The Noble Lord from the City

"Can't find Old Woman? What do you mean?"

Xiao Hong Tang's words made Hu Ma's heart lurch. He quickly set down the basket in his hand.

"I can't smell the incense Old Woman lit anymore, and I can't find the way home."

Xiao Hong Tang said pitifully, "I went looking for Old Woman in the Woods, but I couldn't find her. Then people bullied me, so I had no choice but to come back. But Second Master had already scattered ash outside the village, so Xiao Hong Tang couldn't get in to find Brother Hu Ma. I could only wait here."

"You've been wandering around here all night?"

Only then did Hu Ma understand, and worry rose in his heart. "What does it mean that Old Woman didn't light the incense?"

Thinking of the White-faced Mountain Fiend from last night, then of Xiao Hong Tang unable to find her way home, his heart grew increasingly heavy. He hurriedly told Xiao Hong Tang to wait outside the village and strode back inside.

Second Master was carefully questioning the awakened Cui Xie'er, lecturing him about something. Cui Xie'er's face was deathly pale. The moment he saw Hu Ma, he instinctively shuddered, only to find that Hu Ma paid him no attention at all and merely looked at Second Master.

Seeing Hu Ma's grave expression, Second Master understood at once. They went outside together, and he asked in a low voice, "Did something happen?"

"Xiao Hong Tang says she can't find her way home..."

Hu Ma swiftly explained Xiao Hong Tang's situation to Second Master, unease gnawing at him.

"This isn't right."

Second Master's brow furrowed slightly. "Xiao Hong Tang is a ghost servant raised by Old Woman. Wherever incense burns is her home. Only when Old Woman lights that stick of incense can she find Old Woman. Anyone who walks with ghosts would never forget to light that incense."

"Then Old Woman..."

Hu Ma's heart trembled, and he looked up at Second Master.

"Don't panic when something happens."

Second Master noticed Hu Ma's worry and spoke in a deep voice, though it was clear that he, too, was concerned.

Just as they were thinking, several herb gatherers came up the hillside outside the village, their leggings bound tight and rain capes draped over their shoulders. Spotting Second Master from afar, they called, "Second Master, when we set out this morning, the Clan Leader told us to bring you a message on the way."

"There's something going on in the village. He wants you to settle things here and head over around noon."

"It's important, so don't delay."

"..."

"Could something have happened?"

Second Master's expression immediately turned grim. He hurried forward and asked, "Does it have anything to do with Old Woman?"

"We don't know!"

The herb gatherers froze for a moment, then said, "When we left this morning, the Clan Leader stopped us at the village entrance and told us to bring you the message."

"He didn't say anything else. We could only tell that he was in a terrible hurry."

"..."

At those words, unease immediately took root in Hu Ma's heart as well.

Second Master steadied himself slightly and said to Hu Ma, "Come. You're returning to Great Sheep Village with me."

He went back into the village to make arrangements, while Hu Ma waited uneasily nearby. Xiao Hong Tang quietly came over and took his hand.

"Brother Hu Ma, does Old Woman not want Xiao Hong Tang anymore?"

"..."

"No, no..."

Seeing how pitiful she looked, Hu Ma knew she only appeared to be a child, while what lay beneath that appearance was anyone's guess.

Yet his heart softened all the same. He simply treated her as a frightened child and comforted her softly. "How could that be? We'll go back to Great Sheep Village together and find Old Woman."

"Just stay with me. Don't get lost again."

"..."

Xiao Hong Tang obediently agreed and followed Hu Ma step for step, as if terrified of losing someone else.

Second Master finished arranging matters in the village and came back out.

Anxious at heart, he had barely taken a few steps before slinging Hu Ma onto his back. With his long legs striding out, he hurried toward Great Sheep Village. Xiao Hong Tang darted through the bushes alongside them for a while, but began to fall behind, so she too jumped onto Hu Ma's back.

Thus, Second Master carried Hu Ma, and Hu Ma carried Xiao Hong Tang. The two men and one ghost swiftly passed through the deep forest, traveling far faster than ordinary people could.

Hu Ma could clearly sense that whenever Xiao Hong Tang drew near Second Master, she trembled violently, as though she could barely endure it.

But after burying her little face in his neck and taking a deep breath, she felt much better.

"Second Master is a Furnace Master. It makes sense that Xiao Hong Tang would fear him."

"But I'm a Furnace Master now too, and my furnace fire is hardly weaker than Second Master's. Why isn't she afraid of me at all?"

"..."

There was no time to dwell on these strange matters. He could only race after Second Master, his heart filled with worry.

Perhaps Second Master had learned some special method of traveling. The last time Hu Ma had crossed the Woods with Old Woman, it had taken more than two hours. But with his long arms and legs, Second Master covered ground in great strides. Though he was not running, he moved even faster than an ordinary person at a sprint.

In about half an hour, they had followed Second Master to the entrance of Great Sheep Village.

From a distance, they saw the Clan Leader and several elderly people waiting anxiously not far away.

"What happened to Old Woman?"

Second Master strode over and called out to the clan leader from afar.

"Old Woman?"

The clan leader came forward as well. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Second Master's question and looked somewhat puzzled. "What happened to Old Woman?"

Second Master froze too. "It's not about Old Woman?"

"Old Woman hasn't been in the village much lately..."

The Old Clan Leader spotted Hu Ma behind him as well, nodded, and said, "Ever since she sent little Hu Ma to your manor, Old Woman has rarely been seen in the village. These past few days, it seems she hasn't returned at all."

"But Old Woman usually practices medicine and walks among ghosts outside. It's not unusual for her to stay away a day or two. Little Hu Ma knows that too..."

"...Still, it is rare not to see her for several days."

"..."

"Then..."

Seeing that it was not about Old Woman, Hu Ma relaxed slightly. But knowing that Old Woman had not been seen for so long, he could not set his mind at ease.

He hurriedly asked, "Where has Old Woman been going?"

"Seems like she went into the woods to the west?"

The Old Clan Leader looked a little awkward as well. "She's been heading over that way all this time, but nobody knows what she's doing. As for Old Woman's affairs, we generally don't ask."

That did indeed fit Old Woman's habits. Hu Ma turned to look behind him and saw Xiao Hong Tang staring blankly toward the woods in the west as well.

If she were close enough, she could sense Old Woman. She had also been following Old Woman around in those woods for the past few days, but now she was clearly at a loss, with no idea what was going on.

Second Master let out a breath. "Then what was so urgent that you called me back for?"

At that, the Old Clan Leader grew more cautious. He moved closer to Second Master and lowered his voice. "Something big happened. Several Noble Lords came from the city today. They want to enter the woods to find something and need a guide from our village. I figured you were the only one I could call back for this."

"They're all tremendous figures. Second, you must serve them well. Who knows, maybe you'll earn yourself a little cake..."

"Be a guide?"

Second Master was deeply surprised. He craned his neck to look into the village. "Those people?"

Hu Ma looked as well, but his expression suddenly froze.

He had been too anxious just now to notice, but with this glance, he realized that there were more people in the village.

They were all brawny men dressed in black jackets and trousers, with red silk sashes tied around their waists. Some even wore sabers at their sides, and they looked like guards.

There were seventeen or eighteen of them, gathered around two black sedan chairs and a large carriage, standing silently in the village.

The village children around them watched them with both reverence and fear.

Outside one of the sedan chairs stood an old man in a gray long robe, with the air of a shopkeeper.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he was surveying the sights of the village.

The other sedan chair had black silk curtains hanging down, sealing off the person inside so completely that their face could not be seen.

These were the Noble Lords from the city?

A faint curiosity stirred in Hu Ma's heart. What exactly was this world like?

"But I have something to deal with right now..."

Now that Second Master understood why the Old Clan Leader had called him back, his expression immediately turned troubled.

"Come on, Old Woman is so capable. What could possibly happen to her?"

Seeing this, the Old Clan Leader became worried at once. Grabbing Second Master's arm, he said in a low voice, "You can't turn this down. Do you know how frightening the status of these Noble Lords from the city is?"

"The Old Shopkeeper of Cao Xin Hall came with them. Great Sheep Village can't afford to offend them."

"If this goes well, next spring's Black Oil Paste and herbs might fetch a good price..."

"..."

"What rotten timing!"

Second Master glanced at Hu Ma. "We still don't know what happened to Old Woman!"

"What could happen to Old Woman?"

The Old Clan Leader paused, then looked at Hu Ma. "What happened to Old Woman?"

"I don't know."

Hu Ma slowly exhaled. "Old Woman had always had someone bring meals to me at the manor, but none came today. The person who used to deliver them also said that they suddenly couldn't find Old Woman. I was worried something had happened to her, so I came back with Second Master."

"Hey, if Old Woman doesn't send you food for one day, is that going to starve you?"

The Old Clan Leader immediately sounded somewhat reproachful. "And it's only been one day, isn't it?"

"How about Second Master goes and handles his business first? I'll find some people in the village to help search around the area for you."

"..."

Without even waiting for Hu Ma's answer, he looked at Second Master and said sternly, "But you absolutely cannot delay the Noble Lords' business!"

"Second Master, you've seen the world. Just looking at those carriages, you can tell what status those noble lords have!"

"They've already been waiting here for over an hour. We can't delay any longer!"

"..."

Second Master's expression immediately turned incomparably troubled. Hu Ma let out a low breath as well, understanding at once. He turned to glance at the vast, boundless woods.

Then he suddenly said, "It's fine, Second Master. I'll go into the woods with you!"