Chapter 124 - 123 Summoning Evil for Inquiry

Chapter 124: Chapter 123 Summoning Evil for Inquiry "..." Hu Ma chanted twice in succession, then focused intently on the rice circle before him. The water in the bowl seemed to be touched by some mysterious power, quivering gently and rippling slightly. Although it was just a bowl of water, it carried the aura of the evil spirit from the river. Now, within this aura, something seemed to be awakened, quietly emanating and drifting over from the direction of the great river. The sun was rising, painting the world bright and vibrant, yet an eerie wind seemed to blow intermittently, the flames in the brazier before him crackling wildly. Hu Ma felt as if he were in a grand hall, barely aware of the spacious tiles around him. Just as he was feeling strange, he heard the rustling sound of the wind, feeling a chilling gust swept from the river, piercing to the bones, making even his Divine Soul tremble, leaving him breathless. Hu Ma, possessing the skills and cultivation of a Shousui man, forced himself to endure, staring intently ahead. In front of him, something vaguely seemed to drift into the rice circle, swirling as if confused. Forcing down his instinctive fear, he shouted deeply, "Who goes there? State your name quickly!" He wondered if he had been too harsh, but he knew he couldn’t show the slightest fear; otherwise, this Skill would fail. The entity seemed startled by Hu Ma’s voice, spinning aimlessly within the rice circle, seemingly searching for a way to escape. Yet Hu Ma had scattered the rice in a circle with only one exit; it could retreat but couldn’t find a way out. As it spun more frantically, even the rice grains sprinkled on the ground trembled slightly. Hu Ma also felt his nerves stretched to the limit, keeping a careful eye on the three incense burning in front of him. His heart filled with dread at the thought of the incense forming two short and one long sticks. Hu Ma dared to attempt this because the Age Suppressing Book recorded an "Observing Incense Technique" in detail. By observing how the incense burned, he could judge the effectiveness of his Magic. In other words, if things went awry, he might have a chance to escape. The incense burning had three appearances: neutral, ominous, and auspicious. According to the Age Suppressing Book, if it showed an ominous sign, no further Magic should be performed. However, Hu Ma thought that if it weren’t at least an auspicious sign, he would flee. He had no choice, given his limited skills, and hoped Yang Gong could forgive him. Fortunately, as the entity spun in the rice character circle, the incense burned faster than usual. However, all three incense were about the same length, with only the one on the left burning slightly faster than the middle and right ones. This still suggested an "auspicious" sign, meaning he could continue. Gathering his courage, Hu Ma once again fixed his gaze on the presence within the rice circle, his expression mysterious and uncertain as he stood across from the brazier. "Since you’ve been summoned," he spoke with authority, "why don’t you speak?" "..." His voice was stern, causing the entity within the rice character circle to become even more frantic, its voiceless cries resonating as if it sought to rush toward Hu Ma. A surge of yin qi pressed forward, nearly extinguishing the flames in the brazier before him. Is this thing watching me? Hu Ma thought. He knew the brazier before him was his protection. If the flames weakened, the entity would see him clearly, which would certainly spell trouble. Feeling a jolt of panic, he steeled his resolve and began chanting a spell. Relying on the meticulously memorized spell from the Age Suppressing Book, Hu Ma recited it rapidly and accurately without stopping. He had memorized it without mistake. Yet, he himself did not know the meaning of what he recited. Previously, he had tried chanting it over a little ghost at a grave. However, the ghost showed no reaction, merely popping its head out to ask what Hu Ma wanted. Now, as each word left his lips, it seemed to invoke some mysterious power, the surrounding winds swirling ominously, accompanied by a stern and mighty sound. In a trance, Hu Ma saw the scarecrows on either side take on the form of figures clad in soap clothes, some wielding knives, others staffs, or chains, all closing in on the shadow in the circle. The most startling thing was that as he chanted, the speed at which the three incense burned noticeably increased. He feared the entity inside wouldn’t be cowed before the incense burned out, which would spell trouble. He continued chanting, his heart lodged in his throat with anxiety. Luckily, as he recited the spell, the presence within the rice character circle appeared terrified. It was desperate to flee but unable to find an escape route. Gradually, fear overtook it, and it huddled into a ball, faintly revealing the form of a broad-shouldered man. It bowed toward Hu Ma, its voice raspy like an old man’s, carrying a chilling undertone. "Mercy, lord, I am but an old turtle from the river, long residing here. By consuming many drowned bodies, I absorbed yin qi, gained spiritual cultivation, and came to envy human affairs. I learned from others to demand livestock offerings, but after suffering a loss once, I have since changed my ways." "Now I live harmoniously with the local villagers and don’t require them to sacrifice livestock to me. When they wish to fish in the river, they merely need to burn One Incense, and I allow them passage..." "..." "Have you confessed?" Hu Ma’s heart stirred with a flicker of pleasant surprise. Had it confessed? This was often the most difficult part, something that had stumped countless Mages. And he had managed to get it out with just one sentence? Especially upon hearing it mention suffering that loss, he knew. He had found the right one. Though his mind raced, his imposing aura didn’t falter. He kept his gaze fixed on the entity. At such close range, even with the rice character circle and brazier as barriers, he could feel the icy yin qi assaulting his face like a razor. It was a good thing he had the abilities of a Shousui man; otherwise, he might not have been able to withstand this. "I am not here to ask about your past; I summoned you because I have a task for you." "Shortly, I need to escort someone. I’ll need to borrow your Water Mansion. Within the time it takes for One Incense to burn, when you see a boat with red paper, you are to steer clear!" "..." The shadow trembled, not daring to show any reluctance. Saying so, Hu Ma felt a slight relief. Though maintaining his authority, he spoke with a softer tone, "No rules mean disorder." "It won’t be for free. What offering do you want?" "..." The shadow quivered, then spoke, "Only three bowls..." Hu Ma furrowed his brow, "Huh?" The shadow’s voice suddenly shifted, "...Three bowls of offerings will suffice: a bowl of rice, a bowl of fish, and a bowl of meat, nothing more!" Hu Ma sighed in relief, "Agreed." He had feared a demand for livestock. That would have been excessive, as those are prime offerings, even among proper rituals—far too valuable for an evil spirit. Upon his agreement, the shadow seemed greatly relieved and quietly retreated. Moments before, it had been frantically circling within the rice character circle. Now, retreating quietly without making a sound, it transformed into a shadow and hastily returned to the river... It seemed as if it couldn’t escape on its own and was only able to leave because Hu Ma permitted it. Once it retreated, the surroundings became abruptly clear: no chilling winds, no grand buildings, no fierce flames, nor armed figures in soap clothes—only the brazier, the rice circle, and a few scarecrows adorned with red cloth. Hu Ma glanced around blankly. After a long moment, he finally exhaled deeply, thinking, This Age Suppressing Book is truly domineering! The entity from the river was clearly in a different league than him, given his current abilities. Yet, by using this method, had he actually managed to force an agreement with it? Lifting his gaze, he saw the surroundings had returned to normal. The dry branches in the brazier had long since burned out. The three incense were also nearly burned to their ends, with two slightly longer and one almost completely gone. This was the final appearance of the incense, signaling the Spell’s completion. With a sense of relief, he turned to see Little Hongtang staring at him, her body trembling. Hu Ma asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong with you?" "I...I was afraid he’d attack you..." Little Hongtang shivered as she spoke, "Just now, that Old Master was so powerful, but he seemed afraid of Brother Hu Ma." "He could have jumped over to attack you, but he didn’t..." "..." Wondering at the strangeness of her words, Hu Ma asked Little Hongtang, "Didn’t Granny handle it this way before?" Logically, the knowledge in the Age Suppressing Book came from the Hu Family’s skills. What he was doing now should be in line with Granny’s methods, part of a Ghost Walker’s skillset. Yet, even he felt something was amiss. Indeed, Little Hongtang, after hearing Hu Ma’s words, simply shook her head, "Granny never did anything like this..." "Granny was kind to everyone, never bullied anyone..." "..." As expected... Hu Ma, hearing this, grew curious. But he had clearly inherited the Age Suppressing Book from Granny. Yet the skills he was using now seemed completely different from Granny’s methods? "..." Deep down, he felt a vague unease. The things recorded in the Age Suppressing Book were completely different from the Shousui man’s path. Just now, it seemed he had summoned some formidable power to forcefully intimidate that thing in the river. It was like negotiating with a knife to someone’s throat! But he knew his own situation best. The power he had just summoned was extremely domineering and fierce, but he was the one bearing all the risk. Just like when he was chanting the Execution Spell, the incense burned extremely quickly. If the evil spirit hadn’t submitted before the incense burned out, he would have been in a precarious position. If only Granny could have guided him in learning this dharma method... Hu Ma mentally cautioned himself, yet he could only feel a deep sense of helplessness. Quickly, he returned to the fishermen and bought a bowl each of rice, meat, and fish from the villagers. These were common items and easy to find. Finally, he went to the riverside and, when no one was looking, poured the three bowls of offerings into the river. Next, he found a boat, attached red paper to its bow, then lit One Incense, holding it in his hand. Only then did he quietly push the boat into the river. At this moment, he saw that the green clothes gang also had a boat, which was slowly entering the river. A faint figure was visible aboard it. The gang members who had previously been guarding the Water God Temple in the river had all moved to the bank. From afar, seeing a boat suddenly departing toward the Water God Temple, they were all startled and shouted urgently: "Get back! They’re making offerings to the River God! Stay out of the water..." "..." But Hu Ma paid them no heed. Clutching One Incense, he rowed directly to the waterside of the Water God Temple and called out loudly: "Brother Yang Gong, jump down and board my boat! I will ferry you across the river."