The unexpected outcome left the surroundings in sudden silence.
The villagers were caught off guard, unable to react immediately.
It was Cui Xie'er, standing beside Hu Ma, who, after a long moment of stunned silence, suddenly lost his composure and shouted, "This isn't right! This isn't fair!"
His outburst seemed to snap everyone out of their daze, and they all turned their concerned gazes toward him.
The plump steward, however, simply smiled and asked, "Child, what's not fair?"
Cui Xie'er, realizing his outburst, had no choice but to press on, "I was the one with the strongest furnace fire! I... I practiced harder than anyone else! How come they were all chosen, and I wasn't?"
Even Second Uncle, standing nearby, seemed to hesitate, wanting to say something.
Truth be told, Cui Xie'er had indeed been with Second Uncle the longest among the youths and had the strongest furnace fire.
As for Hu Ma...
Well, there was no comparison.
Even Second Uncle couldn't match him.
But before Second Uncle could intercede, the steward chuckled amiably.
He spoke slowly and with a certain grace, "You're quite good. I can see that you've been tending the furnace the longest and have put in a lot of effort. But, if I'm not mistaken, you were recently afflicted by an evil spirit, weren't you? Your furnace fire is no longer pure. You should go back and recuperate. Try again next year."
At this, Cui Xie'er's face turned pale.
His lips trembled, and his eyes filled with venom as he glared at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma, understanding the situation, ignored him and turned to chat with Zhou Datong.
The Cui family, realizing what had happened, quickly crowded around the steward.
Cui Xie'er's father, who hadn't heard the steward's words clearly, protested, "No matter what, our Xie'er is better than that Hu boy! He's only been with Second Uncle for less than a month!"
The steward, still smiling, didn't budge.
He looked up at the sky and addressed the villagers, "I came to Da Yang Village to see the children, but I also need to visit the Tai Sui shrine and hang our Red Lantern Society's lantern. I don't have time to mingle with everyone. If you have any issues, take them up with the village elder. I just need to see the five children sent to us by the 28th of this month."
With that, he lifted the hem of his robe and left the village, not even staying for the lunch the village elder had prepared.
As the steward departed, the Cui family, not daring to stop him, turned to the village elder, all talking at once.
Meanwhile, the families of the other three chosen children, apart from Hu Ma and Zhou Datong, were overjoyed.
They hugged their children, beaming with pride, and some even began making plans to visit the ancestral shrine to give thanks or to host celebratory feasts.
Second Uncle walked over to Hu Ma and patted his head, sighing, "You're really lucky, kid. I know you've always been ambitious, wanting to learn real skills instead of relying on offerings to Tai Sui. Who would've thought you'd get a chance to join the Blood Food Society?"
He wasn't surprised that Hu Ma had been chosen, given his skills, but he marveled at the boy's good fortune.
Hu Ma had always been eager to learn, and now the opportunity had come.
Hu Ma smiled, "It's all thanks to your teaching, Second Uncle."
Second Uncle, pleased, didn't know how to respond.
He suddenly turned and kicked Zhou Datong, "You're even luckier, having such a good grandfather."
Zhou Datong, rubbing his backside, thought to himself, "Why kick me? I'm not the only lazy one in the village..."
Meanwhile, the Cui family had pulled the village elder aside, urgently pleading their case.
"Our Xie'er has been with Second Uncle for almost three years! His furnace fire is the strongest! How come everyone else was chosen but not him?"
The village elder, overwhelmed, said, "Don't you know what happened? Xie'er was recently afflicted by an evil spirit. What can we do about that?"
The Cui family, unwilling to accept this, suggested, "Then let's take him to Old Sheepskin in Mang Village to heal him. But he can't miss this opportunity! The Red Lantern Society hasn't opened its doors in years. How can we let our nephew miss this?"
The village elder sighed, "What can we do? The steward has already made his decision. If we offend him, he might not take any of our village's children."
The Cui family grew even more anxious.
The eldest Cui brother said, "The steward said to listen to you, didn't he? We should send the best. Just replace one of the weaker ones with our Xie'er."
The village elder's face darkened, "My Datong isn't the weakest."
The Cui family quickly backtracked, "We didn't mean Datong. He's a hardworking boy, of course he's good."
They then lowered their voices, "But that Hu boy, he's only been here for less than a month. How could he be chosen? Did Second Uncle put in a good word for him?"
The village elder frowned, considering this possibility.
Hu Ma had indeed arrived late, and he had been quite troublesome before, not seeming like someone with much promise.
Moreover, when the steward tested his furnace fire, it had been a quick, almost perfunctory check.
Seeing the village elder hesitate, the Cui family pressed on, "Let our Xie'er go. He's older and more mature. He can look after Datong and the other kids in the Red Lantern Society. Otherwise, with five inexperienced kids, who knows what trouble they might cause? They might even get kicked out!"
At this, the village elder grew more hesitant.
If trouble were to arise, it would likely come from his own grandson or that Hu boy.
The second Cui brother, seeing the elder's hesitation, whispered something in his ear, mentioning "half a vat of Tai Sui" and "golden grains."
The village elder's eyes widened in surprise, clearly tempted.
In the end, he said, "You have such treasures? Why bother sending Xie'er to the city? Keep them for his wedding. Let Hu Ma have this opportunity."
The Cui family was left speechless, unable to respond.
From a distance, Hu Ma noticed the Cui family huddled around the village elder, whispering.
Curious, he asked, "What are they talking about?"
Second Uncle snorted, "Nothing good, I'm sure. I've never liked the Cui family's domineering ways. But what can we do? In our village, the family with the most sons always has the upper hand. The Cui family has five sons, so they're a big deal here. Remember what Grandma said—learn your skills quickly in the Red Lantern Society, get married, and have lots of children. Grandma is waiting for you in the ancestral shrine!"
Hu Ma, only sixteen in this world, was already being pressured to marry.
He smiled wryly and caught onto something important, "If I learn the skills of the Red Lantern Society, I won't have to remain celibate?"
"Of course not," Second Uncle said, glaring at him.
"The stewards and managers of the Red Lantern Society all have multiple wives. Their skills are formidable! They choose virgins like you because you're like blank slates, easier to teach. But there's no rule against losing your virginity. Once you join, work hard, become a steward or even a manager, and you'll have plenty of blood food to support your cultivation. With enough resources, you can learn anything. Even if you just work as a servant for a few years, when you return to the village, even the village elder will respect you."
Hearing this, Hu Ma felt a stir of ambition.
He paused and asked, "What about the skills of the Shou Sui Ren?"
Second Uncle, hearing this, was momentarily taken aback.
He sighed and waved his hand, "You're always aiming high, aren't you? The Red Lantern Society does have those skills. If you master them, you won't need to seal your furnace. But it's not easy. I've been waiting my whole life for that chance..."
Hu Ma sensed that Second Uncle seemed uncomfortable whenever the topic of Shou Sui Ren came up.
(End of Chapter)