Chapter 1 Black Wind Disaster?

Hu Ma hadn't expected that Master Li would bring the conversation here.

To be honest, he had been waiting for this opportunity to talk with the Li family of Dongzi.

After all, he had been guarding for so long, the Zhenchong Bureau had reopened, the Mandate of Heaven had descended, and the Meng family had suffered a great loss. As a member of the Hu family, he had to rise up and face the other major families. He had to understand things related to the Zhenchong Bureau, reincarnators, and even the world itself.

In this world, information and secrets were a form of qualification, monopolized and rarely spoken of. Therefore, families like the Li family of Dongzi, living outside the world but with a clear lineage, were unique.

However, looking at Master Li's gaze, he vaguely sensed that Master Li had misunderstood something.

He even implied that he thought he was here on behalf of the Hu family to form an alliance. Of course, Hu Ma didn't intend to argue about his assumption, but he was surprised by Master Li's sincerity.

"Yes."

Master Li looked at Hu Ma's slightly surprised face and became convinced that he was not a true member of the Hu family. He sighed softly and said, "You may not understand, but I think the young master of the Hu family should understand."

"Just one point, if I'm not mistaken, someone within three generations of the Hu family must have died in a natural disaster, right?"

"..."

Hu Ma's expression became serious.

Master Li's guess was not just accurate; it was perfectly correct.

The original owner's father, named Hu Shan, was the eldest grandson of both the Zhenchong and Qingyuan Hu families. He died in the Black Wind Disaster.

In the past, he didn't know enough about the Black Wind Disaster, so he didn't suspect anything. But after entering the Yin Bureau this time, he gained more knowledge and doubts arose.

Because he had seen the Black Wind Disaster in the Yin Bureau, even the Black Wind *Sha*, which was stronger. It was indeed powerful and overwhelming, beyond the reach of ordinary people. But he, who had been guarding the year in the bureau, could withstand it. What about the original owner's father?

Was there no way to resist the Black Wind Disaster through the ghost gate? Or was the original owner's father not skilled enough? Before the original owner, he was the only successor of the Zhenchong lineage. It shouldn't be.

"Alas..."

Master Li looked at Hu Ma's confused expression and sighed. "Natural disasters are beyond human reach."

"The Ancestral Altar in the capital used to be the foundation of the world, suppressing some things."

"Later, the Ancestral Altar was shattered, and the fragments were used to create the Zhenchong Bureau, which also had to suppress some things. Originally, the Zhenchong Bureau, acting on imperial orders, could suppress that thing, but..."

"Before the Hungry Ghost of Guanzhou entered Mingzhou, I didn't know that the Zhenchong Bureau was no longer under imperial orders."

"This news is shocking, but also puzzling. If the Zhenchong Bureau is not under imperial orders, wouldn't the things it's suppressing rely entirely on the Hu family to resist?"

"..."

Hu Ma caught the key point: "Suppressing things?"

Master Li nodded slowly and said in a low voice, "Heaven has three disasters: wind, fire, and water."

"Humans have eight difficulties: drought, flood, plague, famine, insects, ghosts, beasts, and monsters."

"The Hu family managed the Zhenchong Bureau, and also took over the heavenly disasters. The ancestors bear this disaster first. If the ancestors can't bear it, it will fall on the living. It is said that the Zhenchong Bureau once beheaded members of the Qingyuan Hu family, which shows that the two sides can no longer get along."

"This is even more worrying. The Zhenchong Hu lineage has only a few ancestors, so how can they resist this heavenly disaster?"

"..."

As he spoke, he only slightly raised his sleeve and said softly, "I'll stop here. Remind him when you get back!"

"Disaster luck flows every three years. The Hu family has fate but no fortune. I am an outsider and don't understand why the Hu family made such a ruthless decision, but the price they have to pay may be beyond imagination."

"Besides relying on their own strength to resist this kind of disaster, perhaps only seeking the Sun family of Dao Zai (disaster-stealing arts) can resolve it."

"..."

"The Sun family of *Zao Fu* (creating fortune)…"

Hu Ma's expression became serious. After pondering for a long time, he cupped his fist and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"It's not guidance, just a few casual reminders."

Master Li smiled and said, "After all, we thirty-six families have been living in seclusion for a long time. The ten surnames have taken over our class. Their power and abilities are beyond our imagination. Being able to establish some cause and effect may help us in the future."

Listening to him, Hu Ma clearly felt some unspoken emotions in his words.

The thirty-six families also had grievances. If they hadn't been convicted and demoted to desolate places to guard the ghost caves, it wouldn't have been the ten surnames' turn to rise.

Now, the ten surnames have wealth and power in their left hand, and skills in their right. The people of the ghost cave clan are lonely and forced to live outside the world, watching the martial world and the court. It would be a lie to say they weren't envious.

The four words "people outside the world" sound transcendent, but in reality, they are suffering.

A clear breeze and bright moon are not as good as a bowl of braised pork, and the chirping of insects and birds is not as good as a song sung by a fat aunt.

Instead of saying they are people outside the world, it is better to say they are people forced to be excluded from the world and imprisoned.

This deep conversation was very beneficial to Hu Ma. He got up to say goodbye and intended to leave the copper coin behind.

Martial world people, martial world affairs. He had helped Xiang Ya'tou, and the Li family of Dongzi had given him this copper coin. Now, they had not only rescued him from the Yin Bureau, but also told him so many secrets. That original kindness had already been repaid.

This copper coin should be left behind.

However, Master Li just smiled and waved his hand, asking him to keep it. "Rescuing you this time is just a matter of friendship between our two families. It's nothing."

"The copper coin was a gift from Ya'tou. You two should talk about it yourselves."

"..."

Hu Ma understood good and bad words, so he accepted it. After bowing and saluting again, he walked out of the cave.

The first time he came in, he needed someone to lead the way. Now, with his current abilities, he could freely enter and exit this place.

Outside, he saw that the village was empty. Except for a row of servant ghosts and a few guards, there was no one to be seen. Xiang Ya'tou and *Di Gua Shao* (Sweet Potato Burn), who had changed into new clothes, were waiting for him outside.

He learned that a traveling opera troupe had come to the village and was performing there. Everyone in the village had gone to watch. A monthly performance was a major event in the village.

Xiang Ya'tou and Di Gua Shao greeted him and said with a smile, "Brother Hu Ma, will you stay and linger for a few days this time?"

"I'm afraid I don't have time this time."

Hu Ma hurriedly said apologetically, "I still have too many things to take care of back in Mingzhou."

"When I have time in the future, I'll come and stay for a few more days."

"..."

Xiang Ya'tou just nodded lightly and said, "Okay!"

"Also..."

Hu Ma hesitated for a moment and decided to brazenly ask, "The *Jin Si Tai Sui* (Golden Silk Flesh Fungus) on your back mountain..."

He was still thinking about the important task that Monkey Wine had given him. That guy not only wanted blood *Tai Sui*, but also golden silk *Tai Sui*, and even purple *Tai Sui*.

He said he wanted blood *Tai Sui*, and he had transported away ten thousand *jin*. Brother Er Guo Tou had obtained a lot of purple *Tai Sui*, but this golden silk *Tai Sui* was hard to find, had less use, and was expensive. Only the Xinghun sect or the ghost cave clan would have some contact with it.

Hu Ma remembered that Xiang Ya'tou's family had a lot of this stuff. If he didn't ask now, when would he?

"Aiya ya..."

Di Gua Shao suddenly interrupted Hu Ma at this time, put his arm around Xiang Ya'tou's shoulder and said, "Brother, it's not me talking, but our sister is really kind-hearted. I only inquired once, and she took the initiative to prepare a lot of blood food for us, with golden silk..."

"Look, I've been declining for a long time, but the sister is honest and insisted on letting us take it. Brother, don't decline anymore, so as not to embarrass the sister."

"..."

Eh?

Hu Ma then reacted. So, this shameless Di Gua Shao had already opened his mouth to her in advance?

He quickly put on a stern face and said, "I was just about to talk about this matter. The golden silk *Tai Sui* in the sister's house didn't fall from the sky..."

"...I do need it, but it's better to discuss the price and calculate it clearly."

"..."

"Brother Hu Ma, is it possible that you and I have become estranged after not seeing each other for two years?"

Xiang Ya'tou said, pursing her lips, "The blood food in our family didn't fall from the sky, it grew out of the ground."

If they weren't estranged, why did she call him "Young Master" before, but now she calls him "Brother Hu"?

Hu Ma thought in his heart and smiled, "Since we are martial world children, then I won't be polite. Sister, I owe you a big favor."

"If you have anything to do in the future, remember to send a ghost messenger to give me a message."

"..."

Xiang Ya'tou nodded hurriedly, and suddenly remembered something. She gently raised her hand, tugged on Hu Ma's sleeve, pulled him to the side, and whispered, "I do have something to remind you, but it's not about me."

"Brother Hu Ma, I haven't taken over the burden yet, so my father hasn't told me many things, but sometimes, when he's too busy, I go in to help."

"I don't know much about the outside world, but you must be careful. Guarding here in the cave, I've seen many strange and terrifying things from the Yin Bureau. When they make a fuss, they get closer and closer to the mouth of the cave, maybe they will..."

"..."

Hu Ma was shocked when he heard this: "The resentful souls in the Yin Bureau?"

"No, no..."

Xiang Ya'tou shook her head and said, "The resentful souls in the Yin Bureau are all pitiful people, they wouldn't do this..."

She seemed to have some difficulty describing it, and after thinking carefully, she whispered, "Those are some things I haven't seen before when walking in the Yin."

"I also asked my father, he said that originally guarding the ghost cave were the thirty-six families, but generation after generation, people either escaped or died, so the manage-"

"I even sometimes feel that our lineage should have been living people leading souls, relieving the suffering of ownerless wronged souls in the human world, but now, it's more like..."

"...Feeding!"