White Wine Calls

"You're going too?"

Upon hearing Hu Ma's words, both the Clan Leader and Second Master were visibly surprised.

Everyone in the village had heard about Hu Ma's condition. The incident had happened in the forest before, and then the Old Woman had rushed over, hoping the Ancestors in the Old Fire Pit would acknowledge Hu Ma, but they ultimately hadn't, and he couldn't receive their protection.

He said he was going to learn skills from Second Master, but he had only been gone for a few days.

Going into the forest now, what was the difference between that and suicide?

"Don't you dare follow! Be careful not to delay Second Master's business!"

As soon as the Old Clan Leader reacted, he immediately and sternly instructed Hu Ma, "We'll find a way in the village to look for the Old Woman."

"It won't delay anything. Besides, the place these city folk are going is the same direction the Old Woman went before she disappeared, isn't it?"

Hu Ma had figured it out and insisted on speaking.

The Old Woman must have encountered some trouble, otherwise, she wouldn't have forgotten to burn incense for Xiao Hong Tang.

The trouble the Old Woman encountered was either something she could solve without the village's help, or only Second Master could lend a hand. That's why he absolutely had to go with Second Master.

As for the dangers of entering the forest...

Hu Ma had long since realized that his cultivation technique had reached a certain level, and ordinary 'you hui' couldn't get close to him.

And those who dared to get close to him, even if he stayed in the village, could still take his life.

Rather than staying in the village, waiting anxiously for an unknown fate without Second Master's protection, he might as well go into the forest with these people. He could receive Second Master's protection and also try to find the Old Woman.

Even if it was just a false alarm, once the Old Woman returned to the village and recalled Xiao Hong Tang, both sides would be relieved.

"Ah... right, then let little Hu Ma follow."

Second Master originally wanted to persuade Hu Ma to stay, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly understood.

The logic was sound; it was indeed best for Hu Ma to go with him now.

He had also figured this out, just a little slower to react.

"I say, for such a big village like yours, is it that difficult to find a guide?"

At this moment, the old man in a long gown, who had been standing with his hands behind his back watching the scenery not far away, walked over with a smile and said, "We're in a hurry to enter the mountains. If your Great Sheep Village doesn't have someone familiar with this old forest, we can still go to other villages."

"Yes, yes."

The Clan Leader heard this and quickly said with a smile, "Isn't he here? I'll tell him about the rules, so he doesn't offend the distinguished guests."

"I'll lead you into the mountains. I'm familiar with the Old Yin Mountain, eight hundred miles around the Great Sheep Village."

Second Master turned to the old man in the long gown and said, "But I need to bring this kid along to help me out."

"You need help just to lead the way?"

The old man in the long gown smiled and glanced at Hu Ma, saying, "Go ahead, but he won't be paid for it."

"He wasn't going to be paid in the first place..."

Second Master muttered and walked towards the village, "I'll go prepare some dry rations."

"No need. We have everything here. We won't lack food and drink for you. Don't waste time, let's head into the mountains soon!"

The old man in the long gown raised his hand to stop them, waved to the people behind him, and said, "Unload the things!"

The sedan bearers and guards seemed very capable. Upon hearing this, they immediately opened the large carriage, which was packed full of boxes and luggage.

They unloaded all the bags and bundles, picked out a few essential items, tied them with coarse rope, and carried them on their backs.

The largest one was unceremoniously handed to Second Master.

Even Hu Ma wasn't spared; a padded jacket was thrown to him, "Wild boy, you do some work too."

Hu Ma silently took it, not resisting.

With his short hair, coarse cloth shirt, and cloth shoes, he did indeed look like a wild boy.

Besides finding the Old Woman, these people also piqued his curiosity. Perhaps through them, he could learn about the appearance of this world.

"It's almost noon."

The old man in the long gown took the straw rope handed to him by someone nearby and tied the front and back of his robe at the waist. He also tightly wrapped his legs, which were clad in silk trousers, before respectfully saying to the sedan chair with its black curtain, "Shall we set off now?"

"We can."

A clear, cold voice echoed faintly from inside the sedan chair.

Two strong, well-built men, one in front and one behind, came to the sedan chair and placed the ropes on their shoulders.

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

Hu Ma watched from the side, feeling a bit surprised.

The roads in the forest were difficult, and the carriage couldn't get through at all, so the luggage from the carriage was unloaded and carried by people.

But the person in this sedan chair needed sedan bearers to carry them into the forest?

Of course, how they did things was their own business, and no one objected. Seeing that everything was ready, they set off.

Hu Ma withdrew his gaze and silently followed beside Second Master.

The group left the village and headed straight west, towards the densest, most desolate part of Old Yin Mountain.

Hu Ma had been in this world for a while now and had a basic understanding of the situation.

He knew that this mysterious, overlapping forest region was the 800-li Old Yin Mountain. It was deep, treacherous, and the most dangerous, but it was also where Taisui grew and where endless treasures could be found.

Although he usually slacked off when he went into the mountains, Hu Ma's inner fire was burning strong now, and his stamina was incredible. Carrying a bundle like this through the forest was no problem.

However, the oppressive silence of the forest couldn't help but evoke a sense of desolation.

After a few steps, a flash of red appeared beside him. Xiao Hong Tang came over, took hold of his clothes, and followed him carefully.

Hu Ma noticed that no one else in the group seemed to have detected Xiao Hong Tang's presence, so he remained silent and continued on their way with her.

Perhaps it was because Second Master was accompanying them, or perhaps it was because the many Evil Spirits had been drawn by the Old Woman's ghost-walking identity the last time they left the village. This journey, however, was unusually smooth.

Apart from the occasional difficult path that required a sickle to clear, or encountering some snakes and insects, the rest of the time was uneventful and monotonous as they gradually ventured deeper into the forest.

"It's foggy ahead, we can't go that way."

Second Master was acting as a guide for these city folk, so he didn't talk as much as he did in the village.

He just walked ahead with a large pack on his back, saying nothing. He stopped when they reached a barely visible fork in the path, almost completely overgrown with weeds.

He said to the old man in the long gown, "We'll have to go around by the river. It'll be longer."

"What happens if it's foggy?"

The old man in the long gown stopped and looked ahead at the thick night fog slowly drifting.

"That fog isn't normal. I suspect the old toads from the river have come ashore."

Second Master said, "If we blunder into it and start a conflict for no reason, even if we can handle it, it will waste our time."

The man who looked like the old shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at this and said with a smile, "Dusk is the boundary, yin and yang are divided. The living and the evil spirits each go their own way. Judging by the time, it's still a long way until dark..."

"It's different."

Second Master replied honestly, "The forest in Old Yin Mountain is different from other places. The yin energy is heavy, so it's considered dusk whether it's day or night."

"If a living person enters the forest, it's considered crossing the boundary."

"..."

The old shopkeeper listened, seeming very interested and showing no fear. However, he still looked towards the sedan chair behind him.

After a long pause, a faint voice came from inside the sedan chair, "Listen to the guide."

The group said no more and followed Second Master on the detour. Second Master breathed a sigh of relief and quietly told Hu Ma.

The most troublesome thing about guiding these city people is when they think they know better and don't listen to advice.

This forest is perpetually shrouded in darkness and is close to Lord Tai Sui. No one knows what kind of strange spirits, Evil Spirits, or wandering Spirits and Monsters might be hidden here. No matter how skilled you are, you must approach this forest with reverence to ensure your safety.

One careless mistake and you'll die without even knowing how.

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

With his inner fire burning strong and an experienced guide like Second Master leading the way, he could keep the danger under control even deep in the forest.

But this vast, ancient forest, deep and dark, with no sign of human life...

Could they really find the Old Woman by just pushing forward like this?

"Perhaps it's up to Xiao Hong Tang. She's the Old Woman's little Ghost Envoy. When she gets close to the Old Woman, she'll be able to sense her."

He thought this and turned to look at Xiao Hong Tang. She looked listless, just holding his clothes and following him.

It was as if she was afraid of losing him too, now that she couldn't find the Old Woman.

As they ventured deeper into the forest and the sky began to darken, Second Master immediately called a halt and found a clearing by a stream to rest.

He took Hu Ma and gathered some branches, not just for a fire, but to stick them around the perimeter like a fence. He also picked up a thick branch and placed it horizontally at the entrance they had left open, calling it a threshold.

For a living person to spend the night in the forest was equivalent to trespassing into the realm of Evil Spirits.

But by building a fence and setting up a threshold, they were creating a dwelling of yang for themselves.

A yang dwelling is not to be entered without invitation. If any Evil Spirits were to intrude, they could be killed directly without incurring the wrath of the spirits of this deep mountain forest.

These noble guests from the city found it novel and went along with it. They stopped their sedan chairs within the "fence," cleared the weeds, and started a fire to roast their dried rations.

They were generous and shared some dried rations and salted meat with Hu Ma and Second Master. However, Hu Ma tasted it and confirmed it was just salted meat, not Taisui.

Hu Ma noticed that the person in the sedan chair still hadn't gotten out.

No one brought her food, and he didn't know if she had food inside or if she simply no longer ate mortal food.

But he was full of worry now and couldn't concern himself with others. He ate the dried rations offered by the others, then held Xiao Hong Tang and slept fully clothed beside Second Master.

Before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep. In his daze, he suddenly heard a hoarse voice:

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