A malevolent ghost that crawled out of hell, hiding among the living...
Hu Ma was momentarily stunned by the strange words of the other person.
Ever since he woke up, he had been guarded by this eerie old woman, only thinking about how to avoid the evil spirits that were constantly watching him.
He knew nothing about anything else.
But suddenly, because of a nameless old man in his dream, he learned that he was now a malevolent ghost, a kind of evil spirit?
How could he be an evil spirit?
He was just a college student living in a normal world, at most, he had just crossed over...
...
But when he thought of this, he suddenly froze.
Yes, in his previous life, he clearly remembered that he had died, perishing in that explosion.
He even vaguely remembered drifting aimlessly for many years until he heard that strange incantation, which drew him into this body.
The old woman had originally intended to summon the soul of her grandson, but instead, she had accidentally summoned him.
So, in the old woman's eyes, what exactly was he?
A terrifying fact gradually unfolded before his eyes: "So..."
"I am an evil spirit?"
"..."
"..."
"My incense is about to burn out, and that thing is almost upon me..."
At this moment, the voice from the other end of the incense stick, which seemed to be "connected," also sounded urgent: "Brother, it's the duty of the old to teach the new the rules of survival, but I really can't spare the time for you now."
"I can only tell you that our situation is extremely dire. Both the evil spirits and the people of this world are eager to kill us."
"Remember, your identity is the most important. Never let anyone know who you really are."
"We had a companion who, at only five years old in this world, accidentally let slip a word and was ground to dust by her own father in this world, her soul completely destroyed."
"The people of this world won't hesitate to kill you because of familial ties. They will only see you as a malevolent ghost that has possessed their child, and they will hate you even more..."
"..."
"You..."
Hu Ma still had countless questions he wanted to ask, but he noticed that the incense stick seemed to be fading, becoming chaotic.
"I don't have time to say more, I can only tell you..."
The other person also spoke urgently: "Tai Sui is the most crucial thing."
"I don't know what your current situation is, but you must find a way to seize the Tai Sui meat. It's the best thing, it can save me, and it can help you. Green Tai Sui is the best, but if you can't get that, White Tai Sui will do. Of course, if you can find Blood Tai Sui..."
"... Sigh, that's almost impossible, unless you're reborn into a noble family."
"In short, by any means necessary, you must get your hands on these things."
"..."
Listening to his anxious tone, Hu Ma didn't dare to interrupt him anymore.
He just tried to discern his increasingly unclear voice and firmly remembered: "It's bad, that thing is coming in..."
"I'm going to use the Sealing Life Technique to seal myself. Brother, I can only hold out for two months at most. If you have the chance to meet others, tell them to go to the Fox Coffin Village... under the East Bridge..."
"There is... a Hundred Corpse Mound..."
"..."
"I remember..."
Hearing the voice becoming so faint it was almost inaudible, Hu Ma quickly responded loudly.
He hoped his reply would give the other person some confidence.
For some reason, he felt a strong sense of worry for this person he had never met and only exchanged a few words with.
The surroundings were silent, all sounds had disappeared.
Hu Ma saw that the incense stick he had inserted into the incense burner, or rather, the communication incense, was no longer straight.
It had become scattered again, just like before the connection, as if blown by an invisible wind, tilting in all directions, seemingly searching.
"So, I'm not the only one who has come to this world and is struggling to survive?"
"..."
He subconsciously took a few deep breaths.
And he tried to gather the information this person had just left him.
Thinking carefully, he gradually felt a sense of horror.
Keeping his identity secret was the most important thing, otherwise, he would end up worse than dead...
What about that old woman?
He felt a sense of uncertainty, and the old woman's occasional eerie glances at him flashed before his eyes.
"Don't panic, at least the old woman hasn't discovered my identity yet. Otherwise, with her abilities, why would she keep me? She just thinks I've just been saved and have forgotten many things!"
Feeling a bit nervous, he comforted himself: "Besides, since there are others in this world with the same fate as me, maybe I can find others and get some help from them?"
He glanced down at the incense stick in the burner, which was about a finger and a half long.
But the smoke from the incense stick was very unstable, just drifting around aimlessly.
Hu Ma suddenly realized: "That old man seemed to have been calling out for a long time, but only got a response from me."
"Does that mean there really are no others around?"
"..."
Understanding this, he didn't wait any longer.
He pulled out the incense stick from the burner and set it aside.
Even though it was just a brief and hurried conversation, he realized this was a precious resource.
"Old Yin Mountain? Fox Coffin Village?"
He repeated the place names the old man had just mentioned.
It sounded like he was in a very dangerous situation, but he seemed to have some method to protect himself, able to hold out for about two months.
But his communication incense had burned out, meaning he couldn't call for help from others during this time.
Perhaps the only one who could save him was himself?
Hu Ma felt a bit tempted, but then he shook his head in frustration.
Who could he save now?
He couldn't even leave the village, let alone dare to leave the old woman and Little Hong Tang.
Even that old man, Er Guo Tou, only said that if he had the chance to meet other companions, he should bring them to save him.
Since he had been calling for so long and found no one, how could he, with his limited abilities, possibly find anyone?
A shadow seemed to fall over his heart, and Hu Ma quietly woke up, feeling a layer of cold sweat on his back.
A faint light came in through the small window above.
It wasn't dawn yet, but Hu Ma could see some light coming in through the simple wooden door of the side room.
The old woman seemed to be up, tidying something.
Little Hong Tang, who was munching on something, suddenly shouted: "Brother Hu Ma is awake..."
Then she continued munching.
"..."
Hu Ma had wanted to pretend to sleep a bit longer to calm his nerves, but hearing this, he had no choice but to slowly get up.
He pinched his cheeks, making sure his behavior in front of the old woman was his top priority.
He slowly got out of bed and walked to the door.
When he pushed it open, the oil lamp on the Eight Immortals table in the main room flickered slightly.
The old woman, who was sitting on a small stool tidying things, slowly turned to look at him.
Hu Ma had just forced a smile when the old woman suddenly said: "Did you sleep poorly last night?"
"When I covered you with a blanket, you seemed very tense and were muttering some incomprehensible things."
"Ah?"
Hu Ma felt his hair stand on end, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.
Before he could ask anything, the old woman had already looked away and said: "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Eating too much Tai Sui meat can cause that. Although it can cure illnesses, it can also have some side effects, causing strange dreams. Some people who can't handle it even go mad..."
"But only this kind of meat can cure you."
"..."
"Yes, I understand."
Hu Ma, drenched in cold sweat, could only vaguely agree.
After a moment's hesitation, he mustered his courage and squatted down to help her tidy up.
Realizing the connection between Tai Sui meat and the communication incense, he no longer felt so resistant.
On the contrary, after sorting out his thoughts, he felt a bit curious.
Pretending to be nonchalant, he packed the dried meat, brown sugar, tobacco, and quilts that the old woman had placed aside into a bundle.
At the same time, he carefully asked: "Grandma, you've always made me eat this meat, saying it can ward off evil spirits. But what exactly is this meat?"
Hearing his question, the old woman's gaze turned towards him.
In the corner, Little Hong Tang, who had been munching on chicken feet, suddenly turned to look at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma felt extremely nervous but silently reassured himself.
He had just come back to life, and it was only natural for him to ask such questions, wasn't it?
Eating this strange meat every day without asking any questions would be more suspicious.
After what felt like a long wait, or perhaps just his own nervousness, he heard the old woman sigh softly and say: "Tai Sui is the one who suppresses all evil spirits."
"You were harmed too severely before, so I had to go to Tai Sui every day to beg for a piece of meat to nourish you. It's not just you who eats it; the clan leader and elders in our village also eat Tai Sui meat to prolong their lives."
"However, they only eat White Tai Sui, and they don't dare to eat too much."
"Better than White Tai Sui is Green Tai Sui, but that kind is all taken by the people in the city."
"..."
Hu Ma listened, his heart stirring slightly: "Then what about me?"
The old woman slowly stood up and said: "You were seriously ill, ordinary meat wouldn't do. What you ate was specially begged for by me."
"It's called Blood Tai Sui!"
(End of Chapter)