“Hold on…”

Hu Ma was stunned as he listened. “What did you say in the first sentence?”

The Zhou family head paused, his expression unchanged, and smiled. “Of course, it’s about the marriage between you and my youngest daughter.”

“She is, after all, a daughter of our Yangming Zhou family, who provides for us. Although she’s ranked fourth in this generation of the Zhou family, that's because I was focused on learning skills when I was younger and didn’t want to break my *yuan yang* (original yang) by getting married too early. That's why I fell behind my uncles and brothers.”

“But in terms of status, she is the eldest嫡 (dí, of the main bloodline) daughter of our Yangming Zhou family. Surely she is worthy of you, a descendant of the Zhensui Hu family, right?”

“…”

Hu Ma was amused by his words and said, “Since she is the eldest daughter of the Yangming Zhou family, you can just arrange it with a single sentence?”

The Zhou family head sighed and said, “She’s such a grown girl, and you lured her to Old Yin Mountain. She didn’t even spend the New Year at home. Now she's accompanied you all the way out of the mountain, traveling day and night, covering most of the martial world. What’s done is done. You can’t deny it.”

Why did this reasoning sound so similar to what Second Master said?

Hu Ma understood his meaning. If he argued about this, it would be disrespectful to Fourth Miss Zhou, so he decided not to discuss it.

He simply tilted his head slightly and sized up the Zhou family head before saying, “Then what about this matter of ascension you mentioned? How do you explain that?”

The Zhou family head, Zhou Zhiming, clearly wanted to say a few more words about Fourth Miss Zhou, but when Hu Ma asked this question, even he had to fall silent.

Then, looking into Hu Ma’s eyes, he said in a low voice, “Have you not seen it on your journey? The chaotic situation in this world has already begun. Then, the day of the world's decline is inevitable.”

“In fact, for the past twenty years, the Ten Families have been trying to prevent this chaotic world.”

“The weight of the world has already been gradually lightening. When the chaotic world arrives, the speed of lightening will be even faster. You are now in this town, unleashing your thunder, but you don’t know that after a while, the grass-roots warlords will be killing each other, and there will be things even more tragic than this.”

“In addition, there are those evil beings who are stealing the weight of the heavens and earth, and *Tai Sui* (Grand Duke Jupiter) is taking the lead, demanding sacrifices. Which of us Ten Families can escape?”

Saying this, he looked into Hu Ma’s eyes and said in a deep voice, “Only by becoming an immortal!”

“Can we avoid this great calamity and transcend the world!”

“The Ten Families are suppressing the fate of the world, or rather, it’s the Nine Families. Your Hu family has not contributed in the past twenty years.”

“But just because we are suppressing the fate of the world, don’t think that we are only seeking comfort and preventing the world from falling into chaos early. If you really count it, our Nine Families have extended the life of this world for twenty years. But the final calamity is about to arrive…”

“If we don’t make plans now, what are we waiting for?”

“…”

Hu Ma listened to his words without arguing. Instead, his gaze suddenly sharpened like a sword as he said, “Do you believe in becoming an immortal, Senior?”

Zhou Zhiming said, “I believe there is a road on the bridge.”

Hu Ma laughed instead and said, “Then what are you afraid of?”

Zhou Zhiming suddenly fell silent, just looking at Hu Ma. For a long time, he didn’t answer this question.

“I will go to the capital.”

Hu Ma also met his gaze directly and said slowly, “But I don’t need you to see me off, Senior.”

“I am going to the capital not for anything you have prepared, but to bury my biological father and burn incense at my mother-in-law’s place. As for what you are concerned about now, and what you are worried about, I actually know it in my heart.”

“Having lived two lives, whether to believe in this life or the previous life, I know it well, so don’t worry. However, since you are here, Senior, you might as well go back and ask the Dongxuan National Master a question for me.”

“The Da Luo Dharma Sect is good at divination, and there is a saying about *Tian Yan Si Jiu, Dun Qu Qi Yi* (heavenly evolution of forty-nine, one escapes) regarding the origin of reincarnated souls.”

“Help me ask if his Da Luo Dharma Sect has the ability to calculate fifty?”

“…”

The Zhou family head was suddenly stunned. After a long time, he slowly raised his sleeve, saluted Hu Ma, and said in a low voice, “Young friend, I will wait for you in the capital.”

Hu Ma also returned the salute and said, “This junior still has things to do, so I won’t entertain you any further.”

As he spoke, he turned and left the small courtyard.

The Zhou family head, Zhou Zhiming, also sat in this small courtyard for a while. His expression was unreadable. He stood up, and with a flash of his figure, he was already outside the town.

Now, the earth-shattering strange wind was blowing around the town. The soldiers outside couldn't get in, and Tie Jun, the hall officer, was riding on his horse, watching indifferently. Only when the Zhou family head appeared did he turn his head in surprise and look over.

“He refused to come with us?”

“…”

The Zhou family head sighed and said, “Young people like to walk their own path.”

Tie Jun, the hall officer, slowly nodded. Ever since he learned the identities of this person and Bu Shi Niu (one who doesn't eat beef), he knew that this trip wouldn’t be smooth.

But seeing that the Zhou family head seemed to have relieved himself of a burden and was preparing to leave, he was also a little strange. “Master, aren’t you taking the Miss with you?”

The Zhou family head shook his head and said, “When a daughter grows up, she can’t be kept. If she doesn’t want to come with me, what can I do?”

As he spoke, he waved his sleeve and took a step, heading towards the outside of the town.

“It’s not…”

Tie Jun, the hall officer, was a little stunned. “What do you mean she doesn’t want to come with you? The Miss is chasing after you from behind…”

“Daddy, Daddy…”

Fourth Miss Zhou had already chased out from the town. She had just seen her father and had something to say, but seeing that her father was very serious and had invited Hu Ma into the courtyard to talk, she didn't want to disturb them. But after they finished talking, it should be her turn, right?

Who knew that she had hurried to catch up, but he had actually left?

…Left?

She really didn't have the ability to catch up, so she had to return dejectedly and said to Hu Ma, “What did he say to you?”

Hu Ma also glanced in the direction where the Zhou family head had left and said, “He said that if I was willing to hand over Great Master Gong’s techniques, he would marry you to me.”

Fourth Miss Zhou was immediately dumbfounded. “?”

Hu Ma glanced at her indifferently and said, “Don’t worry, I refused.”

“??”

Fourth Miss Zhou was even more confused. After a while, her cheeks turned red and she said angrily, “That’s too much.”

Hu Ma glanced at her and turned to prepare.

Fourth Miss Zhou said, “That’s too unchivalrous. How can you just ask for other people’s techniques?”

……

……

“They’re starting to worry too?”

Having declined the goodwill of the Ten Families, Hu Ma took a deep breath. Watching the person who had followed the Zhou family head leave, the strange wind outside the town had also begun to subside, like a huge curtain slowly falling. It was time for both sides to show their true colors.

Recalling the Zhou family head’s implied meanings, he felt a strange complexity in his heart. He always felt that the old head of the Shousui Gate (Defending the Years Gate) was subtly telling him something.

First, he spoke of the key points of the Shousui Gate, then of the tiger blocking the road on the bridge, then of the Great Master Gong’s hidden world, and of one lifetime, two lifetimes…

As he pondered, he felt a slight stirring in his heart.

“No need to say more, no need to help. Since I have already come this far, then I must overcome this tribulation before going to the capital.”

Seeing that the Old Abacus, Immortal Maiden Miaoshan, and even Little Bean Official all wanted to say something but stopped, Hu Ma directly raised his hand, interrupted them, and then instructed Little Hongtang, the most reliable one, “Take good care of the coffin and don’t startle the livestock. After I clear the way, we’ll go to the capital.”

“Grandma is waiting for us there!”

“…”

Little Hongtang nodded forcefully, and Hu Ma felt relieved. Without further thought, he picked up his saber and turned to leave the town.

At this time, the black strange wind had gradually dissipated. The soldiers outside who had come to investigate also reined in their horses. They had rushed over to investigate, but suddenly encountered such a strong wind, startling the horses under their command so much that they couldn't be restrained.

Now, they were also very surprised and doubtful. Even though they saw that the strange wind had disappeared, they still didn't dare to rush into the town. They just shouted, “Which expert is in front?”

“Is there any misunderstanding?”

Those who could compete for merit and lead troops under the grass-roots warlords all had some knowledge.

Seeing that this gust of wind was strange, they guessed that the identity of the person who had come was not ordinary.

The Ten Families wouldn’t directly interfere in the struggle between the grass-roots warlords, and the grass-roots warlords wouldn’t rashly provoke the strange people and extraordinary individuals in the martial world.

To ask this question was already showing respect.

“There is no misunderstanding.”

Hu Ma, with the Punishing Official Saber under his arm, slowly walked out of the town. His aura of bloodlust made the Punishing Official Saber seethe with killing intent. The mounts under the crotches of the soldiers in the distance were clearly disturbed and became restless for a while, almost throwing people off.

“I am just a martial world wanderer who, seeing you using people as food, became indignant. Tell your king to come out and see me!”

Hu Ma said in a deep voice, his voice loud and clear, allowing them to hear clearly in this chaos.

“What stray dog dares to ask to see our Pan Mountain King?”

Hearing Hu Ma’s impolite words, and coupled with the surrounding chaos, the leader was immediately enraged. With a loud shout, he pointed his horse lance forward and shouted, “Quickly capture this person and use him as military rations to prepare for the siege!”

“Rumble!”

With an order, the rolling iron hooves rushed forward, shaking the earth, and the momentum was like a mountain collapsing.

The astonishing murderous aura on Hu Ma was dispersed by their iron hooves.

The power of the military formation was so fierce that even ghosts and gods would retreat.

“Asking about fate in the gate of life and death, such a formation is worthy of my determination to seek this answer…”

Hu Ma took a deep breath. He knew the terror of this military formation, and he also knew that such a large army was not as simple as a pile of ordinary people. He didn’t know how many martial world figures with unique skills were hidden within it.

He also didn’t know if there were any reincarnated people hiding in this army, ready to give him a big gift at any time?

But the more unknown things there were, the less likely he would be calculated, right?

He gritted his teeth, and the Punishing Official Saber in his hand rang as he strode towards the rolling iron hooves in the darkness.

Charging into the military formation alone, asking about his future in the face of life and death!

……

……

“Our plan hasn’t been implemented yet, but he rushed into the net himself?”

Behind the rolling military formation, someone said in surprise, “This is giving us a headache. I haven’t arranged all thirty-six strategies yet!”

“This person has been walking along, lighting a stick of incense in each realm. He’s faster than we imagined. If we don’t act, the things left by Old Lord Eyebrows may be understood by him…”

“If it really doesn’t work, we’ll just destroy the things he left behind, rather than let them fall into their hands…”