"Aunt Zhang, something isn't right."
After killing the pathfinding Evil Ghost, Hu Ma steeled himself, wanting to see what other tricks the opponent had up their sleeve. More importantly, once they were all ensnared in the situation and he had gauged the opponent's strength, he planned to summon the Red Lantern Lady to resolve everything in one fell swoop.
Unexpectedly, after the opponent tested them once, they didn't make another move immediately. While Hu Ma sat on the altar, he slowly began to feel extremely uncomfortable, as if his clothes were too tight; he had a persistent sensation of being strangled around the neck. He tugged at his collar a few times, but the feeling lingered.
The night wind blowing around the altar had somehow turned chillingly cold, almost as if it were seeping into his bones, and it carried a hint of a foul stench. He looked back repeatedly but couldn't see anything happening around him, which made him deeply unsettled. Glancing down at the altar, he noticed the oil lamp's light flickered unpredictably.
He turned his head, intending to ask, but before he could speak, he was suddenly startled. Turning sharply, he saw the items on his altar shaking and scattering, as if something invisible had leaped onto it and thrown everything into disarray.
"The opponent's using dirty tricks."
Aunt Zhang had also noticed. Her slightly darker face showed a grave expression. She glanced around and said softly, "These opponents lack principles. We're setting up the altar to duel them, yet they're employing underhanded tactics first."
"There must be someone from the Haishou Path among them using nightmare to ruin the feng shui of our altar site."
"We picked a good spot for setting up the altar, but somehow they've turned it into cursed land."
Hu Ma furrowed his brow and asked in a low voice, "What should we do?"
"Find a protector," Aunt Zhang replied softly. "When setting up an altar, if conditions allow, we always bring a protector or a Warrior to guard against such unforeseen events."
"A protector?" Hu Ma was momentarily taken aback. "Do we have a protector?"
"Of course, we do," Aunt Zhang whispered. "We Ghost Walkers all raise little ghosts. When we're setting up the altar, the little ghosts are our protectors!"
Hu Ma immediately understood and found it rather amusing. Quickly, he joined Aunt Zhang in burning incense. As the fragrant smoke drifted out, Little Hongtang appeared in the blink of an eye, squatting in front of the altar, her eyes wide as she observed.
「After a while」
In the not-too-distant night, the headless little ghost also extended its arms and groped its way over.
Hu Ma, feeling a bit helpless, said to Little Hongtang, "Give it the head!"
"I didn't take it!" Little Hongtang took out her small basket, uncovering it for Hu Ma to see. Inside were dried meat, a pellet drum, and some other strange items, but no paper man's head.
Hu Ma was somewhat puzzled. He then heard Little Hongtang say, "It rolled down the slope over there earlier. I saw it but didn't pick it up."
"Huh?" Hu Ma was a little embarrassed. "Then why didn't you help it pick it up?"
Little Hongtang said, "Brother Huma told me not to pick things up."
She wasn't wrong; Little Hongtang was an obedient child.
Taking a deep breath and deciding not to dwell on it, he said earnestly to Little Hongtang, "I'm doing something important, and someone is causing trouble for me. You're my protector now, Little Hongtang. Take it with you, and both of you go check the surroundings. See if anything is causing mischief."
"If you find something... beat it up!"
"Beat it hard!"
Little Hongtang listened to Hu Ma's words, blinking in surprise.
Hu Ma gave Little Hongtang a deep look and said, "If you handle this well, there'll be good food for you!"
"...Oh, and before you start, take it to find its head!"
Little Hongtang immediately became excited, nodding vigorously. She spun around and transformed into a gust of cold wind, running off. After a few steps, she turned back; the headless little ghost had just groped its way to the altar when she grabbed it and dragged it away.
Even Aunt Zhang looked at Hu Ma in surprise, sighing softly, "Shopkeeper, you truly have a talent for being a Ghost Walker."
"It seems this is indeed something in your blood..."
Hu Ma also sighed softly. Sitting before the altar, he found it all remarkably new and fresh. His senses heightened, taking in every movement around him.
The purpose of this trip was to learn the ways of Ghost Walkers. Although, compared to the contents of the Age Suppressing Book, the methods of the Ghost Walker Path seemed somewhat rudimentary, they were like keys; each piece of knowledge acquired unlocked a deeper understanding of the Age Suppressing Book.
Now, having set up the altar seemed to have opened a new door for him. Every action, every moment of stillness, was a fresh experience.
How should one describe it?
This was a skill completely different from that of a Shousui man. The Shousui man's skills operated from the outside in, but setting up an altar as a Ghost Walker seemed to make one the center of that area, projecting power from the inside out.
"Aunt Zhang, after setting up the altar, the area within three zhang three is considered magic land—is that a rule?" Experiencing it carefully, he didn't forget to ask.
"For a newly set up altar, it's three zhang three," Aunt Zhang replied. "As one's cultivation deepens and Mana grows stronger, it can expand to six zhang six, and then to nine zhang nine. The broader the range, the greater the skills."
"Then..." Listening to her, Hu Ma suddenly thought, Back then, when I used the spell from the Age Suppressing Book to hold the green-clothed evil ghost from half a prefecture away, what level would that be considered?
As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard unusual sounds arising around him.
Little Hongtang and the headless little ghost, acting as altar protectors, had gone out. The once deathly still and eerie surroundings soon stirred with activity. Strange noises arose from the night winds, punctuated by bursts of chasing and fighting.
Hu Ma hurriedly asked Aunt Zhang to use coffin bottom mud to anoint his eyes so he could see clearly. As he concentrated, he saw under the distant starlight Little Hongtang trading blows with a cat on a hillside. Their fight seemed evenly matched, and they were SQUEALING as they rolled from east to west.
On the other side, the headless little ghost was under a crooked tree in the distance, jumping up and down as if trying to reach something, its head jiggling precariously.
However, with their commotion, the Magic Altar temporarily found peace. The earlier sensation of being strangled or of something moving nearby while he sat on the altar disappeared.
For now, things were calm. He felt his Mana at its peak, fully prepared for the duel.
But the forest ahead remained dark and silent. The opponents still hadn't made a move, causing Hu Ma to feel anxious, though he reminded himself to be patient.
Having learned the skills of a Shousui man, he was accustomed to taking the initiative. Setting up the altar and casting spells, however, demanded a passive approach, which required a change in his habits.
He intended to say something, but suddenly, he was startled. Grabbing his Wooden Sword, he thrust it towards the area beneath Aunt Zhang's skirt.
Aunt Zhang quickly backed away, her eyes widening as she saw a snake on the tip of Hu Ma's Wooden Sword.
Everyone was shocked. Looking forward, they only heard a RUSTLING sound; they realized countless snakes were slithering toward them.
Instantly, a shiver ran down their spines.
Many people have a natural fear of snakes, and Hu Ma was one of them. This was especially true at night. This world wasn't like his previous one, with streetlights everywhere. Here, the RUSTLING in his ears meant numerous snake bugs were crawling around. The dim oil lamp only lit a small area, yet he could already vaguely see many wobbling shadows within it.
Even the cart driver and the attendant behind him exclaimed in alarm, clearly sensing the danger.
At this moment, Hu Ma almost cursed aloud in shock. These bastards! A duel is a duel, why release snakes to bite people? Roaming the jianghu is truly different from ordinary life. The people you meet in the jianghu... if they can throw lime, they'll throw lime; if they can release snakes, they'll release snakes; if they can use poison, they'll use poison. They don't follow any rules at all!
Cursing internally, he swiftly reached out, pressing his hand to his ribs. Suddenly, his voice erupted like spring thunder in a sharp cry.
It sounded like thunder, like the croaking of a toad.
The people around instinctively covered their ears. Even the snake bugs crawling at the forefront froze.
Hu Ma immediately swept his Wooden Sword, sending the approaching snake bugs flying.
Although he sent seven or eight flying—which seemed like a lot—the RUSTLING sounds around him persisted. Grasses swayed, and a faint, sinister scent drifted on the night wind. Evidently, more venomous snakes were approaching.
"Don't panic, Shopkeeper! The opponent is testing us!"
At this critical moment, Aunt Zhang, who had also been startled, quickly recovered and reminded him in a low voice, "Shopkeeper, you're setting up an altar for the first time and your senses aren't sharp enough yet. That's why these snake bugs managed to get so close to the altar."
"When we Ghost Walkers are on the altar, our every word and action is Magic, every movement a Skill. Snake bugs and malevolent spirits shouldn't be able to get near."
"The opponent is trying to see if you're observant, since this is your first time setting up an altar!"
Being unexpectedly surrounded by snake bugs was indeed a shock. But hearing Aunt Zhang's words, Hu Ma calmed instantly, listening closely.
Indeed, while on the altar, his senses felt sharper. Listening carefully, he could discern the RUSTLING movements of the snake bugs, clearly hearing their locations. Within the three-zhang-three radius of the Magic Altar, his perception was at its sharpest; he could even 'hear' what the snake bugs looked like.
He let out a soft breath and said, "Aunt Zhang, how do we deal with these snake bugs?"
Aunt Zhang was a bit surprised at how quickly Hu Ma had calmed down. She said softly, "I'll teach you a snake repellent spell. Just chant it silently."
Whispering it into Hu Ma's ear, she finished. Hu Ma immediately held his breath, focused his mind, sat upright on the platform, and began to recite in a low voice: "The sun rises in the east, glorious and bright, I command you, snake bugs, flee far and hide deep..."
It was strange. Though the spell was simple, as Hu Ma recited it, its power spread out from the Magic Altar to the surroundings.
On the hillside and in the wildlands, the wriggling, HISSING snake bugs seemed to be affected. They slithered out from the grass and moved towards an empty space in front of the Magic Altar, coiling together into a horrifying mass.
In the woods, the snake repellent man was enthusiastically blowing his bamboo whistle when it suddenly went silent.
His face changed slightly as he turned to Godmother Cui. "Godmother Cui, who did you provoke? That Magic Altar... it's incredibly potent!"