Chapter 7 Knowing One's Place

Knowing his opponent was formidable, Hu Ma had also focused all his attention. He released the whip and used the skills he had practiced diligently, slashing at the scarred old man with his knife.

But the old man wore a smile on his face, unhurried. He wielded the white bone whip, the bone fragments clattering. A white shadow flickered in the forest, evenly matched with Hu Ma.

Hu Ma was already feeling anxious.

His legs used the Ghost Climbing Stairs technique, unpredictable and with strange footwork. His left hand had transformed between life and death, using the Soul-Reaping Hand. As long as he grabbed his opponent, he could tear away a portion of his soul. The knife in his hand was even more murderous, each move aimed at vital points.

He usually put a lot of effort into his skills. Not only had he mastered the three moves taught by Second Master, but he also pondered the techniques taught by Shopkeeper Wu Hong every day.

In addition, the Shousui Ren's (Night Watcher) skills were formidable. He had never really suffered a loss in close combat.

But now, facing this scarred old man, he couldn't gain an advantage for a while. The opponent seemed to be from the Siming Men (Gate of Fate), and his skills were much greater than his own.

However, the Shousui Ren's close combat was powerful. So, facing him, he didn't suffer a big loss immediately. He was using the Shousui Ren's advantage to barely make up for the difference in skill.

But it was just making up for it. It was extremely difficult to gain an advantage.

Especially that white bone whip in his hand. One strike would reduce his lifespan.

If he took a few more hits, it was hard to say if he would be injured. But his lifespan would be exhausted. In other words, everyone could only withstand a limited number of strikes from this whip. No matter how deep your skills or how hard your body, a few whips would kill you.

Was he, being already dead, lose lifespan from this whip?

Hu Ma actually had doubts about this question. But he didn't dare to try it. After all, being hit by this whip seemed to be draining his cultivation in a tangible way.

Each whip reduced his strength, as if it were a poison specifically targeting his own cultivation.

"Buzz..."

Just then, Hu Ma suddenly felt dizzy and his head was throbbing. His body seemed to be torn apart. He had a slippery feeling on his body, as if he was entangled by something. His movements slowed down a bit. He took a whip to the shoulder unexpectedly.

"What's going on?"

Hu Ma was greatly alarmed. He heard Aunt Zhang's words in his ear: "That evil thing is getting closer and closer. The altar is being affected!"

Hu Ma had not been slow in entering the forest just now. And as soon as he came in, he killed the snake charmer.

But the snake charmer was also insidious. Although he was dead, the poisonous snake he released before his death was still a formidable thing. It wasn't about how it would bite people, but that it was too evil.

As long as it appeared next to the altar, the altar would be affected.

The early impact on Hu Ma was firstly from this strange snake, and secondly from the craftsman kowtowing to cut his fortune.

Hu Ma roared and killed the craftsman, and the magic power on the altar was recovering. But the two-headed snake was getting closer and closer to the altar, and the impact was getting bigger and bigger.

Now, he was fighting with this short, fat old man, but he couldn't take care of the things over there.

At the same time, even the red lantern in the air dimmed slightly.

The Red Lantern Goddess rolled up her sleeves and had already killed two altars of evil ghosts. But now there were still two altars left. But seeing that her incense stick was about to burn out, and the altar was affected, her magic power was also obviously unstable.

"Clatter..."

At the same time, Cui Ganniang, seeing that the scarred old man had blocked Hu Ma, was also going crazy. She hurriedly knocked on the clapper in her hand, the sound one after another, knocking very anxiously.

As the clapper sounded, soon there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the forest.

It was the beggars who had followed Hu Ma. They had been hiding in the forest, not daring to participate in this kind of fighting. Now they were called in by Cui Ganniang. They were all holding dog-beating sticks, and some were holding lime, carrying some foul-smelling wooden barrels and bundles.

"Kill this kid, and everyone will have roast chicken to eat tonight. You can go to any hutong in Dongchang Prefecture!"

Cui Ganniang shouted, staring at Hu Ma, and promised a generous reward as soon as she spoke.

When the beggars heard this, their eyes lit up one by one. Roast chicken to eat, women to sleep with. What promise could be more exciting than this?

Some raised the dog-beating sticks in their hands, and some raised the wooden barrels, surrounding Hu Ma, eager to try.

"Hold on!"

Unexpectedly, the scarred old man shouted: "I can handle this kid. Keep your filth away from me. Do you want to ruin my magic?"

While speaking, he danced the whip, forcing Hu Ma back with a few strong whips.

"Is he going to run away?"

Hu Ma was also gritting his teeth now, and such a thought flashed in his mind.

If he couldn't win, then he could only escape at this time.

As a Shousui Ren, he could take a loss and turn around to escape with the Ghost Climbing Stairs technique. It was not a big problem.

But in this way, the others...

"Shopkeeper, I'll help you drive away this evil thing. You have to hurry over there!"

Unexpectedly, at this time, Aunt Zhang didn't know what Hu Ma was dealing with in the forest, but she could see through the oil lamp on the altar that Hu Ma was under a lot of pressure now.

He took the risk and entered the forest. Plus, an evil thing arrived nearby, affecting the altar, which was even more troublesome.

Without thinking too much, she sighed softly, her expression a bit resolute.

Sitting in front of the altar, she looked up at the dark night around her. She suddenly held a talisman silently in her hands, then pressed it against her forehead, and began to chant some strange incantation in a low voice.

"Hmm?"

As soon as the incantation was chanted, Hu Ma immediately felt the difference.

He always had a slippery feeling on his body, as if he was entangled by something, making it difficult to use his hands and feet. When he fought with this scarred old man, he suffered a loss.

But now, this thing that was缠绕 entangling him seemed to be being drawn away.

On the altar, the oil lamp also lit up little by little as Aunt Zhang chanted.

On the other hand, as Aunt Zhang chanted in a low voice, her face became darker and darker, her eyes became bloodshot, her skin was dark, and there was faint blood flowing from the corners of her mouth.

"Aunt, you..."

At this time, Hu Ma didn't know what was happening on the altar. But behind Aunt Zhang, a frightened voice suddenly sounded.

It was Steward Zhou. He seemed to see it: "Are you using your own lifespan to forcibly resist that evil energy?"

Aunt Zhang didn't answer. She just endured it silently. After a long time, she said in a low voice: "Evil things enter the altar, and someone has to bear it. The first time a Zou Guiren (Ghost Walker) sets up an altar, there must be a master watching, just in case the altar attracts something that the person setting up the altar for the first time can't resist."

The steward could hardly describe the shock in his heart: "You are not real master and disciple. Do you need to do this?"

"It doesn't matter to me."

Aunt Zhang looked at the oil lamp that was gradually lighting up, but she only smiled shyly and said, "Anyway, I'm getting married soon. It doesn't matter if my lifespan is damaged."

"Aunt Zhang drove away the evil spirit that entered the altar?"

On the other side, Hu Ma in the forest couldn't help but be surprised.

He could clearly feel that the thing entwining him had been drawn away. Even the Red Lantern Goddess in the air seemed to be majestic at this last moment.

Undoubtedly, Aunt Zhang took action and solved the evil energy that entered the altar.

However, a thought flashed through his mind. If it was so easy to solve, why was Aunt Zhang so surprised just now?

In other words, she seemed to solve it simply, but in fact, she also paid a price?

He didn't know what Aunt Zhang had done yet, but he felt a slight oppression in his heart, and gritted his teeth.

"Okay, children, prepare to attack."

At this moment, the scarred old man used the white bone whip to force Hu Ma back. But he was already shouting loudly. The beggars immediately surrounded him, waving dog-beating sticks. Some also raised lime, or drove the little ghosts they usually raised.

Cui Ganniang took the opportunity and hurriedly chanted incantations. Outside the forest, paper figures floated in one by one, surrounding Hu Ma in the middle.

She could drive paper figures to carry sedan chairs. It was also one of her techniques. But this technique was not very powerful. It couldn't be used when fighting with people. But now it was good to use it to besiege Hu Ma and let the children attack.

Seeing that the surroundings were dense and evil energy was rushing towards his face, all kinds of dangers were frightening.

Hu Ma suddenly became fierce.

He had just cleared the altar and his state had recovered. And now, he didn't hesitate at all and inserted three incense sticks into the incense burner at the same time.

Earlier, he had never used the cultivation of three incense sticks. But now, he didn't hold back at all.

He had been careful all the way. Now that he revealed his trump card, he would solve all the troubles.

"Hu!"

At the same time, Aunt Zhang was watching Hu Ma's oil lamp recover little by little and light up, and her heart was slightly relieved.

Unexpectedly, the oil lamp suddenly surged again, illuminating the surrounding tens of feet.

The sudden change surprised even Aunt Zhang. She looked at the forest in disbelief. Although she took over the altar, it was still Hu Ma's altar, and the lamp on the altar was Hu Ma's cultivation.

But how could this cultivation be so much higher all of a sudden?

Behind her, Steward Zhou was also shocked: "This little shopkeeper's skills are not right..."

"...Could it be that he finally used that copper coin?"

"..."

"Chi!"

The scarred old man was about to withdraw from the battle, letting people besiege Hu Ma to death. But unexpectedly, Hu Ma suddenly reached out and grabbed his white bone whip.

The scarred old man was stunned, and was about to laugh: "You don't know..."

Before the word "death" could be uttered, his face changed drastically. Hu Ma's cultivation had soared. He grabbed the white bone whip, and with a yank, he snatched it from his hand. Then, he twisted it, breaking it into several pieces. The bone fragments were scattered on the ground.

The scarred old man staggered, almost falling to the ground. When he looked up, his face was full of horror:

"Pure Yang Boy's Fate, a Jiazi (60 years) of cultivation?"

(End of this chapter)