In the pitch-black night, a ferocious and bloodthirsty dog with a human face stood out starkly.
Wu He, once a beautiful and fair-skinned girl, now had her face smeared with blood and bits of white flesh, creating a stark contrast with the body of the large black dog.
Hu Ma only caught a glimpse of this scene, but it shocked him more than facing the strange altar auntie.
"I..."
Facing Hu Ma's gaze, Wu He also reacted.
Her face turned pale, and her expression revealed a mix of shame and fear.
Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Suddenly, she let out a mournful cry, covered herself with the dog skin, and fled into the darkness by the roadside.
"Shopkeeper, this..."
The horrifying and unexpected scene left Hu Ma stunned for a while before he could react.
He forced himself to calm his pounding heart and turned to look at the old shopkeeper, who was also gazing in the direction where the black dog had run off, his eyes filled with pity and reluctance.
After a long while, the shopkeeper finally turned around and saw Hu Ma's shocked expression.
He slowly waved his hand and said, "Don't ask. And you must never tell anyone about this."
"Take these children back to the village. Gather everything that's been left behind here, and make sure nothing is missing."
"Once everything is settled, come to my courtyard. I have something to discuss with you."
"..."
"Yes."
Hu Ma suppressed the questions in his heart and softly agreed.
He watched as the shopkeeper picked up the mutilated body of the peddler and strode into the trees by the roadside.
Like the black dog, the shopkeeper seemed to be avoiding the road, choosing instead to cut through the fields.
Hu Ma waited until the shopkeeper's figure disappeared before letting out a low sigh.
He patted Xiao Hongtang's head, praising her for arriving in time, and then went to check on the dazed children.
The peddler was dead, and the rattle drum had been crushed by the shopkeeper.
The spell that had ensnared the children should have been broken.
However, the children still seemed a bit disoriented, as if they were sleepwalking.
They would probably need to go back and sleep it off, perhaps even have their spirits called back, but at least they were safe now, unharmed and out of danger.
Hu Ma instructed Xiao Hongtang to keep an eye on the children, making sure none of them wandered off again.
Then he turned to gather the overturned cart and the various items that had spilled out of the baskets—bottles, jars, and fragments of the broken altar.
He was meticulous, worried that some harmful object might have been left behind.
He was also concerned that the eerie peddler might have left behind something dangerous, and that he might accidentally fall victim to the dead man's tricks.
The shopkeeper had instructed him to gather everything and bring it back, likely for the same reason.
Anything left behind by someone who practiced dark arts could be harmful, and if a villager picked it up, it could lead to disaster.
He hadn't been gathering for long when he heard voices and saw torches approaching.
It was Zhou Datong and the others, who had come after Xiao Hongtang had gone back to inform them.
Xiao Hongtang had first slapped Zhou Datong awake, told him what had happened, and then gone to notify the shopkeeper.
Although Zhou Datong had seen the shopkeeper leave, he was still worried and had gathered the others to come and help.
However, they were much slower on foot.
"You came just in time. The situation has been dealt with," Hu Ma said, turning to see Zhou Datong holding a stick, Zhao Zhu with a pitchfork, and others armed with brooms and kitchen knives.
He couldn't help but smile wryly.
If these guys had arrived earlier, things might have turned out worse.
The peddler's strange methods were not something ordinary folks like them could handle.
Hu Ma had them take over the task of gathering the items, carefully instructing them to be thorough and not to get cut by any sharp fragments.
Then he led the dazed children back to the village.
As they approached the village, they heard shouts and the sound of running feet.
Someone in the village had woken up and discovered that the children were missing, causing quite a commotion.
"It was the peddler who came to the village during the day. He's been dealt with," Hu Ma said coldly to the village elder as he brought the children back.
"Have each family come and check if their child is here. After this, make sure to raise the thresholds of your homes—to keep things out, and to keep your children in."
In the village, every household had a threshold to ward off zombies during times of famine.
But Hu Ma's suggestion to raise them higher was to prevent children from wandering out in case something like this happened again.
"Master Hu, we owe you a great debt of gratitude..."
Those who found their children quickly took them back, and the village head immediately wanted to kneel and kowtow to Hu Ma, calling out:
"Light the lamps, prepare a feast, quickly prepare a feast..."
"..."
"No need. I need to get back soon."
Hu Ma declined directly, still thinking about the meeting with the shopkeeper.
He firmly helped the village head and others to their feet.
Without saying much more, he turned and left the village.
Soon, he found Zhou Datong and the others, returning Zhou's waist knife to him.
The blade had a few nicks, but since it was still in its sheath, Zhou couldn't see them and wouldn't be upset just yet.
Together, they pushed and pulled the cart back to the estate.
The broken altar and the strange flesh-like substance inside were burned to ashes.
Back at the estate, Hu Ma had the cart placed by the wall and instructed someone to keep an eye on it, making sure no one touched it.
Then he quickly made his way to the inner courtyard.
The courtyard was empty, but a lamp was lit in the main hall, and the door was open.
As Hu Ma entered, he saw a hook hanging from the beam, with the peddler's corpse suspended from it.
Below the body, there were traces of incense and burnt paper.
The shopkeeper was sitting at the Eight Immortals table, sipping tea, his face dark and his mood clearly foul.
Seeing Hu Ma enter, he put down his teacup and said in a low voice, "How did you find him?"
"During the day, I went to Ganzhuang to check on the woodcutter who had been bewitched by the peach blossom. After I left, I saw him," Hu Ma replied.
"He wasn't taking money, but giving candy to the children. It seemed like he was secretly plucking their hair, so I became suspicious."
"At the time, I wasn't sure, so I didn't want to alarm you. I went back at night to take a look and saw him using the rattle drum to lure the children out. That's when I knew something was wrong. I was worried I couldn't handle him alone, so I sent the little ghost servant back to inform you..."
"..."
He deliberately mentioned Xiao Hongtang's role.
Having been here for a while, he had come to understand that having a little ghost servant wasn't considered unusual in this world.
Even keeping one by your side wasn't seen as disrespectful to the Red Lantern Lady.
Moreover, this was something passed down in his family.
By mentioning it now, he was essentially giving Xiao Hongtang a sort of official recognition.
"You did well."
The shopkeeper, as expected, didn't seem bothered by the mention of Xiao Hongtang.
His voice was heavy, and his expression was grim.
"These scum from the Altar Sect deserve to be killed by everyone."
Hu Ma's heart stirred.
"The Altar Sect?"
"Lowlifes..."
The shopkeeper snorted coldly.
"They're experts at deception and using dark arts to harm people. The peddler act is just a front, a way to scout and gather information. What they really do is traffic children."
"That altar auntie he kept is one of their signature tricks. It's a good thing you didn't try to handle it on your own. Otherwise, you might not have been able to deal with such a sinister thing."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was a bit puzzled.
How did the shopkeeper know so much? During the fight, there hadn't been time to ask.
"Heh..."
As if sensing Hu Ma's curiosity, the shopkeeper let out a cold laugh and glanced at the corpse hanging from the beam.
"I got it out of him just now."
"He wouldn't talk while alive, but he had to spill everything after death."
"Normally, this isn't a proper method, but for people like this, no method is too extreme."
"..."
Hu Ma was slightly shocked.
It seemed the shopkeeper had done something to the peddler after returning early.
The traces of incense and burnt paper on the ground were likely from that.
"Heaven hasn't failed me..."
After venting his anger, the shopkeeper sighed softly.
"I've finally caught up with them."
Hu Ma looked up.
"Do you have a grudge against them?"
Earlier, he had noticed that the shopkeeper had been particularly brutal when dealing with the peddler.
Given the shopkeeper's usual detached demeanor, it seemed there was more to it than just righteous indignation.
There must have been another reason.
"I have no personal grudge against this peddler, but when it comes to the Altar Sect..."
The shopkeeper slowly raised his head, his voice cold and filled with fury.
"I wish I could grind their bones to ashes."
Hu Ma could hear the deep-seated hatred in the shopkeeper's voice, and it made his heart sink.
He wanted to ask more, but hesitated, choosing instead to remain silent and wait for the shopkeeper to continue.
But the shopkeeper also seemed hesitant, and for a moment, the room fell into an eerie silence.
"Father, tell him..."
Just then, a voice came from the side room.
It was Wu He, her voice tinged with sorrow.
Hu Ma immediately thought of the large dog and wondered what had happened to Wu He.
The shopkeeper's face showed a pained expression.
After a long pause, he slowly raised his hand and said to Hu Ma, "Go and see your junior sister."
"I..."
Hu Ma was naturally curious, but he had been holding back his questions.
Now that the shopkeeper had given him permission, he hesitated for a moment before slowly walking to the side room and lifting the curtain.
As he entered, he saw a large dog skin hanging on the wall.
The side room was dark, with only a faint light from the main hall.
Hu Ma could barely make out Wu He sitting in a large vat in the corner.
The air was filled with the smell of blood, herbs, and a faint stench of decay that Hu Ma had noticed earlier.
"Brother Hu Ma..."
Wu He's voice was choked with tears, and as she spoke, there was a splashing sound as she slowly stood up from the vat.
"Please... don't laugh at me..."
"..."
Hu Ma felt he shouldn't look, but as his eyes caught sight of her, they widened in shock.
In the dim light from the oil lamp in the outer room, he saw Wu He's horrifying body.
"This..."
His voice was hoarse as he spoke.
"What is this?"
The shopkeeper's voice came from behind him, low, slow, and filled with boundless anger.
"Beast-making."
(End of Chapter)