Chapter 1 Still, Don't Panic For Now

"Still, don't panic for now. Just keep your Fu gate open. When I have an opportunity here, I'll naturally let you know."

After pacifying Di Gua Shao (Sweet Potato Liquor) and confirming when she would be free, Hu Ma withdrew from his natal spirit temple, inwardly praising Di Gua Shao's ambition.

His trip to Stone Horse Town could be called a stroke of luck. Opening two Fu gates in one go had left Di Gua Shao far behind. But he hadn't expected that she would create her own opportunities, and it looked like she was about to catch up again.

As a senior, he had to work hard himself.

But these were secondary matters. After chatting with Di Gua Shao, Hu Ma became even more confident in his ideas. He pondered carefully, his thoughts gradually settling, and this was exactly his original plan, one he was confident in but couldn't conveniently explain too clearly to the Mountain Lord.

In name, he was widely inviting talented and strange individuals from all over the world in the name of the Zhensui (Suppressing Calamities) Office to give the Zhensui Hu family the ability to confront the Meng family, but both the Mountain Lord and the Meng family's eldest son saw the drawbacks of his method.

But in reality, what he relied on wasn't those tricks of the trade, but...

...Reincarnators!

"This generation of reincarnators has been hiding for twenty years. It's time to give them a reason to enter this grand chessboard."

This was what he had planned long ago. Ever since he obtained the information about the previous generation's reincarnator, Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe), Miss Bai Pu Tao Jiu (White Wine), Hou Er Jiu (Monkey Wine), and Er Guo Tou (Double Distilled Liquor) had all gone to various places to look for news, also to find the reincarnators hidden in various locations.

It seemed that the first collective reincarnator meeting was about to be convened. As the messenger of information and the initiator of this meeting, how could he not build a good stage for them?

The reincarnators in various places were inherently untrustworthy. They were just scared into obedience, but if things continued like this, the world situation would change drastically, and they wouldn't have time to react. So, he would use the Zhensui Office as a foundation to give each other opportunities.

The world's greatest evil spirits versus the "Immortals" supported by the Meng family; only then would this good show be worth watching...

In fact, his box still contained that painting, and with his Four Pillars Daoist cultivation, he could theoretically try to call other reincarnators through the natal spirit temple of the Great Virtuous Teacher in the painting.

But that influence was too great. In the current situation, which was not yet completely clear, it was better to wait a little longer and have his companions invite the other reincarnators over.

After pondering carefully, he calmed down and had Little Red Tang guard the door, while he lifted the stone box and placed it on the table. Then, he stroked the first copper ring of the Zhensui Jijingjian (Calamity-Suppressing Golden Whip) inside the box. As the copper ring vibrated, baleful aura faintly emerged from the attic.

The flame in the oil lamp suddenly flickered, and everything around him changed. The ordinary Eight Immortals table in front of him transformed before his eyes, and scrolls of documents appeared.

Having taken over the Zhensui Office, and even presided over court hearings, he had naturally begun to understand and master some of the secrets of the Zhensui Office.

Among them were some secrets about the origins of the Zhensui Office, as well as some unknown things. The topmost scroll, which was also the most urgent at the moment, was the:

Bai Gui Lu (Register of a Hundred Ghosts).

...

The Zhensui Office had existed for a long time, in charge of the order of Yin and Yang, determining the boundaries between life and death, and the human world. This Bai Gui Lu was a register compiled twenty years ago, before the office closed, to take inventory of the ghosts and gods in the world.

It was called a hundred ghosts, but it contained far more than a hundred.

It could be said that many fierce gods and evil spirits in the world, who had not been officially canonized but possessed amazing powers, were all named on the register. Of course, twenty years had passed, and it might need to be updated, but it was still useful.

And for those who walked the ghost path, this Bai Gui Lu was a truly great skill.

Knowing its origin, its roots, its name, then walking ghosts on the altar could use it as a true incantation. When the altar was erected, commands were issued, sacrifices were offered, and the hundred ghosts on the register would dare not disobey...

Of course, this was only in theory. Whether the walking ghosts of the world could truly gain this ability still depended on his Zhensui Office.

Hu Ma had already begun to do this.

The method was very simple.

Earlier, when the Hungry Ghost entered Mingzhou, he issued the Seven Kill Order in the name of the Zhensui Office, attracting countless spirits, monsters, ghosts, and gods in Mingzhou to help. He also returned the favor by taking responsibility for their sins and recording their merits.

Now that the Hungry Ghost crisis had been resolved, Hu Ma would ask, what did it mean that those spirits, monsters, ghosts, and gods in Mingzhou who hadn't come?

Did they look down on his Zhensui Office?

...

...

After carefully flipping through the register, Hu Ma identified one, then sealed the stone box and stuffed it under the bed. Then, he went out and walked towards the outside of the village. Granny Qi and Aunt Zhang had not yet returned and were waiting for his message.

Having received Hu Ma's message during the day, Aunt Zhang had already prepared the altar early, with only the oil lamp in front of her yet to be lit. She looked up and saw Hu Ma coming over, and hurriedly got up, her expression seeming somewhat troubled: "Shopkeeper, young master..."

"...Are you really going to do this?"

Hu Ma smiled and said, "It's the meaning of that noble in the mountains. We're just running errands; what can we say?"

"Besides, among all the paths, walking ghosts are the most hardworking, seeking a way out for the common people and stability for the restless souls of the dead monsters. Now that the Zhensui Office has been established, if we don't think more for them, wouldn't it be a waste of its establishment?"

Aunt Zhang gave Hu Ma a deep look. Every time this young shopkeeper spoke, he hit her right in the heart. Therefore, she no longer hesitated and directly lit the oil lamp, raising the altar.

And Hu Ma handed her the list he had written. Aunt Zhang first proclaimed the Zhensui Office's order on the altar, and then recited the names on it, stirring up gusts of Yin wind:

"Heavenly Spirit, Earthly Spirit, human spirit, divine incarnation. I perform rites on the altar, and respectfully invite the immortals to descend upon the altar."

"Zhang Agu, a questioner of the Zhensui Office, acting under the command of the Zhensui Office, specially invites General Qing Tou Zi Lin (Blue-Headed Purple Scaled) of Nierwa to our altar to enjoy offerings and incense..."

"... "

After casting the spell, she brought the list closer to the oil lamp and burned it. The Yin wind, which had only been circling in the altar, suddenly blew outwards, and vaguely, the two straw men in her altar seemed to move, transforming into Zao Yi (Black-Clad Servants) and遁入夜色 (disappearing into the night).

Now that Aunt Zhang had an official position in the Zhensui Office, she could command Zao Yi when raising the altar, but after all, she was not Hu Ma, and her magic power was not deep. She did not yet have the ability to command Jin Jia Lishi (Golden Armor Warriors).

Of course, the purpose of raising the altar this time was to ask questions, not to forcibly detain, so Zao Yi were enough.

With the spell completed, everyone waited there. Aunt Zhang sat upright on the altar, her face serious. Hu Ma simply stood by the altar with his hands behind his back, quietly waiting for movement, while Zhou Datong and others not far from the altar dared not even breathe.

Three incense sticks were burned in front of the altar, and chicken, fish, and a small pig head were offered as sacrifices. It was an extremely respectful altar, and with the name of the Zhensui Office, perhaps even the Old Yin Mountain Mountain Lord would come.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no movement on the altar.

Aunt Zhang frowned and patiently cast the spell again, but still there was no movement.

When she couldn't help but cast the spell for the third time, everyone had been waiting anxiously for a while, but suddenly a gust of Yin wind blew outside the altar, causing the candles on the altar to flicker wildly. The people present felt a chill in their bodies, their minds blurred, and they even heard a burst of cold laughter in their ears.

"Aiyo..."

Aunt Zhang on the altar suddenly gave a low cry. Everyone hurriedly rubbed their eyes and looked over, only to see that the two straw men on the altar had suddenly fallen to the ground, and the straw inside had been pulled out and scattered all over the place.

The oil lamp in front of Aunt Zhang was almost blown out by the wind, although it was protected by the magic power of the altar and slowly lit up again, it was still extremely dangerous.

As for the three incense sticks, it was even more impossible to look at them. Two were long and one was short, and the long one was like a sharp arrow, pointing directly at Aunt Zhang's face.

"Shopkeeper, young master, this..."

Aunt Zhang turned to look at Hu Ma, her tone somewhat anxious. For walking ghosts, there was no worse altar than this. It meant that the thing she wanted to invite not only refused to come, but even got angry and directly moved to kill the person who raised the altar.

"Good, very good."

Hu Ma, standing by the altar, also watched coldly, snorted, and said: "Earlier, the Zhensui Office issued an order that there was no walking ghost monster in Mingzhou who dared disobey. It is a person named on the register, but refuses to accept."

"Now we politely invite it to the altar to talk, but not only does it not come, but it also loses its temper and掏了咱坛使的肚肠 (ripped out the guts of our altar envoy)."

"This is really not taking our Zhensui Office seriously."

"..."

"Then..."

Aunt Zhang hesitated and glanced at Granny Qi, who was squatting in the corner in a daze. Although she didn't quite understand why their path wanted to find a yellow weasel to reason with, but the current situation seemed to be that it was her turn to step forward.

"No need."

Hu Ma shook his head when he heard the words, and said: "If it were another time, we would need to ask the past about the reason, but since he doesn't take the Zhensui Office seriously, then what else is there to say?"

"Datong!"

"..."

His shout startled Zhou Datong next to him. He met his eyes before he realized what was happening and hurriedly handed the mask that he had sneaked back from the Red Lantern Society, as well as the Executioner's Saber, to him.

Hu Ma put on the mask and clamped the Executioner's Saber under his arm, snorted, and said, "Auntie, prepare a basin to catch its head!"

Saying that, he strode away, disappearing into the night in an instant.

As he遁入夜色 (disappeared into the night) deeper, his murderous aura surged, the Quantity-Measuring Boots appeared under his feet, and in an instant, he arrived at a place a hundred miles away. Soon, he had reached a deep mountain, looking at the brightly lit place in front of him, it looked like a manor located in the wilderness.

Inside, there was吹吹打打 (loud music), and a white-bearded old master, was embracing beauties, celebrating his birthday.

Hu Ma's eyes narrowed sharply, and with the Executioner's Saber unsheathed, without saying a word of courtesy, he suddenly killed his way into the manor.

"If you don't eat the three sacrifices, then eat my saber!"