Earlier, Hu Ma had heard from his friend Erguotou that in the life temples of other reincarnators, behind the incense altar, there was always a divine statue.
This statue was a manifestation of their life force, reflecting their cultivation progress.
This allowed them to cultivate faster than ordinary people.
However, Hu Ma could only imagine what it looked like, as behind his own incense altar, there was only darkness.
But now, after just his first attempt at the Shousui method, Hu Ma had caught a glimpse of a part of that divine statue.
What he saw was precisely his left hand, which he was trying to revive through cultivation.
Moreover, the faint golden traces that appeared within his left hand perfectly matched the energy flow he had just attempted to cultivate.
It was as if they were identical, down to the finest detail.
"Can my divine statue also reflect my cultivation progress?" Hu Ma was both surprised and delighted.
After carefully examining it, he became even more certain of his guess.
However, apart from the golden traces in the left hand, the rest of the statue remained lifeless and unchanged.
"Is it because my body was originally dead that the statue is also lifeless and unclear? Now that I’ve started trying to revive my left hand, that part of the statue has begun to show?" Hu Ma pondered, though he wasn’t entirely sure.
But Hu Ma knew that the matter of the divine statue was the biggest difference between him and other reincarnators.
Even if he had questions, he couldn’t ask anyone else.
So, after some contemplation, he decided to continue practicing silently.
Sure enough, as he practiced the Shousui method, the third life incense in the incense burner began to burn faster, transforming into strands of vitality that seeped into the meridians and blood vessels of his left hand, as if reawakening its life force.
This was exactly as the old shopkeeper had instructed.
But what surprised Hu Ma the most was that every meridian and blood vessel the vitality passed through was reflected on the left hand of the divine statue.
To confirm, Hu Ma even boldly directed a strand of vitality into the wrong meridian.
Immediately, a corresponding mark appeared on the left hand of the divine statue.
However, the color was strange, and the meridian seemed to be under strain, on the verge of breaking.
Hu Ma quickly withdrew the strand of vitality, now certain of his discovery.
"Too good..."
Hu Ma couldn’t contain his joy.
"After struggling for so long, I’ve finally gained the same advantage as other reincarnators?"
Earlier, when the old shopkeeper had taught him the Shousui method, Hu Ma had felt uneasy.
Before receiving the method, he had been desperate to learn it.
But after obtaining it, he worried that the old shopkeeper might have held something back or even taught him incorrectly.
In this strange world, even learning cultivation methods felt like walking on thin ice, especially with the Shousui method, which involved transforming life into death and death into life, requiring meticulous attention to the body’s meridians.
Cultivating this method was like a blind person embroidering—careful, but still prone to mistakes that could leave hidden dangers.
Only when something went wrong would one realize the error.
But now, with the divine statue reflecting his progress, Hu Ma no longer had to worry.
Thinking of this, Hu Ma felt even more at ease and seized the opportunity to practice, becoming more skilled and precise.
By morning, Hu Ma felt refreshed and clear-headed.
His left hand, now "dead" and unresponsive, was wrapped in cloth and hung around his neck.
This was a necessary step for all Shousui practitioners—first killing a part of themselves, then reviving it.
However, Hu Ma could skip the "death" step by simply cutting off the blood supply to that part.
Initially, he had used an oil lamp to naturally sever the connection, but in the future, he might not even need the lamp.
Of course, for now, he still needed to nurture it.
Even after a night of cultivation, he could feel a slight warmth in his left hand, but it wasn’t yet flexible enough to use.
Plus, it was inconvenient for others to see his left hand in its current state, so he wrapped it up.
Others simply assumed he had been injured the previous night and didn’t suspect anything.
In the outer courtyard, the other workers had already risen.
When they saw Hu Ma, they gathered around, eager to please.
After the events of the previous night, including Xu Ji’s death and their own fright, they had been listless.
But after a night’s rest, they realized that some changes had occurred in the courtyard, and they now looked at Hu Ma with a mix of awe and respect.
After all, Hu Ma had caught the old shopkeeper’s eye and learned some skills.
Even if they didn’t know exactly what he had learned, his status had clearly changed.
From this day on, Hu Ma wasn’t just performing the duties of a manager—he was a manager in title as well.
His monthly salary and resources would now be that of a manager.
"Don’t just stand there," Hu Ma said, noticing the workers’ restlessness.
"Get to work. That’s what matters."
The workers chuckled awkwardly, thinking Hu Ma was putting on airs, but they didn’t dare complain.
As they turned to leave, Hu Ma added, "At noon, send someone to buy some meat and put it on the shop’s account. You all worked hard yesterday. You deserve a good meal."
The workers were stunned for a moment, then erupted in cheers, looking at Hu Ma with newfound warmth.
This was a stark contrast to how Xu Ji had treated them.
When Xu Ji had been in charge, he had simply ordered them around.
He was close to the shopkeeper but always stern with the workers.
Now that Hu Ma was the true manager, they had worried that his previous friendliness might have been an act, and that he would change once he achieved his goal.
If Hu Ma had indeed changed, the workers wouldn’t have been able to say much.
After all, just two nights ago, when Xu Ji had called, most of them had followed him.
But now, with Hu Ma offering to treat them to a meal, it was clear that he was willing to let bygones be bygones and maintain a friendly relationship.
The thought of better days ahead made everyone happy.
"Hu... Hu Ma..."
As Hu Ma watched the workers cheerfully return to their tasks, he heard a weak voice calling him.
It was Li Wazi, who looked pale and was leaning against the doorframe.
Suddenly, Li Wazi’s knees gave way, and he fell to the ground, crying, "Hu Ma, I know I was wrong. You guys are the ones who really care about me..."
"Enough of that. Get up," Hu Ma said, frowning as he helped Li Wazi to his feet.
He looked him over and asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Two nights ago, Li Wazi had been dragged into a well by a ghost and had turned stiff.
Hu Ma had brought him back but wasn’t sure if he would survive.
The shopkeeper had given him a pill, which they had forced down his throat with water.
Li Wazi had woken up but had been dazed and confused.
Now, however, he seemed to be up and about, speaking coherently.
"I... I’m better..."
Li Wazi said weakly, on the verge of tears again.
"Xu Ji was no good. He only wanted to bully people... They said if you hadn’t gone into the well to save me, I would’ve died..."
"So that’s why he’s so emotional..."
Hu Ma thought to himself.
Seeing everyone watching, he helped Li Wazi into the house.
Truthfully, Hu Ma hadn’t intended to save Li Wazi.
At first, he had thought Li Wazi was already dead, and his survival had come as a surprise.
But now that Li Wazi had heard it was Hu Ma who had gone into the well to save him, his gratitude seemed genuine.
Hu Ma, of course, didn’t feel the need to clarify the matter.
Sometimes, it was better to let things remain unclear.
He helped the frail Li Wazi sit on the bed and observed him closely.
Just a day ago, Li Wazi had been a strong young man, the kind who would drool at the sight of a sheep’s rear and could lift a fifty-pound stone roller with ease.
But now, he looked as weak as if he had spent the night indulging in excess, with barely a breath of life left in him.
"He’s ruined..."
Hu Ma realized, though he didn’t say it out loud.
The reason these young men had been chosen for the Red Lantern Society was because they had developed a strong internal fire.
If an ordinary person had been dragged into the well by a ghost, they would have died instantly.
But Li Wazi, with his internal fire, had held on a bit longer.
However, his survival had come at the cost of depleting that fire.
Now, not only was his internal fire gone, but his body had also been hollowed out by the ghost’s yin energy.
He was now weaker than an ordinary person.
"Datong, Liang, Zhu, stop eavesdropping and come in," Hu Ma called out to the door.
Zhou Datong, along with Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu from Dayang Village, entered.
Seeing Li Wazi’s condition, their expressions softened.
Despite their usual dislike for him, their youthful nature meant they didn’t hold a grudge.
"What you did before, I wasn’t happy with, and neither were Datong, Liang, or Zhu," Hu Ma said seriously, looking at Li Wazi.
"We’re brothers from the same village. You didn’t trust us, but you trusted someone else?"
Li Wazi’s pale face flushed with shame.
"To be honest, you brought this on yourself. I shouldn’t have saved you," Hu Ma continued.
"But before Second Uncle left, he told me that we’re all from the same village, and we shouldn’t leave anyone behind. The four of us are doing well here. If something happened to you, how could we face your parents when we return to the village? How could we watch other families celebrate while yours mourned? Or what if we couldn’t make it here, and you were the only one who succeeded, returning to the village in glory?"
At these words, even Zhou Datong’s usual playful expression faded.
Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu felt that Hu Ma had spoken their thoughts exactly, and they looked at him with admiration.
As for Li Wazi, he could only nod, too overwhelmed to speak.
Hu Ma sighed and said no more, simply waving his hand.
"Rest here for now. I won’t tell the shopkeeper about your condition, or he’ll definitely send you back."
Li Wazi, filled with shame and gratitude, almost knelt down again.
The other young men from the village, though not good with words, understood everything without needing to speak.
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(End of Chapter)