Chapter 119 - 118: Riverside Water God Temple

Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Riverside Water God Temple Having made up his mind, he got up and dressed, while sending Little Hongtang to call Zhou Datong out. By the time he had put on his shoes and socks, a POP sound came from the side room opposite, and soon Zhou Datong emerged, covering half of his face. Complaining to Hu Ma, he said, "My Brother Ma Zi, next time can you just call me directly?" "In my dream, I met a sweet little lady, and just as I was about to kiss her, she turned around and slapped me..." "Isn’t that a good thing? Saves you from getting too excited in your dreams!" Hu Ma suppressed a laugh and said seriously, "I called you out for something important." "I need to go out for a bit to take care of something, not sure when I’ll be back, so you’ll need to manage tomorrow’s matters in my absence." "Solve what you can, and if there’s something you can’t handle, go to the inner courtyard and find the old shopkeeper. If he asks where I went, just say I went out for a small task and will be back within a day." "Additionally, lend me your knife." "..." Zhou Datong agreed, went back to his room to fetch the knife, and said, "How is it my knife? Isn’t this your knife?" Hu Ma heard this, feeling a bit embarrassed, and laughed, "I’m so used to using it, I’ll return you one without a nick later." Though all the workers at the Manor were equipped with knives, Hu Ma had done several tasks, always using Zhou Datong’s knife as it felt just right in his hand. Moreover, the knives provided by the Manor all bore the mark of the Red Lantern Society. Since Hu Ma hadn’t yet decided whether his mission would require him to act openly or covertly, he opted to use Zhou Datong’s unmarked knife for a more secure approach if necessary. He strapped the waist knife at his side, wrapped his Wooden Sword in a cloth strip, and fastened it to his back. Then Hu Ma tightened his leggings, donned a bamboo hat, called for Little Hongtang, and strode out of the Manor. According to Yang Gong, he wanted Hu Ma to bring along some colleagues for support. But Hu Ma felt that the situation was unclear and seemed quite perilous, so he decided to scout ahead on his own first. There were horses in the stable, and although Hu Ma could have taken one for the task, he chose to walk instead. The night was still upon them, with evil spirits lurking, and horses, being fiery creatures, would only stir up unnecessary trouble once they got going. Leaving the Manor, he set his course and began a brisk walk, moving swiftly along the path. In the countryside under the low night wind, one couldn’t tell how many hidden things were startled along the way. But Hu Ma utilized the Shousui man’s technique, making his footsteps transition from living to dead, not just increasing his speed but also confusing the hidden entities about what he truly was. Before they even had a chance to probe, Hu Ma had already moved past, finding a clear path and reaching Niu Family Bay just as dawn broke. From a distance, he saw a vast, misty river flowing from the west, making a turn here before continuing on. In the bay sat dozens of fishing families, with nets drying and a few wooden boats docked. Is the Water God Temple right across the river? Hu Ma tried to align what he saw with the map in his head, pondering silently. Making a living by the water, having a Water God Temple here seemed logical. However, temples in this world were few, and Hu Ma had only seen a handful, so he felt a tinge of curiosity. He lowered his hat and walked into this fishing village, contemplating where to start. Already, some fishermen were up, mending nets and hanging fish to dry, though none had gone out fishing. Seeing this stranger enter the village, curiosity was piqued, but nobody greeted or questioned him, only casting measuring glances his way. Meeting these gazes, Hu Ma took the initiative and spoke to a dark-skinned man wiping a boat nearby, "Brother, I’m from Mingzhou Prefecture, delivering a letter to Xiaoliang County for my master." "I’m in a hurry; I left before the rooster crowed to get here." "I wanted to ask you if traveling to Xiaoliang County requires crossing the river here? Such a wide river, yet there’s no ferry in sight?" Before Hu Ma spoke, this fisherman just stared at him, but upon hearing his words, he quickly stood up and replied, "To reach Xiaoliang County, most people cross the river here. When there are guests, we usually take them across." "But today you can’t cross; there’s some commotion on the other side of the river. We don’t dare to go in the water today. If you wish to cross, you’d have to travel forty li further east to find another village..." "That’s not possible..." Hu Ma feigned urgency, "I have an urgent letter; otherwise, I wouldn’t have set out before dawn." "Could you please be kind enough to take me across?" "..." "No, no way..." The fisherman shook his hands, "Those people are ferocious; we can’t afford to give them trouble." Hu Ma frowned and said, "Who’s causing the trouble?" "I don’t know." The fisherman lowered his voice, "They’re armed with knives and guns, very fierce. Wu Xiatou at the village head ran into them yesterday, and his boat was taken. They said they’d return it after their business, but Old Wu couldn’t bear losing his boat; he hadn’t even cried out when they flashed their knives..." It must be related to Yang Gong’s matter... Hu Ma pondered silently, glancing at the misty river where it seemed to stretch several tens of yards, making it impossible to see the opposite side clearly. He thought carefully and then whispered to the fisherman, "This matter is really urgent for me, and if delayed, my master might dismiss me." "How about this, brother, I have five taels of Silver with me. I’ll leave it with you first." "Lend me your boat, and I’ll quietly row myself across. Once on the other side, I’ll tie up the boat for you to retrieve." He might have been too generous, which could seem suspicious, he thought. Then he added, "I’ll be back in a few days. We’re honest people, so keep the five taels, and when I return, I’ll take back three taels, leaving two taels as ferry fare. How about that?" "Such a good deal?" Seeing Hu Ma genuinely produce a small silver coin, the fisherman was also taken aback. He hadn’t thought this could happen. With these five taels, even if the boat got taken, it wouldn’t be a total loss, so he said, "Wait here." Hu Ma was somewhat puzzled, unsure what he was waiting for. The fisherman went back into the low hut and came out shortly after, bringing an elder with him. The elder held a stick of incense and a paper, handing them to Hu Ma, saying, "Take this incense; you’re not from our bay, so don’t disturb the things in the water." "When you’re at the river’s center, if you feel uneasy, light it and say something nice... I can’t read, so I left my fingerprint on this paper." "Once you have this fingerprint, you can come back to claim the remaining three taels of Silver from me." "Actually, it doesn’t need to be two taels; one tael is enough." "..." Such honesty... Hu Ma sighed, insisting on sticking to the agreement for two taels, then took the incense and carefully inquired about the customs of the water. The fisherman explained everything without deceiving the newcomer. On one hand, it was due to kindness; on the other, seeing Hu Ma armed and travel-worn, he looked like someone from the jianghu. Hu Ma pushed the boat into the river, seated himself, took the wooden oar, and after a few strokes, the boat indeed moved forward. In his past life, he had paddled in park lakes, so he knew how to row. Of course, his skill couldn’t compare to these water-dependent fishermen, but with the slow current and calm water, he could navigate the river just fine, gradually making his way to the opposite bank. With the fisherman’s earlier warning, Hu Ma was aware there might be something in the river and remained vigilant. No issues arose, however; even Little Hongtang, who sat in the bow watching the water, showed no reaction. Before long, he neared the opposite bank, spotting a few small boats on the river arranged in a circle, guarding a wooden building on the shore. That wooden building was likely the Water God Temple, constructed by the river’s turning point, one side facing the water. The small boats surrounded the Water God Temple, each with someone on board, while one of them called out toward the temple: "Brother, you’ve held out all night; you must be tired and hungry. What’s the point of dragging this out?" "Why not bring out the goods? We’ll treat you to a meal, and everyone can go their own way." "..." "Screw your mother!" The moment the words fell, a loud shout echoed from the temple, sounding like Yang Gong’s voice. He openly cursed, "That Blood Food was risked by us, and there’s no owner to that meat mountain; what makes you think you can claim it with just a word?" "If you really have the guts, come at me. I’ll just toss this Blood Food into the river, and you can fish it out!" "..." "Heh heh..." The people on the small boats, though insulted, didn’t get angry and sneered, "You throw it in the river, and we can’t retrieve it." "But don’t think you’ll keep your head on your shoulders." "..." Yang Gong showed no fear, shouting back, "You’re trying to rob my Blood Food, which is like stealing my life. Guess if I dare to toss it in?" "..." Hu Ma just caught these words while nearing the shore and already understood, feeling a sudden jolt of realization. The matter of the Blood Food was indeed true. And from the looks of it, both sides were at a standstill. Yang Gong hid in the Water God Temple, unseen, with an unknown number of companions beside him. Outside, however, on the small boats and the shore, were about twenty to thirty people, all armed and sharply hostile. If a fight broke out, Yang Gong would undoubtedly be outmatched. But Yang Gong had cunningly used the threat of tossing the Blood Food into the river against them, keeping them at bay. This river was deep, and who knew what spirits it harbored; even fish and shrimp, smelling the Blood Food, would likely go mad. So, if Yang Gong truly threw the Blood Food into the river, it would all have been in vain. But how should I bring him out? he thought, then glanced back at Little Hongtang sitting at the stern, feet dangling, and had an idea. Having looked after Sister Hong Tang for so long, it was time to put her to work.