Chapter 104 - 103: Special Reward

Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Special Reward After confirming the distribution of this Blood Food, Hu Ma was finally able to sleep peacefully. The night had indeed been full of fright, shock, and injuries, depleting much of his energy. Early the next day, he got up and went outside, only to see that everything had already been arranged. Zhou Datong and the brothers from the village were quite reliable in their work. Following Hu Ma’s instructions, they wrapped the corpses of the Tan’er Sect remnants in straw mats. The intact ones were placed in the Manor, while the disfigured ones were piled in a heap. As for the corpses of the monsters from the jars, most of them had rotted under the sun, leaving only a few dry bones, and some were directly burned. Any remaining items from the Tan’er Sect remnants, like weapons, clothing, and jar fragments, were also piled up. This served as evidence, waiting for the people from the city to inquire about it. After a detailed inquiry with Zhou Datong, Hu Ma learned that in the early hours of the morning, after taking a short rest, the old shopkeeper had come out once to inspect them all. The workers didn’t know what he was up to. However, Hu Ma understood. It seemed the old shopkeeper intended to conceal the Blood Food matter to avoid further complications. Therefore, he needed to ensure that every last Tan’er Sect member was truly dead, preventing any information leaks and subsequent incidents. He was aware of this, so he said nothing. He even skipped the daily morning greeting. After all, I’m still somewhat upset! After a night of exertion, the workers’ faces showed signs of fatigue. Yet, as men whose furnaces had been lit, they still managed to endure. Hu Ma knew time was of the essence. Not only did he prevent them from resting, but he also had the courtyard thoroughly cleaned, and then waited patiently. During this time, many nearby villagers came over, craning their necks and trying to find out what had happened. Hu Ma understood that the disturbance last night had frightened the villagers, so he reassured them one by one. Not long after, it was already midday, time to prepare a meal. But Hu Ma asked the workers to wait. Sure enough, they soon heard the sound of hooves approaching from the town. The workers opened the main gate and saw several horses galloping into the Manor. At a glance, they noticed it was two managers, accompanied by three or four workers. These workers, looking young like Hu Ma and the others, had red sashes tied around their waists. Red Fragrance workers? Hu Ma thought, even recognizing a couple of familiar faces. Our Green Incense disciples haven’t even gotten horses yet, and they’re already riding around like the wind. The workers in the outer courtyard, seeing these important figures arrive so suddenly, all felt apprehensive and stood to the side, not daring to make a sound. "Brother Sun, Brother Liu, I’m relieved to see it’s the two of you..." The old shopkeeper, hearing the hoofbeats, also came out from the inner courtyard. Though a night had passed, his injuries seemed not to have improved but to have worsened. His eye sockets were sunken, and a strong scent of herbal medicine emanated from him as he moved sluggishly. For a Shousui man, this was extremely rare. After all, Shousui men, who practiced Refine to Death and Rebirth, were renowned for their resilience, healing far faster than others; they were known for their hardiness. Even the most grievous wounds should have eased somewhat after a night’s rest. And Shopkeeper Wu’s injuries were not feigned. They must have been sustained during the previous night’s bitter and excessively fierce battle, which had injured him to his core. "Shopkeeper Wu..." The two managers who had arrived also dismounted. Cupping their hands from a distance, one of them sighed, "How did such a thing happen?" "Last night, after receiving word from the Lady, we hurried here as soon as the city gates opened." "So it was the Tan’er Sect remnants causing trouble again?" one of the managers asked. The old shopkeeper chuckled bitterly. "To have survived is already due to the Lady’s protection... Please, come inside and have a seat. I will slowly recount everything to you." Saying this, he began to lead them into the inner courtyard. The two managers made to follow, but one of the accompanying Red Fragrance disciples—a long-faced one—frowned, casting a glance over the workers in the outer courtyard and the collected bodies of the Tan’er Sect remnants. Suddenly, he spoke, "Why not ask questions here? If there’s anything, we can also ask these Manor workers." Shopkeeper Wu, hearing this, appeared troubled and glanced at the two managers. "Hehe, let’s go inside to talk," one of the managers said with a smile. He spoke very politely to these Red Fragrance disciples, "What could these workers possibly know? Besides, some matters are private and best discussed behind closed doors for discretion..." The other manager also smiled at Hu Ma and the others, saying, "Don’t just stand there. Move these corpses outside. Then, have a few people quickly prepare a feast. We’ll be eating here at noon. We rushed here early this morning and are still starving." Seeing both managers speak this way, the Red Fragrance disciples said no more, dismounting and following them into the inner courtyard. Hu Ma knew they were here on the Red Lantern Lady’s orders to question the old shopkeeper about the sequence of events. Other matters were likely easy to explain. The only tricky part was the Blood Food, and Hu Ma wondered how the old shopkeeper intended to conceal it. But that was his problem, not Hu Ma’s. He must have figured out what to say after thinking about it all night, Hu Ma thought. So he paid it no mind, simply instructing the workers to move the corpses outside and then quickly prepare food and buy wine. These corpses were originally intended to be shown to these people from the city. However, they seemed largely unconcerned, which probably meant their superiors didn’t consider the matter very important. After the corpses were cleared, several tables were set up directly in the outer courtyard. They slaughtered sheep and prepared a meal. By the time they were done with all the bustling activity, more than a two-hour period had passed. The group that had entered the inner courtyard with the old shopkeeper eventually re-emerged. It was unknown what they had discussed, but they all wore faint smiles. Even the usually stern-faced Red Fragrance disciples appeared somewhat more relaxed. Someone went over to inspect the corpses but only gave them a cursory glance, merely going through the motions, and said nothing more. It seems the old shopkeeper still has some tricks up his sleeve; the matter has been successfully glossed over. "Ahem, who is Hu Ma?" After emerging from the inner courtyard, the old shopkeeper, the two managers, and the Red Fragrance disciples took their seats at the main table. One of the managers then smiled, turned his head, and asked the crowd. Hu Ma stepped out from the crowd and respectfully saluted this manager. This old fox is just feigning ignorance, Hu Ma thought. He must still remember me. Because this was the Moustache Manager who had brought him to this Manor. Several months had passed, and his moustache had just grown a bit longer. In terms of current status, Hu Ma was also a manager. However, this man served directly under an incense master, a position comparable to a shopkeeper. Of course, I’m nowhere near his level; there’s a significant gap! A manager in the city and one outside were on completely different levels. "You’ve done very well..." Moustache Manager Xu naturally recognized Hu Ma. He nodded with a satisfied smile. "We’ve already been informed. Last night, demon people from the Tan’er Sect attacked and caused considerable trouble. Your shopkeeper was overwhelmed, yet you risked your life to protect the Red Lantern from being extinguished, allowing our Lady to descend here, resolve the issue with those remnants, and demonstrate the might of our Red Lantern Lady’s Club. This is a great achievement and deserves a reward! Tell me, what kind of reward do you wish for?" "I..." Hu Ma hesitated slightly, his face appearing somewhat at a loss. But inwardly, he understood. It seemed the old shopkeeper had put in some good words for him during their discussion in the inner courtyard. Knowing how he should act, he feigned a bit of trepidation, pausing before saying, "I... I don’t know anything. It was the shopkeeper who instructed me to make sure I guarded the Red Lantern and not let those evil spirits extinguish it. I was just following orders." Hearing Hu Ma say this, Moustache Manager Xu’s expression became even more satisfied. He chuckled and nodded at Shopkeeper Wu, seemingly praising him for having taught his subordinate well. "Your shopkeeper’s instructions are his affair," he then said to Hu Ma. "But it was your dedication that kept the Red Lantern from being extinguished. The reward cannot be lacking. Otherwise, if word got out, outsiders would laugh at our Red Lantern Society for its ambiguous rewards and punishments. Hmm, let me see... For this great service, you should have been promoted to manager. However, your shopkeeper says you’re diligent and thorough, and he has already promoted you to manager. In that case, according to the customs of our Red Lantern Society, here are thirty taels of Silver and twenty pounds of green food. These are all for you. Hehe, your contribution is quite significant. Even if you wanted Blood Food Pills, if we reported this, we could secure a few for you." "Ah?" Hearing the manager’s words, the surrounding workers couldn’t help but widen their eyes. Thirty taels of Silver! What an immense sum! With this reward, one could go back to their village, build a house, and marry a wife! And there would still be plenty left over to live on for a long time. Not to mention twenty pounds of green food! Their usual monthly allotment was only half a pound. Has Hu Ma just received what would take others three or four years to earn? Not only the workers from this Manor, but even those few Red Fragrance disciples looked at Hu Ma with a touch of envy. "If that’s the case..." Hu Ma, judging that the time was ripe, then said, "If it’s possible... I would like to ask for your leniency, Manager. I can forgo the Silver and the Blood Food. As for Blood Food Pills, those are precious items I wouldn’t even dare to dream of... Instead, could the reward be converted to Green Jade Paste?" "Hmm?" The manager was somewhat surprised. "That stuff isn’t nourishing. What do you want it for?" Hu Ma glanced in the direction of the inner courtyard, paused, and said, "My younger sister is injured. I want to ask for the Green Jade Paste to treat her illness." Hearing this, the old shopkeeper, who was seated at the table, suddenly saw his pupils constrict, and he struggled to maintain his composure. And from within the inner courtyard, the gaze that had been secretly looking outside faltered, and faint sounds of sobbing could be heard. Hu Ma, however, simply looked towards the old shopkeeper with a solemn expression. This request was something he had thought of in advance and had also discussed with Brother Er Guotou. It had nothing to do with the old shopkeeper; it was solely for the words Sister Wu He had left behind.