Chapter 631: The Gate of Hell Opens
Chapter 631: The Gate of Hell Opens
Hu Ma and Erguotou patiently waited in the small courtyard until evening, without even a sip of tea. Only when night fell did the coarse-clothed maid come out and lead them in.
Inside, a straw mat was already laid out, with a basket of joss paper money, four weights, a pile of fresh citronella leaves, a basin of cool water, and white talismans covered in strange writings arranged nearby.
"You two, come over and sit down!"
The nursemaid, draped in a cloth robe, stood up, revealing her emaciated body with deep-set eyes.
Erguotou surveyed the scene and said with a smile, "Nursemaid, let me, the little brother, go down alone."
"I still need to wait up here to receive him when he returns!"
"..."
The old nursemaid gave Erguotou a chilling glance, saying little. She recognized him as an experienced wanderer.
In unfamiliar territory, it was common to worry about being stranded below and unable to return when asking someone to guide you. However, having someone above to watch over prevented such tricks, and she had seen it all, finding nothing surprising.
She merely glanced at Hu Ma coldly and said, "Then you come and sit down."
Hu Ma nodded and sat on the straw mat in front of her. The old nursemaid pushed his shoulder, making him face the door.
Then, she turned to Erguotou and said, "Since you're not going down, wait outside. I have something to say!"
Erguotou remained unconcerned and obediently left with a giggle.
The old nursemaid closed the door, and with the oil lamp behind her, only a faint light fell into Hu Ma's eyes, leaving him in darkness. He heard the old nursemaid approach from his left and speak coldly, "The time is almost here. What are you going down there for?"
"If there's someone you can't let go of, separated by life and death, or if there's something you haven't made clear, or if there's a grudge or debt, I can bring the person up for you to speak a few words."
"..."
In truth, Hu Ma knew her well, and upon hearing this, he smiled, "Old lady, rest assured, it's not about debts or grudges."
"I just have something to do down there and will be back soon. I won't trouble you."
"..."
The old nursemaid scoffed and said, "How deep do you plan to go?"
Hu Ma thought for a moment, "At least deeper than the Ghost Gate."
"Then you'll need a ten-catty weight!"
The old nursemaid grunted, "You were brought by Young Master Xia, so we can't refuse to help. But remember, if the Soul Guide sees this, it'll be big trouble."
"If something happens to you, I can't escape. If something happens to me, you can't escape either. So, you must follow my instructions, or else..."
As she spoke, she suddenly stepped close to Hu Ma, lifting her clothes and revealing deep, rotting, and greenish-blue poisonous sores all over her lower back.
The sight was shocking and frightening.
"I got these last time when I helped someone and was seen by the Ghost Official. He came and beat me."
The old nursemaid coldly smiled, "This time, you know the risk you're taking, right?"
Hu Ma sighed, "Thank you, nursemaid. But rest assured, I've prepared a Silk Titan to draw out your poison. And the brother accompanying me has a hereditary skill for removing chicken eyes... treating poison sores. He'll surely take good care of you!"
"Just don't owe me!"
The old nursemaid didn't say more. She put down her clothes, and the maid brought the oil lamp back to its place. The old nursemaid then took the joss paper money from the basket beside Hu Ma.
Some were shaped like ingots, while others were cut into copper coins, evenly scattered around Hu Ma in a circle. She then picked up two weights and tied them to Hu Ma's feet with hemp ropes.
She instructed the maid to bring the basin of clear water, and she gave Hu Ma an unlit white lantern and a silent black bell on her right wrist. She also tied a bundle of citronella leaves and said, "The money is for you to use down there, the lantern for light, and the bell to find you. Take them."
"After the paper money is burned, I'll open the door. Walk forward and don't look back."
"When the weights feel light, stop. If someone calls you on the way, don't turn around."
"Turning back means trouble."
"After you go down, hurry. The Soul Guides patrol every half-hour. I'll let you go down after they pass, and you must return before they complete their round."
"It's simple. Shake the bell and bow towards the top. When I get the signal, I'll lower a belt. Grab it and climb up."
"..."
Hu Ma listened carefully, nodding gravely.
As the man complied, the old nursemaid seemed somewhat satisfied, her face dark and unsmiling. She ordered a maid to place a chicken cage next to Hu Ma and watch over it.
The rooster had been keeping its head down, but after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, it suddenly lifted its head as if sensing something, its eyes filled with caution.
The old nursemaid quickly lit a fire, burning the spirit money beside Hu Ma. As the spirit money burned rapidly, the maid nearby, who had been holding a bowl of clear water, poured it over Hu Ma's head.
"Don't breathe!"
A surge of Yin Qi descended from above, causing even the living to instinctively gasp, but the nursemaid sternly warned against it.
The next moment, Hu Ma felt a citronella leaf pat on his head, and a voice from behind said, "The gate of the Underworld opens, and you've come uninvited. Go down!"
Upon hearing these words, Hu Ma immediately rushed forward.
His vision was pitch-black, with only a dark human-shaped figure ahead, which was actually the wooden door of the house, its light blocked by his own body, creating a human-shaped shadow.
As he rushed forward, he should have collided with the door, but to his surprise, his body passed through, and he found himself outside the house.
Remembering the old nursemaid's words, he neither turned back nor looked around; he just kept running with his head down.
Both his feet were tied with weights, making him feel as if he were sinking into the ground, which was made of soil and shouldn't have been sinking. Yet, he continued to run, feeling as if he were on a never-ending steep slope, with the howling wind in his ears as he plunged into darkness.
The sound of his running, the actor's lines, sobbing, crying, the sound of chewing flesh, and the tearing of bones all mixed together, piercing through the cold wind that brushed past his ears, occasionally drilling into the depths of his heart.
In the corner of his eye, he seemed to see strange and bizarre things crawling and twisting beside him in the darkness, each different from the other, as if a thousand people were speaking at once, all vying for his attention:
"You lost your silver! Quick, look, look..."
"You have such a good wife at home, and you're willing to leave her?"
"You haven't spent all your money, and your child hasn't grown up yet. How dare you come here?"
"Turn back, turn back! Once you pass through the Ghost Gate, you'll be dead, and the colorful world will no longer be yours..."
"..."
These voices seemed to have some intricate and mysterious quality, but Hu Ma paid them no heed, continuing to walk forward.
The deeper he went, the deeper the weights on his feet sank, until he was in a dark and eerie place, unsure of his surroundings.
The lantern in his hand, which had never been lit, began to glow faintly.
...
...
"Creak..."
At that moment, the Second Pot Head, who had been sitting in the courtyard to cool off, saw the tightly closed wooden door suddenly open, and the faint light from the oil lamp inside shone out.
The old nursemaid, draped in a black cloth robe, emerged with a sinister air and extended her palm towards the Second Pot Head, "The person has been sent down. Thirty jin of Silk Titan, take it!"
"Huh?"
The Second Pot Head was clearly startled, "But you said twenty jin of Silk Titan, plus our special medicine for poisonous sores..."
"Don't bother. Our sores are a punishment. Who broke the rules of the Soul Guide officials?"
The old nursemaid said sinisterly, "The customer gave us the Silk Titan, and that's enough."
"Don't be stingy. That young man looks young, and he'll be scared when he gets down there. He needs my help. What if he gets scared and runs around down there, and I can't find him? We might lose such a big person."
"..."
"Huh?"
The Second Pot Head looked even more surprised, his face filled with fear, "How much silver do you want to bring someone back up?"
The old nursemaid said, "I'm not trying to take advantage of you. Thirty jin of Silk Titan, just give it to me as agreed."
"This..."
The Second Pot Head nervously patted his body, then suddenly raised his head. His rough face wore a malicious smile, "Are you giving it to me?"
The old nursemaid was taken aback, "Hmm?"
The Second Pot Head burst into cold laughter, standing up tall. With a chilling tone, he said, "A living person entering the Underworld without reporting to the Soul Guide officials, harboring evil intentions, and taking advantage of the situation to extort. Do you think I don't understand? Even if you get the Silk Titan, the person you send down won't be able to come back..."
"You, a small soul guide, for a little bit of Silk Titan, have broken the rules of both realms..."
"What punishment do you deserve?"
"..."
With this shout, he seemed to transform into a different person, exuding an intimidating aura that startled the old nursemaid.
She retreated cautiously, "You... who are you?"
"Me?"
The Second Pot Head flung his robe, stepped on a stone bench, and leaned against his thigh, stroking his beard with a cold smile, "I am a Soul Gate Path Incense Inquiry Hall Magistrate, dedicated to fighting evil. I'm here to deal with people like you!"
(End of Chapter)
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