Chapter 702: Summoning the Deity
Chapter 702: Summoning the Deity
"It's lively, so lively..."
"Young Master Meng went to the Eleventh Road Ghost Cavern to burn incense and guide the way. Now, no one can escape..."
"Noble Family Zhang is unlucky. They were too slow, and it's not pleasing to watch. But with the Meng family being so big and the Hu family so fierce, seeing both families collapse together is what we've been waiting for. Such a huge disaster, such a calamity, we, as disaster thieves, can't miss this!"
"Haha, it's always been a joke that the Ten Surnames are revered as supreme."
"Without the Ancestral Altar, no one can suppress those things. The Robbery Disaster Sect has been waiting for this moment for years, just to witness the Ten Surnames' downfall. Once the altar was destroyed, everything fell into chaos."
"This heaven has long been tainted by the Celestial Guardian. It's unjust and unrighteous, giving birth to selfish desires, turning it into a Demon Sky. This earth, with its rebirth and sealed fate, is a Ghostly Earth where netherworld souls cannot escape. Heaven is in chaos, and so is the underworld. With people caught in the middle, it's the wretched bones of turbulent times."
"Let's see how you'll escape now, haha, let's see how you'll escape..."
"..."
"..."
Listening to this man's delirious words, Hu Ma gradually fell silent.
The people from the Robbery Disaster Sect seemed to have something wrong with their minds, but what he said made Hu Ma understand something.
Disaster?
Is the thing in the depths of the Ghost Cavern the disaster?
He thought of Fragrant Girl, who had also mentioned that something seemed to be nurtured within the Ghost Cavern. So, what the Meng family had lured out were those things that were not fed enough and had become hungry?
Although this might involve some of the most fundamental and profound principles, many had told Hu Ma that the Hu family had a heavy fate but thin fortune. It was because of this thin fortune that they couldn't escape disasters.
So, once those things were lured out, the Hu family, being the closest, would undoubtedly be the first to face them. However, this also gave rise to new doubts in Hu Ma's mind.
The Ancestral Altar was once used to suppress these disasters, and the Evil Suppression Bureau was made from fragments of the altar.
Then why was the Hu family, who possessed the bureau, the most afraid of it?
Just as Hu Ma was about to ask, the disaster thief on the ritual altar, who had been excited a moment ago, gradually weakened, his body curling up. His eyelids seemed to be fighting, but the anticipation on his face remained, growing stronger.
"Who told you to sleep?"
Hu Ma let out a cold snort and asked in a low voice.
"You still don't understand us, the Robbery Disaster Sect..."
The man forced a smile and said, "You, the Ghost Hunter Executioner, can't escape this disaster. And the one beside you..."
"That's why I can't drag you down. You've been with me for too long, and I don't want you to be affected by my disaster. So, I can only sleep, but remember to wake me up when the disaster reaches Old Yin Mountain..."
"I want to see, I really want to see this..."
"..."
His voice grew deeper, almost turning into a murmur, and his entire body curled up as if hibernating.
Hu Ma frowned and grabbed his wrist, applying a slight force, causing the wrist to shatter.
No one could remain still under such pain, especially with Hu Ma holding his wrist. Any slight movement within his body would be noticed. Yet, this person showed absolutely no reaction, which seemed more like death than sleep.
"Oh, you've fallen asleep?"
It was at this moment that Hu Ma heard Bottle Master's voice again, "He was just awake, but afraid to speak."
"Kid, quickly, take advantage of his sleep and find a donkey cart to send him away, the further the better."
"Don't even take the cart or the donkey."
"Everyone in this sect is a jinx. The longer you stay with him, the more bad luck you'll bring upon yourself. You'll be cursed with his disaster. In other sects, you learn skills to make yourself invincible."
"But in this sect, they turn themselves into dog poop, so no one dares to touch them."
"..."
"..."
'Why are the people in this sect so strange?'
Hu Ma furrowed his brows and said to Little Hong Tang, "Go to the village and find a coffin to lock him up."
Logically, the best place to imprison someone was the Evil Suppression Bureau.
Pressing them under the incense burner, no one could escape.
But the people from the Robbery Disaster Sect were truly peculiar, and Hu Ma subconsciously didn't want them to come into contact with the bureau.
Even with a coffin, he didn't dare to bury it near Old Yin Mountain. Instead, he buried it near the place where the Meng family's matriarch was imprisoned. If the Robbery Disaster was as powerful as rumored, then let the Meng family's matriarch bear the brunt of it.
After finishing the task, Hu Ma took his knife and headed into the village with Little Hong Tang. As he walked, his mind was unsettled, thinking about what the disaster thief had said. Just then, Little Hong Tang suddenly stopped and politely bowed in one direction.
Hu Ma realized and followed suit, saying, "Elder, about the village matters..."
The Mountain Deity sighed softly, "Your Second Uncle deserved it."
"Then..."
With the urgency of the situation earlier, there was no time for further explanation, but Hu Ma had guessed the Mountain Deity's true identity, and his heart was still in shock.
As Hu Ma thought about the Mountain Deity's words upon entering the village, he found it hard to believe. Slowly, he raised his head and faced the Mountain Deity sitting on the tree stump, asking in a low voice, "Can the Mountain Sacrifice really ward off disasters?
"The Mountain Deity, with his gaze upon him, spoke softly, 'Not performing the mountain worship ceremony doesn't mean we can't ward off disasters.'"
"But without incense offerings, the deity's power is weakened. By worshiping the mountain, I can gain some strength."
"..."
Hu Ma detected a complex emotion in the Mountain Deity's words, and his heart felt like it had been struck by lightning. He stared at the Mountain Deity in astonishment.
"Don't be so emotional. My intention to ward off disasters isn't for the sake of your Hu family."
The Mountain Deity's shadow was blurred, but his voice was clear and calm. He slowly said, "You've been wandering the jianghu for a while now, and you've gained some experience. You know about the Temple Deity, but in truth..."
"There has never been such a thing as a Temple Deity."
"People call us Temple Deities, but we've never belonged to any temple. After the destruction of the Ancestral Altar, they forcefully bestowed upon us the title of Duke, but we never served the state or prefecture."
"The common folk have given us countless names, but none of them matter. I, like my old companions, are but illusions, both in life and death. We belong to the hearts of the common people in the countryside, awakened by their incense offerings, to watch over the land and its people."
"Born from incense offerings, we protect them. In fact, we originally didn't even have the ability to speak. We don't need words to understand the good and evil in people's hearts and know their intentions..."
"Now, I'm just a remnant soul, entangled in cause and effect, taking on this present form."
"So, you mentioned disaster suppression..."
"..."
The Mountain Deity suddenly laughed and said, "Of course, I can suppress disasters."
"I was born from the incense offerings of the world. We are born together with the Ancestral Altar, and our very existence is for the purpose of warding off calamities and bringing blessings."
"..."
"Indeed!"
At this moment, Hu Ma couldn't describe the shock he felt in his heart.
The Temple Deity, once revered by countless incense offerings, turned out to be such an existence.
But now, hearing this answer, the strange feeling in his heart became uncontrollable, and he blurted out, "But, Senior, the Evil Suppression Bureau was born from the Ancestral Altar. Doesn't that mean my Hu family has a grudge against you... against the Temple Deity?"
"The Evil Suppression Bureau originated from the Ancestral Altar, but it is no longer the same."
The Mountain Deity listened to Hu Ma's words and smiled gently. "At least, for the past twenty years, it hasn't been."
"The Ancient Deity has no grudge against the Hu family, and that's not the reason for our existence in this world."
"..."
The Mountain Deity looked at Hu Ma and slowly said, "So, to me, your identity as a member of the Hu family is unimportant."
"There was a time when, unable to bear the suffering of the common folk, you took the risk of exposing your identity to slay the Green Robe. You listened to my words and were willing to kill the Five Stars of Misfortune. You helped the Grain Protection General to his feet and allowed the villagers to breathe in this land of demons and ghosts. That young man from the village..."
"He is the important one!"
"..."
As Hu Ma listened, his expression became somber. The Mountain Deity, now smiling freely, said, "Your heart is restless."
"From the first day I saw you, I sensed it. I've never met a young man with such a chaotic heart."
"I was once wary of you because of your turbulent heart, but now I feel I was being petty. I've been forced to become entangled in too many worldly causes and effects, and sometimes I also think about these unimportant matters."
"You've already taken root in the village, haven't you?"
"..."
"..."
"I..."
Hu Ma was suddenly startled as the Mountain Deity revealed his thoughts. After a long pause, he bitterly smiled and said, "Senior, if that's the case, even if we perform the mountain worship ceremony, how confident are you that you can ward off the disaster?"
Hearing his words, the Mountain Deity smiled faintly and said, "Just ask yourself what you think. The moment I start considering my level of confidence, I'll have lost my original heart."
"Yes, Senior!"
Understanding the Mountain Deity's words, Hu Ma made up his mind, clearing his mind of distractions. He bowed deeply to the Mountain Deity and then slowly said, "But while you don't consider, I must."
"Senior, if the people of Old Yin Mountain worship you, how much of your magical power can you recover?"
"..."
The Mountain Deity didn't expect him to be so persistent on this matter. After a long silence, he softly replied, "Perhaps I can ward off one disaster."
Hu Ma slowly asked, "Then what if everyone in the world comes to worship you?"
Hearing this, the Mountain Deity's expression gradually showed surprise. After a long pause, he said, "You just said that the Hu family had a grudge against the Ancestral Altar, but now you trust me so readily?"
"My heart is indeed chaotic, but Second Master is my teacher, and I trust his teachings."
Hu Ma spoke with a conviction that even the Mountain Deity couldn't have anticipated. As he straightened up, he looked at the Mountain Deity and said softly, "Little Hong Tang, go and inform Zhang Ago and Seventh Granny, as well as the Red Lantern Lady, that the world's wandering ghosts will offer incense and worship the mountain on the eighth day of the first month."
"..."
As he gave the instructions, a genuine smile of relief appeared on his face. "When the disaster-bringing ghosts appear, we shall summon the deity!"
(End of Chapter)
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