Hu Ma had a clear plan in mind, but he needed to think carefully about how to execute it.
The little girl in red before him looked no older than five or six, maybe even younger.
She had her hair tied in small pigtails, with thin arms and legs, her skin as smooth as if carved from jade.
She looked like she’d cry for a long time if you punched her... but Hu Ma was certain that if he did, he might be the one crying.
Her strange speed, her terrifying strength, and the way she licked her wounds to stop the bleeding all indicated that she was no ordinary child.
After all, how could someone following such a sinister old woman be normal? So, the key was figuring out how to deal with her.
The room was eerily quiet.
Sensing the odd atmosphere, Hu Ma didn’t dare breathe too loudly, but he also didn’t hear her breathing.
As he pondered, he cautiously spoke up, “What’s your name? What’s your relationship with the old woman?”
“...”
“I’m Xiao Hongtang. Grandma picked me up from outside,” the little girl replied, squatting on the ground.
Her small frame made her squatting posture look a bit strange, like a grasshopper.
Her voice was sweet and innocent, but there was a clarity to her words that no five- or six-year-old should possess.
Hu Ma continued, “How old are you?”
“I...” The question seemed to stump Xiao Hongtang.
She counted on her fingers, “I’ve been with Grandma for seven or eight years... but I don’t know how old I am.”
“...”
“Seven or eight years?” Hu Ma immediately realized this wasn’t a normal child.
She didn’t look older than seven or eight, and if she’d been with the old woman for that long, how old was she before that? Perhaps, like the coffin board earlier, she was one of the “evil spirits” the old woman had mentioned? The old woman had her take care of him, but in reality, she was probably there to keep an eye on him.
Noticing that she kept squatting and staring at him, Hu Ma’s mind began to race.
He observed her closely and noticed that, aside from staring at him, she couldn’t help but glance at something on the Eight Immortals table.
Following her gaze, he saw the meat the old woman had brought back, wrapped in red paper and placed on the table.
For the past seven days, she had been feeding him these strange, foul-smelling chunks of meat.
Did the little girl crave it?
“Do you want to eat it?” Hu Ma asked slowly, testing the waters.
“No...” The little girl shook her head, but her mouth watered uncontrollably.
“It’s really tasty,” Hu Ma coaxed, now certain that while she wasn’t an ordinary child, she wasn’t particularly clever either. “You can try it. It’s delicious.”
“...”
The little girl was clearly tempted, but she shook her head vigorously, “I can’t. The meat was specially cut from the Tai Sui Lord for you.”
“...”
“What the hell is a Tai Sui Lord?” Hu Ma thought to himself but continued to coax her, “It’s fine. Once it’s given to me, it’s mine. I’m giving it to you now. Grandma won’t know.”
“...”
The little girl was clearly swayed.
Her tiny neck bobbed as she swallowed her saliva, hesitating, “You won’t tell Grandma?”
“...”
Hu Ma assured her, “If Grandma asks, I’ll say I ate it all.”
“Gulp...”
This time, Hu Ma could clearly hear her swallowing.
She hesitated, glancing at Hu Ma’s sincere expression and then at the meat on the table.
Suddenly, as if making up her mind, she darted forward with a “whoosh.” Her small body leaped effortlessly onto the table, and she grabbed the meat with her tiny, pale hands.
“Ah...”
She opened her mouth wide, her lips stretching almost to her ears.
Her neat, delicate teeth suddenly turned sharp and jagged as she bit down hard.
“What the hell?” Hu Ma was startled, almost losing his composure.
But the meat’s allure was far greater than he’d imagined.
Once on the table, she devoured it like a starving ghost, completely oblivious to everything else.
Seizing the opportunity, Hu Ma inched toward the door.
At the doorway, he glanced back cautiously.
She was still eating, her back to him, her little bottom sticking up like a ravenous animal.
She wouldn’t notice if the sky fell—nothing was more important than that meat.
Hu Ma took a deep breath, quietly opened the slightly ajar door, and bolted outside.
...
“Whoosh!”
It should have been afternoon, but as Hu Ma stepped out, the light still felt blinding.
He shielded his eyes and stumbled forward, his gaze darting around.
All he saw were rows of dilapidated, low wooden houses and tiled roofs.
The uneven dirt road, the livestock penned in wooden enclosures, the stone mill, and the well—nothing familiar.
No cars, no electric lights, not even a single utility pole.
Shadowy figures occasionally crossed his vision.
They wore dull, coarse clothing, carried farming tools, and wore straw sandals, exuding an ancient, desolate aura.
“Ah!”
Someone spotted Hu Ma and reacted with even more fear than he felt, scurrying away in panic.
Whispers reached his ears, “Isn’t that the old woman’s grandson? How is he still alive?”
“...”
Panic and unease surged within him.
He feared the strange little girl might chase him, and even more, he dreaded the sudden appearance of the sinister old woman.
Seeing some of the frightened villagers turn and run, as if to report his escape, Hu Ma pushed himself to run faster, his heart pounding wildly.
Before he knew it, he had run far, his heart feeling like it might burst from his chest.
Where was he now? He looked around at the sparse grass and fields, the tall wooden fence ahead, and the dense, dark forest beyond.
It seemed he had reached the edge of the village.
Unconsciously, dusk had fallen, and the sky was growing darker.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
The frantic escape had left him weak and dizzy, his body feeling as heavy as lead, almost impossible to move.
Just as he was about to stop and catch his breath, a faint rustling sound reached his ears.
An indistinct, incomprehensible murmur drifted on the wind.
Though he couldn’t understand it, the sound sent chills down his spine.
He turned sharply, scanning his surroundings.
Large haystacks surrounded him, along with a few gnarled, ancient trees far larger and sturdier than any he remembered from his past life.
Following the sound, his gaze finally settled on its source—a black goat standing by a haystack.
Its amber, horizontal pupils stared at him intently.
Hu Ma stared back, wondering if the eerie feeling and the strange murmurs were just his imagination.
Then, suddenly, the black goat slowly stood up on its hind legs, like a human.
It spread its front legs, still staring at him, its mouth curling into an eerie smile.
At that moment, Hu Ma’s scalp tingled, and he stumbled back a few steps.
“Cackle...”
Before he could process what was happening, a strange laugh erupted nearby.
He turned sharply and saw a monkey-like creature perched on a tree branch.
No, not a monkey—it was a person.
Naked, with an unnaturally pale, emaciated body and limbs far longer than a normal human’s.
It crouched on the branch like a monkey, its eyes a sinister red, cackling excitedly at him.
“Little brother...”
Before Hu Ma could fully grasp the terror, a sweet, seductive voice called out.
He turned and saw a beautiful woman, most of her body hidden behind a haystack, only her enchanting face visible.
Her red lips parted slightly as she called to him in a voice that seemed to draw him in, step by step.
Hu Ma took one step forward but then stopped.
He saw her lovely head slowly emerge from the haystack, revealing a long, winding, dark red snake body behind it, its scales rustling against the straw.
“What is all this?” Hu Ma finally snapped out of it, an invisible terror gripping him like an electric shock.
A dense, eerie sensation enveloped him, and he struggled to breathe, his vision darkening as his body threatened to collapse.
But just then, he heard a cheerful voice:
“Brother Hu Ma...”
“Stop playing around. Grandma’s calling you home for dinner!”
“...”
The moment the voice sounded, all the strangeness vanished.
Hu Ma finally exhaled.
New book, seeking votes and collections!
(End of Chapter)