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Chapter 96: Midnight Tomb Sweeping (First Update)
Chapter 96: Midnight Tomb Sweeping (First Update)
This night was destined to be a long one.
Sitting in the courtyard, Hu Ma silently pondered what he would face tonight.
He knew that the outsiders from the Vat Sect were merely probing and testing, likely to cover for those who sought Blood Food. They were unaware that the Old Shopkeeper was not in the Village, and without knowing the Village’s true situation, they wouldn’t dare to reveal their true strength all at once.
However, once they encountered the Old Shopkeeper, they would realize that the Village was merely a ruse, and that would be the moment they truly unleashed their fury, the moment Hu Ma would have to step up.
Calculating the time, he knew it was getting close.
Hu Ma let out a low sigh, bringing a half jar of wine to his side, and took a large swig, wiping his mouth.
Some things were unclear from his perspective. He didn’t know the Old Shopkeeper’s intentions or what he truly needed to face.
But Second Pot Elder Brother and Miss White Wine could easily see the Old Shopkeeper’s true purpose and offered guidance from another angle, though they couldn’t do anything for him.
Outside the Village, a cold wind blew in, carrying an indescribable, eerie sound and laughter.
The Apprentices had retreated into the houses, not even daring to light a lamp. They had done well this night.
After all, even if they had a Fire Foundation, they had their limits. Now, after several rounds of extraordinary performance, they were in a low ebb, and their courage was smaller than usual.
But it didn’t matter; he would hold the line.
"Brother Ma..."
Just as Hu Ma was mentally bolstering his courage, he suddenly heard a shout. Zhou Datong appeared behind him.
His knife had been requisitioned by Hu Ma, so he had requisitioned the knives of Xu Ji’s two followers, giving one to Zhou Liang. Zhao Zhu, on the other hand, carried his beloved manure fork.
The stench of something foul wafted over, indicating that he had already been possessed.
"What are you doing here?"
Hu Ma asked in a low voice, glancing around the courtyard, which seemed quieter than before. The Ghost Temple seemed to be up to something, but it felt even more dangerous.
"Helping you..."
Zhou Datong picked a peanut from the table and tossed it into his mouth, grinning slyly. "We don’t know what’s going on, but when even you start talking about the Four Softs, we know it’s serious."
"Don’t hide it from us. If there’s trouble, we’ll face it together. If something happens to you, our good days in this Village will be over."
"This..."
Hu Ma had intended to send them back to hide, but seeing their serious expressions, he was taken aback.
He then smiled and waved his hand. "Fine, stay and watch, but listen to me and don’t be afraid. If you feel scared, go back to your rooms and sleep."
"..."
Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, and Zhao Zhu looked as if they had been scolded, their faces turning red. They shouted, "We’re not afraid."
"Second Uncle said, why should the living fear the dead?"
"But..."
Despite their bravado, a hint of panic still showed, and they asked in a small voice, "Where did Miss He and the Old Shopkeeper go? When will they be back?"
Hu Ma could only smile and replied in a low voice, "Who knows?"
...
...
Meanwhile, the Village had successfully endured the first half of the night, and preparations were made for the second half. The surroundings of the Village were already shrouded in a deathly silence.
Even those who had been performing outside the Village seemed to have sensed something and exchanged glances, some quietly packing up and disappearing into the dark night. Others looked at the Village, their faces revealing a knowing smile.
The night was silent, the air still. A pale, sickly moon hung in the sky, silently watching the desolate wilderness.
About a quarter of an hour earlier, less than ten li from the Village, on a small, overgrown rural path, two people quietly approached.
They were dressed in colorful clothes patched together with tattered strips of fabric. Each walked on one side of the path, carrying a jar in their arms, slowly making their way from the direction of Old Yin Mountain, not making a sound.
When they reached a crossroads, they simultaneously placed their jars on the side of the path.
They sat down silently, one lighting a pipe and puffing on it, while the other chewed on a blade of grass.
When the pipe was finished, they both stood up and waved their sleeves backward.
Slowly, more figures emerged from the darkness, all dressed in rough cotton coats and carrying poles on their shoulders.
It was the coldest part of winter, yet they had their coats unbuttoned, their skin blue from the cold, their hands and feet cracked. They walked barefoot on the ground covered with gravel and frost, seemingly oblivious to the cold, moving forward step by step with a dazed expression, carrying their poles.
The two colorfully dressed men remained still, still holding their jars, waiting.
After a few moments, a large, round figure emerged from the darkness, the sound of heavy footsteps growing louder as it approached.
Upon closer inspection, it was another person, carrying a jar on his back.
The jar was practically a large vat.
It was big enough for two people to wrap their arms around, and it was securely fastened to a frame made of thick ropes and wooden poles, which was then strapped to the man's back.
"Big Aunt..."
The two men in colorful attire bowed deeply upon seeing the figure with the large vat on his back.
However, their bows were first directed at the vat—or rather, the large jar—on his back, and only then to the man himself: "Ninth Grandpa..."
"Is that Wu still in the village?"
The man with the vat slowly stopped and took a few breaths before asking with a cold laugh.
"The lantern hasn't gone out."
One of the men in colorful attire whispered, "The children are still putting in effort, but it's not yet time for Auntie to take action. They're just stretching out the time, greeting the old acquaintance surnamed Wu."
"Ha, ha, since that's the case, let's open the warehouse then!"
Ninth Grandpa laughed coldly twice, then continued walking slowly without further comment.
With such a heavy load on his back, he naturally moved very slowly. No one dared to urge him, and they could only follow silently behind him. After nearly half an hour, they finally saw a small, unremarkable mound in the wilderness ahead.
Grass had already grown over it, and there was no tombstone, no paper offerings, or any traces of incense or flags. It looked like an inconspicuous little hill.
When they reached the mound, Ninth Grandpa stopped and extended his hand to the side.
One of the men in colorful attire hurriedly handed him a broom, while the other quickly lit some incense.
Ninth Grandpa took the broom and began to sweep the earth in front of the mound slowly.
As he swept, he muttered, "First sweep, the gods can't see; second sweep, the enemies close their eyes."
"Third sweep, the ears are quiet; fourth sweep, the master is at the door..."
The mound appeared unremarkable, with many villagers passing by it throughout the year without noticing anything unusual.
He didn't sweep with much force, only brushing off the surface layer of dust.
However, a strange scene unfolded as he swept left and right, muttering to himself. Suddenly, a cold wind began to blow over the mound, and the surroundings grew increasingly quiet. Even the faint crescent moon overhead was slowly obscured by a layer of dark clouds.
The night became even deeper, and the earth in front of the mound grew thinner, gradually revealing two wooden doors.
The wooden doors were slanted on the ground, and there were even two rusted iron rings on them.
When Ninth Grandpa saw the doors appear, he stopped sweeping, looking quite pleased. He glanced around and whispered, "Let's open the warehouse!"
The two men in colorful attire immediately became very excited. One of them grabbed an iron ring on each side and pulled open the door.
Below, there was a dark, earthen cave.
"Quick, get in!"
Seeing the earthen cave, the two men in colorful attire became even more excited. One of them turned around, took a small bell from his pocket, and shook it, producing a very low, fine sound.
The several men who looked like porters, who had been following behind them, seemed to snap out of a daze and slowly moved forward, entering the earthen cave. Soon, they carried out seven or eight burlap bags from the cave.
These burlap bags looked yellowish, and it was impossible to tell what material they were made of.
Strangely, after they were carried out, something inside the bags seemed to be wriggling, as if trying to escape.
Both Ninth Grandpa and the two men in colorful attire laughed with delight.
He waved his hand at the porters and said, "Pick them up, let's go!"
"After a year of waiting, we finally have the Blood Food in our hands..."
The porters had been waiting, and upon hearing this, they mechanically shouldered their poles and picked up the burlap bags, forming a line to follow the sound of the bell.
But just then, in the silent night, a cough suddenly echoed, coming from behind them.
Everyone was startled and quickly turned around. In the dark, they saw two figures appearing on the road they had just come from. One was an old man with his hands behind his back, and the other was making a low growling sound, looking like a big black dog.
"Midnight, no one around, sweeping the grave and calling the door."
The old man's face was indistinct, but his voice was low and sighing, "The Vat Sect's techniques are becoming more and more common."
"Who are you?"
The two men in colorful attire were startled and quickly hugged the jars in front of them.
But Ninth Grandpa, who was carrying the large vat, was not panicked. He laughed coldly and said, "Mr. Wu, you've gotten smarter..."
"You left your apprentices as decoys and hid outside yourself?"
"It's just that your work was too clumsy."
The newcomer was Mr. Wu, who was speaking in a low voice as he slowly approached. Gradually, they could see each other's faces clearly, and the smiles on their faces had faded, replaced by cold grins. "If I hadn't helped you cover up, do you really think the Red Lantern Association would be foolish enough not to notice your tricks?"
...
The porters had been waiting, and upon hearing this, they mechanically shouldered their poles and picked up the burlap bags, forming a line to follow the sound of the bell.
But just then, in the silent night, a cough suddenly echoed, coming from behind them.
Everyone was startled and quickly turned around. In the dark, they saw two figures appearing on the road they had just come from. One was an old man with his hands behind his back, and the other was making a low growling sound, looking like a big black dog.
"Midnight, no one around, sweeping the grave and calling the door."
The old man's face was indistinct, but his voice was low and sighing, "The Vat Sect's techniques are becoming more and more common."
"Who are you?"
The two men in colorful attire were startled and quickly hugged the jars in front of them.
But Ninth Grandpa, who was carrying the large vat, was not panicked. He laughed coldly and said, "Mr. Wu, you've gotten smarter..."
"You left your apprentices as decoys and hid outside yourself?"
"It's just that your work was too clumsy."
The newcomer was Mr. Wu, who was speaking in a low voice as he slowly approached. Gradually, they could see each other's faces clearly, and the smiles on their faces had faded, replaced by cold grins. "If I hadn't helped you cover up, do you really think the Red Lantern Association would be foolish enough not to notice your tricks?"
(End of Chapter)
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