The eastern sky, at some unknown time, revealed a hint of white, followed closely by a flush of red. Regardless of one's mood, the sun always rose and set according to its inherent rhythm. The clear sky did not bring any warmth to the crowd; instead, it made many people gag, myself included.
After toiling all night, it wasn't until dawn that the bodies were finally cleared from the rocks and neatly lined up. There was no particular feeling while moving the stones, but when the sun came out and revealed the pale faces, smeared with red and white substances, my stomach churned instantly.
"Ugh..." I ran a long distance and kept dry heaving. Tears streamed down my face from the effort, and only then did I feel a little better.
A bottle of water was presented to me. "Never seen anyone die so miserably, have you?" Zhang Dabiao said, his tone laced with a hint of teasing.
I snatched the water from his hand, opened the cap, and gulped down more than half the bottle. Feeling a bit more comfortable, I said, "I've seen dead people, and I've seen worse deaths, but seeing so many people die together, and so miserably, is truly a first."
I wasn't lying. Having studied divination with my master for ten years, what kind of corpses hadn't I seen, what kind of deaths hadn't I witnessed? For when a ghost appears before you, it is in the state it was at the moment of its death. Sudancn.com
"Heh heh... I have some good news for you." Zhang Dabiao said mysteriously.
"What good news?"
Zhang Dabiao clicked his tongue, lit another cigarette, and then whispered, "Hu Yuan is dead."
"Tsk, what good news is that? We knew he was dead when the mountain sprites attacked. With so many people dead, it's normal for him to have been crushed." Hu Yuan's death made me happy. If Hu Sixi also died, I would be even happier.
"That's different. I looked at Hu Yuan's body. He was likely murdered first, and then attacked by mountain sprites and crushed by stones."
I was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhang Dabiao nervously. "You're not joking, are you? With Hu Sixi around, someone dares to harm Hu Yuan? Isn't that like a centenarian hanging himself? Impossible, absolutely impossible, and no one would dare to do such a thing."
"See, you don't believe me even when I tell you. Wait until later, and you'll see if the Hu family comes to you for divination."
Having spent so much time with Zhang Dabiao, although he sometimes seemed childish and lacked seriousness, he never lied. According to him, a true man, born between heaven and earth, had nothing he couldn't say to others.
"Should I perform this divination or not?"
"That's for you to decide. They're coming. Think it through yourself." Seeing the Hu family disciples approaching me with grim faces, I felt a pang of conflict.
In my opinion, I definitely wouldn't perform the divination for Hu Sixi. After all, I didn't know who had killed Hu Yuan. If it was someone among the great deities accompanying us, wouldn't that be like undermining my own support?
However, refusing to perform the divination might not be feasible. Hu Sixi was on the verge of madness. His own grandson had been murdered right under his nose, and how could he explain that to Hu Dejin upon returning?
One must remember that Hu Yuan was the designated successor of the Hu family for the next generation. Although he seemed unreliable, he did have some redeeming qualities, even if I hadn't personally witnessed any of them.
The Hu family disciple was very polite. Upon seeing me, he first bowed and then said softly, "Mr. Song, Elder Hu and the others request your presence. They have something to ask of you."
I blinked, still finding it hard to believe. When did the Hu family members start speaking so amiably? It was almost enough to overturn my understanding of the world.
"What could they possibly ask of me? It would be good enough if they didn't cause me trouble. I'm just a diviner; I can't help." Thinking about performing the divination for Hu Yuan made me feel sick. If I didn't put them in their place, how could I vent my inner frustrations?
"Mr. Song is joking. You possess extraordinary skills, and only you can fulfill their request. Senior Shui Dao Ren and Old Celestial Master Fang are also present; it wouldn't be good to keep them waiting."
Their words were very accommodating, but the implicit threat was undeniable. I could refuse to give Hu Sixi face; I wouldn't fear him even if he threw a tantrum, as I held two trump cards.
However, I had to show respect to Old Celestial Master Fang of Longhu Mountain and Shui Dao Ren of Maoshan. These two influential figures had not offended me, and their status and reputation were undeniable. Offending them would only bring disadvantages.
When I rushed back, the large number of bodies had already disappeared, leaving only some red and white residue on the ground, a testament to the many lives lost there.
Shui Dao Ren, Old Celestial Master Fang, Hu Sixi, and Wu Yun were standing around a white cloth, their expressions varied. Shui Dao Ren and Old Celestial Master Fang appeared calm and unruffled, suggesting their disciples had not suffered any losses.
Wu Yun was alone, so he naturally wouldn't have suffered losses, but he kept yawning, appearing to have not rested well.
Only Hu Sixi's face was terrifyingly grim. Even standing under the sun, the old man felt like an iceberg, emanating waves of chilling coldness.
"Greetings to both seniors. May I ask why you sent for me?" Although the Hu family member had sent for me, I had no desire to speak with Hu Sixi, so I directly greeted Shui Dao Ren and Old Celestial Master Fang.
They were both astute individuals, having lived long enough that their eyelashes were practically empty. They were somewhat aware of the animosity between me and the Hu family, but they hadn't expected me to be so disrespectful to the Hu family as to greet them directly, bypassing Hu Sixi.
Old Celestial Master Fang nodded but remained silent. Shui Dao Ren, acting as the peacemaker, said, "Last night, the mountain sprites attacked, and our group suffered heavy losses. The Hu family even lost an adopted son and grandson. I know young friend Song is a successor of Yin divination, so I wish to ask young friend Song to find this child's Yin soul and see what malevolent spirit harmed him last night."
"In front of both Daoist masters, this junior dares not make a fool of himself. Moreover, the Hu family is also a family of the Yin arts; surely they can find a Yin soul, can't they?"
"Hmph...小子, don't be sarcastic. The Hu family is indeed a family of the Yin arts, but specialization is key. The Hu family is not adept at tracking souls. I know what kind of person you are. State your terms directly, and I will accept them."
I rolled my eyes, truly wanting to leave and say, "I'm not serving you. Find someone else."
Before I could make a move, Shui Dao Ren intervened again, "Consider it a favor to this old Daoist. I also wish to know what kind of evil spirit could penetrate the talisman formations set up by Senior Fang and myself."
"Shui Dao Ren, it's not that I don't give you face, but look at his attitude when asking for a favor! It's only because you two are here. If you weren't, he would have devoured me alive. I fear that doing a good deed might not result in a good outcome!"
"You..." Hu Sixi's face turned dark with anger, his scalp prickling. Just as he was about to lash out and teach me a lesson, he was stopped by Shui Dao Ren.
"Daoist Hu, I've heard a bit about your grievances. As a senior, it's already wrong to casually attack a junior, and now you intend to strike a junior in front of us?" Shui Dao Ren's voice was gentle, but his authority was evident.
"Shui Dao Ren, you know I didn't mean that. It's just that this小子 is too..."
"Enough! Your grievances end here. Hu Sixi, you are a person of standing. Do not trouble young friend Song anymore."
Hu Sixi snorted coldly, signifying his agreement.
"Young friend Song, what is your opinion?"
I hadn't expected Shui Dao Ren to play the role of a mediator, resolving the conflict between us.
"Since Senior has spoken, this junior naturally has nothing to say. However, my Yin divination has its rules."
"What rules?"
"Payment is required."
*Poof...*