Chapter 21 The Most Important Task

'Such small minds. What do you mean, what if they've snuck in? We're the ones who started this...'

Hu Ma sneered inwardly, realizing these two weren't here to cause trouble, and relaxed slightly.

However, he didn't dare be careless about the topic they raised, and he gave a chilling laugh, saying, "I know what you're talking about..."

"Evil spirits?"

"Heh, isn't that old Master Yan who became an immortal also an evil spirit?"

"This evil spirit hides in Guazhou city, harming people with toad gu, refining immortal qi to extend his life, and no one cares, no one asks. So the Dao Catchers from my Zhensui Bureau came. The Zhensui Bureau is weak, and even the Yan family doesn't take us seriously."

"So my young master opened the doors wide, believing only in justice in this world, and that there are righteous people. He was right, and it attracted Jianghu outsiders from all over to help me."

The more he spoke, the more resentment filled his voice. Suddenly, he raised his voice, "But what about you?"

"When that old Master Yan was hiding and harming people, your Ten Families didn't step forward. We, the Zhensui Bureau, just handled things and redressed grievances, and you come to me talking about evil spirits? Then tell me, where exactly are the evil spirits?"

"Or, you might as well just say that we, the Zhensui Bureau, are colluding with evil spirits..."

"..."

This was what he had planned from the beginning, and he had practiced it secretly. Now that he said it, of course, he was confident and aggressive.

"Ah, this..."

The two seemed not to have expected Hu Ma to speak like this, and they were both stunned. Zhao Sanyi looked a little embarrassed and said, "Lord Hall Official, your words are too harsh."

"Anyone could be colluding with that evil spirit, but how could the Zhensui Hu family possibly do that?"

"I'd rather believe our Zhao family was colluding than suspect the Hu family..."

"Besides, even if there really were evil spirits under the Hu family, they couldn't all gather here in one night. If you really want to talk about the movements of evil spirits, it's not that there aren't any. In fact, in the Xishan Dao and Wazhou areas these past few days, there may really be evil spirits appearing, causing unrest among ghosts and gods in a short period of time, with several major clans destroyed and all sorts of rogue leaders killing each other..."

"Right now, everyone's eyes are on that area, worried that evil spirits are causing trouble. We're just reminding you not to let something like that sneak in."

"..."

'As expected, the name Zhensui Bureau is very useful...'

Hu Ma narrowed his eyes slightly. The reactions of these two matched what Senior Shanjun had said before.

The Zhensui Bureau was originally formed to cleanse those of evil spirit origins, and it was the first clean name in the world.

The higher the status, the more people knew about the Zhensui Bureau, the more they firmly believed that the Hu family would never have anything to do with evil spirits.

His earlier plans wouldn't have been so easy to implement without this foundation.

But what the hell is this Xishan Dao and Wazhou they're talking about...

Wait, the list I gave to Di Guashao was in that area, wasn't it...?

Could it be?

He was inexplicably startled, and he hurriedly calmed himself, thinking that Di Guashao shouldn't be that fierce. After a moment, he nodded and slowed down his tone, saying:

"The two of you came here just to remind the Zhensui Bureau of this?"

As he spoke, his attitude indicated that he had put a period to the matter. However, the two opposite him were slightly silent. Zhao Sanyi, with his red rooster crown, pondered slightly and said, "These words were just a casual reminder."

"To be honest, we came for something else."

"..."

Hu Ma was slightly stunned and looked up at them. Then he heard Chen Abao say, "And at first, we didn't want to see you either."

"It's just that we knew the foundation of this Guazhou city and thought a small Dao Catcher like you wouldn't be of much use. In the end, it would definitely be the old Hu brother who personally took action. But we didn't expect we were wrong..."

"The skills of the Zhensui Hu family are indeed beyond what us mixed-up families of the Ten Families can..."

"..."

"Alright, alright..."

Zhao Sanyi hurriedly cut off Chen Abao's words, turned to look at Hu Ma, adjusted himself, and regained his solemn expression. He said earnestly, "Going directly to Mingzhou is not convenient. There are people there we don't want to see. We can only ask you to deliver a letter."

"Presumably, since you are a skilled Ghostcatcher, you are trustworthy."

Hu Ma nodded almost imperceptibly. The position of Dao Catcher Hall Official was no small matter, even for the Ten Families, second only to the direct descendant eldest son of the main family.

It could be said that compared to those collateral lines, he was more representative of the main family, and naturally qualified to deliver a letter.

"Hoo..."

Zhao Sanyi let out a light breath before slowly saying, "Next year, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, will be the time for the Ten Families to reunite at Stone Pavilion. The Hu family hasn't shown their face for twenty years, but now that the Zhensui Bureau has been opened, that young master will probably come as well. Please tell him to be careful of the Tongyin Meng family."

"?"

Hu Ma couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this. He thought they were so serious for something important, but now it seemed a bit ridiculous.

Who in the world didn't know that the Hu family and the Meng family had a deep and bitter feud?

Careful or not, did they need to tell him?

With a polite expression on his face, he said faintly, "I will tell him, but these words..."

"I haven't said them yet. What are you going to tell him?"

But Zhao Sanyi interrupted him. He also took a few steps closer and whispered, "What I want you to remind him is that the Meng family, who killed relatives in Mingzhou, opened the Zhensui Bureau, and have been hoping for the Hu family to return to Stone Pavilion, of course, won't make trouble for him again..."

"Of course, the commotion in Guazhou this time is so big that it might make the Meng family reassess the Hu family's abilities..."

"...But don't really think the Meng family is that honest."

"How the Hu family managed to get the Zhensui Bureau completely into their hands, you may not know, but your young master definitely knows. Now, all Ten Families recognize that the Zhensui Bureau belongs to the Hu family, but if..."

"...What if the Meng family steals this most important task of the Hu family?"

"..."

"The Hu family's most important task..."

Hu Ma was stunned for a moment before suddenly feeling a jolt in his heart. He stared at Zhao Sanyi's face. "Zhensui (Suppressing Evil)?"

The Hu family's name was precisely Zhensui, suppressing the reincarnated evil spirits. This was the Hu family's foundation. Then, his purpose in coming here to remind him was...

"Not bad."

At this time, Chen Abao, who was wrapped in a black cloth robe next to him, also narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "The reason the Hu family was able to squeeze the Meng family out and monopolize this Zhensui Bureau was because the Hu family cleansed that group of evil ghosts crawling out of hell."

"Among the Ten Families, only the Hu family can deal with these evil spirits. This is the biggest reason why the Ten Families all agree that this Zhensui Bureau must be handed over to the Hu family, and can only be inherited by the Hu family!"

"But now the Meng family has begun to prepare, or rather, has been preparing for many years."

"The Demon Mirror has already begun to be forged, and it will be sent to the hands of all the Prefecture Lords before the fifteenth day of the seventh month next year. At that time, the mirror will illuminate the land of a prefecture, and those reincarnated evil spirits that have been hiding will be exposed and will no longer be tolerated..."

"..."

Speaking of this, she paused, narrowed her eyes, and said in a low voice, "If the Meng family wants to snatch the Zhensui Bureau, will the Hu family still have a reason to hold it firmly in their hands?"

"..."

It was impossible to describe the shock in Hu Ma's heart at this moment. It was like a wave that engulfed him.

Demon Mirror?

He wasn't sure what that thing was, but if this was true, wouldn't all reincarnators be facing an impending disaster?

As a reincarnator himself, hearing this news was even more shocking than hearing it as a Ghostcatcher Hall Official.

But the more he was in this panic, the more he maintained his composure, knowing that the opportunity was rare, and he only wanted to get a little more information. Therefore, after listening, he only frowned slightly and said, "The Meng family didn't have this ability before. Do they have it now?"

Chen Abao curled her lips and said, "Isn't it because the Zhang family and that traitor..."

"Shut up!"

Just as she was about to blurt it out, Zhao Sanyi was shocked and scolded her, "Why isn't there anyone guarding the door?"

Saying that, he sighed, turned to Hu Ma, and said in a low voice, "You don't need to say anything else. Your young master will understand the seriousness of this matter. The gathering at Stone Pavilion is imminent, so don't be careless..."

Hu Ma was also silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I thank you two for reminding my young master. These words will be delivered."

"However..."

He took a deep breath before slightly raising his eyebrows and saying in a low voice, "How could the two of you tell me such a secret matter so easily?"

"Please tell me clearly so I can give an explanation when the young master asks when I return."

"..."

"This..."

Seeing that he asked directly, Zhao Sanyi hesitated slightly. On the contrary, Chen Abao sneered and said, "It's not just telling you. Go back and tell your young master that if he needs help, then..."

...

...

"Teacher, what are you doing?"

Just as Hu Ma was feeling shocked and hurrying back to the Zhao family's residence, Lao Suanpan, who had returned earlier, was also leading Wu Ya, with a solemn expression, to set up an incense table, placing the chicken, fish, and pig's head that he had bought for the first time with his own money, and offering good incense.

He respectfully placed his Ancestral Master's memorial tablet on top, kowtowed a few times, and then took out the copper coins.

After shaking them several times, he leaned down to look at them, and his brows gradually furrowed.

Wu Ya followed beside him, already unable to contain his curiosity. However, after a long time, he slowly sighed and said in a low voice, "I've always felt that it's too strange for the Ancestral Master to have me follow that young shopkeeper's side, making it impossible for me to figure it out."

"Especially after seeing that matter of using the word 'justice' to topple the iron threshold of the Yan family, I can't help but think about some unsettling things..."

"Therefore, I must ask the Ancestral Master."

"..."

"Isn't it right for justice to topple the iron threshold?"

Wu Ya had never quite understood Lao Suanpan's worries, but seeing his solemn expression, he didn't dare to refute him. Thinking of the Ancestral Master's previous temper, he said in a low voice, "Won't the Ancestral Master still not want to say anything this time?"

"..."

"No."

Lao Suanpan sighed and said, "He said it."

Wu Ya suddenly became a little worried and hurriedly said, "And then?"

Lao Suanpan's face suddenly tightened tenfold, looking worried, and even seemed a little desperate: "It's the first time he's answered me so definitely..."

"...No!"

(End of chapter)