“Can't find Grandma? What do you mean?”

Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat at Xiao Hongtang's words, and he quickly put down the basket in his hand.

“I can't smell the incense Grandma lit, and I can't find my way home.”

Xiao Hongtang said, aggrieved, “I was looking for Grandma in the forest, but I couldn't find her. I was even bullied, so I had to come back. But Second Master had already spread ash outside the village, so Xiao Hongtang couldn't enter the village to find Brother Hu Ma. I could only wait.”

“You've been wandering around here all night?”

Hu Ma finally understood and couldn't help but feel worried. “What does it mean that Grandma didn't light the incense?”

From the Bai Mian Shan Kui (White-Faced Mountain Demon) last night, to Xiao Hongtang who couldn't find her way home, his heart grew heavier and heavier. He quickly told Xiao Hongtang to wait outside the village and hurried back inside.

Second Master was carefully questioning Cui Xie'er, who had already woken up, and lecturing him. Cui Xie'er's face was pale, and when he saw Hu Ma, he subconsciously shivered. But Hu Ma ignored him completely and just looked at Second Master.

Second Master saw Hu Ma's solemn expression and understood what was happening. They went outside together, and he whispered, "Did something happen?"

“Xiao Hongtang said she can't find her way home…”

Hu Ma quickly told Second Master about Xiao Hongtang's situation, feeling uneasy.

“Something's not right.”

Second Master frowned slightly and whispered, “Xiao Hongtang is a shigui (spirit servant) raised by Grandma. The place where incense is burned is her home. Only when Grandma lights that incense for her can she find Grandma. No zougui de (ghost walker) would ever forget to light this incense.”

“Then Grandma…”

Hu Ma's heart trembled, and he looked up at Second Master.

“Don't panic when things happen.”

Second Master noticed Hu Ma's worry and said in a deep voice, but it was clear that he was also worried.

Just as he was thinking, he saw several medicine gatherers wearing leggings and raincoats walking up the mountain slope outside the village. They saw Second Master from afar and said, “Second Master, when we came out this morning, the clan leader told us to bring you a message.”

“There's something going on in the village. He wants you to settle things in the village and head over there around noon.”

“The matter is very important, so don't delay.”

“…”

“Could something have happened?”

Second Master's face also turned ugly, and he quickly went forward and asked, “Is it related to Grandma?”

“I don't know!”

The medicine gatherer was stunned for a moment and said, “We went out this morning, and the clan leader stopped us at the entrance of the village to give you the message.”

“He didn't say anything, but it was clear that he was very anxious.”

“…”

Hearing this, Hu Ma also felt uneasy.

Second Master calmed himself slightly and said to Hu Ma, “Let's go, you come with me back to the village.”

He returned to the village to make arrangements, while Hu Ma waited anxiously nearby. Xiao Hongtang quietly came over and held his palm.

“Brother Hu Ma, does Grandma not want Xiao Hongtang anymore?”

“…”

“No, no…”

Looking at her pitiful appearance, knowing that she was just a child on the outside, and who knows what on the inside.

But Hu Ma couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness in his heart, and he just treated her like a scared child, and comforted her in a low voice, “How could that be? Let's go back to the village together to find Grandma.”

“You just stay with me, don't get lost again.”

“…”

Xiao Hongtang obediently agreed, following Hu Ma closely, afraid of getting lost again.

Second Master returned to the village and made arrangements for the others before coming out.

He was anxious and hadn't walked a few steps before he carried Hu Ma on his back. He took long strides and hurried towards the village. Xiao Hongtang followed them in the bushes for a while, but she couldn't keep up, so she jumped onto Hu Ma's back as well.

So Second Master carried Hu Ma, and Hu Ma carried Xiao Hongtang. The two people and one ghost quickly passed through the deep forest. Their speed was much faster than ordinary people traveling.

Hu Ma could clearly feel that Xiao Hongtang shivered when she got close to Second Master, as if she found it very difficult to bear.

But she buried her face in his neck and took a deep breath, and she felt much better.

“Second Master is a dianluren (furnace lighter), so Xiao Hongtang should be afraid of him.”

“But I'm also a dianluren now, and my furnace fire is almost as good as Second Master's, so why isn't she afraid of me at all?”

“…”

He didn't have time to worry about these strange things, and he just followed Second Master anxiously.

Hu Ma didn't know if Second Master had learned any special traveling skills, but the last time Hu Ma followed Grandma through the forest, it took more than two hours. But Second Master had long arms and legs, and he took big steps. Although he wasn't running, his speed was faster than ordinary people running.

In about half an hour, he had already followed Second Master to the entrance of the Da Yang (Great Sheep) village.

From afar, he saw the clan leader and several elderly people waiting anxiously not far away.

“What happened to Grandma?”

Second Master approached in big strides and asked the clan leader from afar.

“Grandma?”

The clan leader also came up to greet him. He was about to speak when he heard Second Master's words, and his expression was a little strange. “What's wrong with Grandma?”

Second Master was also stunned for a moment. “It's not about Grandma?”

“Grandma hasn't been in the village for a while…”

The old clan leader also saw Hu Ma behind him and nodded. “Since sending Xiao Hu Ma to your village, we've rarely seen Grandma in the village. Lately, it seems like she hasn't returned to the village at all.”

“But Grandma usually practices medicine and walks ghosts outside, so she often doesn't come back for a day or two. Xiao Hu Ma also knows that…”

“…Well, it's rare that we haven't seen her for several days.”

“…”

“Then…”

Hu Ma felt a little relieved that it wasn't about Grandma, but he couldn't help but worry when he realized that Grandma hadn't been seen for a long time.

He quickly said, “Then where did Grandma go?”

“It seems like she went to the forest to the west?”

The old clan leader was also a little embarrassed and said, “She's been going there all this time, but I don't know what she's doing. We usually don't ask about Grandma's affairs.”

This was indeed in line with Grandma's habits. Hu Ma looked back and saw Xiao Hongtang also looking confused, looking at the forest to the west.

If she was close enough, she could sense Grandma. She had also been following Grandma in the forest over there in the past few days, but now, she was clearly a little lost and didn't know why.

Second Master sighed and said, “Then what's the matter that you called me back in such a hurry?”

Hearing this, the old clan leader's expression became a bit more cautious. He approached Second Master and lowered his voice, “There's a big matter. Several important people came from the city today. They want to enter the forest to find something and want to find a guide in our village. I thought this matter could only be done by calling you back.”

“Those are all amazing people. Second, you must serve them well. Maybe you can earn a small bingbing (cake)…”

“Work as a guide?”

Second Master was surprised and stretched his head to look inside the village. “Just them?”

Hu Ma also followed and looked, but his expression suddenly froze.

He was anxious just now and didn't pay attention. Now, when he looked, he realized that there were more people in the village.

They were all strong men with sturdy bodies, wearing black jackets and trousers, and red silk belts around their waists. Some of them even wore knives on their waists, and they looked like guards.

There were seventeen or eighteen of them, and they were clustered around two black sedan chairs and a large carriage, standing quietly in the village.

The surrounding villagers and children were watching them with both respect and fear.

Outside one of the sedan chairs, there was also an old man with a gray gown and a shopkeeper's air.

He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the scenery in the village.

The other sedan chair had black silk curtains hanging down, blocking the people inside so that they couldn't be seen.

Were these the important people from the city?

Hu Ma's curiosity rose faintly. What was this world like?

“But, I have something to do right now…”

Second Master understood why the old clan leader had called him back, and his expression was troubled.

“Hey, Grandma is so capable, what could happen to her?”

Seeing this, the old clan leader became worried and grabbed Second Master's arm, whispering, “You can't refuse this matter, you know how scary the identities of these important people from the city are?”

“The old shopkeeper from Cao Xin Tang (Herbal Heart Hall) is accompanying them. Our Da Yang village can't afford to offend them.”

“If things go well, the black oil ointment and herbs in the spring next year can be sold at a good price…”

“…”

“This is not the right time!”

Second Master glanced at Hu Ma and said, “I don't know what's going on with Grandma right now!”

“What could happen to Grandma?”

The old clan leader was stunned for a moment and looked at Hu Ma. “What's wrong with Grandma?”

“I don't know.”

Hu Ma slowly took a breath and said, “Grandma always had people send me meals to the village before, but they didn't send them today. The people who used to help send the meals also said that they suddenly couldn't find Grandma. I was worried that something had happened to Grandma, so I came back with Second Master.”

“Hey, Grandma doesn't send you a meal for a day, will you starve?”

The old clan leader was a little annoyed when he heard this and said, “And it's only been one day?”

“Why don't you let your Second go and get busy first, and I'll find someone in the village to help you look around?”

“…”

Without waiting for Hu Ma to answer, he looked at Second Master and said seriously, “But you can't delay the affairs of the important people in the city!”

“Second, you are knowledgeable, just look at this carriage and you'll know the identities of these important people!”

“They've been waiting here for an hour or two, we can't delay any longer!”

“…”

Second Master's expression was extremely troubled, and Hu Ma also took a low breath, understood, and turned to look at the vast and boundless forest.

Suddenly, he said, “It's okay, Second Master, I'll go into the forest with you!”