"Alas…"

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper was inwardly shocked. Seeing the young lady was about to pick up the cat and return upstairs, he hurried after her with small steps.

He felt a bit helpless. The children in this stronghold were too good at taking advantage of situations. Back in Old Yin Mountain, it was because of a single word from him that the young lady put aside her own important matters to accompany him to find his mother.

And now, it was because of another word from him that she was making him treat someone.

These two people's identities were clearly worlds apart, one in the clouds and one in the mud, but how could they be so compatible?

However, the young lady was generous, and seeing that they knew each other, she casually asked him to help. But she didn't actually understand the situation…

He said a few words to her in a low voice and looked back at Xiang丫tou. Miss White Wine was slightly stunned upon hearing this, and frowned, saying, "Is it that troublesome? Saving people is our duty, but not getting involved in grudges is also right."

"Let's find out the details before helping!"

"..."

"So, you still want to help?"

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper understood the young lady's meaning and could only agree for now, but he sighed helplessly in his heart. When he turned around, a smile was plastered on his face.

After all, the young lady still needed to save face. Normally speaking, Cao Xin Hall wouldn't even ask about something so obviously involved in grudges.

"Little brother, our East House has spoken, so we have no choice but to listen."

He walked back and sat down next to Xiang丫tou, smiling helplessly at Hu Ma, and said, "But you have to tell us clearly about the origins of this patient you brought, and how she became like this."

"Otherwise, even if we want to help you, we can't see anything…"

"..."

"Yes."

Hu Ma nodded in agreement and then looked to the side.

The steward from Xiang丫tou's family had long been anxious and didn't know how to say it. Only now did Hu Ma say to him, "You've been evasive all along. I won't ask you directly, but now that you've heard what the old shopkeeper said, are you still unwilling to talk?"

"I…"

The old steward was full of anxiety. Meeting the eyes of Hu Ma and the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper, he finally couldn't hold back, but he seemed to think there were too many people around, and he looked conflicted.

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper of Cao Xin Hall was already quite impatient. He waved his hand and dismissed the shop assistants around him. Zhou Datong was good at observing people's expressions, so he also led the other shop assistants away. Now, only Hu Ma, the old steward, and the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper were left in the room.

But the old steward was clearly still hesitant, seemingly because Hu Ma was present.

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper was obviously a little angry and said faintly, "Old sir, you really have a big air about you. Otherwise, don't say anything and just take your people away!"

"Yes, yes, it's all my fault…"

The old steward was sweating anxiously on his forehead. He hurriedly apologized and bowed to Hu Ma, as if he had made up his mind, before saying to the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper, "Old sir, to be honest, my young lady…"

"She is the daughter of the Li family of Lingshou Prefecture, who guards the Ghost Cave…"

"..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of both Hu Ma and the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper changed slightly.

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper seemed a little surprised. He quickly lowered his head to take a look at Xiang丫tou, and his body shrank back slightly, as if lost in thought.

"Guarding the Ghost Cave?"

Hu Ma was slightly stunned, thinking, "What's that? It's really not Wu Chang Li ah…" (Wu Chang - a type of underworld official)

Although he had initially found it hard to believe that he had randomly picked up someone from the Wu Chang Li family, he was also thinking, what if it was true? Wouldn't he have struck gold?

Now that he heard it wasn't, he suddenly felt a little lost, as if he had lost something…

"The Li family of Lingshou Prefecture?"

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper also frowned slightly, then looked at the old steward, saying, "So what?"

"Ah?"

The old steward had been evasive all along, unwilling to directly say Xiang丫tou's identity. Even when he wanted to speak, he only wanted to tell the Siming person (Director of Destinies) of Cao Xin Hall secretly. Now that he had said it, he didn't expect people to react like this.

His expression suddenly became a little flustered.

"I know this place. They are a large clan in Anzhou Prefecture and have a reputation in the martial world."

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper said to the old steward, "But you suddenly announcing this name is making things difficult for our Cao Xin Hall."

"The Ghost Cave Li family has no grudges or entanglements with our Cao Xin Hall. If your illness is in accordance with the rules of our Cao Xin Hall, we will treat even ordinary people. If it's not in accordance with the rules, then you can't force us to treat people, right?"

"If you are capable, then you can cure her yourself. Why come looking for us?"

"..."

These words left the old steward feeling embarrassed. The reaction of Cao Xin Hall was greatly different from what he had expected.

"I don't know what the Ghost Cave Li family is."

At this time, Hu Ma spoke directly, saying, "But this girl, I picked her up from the river. She was abducted, and her memory is unclear, but she is a good person. She has been staying around my village for this period of time, working diligently, being kind to others, and everyone values her."

"Before this happened, she was still doing needlework and hadn't offended anyone. Suddenly, she became like this. I don't know anything else."

"..."

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper looked at Hu Ma and said, "Has she been to any evil places before? Has she offended anyone? Or has she provoked some powerful evil spirits?"

Hu Ma shook his head, saying, "She only helps out in the wine shop, and at most she just delivers a meal to the village. She doesn't even leave the town usually, so where would she provoke anything powerful?"

"If you're talking about strange things…"

"..."

As he spoke, he looked at the old steward next to him, saying, "This old gentleman's appearance is quite strange."

Upon hearing this, the old steward was already sweating profusely. He hurriedly said, "Don't guess, you two. I really know about the young lady's situation. She was born with the ability to walk the yin (spiritual realm). From the beginning of her menstruation, her soul can leave her body and guide the souls of the dead."

"Now, I think her soul is trapped somewhere and cannot return to her body."

"But actually, actually many things have happened before and after this, and even I am not very clear…"

"From… from the time of the lantern festival, when the young lady was abducted, I felt something was strange, but I didn't know why. This time, when I found the young lady, she couldn't recognize me, but…"

"But I think, no matter what, the master will definitely be able to help the young lady."

"This time, I don't ask for anything else. I only hope that Cao Xin Hall can help my young lady stabilize her life force, so that she can at least wait to see the master, and that will be enough…"

"..."

From his meaning, he didn't expect Cao Xin Hall to cure her, but rather hoped that Cao Xin Hall could help stabilize the situation.

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper hesitated slightly, as if lost in thought.

The old steward was about to get up and kneel, saying, "The great kindness of Cao Xin Hall will surely be remembered by the Li family of Da Shitou Cliff…" (Big Stone Cliff)

"Don't kneel, don't kneel…"

The Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper hurriedly stopped the old steward, saying, "Whether we treat her or not will be done according to the rules, it has nothing to do with your family. Moreover, this matter is not simple, I must first go upstairs and ask the young lady."

"Please sit for a while, you two. Someone, bring tea!"

As he spoke, he asked the shop assistants to bring tea, and he got up to go upstairs.

Hu Ma and the old steward stayed here to watch over Xiang丫tou. The old steward was a little uneasy. After sitting for a while, he said to Hu Ma, "Benefactor, don't blame me. It's not that I don't trust you, but my young lady's background involves too much, and I dare not say."

"You've said it whether you said it or not, haven't you?"

Hu Ma thought to himself, with a sneer on his face, and said to the old steward, "Old man, don't blame me for speaking frankly."

"I saved her casually, and I didn't take it too seriously."

"Now that she's sick, I'm putting in effort and using favors. Logically speaking, since her family has come, I can't wait to let go and leave her to your family."

"But I sent a letter to Da Shitou Cliff, and her family didn't come. Only you came, and you came on your own. Moreover, Xiang丫tou didn't recognize you at the wine shop before."

"Now you're just saying that you're their family's steward, but do you have any tokens to prove it?"

"The reason I'm still here is because I don't trust you. Yet, you're still being so secretive, who are you looking down on?"

"..."

These words made the old steward feel ashamed. Seeing him earlier, he vaguely had the arrogance of someone from a wealthy family, but now it was as if he had been stripped bare, embarrassingly explaining, "I know I should show some tokens to gain trust…"

"But, but on the way here, I traveled for days, and I encountered something powerful, and I was beaten half to death, and my luggage was lost, and I really…"

"..."

"That's your problem."

Hu Ma said faintly, "Moreover, even if you don't have any tokens, even if you do take out tokens, I would only feel relieved, and I would hand her over to you and go back to my village to mind my own business."

"What, do you really think that your Ghost Cave family has become royalty, and everyone should fawn over you when they see you?"

"..."

These harsh words made the old steward unable to save face. He suddenly knelt down, saying, "Benefactor, don't say that, that would really make me lose all my face…"

Hu Ma just raised his hand to lift him up when he knelt down, not accepting his kneeling.

But he frowned, without any pleasure.

"What's going on?"

Just at this moment, the Fifth Ghost Shopkeeper came downstairs, saw the two of them like this, and was slightly stunned. Then, he ignored it and just said to Hu Ma, "My young lady said that since she didn't provoke it on her own, then we can take a look."

"However, today I have to burn incense and bathe before I can use the Siming method."

Saying this, he smiled at Hu Ma and said, "I originally wanted to have a few drinks with you at noon, little brother, but it seems I have to postpone it."

"I can't touch wine today."

"..."

Hu Ma hurriedly smiled and said, "The days are long, what's the rush for this one day?"

He was vaguely moved in his heart. Xiang丫tou would take the initiative to leave her body to guide wronged souls, so her current situation, whether she took the initiative to provoke it, is actually hard to say. After all, unintentionally breaking into the territory of some evil spirit is not much different from actively provoking it.

To put it bluntly, whether to save her or not is all up to Miss White Wine's word.

Now that she said she wanted to save her, it was because Xiang丫tou, in her eyes, also had the necessity of breaking the rules to save her?

(End of Chapter)