Nobody knew what price Xu Ji had paid, but it was obvious that the old shopkeeper was somewhat partial to him.
First, Hu Ma had already received a promise, but in the end, it turned into a competition between two people, with the winner taking all.
Second, the old shopkeeper presented a difficult challenge: eliminating a powerful evil spirit.
Everyone in the Manor knew that Xu Ji had an old artifact in his possession, a potent weapon against evil spirits. Who could compete with him?
That old codger wants to have his cake and eat it too, trying to look good while being crafty, Hu Ma thought. Xu Ji must have offered something on his return that tempted even the old shopkeeper. And the things I gave him before were too valuable for him to return, so he racked his brains to come up with this difficult challenge.
But now that it’s come to this, what should I do? It’s too late to enlist Brother Er Guotou’s help. Besides, favors are hard to ask for, and he already did me a huge one by getting rid of Xu Ji’s backing. If it weren’t for his help, I wouldn’t have stood a chance against Xu Ji. A rich young master with connections versus a wild kid from the village—it’s an overwhelming disadvantage, like a dimensional reduction strike. Asking for another favor might not only fail to repay his kindness but also put me further in his debt. For now, I have to figure this out myself. If all else fails, I’ll have to use up a favor and ask Brother Er Guotou for advice.
While Hu Ma was silently contemplating this and heading towards the outer courtyard, Xu Ji was acting unusually, wearing a cold smile and walking briskly.
As soon as he exited the inner door, he called loudly towards the staff’s quarters, "Hu, Da Long, come out! And gather a few reliable brothers. We have an urgent task."
"When we return, I will generously..."
He had initially wanted to say he’d offer a handsome reward, but remembering his current situation, he reluctantly changed it to "thank you."
Hearing his shout, the staff, who were already curious about what had happened in the inner courtyard, rushed out in a crowd.
Xu Ji’s two companions, seeing his confident demeanor, were both surprised and delighted.
It felt like the old Xu Ji was back! This meant they could once again rely on him to live comfortably, without having to keep their heads down.
He’s going out at night? Hu Ma was also slightly puzzled. Twilight marks the boundary, separating yin and yang. Humans and evil spirits each walk their own path. These entities are frightening enough in daylight, but at night, they’re far more dangerous than living humans. Moreover, this is a test for the two of them, not a routine night patrol where they carry lanterns and rely on the aura of the Red Lantern Lady. This time, they won’t have lanterns and must depend solely on their own abilities. Doesn’t that increase the risk manifold?
Then it struck him. His opponent’s advantage wasn’t just the old artifact. He probably knew what they were up against and might have made preparations in advance... Damn it, did someone leak the details of the challenge?
His mind raced, but a plan was already forming. Seeing them excitedly gathering people, he deliberately shouted, "Young Master Xu Ji, why the rush?"
"The old shopkeeper gave us this difficult task. Whoever eliminates that powerful evil spirit will become the manager of this Manor and can even become his disciple to learn his skills. So, of course, we’re anxious to get rid of that thing..."
"But taking them out on a dangerous venture at night... if something goes wrong, how will you explain it to their families?"
"Eliminate an evil spirit?"
"Whoever wins becomes the manager?"
The staff in the outer courtyard were all stunned. They hadn’t realized that this exchange was deciding the future positions of these two. And upon hearing it involved going out at night to eliminate an evil spirit, quite a few of them grew fearful.
"Heh, if you lack the courage, what’s the point of being a Shousui man?" Xu Ji immediately understood Hu Ma’s intention and, surprisingly, played along.
After shouting this, he looked at the others, pulled the Blood Wood Sword from his waist, raised it high, and declared, "This Blood Wood Sword of mine grew from an old tree beside the Blood Tai Sui, nurtured by Master Tai Sui himself! It was wielded by a Ghost Walker for many years and is highly spiritual—the best artifact for subduing evil spirits!"
"With this sword by my side, day or night, can’t I slay a mere evil spirit?"
"Brothers, I’ve called you mainly to bolster our numbers and morale! Whoever is willing to come with me, upon our return, I will..."
He paused for a moment, then resolutely added, "give him one jin of green food!"
Green food was a type of green Tai Sui. Upon hearing this, the young men were both shocked and delighted. How much Silver would that be worth? They already trusted Xu Ji’s abilities, knowing he was skilled in martial arts. Moreover, they had witnessed his prowess when he eliminated that old yellow skin. Now, seeing him armed with the old artifact, brimming with confidence, and promising such a handsome reward, they all agreed enthusiastically.
Even Li, standing in the crowd, hesitated. His eyes scanned Xu Ji and his two companions, uncertain whether to step forward.
For some time, he had been thinking about mending ties with his kinsmen from Dayang Village. Unfortunately, the people from the village held simple, rigid views and couldn’t accept someone like him, who they felt didn’t clearly distinguish between insiders and outsiders. Ever since Hu Ma had taken charge, Li had found himself in an extremely awkward position.
Watching the crowd light torches and prepare to leave, he finally steeled his resolve and followed them.
With that, more than half of the Manor’s dozen or so staff members left at once.
Those who remained were primarily the three companions from Dayang Village, along with a few who were genuinely too timid to venture out at night and provoke evil spirits.
"Brother Huma, don’t be scared! Let’s go too..." Zhou Datong said to Hu Ma, visibly anxious. "This is so important. How can we not take a chance?"
Not only him, but Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu were also quietly steeling themselves.
The sudden call to venture out late at night to eliminate an evil spirit—no one was without fear. But since it concerned their future prospects, none of them could afford to shrink back.
"We can’t go," Hu Ma said firmly. "We haven’t mastered our skills, and we don’t even know what that thing is. Going now would just be throwing our lives away!"
Seeing their anxiety, an idea struck him. He quickly returned to his small room, gathered a few items, and then said to Zhou Datong, "Lend me your saber. I’ll go check it out myself!"
Zhou Datong quickly handed over the saber, clearly still eager to go himself.
Taking the saber, Hu Ma offered no further explanation. He gazed into the pitch-black night outside the Manor, steeled his resolve, picked up a conical hat from beside the wall, put it on, clutched the saber, and strode out of the Manor.
Xu Ji and his group, eager and holding torches, had already left the Manor long ago.
Hu Ma, not wanting to be discovered, moved cautiously through the pitch-black darkness, relying on the faint starlight to navigate, his steps uncertain as he headed northwest.
As he gradually left the Manor further behind, an eerie silence enveloped his surroundings. Even the torchlight from Xu Ji’s group had faded into the distance, barely visible. Around him was only vast, open country, and the dark silhouettes of the distant mountains were almost invisible.
Hu Ma took a deep breath, the stove fire in his belly flaring slightly, which bolstered his courage. He continued forward.
Once he was out of sight, with no one ahead or behind him, he took out a stick of incense from his robe, lit it with a Fire Stick, and held it as he walked on. Before long, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Little Hongtang.
She tilted her head, looking very curious. "Brother Huma, why did you bring Little Hongtang here?"
In the middle of the night, all alone in the cold, desolate darkness, what’s it like to suddenly have a little ghost clutching your clothes? It’s incredibly reassuring!
Hu Ma smiled at her, made a shushing gesture, and whispered, "We’re going to do something important."
"When we’re done, I’ll give you green food to eat..."
"Okay..." Little Hongtang sounded a little disappointed it wasn’t red food, but green food was good too. Her eyes lit up. "How much?"
Hu Ma steeled himself. "A piece as big as a chicken drumstick. Is that enough?"
"Enough, enough..." Little Hongtang was practically drooling as she scurried to keep up with Hu Ma on her short legs.
Meanwhile, back at the Manor, the old shopkeeper sat beside the square table in the inner courtyard. The dim light from the oil lamp illuminated a package in his hands, wrapped in three inner and three outer layers of oil paper. Inside were four or five bright red, pill-shaped objects.
Close up, one could smell a strong, bloody stench emanating from them.
His eyes scanned these Blood Food Pills several times before he sighed softly. "Old Xu served as a Worship for so many years; he certainly has some savings."
"It’s a pity his greed was insatiable, and he displeased the incense master. Now that he’s taken this fall, none of his friends or relatives dare to associate with his family anymore. But if he weren’t so utterly cornered, he wouldn’t have been willing to give me such fine things."
"He must know in his heart that since he has fallen, his son can only learn my dharma method and become a Shousui man to ensure his father’s safety."
"Grandfather, who will you choose then?" a weak voice asked from the inner room, accompanied by the sound of splashing water from a large jar.
"Hehe," the old shopkeeper chuckled. "One has a clean background, behaves appropriately, and has presented me with a fine treasure. The other is at his wit’s end; not only has he given me his family’s heirlooms, but he’s also willing to acknowledge me as his Master and swears to provide for me in my old age and arrange my funeral..."
The old shopkeeper laughed. "So, how should your Grandfather choose?"
"It will depend on who is more capable, I suppose..."