Hu Ma saw this person and finally understood why Miss White Wine had insisted he come at this time, and who this old acquaintance she mentioned was.
The old shopkeeper, when he saw Hu Ma, was also slightly taken aback, seemingly struggling to recall something.
Hu Ma smiled and instructed Zhou Datong and the others to keep the old housekeeper occupied while he politely approached the old man, bowing deeply. "Senior, it's been a long time. Do you still remember me?"
"Ah, don't speak just yet..." The old man quickly reached out to stop him. "I find you familiar too. I'll remember soon enough..."
Hu Ma, seeing him like this, knew he would have a hard time remembering.
He smiled and said directly, "Shopkeeper, have you forgotten last year's trip into the mountains when Second Master and I helped guide you?"
"Ah!" The shopkeeper slapped his forehead and laughed. "It really is you! I knew you looked familiar. Why are you dressed in the style of the Blood Food Gang?"
"You can't blame my memory. It's only been a year, but you've changed so much..."
As it turned out, this old shopkeeper was no stranger. Last year, when Miss White Wine went to the Old Yin Mountain in search of a fox coffin, he was the one accompanying her.
He had even attempted to use the Five Ghosts Skill to help Hu Ma find Granny, but unfortunately, his skill didn't prove very effective in the Old Yin Mountain. Nevertheless, it was clear he was someone on the Path, so Hu Ma wasn't surprised to encounter him here; after all, the man was the shopkeeper of this raw drug store.
Hu Ma said with a smile, "Thanks to you and Miss, after returning last year, I joined the Blood Food Gang to make a living."
"At the time, you gave me a roll of cloth to help prepare Granny for burial. I still remember that kindness."
"That was out of respect for your Granny. There's no need for such formality."
The old shopkeeper also chuckled, looking Hu Ma up and down. "You've done well for yourself. Become a manager? I just heard a commotion. What happened?"
"It's about my younger sister," Hu Ma whispered. "She's afflicted with soul loss, and I wanted to consult a doctor from Grass Heart Hall."
The old shopkeeper was taken aback. "If her soul is lost, why not have a Ghost Walker call it back? Your Granny was a Ghost Walker. Shouldn't she know how?"
Hu Ma replied, "It's not that simple. We can't call it back."
"I see..." The old shopkeeper listened, then frowned slightly and gestured for Hu Ma to come closer. "Going to that medical clinic won't help. Bring her to me instead!"
Hu Ma was overjoyed and quickly had Zhou Datong and the others bring Li Xiangyu over. Led by the old shopkeeper, she was carried up to the second floor and placed on a couch in a hall.
The shopkeeper motioned, and an assistant who had followed them upstairs brought over a basin of clean water. He washed his hands, then lit an incense stick in the nearby incense burner before gently prying open Xiang's eyelids to examine her.
After examining her eyes, his expression grew somber. He checked the red spots under her skin, then turned over her palm and pressed its center.
An assistant was nearby, and while he didn't chant like a doctor, he spoke as he examined her, "To diagnose conditions of a frightened or lost soul, first probe the 'Earth Center.' If the 'Earth Center' flutters rapidly, it's a new ailment; if it flutters slowly, it's a chronic one."
"If the pulse between the forefinger and middle finger jumps rapidly, it indicates a scare at a crossroads."
"If the tip of the little finger twitches, it's fright from an animal, often a furred creature. If the base of the little finger twitches, it's usually from a scaled creature."
"If the 'Earth Center' is normal, then observe both sides of the first knuckle of the middle finger. If they twitch rapidly, it's a collision with ghosts. If the middle knuckle twitches rapidly, it's possession by a 'Yellow Willow.' Clamping it with chopsticks can expel the evil..."
He proceeded methodically, diagnosing as he spoke. But after a few presses on Xiang's hands, his face turned grim, and he fell silent. After inspecting several more areas, he gradually straightened up and said to Hu Ma,
"Little brother, we might be old acquaintances, but it's not that I don't want to help you. I'm afraid we at Grass Heart Hall cannot treat the girl you brought."
Previously, when he met Hu Ma in the village, Hu Ma was just a child in his eyes, not even warranting the mention of his name.
Now, seeing Hu Ma had joined the Blood Food Gang and was dressed not like an ordinary member but like a manager, he spoke much more politely.
But polite as he was, his final stance surprised Hu Ma. He remembered this old shopkeeper possessed significant skills and seemed willing to help. Why, then, did he declare he couldn't treat her just by looking?
The old shopkeeper seemed somewhat conflicted. He paused, then said in a low voice, "The way her soul was lost is too peculiar."
"We at Grass Heart Hall treat ailments, but we don't get involved in grudges."
Looking into his eyes, Hu Ma immediately understood the implication. So Xiang's soul really was taken by someone?
With a flicker of doubt, he turned his gaze to the old housekeeper, vaguely guessing something.
The old housekeeper, who had been anxious all along, had wanted to find the Si Ming specialist here as soon as he arrived at Grass Heart Hall. However, he hadn't found them. Seeing an acquaintance of Hu Ma helping instead, he had felt a surge of relief and waited patiently. Now, seeing the other party refuse to treat her, he grew anxious again.
He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed to the old shopkeeper, and said, "Sir, may I have a private word with you?"
The old shopkeeper paused, then turned to look at Hu Ma. Hu Ma remained composed and said, "This gentleman is a relative of my friend, but... we're not very well acquainted."
"Then speak here!" the old shopkeeper said, turning back to the old housekeeper. "It's all about this one patient. We at Grass Heart Hall operate by our rules. Why the need for secrecy?"
The old housekeeper hesitated, looking around, momentarily unsure of what to do.
However, this Grass Heart Hall Shopkeeper ignored him and instead turned to Hu Ma. "Little brother, it's not that we disregard old ties, but this patient's illness is truly strange. I think you should first find the root cause!"
"Grass Heart Hall has its rules. We have no other way."
The courteous tone carried an air of finality that unsettled those present. The old housekeeper grew even more agitated, looking as if he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.
Xiang's soul loss must have a reason, Hu Ma silently pondered. It might be related to her guiding souls in her dreams. Grass Heart Hall must have noticed something amiss. Perhaps Xiang's soul is being detained by something, and they don't want to offend it, which is why they're urging me to find the root cause.
Logically, I should leave now, so as not to put Miss White Wine in a difficult position.
But Miss White Wine also said earlier that she would appear if necessary. So, should I leave now or not?
As he was pondering, no one had noticed that when Hu Ma and the others carried Xiang up to the second floor, a cat had been lazing on the landing between the second and third-floor stairs, its amber eyes observing everything.
As the atmosphere on the second floor grew tense, a pair of delicate small feet in white embroidered shoes appeared from the third floor. Slender, jade-like hands reached down to scoop up the cat, and the white embroidered shoes descended the stairs lightly.
Hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs, everyone instinctively turned their heads, their eyes suddenly widening.
Descending the stairs was a woman in white, holding a cat. She was strikingly beautiful, yet her aura was serene, and she carried the faint scent of herbal medicine.
As if she had come downstairs unintentionally and noticed the people there, she glanced over. Her gaze paused slightly when it fell on Hu Ma, then shifted towards Shopkeeper Wu, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
"Boss..." the shopkeeper hurriedly stood up and smiled. "Do you remember this young man?"
"Last year when we went into the mountains, he guided us. Now he's doing well, working as a small manager in the Blood Food Gang."
Upon hearing this, Hu Ma also politely rose and bowed.
So Miss White Wine is this beautiful, he thought. Previously, in the Old Yin Mountain, she never came out of her sedan chair. This is my first time actually seeing her. Even though we are already well acquainted, when meeting in reality, one still has to put on an act and not show that familiarity. That's why I simply bowed politely, only sneaking a glance.
"That's no mere manager. Judging by this robe, he looks more like a Shopkeeper," Miss White Wine, an even better actor than Hu Ma, remarked, her eyes sweeping over him calmly.
"Back in the village, I recognized this boy's uncommon qualities. When I encountered trouble in the forest, he, at such a young age, knew to offer assistance. His character is good."
"Shopkeeper?" The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was slightly taken aback by this and re-evaluated Hu Ma.
When he saw him last year, Hu Ma was just a child from the village. Now, he's a Shopkeeper in the Blood Food Gang? That's quite a rapid ascent...
Of course, he himself was the Shopkeeper of Grass Heart Hall and might not necessarily look up to a Shopkeeper from the Blood Food Gang. Regardless, on the surface, they now had to address each other as peers.
Privately surprised, a thought vaguely crossed his mind: It's not easy to climb so quickly. Did he sell his body, or did he sell his life?
But whatever his private thoughts, he quickly smiled and clasped his hands in salute to Hu Ma. "Then I must have misjudged. Little brother, your abilities are considerable. Now that you're in the city, do come by for tea when you're free."
"The senior flatters me." Hu Ma quickly returned the salute, noticing the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper's surprise, and another thought occurred to him.
Reaching the position of Shopkeeper is pretty much enough. I shouldn't be too conspicuous. Last year, I was just a wretched young boy in the village. In little more than a year, I've climbed to become a Shopkeeper in the Blood Food Gang. Even if everything I've done on the surface has a logical explanation, in the eyes of others, it's still a meteoric rise. If someone from the Ten Surnames were to come by, they might determine I'm problematic because of this, attracting unnecessary trouble. In the future, it's better to handle some things more discreetly.
Seeing Hu Ma and the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper exchange greetings, Miss White Wine appeared rather uninterested, as if she had merely recognized Hu Ma, asked a cursory question, and then dismissed it from her mind.
She merely instructed the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper lightly, "Since he's an old acquaintance, Five Ghosts Shopkeeper, treat him well. Have him stay for lunch!"
"The Red Lantern Lady is establishing a temple now, so she's no longer considered on an unorthodox path. Associating with a little Shopkeeper from the Red Lantern Society, especially an old acquaintance, wouldn't be considered breaking Grass Heart Hall's rules."
Hu Ma quickly said, "Miss Dong, we have a patient here. Could you..."
Miss White Wine replied, "If there's a patient, let the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper examine her. But you can't skimp on the consultation fee. As for the favor from the forest last year, we settled that debt back then."
Hu Ma suddenly relaxed and smiled. "Naturally."