Chapter 313: Chapter 311 Five Evil Master
The old servant had made all the necessary preparations; even when blindfolded, he had steeled his nerves and groped his way forward, inch by inch.
Yet, the moment he opened his eyes, the sight before him still terrified him.
Am I worshipping a person, or a ghost?
This old servant of the Wei Family had seen much in his lifetime, having worshipped at countless temples, large and small. But opening his eyes now, he was stunned into speechlessness by the scene before him.
This place, logically, should have been one where hall guests were enshrined, which meant a deity protected it. Even if it didn’t guarantee favorable weather, it should have ensured peace for humans and animals. But now, what had I seen upon opening my eyes? It looked more like the underworld!
Since arriving, he had not seen a single person, only dilapidated houses and desolate wild grass, among which lay scattered, withered bones.
And now that he had reached this specific spot, even the wild grass seemed to have vanished. He felt only an overwhelming aura of death that assaulted his senses.
"HEE HEE HEE HEE..."
Just as he was too stunned to react or speak, countless eerie laughs suddenly echoed in his ears. These laughs seemed to have been eagerly awaiting his reaction upon opening his eyes—triumphant and sly, greedy and grotesque, they resounded endlessly.
The laughter seemed to animate everything around him, as if nothing was *not* laughing.
The dried, human-face-like membranes hanging from the surrounding treetops were laughing. Countless indistinct, shadowy figures nearby were laughing.
Even the raw, bloodied things hanging from the rack before him seemed to be trying to lift their heads, staring at him and laughing grimly.
From within the laughter, a voice emerged, filling his heart with a dreadful discomfort, "Another one delivering himself to our door?"
"Too bad he’s old. Only good enough to be a torch!"
"A torch isn’t so bad. At least he’s fresh, with good meat and sinew—perfect to go with wine."
Amidst these hushed, grim discussions, the old servant felt his vision blur. He faintly saw gusts of sinister wind swirling around him, as if countless hands were grasping for him.
Behind him, the withered, grotesque branches seemed to come alive, inching towards his back.
This servant had seen much of the world, and at this moment, he felt as if he had fallen into a den of ghouls. But just as the terrifying aura was about to make him faint, he suddenly bit his tongue, the sharp pain clearing his head. He reacted instantly, throwing himself towards the black temple ahead, performing a kowtow of utmost submission while shouting, "Servant of the Wei Family of Huai’an, paying respects to the Old Master! I beg the Old Master to save my life..."
With that kowtow, the surroundings abruptly fell silent. The branches reaching for the old servant’s back halted, and the chaotically flickering shadows around him seemed to vanish.
"You..."
A low voice sounded. The old servant, his forehead pressed to the ground, dared not look up. He sensed the voice came from directly in front of him, accompanied by gurgling sounds and the aroma of roasting meat.
"You’re asking *my* Old Master to save your life?"
The voice chuckled lowly, "You sure know how to pick a spot. My Old Master is indeed the best at saving lives."
Several other voices immediately chimed in with TEE HEE HEE chuckles, "Of course! The Old Master is most skilled at delivering souls..."
"The mortal world is full of suffering. It’s better to depart..."
"Shed this stinking skin-bag and leave your True Spirit here..."
"TEE HEE HEE... The Old Master’s prestige is not what it once was; he’s being underestimated. To think even a mere servant dares to come seeking an audience with the Old Master..."
The servant knelt with his head lowered, feeling as if knives were tracing lines across his body. He was terrified to the extreme. Suddenly, he threw caution to the wind and shouted desperately, "This old slave is but a few scraps of meat, hardly worth anything! But I am willing to offer the incense of an entire county to Worship the Old Master..."
"The incense of an entire county?"
As he spoke these words, the eerie chaos around him suddenly vanished. He could clearly feel that the roiling demonic aura had dissipated considerably, and the earlier ominous voices were replaced by the puzzled tone of a middle-aged man, "You, a mere servant, can offer the incense of an entire county?"
"Before the Five Evil Master, you’d better be careful what you say. Speak falsely, and you’ll have your tongue torn out..."
Five Evil Master? This temple offers Worship to the Five Evil Master?
The old servant’s mind was in turmoil, but he kept kneeling diligently, shouting loudly, "This old slave is incapable, but my master can!"
"He has received his official document of appointment and is due to take up his post in Liyuan County soon. However, he is currently plagued by an evil spirit, and his life hangs in the balance. This old slave was guided by an expert to come specifically to entreat the Five Evil Master. If my master’s life is saved, he is willing to dedicate the incense of the entire county to you, Great Master..."
After he said this, the surroundings became even quieter. The chaotic atmosphere was gone, but it remained chillingly cold.
The old servant knew his life hung by a thread and didn’t dare to breathe too deeply. At that moment, he suddenly heard a voice command, "Raise your head!"
He flinched and carefully raised his head. His eyes were squeezed shut from fear, unwilling to open casually. Yet, a sliver of courage bolstered him, and he slowly looked forward.
What he saw made his heart leap in shock once more.
When he was feeling his way here blindfolded, it had seemed as if he were surrounded by people, a bustling crowd lining his path, with countless hands reaching for him.
And just now, with his forehead pressed to the ground, he had likewise sensed inexplicable presences all around, enough to shatter one’s nerves.
But now, with his eyes open, he found himself still on the desolate mountain, before the black temple. On either side stood wooden racks, from which hung pieces of fresh, red flesh, blood still trickling down the wood and onto the ground.
And before the temple, between the wooden racks, stood or sat five bizarrely-looking individuals. They wore assorted robes, but shared one peculiar feature: an incense stick was planted atop each of their heads. These sticks seemed to be directly inserted into their skulls, coexisting with flesh and blood, and the smoke that curled up from them was perpetually lit.
The smoke rising from the incense on their heads drifted into the temple, connecting with that grotesque Divine Statue.
The one speaking to him was a middle-aged man in a black robe. He was holding a knife and standing at the end of a wooden rack, skillfully skinning something. The creature he was skinning was, shockingly, still alive, its eyeballs rolling about.
Beside the man skinning the creature was a peasant woman with her robe open, nursing a child. Her expression was an unreadable, ambiguous smile.
Next to her was a gaunt, lanky man carrying a scythe, his peculiar eyes fixed on the old servant’s neck.
Of the remaining two, one was a stout, burly man sitting on the ground, tearing at a leg of meat with his mouth. The other was a very short, childlike figure, dressed in gaudy red and green, holding a kite, with two circles of rouge painted on its cheeks, looking like an undeveloped child.
Are these the Incense Burners of the temple?
The old servant glanced at them once and hurriedly lowered his head again, his heart filled with dread. He was a servant from a prominent household and had witnessed much in his life, but when had he ever encountered Incense Burners like these, who seemed more like evil spirits than humans?
"Does your master truly wish to offer the incense of an entire county in Worship to our Five Evil Master?"
A voice spoke coldly from between the meat racks. It felt as if even the things within the temple had opened their eyes and were staring fiercely at him.
"My... my master..."
The old servant mustered his courage, trying to keep his voice from trembling, and answered in a low voice, "He is the son-in-law of the Wei clan of Huai’an. He became a Scholar twenty years ago and has now received an official document appointing him to Liyuan County. He was originally in need of the Old Master’s blessing from the shrine..."
As he spoke, he quickly recounted the instructions given by the Old Master from Plum Blossom Lane, explaining the whole sequence of events.
"HEH HEH..."
Before he could finish, another sinister voice interjected, "Then are you aware? Our Old Master is most benevolent, but wherever he goes, the local fortune... may not be able to bear it..."
The old servant immediately said, "My master is currently in Mingzhou. I implore the Five Evil Master to show great mercy and protect my master’s life..."
"Mingzhou..."
The five looked at each other, then suddenly burst into laughter simultaneously. "The Old Master was already on his way to Mingzhou to attend to a joyous occasion. It seems things have coincided nicely, haven’t they?"
The five of them laughed, but their laughter was soon joined by a sixth laugh, one that grew louder and louder, eventually overpowering their own.
「... ...」
Execution Spell ten times, Killing Curse ten times, Chains Curse ten times.
The progress of a Shousui man’s Path allowed no shortcuts, and the skills from the Age Suppressing Book could not be neglected either. Months ago, Hu Ma had set three main focuses for himself: Warrior, spell, and suppression object.
In the past few months, he had learned to craft scarecrows from straw, clay figures from mud, and paper men from paper. His skills had significantly improved, and he gradually gained understanding, learning that different carriers produced different effects.
After that, of course, came a deeper familiarity with spells. The Age Suppressing Book contained four major types of Curses: the Execution Spell, the Killing Curse, the Chains Curse, and the Dispel Curse. He had previously used the Execution Spell and the Killing Curse. He was currently learning the Chains Curse. As for the Dispel Curse, it was too profound and still too early for him to learn.
Of course, even with just these three Curses, mastering them to the point of instinctive, fluent casting required arduous effort.
This day, after practicing a round of Big Stone Breaking Hand, he recited the Execution Spell several more times on his way back to the Manor. Upon returning to the Manor, he wiped his face and hands with a hot towel and, exhausted, dragged his weary body to bed.
Suddenly, he felt a gust of cold wind rush at his face. In a daze, he found himself sitting up in bed. Focusing his gaze around the room, he saw a weeping shadow kneeling beneath the dim oil lamp.
Hu Ma was not the man he once was. He could now incant the Execution Spell at any moment, and his courage had grown considerably. He was not afraid, merely shouting coldly, "Who are you? How dare you come to my place?"
"Benefactor, you’ve become so powerful now, have you forgotten your old neighbor from bygone days...?"
The ghostly figure kneeling by the bed spoke amidst sobs, "Previously, I was trapped at the bottom of a well. It was Benefactor who advised me to relocate, moving me to the roadside. This finally allowed me to keep watch for that heartless man, giving me the chance to make him pay for his past transgressions."
"But that heartless man is different now; he has backing and bullies me for being weak and helpless. He has even invited the Five Evil Gods to try and scatter my soul! I beg Benefactor to save my life..."
Five Evil Gods?
Hu Ma had been listening patiently, but upon hearing this name, his heart jolted, and he suddenly woke from the dream.
He looked towards the bedside, but it was empty.
Yet, the sound of the Vengeful Ghost’s tearful cries seemed to still linger by his ears, refusing to fade.