Chapter 62: Night of Exorcism
Chapter 62: Night of Exorcism
Xu Jifu must have paid a steep price, as the old innkeeper was clearly favoring him.
First, Hu Ma had already been promised the position, but now it had turned into a competition between two people, with the winner taking all.
Second, the old innkeeper’s challenge was to rid the village of a powerful malevolent spirit.
Everyone in the village knew that Xu Jifu had an ancient artifact, a powerful weapon against malevolent spirits. How could anyone compete with him?
"The old fox wants to curry favor and appear generous at the same time..."
Hu Ma thought to himself. It seemed that Xu Jifu had offered something so valuable that even the old innkeeper couldn’t resist. And the gifts Hu Ma had given him were also precious, making it hard for the old innkeeper to return them. So, he had devised this difficult challenge.
But what could Hu Ma do now?
It was too late to seek help from his friend Ergoutou.
Moreover, Hu Ma knew that favors were hard to come by. His friend had already helped him by removing Xu Jifu’s background, which had given him a fighting chance. Without that help, a poor boy from the village would have had no chance against a wealthy young master with connections.
Asking for more help would only create a debt rather than repay one.
Now, Hu Ma had to find a way on his own.
If all else failed, he would have to swallow his pride and ask Ergoutou for advice.
As Hu Ma pondered this, walking out of the inner courtyard, Xu Jifu was acting unusually. He wore a cold smile and strode quickly.
Once he stepped out of the inner gate, he called loudly to the servants’ quarters, “Huzi, Dalong, come out! Gather a few trusted brothers and follow me on an important task.”
“Upon our return, I will—”
“...thank you!”
He almost said he would reward them, but thinking of his own situation, he forced himself to say “thank you” instead.
“Huh?”
The servants, who had been curious about what had happened in the inner courtyard, immediately rushed out at his call.
Xu Jifu’s two lackeys were both surprised and delighted by his confident demeanor.
It seemed that the old Xu Jifu had returned, meaning they could once again rely on him to live comfortably, without having to walk on eggshells.
“He’s going out at night?”
Hu Ma was also taken aback by this.
At dusk, the boundary between yin and yang became porous. Living people and malevolent spirits went their separate ways.
These spirits were already terrifying, and at night, they became even more dangerous than living beings.
Moreover, this was a test for two people, not a routine night patrol. Normally, they carried red lanterns to borrow the power of the Lady of the Red Lantern. This time, they would have to rely solely on their own abilities, which would significantly increase the risk.
As he thought, he suddenly realized something.
Perhaps Xu Jifu’s advantage wasn’t just the ancient artifact.
He might know what they were up against and had already made preparations...
...Damn, he even leaked the details of the challenge?
Hu Ma’s mind raced, but he quickly made a decision. Seeing them eagerly gathering people, he deliberately called out, “Young Master Xu Jifu, why such a hurry?”
“The old innkeeper has given us this difficult task. Whoever can rid the village of the malevolent spirit will become the overseer and learn skills from the old man. It’s natural to be eager to complete it...”
“But leading them on a dangerous night mission, what if something goes wrong? How will you explain it to their families?”
“...”
“Exorcise a malevolent spirit?”
“Whoever wins becomes the overseer?”
The servants in the outer courtyard were shocked upon hearing this.
They now understood that this conversation would determine the future of the two men.
Many of them were suddenly afraid when they heard about the night exorcism.
“Ha, if you don’t have the courage, why be a guardian of the New Year?”
Xu Jifu immediately understood Hu Ma’s intention and played along.
He shouted loudly, then looked at the others, pulling out a wooden sword from his waist and holding it up, saying, “This Bloodwood Sword grew from an ancient tree that accompanied the Blood Tai Sui. It has been used by a wandering ghost hunter for many years and is the most effective weapon against malevolent spirits...”
“With this sword, who cares if it’s day or night? Can’t I slay a malevolent spirit?”
“Brothers, I need you to give me some moral support. Who’s willing to go with me? After we return, I will—”
“...”
He paused for a moment, then firmly said, “Give him a pound of Green Food!”
Green Food was Green Tai Sui, and the young men were both surprised and delighted to hear this. How many silver coins would that be worth?
They already had faith in Xu Jifu’s abilities, having seen him train and witnessed his prowess when he exorcised the old Yellow Weasel. Now, seeing him with the ancient artifact and brimming with confidence, and offering such a generous reward, they eagerly agreed.
Even Li Wazi, who was among the crowd, hesitated, his eyes scanning Xu Ji and the two lackeys standing beside him, unsure whether to step forward.
For a while now, he had been hoping to mend ties with his old friends from Dayang Village. Unfortunately, the people from Dayang were simple and straightforward, and they couldn't accept someone like him who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
Ever since Hu Ma took charge, his position had become extremely awkward.
Seeing the crowd arguing and lighting torches, about to rush out, he finally steeled his heart and followed them.
This decision left the village with only a fraction of its original inhabitants. Only three of his friends from Dayang Village and a few truly timid souls who dared not venture out at night remained.
"Hu Ma, don't be afraid, let's go too..."
Zhou Datong, growing increasingly nervous, urged Hu Ma, "This is such an important matter; how can we not take a chance?"
He wasn't the only one. Zhou Liang and Zhaozhu also quietly steeled themselves.
No one was eager to go out in the dead of night to face evil spirits, but the future was at stake, and no one could afford to hesitate.
"We can't go," Hu Ma said firmly. "We haven't honed our skills, and we don't know what we're dealing with. We'd just be walking into a trap!"
Seeing their anxiety, Hu Ma had an idea. He quickly returned to his small room, gathered a few items, and turned to Zhou Datong.
"Lend me your knife. I'll go check it out myself!"
"..."
"Ah?"
Zhou Datong handed over the knife but clearly wanted to join.
Hu Ma took the knife without further explanation. He gazed out at the pitch-black night, where even the hand in front of his face was invisible. With a deep breath, he grabbed a straw hat from the wall, put it on, and, knife in hand, strode out of the village.
By now, Xu Ji and the others, driven by urgency and the light of their torches, had already left the village.
To avoid being noticed, Hu Ma only used the faint starlight to guide his steps, taking cautious, uneven strides toward the northwest.
As he left the village, the surroundings grew eerily silent. Even the torches of Xu Ji's group were barely visible in the distance. The vast, dark wilderness stretched out before him, the distant mountains almost indiscernible.
Hu Ma took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of the inner furnace in his abdomen, which gave him the courage to continue.
Once he was well outside the village, where no one was in sight, he took out a stick of incense from his chest, lit it with a flint, and held it in his hand as he continued walking. Soon, he felt a tug on his clothes and looked down to see Xiaohongtang.
She tilted her head, curious, "Brother Hu Ma, why did you bring Xiaohongtang along?"
In the middle of the night, with no one around, the sudden grip of a small ghost on his clothes should have been terrifying, but it filled Hu Ma with a sense of security.
Hu Ma smiled at her, making a shushing gesture, and whispered, "We have an important task to do."
"Then I'll give you some green food afterward..."
"Okay..."
Xiaohongtang's disappointment at not getting red food was quickly replaced by excitement at the mention of green food. Her eyes lit up. "How much?"
Hu Ma steeled himself and said, "A piece as big as a chicken leg. Is that enough?"
"Enough, enough..."
Xiaohongtang's mouth watered, and she hurried to follow Hu Ma, her little legs moving as fast as they could.
...
...
Back in the village, the old shopkeeper in the inner courtyard sat beside an eight-legged table, the dim light of an oil lamp illuminating a tightly wrapped packet in his hands. Inside were four or five bright red, pill-like objects.
Up close, the strong, pungent smell of blood was unmistakable.
He examined the blood pills several times before sighing softly, "Old Xu has been making offerings for so long; he does have some savings."
"Unfortunately, his greed and corruption have displeased the incense master. Now that he's fallen, no one dares to associate with his family. If he weren't so desperate, he wouldn't have given me such valuable items."
"He must realize that if he's fallen, his son will have to learn my methods and become a Year-Guardian to protect him."
"..."
"Boss, so who will you choose?"
From inside the room, a faint splashing sound came from the girl in the vat, her voice weak.
"Ha, one has a clean background, acts appropriately, and has offered me a valuable treasure. The other, on the brink of ruin, has given me the best items from his family's stash and even recognized me as his godfather, swearing to take care of me in my old age..."
The old shopkeeper chuckled. "How can I choose?"
"Let's see who has the greater ability, then..."
(End of Chapter)
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