Chapter 136 - 135 Drought Demon Causes Disaster

Chapter 136: Chapter 135 Drought Demon Causes Disaster Ever since they left, Hu Ma had been traveling relentlessly, wishing he didn’t have to rest even at night. Even Zhou Datong and the others felt that Brother Ma Zi was in an uncharacteristic hurry this time, as if intent on achieving something significant. Initially, Hu Ma had mentioned investigating a murder case involving a wealthy gentleman connected to the Red Lantern Lady. However, their current direction seemed entirely off track. Hu Ma offered no explanation. He led them some three to five hundred miles away before finally slowing their pace, his demeanor also becoming more relaxed. That day, just past noon, he led them to a rustic roadside inn to rest. This rustic inn, consisting of five or six large thatched huts and a spacious stable, was situated in a village beside the main road. Hu Ma and his companions spent one tael of Silver to book a large communal sleeping platform capable of accommodating over ten people, ensuring no one else could enter. They then purchased some noodles from the innkeeper, gathered firewood, and boiled water on an outdoor stove to cook the noodles themselves. They had brought their own cured meat and requested some pickles and garlic from the innkeeper to accompany their meal. Such rustic inns typically offered basic amenities, mostly catering to traveling merchants who sought convenient food and lodging without many frills. The grand inns seen in movies and TV shows from past lives existed only in cities. Outside the city, good accommodations could only be found at post stations. However, those were official properties, not open to gang members like them. However, the current court barely existed in name, and the new ruler had yet to rise, leaving various regions deserted. I have enough Silver on me to stay at a post station, but to be safe, a low-profile approach is better. What if the Red Lantern Lady’s Divine Skills could locate me through the post stations? After eating, they heated some water to wash their feet. Seeing the sky darken, they prepared to sleep on the communal sleeping platform. Hu Ma didn’t rest. Seeing that it was still early, he gave one tael of Silver to Zhou Datong, permitting him to buy some drinks and snacks for the men to enjoy. Hu Ma himself went to the main hall of the rustic inn, ordered a pot of wine and a handful of peanuts, and slowly drank by the hearth. The hall was also very simple, with only a curved, coarse wooden counter. There were three to five tables inside, but few people actually sat down to order wine and dishes. Most patrons would order a pot of wine and a handful of peanuts, or perhaps slice a salted egg they had brought themselves. They would then gather around the hearth, drinking and idly chatting. As the weather was gradually warming, people no longer gathered by the fire for warmth. Instead, keeping a fire going at night offered a sense of security. And Hu Ma had come over to gather some news. This world was unlike his past life, which was dotted with various hotels and inns everywhere. Especially out here, there might be only this one establishment within dozens of miles. Travelers from all corners would converge here. As they chatted, they exchanged news and stories. These travelers were strangers to one another, but on the road, there was a saying: "more friends mean more paths." Thus, they chatted amiably. As night began to fall, some would speak of local oddities and unsettling events—tales of zombies in one place, or Vengeful Ghosts claiming lives in another. But as the night deepened, they dared not continue such conversations. Some returned to the communal sleeping platform to sleep; others leaned against haystacks, succumbing to the wine, and drifted off. "Elder, my tolerance for alcohol is low, and I’ve ordered too much wine. Please, let me offer you a drink." By this time, Hu Ma greeted a traveling merchant by the fire who had seemed quite talkative. The traveling merchant appeared to be over fifty and, from his conversation, was clearly well-traveled and knowledgeable. Hu Ma saw a vague resemblance to Second Master in him. He mused that Second Master might have been similar in his youth, before he returned to the village and led men to harvest Tai Sui. The old man’s wine pot had long been empty, yet he seemed disinclined to stop drinking. "Ah, thank you so much..." When the old man heard Hu Ma offer him a drink, he was delighted. However, instead of using his own pot, he asked the counter for a cup. He clearly craved more wine, but he was also experienced. After Hu Ma poured, the old man first inspected the wine’s color, then sniffed it. "This is good wine," he said with a smile. "An old fellow like me is certainly benefiting from your generosity today, young man..." Only then did he take a sip. In truth, it wasn’t particularly fine wine; it was dispensed directly from the counter, the same as what he had been drinking earlier. The old man had asked Hu Ma to pour it into the cup so he could check the color and smell it, to see if it had turned sour or if the taste was off. This was a precaution, in case Hu Ma had put something in the wine. Those legendary colorless and tasteless poisons were merely tales. In the jianghu, most substances used were often things like Knockout Drugs. Once such substances were added, the changes in color and aroma were usually quite obvious. "Alas, my tolerance is low too. I’m only drinking because I’m troubled," Hu Ma said, not exposing the old man’s caution, merely sighing. "I came from Old Yin Mountain. Our village suffered an insect plague this year. The harvest looks bleak, so the elders sent me and a few brothers out, hoping we could earn some Silver Coin to save lives." "But in these times, where can one find a way to earn a living?" "Young man, I don’t mean to be harsh, but if you’re looking to earn Silver, it’s incredibly difficult..." the old man said after taking a drink, also sighing. "For those of us roaming the jianghu, just managing to get a meal is good enough. How many can truly earn Silver to take back home?" "I reckon your elders don’t really expect you to earn Silver. Sending you out serves two purposes: one, to save some rations at home, and two, if a famine truly hits, at least the family won’t have to watch each other starve to death..." "Yes." Hearing the old man’s pragmatic words, Hu Ma nodded. He refilled the man’s cup and said, "However, my brothers and I did learn a few skills from our elders back in the village. We have some abilities." "We just don’t know where to find a way to convert them into Silver Coin." "Know some skills?" The old man glanced at the saber at Hu Ma’s waist and chuckled. His tone became a bit more respectful. "That certainly makes it easier to get by than for most. You could find work as a Protector for a wealthy family." "’These are chaotic times,’ he continued. ’The prominent families are all feeling uneasy.’" "’Of course, joining the Blood Food Gang would be ideal. Those masters live by harvesting Blood Food, and the government doesn’t dare to provoke them. They’re the ones living most comfortably...’" "’...However, that’s also difficult. The Blood Food Gang has strict rules and doesn’t recruit easily.’" Those of us from the Blood Food Gang certainly present a respectable front to outsiders, Hu Ma mused. After chatting a bit more, he said to the old man, "Just now, I heard you mentioning that Mancang Town, over the mountains, is currently troubled by a drought ba?" "The people there have pooled their Silver to hire someone to deal with it. Do you happen to know how much the current reward is?" The old man, hearing this, looked at Hu Ma with a knowing smile. "So, you were after information, eh?" he said. "’That’s true enough. I’ve been to Mancang Town several times on business. It used to be a fine place—good water, fertile fields, every household’s granaries full. But a few years ago, the rain started to lessen, year by year.’" "’The first year, it only rained lightly twice, and even the river stopped flowing. Some who understood such matters said a drought ba was the cause. If it’s not removed, they fear there will be no rain at all next year.’" "’Once that thing underground fully develops,’ the old man added, ’it’s likely to bring about a real disaster!’" "’They have indeed pooled Silver to hire capable individuals, but it’s a difficult situation. In their search for this... creature, they’ve excavated countless graves without success. It’s even led to several large fights, and many people have died.’" "’They’ve now gathered over 200 taels of Silver and have asked us traveling merchants to spread the word. If someone capable can be found to go there and eliminate it, it would be a truly meritorious deed!’" "’However, young man, I’d advise you not to get mixed up in this.’" "’That kind of work requires a true expert. If you go and can’t handle it, you’ll only end up being blamed.’" "’Thank you, Elder. I was just asking around. I have a fair idea of what my brothers and I are capable of.’" Hu Ma thanked the old man with a smile. After chatting a little longer, he returned to his room to sleep. Now that there’s nothing else to do, it wouldn’t hurt to go take a look. Though he had said he was just asking casually, Hu Ma had actually taken this matter to heart. Those hundreds of taels of Silver are indeed earnable. Besides, the Age Suppressing Book provided methods for finding the drought ba and banishing this evil spirit. And contrary to the traditional thinking of Reincarnators like me, influenced by stories from past lives, these methods were actually quite simple. In my previous life, influenced by movies and television, we all believed drought bas were extremely powerful. Some even described them as ancient gods, flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth, but according to the Age Suppressing Book, a drought ba is merely one type of evil spirit—a corpse underground that has been altered by feng shui. Once they take hold, they are naturally formidable, but before that, even ordinary villagers, if they found one, could just burn it. In this world, there are Wandering spirits, evil spirits, evil objects, and so on. The old tortoise I encountered back at Niu Family Bay could be considered the most powerful I had ever seen, already classifiable as an evil object. This drought ba, however, only belonged to the evil spirit category, and a rather weak type at that. If I eliminate it, earning several hundred taels of Silver wouldn’t be a loss. As for the task assigned by the Red Lantern Lady’s Club, I had no intention of pursuing it from the start. The reason was simple: that rich Old Master, indeed, died in strange circumstances. Dozens of people in the household perished overnight, from the Old Master to the maids, all with a yellow paper stuck to their faces; it sounded eerie and terrifying... Only a fool would investigate that. As for how to report back? Make more Silver on this trip to grease some palms back in the city—what task couldn’t be settled then? It’s just a matter of getting the approval of those above. Whether I complete the official task to get their nod or fill their hands with ample Silver for their nod, is there any fundamental difference? I see none. Of course, idling wasn’t an option either. I indeed needed to take on several jobs to earn more Silver. After all, future dealings in the city, plus the various items I needed to purchase to further learn and master the dharma methods from the Age Suppressing Book... It was all about Silver! The more I calculated, the greater the pressure felt. If this trip didn’t yield a thousand or so taels of Silver, it’d feel like a huge loss. Thinking this, he returned to the room. Seeing Zhou Datong and the others with faces flushed from drink, he only smiled and instructed, "Finish up and rest early. We set off at dawn." "We’re going to Mancang Town to earn some Silver."