After spending a few days at Second Uncle's place, Hu Ma gradually learned about the Cui family's situation.
This time, the Cui family's grandmother had committed a grave taboo.
Even the usually kind-hearted clan leader had flown into a rare rage, firmly refusing to allow the deceased members of the Cui family to be placed in the ancestral fire pit.
Firstly, it was because they had used evil arts to harm others, which demanded severe punishment.
Secondly, they had died from the backlash of those very evil arts, making their deaths unclean.
Sending them to the ancestral fire pit might disturb the ancestors.
Although the Cui family had many uncles and brothers, they didn't dare to confront the village over this matter.
In the end, they simply placed the grandmother and her four sons in thin wooden coffins, had a few people carry them, and buried them in the forest.
The Cui family, despite their numbers, couldn't say much about it.
In fact, many of them blamed the family even more in their hearts.
As for Hu Ma, he wasn't particularly concerned about these matters.
His focus was solely on Cui Xie'er.
However, Second Uncle, fearing that the Cui family in the village might harm him, had been overly protective, leaving Hu Ma with no opportunity to deal with Cui Xie'er.
If he didn't act himself and sent Little Hong Tang instead, there were two issues.
First, the ancestors in the village were watching.
Little Hong Tang was familiar with the village and often played around without issue, but if she harbored malicious intent, it might alert the ancestors.
Second, although Little Hong Tang was a malevolent spirit, her nature was pure.
Hu Ma had once tentatively asked her if she had ever harmed anyone, and she had honestly admitted, "Yes, that time when I fought with you!"
This made Hu Ma hesitate.
Despite being a malevolent spirit, she still looked like a little girl, and he couldn't bear to have her hands stained with blood.
But if that was the case, how could he accomplish this task?
Should he ask Second Pot? Hu Ma pondered.
If he asked Second Pot for help, he would likely agree.
But killing someone was a serious matter.
Even if Second Pot held a high position in this world, asking him to help kill someone would be too abrupt.
Moreover, if Cui Xie'er were killed, the debt between them would be settled, and Hu Ma might even owe Second Pot a favor.
At a time when Hu Ma hadn't yet secured the Shousui technique and still had many questions for Second Pot, this would be highly disadvantageous.
Thus, the only option left was to have Little Hong Tang keep an eye on Cui Xie'er's movements.
Because of the Cui family incident, the village had become much more tense, especially among families whose children had been selected to join the Red Lantern Society.
The thought that someone would harm others to secure a spot made them even more protective of their children.
They urged the old clan leader three times a day, hoping to send their children to the city's Niangniang Society half a month early.
The old clan leader, overwhelmed by the constant pestering, discussed with Second Uncle and decided to move up the departure date.
"Since you're leaving home and won't be back for a while, you should say goodbye to your relatives and acquaintances," Second Uncle said to Hu Ma after setting the date.
"Your grandmother is gone, but your Hu family roots are here. You need to learn the ways of the world."
"Relatives and acquaintances?" Hu Ma was momentarily stunned.
"Do we have any in the village?"
"Your godmother," Second Uncle said.
"Your godmother has almost gone bald worrying about you. Now that you don't need her, are you just going to ignore her?"
Hu Ma suddenly remembered he had such a relative and quickly agreed.
He then followed Second Uncle, prepared some incense and offerings, and went into the forest to visit his godmother.
Now that he had some cultivation, he no longer needed to seal the furnace with yin energy, so he saved a few sticks of incense for his godmother.
When they reached the stream, his godmother was comfortably stretching her branches, absorbing the spiritual energy of the forest.
She was startled when she saw Hu Ma and Second Uncle approaching.
"Mother Willow, I've brought your godson to pay his respects," Second Uncle said, burning incense under the willow tree.
"Your godson is going to worship the Red Lantern Niangniang. When he returns with his skills, he'll bring you even better offerings."
It seemed they weren't there to cut willow branches, but his godmother was still on high alert, not daring to be careless.
Second Uncle had Hu Ma kowtow to his godmother, burn incense, and offer fruits and meat.
Then, after some thought, he had Hu Ma bow in the direction of the forest as well, saying, "After all, your grandmother had deep ties with the forest. They are also your elders, so you mustn't neglect the proper etiquette."
Hu Ma thought this made sense, so Second Uncle took the offerings from in front of his godmother and placed them in the direction of the forest.
"Can you really do that?" Hu Ma felt a bit sorry for his godmother.
Second Uncle, being a native, understood the forest's customs, but he was usually too rough to pay attention to such details.
After Hu Ma bowed three times and kowtowed four times toward the forest, it seemed as if the quiet, ethereal forest had come to life.
In the dimly lit woods, shadows flickered, and it felt as though many things were moving, watching Hu Ma with approval.
Hu Ma even thought he saw, after kowtowing, a broken tree stump a few rows back, with a faint figure sitting on it, calmly accepting his respects, their eyes filled with a sense of satisfaction.
"Is that the acquaintance of my grandmother?" Hu Ma recalled the first time his grandmother took him out of the village, they had met this person and even stopped to chat.
He also remembered this person coming to see them off when they returned to the village.
Now, as Hu Ma was leaving to learn new skills, this person had come to see him off like an elder.
After completing the rituals, Hu Ma followed Second Uncle back.
The village had prepared an ox cart with provisions, bedding, and something the old clan leader had secretly given to Second Uncle.
Along with Hu Ma, Zhou Datong, Li Wa, Zhao Liang, and Zhou Zhu were already sitting cross-legged on the cart, waiting.
After placing his bedding on the cart, the old clan leader pulled Hu Ma aside and said, "Your grandmother is gone, and there's no one to prepare your luggage. I had Datong's mother sew an extra jacket and make a pair of cloth shoes for you. The provisions are also ready. Take good care of them. When you get to the city, you boys need to look out for each other."
Hu Ma had killed thirteen members of the Cui family with thirteen strikes.
Although it was a passive act and Hu Ma was the victim, it had caused quite a stir in the village.
The old clan leader, though seemingly muddle-headed, was sharp.
He knew that once these boys reached the city, they would need Hu Ma's help.
He had already instructed Zhou Datong at home and now personally reminded Hu Ma:
"Remember, our village survives on blood and sweat. When you join the Niangniang Society, focus on learning skills. Always be polite, don't let others bully you, and stay safe. Save your wages, eat and drink moderately, and don't wander into those alleys. You're still young; don't be too eager. When you return to the village after a couple of years, there will be plenty of women for you. Make sure you keep an eye on the others."
Hu Ma had already heard much of this from Second Uncle, so he just smiled and said, "Don't worry, Clan Leader. I understand."
But the clan leader was still uneasy.
Who would have thought that the two most troublesome boys in the village would now be venturing out together? Especially since he had once tried to keep his grandson from playing with Hu Ma, fearing he would be a bad influence.
Now, he was swallowing his pride and asking Hu Ma to look after his grandson.
People really do grow in both flaws and skills.
Unlike his grandson, who only knew how to cause trouble but lacked any real cunning, which was truly worrisome.
"Let's go," Second Uncle called out, tired of the clan leader's endless chatter.
He had Hu Ma board the ox cart and then cracked the whip.
The clan leader and the villagers stood at the village gate, some cheerful, others tearful as they bid farewell to their children.
"Mother, I'll take you to stay with Grandma in Snake Village," someone said.
Unnoticed, as the children followed Second Uncle to the city, Cui Xie'er, who seemed to have grown up overnight, led his now-mad mother and the last remaining mule from their plundered family assets.
With only a small portion of their belongings, they quietly left the village in another direction.
He knew of the commotion at the village gate but resisted the urge to look back.
"Mother, the village doesn't want us anymore. We won't stay here to be looked down upon. When we reach Grandma's house, I'll give the mule to Uncle and ask him to take care of you," he said, leading the mule step by step.
His mother could no longer understand him, so it felt like he was talking to himself.
"Then I'll leave. I need to learn skills. When I'm strong enough, I'll avenge my uncles, my father, and my grandmother. The villagers are heartless, showing no regard for old ties. They let wild dogs take my grandmother. Even our own relatives didn't stand up for us, only caring about our mules and horses. As for the Hu family, Hu Ma... when I've learned my skills, I'll wipe out his entire family."
He muttered to himself, fueling his hatred, blaming everyone, even forgetting he was in the forest.
He didn't notice the old tree branches around him coming to life...
In the Old Yin Mountains, cutting oneself off from the village was a death sentence.
...
Not long after, as Hu Ma sat on the ox cart, gradually leaving the village, he received a message from Little Hong Tang and was slightly startled.
It seemed that some things didn't even require his intervention.
The ways of the world in the Old Yin Mountains were indeed a profound study...
(End of Chapter)