Apart from the strange girl, everything else had been going smoothly for Hu Ma.
Though he wasn’t sure what the old man and his daughter were thinking, the notes and the "Qing Shi" (a type of spiritual food) had indeed been of great benefit to him.
Hu Ma was also growing more accustomed to his role as the steward of the estate.
Not only were the workers in the outer courtyard obedient to him, but even in the nearby towns and villages, people had started to recognize him as the capable young steward of the estate.
When they saw him, they would respectfully call him "Steward Lord."
Whenever something strange happened in the surrounding villages, they had grown accustomed to inviting this young steward to handle it.
After solving a few minor supernatural incidents—like the old woman who stole pig feed at night and the ghostly husband who blocked the door after his death—Hu Ma’s reputation had gradually spread.
Of course, the supernatural entities he could handle were only those with weak yin energy.
As for things like lost cattle or fortune-telling requests, Hu Ma had no idea how to deal with those.
When he asked the estate manager about it, the manager simply waved his hand and said, "Just send them away. This isn’t a government office, and we don’t know how to do that anyway."
As time passed, the surroundings became more familiar, and the estate itself became much more peaceful.
The manager’s daughter, who had caused quite a stir when she first appeared, had since gone out less frequently.
Occasionally, Hu Ma would catch a glimpse of her, but she no longer approached him.
Instead, she would just smile at him from a distance.
Sometimes she would ask, "How’s your cultivation progress lately?" or tilt her head and ask, "Where’s the rouge and powder you promised me?"
Hu Ma didn’t mind buying her some rouge and powder.
After all, living in the estate, there weren’t many places to spend money.
The few small silver coins his grandmother had left him had grown to seven or eight after some time.
But buying rouge and powder wasn’t easy—he’d have to go to the city for that.
And as the estate steward, he rarely had the chance to visit the city.
"Alright, take some tonic medicine and rest for a few days. Just make sure you don’t go near the western mountains again," Hu Ma said one day after being called to Xue Village to examine a woodcutter who had been possessed by an evil spirit.
The man wasn’t in serious condition, but he had gone to the western mountains to chop wood and stumbled upon a peach tree.
It was the middle of winter, yet the peach tree was in full bloom, its flowers dazzling and vibrant.
A normal person would have avoided such an eerie sight, but the woodcutter, in a daze, had approached it.
He fell asleep under the tree and dreamed of a beautiful woman who seduced him.
The next day, he went back and did it again.
And the day after that.
By the fifth day, he fell ill.
When Hu Ma arrived, he quickly identified the problem.
The peach tree was clearly unnatural, but it was too far from the estate—over thirty miles away—and Hu Ma had no intention of traveling that far to deal with it.
Instead, he used a wisp of furnace fire to dispel the evil energy accumulated in the woodcutter’s body and advised him to take tonics to recover.
Before leaving, the woodcutter mustered some strength and grabbed Hu Ma’s hand.
"Young Lord, will I recover?"
"Of course you will. Just rest and take care of yourself," Hu Ma reassured him with a smile.
In this world, evil spirits harmed people in various ways.
Some took lives, others were driven by obsession, and some drained people’s yang energy.
The woodcutter was lucky—the spirit didn’t take his life, only stole some of his vitality.
In truth, recovering wasn’t as simple as Hu Ma made it sound.
The tonics would help him regain his strength and return to work, but after this ordeal, the woodcutter’s lifespan would likely be shortened by twenty years.
Hu Ma saw no need to scare him with that information.
Hearing that he would recover, the woodcutter tightened his grip on Hu Ma’s hand.
"Can you make the tonic stronger? I want to recover quickly so I can... go back again!"
Hu Ma was stunned.
What kind of nonsense was this? Did this guy think he could indulge in such pleasures without consequences? Did he think he was like Second Master, who could not only withstand such encounters but even benefit from them?
"If you don’t value your life, go ahead," Hu Ma said coldly.
"You’ve already lost thirty years of your lifespan. A few more trips, and there won’t be much left."
This wasn’t an exaggeration.
As a practitioner of longevity cultivation, Hu Ma’s own vitality and cultivation allowed him to estimate lifespans.
He could sense the vitality of others with great accuracy.
The woodcutter’s encounters with the spirit had severely damaged his body.
Though he had been strong and healthy before, his vitality had been drained, and his foundation was now weakened.
Leaving the woodcutter to his tears, Hu Ma stepped outside and discussed the payment with the village head.
He remembered the old manager’s advice—whenever he dealt with supernatural matters, he should always collect the appropriate fee.
The money would be used to support the estate and pay the workers.
If a family was too poor to pay, the village head would handle it.
Hu Ma’s only responsibility was to ensure he didn’t pressure or extort anyone.
After settling the matter and declining the village head’s invitation to stay for dinner, Hu Ma slowly made his way back to the estate.
As he reached the village entrance, he heard the sound of a rattle drum.
In the distance, near the small river at the edge of the village, a peddler was setting up his stall, calling out to attract customers.
Remembering his promise to buy rouge and powder for the manager’s daughter, Hu Ma walked over.
From afar, he saw the peddler surrounded by children, all eyeing the candies and sweets in his baskets.
These peddlers traveled from village to village, carrying all sorts of goods—needles, thread, tea cups, jars, candies, steamed buns, and even condiments like soy sauce and vinegar.
They were like mobile general stores for the rural areas.
When the rattle drum sounded, villagers who needed something would come out to buy.
If they didn’t need anything, they’d still chat with the peddler and ask him to bring specific items next time.
This particular peddler seemed to have finished his business in the village and was packing up to leave.
The adults had gone, leaving only the children, who were still lingering, unable to resist the temptation of the sweets.
But in poor families, few parents could afford to indulge their children’s cravings.
The kids would just have to endure until they grew up.
"Don’t grab, and don’t wipe your snot on me!" the peddler said with a laugh as he handed out candies to the drooling children.
Hu Ma watched as the peddler gave a piece of caramel to a chubby-cheeked boy and then teased the others with more sweets.
"You’re quite generous," Hu Ma said as he approached.
"But if their parents don’t pay, you won’t get your money back."
The peddler turned around, startled.
He was a sturdy young man with a naturally cheerful face.
"Oh, I’m not charging for these. Business was good today, and I’ve only got a few things left. I’m just having fun with the kids before I head back. I’ve always been fond of children—giving them a treat doesn’t bother me. What can I get for you, young lord?"
The peddler had noticed Hu Ma’s clean clothes, the green cloth belt around his waist, and the sturdy shoes on his feet, so he addressed him respectfully.
Hu Ma didn’t engage in small talk.
"Do you have any rouge and powder?"
"I do," the peddler said, quickly squatting down to rummage through his baskets.
He pulled out a few wooden boxes and let Hu Ma choose.
Hu Ma picked a few, paid, and tucked them into his robe before heading back to the estate.
As evening approached, Hu Ma arranged the night patrol but noticed that the manager’s daughter hadn’t shown up.
He went into the inner courtyard and found the old servant, instructing him to deliver the items to the young lady.
After making sure everything in the estate was in order and having dinner, Hu Ma waited for the night patrol to return.
Then, armed with his red wooden sword and Zhou Datong’s waist knife, he led Little Hong Tang out of the estate and walked several miles back to the village he had visited earlier.
Under the moonlight, he sat beneath an old willow tree by the river, quietly meditating.
The surroundings were pitch black, and though the moon was out, Hu Ma was hidden in the shadows, invisible to anyone.
He waited for about an hour or two, the night growing deeper.
In the wilderness, during the winter month, not even the chirping of insects or the barking of dogs could be heard.
The village was silent, as if forgotten by the world.
Hu Ma thought to himself that he would wait one more hour before returning to the estate.
But just then, a cold wind swept through the village, and faintly, the sound of a rattle drum could be heard in the distance.
The sound was faint, almost imperceptible, blending with the night wind.
Hu Ma opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, but all he saw was darkness.
The wind grew colder, swirling ominously along the village path, sending chills down his spine.
Turning his head, Hu Ma frowned slightly.
He could vaguely see small, wriggling dots moving slowly along the village road.
Hu Ma remained still, holding back the curious Little Hong Tang as he watched from beneath the tree.
Soon, the dots came closer, revealing themselves to be a group of children, walking in a daze.
Their eyes were closed, and their chubby little hands stretched out in front of them as they stumbled forward, as if sleepwalking.
They moved unsteadily, occasionally tripping, but they didn’t stop, forming a line as they slowly made their way out of the village.
The village was dark, with no lights or sounds.
The adults were fast asleep, unaware that their children had wandered out.
Hu Ma exhaled softly as the children passed by him.
He tightened his grip on the wooden sword resting on his knees.
"Go back to the estate and wake Zhou Datong. Tell him..."
Hu Ma whispered instructions to Little Hong Tang, making sure she understood.
Then, holding his sword, he stood up and followed the children into the wilderness.
(End of Chapter)