Hu Ma was utterly numb.
He had never imagined in his life that someone would barge into his dreams to call him a scumbag.
Even more unimaginable was that he would end up living under the same roof with a sinister, eerie old woman and a non-human little girl.
And what’s worse, he had agreed to it willingly…
When he first woke up, he had thought about running away, about figuring out this strange world.
But now, he had simply given up.
Whatever the old woman told him to do, he did it obediently, like a good grandson…
If she told him to eat meat, he ate it heartily.
Little Hong Tang, the little girl, would drool like a stream watching him eat, but he still finished every last bite.
If the old woman told him not to go out at night, he stayed indoors, not even stepping beyond the threshold.
He even peed by the wall, holding it in for the big one.
What else could he do? The outside world was just too dangerous…
Of course, he still had some pride left.
There were things the old woman forbade him from doing, but he did them anyway.
Like household chores.
Though he didn’t fully understand what that "Tai Sui meat" was, Hu Ma gradually began to sense its miraculous properties.
The wounds on his shoulders had been severe, piercing injuries.
Back then, Little Hong Tang had licked his wounds with her tongue, stopping the bleeding and numbing the pain.
But that hadn’t healed the wounds—it was more like she had given him anesthesia.
His arms were still weak, and he felt a dull ache from time to time.
However, after eating the Tai Sui meat for a few days in the village, his wounds healed at an astonishing rate.
When he ate the Tai Sui meat, he could feel a warm sensation spreading from his lower abdomen throughout his body.
It was as if the warmth was accelerating the healing of his wounds.
When he lay still, Hu Ma could even feel the flesh at his wounds slowly growing and reconnecting.
In less than six or seven days, the wounds had scabbed over, and new flesh seemed to have filled the gaps.
As his strength gradually returned, he began to eagerly help out—sweeping, chopping firewood, wiping tables, even fetching water—all in the hopes of leaving a good impression on the old woman.
Occasionally, when the old woman woke from a nap and saw Hu Ma diligently working, her gaze would grow somewhat complicated.
She would tell him to rest more, not to overwork himself, but Hu Ma would just nod in agreement.
This was the only thing he had control over now—why would he listen to her?
After all, no one knew what the future held.
He didn’t know how long he could keep his identity hidden, nor did he know where he was headed.
Maybe if he behaved well now, when his true identity was eventually exposed, he wouldn’t be utterly destroyed?
Life, amidst these undercurrents, took on a strange, eerie calm.
An old woman, a young man, and a little ghost lived together in this cramped house, almost like a family.
Until one day, Hu Ma was jolted awake by the thick, dark red mist once again.
"Am I back in that strange dream?"
"…"
Hu Ma walked forward slowly, once again seeing the dilapidated incense altar and the shadowy statue.
After a moment of observation, he was certain this wasn’t a dream.
The scene in this dream was exactly the same as the last time.
Even the red incense stick he had inserted into the incense burner last time was still there, its smoke curling and drifting slowly.
If this were just a dream, how could it feel so real, and how could the scenes connect so seamlessly?
If this dream was real, then the call he had heard in the dream last time—was that real too?
"Huh?"
As he pondered this, Hu Ma suddenly noticed a small change in the incense burner.
He clearly remembered that the incense stick had almost burned out last time, but now it was longer, about two fingers’ length.
"How come it’s grown longer after burning for so many days?"
This subtle discovery filled him with a faint sense of excitement.
He didn’t understand the principle behind it, but he knew that by lighting this incense stick, he might still be able to hear that call again.
Admittedly, this seemed like a dangerous thing to do.
In this bizarre world, it seemed like one should be cautious no matter what they encountered.
But the oppressive, eerie life he was living now was driving him insane.
He would cling to even the tiniest straw.
He calmed his mind and waited patiently, watching as the incense stick burned in the burner, its smoke curling and blending into the red mist.
But instead of dissipating, the smoke slowly swirled, like a tiny snake winding through the dark red fog.
Vaguely, Hu Ma felt as if the smoke from the incense had a life of its own, searching for something on his behalf.
There was no wind, yet the smoke seemed to be blown, shifting from left to right, its shape constantly changing.
After about a minute, Hu Ma suddenly heard a faint voice.
The smoke from the incense trembled slightly, then stabilized into a thin line, connecting to a direction deep within the mist.
At the same time, the voice became clearer:
"Code name Erguotou, calling from Old Yin Mountain. Is there any reincarnator out there? Can anyone hear me?"
"Repeat, Old Yin Mountain calling reincarnators. Is there anyone out there?"
"…"
Hu Ma’s heart trembled.
If the last time he had only heard it briefly before waking up, this time it was exceptionally clear.
Clear and real.
It was the same voice as before, but this time it sounded more tired.
The caller sounded desperate, almost hopeless.
"…Damn it, is everyone dead? No one’s hearing me?"
"The incense is almost burned out. This is the last call…"
"…"
Hearing the words "last call," Hu Ma’s heart stirred.
He tentatively spoke up:
"I hear you. Who are you?"
"…"
After saying these words, he held his breath, unsure if the other person could hear him.
But then, the voice responded, filled with surprise.
Even the straight line of smoke trembled slightly:
"Someone’s here after all! I knew I wasn’t the only reincarnator in this damned mountain…"
"Brother, save me…"
"…"
"?"
Hu Ma hadn’t expected such a down-to-earth response.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "First, tell me who you are."
"Who else could it be but another poor soul who fell into this cursed world?"
The voice sounded anxious: "I’m in Fox Coffin Village at Old Yin Mountain. Are you far from me? Or, if you have any ghost servants, can you send me something to save my life? Talismans, Tai Sui, old artifacts—anything will do…"
"…"
"Poor soul?"
Before the other person could finish, Hu Ma was already surprised, picking up on something significant from his words:
"Are there many people who’ve come to this world?"
"…"
The question seemed to catch the other person off guard.
After a long pause, he replied in a strange tone:
"Is this your first time connecting?"
"…"
Hu Ma wasn’t sure how to answer, so he remained silent.
"…Sigh…"
The voice suddenly sounded disappointed: "I’m in a bit of trouble. I thought I’d found someone to help, but it turns out you’re a newbie. Looks like I’m doomed this time. I was too greedy, thinking I could keep all the benefits to myself…"
"Wait, what’s going on here?"
Listening to the other person’s despondent muttering, Hu Ma grew anxious: "Where exactly are we?"
"Brother, we all want to know what’s going on and where we are."
The voice sounded weary, sighing: "I don’t know about you, but the few people I’ve contacted all woke up in this damned world."
"This place is just too dangerous. Tai Sui is everywhere, evil spirits roam freely, ghosts pass through in droves, and monsters gather in groups. This place is hell—no, worse than hell. Hell isn’t this terrifying, nor does it have so many bizarre things!"
Hu Ma thought of the white-faced men, the upright goats, and the snake-women he had seen before, and he understood completely.
He urgently asked, "What should we do then?"
"What else can we do? Survive…"
The voice sounded defeated: "Worship the gods when you see them, avoid the ghosts when you encounter them, and learn whatever skills you can…"
"Of course, the most important thing is to never let anyone discover your true identity. Otherwise, your fate will be worse than encountering a ghost…"
"…"
"True identity?"
Hu Ma felt like his mind was a tangled mess.
He could only ask mechanically, "What happens if they find out?"
"You’re a complete newbie, aren’t you, brother…"
The other person sounded almost incredulous, chuckling bitterly: "This world is terrifying, isn’t it?"
Did he even need to ask?
Ever since arriving in this world, Hu Ma hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep, nor had he ventured beyond the village.
"This world is full of strange and terrifying things—bizarre flesh mountains, seductive evil spirits, soul-snatching black wind disasters, and even the legendary Road to the Underworld…"
Before Hu Ma could respond, the other person continued helplessly: "But can you believe that the people in this world are most afraid of us?"
"Us?"
Hu Ma was momentarily confused: "Why are they afraid of us?"
"They think we’re yin ghosts!"
The voice carried a hint of resentment and bitterness: "Evil spirits that crawled out of hell, possessing living bodies and hiding among humans."
"They see us as the most terrifying evil spirits!"
"Once they discover our true identities, they’ll strip our souls from our bodies and refine us until nothing remains…"
(End of Chapter)