Chapter 1 "Silly boy, you're really lucky..."

Seeing the bright pearl of a lady agree to Hu Ma, the old shopkeeper chuckled, sized up Hu Ma, and said, "Our young lady is kind-hearted. Since she's agreed, it's your good fortune. Tell me, what's going on?"

Seeing this scene, the porters looked at each other, finding it strange.

Upon witnessing this, Second Master couldn't help but feel a pang of worry, “Although this noble person in the sedan couldn't refuse and agreed to little Hu Ma, the shopkeeper isn't very happy. I wonder if Caoxin Hall will make things difficult for us when they come to the village to collect herbs in the future."

"Alas, there's nothing we can do. Other children in the village wouldn't be so clueless."

"Little Hu Ma has been spoiled by his grandma, thinking everyone should help him."

"..."

"I..."

Hu Ma knew this kind of "silly boy luck" was bound to happen, and was only thinking about how to say it appropriately.

Having become aware of the dangers and mysteries of this world, he naturally couldn't be foolish enough to reveal everything, so he just looked at the sedan and said, "My grandma is a zou gui ren (ghost walker). A powerful evil spirit appeared in this forest, so she came into the forest to deal with it."

"But I don't know what happened. I lost contact with my grandma, and I don't know how she is now."

"I want to know where my grandma is."

"..."

"Zou gui ren (ghost walker)?"

The old shopkeeper frowned upon hearing this, and asked, "Do you have anything your grandma used? Or anything she usually carries with her?"

Hu Ma frowned at this question.

His grandma's things were all in the village, and he hadn't had time to go back and get them.

Although what he had on him was also given by his grandma, he hadn't seen her for almost half a month.

"Heh, you don't?"

The old shopkeeper couldn't help but sneer.

But suddenly, he heard the woman inside the sedan say, "What about the basket in that little shigui (ghost servant)'s hand?"

"..."

"Shigui (ghost servant)?"

The old shopkeeper was startled upon hearing this, and suddenly turned his head, glaring fiercely at Second Master and Hu Ma, "You're carrying a ghost with you?"

Second Master felt a surge of nervousness, "Little Hongtang has been following us? How did she get spotted!"

Dealing with these noble people from the city had many taboos. He had come out to guide them, but he ended up bringing an evil spirit with him. They might think they harbored ill intentions and wanted to find an opportunity to harm them.

Not only would they not get the reward money, but they might even get killed.

"Don't be so nervous."

The person in the sedan spoke calmly, "It's just a tamed little ghost, quite obedient, nothing to worry about."

This kind of thing could be a big deal or a small one. Seeing that the person in the sedan had said so, the old shopkeeper quietly suppressed his anger:

"Very well, the basket will do. As long as it's been used recently, bring it here."

"..."

Hu Ma nodded hurriedly, turned around, and took the red cloth-covered basket from the somewhat frightened Little Hongtang.

To others, it just looked like he turned around and suddenly had a basket in his hand.

It looked quite startling, like a magic trick.

The old shopkeeper beside him looked normal, but the porters couldn't help but be surprised.

"They say that in the eight hundred li (a li is approximately 500 meters) of Old Yin Mountain, even a blade of grass exudes an evil aura. This saying is indeed true."

"This young boy randomly brought out from the village actually has such ghostly methods."

"..."

Little did they know that Hu Ma's methods looked strange, but even Second Master didn't know how to do them.

This belonged to the skills of a zou gui ren (ghost walker) like his grandma. Hu Ma was only borrowing Little Hongtang's light, simply taking a basket.

This action was simple and ordinary in the eyes of those who could see Little Hongtang or knew what was happening.

But in the eyes of those who didn't know, it was a bit strange.

Just like Cui Xie’er, who he had fought with, probably couldn't figure out why he had suddenly fallen for no reason.

"Consider yourself lucky, or else we wouldn't bother with your business."

The old shopkeeper took the basket from Hu Ma, opened the red cloth and looked inside. Seeing that it was empty, he covered it again.

Then he walked a few steps to the side, stood in front of a patch of weeds, held the basket in one hand, and formed a finger gesture in front of his chest with the other. He closed his eyes and muttered a rapid incantation in a very low voice. It was estimated that no one but himself knew what he was chanting.

But as he chanted, changes actually occurred around him. It was as if an imperceptible yin wind was quietly blowing.

The weeds around him were swaying in the wind, sometimes leaning east, sometimes leaning west, as if being brushed by an invisible hand, or as if invisible things were discussing something.

After a while, they swayed abruptly, and then the yin wind disappeared, and the weeds gradually became quiet.

Hu Ma found it very amazing, widened his eyes, and couldn't help but look at Second Master. He saw that Second Master was also in awe, staring with wide eyes, and whispered to Hu Ma, "This shopkeeper is also capable. He is using ghost manipulation, asking for directions and moving wealth. He has unpredictable methods."

"Eh?"

But as they were talking, the old shopkeeper had already opened his eyes, his expression seemingly strange, and looked at the sedan, "My Five Ghosts Technique doesn't seem to be working."

"Old Yin Mountain is different from other places. Your Five Ghosts cultivation is not enough, and you can't use your methods."

The person in the sedan spoke calmly, "Bring a brush, let me try!"

The old shopkeeper hurriedly agreed and ordered a guard carrying a small package to come over, open the package, and take out a brush case, an inkstone, and a porcelain bottle from inside.

Right outside the sedan, he poured the liquid from the porcelain bottle into the inkstone and ground it carefully. After a while, he opened the brush case, dipped the brush inside, and held it with both hands, bowing his head and sending it into the sedan.

Hu Ma didn't know what they were doing, but he smelled a strange scent from the small porcelain bottle and turned to look at Second Master.

"It should be the blood of the Grand Duke..."

Second Master also watched carefully, and explained to Hu Ma in a low voice, "Refined using a secret method."

"I have seen zou gui ren (ghost walkers) and people in the cult use this kind of spell. The things they use are mostly related to the Grand Duke."

"..."

The meat is used for eating or treating illnesses, and the blood is used for spells and curses...

Hu Ma thought silently, do the strange phenomena in this world all originate from the Grand Duke?

"Alright, let's see if you're sincere enough!"

After a while, a slender, jade-like hand stretched out from the sedan, handing out a delicate small mirror.

"Look at the mirror, think of your grandma in your heart. As long as you're sincere enough, you can see her."

"..."

Hu Ma nodded, wanting to take it, but the old shopkeeper took it proactively and handed it to Hu Ma.

Hu Ma nodded to show he understood, walked to the side, and looked at the mirror.

Some strange runes were drawn on the mirror surface, looking a bit scrawled, and he didn't know what they meant. Because of the existence of these runes, the mirror surface, which could have reflected people's faces, only appeared fragmented. Not to mention seeing his grandma, he couldn't even see his own face completely.

But Hu Ma had already seen that this person in the sedan had extraordinary methods, so he only breathed slowly, earnestly thinking of his grandma in his mind.

Why was he so anxious to enter the forest to find his grandma? Was it because only she would give him that Grand Duke meat?

It didn't seem to be just that. She truly loved her grandson, staying up all night to chant scriptures to let her grandson come back to life, begging the ancestors at the old fire pit, and risking danger, she had to enter the forest alone to fight against the ghosts sent by the Meng family...

He wasn't her grandson, but he had reaped all the benefits.

He had indeed felt the wholehearted sacrifice and dedication of this old woman, and he was indeed grateful...

When this thought appeared, Hu Ma's eyes suddenly blurred.

It seemed to be just because he had been looking at the mirror for too long, and his eyes were blurred.

But when this blur appeared, the light reflected in the mirror, as well as the crooked runes drawn on it, actually jumped up. The colors and lines recombined, and actually formed a vague picture in his vision.

Even his ears seemed to hear a vague sound.

He saw a huge ancient tree with bells tied to its branches, swaying in the air like thousands of snakes.

Grandma was standing in front of the old tree, reciting a curse loudly.

Every branch on the tree was like a python, waving and interlacing around. On the branches, clusters of black shadows opened their bloody mouths and bit at Grandma as the branches swayed. She was fighting fiercely with them, in a dark and chaotic scene.

Suddenly, one of the branches seemed to sense something and suddenly drilled towards Hu Ma.

Hu Ma was originally using this mysterious mirror to peer into that scene, but that strange branch actually wanted to pull Hu Ma into the battlefield.

"Pa!"

Just as the branch seemed to be about to touch Hu Ma, Grandma reached out and grabbed the bell on the branch.

She also turned around, looked at Hu Ma through the mirror, and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't look, and don't come looking for me..."

"..."

But in Grandma's warning, Hu Ma also saw that the branches on the whole tree were trembling, as if strange voices were shouting:

"Come on, hurry up, your grandma is going to die..."

"..."

"Pa!"

All kinds of sounds rushed into Hu Ma's mind like turbulent currents, constantly intertwined, and the mirror suddenly shattered.

Hu Ma staggered back two steps, and subconsciously looked at the sedan.

The sedan was silent, and after a long time, a faint voice rang out:

"You owe me a mirror."