https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-8-The-Call-from-Old-Yin-Mountain/12834383/
Chapter 9: Blood Earthly Branch
Chapter 9: Blood Earthly Branch
The evil spirits that crawl out of hell hide among the living...
Hu Ma was momentarily stunned by the strange words of the old woman. Since he awoke, he had been guarding this eerie old lady, focusing only on how to avoid the malevolent spirits that constantly watched him. He knew nothing else.
But now, because of some unknown old man in his dream, he learned that he was an evil spirit, just like those malevolent beings?
How could he be an evil spirit?
He was just a college student from a normal world, at most a Time Traveler...
...But as he thought about it, he suddenly froze.
Yes, in his previous life, he clearly remembered that he had died, in that explosion, and he even vaguely remembered drifting for many years until he heard a strange incantation that drew him to this body.
The old lady had been trying to Summon her grandson's soul, but she inadvertently brought him here instead.
So, what did she see him as?
A terrifying truth slowly dawned on him: "So..."
"Am I an evil spirit?"
"..."
"..."
"My incense is almost out, and that thing is about to find me..."
At that moment, the voice on the other end of the incense, which seemed to be "connected" to him, sounded increasingly anxious: "Brother, it's an elder's duty to explain the rules of survival to newcomers, but I really can't take care of you right now."
"I can only tell you that our situation is extremely dire. Both the malevolent spirits and the people in this world are eager to kill us."
"Remember, your identity is the most important thing. Never let anyone know who you are."
"We had a companion who, at the age of five, accidentally revealed something and was crushed to death by her own father, who used a Stone Mill to obliterate her soul."
"The people in this world won't hesitate to harm you, even if you're related. They will only see you as an evil spirit that has taken over their child's body and hate you even more..."
"..."
"You..."
Hu Ma had countless questions, but he noticed the incense was fading and becoming disordered.
"I don't have time to explain more, but I have to tell you..."
The other voice was equally anxious: "The Earthly Branch is the most crucial thing."
"I don't know your current situation, but you must do everything you can to get the Earthly Branch meat. It's the best thing that can save me and help you. Green Earthly Branch is the best, but if you can't find that, White Earthly Branch will do. Of course, if you can find Blood Earthly Branch..."
"..."
"Ah, that's almost impossible, unless you're reincarnated into a noble family."
"Anyway, use any means necessary to get these things."
"..."
Listening to his frantic voice, Hu Ma didn't dare interrupt him. He strained to hear the increasingly unclear words and committed them to memory: "Bad, that thing is coming in..."
"I'm going to use the Life-Sealing Technique to seal myself. Brother, I can only hold on for two months. If you meet anyone else, tell them to go to Fox Coffin Village... under the East Bridge..."
"There's... a Hundred Corpse Tomb here..."
"..."
"I remember..."
Hu Ma shouted loudly, hoping his response would give the other person some confidence.
For some reason, he felt a strong sense of worry for this stranger, even though they had only spoken a few words.
The surroundings were silent, and all the sounds had disappeared.
Hu Ma saw that the incense in the incense burner, or rather, the Spirit Incense, was no longer a straight line. It had become disordered, as if blown by an invisible wind, searching in all directions.
"So, I'm not the only one who has come to this world and is struggling?"
"..."
He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, and began to gather the information the other person had given him.
As he thought about it, he felt a growing sense of dread.
Keeping his identity secret was the most important thing; otherwise, he would face a fate worse than death...
What about the old lady?
He had a nagging feeling, and the old lady's occasional eerie gaze flashed through his mind.
"Don't panic. At least the old lady hasn't discovered my true identity yet. Otherwise, with her abilities, why would she keep me? She just thinks I was recently saved and have forgotten many things!"
Feeling tense, he tried to reassure himself: "Besides, if there are others like me in this world, maybe I can find them and get some help from them."
He looked down at the Spirit Incense in the burner, which had only about an inch and a half left.
But the smoke from the incense was far from steady, drifting around aimlessly.
Hu Ma suddenly realized, "That old fellow seemed to have been calling for a long time, but only I responded."
"Does this mean there really is no one else around?"
"..."
Understanding this, he no longer waited and pulled the incense stick out of the furnace, placing it to the side.
Even with this brief, hurried conversation, he realized it was a precious resource.
"Old Yin Mountain? Fox Coffin Village?"
He repeated the place names the old man had mentioned.
It sounded like he was in a very dangerous situation, but he seemed to have some way to protect himself, able to hold on for about two months. However, his incense was now burned out, meaning he couldn't call for help anymore.
Could he, Hu Ma, be the only one who might save him?
Hu Ma felt a moment of hesitation, but then he shook his head in frustration.
Who could he save now?
He couldn't even leave the village, let alone venture far from Grandma and Little Hongtang.
Even the old man, Ergetou, had only suggested that if he encountered other companions, he should bring them to save him. Since he had been calling for so long without finding anyone, how could Hu Ma, with his limited abilities, find anyone?
A shadow of doubt clouded his mind, and Hu Ma woke up, feeling a cold sweat on his back.
A sliver of light filtered through the small window above him.
It wasn't yet dawn, but Hu Ma could see a faint glow seeping through the simple wooden door of the side room.
Grandma seemed to have already risen and was tidying something up.
Little Hongtang, munching on something with a crunch, suddenly shouted, "Big Brother Hu Ma is awake!"
Then she continued munching away.
"..."
Hu Ma had wanted to pretend to be asleep to calm his nerves, but he could only slowly get up when he heard her.
He pinched his cheeks, determined to keep his composure in front of Grandma.
He slowly got out of bed and walked to the door. As he pushed it open, the oil lamp on the table in the main room flickered slightly, and Grandma, who was sitting on a small stool tidying things up, slowly turned to look at him.
Hu Ma forced a smile, but Grandma suddenly said, "Did you sleep poorly last night?"
"I covered you with a blanket last night and saw you looking very tense. You were also muttering in your sleep, saying things I couldn't understand."
"Ah?"
Hu Ma's hair stood on end, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
Before he could ask anything, Grandma withdrew her gaze and said, "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Eating too much Taishui flesh can cause that. While it can cure illnesses, it can also have some side effects, leading to strange dreams. Some people even go mad from it..."
"But only this meat can cure you."
"..."
"Um, I understand."
Hu Ma was drenched in cold sweat and could only mumble a response. After a moment's hesitation, he mustered the courage to squat down and help her.
Realizing the connection between the Taishui flesh and the incense, he no longer felt as resistant.
On the contrary, he had organized his thoughts and was slightly curious.
He pretended to be nonchalant as he packed the cured meat, brown sugar, tobacco, and blankets into a bundle and carefully asked, "Grandma, you always make me eat this meat, saying it can ward off evil spirits, but what exactly is this meat?"
At his words, Grandma's gaze turned somber.
Little Hongtang, who was munching on chicken claws, suddenly turned to look at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma felt extremely tense but reassured himself.
After all, he had just come back from the dead and couldn't remember anything. It was reasonable to ask such a question, wasn't it?
Eating this strange meat every day without a single question would be the odd thing.
It felt like a long time, but it might have been just his own nervousness. He heard Grandma sigh softly and say, "Taishui is the lord who suppresses all evil spirits."
"You were badly harmed before, so I had to go to Taishui every day to cut some flesh to help you recover. It's not just for you; the village chief and the elders also eat Taishui flesh to extend their lives."
"However, they only eat White Taishui and don't dare to eat too much."
"Better than White Taishui is Green Taishui, but that is all taken by the people in the city."
"..."
Hu Ma's heart stirred. "Then what about me?"
Grandma slowly stood up and said, "You were very ill, and ordinary Taishui wouldn't do. I specifically sought this for you."
"It's called Blood Taishui!"
(End of Chapter)
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