Hu Ma vaguely guessed a certain possibility. He stood for a long time at the town entrance in the night, not moving.
Meanwhile, behind him, Zhou Datong and the others, having just gone through such a calamity, were trembling with fear. They had almost been taken away by that group of ghostly figures, which had truly terrified them.
But in the end, they were unexpectedly unscathed. Was the incense master who spoke with Brother Ma Zi really a good person?
Hu Ma listened to their calls, then slowly turned around. Seeing their tearful, sobbing faces, he could only sigh helplessly and said,
"Why are you crying?"
"When you come out to make a living, you can't avoid these things. If you think about it, staying in the village and guarding the old fire pit is more stable."
"Just remember today's events and practice your skills well!"
"Once you learn the skills, you won't be afraid anymore."
At this point, no one dared to disobey Hu Ma's words, but they secretly glanced in the direction where the green-clothed children had left, still somewhat uneasy, and whispered, "So has this really... passed?"
Hu Ma didn't rush to answer but slowly said, "No matter what, we'll handle things together."
Perhaps it hadn't passed, and instead, it had gotten even bigger...
He had just seen Incense Master Zheng turn back with a smile, and suddenly, a revelation struck him: This Zheng couldn't possibly be so kind-hearted!
He (Zheng) had silently, without a word, dug a big pit for me that I would have to jump into...
The words Incense Master Zheng left were indeed truthful. He wasn't interested in the lives of these fellows; what he wanted was my life.
Then why didn't he take advantage of my desire to protect these fellows and find an excuse to directly take action against me? Exactly!
He (Zheng) didn't know that I had just thought about breaking out of the Manor with Zhou Datong and the others and escaping into the Old Yin Mountain.
He (Zheng) judged others by his own standards and thought I would be like other Paths, other Manors' Shopkeepers. Although they would be dissatisfied and angry when their people were taken, they would cower immediately when faced with Old Master Qingyi's power, obediently handing over their people...
If that were the case, he (Zheng) would only have disgusted me a bit, but ultimately, he couldn't take my life.
So instead, he (Zheng) went with the flow and indeed left Zhou Datong and the others behind, planning to go back and accuse me, firmly establishing my reputation for not letting them go...
Who could guess such an insidious, ghostly intention?
While Hu Ma was thinking, Incense Master Zheng had already followed those green-clothed children, quickly entering the night.
It was now deep into the night, but with the thick mist from the green-clothed children surrounding them, not only would they not provoke evil spirits, but they also had the feeling of traveling a thousand miles at night.
Riding a fast horse during the day to reach Zhu Men Town might take four or five two-hour periods.
But traveling by night, carrying a sedan chair on foot, they seemed to have reached the town's entrance in just about two two-hour periods.
Now in Zhu Men Town, every household had lights on, and colorful streamers were flying everywhere, giving an unrealistic sense of luxury.
This town originally had residents, but with Red Light Green Clothes dueling for ten days straight, they couldn't just find a small hill to set up camps for both sides. So, spending a huge amount of money, plus a tiny bit of force, they rented all the houses in the town.
Now, they ought to have returned them to the common people, but with people from the Tongyin Meng family arriving, they stayed instead, with the Red Lantern Society still footing the bill.
Great Incense Master Zheng and others followed the palanquin into the town, arriving in front of a courtyard in the town center.
A large red lantern hung at the gate, appearing as if the Red Lantern Lady was personally guarding the door for the noble.
Entering the courtyard, they saw in the main hall a young man in a brocade robe and cotton shoes, practicing calligraphy with the assistance of two maids, one on his left and one on his right.
Great Incense Master Zheng and the green-clothed children dared not look up; they all knelt together before the house.
Faintly, a wisp of yin qi seemed to seep from the Evil Ghost mask on the palanquin, shaping into a man in a green robe. He knelt in front of the table, reporting in detail, though others couldn't hear his voice clearly.
"There are only a few with Yin Ze?"
The noble at the table put down his pen and took a warm towel from a maid beside him to wipe his hands, speaking softly, "There shouldn't be many families in Mingzhou Prefecture still observing the Fire Pond Worship custom anymore; they barely receive any decent protection..."
"Worshipping the old fire pit, that's the most ancient rule..."
A maid beside him laughed, "The world is chaotic now, with many people uprooted from their homes. Many ancestral shrines have scattered; how could they even consider entering the fire pit after death?"
"That requires sending the corpse back to the hometown for burial, which is not something ordinary people can manage, and ordinary families can't afford it either."
"But it's precisely because such customs are gone here that Red Light Green Clothes can get along so well in this place..."
Another maid chimed in, "However, people here don't perform Fire Pond Worship, and large ancestral shrines are few. They mostly rely on evil spirits for protection, which actually makes it more convenient for you to find people, Young Master."
"Otherwise, in those large families, in the old established places where incense thrives, if someone were hiding, they would be much harder to find..."
"HAHA, if it were that simple to find him, I wouldn't have had to come personally."
The young master listened to her words, smiling faintly, and asked, "What about those people who were brought back?"
"None of them were suitable."
The maid beside him took back the towel from his hand, saying with a smile, "The bit of Yin protective power they had was completely useless. Just a few questions and they couldn't withstand it. Many went mad, and several directly lost their lives..."
The noble shook his head, saying, "Since they are dead, they definitely can't be the person we're looking for."
"But if that family wants to hide, they will surely hide in a place with Yin protective power. Using this method, we should at least be able to find some connection to him..."
"Noble, there are still some people who weren't brought in..."
As he was pondering, suddenly a trembling voice came from below the steps; it was Great Incense Master Zheng.
Originally, he was not qualified to speak at this time, but he suddenly summoned the courage to say, "We used a bronze mirror to assess people's yin virtue. All those who reached the red line should have been brought back. However, there were a few places where people reached the red line, but we couldn't forcibly bring them back."
"For example, Grass Heart Hall in the city, the Mingzhou City government office, and that small courtyard in Plum Blossom Lane..."
"Yes, and there was also a Manor under the Red Lantern Society where some workers reached the red line, but the Shopkeeper there was very firm and didn't allow us to take anyone."
Hearing him speak, the two maids beside the noble became somewhat displeased and cast a glance outward.
Great Incense Master Zheng felt his heart shrink and lowered his head, not daring to speak.
The noble listened, then lowered his head, glancing at Great Incense Master Zheng who knelt below the steps, and suddenly said, "You're a petty person."
"Green Clothes naturally understands which places to search and which not to."
"But the Manor you mentioned last isn't in the same category as those other places. Red Lantern has no reason to be so protective. I doubt the Shopkeeper there would dare stop the green-clothed evil ghost. If you had pressed the issue, you should have been able to bring the people back."
"Yet now you've run back empty-handed. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known. But you brought it up yourself, seemingly unafraid of taking the blame. Do you have a grudge against that Manor's Shopkeeper?"
"HAHA, trying to use my hand to get rid of your enemy?"
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Hearing this, Great Incense Master Zheng shivered violently, cold sweat pouring down.
He dared not speak, simply kowtowing hard.
And perhaps it was just a delusion, but he felt the light from the Red Lantern at the main entrance seemed unusually different.
The Red Lantern hanging outside... Did she... hear it?
At this moment, he even felt as if a pair of cold eyes were staring directly at his back. His whole body stiffened, cold sweat soaking him through.
Now I've offended everyone in the Red Lantern Society. If the Red Lantern Lady is also displeased with me...
But the noble no longer looked at him, only continuing to speak to the maid beside him, "Originally, I didn't expect to find him directly by this means. But by identifying these places with Yin protective power, one can employ certain methods to draw him out..."
The maid beside him hesitated, reminding softly, "Old Master said we must consider the dignity of the Ten Surnames."
"I only want to meet the descendants of that family for a moment." The noble smiled and said, "It doesn't involve others. How could it possibly affect anyone's dignity?"
As he spoke, he turned to the green-clothed evil ghost kneeling in front. "No need to trouble two masters over one task. This errand is still yours. Use some real skills and find him."
The green-clothed evil ghost kowtowed and seemed to ask something with some doubt.
The noble listened and immediately glanced at it with slight displeasure. "How to find him? Do I still need to teach you?"
His gaze lightly flicked, and a chill instantly filled the courtyard. A gust of sinister wind rolled in, even dimming the candle flames. The green-clothed evil ghost kowtowed continuously.
Even the maid beside him forced a smile and said, "In small places, capable people are always few; they can only do the heavy lifting."
Everyone around felt a subtle pressure and dared not make a sound.
Yet just then, Incense Master Zheng, kneeling before the steps, his thoughts whirling, suddenly gritted his teeth and loudly said, "I am willing to serve you, Noble, and help accomplish this matter."
The noble in the hall glanced at Incense Master Zheng, smiling as if unconcerned, and said, "Just now, when I exposed your little scheme, your Lady—whose lantern is hanging right there at the main entrance—must have heard as well."
"You know she certainly won't spare you this time, so you're seeking a lifeline from me, right?"
Great Incense Master Zheng kowtowed deeply, not daring to utter a word.
My little plan was exposed by the noble. I'm already at a dead end, likely with no future left in the Red Lantern Society. But I must be decisive and grab this last chance...
"It doesn't really matter. I enjoy watching people like you struggle for survival."
Seeing him , the noble smiled. "The green-clothed evil ghost, after all, is just an Evil Ghost, not very bright. You, on the other hand, seem to understand my intent."
"Since you're so eager to offer your help, then go and assist with this task!"
"If you succeed, then all is well."
"If you don't, I'll leave you for your Lady to deal with..."