Chapter 1 A Good Method

Granny really found a good method for herself.

With a plentiful supply of blood meat, Hu Ma not only didn't experience that feeling of cold limbs again, but his fire also gradually grew stronger.

He also gradually discovered the relationship between his own condition and the Taisui.

After eating Taisui meat, even if it was just Bai Taisui (white Taisui), a warm sensation would appear in his body.

Of course, it was quite weak, especially when eating just a little, and could be ignored.

But after eating Qing Taisui (green Taisui), the warmth generated in his body could continue to dissipate for a day or two.

This was, of course, when not practicing his gongfu. If he practiced, it would be used up in half a day.

Eating Xue Taisui (blood Taisui) was even different. Hu Ma's body would churn for a day or two, and he would be full of energy.

When he practiced his gongfu, it was even more effective.

During this time, he felt the furnace fire in his abdomen change almost daily. From a subtle flame at the beginning, it became a brazier in just a few days. After enduring for a few more days, he even felt as if there really was a blazing furnace in his lower abdomen.

His body was warm, and he was also full of energy, as if he had inexhaustible strength.

Every morning, that flag was standing straight and stiff.

Of course, Second Master didn't raise pigs here, and he hadn't returned to the village himself, so he didn't know if he would get greedy when he saw a pig's butt...

But with this vigorous furnace fire in his lower abdomen, the bone-chilling coldness he had felt from time to time had indeed weakened a lot, and the strange shadows he always saw seemed to have disappeared.

He didn't need someone to watch him all the time, and he could even occasionally take a stroll outside the village.

Of course, after dusk, he still didn't dare to go out even an inch.

Moreover, he didn't dare approach that gloomy and terrifying forest, day or night.

The good news was that Second Master's method worked, and he had indeed avoided the invasion of evil spirits to some extent, and his fire was fierce.

The bad news was that without the Taisui, it wouldn't work. His fire could not be improved, but would gradually weaken.

So, in the final analysis, it was still the Taisui.

Or rather, Granny.

But Hu Ma couldn't figure it out. This Xue Taisui (blood Taisui) was so precious, where did Granny get so much from?

How much more could she bring him?

Hu Ma didn't know the answer to this question, and all he could do was not waste even a trace.

...

In the quiet side room, Hu Ma was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly practicing his gongfu, drawing the fire into the furnace.

Hu Ma wasn't diligent in practicing his forms, but he was most diligent in practicing his gongfu.

Whenever he had the opportunity, he would practice his gongfu, drawing the heat into the furnace to store it. Only in this way, if one day he was cut off from his supply of blood meat, the furnace fire accumulated in the furnace could allow him to last a while longer.

After all, if he didn't practice his gongfu, even if the vitality was sealed by Liu'er's talisman, so that it wouldn't dissipate, it would still be consumed little by little during his daily activities or strenuous exercises.

Only by drawing it into the furnace to accumulate it could it be used effectively.

Of course, in the eyes of others, his actions would inevitably be said to be pretentious. After all, they were at an age when they were lively and active. They were full of enthusiasm for practicing forms and fighting, but it was somewhat against their nature to calm down and practice gongfu.

Hu Ma ignored them, and simply estimated the minimum amount of heat needed to sustain himself every day, and drew the rest into the furnace.

But on this day, while practicing his gongfu, he suddenly heard a dissatisfied voice: "You two, go fill the water in the缸 (gāng, large earthenware jar)."

Opening his eyes, he saw a thin, tall teenager looking at him coldly, with an imperious look.

"Huh?"

Zhou Datong, who was in the pile of bedding not far away, also woke up abruptly and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"I said, let you two go fetch water."

The thin, tall teenager became angry when he saw them, and said with a cold face: "Everyone else is practicing forms, learning pharmacology, and even going to patrol the forest with Second Master. Only you two lazybones know how to hide in the room and laze around. It's fine if you don't put in the effort to learn skills."

"It's okay to ask you to do something, right?"

"There's no water in the kitchen. You two go to the spring and fetch a few loads of water over here, until it's full."

"..."

The spring was at least three or four *li* (Chinese mile, approx. 500 meters) away from the village, and two buckets filled with water would weigh fifty or sixty *jin* (Chinese pound, approx. 0.5 kg). Hu Ma frowned immediately.

But before he could speak, Zhou Datong began to complain: "I told Second Master that my quilt was snatched away at night, and I caught a cold and have diarrhea..."

"Diarrhea? You have to go even if you're shitting your intestines out!"

The thin, tall teenager said coldly: "Learning skills requires effort. How can you be so lazy?"

"If you don't go, you can try!"

"..."

With that, he slammed the door frame, glared at Hu Ma and Zhou Datong, and turned to leave.

The teenager was named Cui Xie'er, and he was a child from the Cui family in Da Yang Village. He was also the oldest of the teenagers who followed Second Master to learn skills.

He had already worshiped Taisui with Second Master once last year. Because he learned the skills authentically, he usually didn't have to run up the mountain to practice forms with the teenagers. Instead, he cooked meals and helped Second Master with chores. He could be considered the senior brother figure among these teenagers.

He had already learned the skills he should learn, and staying here was actually to do odd jobs for Second Master and handle some major and minor matters.

Hu Ma had been here for a short time, had few friends, and was even more careful not to make enemies.

But as if he naturally couldn't stand him, this person seemed to have some opinions about Hu Ma.

When serving porridge in the morning, Hu Ma's dried meat was always smaller than others, and sometimes there was none at all. In the first few days, he always took the lead in being sarcastic. It was also him.

But because Hu Ma acted in a low-key manner and didn't actively communicate with outsiders, and didn't make a fuss about missing a piece of cured meat in the morning, he couldn't find a way to start at first. But he didn't give up, and slowly, his actions became more and more excessive, and he was already righteously ordering Hu Ma to work.

"Then, let's go?"

Zhou Datong blinked his eyes and looked at Hu Ma uncertainly.

He was really afraid of this Cui Xie'er, because when practicing forms, the other party could be ruthless to him.

He didn't have Hu Ma's treatment, and it was clear that he didn't learn forms, so he was spared from being beaten.

"Alright, then!"

Hu Ma sighed, knowing that this kind of heavy physical labor was bad for his condition.

But on the one hand, his furnace had been well-replenished recently, so it wasn't a big deal. On the other hand, he couldn't bear to watch Zhou Datong suffer alone.

Come to think of it, the old patriarch's grandson in this village was also a friend he had made here.

In Second Master's words, shouldn't you two be friends?

Hu Ma used to be spoiled and had a lot of bad habits. He was notoriously unpromising in the village.

And Zhou Datong was purely bad, running around and causing trouble in the village all day long. He was a notorious troublemaker in the village.

In short, these two were the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick of Da Yang Village.

However, before, in the village, Hu Ma's predecessor didn't become friends with Zhou Datong. The two even disliked each other.

But now that they had come to Second Master's place, it was different again. Zhou Datong had become much more honest because he was specially taken care of by Second Master, and because he was younger than the other teenagers.

Hu Ma had changed into a different person on the inside, and his temper was no longer so tricky. He had also teamed up with him to learn forms, so they had gradually become familiar with each other.

Of course, Hu Ma made friends with him because he thought this guy was simple-minded and had a lot of inside information, making it easy to get information out of him.

The two picked up a carrying pole, hooked two buckets, and walked out of the village.

"What's wrong with that guy? It seems like he has an opinion about me?"

Seeing that there was no one around, Hu Ma asked Zhou Datong in a low voice.

He was reborn, so he was low-key. In addition, his body wasn't in good condition, so he wouldn't start a fight with others for no reason and waste his energy.

Even if he didn't usually run up the mountain or practice forms, that was his own business and didn't take advantage of anyone else. But this guy named Cui Xie'er had an opinion about him from the moment he came, and now he was even bullying him to his face.

Zhou Datong looked at Hu Ma with some surprise and said, "Have you forgotten about Cui's sister?"

"What's the matter with Cui's sister?"

Hu Ma felt deeply helpless.

These people all knew that he didn't remember things very well, but they all thought he had only forgotten a small part.

In fact, he had forgotten everything, okay?

But he didn't usually show it too much, and often pretended to understand.

"It was a few years ago..."

Zhou Datong said, "Cui's sister, Cui E, Cui Xie'er's sister, went out of the village to harvest rice, and then she got sick after returning."

"She couldn't eat or drink, and worshiping the old fire pit didn't help. The Cui family found your Granny. After Granny looked at her, she said that the Mountain God was betrothing her, and told the Cui family to throw away everything they had picked up recently, and lock Cui's sister in the room, and wrap the doors and windows with red thread. No matter what happened inside at night, they couldn't open the door. She would talk to the Mountain God and see if she could resolve the matter."

"As a result, on the same night, Cui's sister cried and made a fuss for half the night,"

"..."

"Huh?"

Hu Ma was slightly surprised and subconsciously said, "Even if she didn't save the person, you can't blame Granny, right?"

"Anyway, the Cui family was quite dissatisfied with this matter. Afterwards, they even blocked your door and cursed. It was my grandpa who pulled them back. I heard the Cui family complaining at the time, saying that there was no Mountain God at all. They had heard of the powerful evil spirits around the village, and at worst, the ancestors in the fire pit would have told them in a dream. Only Granny mentioned this Mountain God."

Zhou Datong explained in detail: "We don't know the specifics. Your Granny didn't mention this matter to the Cui family again later."

"You don't know, and I'm even more confused..."

Hu Ma sighed inwardly, but he finally understood the reason why Cui Xie'er was targeting him.

"But..."

He looked at Zhou Datong next to him: "It's okay if he's not satisfied with me, but why is he so impolite to you?"

After all, this little fatty in front of him was also the patriarch's grandson.

Were the people here so disrespectful to the village second generation?

Before he mentioned it, Zhou Datong was pitifully wronged: "I don't know why either. It seems like beating me up is especially honorable?"

"..."

This village second generation was having such a miserable time...

Hu Ma silently thought about the pros and cons, and after several considerations, he gradually had an idea in his mind.