"What kind of consequences will come from the trap that Incense Master Zheng set for me?"
Wouldn't the Meng Family immediately become furious upon hearing that I stopped them from taking people away, and send a green-clothed evil ghost to kill me?
After that heart-pounding night, everyone in the Manor was on edge.
In the end, they were just young men from the village trying to make a living. Normally, they weren't afraid of dealing with evil, as they were used to it. But seeing that ghostly green-clothed child, who wouldn't be terrified?
They could only look to Hu Ma for help, but Hu Ma wasn't feeling any more secure than they were.
After Incense Master Zheng left, and Hu Ma figured out the man's sinister intentions, he immediately had the staff pack up their things, tying pond ash to themselves. The horses were brought out and saddled, and Little Hongtang kept watch outside to see if their pursuers would return.
At any sign of danger, they would immediately escape into Old Yin Mountain.
But after trembling in fear all night, until the pale light of dawn, there was still not a single stir of movement.
Hu Ma was a bit surprised. He figured that if such important people were angry, they would have dealt with him with just a word. Why wait all night?
Or did I misunderstand Incense Master Zheng? Did he not really go to report me? Impossible. If it were me, I would have reported it too. When a noble gets angry, eliminating an enemy is such a good opportunity.
Feeling uneasy, he sent Little Hongtang into the city to gather information.
When Little Hongtang returned, the news she brought shocked Hu Ma. "Grandpa Xu with the big beard and Brother Yang Gong said they knew Incense Master Zheng was causing trouble for you, but it's over now! Nothing to worry about."
"Some of the staff taken from the Manor before were released too. They seemed a bit affected, but at least they're alive. The green-clothed child was also recalled."
"They guessed that the matter should be settled, so they told you to relax. They'll come visit you later when they're free."
Hu Ma was surprised. It's over? The Meng Family stirred up such a huge commotion in Mingzhou Prefecture, and it just blew over like that?
He felt a vague sense of disbelief but couldn't quite understand the situation.
Farmers can't imagine whether the Queen uses a golden hoe or a silver hoe to till the land. Naturally, these young men from the village couldn't imagine what the Tongyin Meng Family was thinking.
But since I came from an age of information explosion, I tried my best to view things from the perspective of the young nobles of the Ten Families.
The Old Stump Elder didn't tell me everything, but what I knew was sufficient.
No matter what conflict the Hu Family and the Meng Family had in the past, with Granny returning to the ancestral hall, some plans seemed to have changed. Now, the Meng Family wasn't trying to kill me… at least, not openly.
But since they weren't trying to kill me, and our two families have an ancestral feud, they must know I wouldn't willingly come out to meet them. So why were they still searching for me?
Another point: if they used that mirror to find me, what exactly was the mirror revealing?
He couldn't figure that out by himself, but he meticulously questioned Zhou Datong and several other staff members who had longer red lines revealed by the mirror. He noticed they shared something in common.
These people, with different surnames, origins, and family wealth, all came from relatively remote villages.
Furthermore, their villages all had ancestral halls or the tradition of an old fire pit.
This commonality suddenly opened up a new line of thought. Could the mirror actually be reflecting the old fire pit, or rather, the protection of ancestors for their descendants?
Whether it was the old fire pit or the ancestral hall, both would form a kind of protective force for descendants—unseen, yet tangibly real.
Back when Gua Shao went to retrieve that treasure, he had to impersonate a descendant of the Ma Family's ancestral hall.
Thinking from this perspective, it made sense why Zhou Datong and the others had noticeably longer red lines… Since they all came from Dayang Village, Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and even Li had fairly long red lines because they were all under its protection.
However, Zhou Datong, being the eldest grandson of the main Zhou lineage, received the strongest protection among them. Zhou Liang was next, as he also bore the Zhou surname. Zhao Zhu and Li, despite also being from the major clans, received slightly less protection.
This calls for caution. I come from the same place as them, but the protective power I showed was weaker. Could this backfire and arouse suspicion?
Hu Ma analyzed this, first feeling a jolt of alarm, then quickly reasoning it out. No, it won't raise suspicion. To outsiders, my family only has one ancestor in the old fire pit, so it's reasonable for my protection to be weaker.
Thinking this way only confirmed his suspicion further. Although I don't feel anything myself, if I truly belong to the Hu Family of the Ten Families, then this body I'm in must possess a special kind of Yin protective power, right? So, if they used that mirror, they would only need to shine it on me to pick me out from a crowd. I wouldn't be able to hide even if I wanted to. If not for the Old Stump Elder helping me, I wouldn't have even thought they'd use this method to find me. However, Granny's excellent arrangements led to this senior from Old Yin Mountain watching over me, helping me get through this. But those staff members receiving protection from the fire pit were inadvertently dragged into this mess, unjustly involved…
But back to the Meng Family. After going to all this trouble, if they can't find me, will they give up so easily?
Hu Ma immediately answered his own question. No. If they were going to give up this easily, they wouldn't have come in the first place. But now, after all this fanfare and coming up empty, what will they do next? …Or perhaps their superficial aim of finding someone is just a pretext for a different strategy?
After a prolonged period of silent contemplation, his heart suddenly thumped.
The Hu Family actually had another characteristic, perhaps even more obvious than bloodline or the so-called Yin protective power… The Age Suppressing Book! The Old Stump Elder previously told me that if I don't learn the Hu Family's Magic, I can't truly be considered a member of the Hu Family. So, would the Meng Family try to exploit this angle? If that's the case, how would they arrange things next?
The more he thought about it, the more tense he became.
All his speculations remained just that—speculations. He relied on the unique perspectives afforded by the information age, trying his utmost to put himself in the shoes of those in high positions and making numerous conjectures. But these were merely imaginings; he truly had no confidence in them.
Still, that didn't prevent fear from creeping in. He was envisioning the worst possible outcome and naturally feared it might actually happen.
With this uncertainty, Hu Ma couldn't consult the Reincarnators, leaving him feeling utterly helpless.
Should I just run? That was not an option either. Not because of reluctance to relinquish the Shopkeeper's position or the Manor's resources, but because fleeing would be an admission of guilt, clearly signaling that there was something amiss about me. What kind of situation is this? They haven't even made a move, and I'd already be admitting guilt.
"Everyone stay alert," Hu Ma finally said after thinking it over for a long time. He called Zhou Datong and the others over and instructed them seriously, "Patrols around the area need to be more diligent recently. However, be careful with night patrols. If it's too risky, don't go out after dark; we won't patrol at night."
"Given the current situation, the Red Lantern Lady won't demote me from my Shopkeeper position just because we miss one or two night patrols..."
"...Keep your weapons on you, and from now on, don't go out alone."
Zhou Datong and the others were puzzled but hastily took note of his instructions. Find the newest release on novel✦fire.net
After giving his orders, Hu Ma thought for a moment and then specifically called Li over. "You're quite familiar with that family outside?"
"Outside?" Li was momentarily stunned, then understood. "Ah? You mean the Yellow Immortals family? They're our own people."
"I can talk to Seventh Aunt, Third Young Master, Second Uncle, and Little Brother."
"Sometimes they get cravings and come to me for sugar eggs or wine, and I just cook them a pot."
"…It's not that I'm being greedy, you know. I always deduct it from my own rations."
"From now on, you don't have to use your own rations. Just charge it to the public account," Hu Ma quickly said. "During this time, you should talk to them. Ask them to help us keep an eye on the surroundings."
"Alright," Li readily agreed, saying, "This is important. I'll speak directly with Seventh Aunt."
"Good, good," Hu Ma agreed repeatedly, then suddenly felt something was off. "Seventh Aunt is ranked seventh, so how did she become the most important one?"
"She *is* the most important one..." Li laughed. "The Yellow Immortal family can't count. They think the larger the number, the more powerful someone is."
"If another younger one comes along later, Seventh Aunt's rank might rise further. She might become Eighth Aunt or Ninth Great Aunt..."
...That sounds strange, but for this family, it actually makes sense.
Putting his mind at ease, Hu Ma sent Li away.
As for himself, he meticulously prepared, gathering the red wooden sword, the pond ash from the Old Fire Pit that he had taken out around New Year, some leftover soil he had dug from Old Yin Mountain a few days prior, and the cartload of things he had earned from that earlier job with Gua Shao.
Having left the village for over a year, he had his acquired skills, and these belongings were his capital.
He could only deal with problems as they arose, adapting to whatever came his way.
No matter if they made a move or how they acted, he couldn't influence their actions. He could only manage himself and do what he needed to do.
As The Old Stump Elder had said, if he got so frightened by a little disturbance that he lost his composure and couldn't do anything, he'd truly be a failure.
Reflecting carefully, it struck him that Incense Master Zheng's underhanded trick had actually helped him.
What can you do to me? At worst, I'll go find The Old Stump Elder for help! If he had targeted Zhou Datong and the others, I would have already fled the Manor, potentially exposing my identity and catching the Meng Family's attention. Instead, Incense Master Zheng trying to target me unwittingly helped me dodge this disaster… Incense Master Zheng, just like his brother-in-law, what a 'good person'!