Chapter 1 Water Banquet, Ghost Feast?

With Seventh Aunt's arrival, whether it was the Wei family's guards and old butler, or the ghostly things sitting around, all felt an increase in pressure and didn't dare to look directly at her.

But Hu Ma served Seventh Aunt while coldly observing.

Although he already knew that the Five Fiends had set up a feast here, looking like they were preparing to welcome a bride, seeing it with his own eyes made him feel even more strange. The Five Fiends not only had people set up a wedding feast, but even invited many guests!

Of course, there weren't many living people among these guests, and most of them were aggrieved and weeping, seemingly forced to come. Seeing them, he understood what Li Waizi meant when he said that wronged souls cried around the village every night.

After being dead for so many years, they were still forced to attend a wedding feast, and even had to hand over their meager possessions as congratulatory gifts. Who wouldn't cry?

Looking at it this way, the Five Fiends had invited everyone they could "invite" from Qing Stone Town.

The biggest evil spirit in Ming Prefecture City was originally Red Lantern Madam, but since they had fallen out, she naturally wouldn't come. Mei Hua Alley and the government office also had a few, but both sides were pretending to be dead and wouldn't join in the fun.

Having no other choice, the Five Fiends simply ignored the big and small, and forced anyone who could still move to come to Yellow Dog Village for the feast, barely making the scene work.

But what was he trying to achieve with such a big show?

Hu Ma naturally knew about his engagement with Aunt Zhang, but now that things had reached this point, did he really have any interest in marrying her?

If that were the case, it would be a lucky coincidence, and he could solve everything at once.

He patiently sat and watched as the time grew later and the sky darker. The entire Yellow Dog Village seemed eerie, with only the sound of wind instruments playing feebly, playing a festive tune but sounding incredibly mournful.

The tables next to them were full, but only Hu Ma and Seventh Aunt's table was empty. Seventh Aunt felt a little uncomfortable and looked around, "Why isn't anyone sitting next to me? Are they not giving me face?"

"It's okay."

Hu Ma smiled and persuaded, "It'll save us from having to fight for food later..."

Seventh Aunt's eyes lit up when she heard that, and she became happy. She took leisurely puffs of her pipe, looking around freely, and seemed even more unique amidst the shadowy ghost feast, making the surrounding people or evil spirits look timid and fearful.

"Please invite the master out..."

The old servant secretly looked at Seventh Aunt several times. The last time Seventh Aunt came to stop the black-robed sorcerer, he was actually very close to Seventh Aunt and even tried to talk to her.

But Seventh Aunt didn't manifest in front of him that time, so he couldn't see her. Now that he saw her, he felt more and more that the old woman was extraordinary, and also seemed to be different from him, making him even more nervous.

But thinking was thinking, the matter still had to be done. Seeing that the time was almost right, he busily gave instructions.

The guards bravely went to the Wei family's son-in-law's ancestral house and helped the nobleman who had been possessed by a ghost for several days out. They also reached out and snatched the memorial tablet he was holding in his arms and threw it aside. This was what Master Mei Hua Alley had ordered, and they couldn't forget it.

"Ah..."

The nobleman seemed unable to walk and was carried out by two strong guards, his toes pointing straight ahead, not touching the ground.

When he was helped to the table, the nobleman, who had seemed confused all along, suddenly struggled. The guards didn't dare to use force, and he broke free.

He stepped on the ground with his toes and pinched orchid fingers, quickly rushed to the table, and kowtowed to Hu Ma, crying in a high-pitched voice, "Benefactor is truly kind, really came to uphold justice for me..."

Others didn't know who he was talking about, and even less expected him to kowtow to Hu Ma, thinking he was talking to Seventh Aunt.

Hu Ma was actually seeing this nobleman's appearance for the first time. He had a fair face and a long beard, and his nails were long, indeed looking like someone who had been pampered.

However, there was a black aura between his brows, obviously he had been deeply disturbed by evil spirits. And hearing the extremely shrill voice coming from the man's mouth, he knew who was kowtowing now.

Seventh Aunt was a little embarrassed to suddenly see someone kneeling in front of her, and put down her pipe, "It's not the New Year or a holiday, and we haven't prepared any lucky money for you..."

"Prepared, prepared."

Hu Ma busily fumbled out a few copper coins from his pocket, handed them to Seventh Aunt, and said with a smile to the kowtowing nobleman, "Don't worry, we're neighbors and have had dealings before. Seventh Aunt likes to help people make matches and hates breaking them up the most, so she will definitely help you."

Earlier, the ghost bride had dreamed of asking him for help, but on the surface, he was just the Blood Food Gang's small shopkeeper and couldn't help her. Now, by coincidence, he was borrowing Seventh Aunt's name to return her request for help.

The nobleman took the copper coins and was immediately grateful, holding them tightly in his arms as if grasping at a lifeline.

This was the exorcism money that people used to thank him after he helped them remove the meat evil in the village before. Although there were only twenty copper coins, they had a different meaning.

When Hu Ma's magic power became profound, these twenty copper coins would also have spirituality!

The key was that, perhaps because the yin energy at the banquet was too heavy, he still looked like the nobleman when he was carried out, but now, after receiving Seventh Aunt's reward money, his appearance had actually changed, and he vaguely looked like a bride wearing a red wedding dress.

The guards on the other side saw that the nobleman had turned into a woman and didn't dare to support him anymore. The old servant braced himself and helped the nobleman up.

But when he got up, he secretly glanced at Hu Ma. He had an impression of him and couldn't help but think in his heart, "No wonder Sorcerer Yan wanted to exorcise the evil, but was stopped by the small official."

"Could it be that the Blood Food Gang's small shopkeeper secretly sent someone to deliver a message?"

"Hehe, someone from the Blood Food Gang dares to interfere in the Wei family's affairs, it's simply..."

"..."

Hu Ma noticed his gaze, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Old Sir, don't look at me like that. I know my own limitations and wouldn't dare to interfere in messy affairs, but Seventh Aunt is an elder in my territory, who would dare not listen to her?"

"She wants to come to the feast, so I have to serve her, right?"

"..."

"Oh, what are you saying?"

The old servant hurriedly said, "No, no, Gongzi is too polite..."

As he spoke, he thought to himself: After this matter is over, I must let this small shopkeeper know how powerful we are...

Coming and going, it was already between the Zi and Chou hours. The surrounding yin energy suddenly became strong, obviously the time had arrived. The old servant was also panicked in his heart and looked to the seat for help. He saw one person suddenly stand up.

It was none other than the surviving Wealth Fiend Altar Emissary.

He was the most miserable of the Five Fiend Altar Emissaries, offended the Red Lantern Society, and was chased everywhere, but because he didn't directly fight with the experts in the Red Lantern Society, he survived.

In the absence of the Luck Fiend Altar Emissary, it was naturally his turn to invite. He walked to a wooden platform in front of the banquet and took a torch from the side, lighting a basin on the platform. Inside was dry wood, which immediately burned fiercely.

Then he kowtowed a few times, held the basin in both hands, put it under the platform, and circled the fire basin, muttering an ancient and strange curse.

"Life, fortune, wealth, longevity, luck, east, west, north, south, center, satisfactory and lasting matters, offered in the Five Benefits Hall!" (Wu Li Tang)

"..."

Hearing him recite this curse, Hu Ma frowned slightly.

Was this the first direct provocation?

He had already learned from Senior Mountain Lord that when the Five Fiends were still gatekeepers, their original title was Five Benefits (Wu Li), but it was taken by Grandma and they were driven out of Ming Prefecture. Since then, they could only call themselves the Five Fiends.

But now, in front of Seventh Aunt, he was using the title of Five Benefits to invite him. Was this to show that he didn't take the Hu family seriously?

His heart turned cold, and he watched coldly. He saw the Wealth Fiend Altar Emissary stepping in a strange gait, circling the fire basin five times, each circle with a different gait.

It seemed that this ritual was originally supposed to be performed by the Five Fiend Altar Emissaries together, but because the other three were not present and the Life Fiend Altar Emissary was still bound, he didn't dare to untie him in front of Seventh Aunt, so he could only replace them and circle the five times.

After circling five times, he suddenly stopped, stuck out his tongue, and cut it with a knife in his right hand.

Immediately, blood dripped into the fire basin.

The next moment, the flames in the fire basin suddenly soared four or five times, and the firelight dazzled everyone.

On all the lit candles on the surrounding water banquet tables, the flames suddenly rose, and everyone around felt a sudden increase in pressure and a blackness in front of their eyes. Vaguely, they seemed to see several strange flags slowly appearing around the fire basin.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Suddenly, the people, or non-human beings, sitting at the surrounding tables stood up and knelt down at the same time.

Even the villagers who had been forcibly dragged over by the Wei family were overwhelmed by invisible awe and slipped to the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

At all the tables, only Hu Ma and Seventh Aunt were sitting, like cranes standing among chickens.

But even Seventh Aunt felt a strange awe, her small eyes rolling around, wondering whether she should kneel down. Hu Ma stared at her, he couldn't let her kneel!

Just at this moment, the atmosphere was oppressive and bizarre. The horse that Hu Ma had brought along smelled an opportunity, and a slight light appeared in its horse eyes...

Hu Ma was still staring at Seventh Aunt, after all, if she also knelt down with the others, the Hu family would lose all face...

But unexpectedly, a neighing sound came from behind. It was the horse brought from Miss Red Wine, slowly and unhurriedly strolling out.

Now everyone else was kneeling, not daring to raise their heads, only it walked elegantly and arrogantly.

Then, it went straight to the fire basin and, with a sizzle, a stream of yellow liquid entered the fire basin.

(End of Chapter)