed, "But now I understand why he asked me to help you."
"You, young man, are blessed..."
"..."
He clasped his fists towards the four directions and said, "Old friends, we followed the Grain Protection General to protect Red Lantern Lady's divine carriage. Now that the heretics of the Truth Sect have fled, isn't it time to go to the town and pay our respects to Red Lantern Lady?"
The various shopkeepers and the few officials, upon hearing this, agreed and escorted Yang Gong towards Red Gate Town.
Meanwhile, Hu Ma turned and strode away. Not long after, he borrowed the Heaven Measuring Boots, and his speed increased dramatically.
In the darkness, he moved like a divine being, and in an instant, he vanished from sight. Even Red Lantern Lady in Red Gate Town dared only to glance at him secretly before turning back to watch the confused young disciples.
Just then, the little head with pigtails poked into the temple again, "Hey, keep an eye on them..."
Red Lantern Lady shuddered, and in the red glow, she seemed to see a court-dressed lady bowing gently:
"I know..."
"..."
After leaving Red Gate Town, Hu Ma, with the help of the Heaven Measuring Boots, arrived at Old Yin Mountain in just one hour. This time, he didn't need to burn incense to summon the Mountain Lord, as the Mountain Lord's shadow quietly appeared beside him.
It was as if the Mountain Lord had been waiting at the edge of Old Yin Mountain all along, observing the events in Mingzhou and waiting for Hu Ma to come and speak with him:
"By now, you must have a clear understanding of the situation in Mingzhou, right?"
"..."
Seeing the Mountain Lord, Hu Ma turned and bowed halfway, and even this half-bow made the Mountain Lord frown.
Hu Ma said, "I knew they had a backup plan, so I didn't dare confront them until it was revealed. But I never imagined their backup plan would be so domineering. Isn't Mingzhou supposed to be your territory, blessed by incense offerings?"
"Not just Mingzhou, but also Gunzhou, Qingzhou, Guazhou... All thirteen states connected to Old Yin Mountain's destiny are my incense-blessed territories."
"But that was in the past, before the chaos. Twenty years ago, or even earlier, the Through Yin Meng Family visited me, and I refused. I didn't make things difficult for them, considering my age, but because of that, I lost my freedom..."
The Mountain Lord sighed softly, "Since then, I've been confined to this mountain."
"And since I can't leave, these thirteen states can be considered unclaimed territories. Some places have been claimed by the Meng Family, who appointed new Governor Deities and took over. Other places have been occupied, and I can't get them back.
"It seems that Mingzhou, nestled within the mountain range and too close to Old Yin Mountain, has given me some face by not directly sealing the Governor Deity within its borders."
"But now..."
A hint of bitter laughter crept into his voice, "Apparently, they no longer feel the need to maintain this pretense."
"Constrained and forced to hide in Old Yin Mountain..."
Hu Ma had heard the Mountain Lord speak of this before; many had their eyes on him, and his every move was restricted. Only now did he realize that the pressure on the Mountain Lord was even greater than he had imagined. After a moment's contemplation, he whispered, "But why has the Official Province Governor Deity come to Mingzhou?"
"Moreover, I took this opportunity to observe the Official Province Governor Deity's law image, and it seems...not quite pure."
The Mountain Lord listened and let out a soft sigh, as if feeling a sense of loss.
After a long while, he whispered, "If it were pure, how could the Official Province have fallen to such a state?"
"This Governor Deity was sealed alongside me, but even the Old Yin Mountain realm, despite its struggles, still holds onto some blessings. It can barely survive, but the Official Province has suffered consecutive disasters, and its fate has plummeted."
"The people face a dire situation, resorting to cannibalism. The Official Province Governor Deity has also accumulated sins, its golden body defiled. Now, it's not an exaggeration to say that it's a puppet of the Through Yin Meng Family..."
"However, with its status, it shouldn't be this easy for it to reach Mingzhou."
"The fact that it's here now means someone invited it. And the only one with the ability to invite the Official Province Governor Deity is the most skilled at summoning spirits and ghosts in the world—the Hu Family."
"..."
At this point, he paused slightly, but Hu Ma already understood. Taking a breath, he said, "The Hu Family."
His expression turned slightly cold, "Not only did they invite the Official Province Governor Deity to Mingzhou, but they also intend to use it to fill the deficiency of the Five Malefic Stars."
"Seeing that I didn't understand, they're now impatient. The Governor Deity has revealed itself, and three hundred thousand Hungry Ghost Army has entered Mingzhou. They're making it clear that they don't want to waste words and plan to turn Mingzhou into another Official Province."
"Yes."
The Mountain Lord nodded slowly, "Mingzhou's fate concerns you, me, and even the Grain Protection Army. But they don't seem to care."
"They understand that you've taken over the Pacifying Evil Office, and your hideout is in Mingzhou. With the arrival of the Governor Deity and the Hungry Ghost Army, Mingzhou's blessings will be completely destroyed. You have a heavy destiny, strong fate, but shallow blessings. If this happens..."
Hu Ma sighed softly, "I can't stay here any longer."
The Mountain Lord nodded slightly and whispered, "This is a true Family Annihilation Plan. If they can't persuade you to listen, they'll force you to move. Perhaps they know they can't stop you from taking over the Pacifying Evil Office, so they're making their move now, right after you've taken charge..."
Hu Ma understood. Smiling, he said, "They're taking advantage of my inexperience and trying to fool me into using the jade seal to crack walnuts."
The Mountain Lord was momentarily stunned and laughed, "It's a bit presumptuous, but a good analogy."
Hu Ma also sighed, "But I must admit, when they set up that altar and invited the Governor Deity, I did get angry and almost smashed the Evil Suppressing Mace at them."
The Mountain Lord glanced at Hu Ma, "You saw through their tricks and didn't fall for them. You deserve praise for your improved discernment."
'It's not a matter of discernment...'
Hu Ma smiled bitterly in his heart. He could endure this because he knew the Meng Family was behind the scenes, and having this information advantage, he had to be cautious in dealing with the distant cousin of the Hu Clan.
The Mountain Lord, unaware of Hu Ma's prior knowledge, continued, "Regardless, the altar in Mingzhou and the entry of the Hungry Ghosts are both paths to destroy fate and sever blessings. You should consider this carefully."
"I have an idea."
Hu Ma nodded slightly and asked the Mountain Lord, "Will you come out of seclusion?"
"Hmm?"
The Mountain Lord paused, then whispered, "Logically, I should help you to counter the Official Province Governor Deity, but they've likely anticipated this."
"Additionally, I must remain in the mountains to guard something even more important."
"..."
Hu Ma had already guessed this, and the Mountain Lord's hesitation didn't affect his mood. Instead, it dispelled his last doubts, and he laughed, "You don't need to worry, just sit high and watch the grand spectacle."
"..."
As he spoke, Hu Ma slowly stood up and smiled at the Mountain Lord, "Not only that, but you once said you didn't want the calamity of war to fall upon Mingzhou. Rest assured, I've kept those words in my heart."
Upon hearing this, even the Mountain Lord was stunned, his expression filled with emotion. The shadow on the stump slowly rose and bowed to Hu Ma, "Thank you, Master of the Evil Suppressing Hu Family..."
Hu Ma hurriedly stepped back. This old fellow usually didn't accept his greetings, but now he was bowing to him?
(End of Chapter)
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