Hu Ma decided to go up first, not because he wanted to show off, but because he could see that the group of workers were already terrified.
This was their first time following Xu Ji, and while they had some courage initially, the unexpected incident had completely shattered their confidence.
Even though they had lit their furnaces, the more scared they were, the weaker the flames became.
Forcing them to get closer would only make them more vulnerable to whatever was in the well.
If chaos broke out, Hu Ma knew he wouldn’t be able to control the situation.
It was better to keep them at a distance, where they could at least stand firm and hold their torches steady.
Once they calmed down and regained their courage, the power of their furnaces would naturally manifest.
So, Hu Ma pretended to be nonchalant, using the light from the torches behind him to slowly advance toward the well.
His shadow stretched and twisted like claws, inching closer to the dark abyss.
The eerie wailing grew louder, as if it was right next to his ears.
In the sparse, fragmented shadows on either side, countless fuzzy shapes rustled and slithered, as if covered in snakes and insects, creeping toward him with a sinister, ghostly aura.
"Hmm?"
Hu Ma felt a chilling cold seep into his body, as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.
His limbs grew numb, and when he looked down, he vaguely saw that his legs and feet were tangled in a mess of hair.
This evil spirit was no ordinary foe.
Taking advantage of the late hour and the chilling wind, it had dulled his senses.
He hadn’t even noticed when the hair had wrapped around him.
By the time he realized, it was already too late.
The strange hair suddenly tightened, pulling taut.
"Fall back!"
Realizing the danger, Hu Ma’s heart raced, but he kept his nerves steady and shouted loudly.
He had deliberately suppressed the flames in his furnace earlier, hoping to lure the spirit out.
Now, he suddenly unleashed his power, using the "Mountain Splitting" technique passed down by Second Master.
The flames surged, flowing through his arm and into the redwood sword in his hand.
As he swung the sword forward, it traced a beautiful arc in the air.
"Whoosh…"
Hu Ma didn’t dare to be careless, using only thirty percent of his strength, thinking it would be enough to repel the danger.
But he hadn’t expected the power channeled through the redwood sword to be so extraordinary.
The air grew hot, as if invisible flames were rising.
Even the darkness not illuminated by the torches behind him seemed to glow with a faint red light.
The hair that had been closing in from all directions instantly burned away upon touching the redwood sword.
The strands wrapped around Hu Ma’s legs fell loose, and the rest quickly retracted back into the well.
From the depths of the well, the mournful cries grew louder, now tinged with fear and anger.
"What a treasure…"
Hu Ma was pleasantly surprised, and his courage swelled.
He pointed the wooden sword at the well and shouted, "Stop causing trouble! I’m a disciple of the Red Lantern Lady’s Green Tile Village, here on orders. I know you’ve harmed one of our men. Return him to us, or I’ll have to use force!"
He had intended to announce his affiliation, but at the last moment, he realized he couldn’t just throw around the name of the Red Lantern Lady.
He was a member of the Red Lantern Lady’s association, so invoking her name was appropriate.
"Disciples of the Red Lantern Lady, how dare you bully me like this?"
Suddenly, a sobbing voice rose from the well.
"I was betrayed by a heartless man and thrown into this well. My soul lingers here, unable to find peace, waiting for the day I can take revenge on that scoundrel. I’ve never bothered you, yet you disciples of the Red Lantern Lady come to trouble me?"
"Huh?"
Hu Ma’s heart stirred.
"She’s scared…"
With the redwood sword in hand and the workers behind him gradually regaining their courage, the oppressive yin energy around them was being suppressed.
The evil spirits that had been drawn to the village were also retreating, their presence weakening.
In terms of sheer power, Hu Ma now had the upper hand.
Should he take this opportunity to eliminate the spirit in the well?
But then he thought of his grandmother.
He hadn’t learned ghost-hunting from her, but Little Red Tang had always been by her side, and from her, he had seen glimpses of how his grandmother handled such situations.
He glanced at Little Red Tang, who was wide-eyed and looking worried, and made up his mind.
With a knife in his right hand and the sword in his left, he coldly stared at the well and shouted, "Stop your crying! I’m a disciple of the Red Lantern Lady, and I have no intention of bullying you. But you can’t stay here and harm the people around you. If you’re willing to listen, move somewhere else!"
As he spoke, the workers behind him began to feel more at ease.
Hu Ma’s approach was different from Xu Ji’s.
Xu Ji had immediately resorted to force, while Hu Ma was trying to reason with the spirit.
And yet, Hu Ma’s earlier display of power had been far more impressive than Xu Ji’s.
Seeing this, the workers felt a bit more reassured.
Whether it was their imagination or not, the atmosphere didn’t feel as oppressive as before.
Even the flames of their torches seemed to burn more steadily.
After speaking, Hu Ma narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at the well.
Over time, as he led the workers in their tasks, he had become more familiar with the affairs around the village and the rules of the Red Lantern Lady’s association.
He knew that dealing with evil spirits didn’t always require violence; often, persuasion and expulsion were enough.
Even for this difficult task, the old shopkeeper had only asked them to resolve it, not necessarily to destroy the spirit.
"And you say you’re not bullying me…"
As Hu Ma’s voice faded, the sobbing from the well grew louder, filled with resentment.
"I’ve been waiting here for that heartless man, certain he’ll return to his ancestral home. My vengeance is not yet complete, and now you’re forcing me to leave. Even if I wanted to go, my bones are buried here. I can’t go far from my body. Where do you expect me to go?"
"Complaining, huh?"
Hu Ma’s heart stirred again.
He didn’t care about the story the spirit was telling, but he knew one thing for sure: when the other party showed weakness, he couldn’t let her continue to play the victim.
Otherwise, things would get messy.
He didn’t need to be too harsh, but he couldn’t be too soft either.
So, he glared fiercely and demanded, "So, you’re saying you absolutely refuse to leave?"
"Ah…"
A cold wind suddenly surged from the well, carrying a wave of resentment.
But Hu Ma stood his ground, not flinching, and stared coldly at the well.
His firm stance emboldened the workers behind him, and they all focused their attention on the well.
Their courage grew, and so did the flames of their furnaces.
Together, they used their yang energy to suppress the yin energy emanating from the well.
Sure enough, Hu Ma’s refusal to indulge the spirit’s complaints and his forceful approach proved effective.
Although the resentment in the well grew stronger, after a moment, the sobbing voice spoke again:
"If you truly want me to leave, I dare not defy the Red Lantern Lady. But you must come down yourself, dig up my bones, and bury them in a shaded area along the road to Mingzhou Prefecture. That way, when the heartless man returns, I’ll be able to see him… If you agree to this, I’ll leave."
"What?"
The workers were startled by this demand, their hearts filled with dread as they looked at the well.
Just being near it made them feel cold to the bone, and the resentment was overwhelming.
Even Xu Ji had tried to lure the spirit out before dealing with her.
Now, they were being asked to go down into the well and dig up her bones? Who would be foolish enough to do that?
Hu Ma frowned and said, "That’s not difficult. We’ll move your bones at dawn, how about that?"
The voice from the well was filled with resentment.
"If you move my bones in daylight, the sun will shine on them. Are you trying to harm me?"
Not stupid, huh…
Hu Ma frowned.
Waiting until dawn wasn’t a big deal, but even then, the spirit would still be hiding in the well, a place of deep yin energy and perpetual darkness.
It wouldn’t save much effort, and the task would still be cumbersome, not showcasing his abilities.
After quickly weighing the pros and cons, he finally exhaled slowly and looked at the well.
"You’re right. I’ll go down then."
"What?"
The workers were shocked, staring at Hu Ma in disbelief.
Even the spirit in the well seemed to fall silent for a long moment before finally speaking in a ghostly voice, "If you’re truly willing to move my bones, I’ll leave."
"Not only will I move your bones," Hu Ma said, "I’ll also find you a good resting place, where you can watch the road without suffering the cold. I’ll even burn incense and offer sacrifices, so you can receive some worship."
Perhaps his words moved the spirit, as the yin energy around the well suddenly dissipated, as if waiting for Hu Ma to enter.
"Hu… Hu Ma…"
The workers were extremely worried, instinctively calling him "brother" like Zhou Datong.
"Be careful, she’s dangerous…"
"We’re protected by the Red Lantern Lady. What do we have to fear from evil spirits?"
Hu Ma said something he didn’t fully believe himself, then paused for a moment.
"You all go to the nearby villagers’ homes and get some ropes to pull me up. Also, find some blankets and mats to wrap the bones… Don’t take them by force; pay with some loose change. Once I’ve gathered her bones, we’ll bury them quickly to avoid exposure to the sun."
The workers hurried off to carry out his orders.
Hu Ma then removed his outer coat to avoid getting it dirty, picked up a bamboo basket, and walked to the edge of the well.
Taking a deep breath, he tied the redwood sword to his back for easy access, then gripped the edge of the well and lowered himself inside.
In the middle of the night, the yin energy was bone-chilling, especially inside the well.
His skin prickled with goosebumps as he slowly descended, his feet touching the icy water at the bottom.
After testing the depth, he finally landed, holding his breath as he took out a fire starter to illuminate the surroundings.
As the light flickered to life, the first thing he saw was a stiff, pale face, pressed close to his own.
Author’s Note: The novel is officially live! Please subscribe and vote to support me.
Old Ghost thanks you all!
(End of Chapter)