https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-71-The-Way-of-the-New-Year-Guardian/12834540/
Chapter 72: The Lifespan Guardian's Talisman
Chapter 72: The Lifespan Guardian's Talisman
To be honest, the ways of the Lifespan Guardians sound quite eerie, and when you think about it, even a bit terrifying.
Ordinary people strive to live, but the Lifespan Guardians actually seek death?
It sounds utterly absurd.
However, this bizarre and terrifying technique is precisely the cure for my condition.
I have a dead body, and only through the divine power of the Blood New Year can I appear like a normal person. But even the Blood New Year is just a temporary fix. The Lifespan Guardians' method of turning death into life is exactly what I need to solve the biggest problem with my body.
"However..."
After receiving the technique, Hu Ma realized he needed to be cautious in his next steps.
The old shopkeeper warned him not to share the technique and that the path of cultivation was quite peculiar. He couldn't let the other apprentices see him practicing.
It looks like I'll have to make Zhou Datong sleep in the communal room for a while.
Just as he was thinking this, he returned to the side room and found that Zhou Datong was gone, his bedding missing.
Curious, Hu Ma asked around and found Zhou Datong looking terrified, shaking his head vigorously. "Brother Hu Ma, I won't sleep with you anymore."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma noticed the other apprentices were looking at him differently and quickly scolded, "What nonsense, you were sleeping just fine..."
"No, no..."
Zhou Datong kept shaking his head and pulled Hu Ma outside, whispering, "That little ghost from your family is still following you, right?"
"I just..."
His expression grew more panicked as he continued, "I saw the sword in your bed moving by itself just now..."
"Uh..."
Hu Ma immediately understood what had happened. He told Zhou Datong not to spread rumors and went back to his room with the oil lamp.
Looking up, he saw Little Hongtang sitting on the beam, fiddling with the redwood sword.
When other things are in Little Hongtang's hands, ordinary people can't see them.
For example, the basket left by her grandmother, which Little Hongtang always carries with her, is invisible to others.
If Hu Ma were to take the basket from her, it would look as if he suddenly had a basket in his hands, creating a strange and magical scene.
The old man had explained that this is because little ghosts can hide things.
Some powerful little ghosts can even hide people.
By blocking a person, other living people can't see them, and that person can't see others either.
When Little Hongtang rode on Cui Xie'er's shoulders and covered his eyes, Cui Xie'er became disoriented, unable to determine where to punch. This is why.
But this wooden sword is different.
Even when Little Hongtang holds it, the sword remains visible, as if it were floating in the air.
No wonder Zhou Datong was so scared that he moved out and refused to sleep with me.
Hu Ma felt a sense of relief and noticed how fond Little Hongtang was of the old object.
He asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid of this sword?"
He had tested it himself the previous night. This old object was quite powerful, allowing him to use only three-tenths of his furnace fire to produce the strength of seven-tenths. Any evil spirit that got hit would suffer severe injuries.
Little Hongtang, being a type of evil spirit, was usually afraid of powerful furnace fire. But why did she like this old object so much?
"Not afraid."
Little Hongtang hugged the wooden sword, huddled on the beam, and said, "The old object is comfortable to hold."
Hu Ma was curious and asked a few more questions before understanding.
This old object indeed had a spirit. It had been cleansed by spiritual energy, similar to unblocking the meridians. When he used it, his furnace fire flowed smoothly, and the sword's spirit was activated, making it exceptionally powerful.
But when he wasn't using it, there was no fire energy in the sword.
Little Hongtang liked it because the yin energy could flow freely through the sword, making her feel safe, just as she did when she stayed on the beam.
Although Hu Ma's current foundation was poor, and he didn't understand the subtle differences, it was good that Little Hongtang liked it.
Hu Ma put down the oil lamp and looked at his left hand, which was already devoid of blood flow and life. He couldn't even sense it, knowing it was almost dead.
In the room, he cut a piece of the bedsheet and wrapped it around his left hand.
By following the technique taught by the old shopkeeper, he could reawaken his left hand, bringing a part of his body back to life.
Now, he had achieved his small dream of having his own room and beam, and he had obtained the technique to cure his condition.
He had even gotten the old object Little Hongtang wanted.
A sense of joy and satisfaction filled his heart, and the heavy burden he had carried since his rebirth felt much lighter.
As for what would happen next...
He pondered, remembering the gaze that had secretly watched him from behind the white-papered windows of the inner courtyard when the old shopkeeper taught him the technique.
Who was that?
It certainly wasn't the old shopkeeper's servant or the old cook in the inner courtyard.
If his intuition was correct, it must have been a woman!
But how had he never seen her since he came to this estate?
In fact, apart from the two flirtatious women the innkeeper and the mustached manager called over when he first arrived, Hu Ma had never seen any other women in this manor.
Was she hiding in the inner courtyard all this time?
Moreover, the old innkeeper refused to take him as a disciple but mentioned that he might be useful in the future. What could that mean? Officially, it seemed that next spring, he would need Hu Ma's help.
But did he specifically point that out just to say that? Now that Hu Ma has received the cultivation method, everything seems to be going smoothly, but it was something he had to fight for.
For someone like the old innkeeper, who clearly has his own understanding, does the strange taishui Hu Ma gave him, his identity as a disciple of the Red Lantern Lady Qingxiang, and his potential usefulness, really match the value of the New Year Guardian cultivation method in their eyes?
Both Second Master and Ergetou had warned him about the difficulties of learning the method...
Hu Ma was grateful for the old innkeeper's teachings, but he didn't have the habit of thinking everyone was a saint.
Traps that fall from the sky are easy to bite into, but they can hurt your teeth.
"Phew..."
Hu Ma carefully thought about these questions but ultimately shook his head.
He wished the world was full of good people, so he could be a content and honest person himself.
Thinking about this, he lay down on his bed, slowly practicing his cultivation method, and pondered.
One must always be cautious. Whether the old innkeeper has a use for him in the future or just wants a helper around, he should remain vigilant after being taught the method.
After all, this cultivation technique is intricate and cannot afford any mistakes. A slight error could turn him into someone like Ouyang Feng, walking backward...
To be safe, he should ask Ergetou if the method the old innkeeper taught him is correct when he gets the chance.
However, he was a bit unsure since Ergetou seemed to be on a different path and might not be able to help him.
...
...
"When will it be over, Big Brother..."
While Hu Ma was practicing the New Year Guardian method in his small room, the old innkeeper extinguished the oil lamp and entered the main hall.
In the inner room, someone was already anxious, moaning when she heard him come in.
The old innkeeper hurried into the side room, lit the oil lamp, and saw the girl in the vat, her face pale, looking at him. The clear water in the vat was now tinged with blood from the blood pills Xu Ji had sent over.
On the girl's forehead and chest, there were a few greenish-red patches, which were ointments made from the rare taishui Hu Ma had given him.
"Isn't the pain gone?"
He rushed to the vat, carefully examining her, his expression tense.
"The pain is gone..."
The girl in the vat complained, "But I don't want to stay in the vat anymore, Big Brother. My body is almost soaked to pieces."
"Be a good girl, be a good girl..."
The old innkeeper tried to soothe her, looking at her wrinkled hands, feeling a bit guilty.
But he could only patiently reassure her, "It will be over soon, very soon..."
"The method has been taught to him, but we have to wait until he learns it..."
...
...
At the same time, in the side room of the manor, Hu Ma, who was quietly practicing, gradually fell into a deep sleep.
Since arriving in this world, he might not be diligent in other matters, but when it came to his cultivation, which was a matter of life and death, he never relaxed.
This focus made it easier for him to concentrate, and he quickly became proficient in his practice, even forming a habit of entering a dream state while practicing without forgetting to continue.
In a daze, he found himself in the small temple from his dreams.
It wasn't a zero day, so Ergetou wasn't there, but Hu Ma noticed a strange change.
He was using the furnace fire to cleanse his meridians and stimulate the vitality in his left hand. In this dream temple, the furnace fire manifested as the three incense sticks of life.
To his surprise, as he practiced, one of the incense sticks in the furnace was burning rapidly. The smoke from the incense merged into the surrounding dark red mist, causing it to flow and swirl.
The incense stick was clearly diminishing, but it wasn't being wasted; instead, it was transforming into another form, circulating within the temple.
As the mist swirled, Hu Ma suddenly saw a faint golden light behind the altar.
Startled, he looked closely and saw a statue in the darkness behind the altar.
The statue's left hand now had a golden trace, shining brightly, much like the vitality in his meridians.
This shock made Hu Ma's heart tremble as he stared intently.
After a long time, his eyes filled with wonder, and he realized something: "Perhaps, I don't need to verify the authenticity of the method through Ergetou..."
"I have a way to do it myself!"
(End of Chapter)
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