Chapter 1 "Red Lanterns Shine, Evil Spirits Flee"

"With the red lantern's glow, evil spirits don't dare to go, illnesses disappear. With the red lantern's glow, people grow strong and horses bold, wealth and treasure unfold..."

"Once you join our Red Lantern Society, whether you're a worker or a boss, you're all disciples of the Red Lantern Goddess. Kowtow and pray to the Red Lantern, keep the Red Lantern Goddess in your heart. Blood offerings won't attract evil spirits, walking at night you won't fear ghosts, and drinking heavily won't give you a headache..."

"..."

The young men took turns offering incense, noting their respective numbers. Then the incense master gave a speech, using simple language that was easy to understand.

Hu Ma listened carefully, feeling that worshipping the Red Lantern Goddess was similar to the old fire pit.

However, he didn't understand the specifics, and the young men around him were even more confused. They only became excited when the speech ended and the meal began.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't just wine and meat at the front, steamed buns in the middle, and cornbread at the end.

Those things were indeed there. For example, only the front red cloth tables had a bottle of wine each, the same kind that Second Master had drunk. The blue cloth tables did have a basket of white flour steamed buns. And the white cloth tables only had a bowl of mixed flour cornbread.

But besides these, every table had meat dishes: a plump chicken at the bottom, a bowl of *taisu* meat, and several plates of vegetables.

The young men stared wide-eyed, wishing their eyeballs would fall into the bowls.

They scrambled and fought, enjoying the lively meal.

"Destinies are diverging here..."

Hu Ma mingled among the crowd, thinking silently.

He had been reminded by Brother Erguotou that it was important to know which incense to burn when joining the Red Lantern Society.

The Red Lantern Goddess Society was a big operation. Although newcomers were all considered workers, their roles were different.

Those who burned green incense were the most ordinary workers: guarding mines, protecting courtyards, guarding vehicles, the literal bottom rung of the Red Lantern Goddess Society.

Those who burned white incense had more chaotic fates: the clever ones learned accounting and medicine, the clumsy ones swept, ran errands, and filled in gaps. Some had to go down to the mines to help with the harvest when things were busy, but most were the latter.

As for red incense, the fewest people burned it, and it was the most mysterious.

Their treatment was undoubtedly the best. Not only did they eat the best food, but they were also treated differently after the meal.

When they first entered this residence, most of the well-dressed young men and sturdy young men had taken over the best rooms in the main hall. The Daya Village people had initially lived in the east wing, while the ragged young men were assigned directly to the stables.

But now, after burning incense, the ragged young men directly seized the main hall, throwing out the others' belongings.

Morning and evening, the helpers who delivered meals pushed small carts over, and the ragged young men who had burned red incense went directly to eat.

The others could only watch. No one dared to move until they were finished, otherwise, they would be scolded by the managers and other helpers.

"Alas, they not only eat the best and live in the best places, but I heard they are also provided with blood offerings..."

The young men were all envious. Li Wa'zi from the village also said enviously, "If I had known, we would have fought for it too! With our skills, we might have won!"

Hu Ma chuckled coldly when he heard this, "It's not too late to go now."

"Talk to the manager, and he'll let you in!"

"..."

Li Wa'zi assumed he had angered Hu Ma and became cautious, afraid to speak.

Hu Ma didn't explain anything, just watched coldly as the ragged young men, with their air of triumph, enjoyed their special treatment.

Until three days later, in the middle of the night, he suddenly heard a faint, giggling laughter, eerie and sinister.

Hu Ma woke up from his dream and saw a red glow in the yard. He sat up and looked outside, only to see that two blood-red lanterns had appeared in the empty yard.

Two managers held the lanterns, waiting in the yard. The ragged young men who had burned red incense and occupied the main hall walked out of the hall, barefoot and bare-chested, one by one, following behind the two managers, blankly and dazedly, leaving the yard.

Outside the yard, red incense disciples from other residences had already joined them.

They chased the red lanterns held by the managers in front of them, dazed, like walking corpses, quietly passing through the streets and alleys.

The scene was silent, but it had a chilling eeriness.

Hu Ma sighed softly in his heart, and couldn't help but recall what Brother Erguotou had told him before.

"Logically speaking, we have both lived two lives, so we shouldn't be so easily swayed, but I still have to remind you."

When he spoke of this, his voice had a hint of mystery: "The Red Lantern Society naturally values ​​red incense the most. Even the managers who burn three sticks of incense must be polite to the disciples who burn red incense and dare not put on airs."

"Not only because they are fighting for the gang, but also because they will soon learn a body of evil techniques, driving away evil spirits and controlling ghosts, making their methods difficult to guard against, but brother..."

"...This is not the right path."

"These people, from the moment they burn red incense, ninety-nine percent of their lives are no longer their own."

"Every year, the Red Lantern Society buys orphans with no parents and no way out from the brokerage houses and beggar gangs, promising them plenty of food and clothing, wide *kang* (heated platform), and thick quilts, all for the sake of letting them burn red incense and worship the Goddess. Seventy percent of the Red Lantern Society's business is won by them..."

"..."

"..."

"As expected, under the Red Lantern Altar, three sticks of incense, each person has a different fate..."

Because Hu Ma had already known what to expect.

These people who burn red incense have a special status. In fact, they are the true disciples of the Red Lantern Goddess Society.

The others are just workers.

However, when these people become disciples, they also become true "human candles"!

Burning their lives, driving away gods and nourishing ghosts. It’s hard to say when they will end up with their oil exhausted and their corpses exposed in the wilderness.

It could be seen from the time they were fighting for red incense, the well-dressed young men and the gang's second-generation members, not everyone fought for it. Even those who wanted to fight for it didn't really risk their lives, otherwise, these ragged young men might not be their match.

This was originally a major event related to one's life, but even Second Master didn't tell him, which shows that Second Master also didn't know. And the young men, worshipping the Red Lantern Goddess, who wouldn't want to stand out? But they didn't know that risking their lives to grab it was just grabbing a dead end.

These people are just coming to the city to worship the Goddess at the incense master's place. Perhaps, there is also the purpose of selecting red incense disciples from among them.

But most of the people still have to leave.

The Red Lantern Society doesn't need to keep so many people in the city. Now that the red incense disciples have been settled, the time has come for these green incense workers to go to their own futures.

"Have you been staying well these past few days?"

After waiting quietly in this residence for two days, it was the mustached manager who had accepted three green *taisu* from Second Master who came.

Hu Ma hurriedly replied to him respectfully.

This mustached manager was also kind and asked Hu Ma a few questions about which incense he burned and the situation of the others who came with him.

After learning that they had all burned green incense, he smiled and said, "You are lucky. If you could burn red incense, then I wouldn't say anything more. If you burned white incense, I can't help you, it all depends on your luck. But since you all burned green incense, I should ask you."

"Now that you have joined our Red Lantern Society, do you plan to earn some money and go back to the village to marry, or do you want to learn some skills?"

"..."

Hu Ma hurriedly said, "Getting married is a major event, but the adults at home also told me before I came that if I can learn more skills, I should learn some skills."

"As expected, you are a sensible young man, no wonder your family is willing to send me such a good thing."

The mustached manager smiled and said, "I won't accept your things for nothing. Since you want to learn skills, I will arrange a good place for you. A new counter was set up at Qingyan Manor the year before last, and it is in need of workers. It is suitable for you to go there if you want to climb up and learn some skills."

"Of course, I am just sending you over there. Whether you can succeed depends on the old shopkeeper!"

"..."

Hu Ma hurriedly agreed, "Thank you, thank you."

After waiting for less than two days, this manager changed into a green robe and came to the front of Hu Ma's door:

"It's time, pack your bedding. After eating lunch, we'll set off."

"Ah?"

The group of young partners from Daya Village and the others who were named were all a little dumbfounded.

After burning incense, they had lived here for a few days, and someone sent meals every day, so they had a leisurely time. Some people even thought they had come to the city to enjoy themselves. Now they suddenly had to leave?

They felt depressed in their hearts, but the seven or eight workers who were named quickly packed their bedding and waited obediently.

The lunch meal was not bad. There were rare white flour steamed buns, and there were several large pieces of fatty meat in the dishes. After the young men were full, they followed the manager out.

This leader rode a big gray mule, but Hu Ma and the several young partners from Daya Village, as well as the four or five other green incense workers who didn't know where they came from, didn't have this treatment, and they all carried their bedding on their backs and walked.

They left the city through the west gate and turned south, passing through villages and hamlets along the way. They walked for several hours.

Finally, before night fell, they came to a town. From afar, there were a hundred or so households, several narrow storefronts, connected to a desolate mountain road, extending straight into the Old Yin Mountain under the night, like a crouching monster.

And their destination was clear at a glance, which was a large residence built on the edge of the town, with white walls and gray tiles, and a very conspicuous red lantern hanging at the entrance.

Unexpectedly, there were still some traces of burning incense and making offerings in front of the door.

Whose family would burn incense in front of their house?

Isn't this treating the people inside the house as dead people to worship?

And the workers who came with them, having just witnessed the hustle and bustle of the city, were now assigned to this desolate and remote town, feeling somewhat disappointed in their hearts.

"This manager received the benefits and is really doing things..."

Hu Ma thought silently in his heart that this mustached manager was not fooling people.

Brother Erguotou had already told him about the rules of the Red Lantern Goddess Society. The more desolate this kind of place is, the fewer the evil ways are...

Of course, for him, learning the skills of the night watchman is the most important thing.

This depends on the specific situation.