Learning Skills Is Difficult

They unloaded their bedding rolls from the ox cart, and the four young men excitedly went into the east room to lay them out. The heated brick bed along the wall was over ten feet long, more than enough to sleep five of them.

Looking at the windows pasted with white paper, the sturdy tables and chairs, and the spacious room, they were all overjoyed, feeling the novelty of being in a new place.

But soon, they didn't know what to do.

It wasn't the season to heat the beds, and the steward hadn't given them any other instructions. The city was indeed lively, but they didn't dare to go out and play.

Could they just go to sleep now?

Second Master also glanced outside and said, "No one will be bringing food tonight. Wait for me here."

He took a strap from the ox cart, slung it over his shoulder, and left the compound. It wasn't long before he returned with two lotus leaf-wrapped lamb buns and a small bottle of liquor. He sat down at the stone table and stools in the empty courtyard.

The four or five youths eagerly crowded around, grabbing the greasy lamb buns and devouring them. Their eyes shone brightly as they ate; if it weren't for the heat, they would have wanted to eat two at a time.

Second Master watched them eat with a smile, and on impulse, he said, "Come, have a drink with Second Master."

Zhou Datong's eyes lit up a little more, but he was still wary. "Second Master, you're not tricking us, are you? I secretly took a sip at home before, and my grandfather broke his broom beating me."

"That was before."

Second Master chuckled, "Now that you're in the city, you're all considered adults. You can have a taste."

"Remember from now on, you must bring honor to our village."

"..."

The youths excitedly scrambled for the wine flask. The first sip burned their tongues, making them stick out like hanged ghosts.

Hu Ma also took a sip as usual, finding it hot and pungent, with a somewhat rough taste.

In terms of taste, this wine was truly inferior to the carefully blended, smooth, sweet, and mellow wines of his past life. But what could he do?

He could only comfort himself: At least there's no industrial alcohol here. This is genuine grain liquor...

After eating the buns and drinking the wine, combined with the long journey they had been on without proper rest, the four youths soon grew tired. With heavy eyelids, they lay down on the brick bed and slept soundly. Only then did Second Master take out a handful of peanuts from his pocket.

He sighed and said, "I'm thinking of returning tomorrow or the day after."

Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "So soon?"

"Now that I see you've settled in, it's fine. I can't stay here forever. After all, I've helped with what needs to be done and made the necessary arrangements. The village is also busy preparing for the mine opening in the spring."

Hu Ma thought about it and handed the wine flask to Second Master with both hands. "Thank you for your hard work, Second Master."

"Do we need to be so formal between us? It makes us seem distant."

Second Master took a drink, then got up and went to the ox cart. From beneath a bundle of medicinal herbs, he unearthed a cloth bundle and returned to hand it to Hu Ma.

Upon opening it, Hu Ma saw a piece of smoked and cured meat, weighing about two to three catties.

Second Master said, "Before we left, the Clan Leader entrusted me with these four Taisui. I won't keep the other three for myself. Whether the steward keeps them or distributes them to other stewards is his business. We can't say anything about it. After all, we can't start looking for people to give gifts to as soon as we arrive. It would just annoy people, and then no one would help us. This last piece is something I secretly kept for you, in case you three can't eat enough here and your bodies weaken. Keep it safe, and when someone's progress isn't good, give it to them to supplement their strength. You five are the only ones who have come out in so many years; it wouldn't be good to neglect any of you."

"..."

"This is the most valuable thing in the village, and you're entrusting it to me like this?" Hu Ma looked at the piece of cured meat, fully understanding its preciousness. Although Second Master had given away three pieces upon arrival and now gave him this one, this was truly a treasure kept at the bottom of the village's chest. Great Sheep Village relied on Lord Tai Sui for its livelihood and could earn some Taisui each year to bring back, either to sell for money or to supplement their health. However, most of those were White Ganoderma or scraps. A Green Ganoderma in this form was likely years' worth of the village's stock, and who would dare to touch it usually?

"It's only safe to give it to you," Second Master looked at him. "Firstly, you're used to eating... that stuff, so you don't think much of this. Secondly, after that incident, you've become more steady and reliable than others in handling matters. And besides..." Second Master lowered his voice, "Others may not know, but I know your current level. These children are all counting on you."

"You saying that puts a lot of pressure on me..." Hu Ma said with a wry smile, peeling a peanut and popping it into his mouth, its crispness fragrant.

Second Master watched Hu Ma's natural action of eating the peanut without the skin and sighed inwardly, "She really spoiled him... even eating peanuts, he doesn't eat the skin..."

Shaking his head, he picked up the wine flask and took a small swig. "Back in the village, I saw your ambition and desire to learn skills. Now you've gotten your wish and joined the Blood Food Gang, so you're halfway there. But Second Master has something to tell you."

Hu Ma listened intently.

Second Master said, "People, gold, silver, and treasures are all external things. What is most important? Having skills is most important. Speaking of skills, who doesn't want to learn? But it's not as simple as wanting to learn; someone has to teach you. When I was young, a master craftsman watched me for thirty years and saw I was still a virgin. He said he would teach me his skills."

"I'm happy too. I've traveled all over the country with Master for several years, and I've used my pure yang virgin body to help him clear out quite a few evil spirits and ghosts. I thought that if I worked so diligently, I could learn some more powerful skills..."

"..."

Hu Ma listened, and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. "He refused to teach you?"

"He did teach me..."

Second Master gave a wry smile and said, "Just what you've already learned."

"Maybe I'm just stupid, and wouldn't be able to learn anything else even if he taught me."

"..."

Hu Ma heard the disappointment in Second Master's words and his mood couldn't help but sink. He understood why Second Master was telling him all this.

Saying he was stupid was just self-deprecation.

If he were truly just stupid, then whether or not other methods could be taught was another matter, but he could have at least taught him the complete set of skills, right?

After all, these were just external martial arts, which didn't require much intelligence; one could master them with hard work alone.

But in reality, Second Master hadn't even learned this set of skills completely.

"Sigh, in short, you be careful. Perhaps the Red Lantern Society is different from the unorthodox master I had back then..."

Second Master sighed heavily, lowered his voice, and said, "The children in this village, if they can join the Red Lantern Society as a helper, that's considered success. But you're different. You have high aspirations and definitely want to climb higher."

"I, Second Master, am incapable and cannot teach you, but I still wish you well."

"The Green Ganoderma I left for you, there's a thumb-sized piece at the tip of the tail, covered with black ash. You should secretly cut it off and keep it safe when you get a chance."

"That's a valuable item. If necessary, give it away, so they don't think you're insincere and refuse to teach you."

"..."

Hu Ma was slightly shocked. He finally understood that Second Master had given him the best thing after all.

Gratitude surged in his heart, but when he spoke, he only said, "Second Master, when I learn my skills, I will definitely repay you."

"...I'll marry you a young virgin, and build you a large courtyard!"

"..."

Hearing this, Second Master felt embarrassed, his old face flushed. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm already so old..."

"...No need for a young virgin!"

"..."

That night, after Hu Ma had a talk with Second Master, they went into the house to sleep together.

The next day, Second Master packed some herbs from the ox cart, along with a few jars of Black Oil Paste he made himself in the village, and went to sell them at the outside herbal medicine shop. He exchanged them for some silver shards and soy sauce, and also left a jar for Hu Ma.

He also instructed that the Black Oil Paste they made in the village was the best quality, and that the shops would mix it with who-knows-what to dilute it before selling it!

After finishing all his arrangements, he drove the ox cart out before sunset.

Once a child was handed over to the Red Lantern Society, they belonged to them.

The young men from the village hadn't expected Second Master to leave so decisively. They were a bit stunned and quite uneasy.

No matter how rowdy they usually were, they were still just boys. Without an adult around, it was natural to feel apprehensive.

However, Hu Ma had already been mentally prepared and was just waiting patiently.

They lived in the empty house for two or three days, and then gradually more groups of youths were sent over. However, they were different from those from Great Sheep Village. Some were dressed in fine clothes, looking impressive and well-off, while others were strong and sturdy.

The youths from the village saw them and lost their confidence, not daring to be too boisterous.

But a few days later, several more batches of youths were sent over. They looked ragged, barefoot, with bare chests, and sallow complexions, appearing even poorer than those from Great Sheep Village.

With more people, it became lively.

The youths scrambled for sleeping quarters, fought for meals, and snuck out to buy sweets, clay figurines, and watch performances.

Only the youths from the village and that group of ragged youths were the most well-behaved. Whether it was for food distribution or other matters, they didn't dare to compete with the youths in fine clothes.

"This Red Lantern Society is recruiting helpers, their backgrounds are quite mixed..."

Hu Ma observed these events silently, not daring to underestimate the people or things in this world because of his identity as a Reincarnator, merely speculating about their backgrounds.

"Brother Old Bai Gan, have you arrived yet?"

After a few days like this, about four or five days later, as he just entered his dream that evening, he returned to the temple shrouded in dark mist and heard a familiar voice.

"I have."

It wasn't a zero-day today, and Hu Ma heard the voice of his old friend Erguotou. He was both surprised and relieved, and deliberately replied with a smile, "Where are you? Do you want to meet?"

"Since you're here, you'll see me within three days."

Erguotou chuckled and said, "However, whether Reincarnators meet or not isn't important. There are some important matters I need to explain to you first, so you don't fall into the Red Lantern Society's traps."