Chapter 41 Shousui Man

Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Shousui Man Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "A Shousui man?" "Right. Not the kind associated with New Year’s money, but a person from a particular Path." Brother Er Guotou laughed. "The Shousui, walking ghosts, Haishou, Punishment Souls... This world is full of many sinister things, and many people deal with them. Due to differing dharma methods and customs, they are divided into numerous Paths." "Shousui men are just one group among them." ... No wonder Second Master’s skills were so different from Granny’s. Hu Ma’s heart cleared. The two of them belonged to different Paths. Thus, feeling a stir in his heart, he quickly asked, "So, how can one enter this Path?" "That’s a more complex topic." Er Guotou smiled and said, "Brother, how many Columns of cultivation do you have now?" ... "How many Columns?" Hu Ma hesitated slightly. Recalling that Granny had also asked him this question, he quickly said, "Is this referring to our Life Incense, or is it this world’s way of discussing cultivation?" "Both." As Hu Ma worried, Brother Er Guotou smiled and patiently explained, "In this world, an individual’s cultivation is measured in Columns, according to their life attributes." "If a person lives without illness or disaster until the age of twenty, their life attributes are at their peak. This level of maturity is considered extreme, capable of repelling evil spirits and warding off ghosts, making it difficult for malevolent entities to approach." "In the eyes of insiders, this level of cultivation can be called one Column." "Three Columns equates to a full sexagenary cycle of cultivation." "But for us Reincarnators, it’s more straightforward. The Lifebound Spirit Temple reflects everything, directly showing our Life Incense. Attaining One Incense means possessing one Column of cultivation." "If it’s less than one Column, it can only be called potential, not cultivation." "If you want to enter the Path of the Shousui men, you need at least one Column of cultivation." ... So that’s how it was. Hu Ma understood. By consuming Blood Tai Sui daily, I already have more than one and a half Columns, approaching two Columns of cultivation. This isn’t very reasonable; it’s too fast. Moreover, Er Guotou said that having one Column of cultivation could get one into the Path of the Shousui men, but Granny wanted me to enter only after achieving the Three Column Tao. I suppose it must be due to my special physical condition. I have so many things that make me different from others; I need a cover story. He then deliberately sighed, "Not even half a Column!" "I seem to be different from you all. I remembered events from my past life relatively early, but I was weak and sickly since childhood, nearly dying several times." "Though I lived with a Walking Ghost Granny, my frailty meant I couldn’t learn her skills. Ultimately, I lit a furnace with an old miner, but due to innate deficiencies, my potential never flourished." "It wasn’t until about half a year ago, when I accidentally consumed Tai Sui, that I opened my spiritual temple. You’re the first Reincarnator I’ve found..." ... "You’re such an honest brother. Next time, don’t share so much about your background with others." Er Guotou laughed and advised, not suspecting a thing. It seemed Hu Ma’s situation, being summoned to this world, was considered quite sensational even among the already sensational group of Reincarnators. "Hm?" Following his advice, Hu Ma asked, "Why?" "Better safe than sorry!" Er Guotou sighed. "My habits differ from Miss White Wine’s. She’s cautious to an extreme and never meets other Reincarnators face-to-face. Even though she saved my life, I don’t even know what she looks like." "I’m different. I’m cautious, but not to the point of being paranoid. I just pay a bit more attention usually..." "...Of course, I’m not telling you to be like me." His tone shifted, becoming more serious as he advised, "The people of this world harbor a great deal of hostility towards us. Moreover, some of them possess formidable Divine Skills and are determined to find us. It wouldn’t be good if they discovered you." "Therefore, while Reincarnators should help each other, it’s crucial to adhere to the principle of not meeting in person as much as possible. If something needs to be conveyed in the physical world, just have a ghost deliver it." "This is actually the first time I’ve met you. I should have told you this sooner, but I was too anxious back then." ... "Reincarnators don’t meet each other?" Listening to him, Hu Ma felt a subtle sense of strangeness. There are many people in this world who come from the same world as me, people who are similar. But even though we know of each other’s existence and can communicate, we don’t meet... "Yes." Er Guotou said, "Of course, it’s just a principle. In life-threatening situations, it can’t always be helped." "Among the Reincarnators I know, quite a few have met. Even I have met several..." "...I’m just telling you the principle." ... If that’s the case, then I still need to be careful... Hu Ma silently noted it down. He listened as Brother Er Guotou continued, "As for the situation you mentioned, it’s not uncommon. Reincarnators come from the same world, the same era, but upon arriving in this world, they experience vastly different circumstances." "Some are born into wealth and luxury, treating Blood Tai Sui as if it were regular food, and they even have powerful individuals protecting them..." Listening to this, Hu Ma thought, That description sounds familiar. Brother Er Guotou also sighed. His tone shifted as he said, "But there are also those like you, born with congenital deficiencies, lacking nourishment, and ending up in a remote and sinister place like Old Yin Mountain. For them, just figuring out their own situation is extremely difficult, let alone anything else." "It’s no wonder, then, that the first Path you encountered was that of the Shousui man dharma method." "However, I think those Meat Cutting workers who rely entirely on sealing their yang qi to resist evil spirits, just to scrape by for a few coins... Though it’s meant to be a proper Path, they’ve ended up on a twisted version of it." "Rather than Shousui men, they’re more like human candles..." ... Hu Ma knew that what he was saying was important, so he noted it all down. Then, a little stunned, he asked, "Human candle?" "Exactly." Er Guotou said, "They use their entire yang qi to fight against evil spirits. Each confrontation weakens their yang qi further. If they also learn some yin skills, it’s tantamount to nurturing those evil spirits with their own lives." "They are like a candle burning away—burning for a moment, their lifespan shortens by a bit. That’s why they’re called ’human candles’!" "Such people aren’t rare; they’re all pitiable souls..." ... Hu Ma listened attentively and quickly asked, "You called that a twisted path. What is the proper Path then?" "Further cultivation, becoming a true Shousui man." Er Guotou said, "In the city, those in the Blood Food Gang—whether it’s the Red Lantern Society, the green clothes gang, or the Kuang’er Sect—anyone who makes a living by harvesting Tai Sui, all Worship some Shousui men." "These individuals live alongside Tai Sui year-round, yet they remain healthy and long-lived. This is because they have mastered certain special Life Nourishing dharma methods." "Of course, we don’t know if it’s true, but it’s said that some powerful Shousui men, relying on their profound cultivation, can even bring the dead back to life..." ... Hu Ma listened, feeling inexplicably moved. This is likely why Granny insisted on me continuing to learn this dharma method. His heart stirring slightly, he lowered his voice. "This is truly what I wish to learn, but the way to learn it..." Er Guotou said, "If you really want to learn, you must first find a way into a Blood Food Gang. Only then will you have a chance." Hu Ma quickly asked, "How can I get in?" He had heard of the Blood Food Gang’s existence. The people in his village both respected and feared them, as if they were extraordinary figures, yet he had never heard of any child from the village managing to join the Blood Food Gang. Er Guotou pondered for a moment. "I could help you with this, but..." ... I saved your life, and you’re still hesitating? Hu Ma felt a flicker of discontent but kept his voice normal, smiling as he asked, "But what?" Er Guotou sighed. "It’s just that this matter is too simple. It’s not enough to repay the life-saving favor you did for me..." This Brother Er Guotou is truly a man of integrity! Offering to help is already good enough, yet he’s still considering the magnitude of the favor? "Never underestimate the concept of a ’favor.’" Hu Ma genuinely felt somewhat surprised. Brother Er Guotou smiled and explained, "Among us Reincarnators, the most precious currency is a favor!" "You need to understand that among us Reincarnators, there are no binding constraints, nor do we dare to have real-world relationships. When we help each other out, it’s merely a group of pitiful souls huddling together for warmth." "However, everyone is struggling to survive and can’t focus all their energy on others. Yet, we can never be sure when we might need someone else to save our lives. So, over these many years, we’ve discovered that the thing most worth cherishing is precisely this concept of a ’favor.’" "To me, you saving my life is an enormous favor." "Whether it’s arranging for you to join the Red Lantern Society or helping you solve some minor trouble, neither would count as much of an effort for me. Truthfully, to truly repay your favor, I should directly give you the dharma method..." "...and I’d have to throw in two pounds of Blood Tai Sui on top of that!" ... Hu Ma was suddenly intrigued by this. For a moment, I found the idea of using favors as currency rather fanciful, yet at the same time, it felt like it should be exactly like this. And this also explained why Miss White Wine insisted on repaying me with three pieces of information back then. Was she also afraid of unintentionally owing me a favor? "For you, it was just passing on a message that happened to save my life. But for me, this is an enormous favor." Er Guotou’s expression became serious as he spoke to Hu Ma, "If I were to casually dismiss this matter with you, then in the future, my favors would be worthless even to other Reincarnators." "So, brother, there’s no need to be polite with me. Since you want to learn the dharma methods of the Shousui men, I’ll help you find an opportunity..." "Besides these things, if you have any other questions, just come and ask me on the designated ’zero days’." ... Upon hearing this, Hu Ma finally understood and quickly thanked him. Establishing a connection burned Life Incense, so the two didn’t waste it on idle chatter. After their conversation, they both withdrew.