Cui Family Old Woman

"They're almost all killed?"

"Are most Reincarnators orphans?"

Hu Ma was inexplicably stunned by the last few words left by the Reincarnator.

By the time he wanted to ask more, she had already disconnected.

But this also sparked many of his speculations: the first Reincarnator he met had warned him about the importance of keeping his secrets.

And the second Reincarnator he encountered now had revealed some issues among the Reincarnators in this world, as well as problems with their "family" in this world.

Listening to them, they always revealed the cruelty, even brutality, of this world unintentionally.

Now, in the wider world, what kind of relationships had they formed?

He especially thought about some of the worlds the woman had mentioned, and what the first Reincarnator, codenamed Erguotou, had told him. Most others seemed to have been directly reincarnated into this world, and it was more like they had suddenly remembered their past lives.

Even in such a situation, they could be ruthlessly crushed to death by their own biological father with a stone roller?

This world could even accept Old Woman Huai helping stillborn children to be reborn as humans, but it couldn't accept these Reincarnators who had awakened their past-life memories?

On the contrary, he himself was more like a soul possession, but Old Woman seemed to have accepted him...

It seemed the issue of Reincarnators was far more complicated than he had imagined.

It was a pity that this mysterious Reincarnator seemed to have been emotionally triggered and wasn't willing to chat more with him.

"Let's go back first!"

The next morning, Second Master said to Hu Ma with a heavy heart.

He had also spoken with the old shopkeeper and surprisingly found that although these noble guests from the city were arrogant, they were actually quite reasonable.

As a guide, he hadn't found what they were looking for, so his job was technically unfinished, even abandoned halfway, delaying their business. Yet, the old shopkeeper had still given him the three taels of silver as a reward.

This meant he could end this trip early and help Hu Ma send Old Woman back to Great Sheep Village.

"Returning to one's roots is a major event. A good person like Old Woman, who helped so many people in life, should be buried in Old Fire Pit after death..."

Helping Hu Ma prepare Old Woman's body, wrapping it layer by layer with black cloth, Second Master's face was extremely somber.

Hu Ma knew where Old Woman was going, but Second Master didn't. He was clearly genuinely sad.

And Old Woman's instructions were as they were, so Hu Ma naturally wouldn't object, only thinking silently.

People in this world valued returning to one's roots. Second Master felt that burying Old Woman in Old Fire Pit was a very important matter.

But from Old Woman's words, the Hu Family originally came from outside, and she even mentioned "ancestral shrine." Could it be that the Hu Family actually had something similar to "Old Fire Pit" outside?

The background of this identity was far more complex than he had imagined.

However, for his current self, thinking about these things was useless. He needed to heal himself first.

At present, Hu Ma and Second Master, after preparing Old Woman's body and thanking the people from the city, set off on their return journey together.

Originally, Hu Ma intended to carry Old Woman himself, but Second Master worried he wouldn't be able to handle it. He cut vines to make a rope and carried Old Woman on his back, sighing to Hu Ma, "Your Old Woman only wished for you to recover your health, get married, and start a family. You must listen to her..."

"Now that the Evil Spirits sent by your family's enemy have been dealt with by Old Woman, you don't need to seal the furnace anymore..."

"Or, after we get back, come with me to the Blood Food mine, earn some silver, and I'll see which girl is suitable for you as a wife?"

"..."

Hu Ma found it a bit exasperating.

Despite being a virgin for sixty years, Second Master was surprisingly enthusiastic about these matters...

There were many people on the way here, so the forest seemed relatively normal.

On the way back, with only two people, one corpse, and one ghost, the forest became deep and eerie. Although Hu Ma was heavy-hearted, he also felt rustling sounds in the forest from time to time, making him feel uneasy.

Deep in the forest, there seemed to be many things secretly watching him. Occasionally, when he turned his head, he even saw a somewhat familiar tree stump, quietly resting behind a cluster of trees, as if a figure in wide robes was sitting on it, watching him silently.

He was already unhappy, but he was also angered by these strange occurrences. He took out the Mountain Splitting saber on his back.

If it were any other time, he would have been afraid of the mysterious things in the deep mountains.

But now, if anything dared to provoke him, he would unleash the furnace's fire and fight them.

"Don't panic..."

Second Master, however, reached out and placed a hand on Hu Ma's shoulder, saying in a low voice, "Your Old Woman was a Ghost Walker."

"Ghost Walkers not only help people, but also Spirits and Monsters in this forest."

"Those things aren't here to harm you; they're here to escort your Old Woman on her way."

"..."

Hearing this, Hu Ma sheepishly put away his Mountain Splitting saber. After taking a few steps forward, he reacted.

He turned around and slowly bowed towards the tree stump that was gradually disappearing.

The surrounding trees and weeds suddenly rustled, and faint shadows could be vaguely seen, indistinct and shifting. They seemed to bow and clasp their hands in return, as if acknowledging his gesture with emotion.

On this return journey, Hu Ma should have seen, or rather, sensed, the most Evil Spirits and sinister presences since he arrived in this world, yet the journey was exceptionally smooth.

He and Second Master spent a day and a half rushing back to Great Sheep Village.

The villagers were still unaware. The Old Clan Leader, leading a donkey, had just returned from the fields with two large baskets of potatoes.

Seeing two figures, one tall and one short, in the distance, he was startled and quickened his pace with the donkey:

"Why are you back?"

"Didn't I tell you to serve the honored guests from the city well? Did you offend someone and get chased back?"

"..."

"The honored guests were not dissatisfied, and they paid me my wages."

Second Master looked at the Old Clan Leader, his voice choked with emotion as he spoke: "Big Brother, I also found Old Woman."

"She... is gone."

"..."

"Ah?"

The Old Clan Leader, who had been expressing dissatisfaction, was now greatly shocked. He stared blankly at the figure wrapped in black cloth behind Second Master.

After a long while, his legs went weak, and he trembled as he moved forward: "Poor Old Woman..."

A mournful cry immediately spread throughout the entire village. Those nearby rushed over. Upon hearing that Old Woman had passed away, they all grieved and wept, helping to carry Old Woman back to the main hall of Hu Ma's home. They brought white cloth and hemp rope, draping them over Hu Ma.

Second Master instructed Hu Ma to keep vigil for Old Woman in the main hall. He then asked the Old Clan Leader to manage things here while he took a sickle and rope and went out.

He was going to cut the Yin wood needed for Old Woman's cremation.

According to the village customs, the deceased were not buried but cremated, unless there were specific circumstances.

Ordinary families had to prepare specific cremation wood. The wood, along with any karmic debts, would be personally carried into the Old Fire Pit. Thus, cremation wood was the most crucial item.

The better the family, the better and more cremation wood they would use, and the more dignified the funeral would be.

Hu Ma did not expect that not long after Second Master left, his neighbors, having heard the bad news, also rushed over.

They usually feared their own homes, not only not daring to speak to him but also avoiding Old Woman when they saw her. Yet now, they had all come.

They offered to help, some weeping and wailing, while others brought bundles of dry firewood. This was similar to what Second Master had gone out to cut. In Great Sheep Village, the most dignified funeral was when the cremation wood did not need to be prepared by the family itself, but rather each neighbor contributed one piece.

This signified being respected.

"Old Woman, the younger generation was ignorant before. I, an old woman, have come to apologize to you..."

Unexpectedly, not only the neighbors came, but even the Old Grandmother of the Cui Family arrived with her family.

Hu Ma did not recognize the Cui Family at first. It was only when he saw Cui Xie'er behind the crowd that he understood. The Old Grandmother of the Cui Family began to weep uncontrollably as soon as she entered the main hall, scolding her own ignorant descendants in front of everyone.

The Old Clan Leader came to comfort her. The Cui Family Grandmother immediately stopped crying and sat under the shed outside, drinking tea with others.

The eldest son of the Cui Family, a weathered man over fifty years old, brought his brothers to kowtow before Old Woman's spirit:

"Our family was ignorant back then. Please don't take offense, Old Woman. We've come to see you off today."

"..."

After weeping, they stood up and spoke with the surrounding villagers. Glancing at the pile of firewood before the spirit tablet, a man in his forties beside the eldest Cui son frowned and said, "What are you doing? You should be preparing the best coffin for Old Woman!"

Suddenly, the entire mourning hall fell silent. Everyone looked up in surprise at the second son of the Cui Family.

"Cui Lao Er, what are you talking about?"

The Old Clan Leader outside also heard this and his face instantly changed. He strode into the hall and reprimanded, "Old Woman worked her entire life for our Great Sheep Village. Shouldn't she enter the Old Fire Pit?"

"..."

Cui Lao Er frowned and waved his hand, while the eldest Cui son quickly pulled the Old Clan Leader aside and said with a smile, "Uncle, please don't be angry."

"Come, let's talk outside."

"..."

The Old Clan Leader frowned and was ushered out of the mourning hall by the Cui brothers. The elders inside also followed.

Hu Ma remained silent, but he saw everything. Anger surged within him.

He glanced at Xiao Hong Tang on the rafter above, signaling her to follow and listen to what was being said outside.