Knowing the opponent's formidable skill, Hu Ma focused all his attention. He abruptly dropped his whip and, using the techniques he had arduously practiced, attacked the scar-faced old man with his knife.
However, the old man simply smiled, unperturbed. He wielded his white bone whip, causing the Bone Fragments on it to rattle. A white shadow flickered within the forest as he matched Hu Ma evenly.
Hu Ma was beginning to feel a bit anxious.
He employed the Ghost Ascending Stairs technique with his legs, moving unpredictably with a bizarre movement technique. His left hand also transformed, embodying death as he unleashed the Soul-seeking Head. If only he could grab hold of his opponent, he could pull out a part of his soul. The knife in his hand exuded a killing aura, each strike aimed at his opponent's vital points.
Usually, he trained rigorously in his techniques. Not only had he mastered the three moves taught by the Second Master, but he also pondered daily over the techniques taught by Shopkeeper Wu Hong.
In addition, the skills of a Shousui man were formidable. In close combat, he had never suffered losses.
Yet now, facing this scar-faced old man, he found himself unable to gain the upper hand. The opponent seemed to practice the Siming Path, clearly boasting abilities superior to his own.
However, the Shousui man's close-combat techniques were indeed formidable. So, even though he engaged him, he did not suffer an immediate major disadvantage, managing to use his Shousui man's strengths to barely bridge the gap in their skill levels.
Still, he only managed to bridge the gap; gaining an advantage remained extremely challenging. This was especially true with that white bone whip in the old man's hand; each strike could potentially shorten his lifespan.
If he were hit a few more times, he couldn't be sure if he would only be injured or if his lifespan would disappear entirely. This implied that everyone had a limited number of times they could endure that whip. No matter how skilled or how tough their body was, they wouldn't survive many hits.
As he was already a dead person, would receiving hits from that whip reduce his lifespan? Hu Ma truly questioned this, but he didn't dare to test it. After all, it seemed that every strike of that whip tangibly drained his cultivation. With each hit, some of his power disappeared, almost as if it was a poison designed specifically to target his cultivation.
BUZZ...
Right at this moment, Hu Ma suddenly felt dizzy, as if his body was being torn apart. A slippery sensation wrapped around him, as though something was entangling him, slowing his movements by several degrees. Suddenly, he took a lash from the whip on his shoulder.
What's happening?
Hu Ma was greatly startled. He could already hear Aunt Zhang's words: "The evil object is getting closer, affecting the Magic Altar!"
Hu Ma had not been slow entering the forest, and upon entry, he had quickly slaughtered the snake charmer. But the snake charmer was cunning. Though he was dead, the venomous snake he had released before dying was quite a menace—not just because its bite was dangerous, but because it was intensely evil.
If it appeared near the Magic Altar, the altar would be affected. Hu Ma had been previously affected by two things: this monstrous two-headed snake, and the craftsman's kowtows that sapped fortune.
Hu Ma's roar had killed the craftsman, and the Mana on the Magic Altar was recovering. However, the two-headed snake was getting closer to the Magic Altar, its influence growing stronger.
He was supposed to be engaging the short, stout old man, but now he was somewhat distracted by the situation developing elsewhere.
Simultaneously, even the light from the Red Lantern in the air dimmed slightly. The Red Lantern Lady had rolled up her sleeves and already dispatched two altars of Evil Ghosts, but two remained. Her stick of incense was about to burn out, and coupled with the Magic Altar being affected, her Mana was visibly becoming unstable.
RATTLE, RATTLE...
At the same time, Godmother Cui, seeing that the scar-faced old man had blocked Hu Ma, furiously and urgently tapped the rattle beside her. With the sound of the rattle, hurried footsteps were soon heard from outside the forest.
It was none other than the beggars who had earlier followed Hu Ma and his crew. Originally hiding in the forest, unwilling to meddle in such a duel, they were now called in by Godmother Cui. They held dog-beating sticks, some carried lime, and others lifted stinking wooden buckets and packages.
"Kill this boy, and everyone gets roast chicken tonight! You'll have the run of the alleys in Dongchang Prefecture!" Godmother Cui yelled, staring fixedly at Hu Ma as she promised great rewards.
Upon hearing this, the beggars' eyes instantly lit up. Roast chicken to eat, women to sleep with—what promises could be more enticing? Some raised their dog-beating sticks, others lifted the wooden buckets, encircling Hu Ma, eager to strike.
"Hold it!" Suddenly, the scar-faced old man shouted, "I can handle this boy. Keep your filthy things away from me; do you want to ruin my Magic?" As he spoke, he swung his whip, driving Hu Ma back with several forceful strikes.
Could it be that I need to run? Hu Ma clenched his jaw as this thought flashed through his mind. If he couldn't win, then he could only flee. As a Shousui man, he could endure a few losses and use the Ghost Ascending Stairs technique to escape without much problem. But in doing so, what would happen to the others…
"Shopkeeper, I'll help you deal with this evil object. Over there, you must hurry!"
Suddenly, from atop the Magic Altar, Aunt Zhang spoke. She didn't know what Hu Ma was dealing with in the forest, but she could tell from the oil lamp on the Magic Altar that Hu Ma was under significant pressure. He was already taking a great risk by entering the forest. Now, with an evil object nearby affecting the Magic Altar, the situation was even more troublesome.
Without much time to think, she sighed softly, her expression resolute. She sat in front of the Magic Altar, gazing at the pitch-black night surrounding her. Then, she silently held a talisman between her palms, pressed it to her forehead, and began quietly chanting some ancient incantation.
Hmm?
As soon as Hu Ma sensed the chanting, he felt a difference. The slippery sensation that had been entangling his body, making him vulnerable against the scar-faced old man, seemed to be pulling away. Now, it appeared this entangling force was being extracted from him.
Atop the Magic Altar, the oil lamp grew brighter bit by bit with Aunt Zhang's chanting.
Yet Aunt Zhang, as she chanted in a low voice, grew pale. Her eyes became bloodshot. Underneath her skin, something seemed to move, and her forehead turned subtly dark as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"Aunt, what are you...?" At that moment, Hu Ma did not know what was unfolding on the Magic Altar, but from behind Aunt Zhang came a startled voice. It was Housekeeper Zhou. He seemed to realize something. "Are you sacrificing your life force to fight off the evil aura?"
Aunt Zhang didn't respond, only enduring silently. After a while, she quietly said, "When an evil object enters the Magic Altar, someone must bear it. A Ghost Walker needs their Master to watch during their first ritual of setting up the altar, fearing they might falter against things drawn into the altar if it's their first time."
The housekeeper was almost speechless with shock. "You aren't truly bonded as Master and apprentice. Is this truly necessary?"
"It doesn't matter to me." Aunt Zhang gazed at the gradually brightening oil lamp and smiled shyly. "After all, I'm about to get married. Whether I harm my lifespan or not doesn't matter."
Did Aunt Zhang expel the evil aura that entered the Magic Altar? On the other side, in the forest, Hu Ma was taken aback. He could distinctly feel the entangling force lift from him. Even the Red Lantern Lady in the sky, at this final moment, seemed to regain her authority.
It was undoubtedly Aunt Zhang who had intervened and resolved the evil aura that entered the Magic Altar.
Yet, a thought flitted through his mind—if it was so easily resolved, why was Aunt Zhang so startled earlier? This meant that although it seemed simple, Aunt Zhang must have paid a great price.
Unaware of what Aunt Zhang had done, his heart felt weighed down, and he clenched his teeth.
"Alright, my lads, prepare to attack!"
Just at that moment, the scar-faced old man used his white bone whip to drive Hu Ma back. He yelled, causing the beggars to rush forward. They raised their dog-beating sticks, some threw lime, or wielded the little ghosts they had nurtured.
Godmother Cui seized the opportunity, busily chanting her incantations. From outside the forest, paper men drifted in, encircling Hu Ma. She could command paper men to lift sedan chairs, one of her abilities. Though not particularly formidable, this Magic was unsuitable for duels. However, it was now useful to trap Hu Ma so her "lads" could act.
The ominous aura densely surrounded him. Chaos and danger abounded, causing fear as it surged towards him from all directions.
Hu Ma then became fiercely determined. Just as the Magic Altar regained its calm, restoring his condition, he now acted without hesitation, simultaneously placing three incense sticks into the incense burner.
Previously, he had never used the cultivation of all three incense at once, but now, he wasn't holding anything back. After exercising caution for the entire journey, he was now revealing his trump card; he had to resolve all troubles.
WHOOSH!
Meanwhile, as he did this, Aunt Zhang was watching the oil lamp on Hu Ma's altar recover and brighten, feeling slightly relieved. Yet suddenly, the oil lamp surged, its flame leaping up, illuminating a radius of dozens of feet.
The sudden change even shocked Aunt Zhang. She gazed toward the forest in disbelief. Though she had taken over the Magic Altar, it remained Hu Ma's altar, and the lamp's brightness represented his cultivation. But how did his cultivation suddenly increase so dramatically?
Behind her, Housekeeper Zhou was also alarmed. "The little shopkeeper's skills seem peculiar..." Could it be he finally used that Copper Coin?
...
SLICE!
The scar-faced old man was about to withdraw from the battle, intending to let the beggars swarm Hu Ma to death. Suddenly, Hu Ma reached out, his hand catching the white bone whip.
The old man hesitated, ready to laugh. "You foolish..."
Before he could finish the word "fool," his expression changed dramatically. Hu Ma's cultivation had surged. Grabbing the white bone whip with a powerful swipe, he tore it away from the old man. With one swift movement, he twisted it, shattering it into several pieces. The Bone Fragments scattered on the ground.
The scar-faced old man stumbled, nearly falling. When he raised his head, his face was full of terror. "Pure Yang Child fate, Sixty Years of Skill?"