Chapter 33 Aftermath

He spurred his horse, quickening its pace, and left the Old Yin Mountain region.

Once outside, he saw the world bathed in bright sunshine.

In the distance, between the ridges of fields and within the various villages, people ran back and forth. Some cheered, some wept, and some, seeing Hu Ma from afar, came forward and knelt before his horse, kowtowing to him.

They didn't know about Hu Ma's slaying of evil spirits in Old Yin Mountain, but they remembered his hard work and efforts in running between the villages these past few days.

Hu Ma quickly asked them to rise, not accepting their bows, and instead asked, "How is the situation being resolved?"

"How many people were injured in the village?"

"Where are the zougui ren (spirit walkers) who came from out of town to help?"

"..."

After the villagers spoke, Hu Ma quickly comforted them and hurried towards the village ahead.

Now that the cloud-obscuring yin qi (negative energy) had been swept away, the families and villages within a thirty-li radius felt a sense of great damage and decline.

It was as if vitality had withered, and the crops were yellow and withered, and it was unknown how long it would take to recover.

Arriving at the village ahead, he saw that there were still many zougui ren (spirit walkers) busily working. Some were taking care of the people who had been affected by the evil spirits, brewing herbal medicine for them and instructing them on how to recuperate their bodies afterward.

Some comforted the surrounding people, telling them not to be afraid, that the evil spirits had caused a great disturbance this time, but it was over now, and they would not come again.

Others had already packed their things and were preparing to leave.

Hu Ma quickly urged his horse forward and said, "Old sir, Granny, elder sister, there's no need to rush off."

"You've worked hard all day. Please come to my estate, where I've prepared some food and wine to fill your bellies first."

"..."

Under normal circumstances, when zougui ren (spirit walkers) came to a village to help, the villagers would prepare good food and wine to entertain them, and the fee would also have to be prepared proactively, without waiting for them to ask for it.

But this time, the matter was too big, and the people were panicked and unable to take care of anything. Hu Ma had to think of it.

"That's not appropriate..."

The zougui ren (spirit walkers) waved their hands and said, "We are zougui ren (spirit walkers), and you are from the Blood Food Gang. There's no reason for us to eat your food."

"This..."

Hu Ma hadn't realized this before.

Zougui ren (spirit walkers) came from villages, while the Blood Food Gang was a gang organization centered on the flesh and blood of Tai Sui (God of Flesh). The two sides were not usually on the same path.

But after a moment of thought, he said to Xiao Hongtang, "Go find Da Tong and tell him to take rice, flour, wine, and dishes from the estate, set up a flowing banquet in Huang Gou Village, and invite the surrounding zougui ren (spirit walkers) to come over. They came here to help enthusiastically, and we can't let them go back hungry."

"Also... ask him how many casualties there were."

"..."

Xiao Hongtang jumped off the horse and ran off on her short legs.

She quickly found Zhou Datong, who hadn't returned to the estate to rest yet. They were helping to dig pits in the neighboring village to bury those strange green-clothed children.

These green-clothed children had taken the opportunity to run out and kill people, their ferocity overflowing, and no one could stop them. But after the green-clothed evil spirit was taken away, they suddenly became weak and were beaten to death by the angry villagers.

These kinds of people were typical demon spawn. It was fine to beat them to death. Dig a pit and bury them, and press stones on top.

The county government, which was only for show, probably wouldn't come to investigate.

Of course, even if they did come, the villagers who were consumed by anger at the time would not show mercy.

"Don't bury them yet..."

After learning about this, Hu Ma immediately instructed them, "Burn them first, pour oil on them and burn them, and then crush them to pieces."

"Crush them and then bury them in the pigsty to suppress evil!"

"..."

As he spoke, he personally demonstrated one, and then asked Zhou Datong and the others to return to the estate to fetch rice, flour, vegetables, and meat.

When the workers arrived, the village elder understood what Hu Ma meant, and he forcibly transferred some manpower to set up tents and tables and chairs in the village, then set up large pots and asked people to go to the various villages and invite the zougui ren (spirit walkers) who came to help to eat.

But after the living were settled, when Hu Ma heard about the casualties of the zougui ren (spirit walkers), he couldn't help but feel a heaviness in his heart.

Three zougui ren (spirit walkers) who came to help from various places had died, seven or eight were seriously injured, and some had been sprayed in the face with a mouthful of yin qi (negative energy) by the suddenly powerful evil spirits, and they were still unconscious.

Hu Ma could only sigh softly and settle them one by one.

For the dead, he asked people to carefully collect their bodies and ask other zougui ren (spirit walkers) to recognize them and record their identities and names.

They had to be sent back properly.

For the injured, the estate took out all the black oil ointment, blood wine, white food, green food, and even blood food that could be seen in the light.

They were distributed to people to treat their injuries, and then the Lady would be asked to reimburse them.

When these zougui ren (spirit walkers) saw these things, they were a little surprised. They usually traveled around villages and ate a bowl of meat and vegetables, which was already good enough. When had they ever had such a rich treatment?

From this point, Hu Ma did realize that everyone was in the same profession, but there was a big difference between zougui ren (spirit walkers) and shousui ren (year guardians). Shousui ren (year guardians) were not rich, but they were not poor, but zougui ren (spirit walkers) were really simple.

Perhaps the only valuable things on them were the objects they used when walking ghosts, but they were only valuable in specific circles.

And he, after settling these people, returned to the estate and slept lightly for a while.

Since he left the estate, it had been two days and three nights since he had closed his eyes, and he had been running around and fighting continuously. Even with the foundation of a shousui ren (year guardian), he was already a little unable to hold on. As soon as he lay down, he slept for two hours before waking up in a daze.

When he walked to the inner courtyard, he saw that Li Waizi was also lying on the bed, nursing his injuries, and being fed porridge.

Zhou Datong and the others were nowhere to be seen. After asking, he learned that there were many things to do in the villages, and they had gone to help.

Hu Ma washed his face to clear his head and left the estate.

It was already late at night, but after such a disturbance, the night was even safer than the day, but he still saw many zougui ren (spirit walkers) still busy in various places.

Some were burning incense, some were burning paper money, and some had set up altars, chanting something in low voices.

Hu Ma saw a kind of devout and mysterious temperament on their faces, and he just stood silently on the side, waiting for them to finish their rituals before speaking.

"Little Shopkeeper."

The old man who led the cow and brought his little grandson out to ward off evil spirits nodded and smiled when he saw Hu Ma.

They usually didn't deal much with the Blood Food Gang, but they had a good impression of Hu Ma.

Hu Ma saw that he had lit a large handful of incense and was walking in the wilderness, sticking a stick on every grave mound he encountered. He didn't quite understand the purpose of his doing this, so he politely asked in a low voice, "Old sir, what are you doing now..."

"Pacifying the evil."

The old man smiled, revealing his missing teeth, and said, "Zougui ren (spirit walkers), we don't just take care of the living, we also have to take care of the dead."

"This time's disturbance not only caused disaster to the people, but also to them."

"Don't look at how fierce they were during the day, but many of them were not willing to do it. They were suppressed by evil qi (negative energy), and they couldn't help themselves, and they were all seriously injured..."

"After all, they are all souls that cannot enter the underworld, and they are suffering by staying in this world, just waiting to die. When the disturbance is happening, we have to take care of the living, but after the disturbance is over, we can't just leave them there..."

"..."

"Souls that cannot enter the underworld..."

Hu Ma was slightly startled by these words.

Hu Ma took a deep breath and looked up into the depths of the night. There were few lights in this era, and it was all dark at night.

But now, he could see the flickering flames in various village entrances or in the wilderness in this deep night, and occasionally he could hear the low chants coming from the distance, ancient, mysterious, but with a kind of reassuring temperament.

The practices of these zougui ren (spirit walkers) seemed to follow some ancient rules.

And this was exactly what he had not thought of before: Does this world really have an underworld?

If so, why is there so much disturbance in the world, and the order of yin and yang is in chaos?

He had always valued the shousui ren's (year guardian) methods because he could see them clearly, touch them, and they were real. Although the Zhen Sui Shu (Year Suppression Book) was overbearing, he had no confidence in his heart.

Because it seemed to be grasping power beyond his limits, and transmigrators didn't like the feeling of entrusting their fate to others.

But this time, with the help of the Mountain Lord, using the methods in the Zhen Sui Shu (Year Suppression Book) made Hu Ma truly feel the existence of that power. It seemed to be a kind of authority, as if he was summoning a solemn power.

That was not his power, he was just using it, like a county magistrate interrogating a prisoner in the court.

Where did that power come from?

"Old sir, I am not a zougui ren (spirit walker), but I am just curious. Do these souls of the dead really have a home?"

He organized his words in his heart, suppressed his curiosity, and asked the zougui ren (spirit walker) in a low voice.

"Of course."

The old zougui ren (spirit walker) smiled. Being with Hu Ma, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he did when facing those Blood Food Gang shopkeepers. Instead, it was like chatting with his own junior, so he was willing to say more.

He smiled and said, "Wu Chang (Black and White Impermanence) hooks souls, judges judge sins, and there is hell reincarnation, don't they all exist..."

Hu Ma felt even more bizarre when he heard this and said, "Then why are there so many yin秽 (dirty and evil) things in this world? Why did you say they can't enter the underworld?"

"Because the gate of the underworld is closed..."

The old zougui ren (spirit walker) said, "It's been closed for many years. Because the underworld is closed and there are no rules, there are more and more wandering and unclean souls, and the work of zougui ren (spirit walkers) is also increasing..."

"Closed?"

Hu Ma was even more surprised: "Why is it closed? Since you said it's closed, does that mean it existed before?"

"Since there is an underworld, there are also soul-hooking envoys and reincarnation?"

"Old senior, have you ever seen these things?"

"..."

The old zougui ren's (spirit walker) face, which was originally smiling, was now a little embarrassed.

He thought this little shopkeeper was a good person, but he didn't expect that he came to mock him...

"Where would I see them?"

He glared at Hu Ma unhappily: "The gate of the underworld is closed, evil spirits are born, and the world is in chaos. Later, capable people came forward and set the Twilight Boundary (Huanghun Fenjie) as the boundary to set rules, so that living people and evil spirits can live in peace..."

"...That's what everyone says!"

(End of this chapter)