SEC Chapter 337 - 335: Direct Provocation (Three Updates)
Chapter 337 - 335: Direct Provocation (Three Updates)
Chapter 337: Chapter 335: Direct Provocation (Three Updates)
An endless feast, a gathering of ghosts?
With the arrival of Seventh Aunt, everyone, from the Wei Family guards and the old housekeeper to the ghostly entities seated around, suddenly felt a significant increase in pressure, none daring to look directly at her.
But Hu Ma was attending to Seventh Aunt while observing the scene with cold eyes.
Although he had known for some time that the Five Evil Gods had arranged a banquet here in the manner of a wedding reception, seeing it with his own eyes made it seem even stranger. The Five Evil Gods not only arranged the feast but had even invited many guests!
Of course, among these guests, living people were few, and most seemed to be forced here, weeping and wailing, likely confirming what Li had said about grievances wailing around the Manor every night.
Dead for so many years, yet still forced to attend a wedding banquet, even giving away the little they had as gifts. Who wouldn’t cry in such a situation?
Seeing it like this, the Five Evil Gods seemed to have coerced everyone in Green Stone Town who could be "invited."
In today’s Mingzhou Prefecture Town, the greatest evil spirit was the Red Lantern Lady, but the two sides had torn faces, so naturally, she wouldn’t come. There were a few under the care of Plum Blossom Lane and the local government, but both sides were pretending to be dead, not joining in the fun.
With no other options, the Five Evil Gods ignored the big and small fish, instead dragging anyone who could move to Yellow Dog Village to make up this scene.
But why did he put up such a grand spectacle?
Hu Ma knew about the prior engagement between him and Aunt Zhang, but seeing the situation now, did he truly have the interest to marry?
If so, that would be perfect timing to solve everything together.
So he patiently sat and watched. The evening grew later, and the sky darker. The whole of Yellow Dog Village turned ghostly, with only the feeble sounds of musical instruments playing a festive tune that sounded deeply mournful.
The tables around were all filled, except for Hu Ma and Seventh Aunt’s table, which remained empty. Seventh Aunt began to feel uneasy, glancing around, "Why is no one sitting next to me? Are they disrespecting me?"
"No worries."
Hu Ma chuckled, comforting her, "It saves us from having to fight over food later."
Seventh Aunt, hearing this, brightened immediately, delightedly puffing on her dry tobacco, looking around with ease, standing out in the shadowy ghostly wedding feast, making everyone and every evil spirit around them appear more timid.
"Bring out the Old Master."
The old servant sneaked several glances at Seventh Aunt. The last time Seventh Aunt came to stop the Black Robed Mage, he was quite close to her and even tried talking with her.
It was just that last time, Seventh Aunt hadn’t shown herself, so he couldn’t see her. Now that he saw her, he realized she was extraordinary. Yet, he also sensed she was possibly not on the same path as him, which made him even more nervous.
Though his mind raced, he still had to do his job. As the time approached, he hurriedly gave instructions.
The guards around gathered their courage. They went into Son-in-law Wei’s ancestral home and brought out the noble who had been possessed by a ghost for several days. They snatched the memorial tablet he clutched to his chest and tossed it aside, as instructed by the Old Master from Plum Blossom Lane—this was not to be forgotten.
"AGH..."
The noble seemed unable to walk, being carried out by two strong guards, his toes pointing straight down and not touching the ground.
Once brought to the table, the noble, who always seemed dazed, suddenly struggled. The guards, not daring to exert force, were shaken off by him.
On the tips of his toes, performing a delicate gesture with his hand, he swiftly moved to the table in front of Hu Ma and knelt down, crying, "The benefactor is indeed honorable, truly here to seek justice for me!"
Others did not know whom he spoke to, much less expected him to bow to Hu Ma, thinking instead it was addressed to Seventh Aunt.
It was actually Hu Ma’s first official sight of the noble’s appearance. He saw an aristocratic man with a pale face and long beard, his nails grown long, clearly someone accustomed to comfort.
Yet now, there was a dark aura between his brows, obviously deeply tainted by an evil spirit, and the sharp voice coming from the man’s mouth revealed who was actually bowing.
Seventh Aunt abruptly seeing someone knelt across from her felt awkward, putting down her pipe, "It’s neither New Year nor a festival, I haven’t prepared wedding money for you..."
"Got it prepared, got it prepared."
Hu Ma hurriedly fished out a few copper coins from his bosom, handing them over on behalf of Seventh Aunt, and with a smile, said to the bowing noble, "Rest assured, we are neighbors, have some old ties. Seventh Aunt enjoys matchmaking, detests breaking couples up, she’ll definitely help you."
This Ghost Lady had once come in a dream to plead for rescue, but in reality, Hu Ma, being just a little shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, couldn’t help her back then. Through a fortunate turn of events, he could now return the favor in Seventh Aunt’s name.
The noble accepted the copper coins, immediately grateful beyond words, clutching them tightly to his chest like a lifeline.
These coins initially served as expelling evil money, given in gratitude after Hu Ma helped dissolve the Meat Evil at a Manor. They were merely twenty copper coins but bore a different significance.
Once Hu Ma’s Mana deepens, these twenty copper coins would hold spiritual nature!
The key question was, perhaps due to the heavy yin qi at the banquet, the noble had looked ordinary when first carried out. But now, after receiving Seventh Aunt’s reward money, his appearance had changed. He indistinctly appeared as a bride in a red wedding dress.
The guards saw the noble master morph into a bride’s appearance and dared not support him any longer, leaving the old servant to brace himself and help the noble master up.
As he stood, he glanced at Hu Ma secretly. Recognizing him, he couldn’t help but think, No wonder Mage Yan’s attempt to expel the evil was precisely hindered by the small hall officer.
Could it be this little shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang secretly sent the message?
Heh, a mere member of the Mixed Blood Food Gang dares meddle in the Wei Family’s affairs, simply...
...
Hu Ma noticed his glance, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Old sir, don’t look at me like that. I know my weight, wouldn’t dare mix in chaotic things, but Seventh Aunt is my local senior, who dares disobey her words?"
"If she wants to dine, I must serve her, right?"
...
"Oh dear, don’t say that."
The old servant heard and hurriedly replied, "No, no, young master exaggerates..."
As he spoke, he thought to himself: Once this is over, this little shopkeeper must be taught a lesson...
Back and forth, it was already the hour between midnight and two. The surrounding yin qi suddenly flourished, clearly already that point in time. The old servant, flustered, looked around the feast table for help, only to see someone rise abruptly.
It was none other than the still-living Wealth Evil Altar Envoy.
He was the worst off of the Five Evil Altar Envoys. He had offended the Red Lantern Society and was forced to flee everywhere, yet he survived as he hadn’t directly faced off with their masters.
In the absence of the Luck Evil Altar Envoy, it was his duty to extend the invitation. He boldly walked to the wooden platform before the feast, seized a torch from the side, and lit a basin on the platform—it blazed instantly.
After kowtowing several times, he placed the basin below the stage, circled it, and began chanting an ancient, odd incantation.
"Life, Wealth, Longevity, Happiness, Fortune, the Five Profits Hall shall worship!"
...
Hearing his chant, Hu Ma frowned slightly.
Was this the first direct challenge?
Previously, he had learned clearly from the Mountain Lord senior. Before being ousted from Mingzhou by Granny and losing their title, the Five Evil Gods were actually Protector Gods of the Walking Ghost Path, originally known as the Five Profits.
But now, in front of Seventh Aunt, to invoke the title of the Five Profits, was he showing contempt for the Hu Family?
His heart chilled slightly. As he watched coldly, observing the Wealth Evil Altar Envoy perform a peculiar step around the fire basin, completing five circles, each with a different step.
The ritual seemed designed for all five envoys of the Five Evil Altar. However, since three weren’t present and the Life Evil Altar Envoy was still bound—and he dared not release him in Seventh Aunt’s presence—the Wealth Evil Altar Envoy performed in their stead, circling five times.
After circling five times, he suddenly stopped, extending his tongue and slashing it with a knife.
Blood poured abruptly, trickling into the fire basin.
The next moment, the fire in the basin surged fivefold, blinding all with its glow.
Around the feast, the flames of all lit candles erupted unexpectedly. Everyone felt an increased sense of pressure, with spells of darkness before their eyes. Dimly, they perceived some strange banners slowly emerging around the fire basin.
"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!"
Suddenly, everyone at the surrounding tables, whether human or non-human, stood and knelt simultaneously.
Even the neighbors dragged here by the Wei Family were overwhelmed with an intangible reverence, sprawling on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
Among all the tables, only Hu Ma and Seventh Aunt remained seated, like cranes among chickens.
However, even Seventh Aunt felt an inexplicable reverence. Her small eyes darted around, unsure whether to kneel. Hu Ma kept a close watch on her—he couldn’t let her kneel...
Just then, amidst the oppressive and eerie atmosphere, the horse Hu Ma had brought snorted lightly, its eyes glimmering softly...
Currently, Hu Ma was still focused on Seventh Aunt. After all, if she knelt along with others, the Hu Family’s dignity would be lost...
Unexpectedly, a sudden neigh erupted behind him. The horse brought from Miss Red Wine’s place strolled out leisurely and arrogantly.
With everyone else kneeling and heads lowered, it alone walked gracefully, defiantly.
Then, it walked straight to the blazing fire basin and with a HISS, released a stream of yellow liquid into the fire basin.