Meng Family Demon Ghost

Hu Ma saw how grave Second Master looked and immediately sharpened his focus.

Second Master lowered his voice. "This shabby little manor of mine may be nothing in human eyes, but in the eyes of Evil Spirits, it isn't a place just anyone dares enter. When Xiao Hong Tang comes to bring you food, she doesn't even dare come into the manor when I'm here. Why do you think that is?"

"The fire aura here is too strong. Forget entering—even getting close is enough to bake Evil Spirits till they can't bear it."

"I specifically chose to live in a manor outside the village and teach my disciples here because our fire aura is too strong. We might offend the Ancestors..."

"..."

Hu Ma was slightly startled. "Does that mean the Evil Spirit that came is very powerful?"

Xiao Hong Tang indeed usually did not dare enter the manor, only sneaking in when Second Master was away.

But she merely did not dare; if she gritted her teeth, she could still come in.

Was the White-faced Mountain Fiend the same?

"It's not that simple."

Second Master waved a hand. "Evil Spirits is really just a general term. Those crooked things come in several kinds—Wandering Filth, Evil Spirits, Vile Creatures, Fierce Spirits, and so on..."

"What usually offends the villagers in our village is Wandering Filth. Those little ghosts that died with grievances and refuse to disperse are this kind too. They act purely on instinct. The moment they see our manor from afar, they're so scared they run away."

"And that White-faced Mountain Fiend truly counts as an Evil Spirit—and a powerful one at that."

"But even that thing, judging by how hot your furnace burns now, ought to fear you. At the very least, neither side should want to provoke the other."

"But that's exactly the problem. A Ghostly Puppet like this has already gained intelligence. It knows to seek fortune and avoid disaster. It knows your furnace burns fiercely, and it knows that I, Second Master, am in the manor. So why did it specifically lure someone over to harm you?"

"..."

Hu Ma vaguely realized something, and a chill ran through his heart. "Second Master, you mean..."

"Exactly."

Second Master nodded, lowering his voice further. "This goes against its nature. I suspect something is driving it."

"Tomorrow, you need to tell Old Woman about this. I'm worried it has something to do with the family that harmed you."

"..."

"The family that harmed me?"

A faint horror rose in Hu Ma's heart as he thought of the previous owner of this body's miserable state.

Even with an Old Woman possessing such immense abilities watching over him, he had still been harmed until his soul scattered and vanished, giving Hu Ma the chance to be reborn into this body.

He abruptly raised his head and asked in a low voice, "Second Master, do you know who that family is?"

"How did I become like this back then?"

"..."

Second Master shook his head, the wrinkles on his forehead sinking deep. He said quietly, "I asked Old Woman, but she was never willing to tell me..."

"All I know is that this was likely an enemy your Hu Family made outside long ago. Counting from when your Hu Family came to Great Sheep Village, it must have been at least twenty years ago. But that family was vicious beyond measure. Your Hu Family had only the old and young left, yet they still refused to let you go."

"They were determined to wipe out your Hu Family root and branch..."

"..."

As Second Master spoke, anger seeped into his voice.

He paused, calming himself before continuing, "As for what happened to you, that was a month and a half ago. I only remember that a strange wind blew all night, and then we heard you had gone missing."

"Old Woman had gone out to handle ghosts for people from the village and wasn't in the village. And the villagers didn't dare leave their homes at night. Only when Old Woman returned the next day did everyone hurry out to search together. I too rushed back after hearing the news the next day and joined the search."

"But after searching the Woods for two days, we didn't find the slightest trace of you. We anxiously went to pray to the Ancestors, only to find that the Ancestors gave no response at all, as though they had failed."

"After that, no one knew what happened. We only knew that Old Woman seemed to use some method to find you with a few others. Then, on the third day, she personally carried you back on her back..."

"..."

As he said this, Second Master's expression seemed to turn somewhat strange as well.

Hu Ma asked cautiously, "What is it?"

Second Master shook his head. "Nothing."

He vaguely recalled how the entire village had thought Hu Ma was beyond saving. Some of those who had found Hu Ma had even sworn in private that Hu Ma had been thoroughly dead then, his appearance horrifying. Yet Old Woman had insisted he was not dead and brought him back to the village.

Who could have imagined that Hu Ma would truly come back to life afterward? All they could say was that Old Woman's skills were formidable.

Even recalling it gave Second Master the shivers. But it was too horrifying a matter, and there was no need to tell the present Hu Ma about it.

He continued, "At first, everyone thought you had been lured away by Evil Spirits in the Woods. Old Woman didn't tell anyone much, but she told me privately that ordinary Evil Spirits had no ability to enter the village and abduct someone without Old Fire Pit reacting. An enemy of the Hu Family had come looking for you."

"She first brought you back to the village, then later left the village again. That night, no one in the entire village could sleep peacefully. From the direction of the Woods came constant sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling, while fierce winds tore through the Woods without stopping all night."

"That night, not a single chicken, pig, or dog in the village dared make a sound."

"No one in the whole village dared light a lamp, because when lit, the lamps burned green—an eerie, bone-chilling sight."

"But in the end, Old Woman returned. She merely looked exhausted and lay in bed for an entire day."

At this point, Second Master tapped out his pipe bowl. After pausing, he slowly said, "Later, Old Woman spent several days and truly brought you back from the brink. Everyone else thought everything was fine."

"But not long ago, Old Woman came to see me privately and told me that the thing which harmed you had only been injured by her. It was still wandering outside. She had gone through tremendous trouble to save you, and once that thing noticed, it would surely come back to harm you again..."

"To put it plainly, Old Woman sent you to me not only so you could learn my craft, but also because she wanted me to protect you. Only with me watching over you would she have the time to enter the Woods and deal with that fellow."

"What worries me now is exactly that. This White-faced Mountain Fiend came for you—perhaps it has something to do with that."

"..."

Hu Ma listened to Second Master's words and remained silent for a long while.

Then, without warning, he turned to look out the window, seeing only a crescent moon slowly slipping behind the black clouds.

Darkness lay heavy in every direction, bringing with it an immense pressure.

In those vast Woods, so immense they seemed boundless, a ghost was watching him at any moment, wanting his life...

Xiao Hong Tang had said that Old Woman was looking for something in the Woods. Was she looking for it?

But by all rights, Old Woman should have had the upper hand. Yet if that were truly the case, could her opponent still spare the effort to send the White-faced Mountain Fiend to harm him?

Could it be...

A chill ran through Hu Ma's heart: Old Woman didn't actually have the upper hand?

Once that thought arose, it became ever more terrifying. He scarcely dared to think any further.

It was true that Old Woman was highly skilled; he had experienced that firsthand. But she was old, after all. She looked like an elderly woman of seventy or eighty, her back already bent beyond straightening.

And this old woman had only just exhausted herself to "bring him back to life."

To help him ward off Evil Spirits, she chanted scriptures day and night without sleep. She had even found him so much extraordinarily precious Blood Ganoderma to keep his life going...

For some reason, as Hu Ma thought of this, his heart suddenly ached.

What kind of faith did it take to support an old woman through so much?

In such a state, no matter how capable she was, how much longer could she hold on?

Hu Ma kept his expression contained, but Second Master still caught some of the details. A forthright man like him could instead sense the change in Hu Ma's thoughts, especially that clear flicker of emotion. It gave him a little comfort.

"Back in the village, everyone said this little Hu Ma was an ungrateful wretch. He'd grown up relying on Old Woman to serve him every day, yet never appreciated it. He was so maddening that no one could even pity him."

"But people always grow up..."

"Elders aren't afraid of children being ignorant. They only keep hoping for the day their children learn sense. Once that day comes, they can finally rest easy."

"..."

"..."

"Second Master, I want to enter the Woods and help Old Woman."

Only after pondering for a long time did Hu Ma raise his head and speak earnestly to Second Master.

"The fact that you can say that means Old Woman hasn't cared for you in vain."

Second Master answered seriously as well. "Your skill has indeed reached no shallow level now, but don't rush into making a decision."

"Old Woman is more capable than either of us. Ask for her opinion first."

"..."

Hu Ma agreed, then returned to the side room to pack up. But with so much on his mind, he could not sleep the entire night.

And after what had happened with the White-faced Mountain Fiend, the other youngsters were trembling with fear as well, silent as shadows.

The next day, Second Master did not send the youngsters out into the mountains again, as though afraid they might run into something out there. He only had them practice martial forms and train inside the compound.

Hu Ma, too, was heavy with worry. He kept waiting for Xiao Hong Tang to come, but unexpectedly, even after noon had passed, she still had not appeared. Unable to sit still any longer, he went outside the compound, only to suddenly catch a flash of red.

"Brother Hu Ma, why did you only come out now?"

Not far away, Xiao Hong Tang stood carrying a basket, her lips pursed. "I've been calling you forever..."

"Huh?"

Hu Ma was rather surprised. How had he not heard her?

He turned and looked around, spotting a faint ring of ashes scattered around the compound. Only then did understanding dawn on him.

After the Mountain Fiend's disturbance yesterday, Second Master had feared an accident, so he had scattered Ancestor Ash in a circle around the compound.

Unexpectedly, it had not only kept out other Evil Spirits, but Xiao Hong Tang as well.

He hurried over and took the basket from her. "Go back early today, and tell Old Woman something for me..."

He had planned to finish eating quickly so Xiao Hong Tang could return at once, but when he lifted the lid, he found the basket empty.

"There's no food..."

Xiao Hong Tang said blankly, "You ate all the food in the basket yesterday!"

Hu Ma was somewhat astonished. "Then what about today's?"

"I don't know about today's..."

Xiao Hong Tang looked pitiful. "I can't find Old Woman..."