Chapter 800: Sibling Disciples
Chapter 800: Sibling Disciples
Miss White Wine, on high alert, led the four paper-wrapped individuals and a group of reincarnates away. Since she hadn't invited him, Hu Ma, being mindful, temporarily refrained from approaching. Instead, he took a deep look at the ancestral hall and then turned towards the old mansion.
Erguotou followed him, stating, "I'll keep an eye on the reincarnates first to prevent any mishaps."
However, as soon as they left and were out of sight, Erguotou turned to Hu Ma with a serious expression and nodded slightly, saying, "You and I, there's something we should discuss."
Hu Ma nodded in response and smiled, "Then let's head back to the old mansion first."
The Imperial Capital was still in disarray, but the news of the State Preceptor's departure and the entry of malevolent spirits into the city had terrified many within its walls. This caused the relatives gathered at the old mansion's entrance to disperse in fear.
"How about a hot pot?"
Erguotou had a lot on his mind, but upon entering the old mansion and stepping into the inner hall, his gaze swept the room, immediately capturing his attention. He sat down and said, "Bring me a pair of chopsticks."
Miao Shan Immortal Lady had already finished eating, and after a quick glance at him, she left the table, instructing a servant to bring more meat. Erguotou didn't hesitate and helped himself to the soup, taking a few mouthfuls before letting out a long sigh.
He turned to Hu Ma and said, "How dare you trust me so readily?"
As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his bosom—the Hu Family's Pacifying Heavenly Stem Scroll—and placed it before Hu Ma.
"I'm returning the original scroll to you, but I've memorized its contents and can't give it back."
Hu Ma took the scroll and tucked it into his bosom, saying, "You didn't hesitate to accept it either. It's I who should be thanking you."
"If it weren't for my master's sake, I wouldn't have had the courage to take it."
Erguotou's gaze was more serious than ever as he looked at Hu Ma, slowly saying, "There's something I've suspected for a while, but it wasn't until you gave me the Pacifying Heavenly Stem Scroll that I finally confirmed it."
"In fact, we are sibling disciples."
"The one who taught me these skills is your father."
"..."
"..."
Outside the Imperial Capital, an unquenchable disaster fire burned quietly.
Clearly, there was nothing left to fuel the flames, yet they persisted, flickering in and out of existence.
Between the flames, a bloated and eerie mass of flesh and blood descended from the sky, settling on the ground. Anyone who had once been associated with the Blood Feast Gang could tell that this flesh and blood was none other than the Celestial Year God.
Dressed in a white robe, Monkey Wine sat quietly on an ox cart, gazing peacefully at the sky without moving, while the ox remained still as well...
The disaster fire and the flesh and blood painted a bizarre picture, and Monkey Wine sat amidst this strangeness, his tranquility making him seem like a surreal oil painting from another world.
Until several black shadows, their features obscured, slowly appeared before him.
Monkey Wine suddenly smiled and said, "I knew not everyone in the Ten Surnames would be fools. I expected someone would be willing to meet me."
The shadows watched him quietly, and one of them laughed, "Aren't you afraid we'll join forces and eliminate you right here?"
"It's not a matter of whether I'm afraid or not; it's a question of whether you dare."
Monkey Wine looked at them indifferently and said, "You don't have the guts. Not even the person who just left the Imperial Capital did, though he looked at me with murderous intent. However, he was smart enough to hold back and leave quietly."
The figures glanced at each other, and one of them sighed softly, "It's been a long time since we've seen such an arrogant malevolent spirit."
"Still, since you've invited us here, let's talk!"
"What do you want?"
"..."
"I want the Ten Surnames' arts."
Monkey Wine clarified, "Not just any ordinary arts, but your bridges, your troops, your arrangements in the Netherworld, your understanding of those things, the Purple Great Rat in your possession, and your accumulated resources over the past twenty years."
"Hand over everything to us, or rather, to me."
His words left the crowd speechless. Suddenly, one of the shadows exclaimed, "You're being awfully bold, and you haven't even..."
"There's no need to rush and say such things to boost your courage," Monkey Wine interrupted, his voice calm. "Within three months, I will visit the Mountain Watching Zhu Family and, following the rules of the martial world, formally challenge you to a duel."
"If you truly have the confidence, you can keep me on the mountain until then."
"..."
"You..."
The black shadow, or rather, the head of the Mountain Watching Zhu Family, fell silent, without a word in response.
Just then, another figure smiled and said, "Regardless, your demands are too bold. We know you won't get what you want."
"I'm just stating our respective needs clearly."
Monkey Wine replied indifferently, "Don't you also want what we have? Instead of hiding and keeping secrets, let's be clear and find a real solution."
The black shadows exchanged silent glances, and one of them slowly spoke, "According to the State Preceptor, if we all assist him, then after a successful Religious Ceremony, we'll obtain what we desire."
"But you won't succeed," Monkey Wine said slowly. "It's impossible for all Ten Surnames to obediently serve that State Preceptor. Those who plot against the nation are destined to fail."
"Especially, he placed his hopes on the descendants of the Hu family..."
"I know that man, he's someone I quite admire. I know he wouldn't approve of what you're doing."
"In fact, if it weren't for meeting you, I wouldn't have come here, as there's no need."
"..."
The group suddenly fell silent, looking at each other, before someone cautiously asked, "So, what do you think of the descendants of the Hu family?"
"I don't have any special opinions."
Monkey Wine spoke slowly, "The smart person in the Dalaofa Religion did the dumbest thing. He shouldn't have used a strategy of sowing discord to force him. He doesn't understand that among the reincarnates, there's no such thing as being a spy or not."
"Once they understand our principles, they become one of us, regardless of their immortality or not."
"..."
Although their faces were hidden, they seemed to grow solemn, and after a long while, someone spoke slowly, "So, you want to meet us because..."
"Don't waste time. Your world is already too fragile. You can destroy it, and so can I."
Monkey Wine said indifferently, "But time is tight, and there's no time for scheming. So, between us, there's only one path left."
...
...
"In fact, even this name of mine was given by him."
Meanwhile, in the Hu family's old mansion within the Imperial Capital, Erguotou looked at Hu Ma with a serious expression and began to speak, "I'm ten years older than you. It's been almost twenty years now since I met the master who taught me these skills."
"When reincarnates come here, some have good fortune, and some have bad. I was among the unlucky ones, wandering the streets as a child. If it weren't for my past life's wisdom, I would've died long ago."
"Even with that wisdom, life was still difficult for a child under ten in this world. It was your father who saved me and taught me the skills to survive."
"But after teaching me these skills, one night, when he was heavily drunk, he suddenly revealed that I talked in my sleep. He even laughed and asked me about Blue Teacher and the Dark Three-Headed Dog..."
"By then, I had already contacted other reincarnates, and I was truly scared, thinking my life was over."
"I fled that very night, and fortunately, he didn't stop me, allowing me to escape. I hid for many years, always feeling that he was too mysterious, and some of his actions were incomprehensible."
"Later, after wandering around, I returned to Bright State. In truth, it was because of this shadow in my heart, always feeling that..."
"Back then, it seemed that he didn't discover I was a reincarnate after taking me as his disciple, but rather..."
"He already knew I was a reincarnate, and that's why he decided to take me as his disciple."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Hu Ma also felt it was surprising, finally understanding why Erguotou had always been so timid and mysterious.
"I gradually realized something was amiss because... the skills he taught me were too useful."
Erguotou let out a bitter laugh, "In less than three years, I met him a few times, and he taught me everything, even revealing the various secrets of the Ghost Walker Sect."
"When I first started learning, I thought it was normal. But as I traveled more in the world and saw how difficult it was for others to learn skills, I became even more grateful to him and understood the weight of this favor."
"But understanding this didn't answer why he was so determined to teach me these skills. It was only when I remembered why he wanted to change my name."
"My original name was Hu Chuan, but he insisted on adding the character 'Shan' to my name. When I inquired about it, I finally learned that the previous generation's Ghost Walker, the young master of the Hu family, was named Hu Shan..."
"So, he was marking me, reminding me of my connection to the Ghost Walker Sect!"
"..."
Hu Ma listened carefully, finding the twist of fate fascinating. It seemed both unpredictable and fated, and had he known this earlier, he might not have doubted his ancestors' stance.
The Hu family's ancestors and Master Elder Eyebrow plotted against the Dalaofa Religion, and my father secretly taught a reincarnate as his disciple, passing on the Hu family's true teachings."
All of this pointed to one conclusion: from the beginning, the Hu family was not an enemy of the reincarnates.
But if that were the case, why did the two sides fight to the death, with bloodshed and chaos, even keeping the truth hidden from the Elderly Woman? Was it just to confuse the State Preceptor?
"After understanding all this and learning about you, I realized I had no choice."
Erguotou sighed deeply, "Brother, within the Ghost Walker Sect, there are some clues I didn't understand before. But after seeing the Year Protection Scroll, I finally figured it out. There's something my master wants me to tell you."
"It concerns the sacrifice of the first reincarnate, and..."
"The Celestial Year God!"
(End of Chapter)
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