"This is the counter set up by our Red Lantern Lady Association here," the manager said, knocking on the door of the residence and smiling as he introduced it to Hu Ma and the others.
"Don't let the small size fool you; it's a crucial place. Every spring, countless things pass through here."
The young men around nodded in confusion, unsure if they truly understood.
But Hu Ma had already grasped the situation.
The Blood Food Guild's livelihood revolved around blood food.
Whether it was harvesting in the mines, transporting by mules and horses, or resting and moving supplies, every step was of utmost importance.
This place was likely a warehouse or a relay station for transporting blood food during the worship of the Grand Duke of the Year.
Not long after, the door to the residence opened, and a young man dressed in fine clothes stepped out, smiling.
"The master has been waiting for you for a while now. He was worried you wouldn't make it before dark. Come in quickly; the master has prepared food and drinks for you."
Hearing this, the young men grew anxious.
After walking for most of the day, their stomachs were already empty.
Upon entering the residence, they saw a table set with food and drinks in the main hall.
A slightly plump old master came out to greet them, clasping his hands in respect to the manager who had brought them.
Just as the young men were about to rush to the table, the finely dressed young man who had opened the door suddenly scolded, "No manners! Who said you could barge in? Your food is in the kitchen. Go there and eat!"
Only then did the young men realize that the feast was for the manager, not for them.
Silently, they made their way to the kitchen, where they found a basket of coarse, blackened buns.
There wasn't even a pickled vegetable to go with them.
This was worse than what they had back in the Great Sheep Village.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, the finely dressed young man sat with the manager and the plump old master, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed their meal.
The atmosphere was lively.
Hu Ma and his companions sat or squatted in the courtyard, each eating two of the coarse buns.
The buns were rough and hard, leaving a gritty residue in their mouths, making them difficult to swallow.
After finishing the buns, they drew a bucket of cold water from the well and shared it among themselves.
The young men waited patiently in the courtyard, not daring to disturb the ongoing conversation in the main hall.
After more than half an hour, the finely dressed young man finally emerged, his smile gone as he approached the group.
"Follow me inside," he said sternly.
"You must show some manners in front of the master."
The young men nervously picked up their bedding and followed him to the main hall.
The spacious and bright room intimidated them, and they carefully wiped the mud off their shoes before stepping inside.
"Boys, open your eyes wide and remember this," the manager, now flushed from drinking, said with a smile.
"This is Master Wu Hong, the old master of our Red Lantern Lady Association. He guards this estate for our association and has great skills. From now on, you'll be under his command. Be diligent, and if he's pleased, he might teach you a thing or two. That knowledge could feed you for a lifetime."
With that, he turned to Master Wu and said, "I've brought them to you. You can train them as you see fit."
"Very well," Master Wu replied with a kind smile.
His eyes swept over Hu Ma and the others before landing on the finely dressed young man sitting beside him.
"You, along with Xu Ji and his fellow villagers, are the new recruits sent by the Red Lantern Lady Association this time. Xu Ji arrived three days earlier, and I've already taught him many rules. You can learn from him. I prefer peace and quiet, so don't disturb me unless necessary. But if you work hard, I'll teach you what you need to know. However, if you're lazy or cause trouble, I'll send you back."
Hearing his name mentioned, the finely dressed young man, Xu Ji, quickly stood up.
The other young men finally realized that Xu Ji was one of them, just someone who had arrived earlier.
The manager chimed in, "Why send them back? If they don't listen or follow the rules, just kill them. That's their fate."
Master Wu chuckled, "I'm just a manager. Their lives aren't mine to decide."
He waved his hand, signaling Xu Ji to take Hu Ma and the others away.
But before they could leave, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door, accompanied by desperate cries.
"Red Lantern Lady, save us! Great Master, save us! Someone has been possessed by an evil spirit!"
Everyone turned to look at the main hall in confusion.
Master Wu, who had just raised his cup, paused and glanced at the manager before standing up.
"Bring them in," he said.
Xu Ji went to open the gate, and a group of disheveled villagers rushed in, carrying a wooden plank with a man tied to it.
The man, around thirty or forty years old, was shivering uncontrollably, his body curled up.
His right index finger was in his mouth, and his teeth were gnawing at it, leaving only bone.
Master Wu stepped forward and looked down at the man.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We don't know," one of the villagers replied nervously.
"This man, Liu Dadun's son, went to the fields this afternoon. When he came back at dusk, he was like this. He's been biting anyone who touches him, so we tied him up. He started gnawing on his own finger, and we couldn't stop him. We had to bring him here for you to see."
Master Wu paced around the plank for a moment, seemingly understanding the situation.
"Untie him," he ordered.
The villagers hesitated, too scared to approach.
But Xu Ji suddenly drew his knife and cut the ropes binding the man.
As soon as the ropes were loosened, the man sat up abruptly, startling the villagers, who quickly backed away.
However, the man didn't do anything else; he just continued gnawing on his finger, or rather, gnawing at it like a rat chewing on corn.
Master Wu gestured for the villagers to step aside and circled the man, observing him closely.
Seeing that the man was now gnawing on another finger, Master Wu smiled and said, "Stop eating for a moment. Let's talk. Who are you? Where do you live?"
The man ignored him, continuing to gnaw on his finger without even looking up.
"How rude," Master Wu muttered.
He crouched down in front of the man, and just as someone was about to warn him, the man suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with malice.
He lunged at Master Wu, trying to bite him.
But Master Wu remained calm.
In a swift motion, he pulled out a pair of chopsticks from his sleeve and clamped them onto the man's finger.
No one had noticed that Master Wu had been holding chopsticks all along.
With a seemingly effortless grip, he immobilized the man, who suddenly froze as if paralyzed, crying out, "Great Master, spare me! I'm from the village west of the big rock..."
Master Wu smiled faintly, still holding the man's finger.
"You just moved here? Why are you harming people?"
"It's not me harming him," the man replied in a strange, high-pitched voice, tinged with an eerie chill.
"He was the one who flooded my house and set it on fire, filling it with smoke. If I don't teach him a lesson, everyone in the area will think they can mess with me."
The villagers shivered at the man's unnatural voice, but Master Wu's smile remained unchanged.
"That's fair, but when did you move here? Have you paid respects to our Red Lantern Lady?"
"We just moved here," the man replied, his head tilting unnaturally, his eyes rolling.
"We only worship the Old Lady, not your Red Lantern Lady."
Master Wu's smile didn't waver.
"Then you're the one who doesn't know the rules," he said.
Suddenly, his expression turned serious.
"East corner!"
At the same time, his other hand, which had been resting at his side, shot up and slapped the man's forehead.
"Pfft!"
The slap seemed ordinary, but Hu Ma, who had nearly two years of cultivation under his belt and was sensitive to yang energy, noticed that the motion resembled the "Mountain Split" technique taught by Second Uncle.
It was a move that generated yang energy, though Master Wu's execution was so smooth and natural that it was almost imperceptible.
With that slap, something seemed to be forced out of the man's body, and a cold gust of wind swept toward the east corner of the courtyard.
The man's tense body suddenly relaxed.
But it wasn't over yet.
Hu Ma clearly felt that the evil energy expelled from the man's body had been directed toward the east corner.
Following the direction, he saw a yellow shadow leap up from the ground, startled, and attempt to jump over the wall.
Without thinking, Hu Ma stepped past Zhou Datong, drew the knife from his waist, and hurled it, sheath and all, at the shadow.
A sharp cry echoed as the shadow quickly disappeared over the wall.
(End of Chapter)