"This is the Red Lantern Goddess Society's outpost here."
The steward rapped on the gate and introduced the place to Hu Ma and the others with a smile. "Don't let its size fool you. This is an important spot. Every spring, who knows how much cargo passes through here?"
The youths around him nodded blankly, though it was anyone's guess whether they understood.
Hu Ma, however, had already worked out how the Blood Food Gang's operation was arranged. Their livelihood depended on blood food, and every step—from mining and harvesting to transport by mule and horse, and stopping along the way—was crucial.
Perhaps this was a storehouse, or a way station, for transporting blood food during Worship Taisui?
Before long, the gate opened. A young man in fine clothes came out, smiling. "Master's been waiting for you all for ages. He was worried you wouldn't make it before dark. Come in quickly. He's already had food and wine prepared..."
At the mention of food, the youths grew anxious. They'd been on the road for most of the day, and their stomachs were long since empty.
Inside the compound, a table laden with food and wine had indeed been set in the main room. A slightly plump Master Craftsman came out to greet them from a distance, cupping his hands to the Steward Lord who had brought them here.
The youths were eager to sit down, but the young man in fine clothes who had opened the gate suddenly barked, "No manners! Who told you to barge in? Your meal's in the kitchen. Go eat there!"
Only then did the youths understand. The feast was for the steward, not them.
They quietly made their way to the kitchen, where they found a basket of black, coarse steamed buns. There wasn't even