Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Before Hua Jiunan could finish speaking, a gust of yin wind swept over them.
To everyone’s astonishment, it lifted them-table, food, wine, and all-straight into the air!
Chen Daji and Zhao Fei shrieked in terror.
“Old Immortal, save us! A ghost’s come to take us away!”
Old Sixth Hui burst out laughing at the sorry sight of them.
“What are you panicking for, Daji? Hemp-clad Elder Sister is only taking you to see your wives.”
Chen Daji calmed down a little. Sure enough, he soon noticed that no one but him and Zhao Fei seemed the least bit concerned. Everyone else went right on eating and drinking as usual.
Hu Fei’er was even calmly massaging Deaf Granny’s shoulders.
Hu Qingshan raised his cup and clinked it against Chang Huaiyuan’s.
“It seems Sister Hemp-clad gained quite a lot from our last battle. Her Five Ghosts Transportation Art has reached true perfection.”
Chang Huaiyuan responded with a genial smile. “And the rest of us did no worse. The merit left by Zhang Liang and the Yellow Turban Ghost spared all of us several centuries of arduous cultivation. But if we are talking about who advanced the fastest, it would still have to be Sixth Brother Hui!”
Everyone turned to Old Sixth Hui and nodded in agreement.
Old Sixth Hui made no show of modesty. He simply nodded back. “It was all thanks to the young master physician’s compassion.”
As they spoke, the yin wind surged, lowering them all onto a flat stretch of ground on Hemp-clad Mountain.
The moon hung like a silver hook, and the snow lay like a white blanket. Amid the moonlight and snow stood a Human-Bone Altar wreathed in yin energy. The two Human-skin Lanterns flanking it, one inscribed “Desolation” and the other “Misery,” made it even more eerie and terrifying.
The Ghost Sedan hovered in midair while six Red-Dressed Female Ghosts bowed to welcome the guests.
“We pay our respects to the Immortal Spirits and welcome Young Master Jiu… Greetings, dear husband…”
Everyone returned their bows. Only Chen Daji scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
“Well… um… You’ve all been doing well, right, wives? Here, let’s have some spicy strips together… You have to hold on, all right? Don’t let some bad man lure you away… I should be dead in another hundred years or so…”
Hemp-clad Grandmother drifted slowly out of the Ghost Sedan with a long-stemmed pipe clenched between her teeth and rapped him hard on the head.
“You heartless little brat! You mean to make your wives live as widows for a hundred years? Absolutely not! Slit your throat right now, come down here, and wait on your grandmother!”
Chen Daji immediately wilted. Putting on his most ingratiating smile, he began pounding her back for her.
“Don’t tease me, Grandmother. I scare easy… Didn’t we agree last time? If you really can’t wait, you can take my dad first…”
Halfway through, Chen Daji suddenly felt that he was being rather unfair to his father and hurriedly changed the subject.
“Grandmother, why did you bring us all here tonight?”
Hemp-clad Grandmother was clearly enjoying his attentions. A smile spread over her face.
“Kekekeke! I heard someone bullied you and Xiao Jiu, and that made me very angry! Since Sister Deaf wants to do something big, of course I have to lend a hand. We have to kill the bastard who plotted against you!”
Yellow Turban Strongmen had already carried two wicker chairs out of the Hemp-clad Tomb. The two grandmothers sat down side by side.
Deaf Granny smiled. “Elder Sister Hemp-clad, you cultivate the righteous path. Where did you get such a sinister altar?”
Hemp-clad Grandmother chuckled. “I brought it back from that fellow Zhang Liang’s tomb. It seemed like a useful treasure, and leaving it there would only have been a waste. You can put it to use tonight, can’t you, little sister?”
Deaf Granny nodded repeatedly. “I certainly can! With a sinister treasure like this, this old woman is confident she could curse even a thousand-year-old evil ghost to death. Just wait and see, Elder Sister!”
Hemp-clad Grandmother laughed even louder. “Good! Tonight, the two of us old sisters will join hands and avenge our grandsons!”
She turned toward the Five Great Immortal Families.
“You all heard me, didn’t you? Tonight, you only need to watch.”
Some matters were more urgent than others, and some bonds closer than others. Since their host had spoken, the Five Great Immortal Families naturally smiled and agreed.
“Very well. Tonight, we will simply eat, drink, and watch the two of you deal with that heretical cultivator from beyond the civilized realm.”
Just then, a violent wind swept in. Eighth Master Chang descended onto the Human-Bone Altar with an ox, a sheep, and a pig.
All three sacrifices were alive and had plainly just been caught in the mountains. Eighth Master Chang had merely immobilized them with his arts.
Everything was ready. Hemp-clad Grandmother turned to Deaf Granny. “Whenever you are ready, little sister.”
Deaf Granny did not stand on ceremony. Supported by Hua Jiunan and Chen Daji, she climbed the altar one step at a time.
Hu Fei’er tried to follow, but Hu Qingshan quietly pulled her back.
“My good granddaughter, this is the grand sacrificial rite of a human wu shaman. Beings like us must not approach. Watch closely. What you learn will greatly benefit your future cultivation!”
At Deaf Granny’s instruction, Hua Jiunan and Chen Daji took out eight torches and three sandalwood incense sticks as thick as wine cups, then lit them one by one.
As green smoke curled upward, Deaf Granny called in a ringing voice, “Bring forth the ritual instruments!”
The Yellow Turban Strongmen had already been given their orders. Four carried in a great wolfskin drum, while four others bore a massive bronze bell, landing together above the altar.
“Bring forth the duty soldiers!”
Four pairs of paper men and paper horses charged in. Clad in heavy armor and carrying black horns, they took up positions at the altar’s four corners-east, south, west, and north.