Chapter 78: Little He
Chapter 78: Little He
"..."
Hu Ma couldn’t deny that he wasn’t tempted. Now that he had this method, he was eager to strengthen himself and was already looking for some fresh blood to consume.
But after hearing Ergetou’s words, he immediately thought of another issue. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, "Did you have this idea before I came to this village?"
He felt a bit strange about it. After all, Ergetou had no way of knowing he would end up in this village.
Unless, he was that mustached manager?
Sigh...
...Could it be that the gift from my second master was for this kid?
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Ergetou laughed. "I don’t have that kind of foresight."
"Besides, if I were to directly arrange your placement, especially in a risky place, I wouldn’t do it. Otherwise, if something went wrong, wouldn’t you hate me? Even that Miss White Wine might start to distrust me."
"We people of our position, who don’t meet each other, need to earn each other’s trust. We’re more likely to leave favors rather than plot so much."
"..."
"..."
Hu Ma listened, and it didn’t seem like Ergetou was lying. He laughed and said, "In my past life, I never won the lottery, so I’m a bit afraid."
"If you treat it like a lottery, you might be disappointed."
Ergetou explained with a smile, "This is far from certain. Whether we can make money depends on our luck."
"In the future, as you interact more with other reincarnates, you’ll understand. In the Red Lantern Society and even in Mingzhou City, there are many ways to make money, and plenty of opportunities to strike it rich, or at least make a decent profit."
"But even for us reincarnates, we only take on such deals when the timing is right."
"Before you came to this village, I had already secretly investigated the situation and the manager, Mr. Wu, and noticed this opportunity."
"Now that you’ve learned this method, and given your current position and the information I have, we can work together to investigate. If that batch of blood food was indeed stolen, we might be able to make a small fortune."
"Of course, this depends on whether you’re willing to take the risk."
"I want to make it clear that this is just a guess. We might find out the blood food was stolen, or we might come up empty-handed."
"..."
"Sounds like a bank with multiple branches, we just need to find the one with our inside line..."
Hu Ma inwardly grumbled but seriously considered the matter. Several possibilities flashed through his mind before he slowly agreed, "Alright."
"I’ll keep an eye on it."
"But let me be clear, I’m a cautious person with no great abilities. I can’t take on overly risky tasks right now."
"..."
Ergetou laughed, "Just be observant. If the blood food is really there and the opportunity is right, we’ll go for it. If not, we can look for other opportunities to collaborate."
Hearing this, Hu Ma felt more at ease. It was good to know he still had control over the situation. After all, no one had concrete evidence, and he was just keeping an eye on things.
Whether to take action would need careful consideration. Based on the current situation, he still couldn’t make up his mind.
However, there were indeed some eerie and mysterious aspects to this village.
The old manager’s actions were quite enigmatic.
In the previous incident, many of his trusted apprentices died, and even his own daughter was injured. On the surface, he seemed to be the victim, but considering his character, Hu Ma suspected he might not be above harming his apprentices.
After all, whether it was Xu Ji or that employee who was possessed and hanged in the wilderness, he showed no concern.
He had asked for a favor to stay and atone for his sins, but he didn’t seem particularly diligent. He even seemed less loyal to the Red Lantern Lady than one might expect.
And why did his daughter always stay hidden, never showing her face?
Of course, these doubts remained in his heart. He still had to manage his daily tasks and focus on his cultivation.
As time passed, his left hand became more agile, different from before.
Now that he had stopped taking the blood food pills, he relied solely on the village’s meager rations, and his blood energy often felt insufficient.
At such times, he would feel a chill throughout his body.
However, this chill wasn’t a major issue. A slight adjustment to the fire in the stove would usually resolve it.
What was surprising was that when his whole body felt cold, his left hand remained warm and full of vitality.
If he had to describe it, it was like a living left hand grafted onto a dead body.
...Eerie, indeed.
But this strange description accurately reflected his current state.
The more he realized the wonders of the New Year’s Guardian method, the more motivated he became to practice. However, limited by his three life incense sticks, he couldn’t train without restraint. If he used them all up, what would he do if something happened?
This was where Hu Ma differed from other living beings.
Others could spend their life force freely, as it would gradually replenish itself. Hu Ma, however, had only three life forces to manage carefully, for they would not come back once spent.
In the end, it all came down to the blood flesh.
If what Ergetou had said was true, and he could secure this supply of blood flesh, not only would he have nothing to worry about, but his Daoist powers would also increase.
With this resolve, Hu Ma continued his daily routine, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.
One day, after completing his practice, he made his way to the front courtyard. The sun was about to set, and it was time to prepare for the night patrol.
But as he glanced around, he noticed that the lanterns in the outer courtyard were not lit, and no one was tending to the stables or feeding the horses.
Feeling puzzled, he saw that all the workers in the courtyard were standing stiffly, their eyes fixed on the inner courtyard where the old innkeeper lived.
"Whoosh..."
This eerie scene sent a jolt of alarm through Hu Ma. Something must have happened. Had some powerful evil spirit finally broken through and invaded the estate?
Startled, he took a step back, trying to understand what was going on.
Just then, he heard a "gulp" as someone swallowed hard. Following the workers' gazes, he saw a young woman, about seventeen or eighteen, standing in the inner courtyard.
She wore a black blouse with floral patterns and a white silk trousers that hugged her slender legs. A delicate jade bracelet adorned her fair wrist, and her entire appearance was graceful and refined.
At that moment, she was sitting by a stone bench, brewing tea for the old innkeeper.
Her presence seemed to brighten the dim twilight.
"Wo...man?"
"Woman?"
"..."
Why would a woman appear in the estate?
And such a beautiful one at that?
Hu Ma had been in this world for a while, and he was used to the harsh realities. He sealed his furnace to accumulate yang energy, and although he was considered "half-yin" by his grandmother's standards, the blood flesh he consumed daily kept him well-nourished. While he didn't indulge as freely as the Second Master and other young men, he still had his cravings.
Most people he saw were dressed in rough, dark clothes, their lives worn down by hardship, which made him a proper gentleman by default. Beauty was a luxury he rarely considered, and the people he saw were just that—people.
But now, a woman had truly appeared before him.
And she was exceptionally beautiful, with delicate features and a slender figure, radiating an almost ethereal charm.
No wonder the workers in the outer courtyard couldn't move their feet. Even Hu Ma couldn't help but take a second look.
However, with the wisdom of his past life, Hu Ma quickly regained his composure. Seeing the workers' rude stares, he felt he should intervene and give them a stern warning.
But as he was about to speak, he realized that these young men had no one to teach them better. Their desire for women was natural, and simply looking at her was a rare treat for them.
He couldn't be the one to take that away from them.
So, Hu Ma pretended not to notice and turned to walk back to his small room. But just as he did, the innkeeper called out:
"Hu Ma, come over and meet her."
"..."
"Meet who?"
Surprised, but unable to disobey the innkeeper's command, Hu Ma straightened his clothes and walked through the crowd of workers.
Hearing Hu Ma's approach, the workers, who usually respected him, didn't scatter. Instead, they looked at him with envy, hoping he would bring them along to get a closer look at the woman.
But Hu Ma couldn't do that. He kept his eyes forward, entered the inner courtyard, and sat down opposite the innkeeper.
"This is my daughter, her name is He."
The old innkeeper gestured for Hu Ma to take a cup of tea and said calmly, "Although we don't have a formal master-disciple relationship, you are my student, and I have taught you many things. It's not too much to call me 'teacher.'"
"By that logic, He can be considered your sister."
"She is often ill and doesn't go out much. Now that you've met her, you will have to look after her from time to time."
Hu Ma quickly stood up and bowed, "Sister He, it's nice to meet you."
The young woman nodded politely and poured tea for Hu Ma, her hands gracefully holding the teapot.
The workers outside watched with envy, their eyes almost bursting with longing.
But Hu Ma was also puzzled. This was the innkeeper's daughter, the one who had been secretly watching him from her room?
She had never left the house before, so why was she out now?
Just the presence of a woman was enough to make him want to give a thumbs up.
(End of Chapter)
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