"Hmm?"

Suddenly hearing Erguotou say this, Hu Ma was stunned.

However, he quickly reacted and lowered his voice, saying, "Is something wrong?"

He became vigilant.

If he were just an ordinary teenager from the village, he would probably be willing to give his life for the opportunity to become a shopkeeper.

Because this wasn't just having a promising future, it was practically soaring to the sky, the kind of thing that could truly be described as ancestral graves emitting green smoke. Although it was just a small shopkeeper position, wouldn't he be able to greet acquaintances in the Red Lantern Society and ask them to take care of the Da Yang Village?

Wouldn't he be able to bring a few children from the village over to seek their fortune when the Red Lantern Society was recruiting?

Hu Ma had only become a steward, and he was already the most promising child in the surrounding villages.

If he became a shopkeeper, wouldn't the old patriarch choke?

But Hu Ma was, after all, a transmigrator, born with ulterior motives. He wouldn't be so obsessed with this identity. As soon as he heard there was a problem, he immediately became cautious.

"Hehe, these shopkeepers are often not confidants of Niangniang (Madam Red Lantern), and of course, Niangniang's confidants can't do their job either. But they're supported with such a large amount of money, food, and blood essence every month. Do you really think it's that easy to earn?"

Erguotou sneered, "There will be times when they're needed."

"Coincidentally, there's going to be such a wave coming next month, so I think you should wait until you've survived this calamity before you try to become a shopkeeper."

"..."

Listening to Erguotou's words, Hu Ma felt a chill in his heart and said, "What exactly is it? Tell me about it."

"The specifics..."

Erguotou hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Don't let it slip."

"Including me, there are only three people in the Red Lantern Society who know about this right now. Once the news leaks, it'll be too easy for outsiders to pinpoint us."

"..."

Hu Ma solemnly said, "I know the severity of it."

Erguotou sighed softly and said, "Next month, the shopkeepers from each village will have to enter the city and pledge their lives."

"The evil ghosts of the Green Robe Gang have been suppressed by our Red Lantern Niangniang for so long, and now they finally can't hold back anymore..."

"..."

"What?"

Hu Ma listened carefully and broke out in a cold sweat. He realized how important the information Erguotou had told him was.

Just now, he was full of joy, but he never thought he almost ran into great misfortune.

He calmed down for a moment and said seriously to Erguotou, "Brother, your information has simply saved my life."

"I can't take it for nothing, I owe you a favor."

"..."

Erguotou said, "Don't mention it. This is the most basic cooperation model for transmigrators. We pass on information to each other, rather than just trying to pull off a big score all the time."

Although he said that, Hu Ma still remembered the favor.

This kind of thing was truly miraculous. Others only needed a word, but it greatly changed his fate.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Then do I need to decline the position of shopkeeper?"

"It's not that you have to decline it. It's certainly comfortable to be a shopkeeper in an outside village, and it'll be convenient for us to cooperate in the future."

Erguotou said, "But you shouldn't be in the limelight right now. You can even go into hiding for a while. Don't worry about losing the position of shopkeeper. It's troublesome to choose a shopkeeper for a village."

"That's new..."

Hu Ma thought for a moment and said, "I understand."

Seeing that Hu Ma was so accommodating, Erguotou smiled and said, "To be honest, I didn't expect you to come out so quickly."

"That kid named Yang Gong is hated by everyone. He even rolls his eyes at me when he sees me. But I didn't expect him to be so supportive of you. When he was rewarded a few days ago, he kept mentioning your contributions, saying that other shopkeepers are not as good as you, and he really promoted your name..."

"I don't want this reputation, it just offends people..."

Hu Ma listened and said helplessly with a wry smile, "Actually, I just helped him out, and I was worried at first. But the reward was too tempting, so I thought about it and did it."

"This great merit is indeed worthwhile. Few of you who entered Niangniang's Society last year have shown your talents, and you are the only one among the Qingxiang (Green Fragrance) disciples."

Erguotou said, with a hint of regret in his voice, "However, it is such a large amount of blood essence. If we could have gotten it into our own hands, that would have been great..."

Hu Ma laughed, "It's not that I didn't feel bad about it, but things were too urgent, and there was really no time to arrange it..."

"That's true, you can't act too frequently, or something will happen sooner or later."

Erguotou thought for a while and nodded in agreement, laughing, "It's not a loss anyway. That Hongxiang (Red Fragrance) disciple named Yang Gong is ignorant and reckless, and doesn't know how to hide his strength at all."

"I originally thought he was just cannon fodder who would lose his life soon, but I didn't expect him to take a different path and actually grab such a great merit, entering Niangniang's eyes. It's good for you to befriend him now, maybe you can use him in the future."

"..."

Hu Ma listened, feeling deeply in agreement.

Yang Gong was a typical person, but also special. Not only Erguotou, but even he himself didn't think highly of him before. But precisely because of this kind of person who is not favored and has too many flaws, sometimes they can rely on their simple minds and a single breath to achieve something amazing. Of course, it is also possible that they will die tomorrow.

Thinking with emotion, he suddenly became curious about something and asked, "What are the prospects for these Hongxiang disciples?"

Erguotou smiled, "They always experience more danger than Qingxiang disciples."

"These disciples who burn red incense, after entering the Society,"

"The reason is that most of them are born poor and have innate deficiencies. They need to replenish their bodies, otherwise they won't even see the Red Lantern Niangniang's Society, and their souls will be blown away by a burst of Yin energy."

"And if they are well-nourished, they will be called 'Bai Hongdeng' (Worship Red Lantern)."

"In the inner hall at night, holding three incense sticks, kneeling in front of the red lantern, and being illuminated by the red lantern all night. If they can't hold on, they will die immediately."

"Even if they don't die, they will be severely ill after their bodies are eroded by Yin energy."

"And if they can survive, they will become Yin bodies. At this time, as long as they learn the incantation spells, they can summon the Red Lantern Niangniang's power when they encounter a situation..."

"You can understand them as walking red lanterns."

"Of course, this is not enough. Learning to summon the Red Lantern Niangniang's power only means that they can work. In addition, there are a series of special situations, how to worship, how to take care of the body, how to do dirty work cleanly, and so on."

"If they learn well and are willing to work, and enter the Red Lantern Niangniang's eyes, they may be transferred to serve in front of the Red Lantern Niangniang's lamp, directly listening to Niangniang's orders and exercising the Red Lantern Niangniang's will..."

"In fact, if these types of disciples pass three levels, they also belong to a path called Fu Ling Ren (Spirit Bearers)."

"Nowadays, the most common people in this martial world are this type of person. They take the most dangerous path and also gamble for the greatest wealth."

"So, it is not worth underestimating Yang Gong if he survives."

"..."

Hu Ma listened with emotion and whispered, "Shousui (Year Keepers), Zougui (Ghost Runners), Fu Ling (Spirit Bearers)..."

"How many paths are there in this world?"

"..."

Erguotou laughed, "That's a lot. Could you figure out how many disciplines there were in the world in your previous life?"

After asking a rhetorical question, he continued, "In short, the most common ones in this martial world are Shousui, Zougui, Fu Ling Xinghun (Spirit Bearer Punishment Souls), Hai Shou Siming (Head Harmer Life Controller), Tong Yin Dao Zai (Yin Channel Thief Calamity), Baxi (Acrobatics) Jiangtou (Sorcery), and other major paths."

"But people's creative desire is endless, even in these paths."

"How many small paths and side paths have been derived and integrated from each major path is beyond our imagination."

"..."

"My understanding of this world is only the tip of the iceberg..."

Hu Ma thought silently, "Now I have taken the path of Shousui, but I also want to learn the skills of Zhen Sui Shu (Year Suppressing Book). What kind of path is the content of Zhen Sui Shu, Zougui, or another kind that I don't know?"

He didn't want to ask Erguotou directly about Zhen Sui Shu, but he thought, "I met Zougui Ren (Ghost Runner) from the Green Robe Gang when I went out with Yang Gong this time. Brother, do you know anything about the path of Zougui Ren?"

"Zougui Ren?"

Erguotou was stunned at first, then laughed, "This is the easiest path to enter, and there are many of them in the martial world."

"But you don't have to worry, most Zougui Ren are quite easy to deal with, because, generally, people can't learn the essence of the Zougui Ren path..."

"...Money burning!"

"..."

As he spoke, he casually told Hu Ma about some of the intricacies of Zougui Ren, which opened Hu Ma's eyes.

The two chatted happily, and Erguotou reluctantly withdrew from the connection, sighing helplessly, "...Alas, if every time I chat with Miss White Wine, it could be as topical as it is with you."

"..."

Hu Ma was speechless. Why was he being disliked for no reason?

After exiting the Natal Spirit Temple, he thought helplessly: strange people and unusual things, all kinds of paths...

This world is truly profound, bizarre, and complex...

Why did transmigrators like himself, Erguotou, and White Wine come to this world?

Just to survive in this world?

Even if one learns skills bit by bit and gains a foothold, what will await them in the end?

Hu Ma had never had the time to think about this most fundamental question. Now that he thought about it, he felt even more headache and confused.

In the end, he could only sigh and hide this initial question in the deepest part of his dream.

Until the sky was not yet bright, he heard a knock on the courtyard door. He got out of bed and saw that the old servant of Shopkeeper Wu had already led a carriage in and parked it next to the inner courtyard, and was moving luggage onto the carriage.

Hu Ma went forward to help, put the things away properly, and did not disturb the shop assistants. At dawn, he sent the two old and one young out of the village.

Faintly watching them go away, in the thin mist, Miss Wu He still opened the curtain and looked back.

But what else could he do besides wave goodbye to her?

He understood: The martial world is far away, and fate is turbulent. Whether they are transmigrators or the original inhabitants of this world, they are just struggling to survive.

Why think about the distant things? First, survive, and then think about the things that you need to understand...

Begging for votes in the third watch! Continue to update tomorrow!