Hu Ma listened to these words and felt an extremely uncomfortable sensation in his heart.
He instinctively wanted to look closely but felt a certain reluctance. In the dim light of the main room, he saw that Wu He’s body was devoid of skin.
All he could see were patches of scars and exposed muscular tissue. Amidst the scent of herbal medicine, he could also smell a putrid stench, which emanated entirely from the festering wounds on her body.
She was the beauty the employees in the outer court dreamed of day and night, a woman they only dared to fancy in their dreams. Yet, she turned out to be someone without skin.
Or rather, she did have skin.
That skin hung from the wall behind him—but it was a dog’s skin.
"She was forcibly turned into livestock using the Beast Creation Technique."
The old shopkeeper’s voice came from behind Hu Ma, carrying cold anger and deep guilt. "I failed her. My skills were inadequate. No matter what I tried, I could only peel that dog skin away from her."
"She cannot live without herbal ointment, nor can she leave this room. She suffers the torture of poisonous fire on her body daily. If she can’t endure it..."
After a pause, he continued in a low voice, "...she can only wear that dog skin and live in the world as livestock."
"Previously, thanks to the Green Jade Paste you brought, her condition has eased somewhat recently, allowing her to at least get some fresh air outside."
"Green Jade Paste? That piece of Tai Sui I gave earlier?"
Clarity dawned in Hu Ma’s heart. When he had previously given that piece of Tai Sui, the old shopkeeper, making no attempt to hide his interest, had asked if he had more.
At the time, he thought the old shopkeeper was being a bit greedy.
Unexpectedly, that little thing was so important to Sister Wu He. If it were me, I’d have been even greedier.
Momentarily at a loss for words, he slowly backed out of the side room.
He looked up at the old shopkeeper and asked, "Who did this?"
"It’s this Tan’er Sect," the old shopkeeper said quietly. "They’re a bunch of low-class scoundrels who engage in dishonorable deeds like Beast Creation through kidnapping, exorcising spirits through sinister means, and practicing all sorts of wicked dharma methods."
"Perhaps you’ve also wondered why, in this Manor, there’s only a solitary shopkeeper, with no senior employees around?"
"Heh, it’s also because of them."
"Five lives lost, three maimed, and a large supply of Blood Food—all thanks to them."
Hu Ma listened, his heart subtly stirred.
So this was the massacre Er Guotou mentioned? And those evil spirits were lured here by this so-called Tan’er Sect?
He had wanted to understand what happened but didn’t know how to ask. Unexpectedly, the Shopkeeper brought it up himself.
The old shopkeeper sighed faintly and said, "After what happened last year, I should have returned to the city. But I begged all my old friends to plead on my behalf, allowing me to stay here in this Manor, just to wait for this group of scoundrels to return."
"Now, it seems, it won’t be long."
"Since one has appeared, it means the others will soon follow. The two of us haven’t waited in vain..."
Hu Ma was puzzled about what had transpired last year and why the old shopkeeper insisted on waiting.
But he knew very well that, in his current persona, he was supposed to be ignorant of these matters, so he waited patiently.
The old shopkeeper didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he suddenly turned to Hu Ma and asked, "How is your practice of the Path progressing these days?"
Hu Ma’s heart tensed slightly. He hurriedly unwrapped the cloth on his left hand and said to the old shopkeeper, "Look."
"I fought with that peddler and was struck once. I blocked it with my left hand."
"There must have been a deadly poison on the needle. However, I used reincarnation to enter a state of death, stopping my blood circulation, which prevented the poison from entering my body. Now, the wound has almost healed."
The old shopkeeper took the oil lamp and glanced at Hu Ma’s hand. Only a few inconspicuous puncture marks remained on the back of it.
He exhaled, placed the oil lamp back, and looked at Hu Ma earnestly. "You’re level-headed and capable of decisive action. You are indeed suitable for cultivating the Path of the Shousui man. Your progress is not slow at all."
"Once you’ve finished refining your left hand, you can then focus on refining life into your right leg. Once you have the skill of one hand and one leg, you’ll be able to assist me..."
He mentioned helping before. Hu Ma’s heart stirred. So he wasn’t referring to the worship of Tai Sui next spring, but to these people?
His thoughts raced, but he said, "Whenever it may be, Shopkeeper, just give the word."
"It’s not just because of your kindness in teaching me the dharma method, but simply because..."
He instinctively glanced at the side room, paused slightly, and continued, "...simply because I feel duty-bound to deal with people who commit such heinous acts."
This was no pretense. Reincarnators have many differences from the people of this world, but some matters can resonate deeply due to shared indignation.
There are always some bottom lines that, as a human being, one must never cross, regardless of the era.
For instance, the mere sight or even mention of those who engage in Beast Creation or kidnapping for mutilation would induce a profound, hair-raising fear.
The Shopkeeper was slightly startled by Hu Ma’s words, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
From the side room came faint sounds, perhaps Junior Sister Miaomiao trembling, and her soft sobbing could be vaguely heard.
The old shopkeeper seemed moved by Hu Ma’s words. After a long pause, he looked at Hu Ma earnestly and sighed softly. "Since we’ve come to this, there are some things I might as well make clear to you!"
"I am teaching you the dharma method, but I do not wish to become your Master. I don’t want to use this Master-disciple status to bind you. Otherwise, it would be like using that status to hold you hostage. The time we’ve known each other is too short. Even if you were to call me Master, I doubt such a brief bond could foster the kind of loyalty where you’d accompany me through hell and high water."
"Furthermore, to be frank, the disciple I originally intended to choose was not you, but Xu Ji..."
The old shopkeeper paused briefly, then looked at Hu Ma. "It wasn’t because his gifts were more generous. Rather, his family’s fortunes had declined, and he dared to make a venomous oath to serve me. Thus, when that group of low-lives returns, I could have used him to fight to the death for me..."
"As for you, I also found you quite suitable. If you manage to survive, it wouldn’t be out of the question for me to teach you a key technique before I depart."
There was such a backstory?
Hu Ma was slightly surprised. He found it somewhat peculiar, yet upon reflection, it did indeed align with the old shopkeeper’s past attitude.
"But ultimately, it’s all fate. That Xu Ji was too impulsive and was not destined for a long life."
The old shopkeeper sighed. "So, as it turns out, I can only rely on you now."
"If those people weren’t returning, you would have just learned some skills and continued working as an employee in the Red Lantern Society. But now that they are returning, you can’t escape involvement."
"Originally, I could have kept silent. You’ve learned my skills and are here at the Manor; when they arrive, you wouldn’t be able to avoid them anyway. But things have reached this stage, so I might as well be perfectly clear: I am teaching you precisely to deal with them. Are you willing to sincerely help me this time?"
"If you agree, not only will I impart the dharma method to you, but I’ll also provide you with more Blood Food to aid your Cultivation."
Hu Ma could feel the old shopkeeper staring intently at him as he spoke, his gaze carrying a heavy, oppressive weight.
It seemed like a question, but could he really refuse?
So, he pretended to ponder for a moment before saying solemnly, "I stand by what I said earlier."
"Even if you didn’t offer me these things, Shopkeeper, I cannot tolerate people who commit such heinous acts."
"However, Shopkeeper, you are well aware of my current capabilities. What I can promise now is that I will do my utmost and help in any way I can."
His words were sincere. He did intend to help, but how exactly did the old shopkeeper expect him to assist?
"You have a point..."
After hearing Hu Ma’s words, the old shopkeeper fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "The Tan’er Sect is not easy to deal with, and your current level of cultivation is insufficient."
"But we have no choice; we must hurry and prepare!"
As he spoke, he opened a cabinet on the side of the main room. Inside, three tiers were revealed, each filled with oil lamps.
He took one out, placed it on the table, lit it, and said to Hu Ma, "Take this. Refine life into this leg quickly. Once you have the skill of one hand and one leg, you’ll at least have some means of protecting yourself when facing these people."
"From now on, come to the inner courtyard for this meal every night. You need to supplement with more Blood Food."
Seeing that the old shopkeeper didn’t elaborate, Hu Ma didn’t press further. He simply agreed and picked up the oil lamp.
This time, unlike the previous occasion when his left hand had gone numb, the lamp felt cool to the touch, and his right leg experienced a slight chill.
He knew this was also part of the Shousui man’s dharma method.
Those oil lamps corresponded to the body parts a Shousui man needed to practice ’refining life’ into. Each lamp contained a meticulously concocted poison, capable of ’killing’ the corresponding part of a person’s body.
This was also why the old shopkeeper could only teach one person at a time. Disregarding the need for Blood Food supplements, even these oil lamps themselves required careful, individual formulation. Once an oil lamp was used by one person, its effects would be diminished for anyone else.
In essence, for a Shousui man, precisely and thoroughly ’killing’ a part of one’s own body was, in itself, a difficult aspect of their Cultivation.
Of course, Hu Ma could actually skip this step, but there was no need to reveal that.
Having picked up the oil lamp, Hu Ma was ready to leave. However, at the threshold, he turned back towards the side room and said, "Sister He, thank you for saving my life today."
"If you need any cosmetics, gold, or silver jewelry in the future, just let me know."
"Ah, right, I also have a jar of black oil ointment at my place. It’s handmade by people from my village."
"I’ll bring it to you later. I’m sure it will be helpful for your condition."
"Th-thank you, Brother Hu Ma," Sister Wu He’s voice, trembling, finally came after a moment. "But I also ask you... please, don’t tell anyone else..."
"I absolutely won’t!"
Hu Ma promised and was about to turn and leave the room, but the old shopkeeper hesitated slightly, saying in a low voice, "Wait."
With some reluctance, he slowly retrieved an exquisite porcelain bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
He sighed. "I won’t let you help for free!"
"Since you’ve agreed to help us, we won’t hold anything back from you. This is a top-quality item. Take it back and use it to recuperate and strengthen your body!"