“What consequences will Zheng bring by digging this hole for me?”

“Will the Meng family immediately fly into a rage when they hear that I’m stopping them from taking people away, and send Qingyi (green-robed) ghosts to kill me?”

After this harrowing night, the Zhuangzi (estate) workers were all trembling with fear.

After all, they were just young men from the village trying to make a living. They weren’t usually afraid of dealing with minor yin秽 (inauspicious) matters, because they were used to it. But who wouldn’t be frightened by those ghostly Qingyi (green-robed) boys?

They could only look at Hu Ma for help, but Hu Ma’s heart was no more at ease than theirs.

After Xiangzhu (branch leader) Zheng left, and he understood the man’s sinister intentions, he immediately had the workers pack their things. They carried all the hearth ash on their bodies. The horses were brought out, and saddles were put on them. Xiao Hongtang was outside, watching for any movement, to see if they would come back.

If things looked bad, they would immediately flee into Lao Yin Shan (Old Yin Mountain).

But after waiting anxiously all night, as the sky began to lighten in the east, there was still no movement at all.

What was going on?

Hu Ma was a little surprised. He thought that such important figures, if angered, would just issue a single sentence and casually take his little life. Why would they have to wait all night?

Or had he misunderstood Xiangzhu (branch leader) Zheng? Had he not really gone to complain?

…Impossible. If he were in his place, he would definitely complain. A noble’s anger, conveniently eliminating an enemy – what a great opportunity!

Thinking that he couldn’t feel at ease, he still sent Xiao Hongtang to the city to inquire about news.

Xiao Hongtang’s return brought news that surprised Hu Ma: “Uncle Xu with the big beard and Brother Yang Gong both said that they know about Xiangzhu (branch leader) Zheng causing trouble for you, but it’s okay, the matter is over!”

“Some of the workers who were taken away from the other Zhuangzi (estates) have also been released. It seems to have had a bit of an impact, but at least they’re still alive. The Qingyi (green-robed) boys have also been summoned back.”

“They’re guessing that this matter should be settled, and they told you to rest easy. They’ll come visit you when they have time later.”

“…”

“It’s over?”

Hu Ma was surprised when he heard this. The Meng family had made such a big commotion, stirring up trouble in Ming Prefecture, and now they were saying it was over just like that?

He vaguely felt it was unbelievable, but he couldn’t figure out the situation.

Farmers who plant fields can’t imagine whether the Empress uses a golden or silver hoe to plow the land. These workers from the village naturally couldn’t imagine what the Tong Yin (Spirit Channeling) Meng family was thinking.

But he was, after all, from an era of information explosion, so he tried his best to put himself in the perspective of those aristocratic descendants from the Ten Surnames.

Senior Lao Shu Zhuang (Old Tree Stump) hadn’t told him everything, but he had enough information.

Regardless of what conflicts the Hu family and the Meng family had in the past, it seemed that with his mother returning to the ancestral shrine, some game plans had also changed. The Meng family’s coming now wasn’t to kill him…

…Of course, not on the surface.

But since it wasn’t to kill him, and the two families had a generational feud, and he guessed that he wouldn’t voluntarily come out to meet them, why were they trying to find him?

Furthermore, if he used that mirror to find him, what did the mirror reveal?

Hu Ma couldn’t find the answer from himself, but he carefully asked Zhou Datong and the several workers who were illuminated by the mirror and had longer red threads. He vaguely discovered a common point among them.

These people, their surnames, origins, and family wealth, were all different. The only common point was that they all came from relatively remote villages.

And in their villages, there were ancestral halls or the tradition of old fire pits.

This common point immediately opened up his mind. Could it be that the mirror was actually reflecting the old fire pits, or rather, the ancestors’ protection of their descendants?

Whether it was an old fire pit or an ancestral hall, they would form a kind of power that cared for future generations, invisible but truly existing.

When Di Gua Shao (Sweet Potato Burn) went to retrieve treasure, he had to pretend to be a descendant of the Ma family’s ancestral hall.

If he thought about it from this perspective, he could understand why Zhou Datong and the others had obviously higher red threads than others…

Because they all came from Da Yang Zhai Zi (Great Sheep Village), Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and even including Li Wa Zi, their red threads weren’t low, because they were all being protected.

However, Zhou Datong was, after all, the eldest grandson of the Zhou family’s main branch, so the protection he received was the highest among them.

Zhou Liang was second, since he also bore the Zhou surname.

Zhao Zhu and Li Wa Zi, although they were also from the four major surnames, had a little less.

“This needs vigilance. I come from the same place as them, but the power of protection shown is low. Could it backfire and arouse suspicion?”

Hu Ma analyzed this point, first slightly surprised, then reacted.

“That’s right, it won’t arouse suspicion.”

“After all, in the eyes of outsiders, my family in the old fire pit only has one ancestor, so the protection is lower, which is also reasonable.”

“…”

Thinking like this, he became even more certain: “Although I myself don’t feel anything, if I really belong to the Hu family of the Ten Surnames, then the yin (shadow) protection on this body is also special?”

“So they took this mirror and, by simply shining it on me, immediately filtered me out from the crowd. I couldn’t hide even if I wanted to.”

“If it weren’t for Senior Lao Shu Zhuang (Old Tree Stump) helping me, I wouldn’t have even thought that they would use this method to find me.”

“It’s just that my mother arranged well, finding this Lao Yin Shan (Old Yin Mountain) senior to watch over me, which helped me get through this hurdle. But these workers who have the protection of the fire pit have suffered an undeserved disaster because of this, and have been implicated for no reason…”

“But back to the Meng family, will they give up so easily after doing so much but failing to find me?”

“…”

Hu Ma immediately gave a negative answer: “No, if they gave up so easily, they wouldn’t have made this trip.”

“But now they’ve made such a big commotion, but they’ve only come up empty-handed. What will they do?”

“…Or, on the surface, they want to use this method to find people, but in reality, they also know it won’t work, and it’s just a prelude to other methods?”

“…”

After pondering silently for a long time, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The Hu family actually has another characteristic, even more obvious than bloodline and so-called yin (shadow) protection…

The Zhen Sui Book!

Lao Shu Zhuang (Old Tree Stump) had told him earlier that if he didn’t learn the Hu family’s techniques, he couldn’t be considered a member of the Hu family.

So, could the Meng family also start from this aspect?

If that’s the case, how would they arrange things later?

The more he thought, the more nervous he became.

All of his guesses were just that, guesses. Relying on the special commonality brought about by the era of information explosion, he tried harder and harder to put himself in the perspective of those high-ranking eyes, making a lot of imagination.

But they were all just at the level of imagination. He really didn’t have any certainty…

But that didn’t stop him from being afraid.

He was heading towards the worst possibility, and of course he was afraid that this possibility would really happen.

He was uncertain in his heart, and now Hu Ma couldn’t discuss it with the transmigrators, which made him feel helpless.

Could he just run away like this?

That wouldn’t do.

Not because he was reluctant to give up the identity of the manager, the money, food, and blood provisions in this Zhuangzi (estate), but mainly because running away now would be an admission of guilt, making it clear that there was something wrong with him.

What was this called? Before they even made a move, he had already admitted it.

“Brothers, stay alert.”

After thinking carefully for a long time, Hu Ma found Zhou Datong and the others, and seriously instructed them: “Patrol more diligently in all directions recently, but be careful patrolling at night. If it really doesn’t work, don’t go out after dark, and don’t patrol at night.”

“Anyway, in the current situation, Hong Deng Niangniang (Red Lantern Goddess) can’t possibly strip me of my title as manager just because we delayed one or two patrols…”

“…Equip yourselves with knives and guns, and don’t go out alone in the future.”

“…”

Zhou Datong and the others didn’t know why, but they hurriedly noted everything down.

After giving instructions, Hu Ma thought about it and specially called Li Wa Zi over, saying: “You seem to be quite familiar with that family outside?”

“Outside?”

Li Wa Zi was stunned for a moment, then reacted: “Ah? You mean the Huang Xian (Weasel Immortal) family? They’re our own people.”

“I can talk to Fourth Aunt, Third Master, Second Uncle, and Little Brother.”

“Sometimes when they’re craving something, they come to me to ask for brown sugar eggs and wine, and I’ll cook a pot for them.”

“…It’s not that I’m greedy, I’m taking it out of my rations.”

“…”

“In the future, you don’t have to save it from your rations. Just put it in the public account.”

Hu Ma hurriedly said: “During this time, you have to talk to them and ask them to help us keep an eye on the movements around us.”

“Okay.”

Li Wa Zi readily agreed, saying: “This is important, I’ll talk to Seventh Aunt directly.”

“Okay, okay.”

Hu Ma agreed repeatedly, then suddenly felt something was wrong: “Seventh Aunt, ranked seventh, how did she become the biggest?”

“She is the biggest…”

Li Wa Zi smiled and said, “The Huang Xian (Weasel Immortal) family can’t count. They think that whichever number is bigger is the most powerful.”

“If another younger one rises later, Seventh Aunt’s seniority will have to rise again. Maybe she’ll become Eighth Aunt, Ninth Aunt…”

“…”

“…This sounds strange, but it’s reasonable for this family.”

Hu Ma was relieved and arranged for Li Wa Zi to go.

And he himself silently considered, and packed the red wooden sword, the hearth ash he brought out from the old fire pit during the New Year, the bit of soil he dug out from Lao Yin Shan (Old Yin Mountain) a few days ago, and the cart of things he earned from that deal with Di Gua Shao (Sweet Potato Burn) earlier.

Now, more than a year away from the village, the skills he has earned are with him, and the capital is these things.

When soldiers come, generals will resist; when water comes, earth will block. That’s all he could do.

Whether the other party would make a move, and what move they would make, he couldn’t interfere with them, he could only control himself and do his own thing well.

As Senior Lao Shu Zhuang (Old Tree Stump) said, if he was so frightened by the other party’s slightest movement that he was completely distraught and couldn’t do anything, then he would be too useless.

Anyway, thinking carefully, Xiangzhu (branch leader) Zheng’s using sinister tricks against him actually helped him.

What can you do to me? At worst, I’ll go to Senior Lao Shu Zhuang (Old Tree Stump)!

If he had really attacked Zhou Datong and the others, he would have already left the Zhuangzi (estate), and maybe his identity would have been exposed and he would have been targeted by the Meng family. It was precisely because he wanted to attack him that he had unknowingly helped him avoid a disaster…

…Xiangzhu (branch leader) Zheng, like his brother-in-law, is a good person!

(End of Chapter)