Chapter 180
Chapter 180
By dinnertime, all Five Great Immortal Families-the Hu, Huang, Chang, Bai, and Hui-had arrived.
The sage-like Hu Qingshan smiled.
“Dear Sister, we’ve come to freeload a meal.”
Deaf Granny naturally welcomed them warmly.
“Listen to you! How could that be freeloading?”
“You are honored guests I couldn’t invite even if I tried!”
Everyone exchanged greetings.
Standing beside Hua Jiunan, Hu Fei’er blushed deeply under her grandfather’s gaze once again.
Deaf Granny arranged one table in the courtyard for the Immortal Spirits, accompanied by Hua Jiunan and the other two boys.
The ordinary people sat at another table inside.
Just after everyone took their seats, Zhao Fei remembered something and called to his mother.
“Mom, one of the clothes I brought home has blood on it.”
“I couldn’t get it clean myself. Remember to wash it for me.”
That was the result of a proper education.
In the past, Zhao Fei would simply have thrown dirty clothes away, let alone tried washing them himself.
Of course, Chen Daji had once behaved exactly the same way.
Before Zhao Fei’s Mother could take the clothes, Deaf Granny snatched them first and held them beneath her nose.
Her expression abruptly changed. Her silver hair rose without wind, and fury blazed from her.
“Why do they reek of corpse oil?”
“Who tried to harm you? Why didn’t you tell Grandma?!”
Hua Jiunan did not want Deaf Granny’s anger to damage her health, so he hurriedly recounted everything.
Old Sixth Hui added guiltily, “My cultivation is too shallow. I couldn’t divine the evil cultivator’s location and let her escape!”
Deaf Granny chuckled coldly.
“She thinks she can bully my eldest grandson and run? Nothing in this world comes that easily!”
“This old woman isn’t dead yet!”
“Did she mistake a tiger’s silence for a sick cat?!”
“Dinner can wait. Watch Grandma avenge you!”
With that, Deaf Granny turned toward her room.
The obedient Hu Fei’er hurriedly rose to support her.
“What do you need to prepare, Grandma? I’ll help.”
First, Hua Jiunan knew the evil cultivator was formidable.
Second, he had never seen Deaf Granny take action in all these years, so he could not help worrying.
He quietly asked Old Sixth Hui, “Sixth Brother, Grandma, she…”
Old Sixth Hui clearly understood what Hua Jiunan was thinking and reassured him with a smile.
“Don’t worry, young master physician. Your grandmother is no ordinary person!”
“Besides, we’re here. We won’t let her suffer a loss.”
Hu Qingshan had complete confidence in Deaf Granny. Stroking his beard, he said with a smile, “Humans stand at the head of all living beings. Not only are their origins profound, they are born with five hundred years of cultivation.”
“My dear sister has also strengthened herself through more than eighty years of bitter cultivation. She is extremely powerful!”
“It’s merely that she practices the arts of a wu shaman and must prepare many things before taking action.”
“And the spirit medium who once served my dear sister was…”
At that point, everyone turned in unison toward Eighth Master Chang, who was noisily slurping instant noodles.
Their stares made Eighth Master Chang’s skin crawl. He timidly raised the black cooking pot with his tail.
“What, do all you elders want some?”
“You can eat first. If there isn’t enough, I’ll cook a few more pots. It’s no trouble…”
Everyone exchanged helpless glances and shook their heads.
Hu Qingshan continued, “If my dear sister has enough time to prepare and suddenly casts her art, even I would suffer badly!”
Chang Huaiyuan, Huang Zuo, and Bai Wuwei nodded repeatedly, clearly agreeing.
Curious, Chen Daji asked, “Big Brother, why are humans ‘born with five hundred years of cultivation’?”
“I don’t feel powerful at all!”
“Could it be that I’m not human?!”
At that thought, Chen Daji began worrying again that he truly was a reincarnated toad spirit.
Hua Jiunan gave the Immortal Spirits an apologetic look before explaining to him.
“An animal must cultivate for five hundred years to attain human form, while a human is born with one. That’s why people say humans possess five hundred years of cultivation.”
“The first step for an animal seeking immortality is to cultivate a human body. Thus humans are the wisest of all creatures and the most naturally gifted beings in the world.”
“The Buddhist sutras also often say that a human body is difficult to obtain.”
As he spoke, Deaf Granny emerged without Hu Fei’er’s support, walking with her cane.
Three streaks of war paint marked each side of her face, made from cinnabar, white paste, and blue vitriol.
She looked eerie and mysterious.
“I’ll have to trouble you, Eighth Master, to prepare the Three Sacrifices and Nine Rites. This old woman will invite the ancestors to descend today!”
Eighth Master Chang did not dare delay.
“Dear Sister, do you require the Greater Three Sacrifices or the Lesser Three Sacrifices?”
Before Deaf Granny could answer, Chang Huaiyuan replied for her.
“The host family is undertaking such a major rite. Naturally, it requires the Greater Three Sacrifices.”
“Old Eighth, go quickly. Don’t delay the matter!”
Eighth Master Chang acknowledged the order and vanished as a gale.
“Don’t worry, Eldest Brother. Running fast is what I do best. I’ll be back in no time!”
Everyone understood except Chen Daji, who was completely confused.
Before he could ask, Hua Jiunan explained.
“The Three Sacrifices originally meant the ox, sheep, and pig used in ancient rites.”
“Later, pig, chicken, and fish were also used and called the Lesser Three Sacrifices.”
“As for the Nine Rites…”