Second Uncle, suppressing his grief, left the cave first.
He thought that Granny was about to deliver her last words, and it wasn't appropriate for him to stay and listen.
Little Hongtang also obediently went to the cave entrance to keep watch.
She had been very worried at first, but after seeing Granny, she felt reassured.
However, she didn't understand much else and didn't notice anything unusual about Granny's condition at that moment.
Perhaps, in her perception, Granny seemed even more approachable now.
Hu Ma, on the other hand, held Granny's increasingly weak hand in silence, unable to speak.
He could feel the old woman's affection for him and was grateful that he hadn't made a different choice earlier.
Yet, sensing Granny's frailty, a wave of inexplicable emotions surged within him.
"Child, Granny is leaving," Granny said gently, her words causing Hu Ma's heart to tremble.
He looked up at her in disbelief.
"Don't worry," Granny noticed the concern on Hu Ma's face and, seeing that it was genuine, felt more at ease.
She smiled softly and said, "I'm not really abandoning you. I just need to return to the ancestral hall to pave the way. The Meng family failed this time and didn't manage to wipe out our branch, but they went too far and harmed many people. If I don't go back, I fear they might do even worse things."
"But you don't need to tell anyone about this, not even your Second Uncle. They wouldn't understand..."
Seeing the warmth in Granny's eyes, Hu Ma felt slightly reassured.
He vaguely sensed that Granny's words involved some serious matters, but with his current understanding, he couldn't fully grasp them.
"It's just a pity..."
Granny sighed softly.
"Once I go back, you'll have a hard time."
"My dear grandson, your problem hasn't been resolved yet, and now I have to leave you here in the Old Yin Mountains to fend for yourself."
Hu Ma could hear the reluctance and sorrow in her voice, as well as a strong sense of guilt.
Listening to her, Hu Ma's heart stirred.
He had come to Granny to figure out the issue with his body.
Could it be that he would have to keep relying on the Blood Tai Sui to sustain his life?
"You were too badly injured by the Meng family..."
Granny saw his thoughts and sighed slowly.
"Or rather, you really... died."
When she mentioned the word "died," she seemed visibly uncomfortable, as if she still couldn't accept this fact.
After a pause, she continued, "But our Hu family, including your father and mother, did nothing wrong. Why should we be wiped out by others?"
"So, Granny refuses to believe it. No matter what, I must save you..."
Hu Ma listened quietly, not daring to interrupt.
"But in the end, it's still Granny's fault. My cultivation isn't strong enough, and I overreached..."
Granny looked at Hu Ma with guilt-filled eyes and said slowly, "I could only bring you back, but the method of resurrection was only half-complete."
"Logically, Granny should stay and continue to heal you. But the Meng family is pressing too hard, and I have to go back to the ancestral hall to deal with things there. The remaining half will have to be completed by you..."
At this point, Hu Ma was somewhat confused.
But he had seen how much effort Granny had put into helping him, and now, seeing her so full of guilt, he felt even more uneasy.
He quickly said in a low voice, "You've already done so much for me, Granny."
"Ah..."
Granny gently stroked Hu Ma's hand.
Earlier, Hu Ma had summoned the furnace fire to kill the infant spirit, and the fire had not yet extinguished.
The warmth of his hand seemed to bring her some comfort.
She sighed softly and said, "It's not enough. Your father is gone, and all I wanted was to raise you, but I couldn't even do that..."
"If it were the old you, I would never have the heart to return to the ancestral hall. But now..."
She paused, then said with some reluctance, "Being sensible isn't always good. Sensible children always suffer more."
"I won't suffer, Granny," Hu Ma said, his heart trembling.
Out of sympathy for this old woman who had exhausted herself for him, he instinctively replied, "You've already done so much for me—driving away evil spirits, finding so much Blood Tai Sui for me. You've done more than enough."
"I've only been with Second Uncle for a month, but my skills are stronger than anyone else's. Second Uncle has taught me everything he knows..."
"Second Uncle was surprised. He said that after just a month of lighting the furnace, I'm already stronger than his sixty years of practice!"
"Of course," Granny smiled, her face full of pride.
"You are, after all, a descendant of the Hu family!"
"Second Uncle is just a butcher..."
Talking behind someone's back was always enjoyable, and the atmosphere in the cave seemed to lighten a bit.
Granny smiled, but as she looked at Hu Ma, her heart softened again.
She said gently, "Good child, Granny believes in you."
"But Granny has a few things to tell you, and you must remember them."
Hu Ma quickly straightened up and nodded.
Granny spoke seriously, "First, you must take Granny back to the old fire pit. No matter who asks, just say that Granny has passed away. Don't mention Granny or the Hu family to anyone until the day I come back to call you home."
"Going to the old fire pit... doesn't that mean..."
Hu Ma's heart trembled again, and a sense of worry arose.
"Granny is different from you," Granny smiled.
"It's just a discarded shell, no longer useful. Abandoning it will make things easier."
Hu Ma couldn't fully understand, but seeing the clarity in Granny's eyes, he knew she wasn't lying to him.
He could only nod seriously in agreement.
"Once Granny enters the old fire pit, my dear grandson, you must quickly heal yourself."
Granny sighed and looked at Hu Ma, saying softly, "Now, how many pillars of cultivation do you have?"
"Pillars?"
Hearing her words, Hu Ma suddenly thought of the incense stick he had seen in his dream.
Originally, he had only a small section, less than two fingers' width.
But later, after consuming more Blood Tai Sui and diligently practicing, he had made a breakthrough.
Now, he had one and a half pillars of incense.
So, he tentatively replied, "Just the night before last, while I was practicing, I felt some changes..."
He didn't mention the dream but described the sensation of "melting something."
"That's right," Granny smiled with relief and nodded.
"You already have one and a half pillars of cultivation."
"This means our method is correct."
Granny sighed softly, "The second half of this method, Granny can't help you with. But once you reach three pillars of cultivation, you can resolve the issue of your half-yin body."
"Three pillars?" Hu Ma's heart stirred slightly.
"When I reach three pillars, I can solve the coldness in my body?"
"One pillar represents one life. If you have the strength of three lives and still can't recover, then heaven itself is unjust..."
Granny sighed softly, "I had you learn from your Second Uncle with this day in mind. His skills are legitimate, but others were reluctant to teach him."
"But you, you must continue to learn."
As she spoke, she struggled to turn and reach for a bundle nearby.
Hu Ma quickly helped her fetch it and handed it to her, but she pushed it back into his arms.
She opened the bundle and said, "Keep these things, but be careful not to let others see them. That red one..."
She pointed to a talisman-like slip of paper inside and said, "This is Little Hongtang's birth chart. From now on, you keep it, and Little Hongtang will always follow you."
"Ah, she's also a pitiful child. Don't be harsh on her in the future."
"Of course not..."
Hu Ma shook his head repeatedly and looked toward the cave entrance, where Little Hongtang was sitting, lost in thought.
"I really like Little Hongtang."
"You used to like bullying her and tricking her into stealing things..."
Granny couldn't help but laugh, but Hu Ma didn't know how to respond.
After laughing for a moment, Granny pointed to a small jar in the bundle and said softly, "Your body still needs Tai Sui."
"Granny has harvested all the Blood Tai Sui in the Old Yin Mountains, but I don't know if it will be enough to sustain you until you reach three pillars of cultivation. But for now, there's no other way..."
Hu Ma could only shake his head repeatedly, assuring Granny that he would be fine, but he couldn't find the words to say more.
Granny seemed to have no more time for him to speak.
With all her remaining strength, she pulled out an ancient book from the bottom of the bundle.
Hu Ma saw that it bore the words "Qingyuan Hu Family" and "Suppressing Years."
"This is our Hu family's Suppressing Years book..."
Granny solemnly placed the book in Hu Ma's hands.
As she spoke, her expression became more dignified.
"Our Qingyuan Hu family is now just the two of us. Granny has to go back to stop the Meng family. My abilities are limited, and I don't know how long I can hold them off. So, I can only pin my hopes on you, my dear grandson."
"One day, my grandson will master all these skills, and together, we will settle accounts with the Meng family..."
Seeing Granny's serious expression, Hu Ma felt an immense pressure.
A subtle emotion made him hesitate to take the book.
He vaguely felt that accepting it meant also accepting a heavy burden of enmity.
But facing Granny's expectant gaze, he could only sigh inwardly and take the book with both hands.
"I will," he promised earnestly.
"I definitely will."
(End of Chapter)