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Chapter 95: Borrowing the Momentum
Chapter 95: Borrowing the Momentum
A chilling darkness enveloped the surroundings, and the ghost temple performance was in full swing, with an eerie atmosphere.
The cold wind blew from who knew where, and within the shadows, indistinct shapes seemed to move, bringing a bone-chilling cold like a night mist. The wind rustled the wild grass by the roadside, making it sway wildly.
The area was deathly silent, and all the town's residents had their doors and windows tightly shut. Only the manor, under the tall red lanterns, appeared lively and bustling.
The scent of wine and meat wafted up into the air, and the apprentices’ loud cheers echoed far into the silent night. Even the performers near the manor frowned, feeling an inexplicable unease.
In their eyes, the manor seemed to have several stoves burning, making it warm even in the coldest winter, so much so that the apprentices had taken off their heavy coats. Thus, the knocking sounds outside the manor grew more urgent, and in the dark, unseen forces seemed to be urging something, inching closer to the manor with growing desperation.
But now, Hu Ma was telling jokes to the apprentices, who were all a bit tipsy from the wine: "The Four Softs, have you heard of them?"
All the apprentices looked at him with wide eyes: "What Four Softs?"
Hu Ma laughed: "This is what Second Uncle used to tell us in our village: cotton balls, willow branches, sun-dried persimmons, and the waists of women..."
The apprentices burst into laughter, their faces flushed with excitement.
Zhou Datong, hearing this, smiled and continued: "That's just the beginning. There are also the Four Hards, the Four Tenders, and the Four Flaccid. Have you heard of them?"
The apprentices didn’t know what they were, but just hearing them made them excited, their faces glowing red, eyes blazing.
"With Datong around, everything's fine..."
Hu Ma watched the apprentices’ excited faces and couldn't help but think.
He himself couldn’t think of anything better. Telling them a few key points about that Golden Plum thing might work, but it would probably shatter his usually calm and composed image as a junior steward.
Datong is a good brother and very talented...
While drinking, he casually glanced outside the manor, noticing that the sky seemed even darker than before, the cold wind swirling around the manor, whistling as if something was trying to force its way in.
But the apprentices, who were eating and drinking to their heart's content, were completely absorbed, their attention undivided, not a single crack in their focus.
Of course, it was fortunate that the people who came were from the Vat Sect. If it were beautiful spirits...
...they would probably all be in trouble.
But seeing the effect of this method, it had already held off the outside forces for quite some time. The things outside seemed to be getting more and more impatient, and Hu Ma could hear the knocking sounds growing more urgent, almost as if they were about to knock the dust out.
After an unknown amount of time, a sudden cold wind blew, chilling the apprentices to the bone and snapping them out of their excitement and reverie.
Looking down, they saw that the bonfire roasting the sheep had been blown to a loud roar. The flames quickly weakened, as if shrinking in fear, and the red lanterns hanging above swayed gently, causing the red shadows on the ground to sway wildly.
"Eh?"
Someone reacted, turning their head to look outside the wall: "Those performers, haven’t they left yet?"
"Smack!"
Hu Ma had been paying attention to this area. Seeing the apprentices distracted, he suddenly stood up and smashed his bowl to the ground, the loud noise immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Hu Ma, his face full of dissatisfaction, shouted towards outside the manor: "Damn, ruining the mood! We brothers in the manor work our butts off, and it takes months to earn a decent meal and a drink!"
"Do you really think there's some evil spirit that's been lured by our feast and wants to come in for a bite?"
"Absolutely outrageous, do you really think we brothers are easy to provoke? Go and ask around, which evil spirit in the Ten Li and Eight Villages hasn't been driven away by us?"
"Who dares to cause trouble, do you think we won’t spray you to death with a True Yang Arrow?"
"..."
By now, the sheep had been mostly eaten, and the apprentices were about seven or eight parts drunk.
The cold wind that had just blown in had somewhat sobered them up, but hearing Hu Ma's loud curses, their emotions were instantly stirred.
Drunk people tend to be quick to anger, especially when Hu Ma spoke to their hearts. Though they all feared evil spirits, they had been patrolling at night for a long time and had never encountered anything that dared to offend the Red Lantern Lady. Naturally, they felt somewhat emboldened by this.
Moreover, with their trusted Hu Ma leading the curses, they all joined in, spewing foul language, some even standing up, jumping, and clapping while cursing.
The cold wind that had blown in was actually suppressed, the fire roasting the sheep gradually rose, and the chilling cold wind dissipated.
"Very good, don't stop!"
Hu Ma, seeing their reactions, was very satisfied.
The alchemical furnaces could counter evil spirits, and foul language and anger could do the same. In the Big Sheep Village, Second Uncle had said that encountering wandering filth at night, loud curses could prevent the evil from approaching.
Let alone now, with seven or eight furnaces cursing together?
Of course, he was well aware that the challenge he faced tonight was no ordinary Wandering Filth. Although his current actions might be effective, they could also provoke the other party's anger.
Taking advantage of the apprentices' loud curses, he quickly got up and headed to the kitchen. There, he picked up a few live roosters, a pot of red sugar water that Li Wa Zi had just boiled, and the boiled eggs.
He gave Zhou Datong a meaningful glance, signaling him to continue maintaining the atmosphere. Then, he swiftly moved to the side of the manor.
He slashed the roosters' necks with his knife, sprinkling their blood around the manor. Then, he went to the manor’s gate, threw the flapping roosters outside, and placed the pot of red sugar eggs at the manor's Gate. He lit a few incense sticks and waited silently.
The night was deep and dark, with the area outside the manor pitch black.
He could only hear the roosters he threw out flapping a few times before suddenly disappearing as if swallowed by something.
"Have they come yet?"
Hu Ma turned his head and saw Little Red Apricot squatting beside him, her face full of worry, or rather, fear, staring intently outside.
As soon as night fell, she had come out of the room, occasionally climbing to the roof or the walls on both sides, then running back in a panic, yet not daring to approach Hu Ma, who was drinking at the table.
The apprentices were truly frightening just now.
It wasn't until now that she dared to come to Hu Ma's side, shaking her head when he asked.
"This..."
Hu Ma could only wait patiently, feeling the cold and eerie atmosphere outside the manor growing heavier, making his bones chill.
He also noticed that behind the two tables, where the previously noisy apprentices had all fallen silent, except for Zhou Datong who was still trying to curse, though his voice was now very thin.
Outside the courtyard, the grasses suddenly rustled, and a voice came from behind, “Little Steward, you have quite a few enemies here…”
Hu Ma jumped in fright, quickly turning around to see Li Wa Zi twisting his body, his eyes darting around, his voice sharp and hoarse, looking at him with a strange gaze.
"How did you get possessed so quickly?"
Hu Ma was startled, then realized that in this entire manor, Li Wa Zi was the one most likely to be possessed, and no one else.
"Don't eat..."
Seeing Li Wa Zi about to put his fingers in his mouth, Hu Ma quickly stopped him, saying, “Good neighbors, we are all friends. You can borrow his body to speak, but spare his fingers, he's the one who boiled the red sugar water…”
Li Wa Zi reluctantly lowered his fingers, saying, “What do you want us to do?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
Hu Ma glanced outside the manor, saying, “The Lady Society is already in session. We have a connection, we meet often. late. Can your family help us out?”
Li Wa Zi said, “Your Red Lantern Lady is so powerful, why seek our help?”
Hu Ma hurriedly said, “She is high and mighty, how could we have a deep connection?”
“Even if good neighbors don't help me this time, at least help me see what’s out there…”
“…”
This was something he had planned in advance, knowing from the start that this night would not be peaceful, and who knew what the Vat Sect might bring.
He didn’t dare let Little Red Apricot go out to scout, truly fearing she might be eaten by Auntie Tan.
night.
The only ones he could ask for help were the Yellow Immortals, they were quite bold, having even killed Xu Ji in the past. Even the Old Shopkeeper thought they must be afraid and had run into the Old Yin Mountain, but in fact, they were still lingering around, just not daring to clash with the Night Patrol. Of course, most of the time, Hu Ma pretended not to know their presence.
Now, Hu Ma had prepared the offerings, just to see if they would come. If they did, it would mean they weren't too afraid of what was outside and could help with scouting. If they didn't come, it would mean they were also scared off.
"The offerings are not few, their offerings are more than yours…"
Li Wa Zi blinked, looking greedily at the pot of red sugar eggs outside the manor, saying, “We are righteous, eating a few of your eggs and helping a little, but we can’t do too much.”
Hu Ma hurriedly said, “Thank you, thank you.”
Li Wa Zi didn’t even listen to the thanks, directly saying, “What will you give next time?”
Hu Ma said, “How about ten roosters?”
Li wa zi's face lit up with surprise, then suddenly fainted, the thing possessing him having run off.
Hu Ma only heard a stir outside, a yellow shadow flashing in the night, the pot of red sugar eggs already dragged away.
He let out a slight sigh of relief, yet still did not dare to be careless. He called Zhou Datong over, had him carry the unconscious Li Wa Zi back, then turned to the apprentices who were all wide awake with fear, sternly saying:
“Don’t ask, all go back to your rooms, secure the doors and windows, no matter what you hear, don’t come out!”
"…"
The apprentices, originally tense and confused, hesitated for a moment, then jumped up and ran back to their rooms.
Hu Ma sighed softly, sitting alone by the table, sweeping the messy dishes to the ground. Placing the wooden sword and the waist knife on the table, he sat alone, gazing into the night.
Tonight, he had already borrowed too much power, the rest of the night, he would have to rely on himself.
(End of Chapter)
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