Chapter 496 What Does It Mean to Not Eat Beef

"Senior, do you need my help?"

Di Guashao (Sweet Potato Liquor) was feeling miserable when she suddenly heard Hu Ma's words. She was overjoyed. "What help?"

Hu Ma hesitated for a moment and said, "It's not the time to talk about it yet. Just go to the forest on the east side these next few days and meet me there."

"Okay, okay, okay. Senior, wherever you point, I'll go. I'm a good girl…" Di Guashao was overjoyed and immediately agreed. "In our Red Lantern Mother Society, I admire you the most, Senior. The other day, that Monkey Wine guy delivered a message to us, and when they mentioned that you were having trouble in Shima Town, they were all complaining about you!"

"They said you have thick eyebrows and big eyes, and look honest, but you're actually the boldest and most troublesome one… I don't agree!"

"Senior, you're obviously the most courageous and capable one…"

"Alright, alright, alright." Hu Ma quickly stopped Di Guashao's flattery. After agreeing on a time with her, he disconnected the link.

He felt a little helpless in his heart. How should he put it? This little sister, Di Guashao, was really enthusiastic when something happened, but her excitement was a little scary. Earlier, not only Hu Ma, but also Miss White Wine and Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), would subconsciously avoid her. But now, it was different. The transmigrators had encountered major events, and such a proactive person could no longer be excluded.

Of course, he was still subconsciously holding back on the most confidential information about the transmigrators. Otherwise, who knew what uncontrolled things she might do when she heard it and got excited? And agreeing to meet with her this time wasn't just to appease her, to prevent her from attacking the Yi Qian Sect people.

To be honest, Hu Ma really could use her.

First, Wu Ya was still in a deep sleep and needed someone from the Xinghun (Soul Punishment) lineage to take a look. Of course, Di Guashao hadn't entered the Fu (Mansion) yet, so her skills might still be lacking, but since she was from the Xinghun lineage, she probably knew a lot about the things in the Xinghun lineage, more than he did.

Furthermore, the thing in his left arm also needed to be properly resolved.

Now that the thing was firmly suppressed by him and couldn't escape or cause chaos, Hu Ma only had a rough idea of how to deal with it, and he also needed the cooperation of someone from the Xinghun lineage.

The Shou Suiren (Night Watchman), whether cultivating the physical body or the dharma body, was a straightforward and rough character, unable to do such delicate work. And although Di Guashao's skills were probably not great now, he could use her to get more contact with the Xinghun lineage.

After settling his thoughts, Hu Ma withdrew from his natal spirit temple. He opened his eyes and saw that it was still early, so he went back to sleep.

When morning came, he packed his bags. This trip to the Yi Qian Sect had been eventful, and he had even nominally become their leader, but Hu Ma didn't take much with him.

Only the scroll of the Great Might Heavenly Duke General Seal, the painting that allowed him to enter the ghost cave, and the blank seal that fell from the old elm tree. According to his Eldest Brother, the first two were already his, and the latter was a symbol of his identity.

After getting out of bed and brushing his teeth, he had the inn bring some food. After filling his stomach, he fed the horse.

Just as he was about to leave, Sun Laoqi (Seventh Brother Sun) rushed over, accompanied by an old master with an apron around his waist, bloodshot eyes, and a fiery aura on his body, and two apprentices. Only then did he learn that this was the master who had helped him forge the saber.

Now the hilt had been carved and properly installed, and wrapped with circles of red thread.

This trip was to follow Sun Laoqi to deliver the saber to him.

"Master, you've worked hard." When Hu Ma went to pick up the saber before, although he had only ridden a fast horse past the window, he vaguely knew what had happened inside the blacksmith shop when the fierce saber was forged.

He politely bowed deeply to the old master, then took out ten taels of silver and three Blood Food Pills from his bag as a gift… He really didn't have any silver on him. This was all that was left after giving the Yi Qian Sect ten taels.

The Blood Food Pills were also given to him by Sun Laoqi as a tribute before. He had only given him seven in total, so there weren't many left.

Usually, when Xiao Hongtang (Little Red Sugar) helped with work, she would get Blood Food Pills. This time, she had only gotten a candied hawthorn after signaling for half a day.

"No need, no need…" Unexpectedly, the old master didn't accept it, but waved his hands repeatedly. "It's a blessing to serve this master. It's an honor for the Little Master to give us this errand. If I accept the money, I won't be able to claim the fame."

The two apprentices beside him couldn't hold back. They thought, this saber had almost killed you as soon as it came out of the furnace.

And this is still a blessing? Hu Ma was also a little surprised. He glanced at Sun Laoqi and saw him nodding with a smile. Then he knew that this old master was like a blacksmith raised by the Sun family. They naturally had rewards, so he didn't need to force it.

So he put the ten taels of silver back and was about to take the saber when the old master leaned closer and whispered to Hu Ma, "Little Master, please step aside and talk."

Seeing his caution, Hu Ma walked a few steps away with him. He only heard the old master sigh softly and remind him, "Logically speaking, I'm just a blacksmith, and I shouldn't be meddling. But this saber is not ordinary, so I still have to explain a few things to the Little Master."

"This saber is not ordinary. It has extremely fierce energy, both demonic and baleful. Little Master, when you don't need it, don't carry it with you. It's best to find a temple with strong incense and worship it inside to suppress its killing intent."

"When you need to use it, prepare a live chicken and strong liquor to test the saber first and arouse its fierce energy. After using it, you must burn the saber with fierce fire again, and then re-enshrine it in the temple."

"… Yes, yes."

Hu Ma saw that he was serious, so he agreed with a smile, but he didn't really take it to heart.

This saber was certainly fierce and evil, but at least he could suppress it.

Although the old master was a craftsman, he specialized in doing business with Jianghu (Martial World) people and had a good eye for observing people's expressions. Although Hu Ma spoke politely, he could also see that Hu Ma was a little perfunctory. He sighed for a long time and said, "Others don't know, but I know."

"Little Master, you are not an ordinary person either. Otherwise, you would not be able to suppress this saber, and even make it return after going out for a spin, and suddenly become fierce and restrained, and drunk…"

"But Little Master, listen to my advice. You can suppress it, but weapons are, after all, fierce objects. This saber is so evil and its baleful aura is so heavy that I, an old man who has forged things for a lifetime, have never seen anything like it."

"However, baleful aura can steal luck but destroy blessings."

"Little Master, as long as you can suppress this saber, your luck will get better and better, but your blessings will also be more and more damaged!"

"Therefore, if you can restrain it, you should restrain it as much as possible, so as not to regret it later when you want to make up for it."

"…" Hearing this, Hu Ma was slightly taken aback.

In his heart, it was as if some long-standing subtle doubts were stirred up by these words.

So he paused slightly and this time he was even more sincere. He said to the old master, "I've remembered your words."

"May I know what to call you, Master?"

"… It's easy to say, easy to say." The old master saw that Hu Ma had agreed seriously and asked for his name. This was a great respect for him.

If this saber became famous in the future, he would also become a famous craftsman.

He quickly cupped his fist like a Jianghu person and said, "This old man's surname is Hong, and my given name is Fang!"

Hu Ma said, "Greetings, Master Hong."

As he spoke, he also used his identity as the Green Incense Manager of the Red Lantern Society to exchange names with the other party, which was considered making friends.

This Master Hong Fang was busy having people bring the saber, along with its scabbard. The scabbard was carved from wood that had grown for more than a hundred years on a sunny hillside. It had not been lacquered and looked simple and unadorned.

But the material was good material, and it just happened to hold half of the saber's body. However, compared to wearing it on the waist, it obviously looked more suitable for enshrining.

If Hu Ma wanted to take it out in the future, he would either have to carry it in his hand or tie it on his back.

Outside the scabbard, there was also a saber cloth and a sharpening stone, both of which were famous and considered gifts from Master Hong.

Hu Ma took it. Master Hong then asked curiously, "Manager Hu, I wonder if you have given this saber a name?"

Seeing that this master and his apprentices were all very concerned about this question, and Sun Laoqi beside him was also curiously pricking up his ears, Hu Ma smiled and thought of how this saber had followed him to kill the Grass Head God as soon as it was forged, and had also drunk the blood of the Meng family disciples.

So he smiled and said, "I've temporarily taken one, but it's not necessarily good. I'll call it 'Faguan' (Punishing Official)."

"Ah?" Master Hong had been judging people by the saber and had seen that Hu Ma was extraordinary. Hearing this name, he was once again shocked.

At this time, in the distance, he saw two green-maned, long-legged tall horses pulling a large cart over on the stone road at the other end of the town.

There was nothing else on the cart, only a copper coffin. The one escorting the cart was Baishanzi (White Fan), who was next to Miaoshan Xian Gu (Fairy Miaoshan). Because Hu Ma had agreed with Miaoshan Xian Gu and his Eldest Brother yesterday to keep everything low-key, they didn't need to come and see him off.

How much others could see of this Lantern Fire Blessing Assembly was their business, but at least on the surface, Hu Ma was still just a small manager of the Red Lantern Society's Blood Food Mine, who had a bit of luck and then quietly left again.

And in the main residence of the altar behind him, Eldest Brother and Miaoshan Xian Gu, although it was inconvenient for them to appear to see him off, the etiquette could not be lacking. They were standing facing east from afar as a farewell. Miaoshan Xian Gu looked back at Eldest Brother several times, her clear and aloof face full of pure innocence. "Eldest Brother, what did you talk about with the Leader these past few days? Why doesn't he, as the Leader, stay and preside over the overall situation, but instead wants to go back to the Blood Food Mine to continue being a small mine owner?"

"… We talked about a lot, mostly the Leader asking."

Eldest Brother sighed softly and said, "He asked about the general trend of the world, the methods and techniques of various lineages, the strengths and weaknesses of the Ten Surnames, the strange people who appeared in this town, and even asked some difficult questions about cultivation, as if he was seriously seeking knowledge."

"And I, in fact, only asked him one question in total. What does it mean to not eat beef?"

"…" Miaoshan Xian Gu listened and thought, shouldn't this question be asked by the Leader to us? We are the ones who don't eat beef… But knowing that it wasn't that simple, she quickly said, "What did the Leader say?"

"He said…" Eldest Brother paused and smiled, "The common people are like cattle and horses, bearing the world and walking. They can carry people and overturn them. It's not that they can't be eaten, but that they don't dare to eat them…"