Chapter 745: The Hu Family's Identity
Chapter 745: The Hu Family's Identity
"There's another calamity?"
The sudden change caught everyone off guard, causing Kindness Fairy and Si Zhou, who had just separated to guard against potential attacks from different directions, to be startled. Si Zhou was at a loss, while Kindness Fairy waved her dust brush and began calculating with her fingers.
But in her haste, her calculations became muddled, and the more she rushed, the more confused she became, unable to make sense of the situation.
Sweat beaded on her forehead as she wondered, "What is this thing, and why is it so powerful?"
Meanwhile, Little Bean Official had quickly realized what was happening. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This is bad! Master has probably fallen into someone's trap."
Amidst their confusion, the snake, also known as the Toothless Sovereign, had swiftly slithered to a spot not far from Hu Ma.
Ever since it emerged from its hole, it had been dazed and confused, wandering aimlessly without knowing where it came from, what it was doing, or where it should go.
Other calamities that descended upon the world had a purpose, but this one was the most bewildered. After wandering for an unknown amount of time, it finally found a person, and it was overjoyed, causing its tail to tremble. The closer it got to Hu Ma, the faster it swam.
As it approached, a strong gust of evil wind blew, and dark clouds gathered, creating a pressure that was ten times more intense than before.
"It's the twelfth calamity!"
The moment the snake drew near, Hu Ma suddenly realized what was happening.
He was well aware that in Old Yin Mountain, eleven calamities had once descended, and the mountain was shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere.
At that time, the Mountain Lord and the Water Spirits had blocked the eleven calamities from entering the mountain, preventing any close encounters. But now, he was almost face-to-face with the calamity, and the pressure and strange changes it brought were even greater than in Old Yin Mountain.
"Why didn't this calamity return to its hole?"
He was indeed surprised.
This twelfth calamity had been summoned using the Meng family's name, so it should have been affected by the Meng family's downfall.
After satisfying its hunger, it should have returned to its hole, but instead, it was still wandering around. And by sheer coincidence, it had bumped into him here.
Doubts filled his mind, but he didn't have time to think it through. As the snake drew closer, he felt his head grow heavy, as if the sky above him was about to collapse.
Facing this creature was extremely challenging, as it was not a demonic beast that could be fought or killed. It could only be blocked or avoided, but he was caught off guard and had no long-term solution.
From a distance, he watched as the snake swam to within three zhang of him, tilting its head to examine him, causing his scalp to tingle.
This creature was powerful, as the eleven calamities had been enough to bring the Meng family to ruin. How could he, alone, fare any better against just one of them?
Without hesitation, Hu Ma thought of the black bag in his hand.
"The mad son-in-law of the Fortunate Sun Family had guessed it..."
By now, he couldn't help but understand that the mad son-in-law had been truly considerate.
He had given Hu Ma this redemption bag, which could truly save his life. The son-in-law had foreseen the twelve calamities, knowing that only eleven would return to their holes, leaving one behind. He knew that Hu Ma would eventually encounter it, so he had left this bag to capture the calamity.
However, the son-in-law's madness may have affected his ability to explain clearly.
But as Hu Ma understood this, the physician's cold laughter and words flashed through his mind...
At this moment, he suddenly found himself facing an extremely difficult situation.
Capturing the twelfth calamity was actually quite simple; he just needed to use the bag to capture it.
However, if he wanted to use the bag to capture the snake, he would have to release the Toothless Lord from the bag, and the villagers he had just saved would immediately die.
They had indeed suffered due to the Hu family's misfortune, and now that they had been brought back to life, dying again would be a debt on the Hu family. But if he protected the villagers, he would be entangled by the twelfth calamity.
No wonder the physician had looked at him with such cold and eerie eyes, filled with mockery.
The Trolley Dilemma?
Only a reincarnator could come up with such a tricky and bizarre situation!
"Haven't you figured it out yet?"
At that moment, Old Abacus, who had run into the mountain, saw the dark winds blowing and knew that a powerful calamity was present. He dared not approach but took out his precious banner from his pants and held it up to shield his face.
He didn't dare open his eyes but shouted towards Hu Ma's direction, "They're trying to alter the fate of the Hu family!"
"So that's it..."
Hu Ma could barely hear Old Abacus's words, but in that instant, he understood.
If he hadn't gone to the bridge earlier, he might not have understood Old Abacus's words.
On the bridge, he had seen the manifestation of his three lives intertwined, forming a single object. When Red Daughter had come to assassinate him, it was to take his immortal life, the life of Lao Jun Mei. She had failed, leaving behind a nail.
That nail had prevented him from using the Great Deity General Bodhimanda, but because he had obtained the fourth pillar incense, his destiny had become even more intertwined with his own.
Little did he expect that this second assassination attempt would be directed at his Dalaofa Religion identity, but instead, it was the opposite.
Were they using this calamity to force him to abandon the fate of the Hu family descendants?
"Do you understand now?"
When the old abacus came to remind Hu Ma of this, the hidden Tonic Doctor did not stop him, but now his voice carried a laugh, floating uncertainly, and entered Hu Ma's ear:
"Dalaofa Religion created a monster like you, but we have no grudge with you, and we know you were unaware beforehand. It's not that we must see you dead and us alive. Now, you do have a way out!"
"The lives of everyone in this village are the cause and effect of the Hu family. What does that have to do with you now?"
"If you're truly clever, you should know that some cause and effect can't be escaped. Why not use this opportunity to abandon the Hu family's fate, free yourself from Dalaofa Religion's control, and perhaps return to being that carefree Reincarnator?"
"We haven't revealed your identity yet. If you abandon the Hu family identity, you can also keep this secret forever..."
"..."
Abandon the Hu family identity?
His words made Hu Ma's heart suddenly clear, and he felt a sense of absurdity.
Is this even possible?
The villagers encountered this difficulty because they followed the Hu family's orders and worshipped the Water Spirit. He had to take on this cause and effect because he was a member of the Hu family.
So, at this moment, abandoning these villagers meant abandoning the Hu family identity. This way, he could retain only the Reincarnator identity and follow in the footsteps of the other Reincarnators.
The idea of being carefree was tempting, but it didn't make Hu Ma hesitate for even a second.
The Hu family identity and their cause and effect were indeed unimportant to the Reincarnator; it was just a disguise, a role in this world.
But he was different.
He took a deep breath, and a flash of insight struck him. His eyes became sinister: "I'm not clear about the past, but this matter of borrowing Universal Incense is my doing."
"You've exerted so much power and set up this situation just to see me humiliated?"
"..."
Amidst the low growl, he could no longer contain himself.
The Toothless Lord, sealed in the black bag, was well-behaved, but the strange snake repeatedly tested and examined him for a long time. It seemed to have many uncertainties.
After all, compared to the meticulousness of the Meng family when inviting calamity, Hu Ma had only borrowed the identity of the Fourth Meng Patriarch and, with the help of Xiang Yaotou, hastily invited the calamity just to make it the final straw that broke the Meng family's back.
So, unlike other calamities that came to this world with a clear purpose and someone sending them, this one was different.
But even in its confusion, it had now confirmed its connection with Hu Ma and was acting recklessly, coiling its body.
The next moment, the calamity leaped.
Just as it coiled its body, Hu Ma suddenly shook the black bag in his hand, and the Toothless Lord inside fell out, chattering noisily. Calamity energy surged as it tried to rush towards the villagers.
In the darkness, the physician, watching Hu Ma release the calamity rat, also revealed a cold smile.
"In the end, you're still going to protect your own life first, right?"
"..."
But he hadn't expected that after Hu Ma released the calamity, he wouldn't leave. Instead, he moved towards the Toothless Lord.
The snake was also anxious and rushed towards Hu Ma with a hiss, stirring up endless mountain winds. Hu Ma, with his right hand holding the empty bag, covered the snake's body and captured it.
At the same moment, the Toothless Lord, which had been spilled out of the bag, originally intended to rush towards the villagers, but Hu Ma acted like lightning, grabbing it tightly.
He could feel a cold and sinister energy emanating from the creature. As soon as he grabbed it, it quickly spread up his arm and into his body.
The Toothless Lord's attention also shifted instantly from the villagers to Hu Ma.
Its sharp teeth opened, exuding an indescribable eerie aura that made one's scalp numb.
Si Zhou had only kicked it once, and her shoe almost burned. She was afraid of touching the calamity energy, but Hu Ma directly grabbed it, absorbing every bit of it into himself.
In an instant, the world fell silent, and everything seemed to hold its breath. Even the physician fell silent.
It seemed that no one had expected Hu Ma's actions at this moment.
"Then I'll have to disappoint you."
With his right hand holding the bag to capture the snake, Hu Ma's left hand tightly gripped the Toothless Lord, his voice firm and cold: "I'll take on the debt of the villagers."
"Just as the Water Spirit blocks calamity for me, I'll block calamity for them!"
"Fate has its weights. I also want to see if my life is truly heavier than the combined lives of the villagers."
"..."
As he spoke, rolling calamity energy enveloped him, an unprecedented pressure that nearly crushed Hu Ma instantly.
(End of Chapter)
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