https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-770-Ghost-City-in-the-Imperial-Capital/12919963/
Chapter 769: The Wealthy Family
Chapter 769: The Wealthy Family
"Yes!"
The grandmother gazed into Hu Ma's eyes and sighed softly, "Your grandfather didn't have time to tell me all this. It turns out that the Meng family recognized an Ancestor from somewhere, and he was truly formidable."
"Your grandfather, your uncle, and your aunt couldn't defeat him. Your grandfather, until his death, never had the chance to tell me. And I asked your father countless times, but he never denied it."
"Later, I witnessed your birth and saw the people from the Dalaofa Religion in the Old Yin Mountain."
"I began to believe the Meng family's words. The Hu family did indeed trade you for something."
"..."
Hu Ma already knew much of what the grandmother was saying, but at this moment, his heart was filled with endless turmoil.
Could the Hu family also yearn for immortality?
He seemed to have a solemn expression, but he slowly raised his head and looked at the dark clouds covering the sky, and saw the Ten Surnames Ancestral Hall shrouded in eerie ghostly auras.
He turned his gaze to the futon not far away, where the guardian of the ancestral hall sat quietly, as if he hadn't heard their conversation. Finally, he looked outside at the vague figures of the noble lords in the Imperial Capital.
The grandmother gently patted Hu Ma's palm, turning his head to look at her. She spoke softly, "When I married into the Hu family, it was because I admired their character. Since the Hu family learned the arts in the village, they never forgot their roots."
"Your grandfather and I met while dealing with malevolent spirits in the countryside. It wasn't until we returned to the capital that we completed the formalities and married."
"I am from the Bai family, but after becoming the Hu family's daughter-in-law, I have always considered the Hu family's interests."
"The relationship between the main branch and the swordmaster is one of utmost trust. Although I am the Hu family's daughter-in-law, I am also their swordmaster."
"However, your grandfather kept these matters hidden from me."
"..."
As she spoke, her tone became somewhat low, and she looked at Hu Ma with composure, "So, if you want me to speak, I don't think your grandfather would be the type to yearn for immortality."
"But the Hu family has been involved in these matters for twenty years and has received more benefits than the other surnames."
"The Duiya royalty isn't worth much."
"But in the eyes of many, the Duiya family is a wealthy household. After being robbed by bandits, their property was divided among others. Those eight surnames are thieves, and the Hu and Meng families are their inside accomplices. The Dalaofa Religion is nothing more than a mastermind behind the scenes..."
"And the Hu family took the largest share of the property stolen from the Duiya family..."
"..."
As Hu Ma listened to the grandmother's narrative, he was momentarily stunned and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
After the grandmother spoke these words, she seemed to relax, and her voice became faint as she leaned down and gently caressed Hu Ma's spine, saying softly, "In these past years, you've done many things. Those were debts left by the old man, and you had no choice but to follow his path."
"But have you ever done anything that made you regret it?"
Hearing the grandmother's words, Hu Ma couldn't help but laugh and shook his head, "No."
"That's good."
The grandmother's eyes were filled with satisfaction as she spoke softly, "From now on, don't do anything that will make you regret it."
"Now, no matter what, you've returned. The things the Hu family obtained back then are now in your hands."
"Why bother asking what your grandfather did in the beginning?"
"Listen to your grandmother. If your grandfather truly yearns for those things, then you can disown him."
"..."
"..."
In that instant, Hu Ma's heart was filled with a slight tremor. He looked at the grandmother's face, which had become somewhat blurred, and then he smiled.
The grandmother's heart was truly filled with resentment...
"Disown him? That won't do."
As she spoke, she already knew the answer she sought and understood why the grandmother wanted to tell him about the Hu family's origins.
Ever since he regained consciousness, ever since he sought life from death, he had been longing for a chance to talk with the grandmother. He felt like there was so much to say, and he kept asking questions—so many questions about the Hu family, about Little Red Tang.
He asked about the Hu family's past glory and their former status.
Most importantly, since the Hu family had already sacrificed so much, he naturally wanted to know how much benefit they had gained back then, to avoid being taken advantage of in the future.
He asked so persistently that even the elderly guardian in front of the ancestral hall began to cough softly as a reminder. Only then did he slowly rise to his feet.
The father's coffin was carried into the fire pit behind the ancestral hall. Before this, Hu Ma had no idea that the funeral customs used by this ancestral hall, which represented the orthodoxy of the world, were the same as those in the ancient village of Old Yin Mountain.
After that, Hu Ma offered incense. The hazy incense smoke before him gradually dissipated, and the grandmother's figure also faded away.
She still couldn't bear to take her eyes off Hu Ma, and she instructed him, "Next time you come to burn incense, don't come alone..."
"At your age, in the Big Sheep Village, you'll soon be unwanted..."
"..."
Little Red Tang gently tugged at her clothes, watching as the grandmother returned to the ancestral hall.
The funeral procession had finally come to an end.
When Hu Ma slowly turned around, the distant relatives and friends who had been waiting impatiently, yet dared not show their impatience, now crowded around him.
The day before, they had been eager to see Hu Ma, but he had refused. Now that the funeral was over, they hurriedly approached him, and the first to reach him was his uncle.
The eldest master of the Ren family showed a hint of shame and sighed, "After your mother personally returned from the mountains, she shut herself in and hasn't stepped out since. Every day, she only burns incense and offers blessings."
"This time, we heard that you escorted the spirit back, so we went to persuade her, but she refused to come out again. She still... still has some worries about you. She asked me to see you and make sure you're alive and well, and she'll be at ease."
"But no matter what, since you've returned, it's only right that you rebuild the Hu family legacy."
"In the Imperial Capital, our family also has some assets. We'll transfer them to the Hu family first, and we can discuss the rest slowly..."
"..."
Before he could say much more, someone else supported an elderly person and hurriedly brought him forward. This was the second ancestor of the Qingyuan Hu family. He tremblingly held Hu Ma's hand and said, "I only learned about those beasts going to Bright Province to find you afterward."
"It's all a mess!"
"You killed them, and that was well done. If you hadn't, the world of necromancers wouldn't respect the 'Hu' name!"
"Initially, we divided the family and established a separate lineage, but you can't write two 'Hu' characters with one stroke. Now that you've returned, there's only one descendant left in the entire family..."
"But don't worry about a lack of manpower. Our family has plenty..."
"..."
Still immersed in the conversation with his grandmother, Hu Ma had no choice but to deal with these relatives.
Hu Ma furrowed his brows and said, "Manpower is indeed lacking, far from sufficient. With the world in chaos, dragons and snakes rising, grassroots warlords fighting on all sides, malevolent spirits wreaking havoc, common folk fearing being eaten by ghosts and living people alike, how much suffering is there?"
"There are too many things that need to be done. Not to mention relatives, even if I had all the people in the Imperial Capital, I'd still feel it's not enough!"
"But these matters are all extremely dangerous, with countless deaths. Are the two elders willing to take the risk?"
"..."
Both sides of the relatives were stunned.
Embarrassed, they said after a while, "At this critical moment, who has the time to care about others?"
"Now that the Ten Surnames have returned to the Imperial Capital, we've all heard about the Stone Pavilion matter. The Hu family has made great contributions and holds a higher position than the others, but you have no one to rely on..."
"Since that's the case, why not open the way to the Upper Bridge and allow more people from our clan to be blessed by immortal energy, making everything more convenient?"
Hearing their words, Hu Ma was somewhat surprised. "Does the path to the Upper Bridge still require others to open it?"
The two elders took his words as a deliberate mockery and smiled bitterly, "Without your approval, who in our clan could ascend the bridge?"
"Among us elders, there are those who wish to ascend the bridge and help with the necromancy, but the 'Town Year Scripture' has always been in your hands. Without that motherly style blocking the way, even if others ascend, they won't be able to stand firm..."
"..."
"The 'Town Year Scripture'... motherly style?"
Hearing their hesitant words, Hu Ma's heart suddenly became clear.
Ever since he had seen his destiny and discussed these matters with his grandmother, everything had become increasingly clear in his mind.
A smile appeared on his face, and he no longer needed to be as cautious as he was in Bright Province, giving his relatives cold looks. After all, he had been ignorant then, so he was cautious. But now, he knew more than even his grandmother...
Looking around, he saw that the Qingyuan Hu family and the Imperial Capital's Ren family all had flickering eyes, their faces filled with hope as they looked at him. Further behind were countless unfamiliar yet expectant faces, some belonging to his grandmother's maternal clan, the Bai family, and some to the old members of the former Curse Suppressing Hu clan. There were also distant relatives from various families, not even distantly related.
They all emerged like bamboo shoots after rain.
"I've noted the reminders from the two elders, but let's take it step by step!"
He smiled and said, "After all, my father's funeral hasn't even concluded yet. It's indeed a bit early to discuss these matters, isn't it?"
He squeezed out of the crowd and walked slowly, feeling a sense of emotion. How could the Hu family be truly poor? They were clearly wealthier than all the families in the Imperial Capital...
Seeing this, the onlookers dared not stop him, only feeling a mix of anxiety and anticipation. They glanced at each other, hiding their dissatisfaction but secretly making firm resolutions.
As the ritual was about to begin, the Ten Surnames returned to the capital, and each family's fate, whether they could get a share of the Stone Pavilion's blessings, depended on this person's nod...
It wasn't the fault of others; if not for the State Preceptor's return, who would have known that such a significant matter as the Stone Pavilion had been in decline for twenty years, leaving only the Curse Suppressing Hu family with an empty name and the lion's share?
(End of Chapter)
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