"This..." Hu Ma's heart was momentarily stirred.
In Mingzhou Prefecture, the four of them working together had already resulted in many conveniences, and they had obtained quite a bit of information.
So if we reached the large city of Anzhou, where there are more Reincarnators, how much more intelligence could we gather then?
For understanding this world and collecting information, this could not be a more advantageous situation...
Moreover, if it was just sending a letter to Anzhou, it wouldn't be much trouble.
But although he was already tempted, he still remembered his prior agreement with Miss White Wine and said softly, "And about this matter, and Xiang's issue..."
"The two matters aren't the same, but it doesn't mean they can't be handled together," Miss White Wine said. "The Reincarnator Organization in Anzhou isn't simple. In fact, they're a bit stronger than we are here. You'll be taking someone back to Big Stone Cliff in Lingshou Prefecture anyway, which is a convenient opportunity to help me deliver this letter. Once it's delivered, you'll have made contact with them."
"If the matter of the Ghost Cave family is easy to handle, then you can get it done and be finished with it. If it really involves some sort of trouble, having the Reincarnators there assist you will make things simpler, whether it's escaping from danger or plotting something else."
...
"Ah..." Hu Ma was slightly surprised after hearing this.
It seemed being a Reincarnator was more helpful to me after all. On the surface, I appeared friendless in Anzhou, but in reality, there were familiar faces all over...
Slightly intrigued, he quickly asked, "Is delivering this letter an obligation, or...?"
"Since I'm asking you to do something, of course, there will be compensation," Miss White Wine said. "Moreover, when you deliver the letter there, they should be the ones offering you compensation, so we don't need to save them the expense. There's no need to mention Blood Food itself. You can consider what you need in terms of either Path skills or trump cards. When you arrive in Anzhou Prefecture and deliver the letter for me, I think they can satisfy your needs, whether it's the keys to Entering the Mansion or the trump cards for Ascension."
Hu Ma was a bit surprised. "Is it so easy to obtain the keys to Entering the Mansion?"
Miss White Wine just smiled and said, "In this world, dharma methods are the most difficult things to come by. But within our Reincarnator circles, those things are more accessible."
"Curing it is troublesome, but just keeping her alive is actually simple," Miss White Wine laughed and said. "You don't actually need me; you can do it yourself."
"What?" Hu Ma was quite surprised by this.
"Once you understand her situation, the method of treatment becomes simple. All it needs is to use soul-nourishing items to nourish her," Miss White Wine explained. "And as for soul-nourishing items, nothing beats the Golden Silk Tai Sui. When we collaborated before, the portion of Golden Silk Tai Sui I gave you, you still have it, right? This girl's current problem is that the nail injured her soul. With her Living Soul leaving her body, it's injury upon injury. Removing the nail would indeed be a hassle, but if her soul is nourished with Golden Silk Tai Sui, she'll be fine in a short time."
"Golden Silk Tai Sui?"
Hu Ma suddenly remembered the most special part of the Blood Food he had earned before.
Nowadays, he had nearly consumed all the Blood Food Pills from that earned Blood Food, including the ones bestowed by Red Lantern Lady, leaving none behind. It had been exchanged for the abilities of the Five Organs. The green food and white food among them were worthless and not specially kept. Only that piece of Golden Silk Tai Sui, knowing its value but not its use, was kept all along.
Wouldn't it have gone bad?
"It's still with me..." After hearing Miss White Wine's words, he was slightly puzzled. "But the thing I have can't see the light of day, right?"
"In your hands, it can't see the light, but in my hands, it's perfectly legitimate," Miss White Wine smiled and said. "My portion has already been refined and is ready to be used. Of course, I wouldn't let the Ghost Cave Li Family have it so cheaply; I should at least let you be the one to do them this great favor."
"After all, by casually saving a life, you've already done them a favor, so why not make the favor greater? When the time comes, you can repay me by supplementing my lack with your portion."
"Is that possible?" On hearing this, Hu Ma understood her intent.
He vaguely sensed there was indeed quite a bit of room for maneuver in this matter, yet he wasn't eager to get excited. He paused and asked with a smile, "What's your gain in all this?"
Miss White Wine had a different nature compared to Er Guotou; she was more by the book. In such matters, it was only fair to discuss things beforehand. She had both helped him diagnose someone and taken out Golden Silk Tai Sui to help him do a favor.
If there was no profit for her in this, then regardless of whether others would agree, he himself felt it was somewhat inappropriate...
"I certainly won't be at a loss," Miss White Wine said. "If you had stayed, you were supposed to help me with something. But since there's an opportunity to go out and gain experience while delivering my letter, that's good too. It's beneficial. You should remember this great favor, though. The major matter I wanted your help with will require your diligent assistance when you return."
"I've noted it down."
With a low sigh, Hu Ma agreed temporarily. After silently sorting through it, what was once somewhat complicated was now very clear in his mind. Of course, the precise execution would depend on the next day's performance.
γHe returned to his dreams and slept till dawn.γ
The old housekeeper rose early, waiting anxiously. Hu Ma figured Grass Heart Hall might not be open yet, so he wasn't in a hurry. He ordered some porridge at the inn. By the time the sun was high, he paid his room fee and joined the old housekeeper on their way to Grass Heart Hall.
All the way, seeing him limping with an anxious face, Hu Ma felt somewhat helpless. Upon reaching the shop, he paused for a moment and said, "I hadn't planned to say this, but seeing you struggling on that leg, it's tough. I have some Silver, and since we're at a medical shop, you should get that leg checked out. Otherwise, if it drags on, it really will be crippled."
"This..." The old housekeeper was slightly taken aback. Facing Hu Ma's impassive expression, he felt somewhat embarrassed. He had been holding on because he had no money and was unwilling to ask for help. But hearing Hu Ma's offer now, he felt even more guilty.
"Thank... thank you, benefactor." He lowered his voice, saying, "But my mind is preoccupied. Let's check how Miss is doing first..."
"It's up to you."
Hu Ma didn't say much. He knew the outcome, so he wasn't worried. He and the old housekeeper went into Grass Heart Hall one after the other, only to find the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper already waiting there.
Upon seeing them, he sighed. "The Young Master has already given his idea! The lady you brought over is in truly poor condition. That nail, we can't extract it. However, we can protect her Yuan Soul and nourish her sleeping soul. At least her life can be preserved until your family members arrive or she can be sent home."
The old housekeeper was already overwhelmed with excitement upon hearing this. "That's good, that's good! Once we see the Old Master, everything will be fine."
It seemed he had anticipated this from the beginning; his purpose in coming to Grass Heart Hall was precisely for this.
But the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper frowned, interrupting his words of gratitude. "Don't rush, old sir. There are some things that need to be said upfront. It's not hard to stabilize her condition. This longevity lock, for the sake of the Ghost Cave Li Family, can be given freely. However, to nourish her Divine Soul, we need to use the extremely precious golden pattern ointment! This item is extremely valuable, and considering the circumstances..."
"No problem, no problem..." the old housekeeper hastily said. "Use whatever is needed. I guarantee on my life that the Ghost Cave Li Family are not the kind of people to shirk their debts."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper, however, waved his hand. "That's not what I mean, old sir. It's not that I don't trust you. But you have no token of proof. You just say you're from the Ghost Cave Li Family. Whether you are or not, and whether the Li Family will acknowledge this debt, is all uncertain... To have us provide the most precious golden pattern ointment without any collateral like this, that hardly seems appropriate, does it?"
Hearing his words, the old housekeeper was suddenly stunned. He wanted to argue but didn't know how to begin.
Just then, Hu Ma, who had been listening quietly, sighed and said, "If that's the case, put it on my account! If you're going to save someone, save them completely. I have an affinity with Xiang; I can't just watch her lose her life..."