"Take him down!"
The old shopkeeper coldly watched as he waved his hand dismissively.
With the shopkeeper present, the workers felt emboldened.
They formed a human ladder and brought down the unfortunate worker.
Hu Ma, standing to the side, couldn't help but feel suspicious.
He had initially thought that the shopkeeper would take action to deal with the evil spirit that had killed the worker and avenge his death.
But to his surprise, after having the worker taken down and brought back, the shopkeeper simply turned and left without a second thought.
"It's all fate," the shopkeeper said indifferently, as if reading Hu Ma's mind.
"The thing that killed him is already gone. He has become its replacement and must stay here now. If I were to eliminate the evil spirit here, I would only be eliminating him."
"In the future, if any of you pass by this place, be careful. He won't remember any old friendships."
Hu Ma understood and felt a chill run down his spine.
A replacement?
There was indeed something here, but last night, after it had killed the worker, it had already gained its freedom and left.
Now, this worker would have to take its place and remain here...
What a torment.
The man was already dead, but the torment was just beginning.
As he thought this, Hu Ma suddenly felt a cold shiver run down his spine, as if someone was glaring at him with malice from behind.
He quickly turned around, but there was nothing there—just empty space.
They sent two men to carry the worker's body back to the village, while the others continued searching.
After two hours, they finally heard someone shouting up ahead.
The rest hurried over and found Xu Ji's lifeless body near the foot of the Old Yin Mountain, hidden in a patch of weeds beneath a terraced field on the slope.
They recognized him by his clothes, but his appearance was too gruesome to bear.
His body was curled up in a patch of dried thorns, as if he had somehow crawled into it.
His body was covered in bite marks, and a bag of lime was scattered around him.
His face, now almost unrecognizable, was frozen in an expression of sheer terror.
Seeing this, not only did the workers feel a chill, but even Shopkeeper Wu furrowed his brow.
After a long while, he sighed, "If only he had known this would happen, why did he have to be so ruthless?"
Hu Ma couldn't help but notice that after seeing Xu Ji's wounds, the shopkeeper seemed to relax slightly.
A thought struck him: "Was he actually worried that I had killed Xu Ji?"
This was really too much...
...
If I had killed him myself, you definitely wouldn't have found the body.
Hu Ma had long understood that to ensure he obtained the method, the safest way wasn't to win the competition but to make sure the shopkeeper had no other choice.
If given the chance, he might have done it himself.
But who would have thought that Xu Ji had so many enemies, and they got to him first.
And those Huang Xian spirits were really cunning.
They killed him and then dumped his body at the foot of Old Yin Mountain, as if to taunt them.
"We killed your man and went into Old Yin Mountain. What are you going to do about it?"
"Let's go," Shopkeeper Wu said with a sigh, glancing at Xu Ji's body.
He shook his head and added softly, "It's not for nothing that I saw you die, but those things are probably long gone. Even if I wanted to avenge you, I wouldn't know where to find them."
"When your father comes, I'll tell him the same."
With that, he waved his hand, instructing the workers to take Xu Ji's body back to the village and prepare a coffin for him.
Back at the village, the young men were all in low spirits, silent and brooding.
Some were heartbroken over their fingers, now reduced to bones.
Others still couldn't believe that Xu Ji was dead.
And some were filled with dread, realizing that as workers in the Red Lantern Lady's association, they would likely spend their lives dealing with such evil spirits and horrors, never knowing what fate awaited them.
"Go find Carpenter Liu at the town entrance and have him come quickly to measure the body," Shopkeeper Wu instructed as he returned to the inner courtyard.
Hu Ma took charge of the aftermath.
He had Zhou Datong bring out the black ointment left by Second Uncle and distributed it to the workers whose fingers had been gnawed to the bone.
The black ointment was excellent for treating external injuries, but whether their fingers would grow back was anyone's guess.
Next, he looked at Li Waizi, but there was nothing he could do.
At that moment, a servant from the inner courtyard came out and handed Hu Ma a pill.
Knowing it was the shopkeeper's doing, Hu Ma dissolved the pill in water and fed it to Li Waizi, who surprisingly woke up.
But he was in a daze, as if his soul had been scared out of him.
After that, Hu Ma personally supervised Carpenter Liu as he measured Xu Ji and the worker's bodies, urging him to hurry back and make the coffins.
The bodies were temporarily stored in the warehouse.
He then assigned tasks to the still-shaken workers for the day before returning to his room.
He washed his face, took the red wooden sword, and went to the inner courtyard, knocking lightly on the door to report his arrangements.
"You've handled it well. Keep it up," the shopkeeper said expressionlessly.
"Cremate the worker and keep the ashes. We'll send them back to his town next spring. As for Xu Ji, we don't need to worry about him. His family will come to collect him."
"... If anyone comes to collect him, that is."
"Yes," Hu Ma replied, then presented the red wooden sword with both hands.
"This belonged to Xu Ji. Last night, with all the evil spirits running rampant, I was scared and picked it up to use. Since his family will come for him, this sword should be kept by you, Shopkeeper."
"Keep it for now," the shopkeeper waved his hand dismissively.
"If his family asks for it, give it to them. If they don't mention it, consider it a reward for you."
"Such a small thing, and he's already making a gesture of goodwill?" Hu Ma thought to himself.
Those Huang Xian spirits had given him the sword as a gesture, and now the shopkeeper was doing the same.
He inwardly scoffed but outwardly remained respectful, thanking the shopkeeper.
However, he lingered in the inner courtyard, not in a hurry to leave.
"I know what you're thinking," the shopkeeper sighed, looking at Hu Ma.
"Since I promised you, I will teach you."
"After your night patrol, come back here."
Only after hearing this did Hu Ma finally feel at ease.
He bowed and said, "Thank you, Shopkeeper."
"It's only right, since you dealt with the evil spirit. No need to thank me," the shopkeeper replied with a faint smile, though his eyes were slightly cold as he looked at Hu Ma.
"Besides, the two of you made such a fuss that everyone knows about it. How could I go back on my word now?"
Hu Ma's face flushed slightly as he excused himself.
But though he pretended to be embarrassed, he felt no guilt.
Before going out, he had deliberately made sure all the workers knew about the Shou Sui Ren (守岁人) matter.
This was to prevent the shopkeeper from coming up with any other excuses.
Everyone knew about this test, so the shopkeeper couldn't back out now.
In this regard, even Xu Ji had shared the same thought.
The only difference was that both of them believed they would be the one to seize this opportunity.
As things reached their most critical point, Hu Ma forced himself to remain calm.
Returning to his side room, he took a short nap, leaving the red wooden sword nearby for Little Hong Tang to play with.
After sleeping for two or three hours, it was already afternoon.
He followed the usual routine, assigning tasks to the workers—feeding the horses, sweeping the grounds, and carrying the red lanterns for the night patrol.
Once everything was in order, he made his way to the inner courtyard.
When he pushed open the door, he couldn't help but pause.
Shopkeeper Wu was sitting in the courtyard, surrounded by various oil lamps.
A cup of tea sat beside him as he calmly looked at Hu Ma and said, "Come here."
Hu Ma took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward.
The ordinary little courtyard, now filled with oil lamps of all kinds, took on an eerie atmosphere.
Hu Ma's nose caught the scent of burnt oil from the different lamps.
An inexplicable sense of hidden danger filled the air.
But Hu Ma knew that this was the crucial moment where he could learn the method that might save his life.
Step by step, he walked forward.
He reached the center of the oil lamps, near the small stone table, without anything unusual happening.
Shopkeeper Wu simply sat quietly by the table, watching Hu Ma's slow approach.
His eyes flickered slightly, as if comparing him to someone.
"You worked so hard to seize this opportunity and now walk so calmly to my side..."
The shopkeeper gestured for Hu Ma to sit beside him and said slowly, "But do you know what it is that I can teach you?"
"I do," Hu Ma replied softly, having prepared for this moment since joining the Red Lantern Lady's association.
"An elder in my family once told me that the Red Lantern Lady's association supports people with great abilities."
"Those who live long lives, blessed with fortune and health, who can ward off evil spirits and diseases. They have a name—Shou Sui Ren (守岁人)."
"Long life, fortune, and health?" Shopkeeper Wu wasn't surprised by Hu Ma's words.
The name Shou Sui Ren wasn't widely known, but it wasn't a big secret either.
Veteran miners or those who had dealt with evil spirits often heard of this mysterious practice.
He simply smiled and neither confirmed nor denied it.
"You're not wrong. This practice is indeed called Shou Sui Ren."
"I've been a Shou Sui Ren for thirty years. In that time, I've dealt with countless evil spirits and paid homage to the Tai Sui (太岁) many times. Of course, I've also faced many dangers along the way."
"Now that I'm old and this village has no one to help, it's time to pass on this knowledge. Among the new workers, in terms of intelligence and foundation, you are the most suitable."
Hu Ma felt a slight stir in his heart.
Perhaps he should immediately kneel and bow in gratitude?
But just as he was about to rise, the shopkeeper seemed to sense his intention and gently waved his hand.
"No need for formalities. You don't have to call me master."
"After all, both of us serve the Red Lantern Lady. The only difference is that I'm the shopkeeper, and you're a worker."
"Bowing would only add unnecessary obligations."
"And I'm teaching you this method not out of kindness, but because I have important matters that require your help."
"Important matters?" Hu Ma felt a slight weight in his heart, sensing that there was more to this.
(End of Chapter)
Translator's Note:
This chapter delves deeper into the mysterious and dangerous world of the Red Lantern Lady's association, where the line between life and death, and the living and the dead, is perilously thin.
Hu Ma's journey to learn the secrets of the Shou Sui Ren takes a significant step forward, but the stakes are higher than ever.
The shopkeeper's cryptic words hint at darker things to come, and Hu Ma must tread carefully as he navigates this treacherous path.