https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-707-Lending-a-Helping-Hand-Third-Watch-/12919891/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-709-One-Disaster-Invited-Two-Disasters-Arise/12919893/
Chapter 708: The Great Executioner of High Righteousness Temple
Chapter 708: The Great Executioner of High Righteousness Temple
In the tranquil valley of Qingyou, Meng Jia's Lady, having fetched water from the stream, used a coarse ceramic jar to heat it over a fire pit that Li Wazi had helped set up.
Using a nearby soft grass, she cleaned the large ceramic bowls after the meal and placed them back in the food box for others to collect later.
She then sat on the doorstep beside the wooden house, using a piece of cloth torn from her garment to wipe her face with warm water. It was a simple action, but as she stretched her waist, the morning light and thin fog created a natural sense of noble and dignified beauty.
No one knew what Zhou Datong would do when he arrived, but Li Wazi, leaning against a nearby tree, gave her a disdainful glance and turned away, thinking to himself, "City women have it good. They have such figures but don't work in the fields, what a waste."
"For the next meal, I'll bring her food but no meat."
"..."
"..."
Having stood guard here for a while, he was feeling bored. He knew that the village was holding a mountain worship ceremony and wanted to join the excitement, but he couldn't ignore Brother Pockmark's instructions and was left guarding the plump woman.
As he was pondering how to practice the new skills Brother Pockmark had recently taught him, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from the quiet forest outside.
Soon, a man in a brocade robe, another in a black robe, and a bright-faced woman in a cloth dress rushed over. Li Wazi was startled.
As he hurriedly stood to stop them, he saw that the three were even more surprised than he was.
Looking at Meng Jia's Lady, they paused for a moment before hastily bowing to the woman in the valley, "Meng Jia's Auntie, Zhao Jia's younger generation pays respects..."
"Ah?"
Meng Jia's Lady, who was sitting on the doorstep of the wooden house wiping her face, was also startled by their sudden appearance. She froze for a moment, then without a word, turned and rushed into the house to quickly find something to fix her hair.
The appearance of these younger generations meant her rescue, so greeting them was not as important as maintaining her family's dignity.
"What are you doing here?"
Li Wazi quickly grabbed a handful of incense, keeping a wary eye on the group, and shouted, "Don't come any closer, or I, Li, will have to take action!"
"She... is really Meng Jia's Lady?"
The intruders, upon seeing Meng Jia's Lady, were also thunderstruck. Ignoring everything else, they all turned their gaze to the person approaching from the forest—Hu Ma.
Seeing Hu Ma, Li Wazi slightly relaxed, and Zhao San Yi hurriedly asked, "How did she end up here? Could it be that Hu Jia..."
"Are you suggesting that Hu Jia tolerates demons and brought her here from Yan Prefecture?"
Hu Ma let out a cold laugh, "On the contrary, it was our young master who learned of her capture by demons. He spent over a thousand jin of purple heavenly sovereign to ransom her from the demons' hands. She only recently arrived in these mountains."
"The Hu and Meng clans have a deep-seated grudge, and they must fight. But even in battle, they will do so honorably, using their true skills and avoiding harm to others, especially women and children. They would never stoop to using threats against women and children to coerce the Meng clan."
"Otherwise, he could have easily kept Meng Jia's Lady confined in the Evil Suppression Bureau and tortured her for information. Why bother sending her here to be fed twice a day?"
With a cold laugh, he added, "To be frank, he wanted to release her, but the feud between the two families made it difficult. Now that I've released her, our young master might even praise me for my wisdom!"
"This..."
These grand and pretentious words left the three descendants of the Ten Surnames dumbfounded.
Chen A Bao, wrapped in a black robe, suddenly spoke up, "In the past, the Meng clan showed no mercy to the Hu clan, even when they were left with only orphans and widows..."
"That was them!"
Hu Ma's voice turned cold, "The Hu clan's descendants will never stoop to the Meng clan's level, without any sense of decency!"
His words resonated, as if shaking the entire Old Yin Mountain.
Zhou Si Gals, in particular, felt her scalp tingle as she stood behind Chen A Bao, looking at Hu Ma. She felt that this Great Executioner of the Wandering Ghost Sect, standing in the morning light, was tall and straight, his brows emitting a radiant aura.
Zhao San Yi and Chen A Bao also gradually widened their eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. They couldn't help but feel that Hu Ma's words might not be entirely sincere, but they couldn't pinpoint the issue.
After a long while, Zhao San Yi heaved a sigh and solemnly bowed to Hu Ma, saying, "The Hu family has a heavy burden. After so many years of seclusion in the deep mountains and not interacting with others, I never expected that Brother Hu would be such an open-minded man."
"Whether it's Brother Hu or you, Brother Executioner, you are both worthy of my respect, Zhao San Yi of the Trick Sect."
"..."
As he bowed, Chen A Bao pouted and stared at him, her eyes darting around, still deep in thought. Zhou Jia's fourth miss, however, had realized what was happening and followed suit, bowing solemnly. Then, she looked up, biting her lip.
"Of course..."
At this moment, Hu Ma also felt that he might have gone too far. Were the descendants of the Ten Surnames really bowing to him?
But the show must go on, so he straightened his face and cleared his throat, saying, "You can take the person. Wealthy young masters like him can't endure the hardships of these mountains."
"But even though I released him on my own accord, I still need to provide an explanation."
"This lady, after all, was redeemed by our young master with both favors and goods. If you want to take her away, you should show some gratitude so that I can report back to the young master..."
"..."
"Of course, of course!"
Before Hu Ma could finish, Zhao San Yi interrupted, "Everyone knows the rules of the jianghu."
"Whether it's white, green, red, purple, or any other precious items, the Meng family should prepare them properly. If they don't, my Zhao family and Chen family will take responsibility for this matter."
"But this is urgent. You should discuss it first. I'll deliver a message..."
"..."
He knew time was of the essence and couldn't afford to waste any more. Hurriedly, he went to the side and casually plucked a large leaf.
The Zhao family was skilled with their hands, and with a few folds and creases, they transformed the leaf into the shape of a flying bird. Chanting under their breath, they made a few gestures, and the bird suddenly took flight from the ground with incredible speed, darting into the forest in an instant.
This was to quickly deliver a message to their elders, informing them that Meng Jia's lady had been found.
At this moment, Zhou Jia's fourth miss, who had been watching Hu Ma, suddenly spoke up, "Although Young Master Hu may have had good intentions, you released him on your own. Are you sure nothing will happen?"
Hu Ma glanced at her, his expressionless face turning cold. "Rules are rules. If the young master wants to punish me, I will accept it."
"But what about him..."
Zhou Jia's fourth miss hesitated, then said, "You are the New Year Guardian. If he punishes you severely, our Zhou family..."
Hu Ma cut her off, his tone indifferent. "Although I am an executioner and of lower status, I am like a brother to Young Master Hu. Even if he punishes me, it will only be a light slap on the wrist."
"But can your Zhou family accept my skills?"
"..."
"This..."
Zhou Jia's fourth miss fell silent again.
She knew that the Ghost Hunter Executioner had learned the Great Master's technique, which was incompatible with the Zhou family's orthodox law and even had some old grudges.
As a member of the Zhou family, she should have been upholding the family honor. Moreover, her initial intention in coming here was to restore her dignity as a Zhou family daughter by retrieving her stolen double hammers and Master Bottle.
But now, with one event after another, she found it difficult to voice her thoughts.
Amidst the slightly awkward atmosphere, Chen A Bao suddenly raised her head, sniffed the air, and said, "Oh, what's that sour smell?"
"..."
Hu Ma turned to look at her, silently calculating the time in his mind. Then, he turned away and said slowly, "If you want me to receive less punishment, make up for the young master's expenses."
"I suppose you wouldn't dare offer less than a thousand jin of Purple Heavenly Sovereign as compensation."
"You can take the person, but this is my responsibility. I won't stay here and watch. Afterward, you can only say that you infiltrated Old Yin Mountain and rescued her. It's not that the Hu family is afraid."
"..."
As they spoke, they took Li Wazi and left. Zhou Jia's fourth miss watched them until they were out of sight.
Once out of their sight, Hu Ma immediately sent Li Wazi back to the village and put on his Measure Heaven Boots. In an instant, he scaled mountains and crossed valleys, finding a secluded spot by a water source, an ideal place to perform his technique.
Without further hesitation, he quickly shook the twenty-four altar flags left by Erguotou onto the ground and entered the altar, immediately igniting the fourth incense stick.
...
...
At the same time, in the Meng family's ancestral mansion, Meng Jia's eldest son sat proudly in the grand scholar's chair, his face filled with arrogance and pride.
By the end of the day, who would dare say that the Meng family only knew how to kowtow and had no real skills?
(End of Chapter)
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