Chapter 308: Chapter 307 The Prestige of Seventh Aunt
His attitude had to be clear.
I won’t account for that Vengeful Ghost seeking revenge, nor do I plan to help her, Hu Ma thought. He was simply addressing the issue from the perspective of a little Shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang. If the other party was genuinely from plum bossom lane and had written a formal note stating when and where they borrowed Blood Food from the Red Lantern Society to save someone, then he could take that note back to Incense Master Xu and consider the matter settled. But if they merely gave their word and took the Blood Food, it would be a grave error. He wouldn’t be able to explain it to the Society, and he’d have to bear the blame himself. The task of taking over the Blood Food mine at Blind Ridge would almost certainly be forfeit.
"What?"
Hu Ma understood this perfectly, but his words immediately angered the approaching group. The Black Robed Mage, in particular, strode forward and barked, "You lot from the Blood Food Gang are truly short-sighted and fail to grasp what’s important! Do you have any idea who I’m trying to save?"
"I initially wanted to help you, little Shopkeeper, accumulate some yin virtue and forge a good connection. But you don’t know what’s good for you and decided to pick a fight with me instead?"
"Since I, your Old Master, have given my word to save someone, even if the Incense Master of your Red Lantern Society were here, he would have to hand it over!"
Hu Ma looked surprised. "Then if I don’t hand it over, will the Old Master Mage resort to outright robbery?"
The Mage was momentarily stunned. He didn’t answer directly, only letting out a cold laugh.
The sturdy man beside him seemed eager, taking a few slow steps forward. The tension in the air instantly ratcheted up.
"The Blood Food is our life! Protect the Blood Food!"
At that moment, Zhou Datong suddenly roared, and all the attendants drew their knives.
In their Manor, apart from Hu Ma, only four attendants had come along. Their numbers were small, naturally. But having worked with Hu Ma for some time, they had gained experience. More importantly, they had always been successful, which had bolstered their courage. Now, with knives drawn, their imposing manner was quite considerable.
The men beside the Black Robed Mage flinched slightly. Normally, we underlings wouldn’t give the Blood Food Gang a second thought, they thought. But these fellows are surprisingly bold, daring to draw their blades!
If it came to a fight, they had no reason to fear them. However, they worried that with so many people, stray blades could cause unintended injuries. After all, they were here to save someone else; it made no sense to risk their own safety.
"Don’t fight! Don’t fight!"
Just then, someone rushed forward, flustered, and got between the two groups. It was the old servant accompanying the noble from the Wei Family. He quickly bowed to both sides, saying, "Brave sirs, please calm your anger! Old Master Mage, please calm your anger! I will write the note."
"The one we need to save is the young master-in-law of our Huainan Wei Family. The Old Master Mage is a disciple of Old Mr. Mei from plum bossom lane. If you go back and say this, you should be able to account for everything."
At these words, both sides temporarily cooled their tempers.
The Black Robed Mage seemed somewhat displeased that his identity had been revealed so directly, but he merely snorted.
His gaze swept coldly over Hu Ma’s face, clearly dissatisfied that the little Shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang had dared to draw a knife on him.
Hu Ma heard this and his mind raced, quickly assessing the situation.
Just as he was feeling pressed, he glanced up and saw Little Hongtang approaching with a gust of sinister wind. Reinforcements are here! he realized.
His expression relaxed. He clasped his hands toward the old servant and said, "Old Sir, it’s not that we don’t want to help. It’s just that for those of us trying to make a living in a small gang like ours, any mistake can be fatal. Since you’re willing to write the note, there’s no reason for us not to help."
He then turned to the Black Robed Mage. "As long as I can go back and account for this, why wouldn’t I follow the Old Master’s instructions?"
"Please, take the Blood Food from the cart."
This statement made both the Black Robed Mage and the old servant look rather peculiar; they hadn’t expected such a change in attitude.
This little Shopkeeper is quite reasonable and polite after all, the old servant thought. The Black Robed Mage, initially displeased, found his anger dissipating after seeing Hu Ma first draw his knife and then speak respectfully.
Indeed, if Hu Ma had spoken amiably from the start without first drawing his knife, the Mage might not have been so receptive.
The attendants from the Manor heard Hu Ma’s words and exchanged puzzled glances. Nevertheless, they obeyed him and sheathed their knives. The men beside the Black Robed Mage then hurriedly began to move the Blood Food from the cart.
Just then, a gust of sinister wind suddenly blew from the distance. The piercing sound of a suona accompanied it, making everyone jump and turn their heads towards the open field.
Their vision blurred for a moment, and they beheld a bizarre scene.
Borne on the sinister wind, a paper sedan chair floated over from the distance. Seated in the chair was an old woman in a blue gown, adorned with paper flowers and jewels. She had a sharp, pinched face with a large mole and was comfortably smoking a pipe.
Carrying the sedan chair were two sturdy yellow skins, chanting "HEAVE-HO! HEAVE-HO!" with great enthusiasm.
Following them were two slightly smaller yellow skins, their tiny paws clutching small suonas, which they played with gusto.
"Who arrives with such fanfare?"
The sudden spectacle startled the Black Robed Mage and his men. The Mage, in particular, looked visibly tense.
The Wei Family’s old servant couldn’t see it, but he vaguely heard the suona and sensed something approaching.
Seventh Aunt is here. Everything will be fine now... Hu Ma thought with a silent smile, retreating to the back, ready to watch the show.
I don’t want to interfere with the Vengeful Ghost’s revenge in the well, nor do I want to lend out the Blood Food for no good reason, he mused. Frankly, even if they write a note and I present it to the Society, it might get me off the hook for now. But if they don’t return this batch of Blood Food, I’ll eventually be blamed anyway. For me, the perfect solution is not to get involved in this mess at all and just deliver the Blood Food to Zhu Gate Town as planned. However, refusing them outright isn’t wise either. It would offend both plum bossom lane and the Wei Family, potentially leading to trouble later. As a mere little Shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither option is good. So, I’ll let Seventh Aunt handle it and play the role of the innocent bystander. This way, I can also get a good look at what’s really going on with these ’official’ matters.
"Who’s this, so lacking in manners? Don’t they know to burn incense to the local powers upon arrival? Instead, they come bullying our neighbors?"
The sedan chair floated to a stop before them. Seventh Aunt, seated within, took a drag from her pipe and spoke slowly, her shifty eyes seeming to roll towards the top of her head.
Nowadays, she received Worship in the local area and had cultivated quite an air of dignity. Even her speech was drawn out and languid.
Hearing this, the Black Robed Mage felt a prickle of caution. He stepped forward and said respectfully, "May I ask which of the Immortals has graced us with her presence? How many sticks of incense have we burned on the altar in your honor?"
"We were invited here to deal with a matter. There is a malevolent entity harming a person of noble birth, and we intend to eliminate it."
"Who’s this and who’s that? You don’t even recognize your Seventh Aunt?"
Seventh Aunt’s small eyes darted about as she shot him a look of extreme displeasure. I don’t know who this fellow is, and I don’t care, she thought. In this territory, who doesn’t show respect when they see Seventh Aunt?
She tapped her pipe against the side of the sedan chair, her face a mask of annoyance. "I haven’t seen any malevolent entities or nobles. All I see is a domestic dispute. What business is it of yours, an outsider? Is one of them your grandfather, or perhaps your own mother?"
These blunt words made the Black Robed Mage’s expression change.
Seventh Aunt? Never heard of her, he thought. But her harsh tone made it clear she was here to pick a fight. The crucial thing was, when he looked up, he found he still couldn’t gauge her true depth.
Yellow skins carrying a paper sedan—how bizarre. The one sitting on it doesn’t seem to have much cultivation either. I feel like I could crush her and the sedan with a single slap... But how could that be possible?
Others might not recognize it, but he did. He knew what this sedan chair and the suona music, however bizarre they appeared, actually signified...
It was an honor guard!
Ordinary evil spirits and Mountain Spirits wouldn’t dare put on such a display. Even the Red Lantern, despite having recently built a temple in Mingzhou Prefecture, could only travel by sedan chair at night and wouldn’t dare to have accompanying music! Anyone with such an honor guard definitely possessed significant status. Besides, if she were truly powerless and without cultivation, would she dare speak to him so rudely?
He was normally arrogant, but now he was genuinely intimidated.
At this moment, the Wei Family’s old servant spoke up again. He couldn’t see Seventh Aunt, but he noticed the Mage looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy. His only thought was to save his master. The Blood Food was right there; there was no need for further complications.
Gathering his courage, he bowed towards the empty air and said, "May I ask which great Immortal has arrived?"
"Our master is a noble of the Huainan Wei Family, unfortunately ensnared by a malevolent entity. We humbly request the great Immortal, for the sake of the Wei Family’s reputation, to show us some convenience..."
Hearing this, the Mage also perked up, curious to see what would happen. The Wei Family was a prominent lineage; he himself had only agreed to intervene because of their name. This entity before him was strange. He wasn’t sure if it was one of those officially recognized by the ’altar,’ and he wanted to see its reaction to the Wei Family’s name.
Unexpectedly, Seventh Aunt was already displeased that the old servant was bowing towards the north when she was in the east. After a moment’s thought, not knowing which Wei Family he was talking about, she said, "Wei Family, Schmei Family, who knows what you’re babbling about? I do know a Limp Wei, though."
"He’s not exactly a credit to his name!"
She was talking about the old man from Ganzi Village who collected manure every morning. Bitten by a venomous snake in his youth, he’d been left with a lame leg and would secretly seek her help with matchmaking, terrified that his Wei family line would die out. But when he sought her help, he was too stingy to offer proper Worship—who offers two rotten eggs? Seventh Aunt was thoroughly displeased with him. If the little Shopkeeper hadn’t advised her to follow human customs, she would have taught him a lesson long ago.
She had no idea, however, that her words had caused the Mage to break out in a cold sweat.
His mind raced. Instantly abandoning any thought of lingering, he bowed deeply and said hurriedly, "It seems this lowly one was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai! Since the Old Dame has spoken, we wouldn’t dare disobey. However..."
"May we still take this person with us?"
Seventh Aunt shot him a sidelong glance. "Take him, then. Who’s stopping you?"
The Black Robed Mage breathed a huge sigh of relief. He looked back at the old servant and the others, who looked like they wanted to speak but held back, and urged them sharply, "Not another word! Let’s go, quickly!"