Chapter 59: The Challenge for Power
Chapter 59: The Challenge for Power
The atmosphere suddenly turned oppressive, and the children around them looked on with fear and worry.
Xu Ji, the young master in the brocade robe, wasn't yet in charge, but to the apprentices, he might as well have been. The shopkeeper rarely showed his face, and when it came to the big and small matters of the entire manor, who else but Xu Ji had the final say?
Who would dare offend him and risk being sent back home? Whether they came from the town or the village, getting into the Red Lantern Society to learn skills and earn a living was no small feat, requiring great effort from their families.
If they were sent back, they might as well not live at all.
Moreover, Young Master Xu Ji himself was highly skilled. He knew every technique the shopkeeper taught, far surpassing the other apprentices. If it came to a real fight, it would be a tough battle.
"Big Brother, they're about to fight..."
At the same time, in the inner courtyard where the old shopkeeper resided, a lamp burned on the table in the hall. In a large vat filled with medicinal herbs, a pale-faced girl sat, only her head above the water, speaking anxiously.
"Hmm, let them fight!"
The old shopkeeper held a strange piece of meat, squeezing the blood out of it bit by bit, his face cold.
"They will fight sooner or later. They're young and full of spirit. If they don't fight, I'd think the new apprentices lack the fighting spirit!"
"Let them fight well. Only by showing their true abilities will we know who is reliable!"
"..."
"..."
Hu Ma prepared for the fight, his eyes occasionally glancing at his opponent's waist.
He knew that Xu Ji's most formidable weapon was the old relic he carried.
He had learned that these old relics were prized possessions for those who dealt with evil spirits regularly.
The guardians of the New Year, the ghost hunters, or other skilled masters, when fighting evil spirits and monsters, relied not only on their own abilities but also on tools and weapons. These tools, once used by them, became old relics.
These items, chosen for their effectiveness against evil spirits, absorbed the users' auras over years of use, making them more powerful.
In short, the longer and more powerful the user, the more potent the relic.
Of course, while old relics were effective against evil spirits, they had limited impact on humans, which was why Hu Ma dared to challenge Xu Ji.
In terms of skill, Hu Ma was far superior to Xu Ji. His strength was robust, and the techniques taught by Second Master were well-practiced. Even if he had to hold back some of his abilities, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
Just as he was ready, and even began to channel his power, Xu Ji stared at him intently. After a long moment, seeing that Hu Ma had no intention of backing down, he sneered, "From some broken village, and you're so arrogant."
"If you want a beating, I'll give you one."
"But don't disturb the old shopkeeper, and don't delay the Red Lantern Lady's night patrol."
"..."
He lifted the hem of his robe and turned to leave, but then turned back to Hu Ma, "If you have the guts, tomorrow afternoon, we'll go outside the town, to the willow tree by the ditch, and have a proper match. Bring all your skills."
The apprentices looked at each other in surprise. They weren't going to fight?
"This guy is all bark and no bite, even less useful than I thought."
Hu Ma thought to himself. Seeing Xu Ji about to leave, he spoke up, "I don't want to argue with you, but we all came to the Red Lantern Society from different places to gain knowledge, learn skills, and earn some money."
"You've been here a few days longer, and you arrange the night patrols and drills. I have no issue with that, but at least be fair so that everyone feels satisfied."
"Why should we have to buy you wine and meat just to get a turn at the night patrol?"
"..."
The apprentices were taken aback, stunned into silence.
At first, they thought Hu Ma was backing down, but as he continued, they realized he was speaking their minds.
Not just those from Dayang Village, but those from other places had also suffered from his exploitation.
Even if they didn't dare say it out loud, they certainly didn't feel satisfied.
"Humph!"
Xu Ji's expression suddenly changed, and he glared at Hu Ma, "Tomorrow, don't be afraid."
Then he turned to the others, "What are you standing around for?"
"Who's on night patrol? Get going!"
"..."
The apprentices were startled and hurriedly picked up their lanterns, setting off quickly.
...
Hu Ma also relaxed and returned to the manor. According to the original schedule, he was supposed to feed the horses that night, but he ignored it and went straight to his room.
This provocation and challenge were well-planned. Second Master had already decided to take action. While he could wait until Young Master Xu Ji lost his backing, by then, the effect would be much less.
He had to stand up when the other side was at the height of their power and say the right words to achieve his goal.
"Brother Hu Ma, are you sure you can beat him?"
Zhou Datong ran back, his face full of concern.
Hu Ma smiled, "You dared to start trouble without knowing if I can beat him?"
"Got anything to be afraid of?"
Zhou Datong said, "Before I came, my grandpa told me that while I can be mischievous, I'm just a chaotic troublemaker with no brains. But you're different. You're cunning, lazy, and greedy, with a twisted personality that won't let you take a loss."
"Even though you look just as bad, you're the smart kind of bad."
"So he kept reminding me, over and over, to listen to you once we're out here. Whatever happens, we face it together..."
"..."
"How am I supposed to tell if that's a compliment or an insult?"
Hu Ma shook his head and looked at the other two, Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu.
These two, who came from Dayang Village, were simple and honest, not saying much, but they had stepped up when needed.
Seeing Hu Ma’s gaze, they said, "We don’t care about anything else. We’re all from the same village."
The simple and straightforward boys from the village...
Hu Ma couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He smiled at the two and said, "Right, if there’s trouble, we’ll face it together. If there’s good fortune, we’ll share it."
"Brother Hu Ma, you... you can’t beat him..."
Just then, a hesitant voice came from outside the door. It was Li Waizi, leaning against the door, speaking cautiously.
Zhou Datong, seeing him, immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "Get out! Aren’t you close with them?"
"Take your bedding and go sleep with them!"
"..."
Li Waizi’s eyes welled up with tears, unable to speak.
But seeing him like that, not just Zhou Datong, but even Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu ignored him.
The boys from the village were straightforward and honest, their thoughts simple and direct.
The next day, after the apprentices woke up, they went about their tasks as usual, following Xu Ji’s arrangements. But their minds were preoccupied with Hu Ma’s challenge to the well-dressed youth, and they were somewhat distracted.
In their hearts, they all thought Hu Ma would surely lose; the gap was too great.
These few boys from Dayang Village were truly poor, and they had only managed to scrape together one knife among them.
Xu Ji, on the other hand, not only wore fine clothing and carried old treasures, but his two followers were also quite wealthy.
But they also felt that if Hu Ma dared to challenge him, he must have some confidence. Besides, he was speaking up for everyone.
Amidst this undercurrent of tension, Xu Ji became even stricter with the apprentices, loudly scolding them for not cleaning properly or doing a good job.
But Hu Ma was an exception. He didn’t show up all day. After lunch, he got up, borrowed a knife from Zhou Datong, tucked it under his arm, and left the compound without a word to anyone.
"Is he really going?"
The apprentices were suddenly excited, exchanging glances, all somewhat surprised.
Xu Ji, watching Hu Ma’s back, only sneered. He deliberately took his time finishing his meal, chatting and laughing with his two followers, and even went to the inner courtyard to speak with the old innkeeper, seeming completely unconcerned. This calm demeanor made people secretly worry about Hu Ma even more.
With their minds preoccupied, the apprentices couldn’t focus on their work. They quickly finished their tasks, fearing they might miss the chance, and sneaked out of the compound.
When they reached the edge of the town, they saw Hu Ma standing under a willow tree, holding his knife.
His calm and composed demeanor earned him a newfound respect, and the apprentices began to have more confidence in him.
As the sun began to set, more than half of the apprentices had gathered, anxiously waiting for the agreed-upon duel.
But after half an hour, Xu Ji still hadn’t shown up.
After an hour, there was still no sign of anyone from the compound.
Just as the sun was about to set and the apprentices were getting impatient, a fellow apprentice who had gone back to check ran over, out of breath, with an indescribable look of surprise: "Young Master Xu... Xu Ji can’t come..."
The apprentices were stunned, and Hu Ma, standing under the willow tree, also looked over.
The apprentice, anxious, explained, "He said something urgent came up, and he went straight to the manager to take leave and returned to the city..."
"Ah?"
Everyone was bewildered: "What could be so urgent? We had a deal..."
"He didn’t say. He just got really nervous and ran off..."
"..."
Suddenly, the area fell silent. The apprentices looked at each other, hardly able to believe it.
"Since he’s not coming, let’s just forget it."
It was only then that Hu Ma, knife in hand, walked back and said to the stunned apprentices, "There’s still a lot of work to do at the compound. Don’t just stand here."
"Datong, Zhao Zhu, Zhou Liang, and you, you, and you, you guys, come with me for the night watch."
"You, you, and you, you’ll be cutting hay and feeding the horses, and make sure the yard is clean."
"You few, take care of the kitchen. The old innkeeper’s soup needs to be ready on time, not too cold, and not too hot."
"..."
Seeing him assign tasks, the apprentices were momentarily at a loss.
After a moment, Zhou Datong shouted in agreement, and the others suddenly understood, nodding in agreement with Hu Ma’s arrangements.
Hu Ma led the way back to the compound, silently thinking to himself, "With this lantern in hand, I’m one step closer to becoming a guardian."
(End of Chapter)
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