CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 345 DESCENDANTS OF THE HU FAMILY (SECOND UPDATE)

The colors of the wind and clouds changed, and ghosts cried while gods howled.

As Aunt Zhang was setting up the altar, the two scarecrows transformed into figures wearing soap clothes. Both donned official hats with waist knives at their belts; one carried chains, and the other wielded criminal shackles, resembling officers hurrying in the night to capture thieves.

The Yellow Dog Village was now filled with dense clusters of little ghosts, all brought by the Five Evil Ghost who had just descended. But in its haste to escape, it had no time to take them back with it.

All these little ghosts squeezed and jostled, attempting to slip into the well to follow the Five Evil Master back, but they were already too late. When they saw those two figures in soap clothes arrive at the village entrance, they were so frightened they shrieked wildly.

Yet, the two figures in soap clothes paid them no mind and proceeded straightforwardly, as if doing nothing at all. Beside them, this group of little ghosts suddenly caught fire, screeching in pain as they rolled around on the ground.

In no time, they burned completely, vanishing with a gust of wind. Those who had been forcibly brought there were protected by the mountain lord’s green canopy and were not burned.

However, as those two figures in soap clothes walked through the village, they surprisingly could not find the Evil Ghost’s whereabouts. Only then did they discover that the Five Evil Ghost had long since departed. It left only the drained corpse of Son-in-law Wei, shrunken pathetically on the ground, with a blurry figure beside it, continually kowtowing.

This blurry figure was the true form of Son-in-law Wei. Unfortunately, when the two figures in soap clothes approached, they merely glanced at him before he uttered a silent scream and dissipated into nothingness.

Immediately after, a red shadow rushed over, cradled his withered bones—along with the Corpse Guardian Soul still attached to them—and plunged into the well. The couple thus ended up together for eternity.

"The Evil Ghost ran away?"

Aunt Zhang did not know how the altar she had set up possessed such authority that even the suppression object could manifest to capture the ghost.

But while at the altar, she sensed that Yellow Dog Village was now utterly empty. Realizing the Evil Ghost had escaped, she gritted her teeth, pulled out a black bone, held it in her hand, and silently chanted a spell.

This was the engagement object left by the Evil Ghost when it forcibly established a marriage contract with her—a bone from its life. Aunt Zhang had always hated this object intensely, but later, she began to use it for casting spells to help the common people. However, each time she invoked the spirit associated with it, it would invariably result in either fighting or cursing.

Now, she intended to use this bone to forcefully summon the Evil Ghost.

Hu Ma watched silently from the side, secretly admiring Aunt Zhang’s clever intuition. Truly worthy of being a great walking ghost, he thought. Her abilities in the path of walking ghosts are formidable, but they seem limited when faced with an entity like the Five Evil Ghost.

Wishing to support her, he also silently chanted a spell—precisely the Chains Curse he had been diligently practicing recently. As he chanted, a pitiful scream echoed in Yellow Dog Village.

It was the Life Evil Altar Envoy, an Incense Burner under the command of the long-forgotten Five Evil Master. As Hu Ma chanted, the Envoy suddenly shrank into a mass, and a shadowy black figure extracted itself from his body, kowtowing incessantly to the two figures in soap clothes.

The straw rope tied to him slowly came undone. Once detached, it vaguely transformed into the likeness of chains, CLATTERING on the ground before plunging straight into the well in Yellow Dog Village, from which black water unceasingly oozed.

The two figures in soap clothes promptly gripped their waist knives and marched forward.

The Five Evil Gods had long since slipped away, never formally confronting the mountain lord. Its aura of evil instantly withdrew, distancing itself from Mingzhou Prefecture and retreating into its Five Evil Temple.

Even the Five Evil Gods Temple, normally brimming with ominous energy, abruptly restrained its malevolence. It became silent, appearing like an ordinary building, no longer exuding the palpable presence it once had from afar.

Enough... The Five Evil Gods, at this moment, was likely also pondering. Despite losing five Incense Burners, I’ve practically grasped the basics of that family’s descendants. Though it’s not entirely clear, using this as a basis, I should be able to knock on the doors of the other Ten Surnames and seek protection for myself. As for face, that’s insignificant. At worst, I just won’t step into Mingzhou ever again and simply hide away.

Yet, just as this thought crossed its mind, it suddenly heard the CLATTERING of chains approaching rapidly. The Five Evil Gods was greatly startled. To its surprise, the two figures in soap clothes had already appeared before the temple.

Dark chains, WHIRRING, curled swiftly toward its body, shocking it immensely. How did they manage to apprehend me here? it wondered, failing to comprehend.

"WHOOSH!"

But naturally, it was unwilling to be bound. With a loud shout, the surroundings were shaken—sand flew and stones rolled. The two figures in soap clothes staggered backward several steps, their bodies suddenly igniting in flames. The chains in their hands grew taut, on the verge of snapping uncontrollably.

I can’t summon it...

In nearby Green Stone Town, Aunt Zhang, atop the altar, suddenly opened her eyes. She witnessed the two scarecrows she had placed beside her inexplicably catch fire, and her heart grew heavy.

The altar she had set up had already gained immense power with the expert’s assistance. Yet, it was still too much of a strain to try and hold that Five Evil Ghost; they were simply not on the same level. One wrong move, and I’ll be consumed by the backlash.

「...」

「...」

This Five Evil Ghost is truly formidable; even the spirit-constraining spell couldn’t bind it...

As the scarecrows at Aunt Zhang’s altar also caught fire, Hu Ma discreetly withdrew, with Little Hongtang beside him.

This isn’t entirely unexpected, Hu Ma thought. I haven’t yet genuinely taken on the Hu Family’s legacy. The skills I’ve learned from the Age Suppressing Book might be immensely useful against evil spirits and wild ghosts, perhaps even Little Red Lantern, but they still fall short when confronting the Five Evil Gods.

Nonetheless, he had long been prepared and did not panic. As he moved forward, he extended a hand, and Little Hongtang hurriedly fished out three incense sticks from her basket for him.

Hu Ma took the incense sticks and walked to an open space. With his back to the surging malevolent aura from Yellow Dog Village, he faced the direction of Dayang Village in Old Yin Mountain, knelt, and lit the three incense sticks.

Then, he retrieved from his bosom the pouch of incense ash he always carried, holding it in his hand.

In silence, he bowed thrice toward Dayang Village.

He prayed quietly, "Granny, you who are above, your grandson is unworthy. I’ve learned my skills slowly and have been too timid, making you wait for so long and endure hardship."

"Today, an Evil Ghost wreaks havoc, mocking the Hu Family as if we have no one left. I only ask, Granny, that you temporarily lend me the suppression object. Allow me to eradicate this Evil Ghost and avenge you!"

「...」

As a descendant of the Hu Family, I am entitled to use that item. Yet, because I haven’t resolved the matter of Juehu Village and thus haven’t retrieved the true token, I can only say I’m ’borrowing’ it for now.

This was precisely the crucial link in the only method the mountain lord had mentioned to kill the Five Evil Gods.

When I first heard about this, I was surprised and vaguely uneasy, Hu Ma recalled. I haven’t yet mastered the ability of Entering the Mansion, nor have I resolved the matter of Juehu Village. It’s like I haven’t passed Granny’s test. How can I borrow this token in advance?

But upon hearing this, the mountain lord had suddenly laughed. "Test?"

"I will test you to see if you, the last descendant of the Hu Family, are determined enough."

"The Ten Surnames will test you to see if you can bear such a heavy karmic burden for the Hu Family, and whether they should regard you as a true member of the Hu Family."

"Even that Five Evil Ghost will test you, to see how much of the Hu Family’s skills you have left, whether you’re worth its fear, or if it could use you to gain some other benefits."

"But your Granny—she’s the one who won’t test you."

"She trusts you."

"That’s why she was willing to shoulder such a heavy burden for the Hu Family, to shield you from the storms, giving you time to learn some skills."

「...」

After saying this, he had looked at Hu Ma with utmost seriousness. "If you act like a thief, just wanting to snatch a piece from here and grab a piece from there, then the Hu Family’s things will never truly be yours."

"But if you are willing to take responsibility for the Hu Family’s affairs, then the Hu Family’s things are already yours—they rightfully should be yours."

"Before your Granny passed away, she left you that pond ash. Did you think it was merely to protect you?"

「...」

「...」

It was precisely because of the mountain lord’s reminder, coupled with Hu Ma’s own understanding that this was what he needed to do now, that he had formulated this plan from the very beginning.

Using jianghu methods to kill the Five Evil Altar Envoy, using the Emperor’s Life Grid to break the Five Evil Formation—from a strategic duel perspective, he had already won. No matter how fierce or malevolent the Five Evil Gods was, at this stage, it would definitely try to escape.

Trying to kill a Guest of its stature was exceedingly difficult. The opponent possessed myriad transformations and was immortal as long as its temple stood. Even if the mountain lord went all out, defeating it would be easy, but killing it would be another matter entirely. Fortunately, the mountain lord knew a method, and Hu Ma himself was capable of executing it.

「...」

With these thoughts in mind, he bowed thrice more and prayed, his expression solemn.

Just as his words fell, he heard what sounded like a sudden clap of thunder from a clear sky. The night wind surged, swirling around him, causing his robes and hair to flap fiercely.

Yet, peculiarly, the three incense sticks burning before him sent their smoke straight upward, seemingly unaffected by the night wind. And the pouch of pond ash that had received his three bows was suddenly caught up by the wind, drifting and scattering into the air.

However, this pond ash wasn’t merely blown apart by the wind; instead, it seemed to suffuse the air, forming a spreading mist.

This mist merged with the night sky. Hu Ma’s vision blurred momentarily, and it was as if he saw Granny’s figure appearing before him. She was still huddled over as she had been when protecting him, her brow and eyes benevolent, her gaze filled with deep contentment.

My grandson has grown up...

Hu Ma seemed to hear her voice by his ear, laughing softly. Since you’re conducting important family business and using your own family’s things, why even mention ’borrowing’?

"Granny..."

Seeing Granny’s silhouette, Hu Ma suddenly straightened his back, wanting to say something. But there were too many things he wanted to say, and for a moment, he was choked with emotion, unable to speak.

At this moment, Granny didn’t say much more to Hu Ma. She just looked at him, as if she could never see enough of him, nodding gently as she watched, her hand rising to dab at the tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Slowly, she reached out and gently stroked Hu Ma’s head. Then, her figure drifted further and further into the night sky, growing larger and larger, until it seemed to merge with the entire starry expanse. A long-unheard sentence echoed, like a sigh carried on the night wind:

The grandson of the Hu Family has returned and is kowtowing to you all. Are every one of you spirits going to continue playing dead?