White Wine Calls

"Are you going with them?"

As soon as Hu Ma said this, both the Clan Leader and Second Master were clearly taken aback.

Everyone in the village had heard what happened to Hu Ma before. The last time, trouble had found him in the Woods. Then Old Woman had come all this way, hoping to have the ancestors in Old Fire Pit recognize Hu Ma. But in the end, they had not accepted him, and he could not receive the Ancestors' protection.

He said he was going to Second Master's place to learn some skills, but he had only been there a few days.

Going into the Woods now was no different from walking to his death.

"Don't you go along, you hear? You might get in the way of Second Master's work!"

Once Old Clan Leader recovered, he immediately sternly warned Hu Ma. "We'll find a way to look for Old Woman here in the village."

"I won't get in the way. Besides, aren't these city folk heading in the same direction Old Woman went before she disappeared?"

Hu Ma had already thought it through, and he stood firm.

Old Woman must have run into some trouble. Otherwise, she wouldn't have forgotten to burn incense for Xiao Hong Tang.

Whatever trouble Old Woman had run into, either she could solve it without help from the village, or only Second Master could lend a hand. So Hu Ma had to go with Second Master.

As for the dangers of entering the Woods...

Hu Ma had already thought that through, too. His cultivation had reached a certain level, and ordinary Wandering Filth couldn't get near him.

And anything bold enough to approach him could take his life even if he stayed in the village.

Rather than remain in the village without Second Master to protect him, anxiously waiting for an unknown fate, he would be better off going into the Woods with them. He would have Second Master's protection, and could also try to find Old Woman.

Even if it all turned out to be a false alarm, once Old Woman returned to the village and summoned Xiao Hong Tang back, both sides could rest easy.

"Ah... right. Then Little Hu Ma can come along."

Second Master had initially meant to persuade Hu Ma to stay behind, but just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly understood.

That was exactly right. The best thing for Hu Ma now was to go out with him.

He had reached the same conclusion, just a little slower.

"I say, you have such a big village. Is it really that hard to find someone to show us the way?"

The old man in the long gown, who had been admiring the scenery with his hands clasped behind his back, now walked over with a smile. "We're in a hurry to get into the mountains. If Great Sheep Village doesn't have anyone who knows this old forest, we still have time to find someone in another village."

"We do, we do."

The Clan Leader hurriedly smiled obsequiously. "He's right here. I'll explain the rules to him, so he doesn't offend the Noble Lord."

"I'll take you into the mountains. I know the eight hundred li of Old Yin Mountain around Great Sheep Village like the back of my hand."

Second Master turned to the old man in the long gown. "But I'll need to bring this kid along to help me."

"You need an assistant just to show us the way?"

The old man in the long gown chuckled and glanced at Hu Ma. "Let him come, then. But he won't be paid."

"I wasn't expecting pay anyway..."

Second Master muttered, then headed into the village. "I'll go get some provisions."

"No need. We've got everything here. We have plenty of food and drink, so don't waste time. Let's get into the mountains as soon as we can!"

The old man in the long gown raised a hand to stop him, then waved to the people behind him. "Unload the things!"

The sedan bearers and guards seemed very capable. At his words, they immediately opened the spacious carriage, which was packed full of trunks and luggage.

They unloaded everything, picked out a few essentials, tied them up with thick ropes, and slung them over their backs one by one.

The biggest bundle, without hesitation, was handed to Second Master.

They didn't go easy on Hu Ma, either. Someone tossed him a bundle. "Hey, country boy, you do some work, too."

Hu Ma silently caught it without complaint.

With his short hair, coarse jacket, and cloth shoes, he really did look like a country boy now.

Apart from finding Old Woman, these people had also piqued his curiosity. Perhaps he could learn more about what this world looked like from them.

"It's almost noon."

The old man in the long gown took the straw rope someone handed him and tied the front and back hems of his robe around his waist. He carefully wrapped puttees around his legs, clad in silk trousers, then respectfully addressed the sedan with its black curtain drawn. "Shall we set out?"

"We can."

A cool voice drifted faintly from inside the sedan.

Two burly men had already come to the front and back of the sedan and slipped the ropes over their shoulders.

"They're actually going to carry the sedan into the mountains?"

Hu Ma watched from the side, slightly astonished.

The paths in the Woods were too rough for a carriage, so they had unloaded all its luggage and were carrying it on their backs.

But the person inside this sedan needed bearers to carry her into the Woods?

Of course, they must have agreed on this beforehand. No one objected. Once everything was ready, they set off.

Hu Ma turned his gaze away and silently followed Second Master.

The party left the village and headed straight west, toward the thickest, densest, most desolate stretch of forest in Old Yin Mountain.

By now, Hu Ma had been in this world for some time and had gradually learned the basics of the place.

He knew that this mysterious region of interlocking mountains and forests was the eight hundred li of Old Yin Mountain: its woods ran deep, its mountains treacherous. It was the most dangerous place, but also where Tai Sui grew and endless treasures could be found.

Hu Ma had often slacked off when he went out to forage in the mountains, but now his inner fire burned strong and his stamina was astonishing. Carrying a bundle through the Woods wasn't much of a problem.

Still, the oppressive silence of the Woods made the place feel desolate.

They hadn't gone far when a flash of red appeared beside him. Xiao Hong Tang came over, took hold of his jacket hem, and followed close beside him.

Hu Ma noticed that none of the others seemed to sense Xiao Hong Tang's presence. He said nothing and continued on, letting her follow.

Perhaps it was because Second Master was with them, or perhaps the last time Hu Ma had left the village, all the Evil Spirits had been drawn by Old Woman's identity as a ghost-walker. This time, the journey went surprisingly smoothly.

Apart from a few difficult stretches where they had to hack open a path with a sickle, and the occasional snake or bug, the rest of the way was uneventful and subdued as they gradually went deeper into the Woods.

"There's fog ahead. We can't go that way."

Second Master spoke less as a guide for these city folk than he did back at the manor.

He simply carried his large bundle and walked on in silence. But when they reached a fork in the path, almost buried beneath the weeds, he stopped.

"We'll have to go around by the river," he told the old man in the long gown. "It'll take longer."

"What if there's fog?"

The old man stopped and looked up ahead. The thick night fog flowed slowly.

"That fog isn't right. I suspect the old toad from the river has come ashore," Second Master said. "If we blunder into it and end up in a fight, even if we can handle it, we'll waste time."

The man who looked like an Old Shopkeeper raised his brows and smiled. "Dusk is the boundary, when Yin and Yang part. The living and Evil Spirits each go their own way. From the looks of things, it's still a long way till nightfall..."

"It's different here."

Second Master answered honestly. "The Woods of Old Yin Mountain aren't like other places. The Yin Qi is heavy. Day or night, it's always dusk here."

"When the living enter the Woods, they've already crossed the boundary."

"..."

The Old Shopkeeper listened with interest. He showed no fear, but still looked toward the sedan behind him.

It was a long while before a faint voice came from inside. "Listen to the guide."

The party said no more and followed Second Master around. Seeing them comply, Second Master relaxed and quietly explained to Hu Ma.

When guiding city folk like these, the hardest thing was dealing with those who thought their skills and knowledge made them invincible, and refused to listen.

The Woods had been cut off from the sun for years and lay close to Lord Tai Sui. No one knew what demonic Evil Spirits, Spirits and Monsters, or wandering gods might lurk there. No matter how capable you were, you had to treat the Woods with reverence if you wanted to come out alive.

One careless step, and you wouldn't even know what had killed you.

Hu Ma took Second Master's words to heart and paid close attention to his every move.

His inner fire was burning strong, and with an experienced guide like Second Master, he could keep the danger within bounds even deep in the Woods.

But this vast old forest was dark and deep, without a trace of human presence.

Could he really find Old Woman by blundering around like this?

Perhaps I can only rely on Xiao Hong Tang. She's Old Woman's Little Servant Ghost, and when we get close to Old Woman, she'll be able to sense her.

Thinking this, he glanced at Xiao Hong Tang. She looked listless, simply holding on to his jacket as she followed.

As if she feared that without Old Woman, she might lose him, too.

They went deeper into the Woods. When the sky was about to grow dark, Second Master immediately called a halt and found an open place near a stream to rest.

He took Hu Ma to gather some branches. They weren't just for firewood: he planted them one by one around the clearing to make a fence, then laid a thick branch across the opening he had left as a doorway. He said that was called a threshold.

For the living to spend the night in the Woods was to trespass in the realm of Evil Spirits.

But once they had set up a fence and a threshold, they had built themselves a yang house.

The living occupied a yang house; none could enter without an invitation. If an Evil Spirit broke in, they could kill it outright without provoking the wrath of all the beings in these deep mountains and old forests.

The Noble Lords from the city found the custom novel, and readily followed along. They parked the sedan inside the "fence," cleared away the weeds, and lit a fire to roast their provisions.

They were generous, sharing dried rations and salted meat with Hu Ma and Second Master. But after tasting it, Hu Ma confirmed that it was only salted meat, not Tai Sui.

Hu Ma noticed that the person in the sedan still hadn't come out, even now.

No one brought her food, either. He couldn't tell whether there was food inside the sedan or whether she had transcended the need for worldly sustenance.

But Hu Ma was weighed down with worries of his own and couldn't spare much thought for anyone else. He ate the rations they had handed him, then held Xiao Hong Tang and lay down fully clothed beside Second Master.

Before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep. In the mist between waking and dreaming, he suddenly heard a hoarse voice:

"White Wine calling from Old Yin Mountain. Are there any Reincarnators out there who can hear me?"