Since he needed to hire a Ghost Walker, Hu Ma pondered earnestly about whom to choose.
First, they had to be highly skilled, of course.
The abilities of a Ghost Walker needed to be well understood, even if not mastered, to further delve into the Age Suppressing Book. Thus, this Ghost Walker would essentially become his mentor.
Next, they had to have a good temperament.
He was going to learn stealthily, not as an apprentice. If he inadvertently offended someone and learned poorly, it would be counterproductive.
Hu Ma had considered formally apprenticing, but it was too complicated. As the Shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang and a Shousui man, it was difficult to switch Paths and apprentice to another Master. Their rules were too different.
To become an apprentice formally would waste a lot of effort.
Most importantly, besides having great skills and a good temper, the person had to be kind-hearted and genuine. Without these traits, a mix of truths and lies might cause future trouble.
With these criteria, he recalled all the Ghost Walkers he knew. When the green clothes caused disturbances previously, many Ghost Walkers came to help. Though it was brief, and they were mere acquaintances, they left an impression.
After thinking it over, he remembered the old man leading an old ox with a child on its back. The old man was surnamed Zhao and lived at Zhao's shop.
Thus, before setting off, Hu Ma took the time to visit. The old man was in the field weeding but was called back. Seeing Hu Ma, he was a bit taken aback. "The little Shopkeeper is here to trouble me again..."
Hu Ma hurried up and said with a smile, "I'm not here to trouble you, just overly curious!"
"Old Man Zhao, I have a matter where I need your help this time."
Old Man Zhao paused, then immediately tensed up. "Is there another disturbance over at your place?"
"Not at all..." Hu Ma smiled wryly, shaking his head. "This time, a friend of mine passed away; I need someone to escort the spirit back to her hometown in Anzhou, Lingshou Prefecture."
"I remember hearing before that you're skilled in escorting the spirit, so I rushed over."
"Escorting the spirit?" Old Man Zhao seemed a bit surprised. "You need me for escorting the spirit?"
"You're the Blood Food Gang's Shopkeeper, skilled as you are. With you taking charge, no road bandits or water tyrants would dare bother you!"
Hu Ma laughed. "I don't fear road bandits or water tyrants, but I don't understand the customs for this journey. That friend is dear, and though she's gone, I want her journey to be peaceful."
"Indeed." Old Man Zhao, seeing Hu Ma speak earnestly, tied up his ox while saying, "When do you plan to set off?"
Hu Ma thought for a moment, then said, "There's no time to delay; we must leave within the next two days."
Old Man Zhao said, "So urgent? There's not enough time to prepare..."
Hu Ma quickly replied, "Food and travel expenses are ready at my Manor. The routes have been drawn by people from the Mule and Horse Market and the escort agency, and carts and animals are prepared."
"Besides the friend's family, I will accompany. I'll hire two strong workers who can both work and bolster our numbers, so we need not worry much about dangers. What we need is your expertise; just come along with us."
"Traveling with the Blood Food Gang, the food shouldn't be bad..." Old Man Zhao grinned, showing a gap-toothed smile. "So, how much donation are you offering?"
Hu Ma paused. I intended to mention it first, not expecting him to ask. Weren't Ghost Walkers not supposed to ask for money directly?
"Anyway, your Blood Food Gang is well-off." Old Man Zhao seemed to understand Hu Ma's thoughts, grinning. "So why don't you tell me first? I'll see how generous you, little Shopkeeper, are."
Hu Ma thought for a moment, raising three fingers. "Three..."
"Thirty taels?" Old Man Zhao was startled. "Is this thirty taels in addition to food and drink? Let's be clear."
...I originally intended to say three hundred taels! Hu Ma was a bit taken aback, then suddenly understood.
Yes, now that he was more skilled and had Silver, he instinctively felt his offer would be high.
If it wasn't three hundred taels, he wouldn't bother.
But for the Ghost Walkers in these villages, getting thirty taels of Silver for a month or two of work with meals included was a good job. So he laughed. "Of course! If the journey is strenuous, there'll be more compensation!"
"The little Shopkeeper's still so generous..." Old Man Zhao sighed. "But I have a feeling I shouldn't take this job..."
Hu Ma was surprised. "Still find it lacking?"
Old Man Zhao waved his hands urgently. "Don't misunderstand, little Shopkeeper. I always thought you were generous and honest; however, in front of you, there's no need for pretenses."
"I am a Ghost Walker and have escorted spirits, but traveling one or two hundred miles is my limit. A journey as long as you're proposing—I've never done one like it."
"It's not that I don't want to earn your Silver; I'm just afraid of delaying your task. So, I thought of introducing an even more formidable Ghost Walker to you."
"Rest assured, she's sincere too, so no worries."
"More formidable?" Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. Among the Ghost Walkers who came to help before, Old Man Zhao's skills were already significant. Who could he be referring to?
"Of course! We are small Ghost Walkers; she is a great Ghost Walker..." Old Man Zhao, mentioning the person, became serious, sighing. "During the last disturbance, we went to help you, and she went to help in the city, saving quite a few people!"
"In our village, when we encounter things we can't handle, we all go to her, and she's never refused to help."
"I was just asking in such detail because I was thinking of passing the task to her!"
"What do you think, little Shopkeeper?"
"There's no reason not to," Hu Ma hastened to say. "Your experience far surpasses mine, elder; naturally, I'll follow your advice. If it's suitable, I will not forget to thank you properly..."
"You Blood Food Gang people always talk about money, lacking sentiment." Old Man Zhao waved his hand. "I'll ask her tonight, and if it's okay, she'll visit your Manor tomorrow morning." Updates are released by novèlfire.net
"Then I shall trouble you, Old Sir!"
Hu Ma had Little Hongtang visit the city to request a month's leave from Incense Master Xu. This was simple since it wasn't a busy time, and they were all on good terms. Incense Master Xu not only granted the leave but also sent Little Hongtang back with an official document. With it, they could travel anywhere. Though the government wasn't really in control these days, this document would be very useful if they encountered any inspections.
Xiang had also been brought back from the Grass Heart Hall, and the coffin was placed in the inner courtyard.
At first, the workers were startled to see the coffin entering the Manor. They even prepared paper money for mourning, but then realized it was a false alarm and craned their necks to watch.
The old housekeeper placed pillows and thick bedding inside. Zhou Datong, worried about Xiang suffocating, drilled holes in the coffin and even lay inside it himself for a while to ensure there was enough air. The old housekeeper was quite touched by this and replaced the bedding again afterward.
Once these preparations were done, Hu Ma took a large bag of green food jerky from the Blood Food the gang had recently reimbursed. He also gathered Silver Coins, steamed buns, cakes, cornbread, dried vegetables, two large sheepskin bags for water, and two bags of rice and flour for emergencies.
When Hu Ma woke up, the Ghost Walker Old Man Zhao had already arrived. The Manor gate was closed, so he hadn't entered but was waiting outside. Zhao Zhu, an early riser, saw him and quickly invited him in. Hearing the commotion, Hu Ma came out and was slightly surprised.
Along with Old Man Zhao, there was a woman dressed in coarse clothes, carrying a small bundle on her back. She was tall and appeared to be only in her twenties. Her face was a healthy, ruddy color—a dark beauty. She seemed somewhat shy, following Old Man Zhao with her head down.
Hu Ma curiously glanced at her. Is this the impressive great Ghost Walker Old Man Zhao mentioned?
Seeing Old Man Zhao, who was over fifty, call himself a small Ghost Walker and mention introducing a great one, he had expected someone older.
Unexpectedly, such a young person had appeared.
Though curious, Hu Ma maintained his composure and stepped forward to greet them. "Thank you for coming. How should I address this Ghost Walker, madam?"
The woman seemed reticent. When Hu Ma approached with a smile and greeted her, her face turned a little red. She hesitated, then seemed to gather her courage and said, "I've heard of Shopkeeper Hu of the Red Lantern Society. You're a good man; helping you is as it should be."
"My surname is Zhang." She continued, "Where is the deceased? I'll take a look first."
Nearby, Old Man Zhao chuckled. "No need to ask her name, little Shopkeeper. We all call her Aunt Zhang. Her skills are remarkable, far surpassing ours."
"I see." Hu Ma responded quickly and invited Aunt Zhang inside. He watched as she circled the coffin briefly. She placed her palm on the coffin for a long moment, her expression growing somewhat skeptical. Then, she turned her large eyes towards Hu Ma.
She noticed? Hu Ma was slightly surprised, meeting her gaze with a smile.
Aunt Zhang met his gaze, and her cheeks reddened slightly. She lowered her head, contemplating for a long moment without speaking. She had already taken out a few talismans, which appeared to have a "Suppress" character pattern, seemingly intending to affix them to the coffin. However, she put away the "Suppress" talismans. After rummaging in her bundle for a moment, she instead affixed a talisman with the "Purify" character.
Hu Ma sensed she must have noticed something, but with so many people around, he refrained from asking immediately. Instead, he invited everyone inside to eat first.
When everyone was seated, Aunt Zhang was still standing by the coffin, observing it. Hu Ma approached her, gave a slight bow, and whispered, "Madam, have you perceived an issue?"
"Don't call me Madam," Aunt Zhang said, her face flushing again as Hu Ma stood close. She retreated a bit before whispering, "Just call me Walking Ghost Aunt."
"Little Shopkeeper," she continued in a low voice, "I fear this coffin doesn't contain a dead person!"