"Back when Ji Tang was targeted by Grandma Wu, after a fierce battle, he made significant progress. And now that I strolled the mountains with the mountain lord, I actually gained such benefits?"
At present, Hu Ma focused all his attention solely on his Shousui Cultivation. The events of that day were somewhat unexpected, yet upon reflection, he felt as if he had profited greatly.
He was even a bit suspicious. Did the mountain lord know that bringing him on the walk would be beneficial, so he took him along?
Of course, Cultivation was a step-by-step process. His skills were entirely owed to his own Cultivation; the walk was merely an occasional minor gain. Hu Ma was not one to become arrogant and instead calmly pondered.
The things he thought and saw last night couldn't possibly be fake, could they?
Having grown accustomed to the way Shousui men did things, he only trusted in what he saw and thought, and naturally wouldn't easily judge truth from falsehood. Turning his head hastily, he saw Little Hongtang poking her head out from the beam, her small face looking somewhat melancholy and sullenly watching him.
He hurriedly said, "Little Hongtang, what happened last night?"
Little Hongtang, already upset, pouted even more upon hearing this. "Grandpa Mountain Lord asked me to call you."
"Little Hongtang was so obedient, taking Brother Hu Ma along, yet as soon as I turned around, you two just ran off to play, leaving me alone in the mountains and ignoring me."
Looks like it was true...
Hu Ma was relieved and quickly apologized to Little Hongtang, saying, "I originally wanted to bring you along, but Elder Mountain Lord wouldn't allow it..."
Better shift Little Hongtang's frustration first.
After tearing off a piece of meat to dispel Little Hongtang's lingering resentment towards him, Hu Ma then concentrated again in thought.
The Five Evil Gods had truly arrived.
During the New Year, the mountain lord had reminded him that many were eyeing the Hu Family's possessions. Not only would outsiders be tempted, but even some items originally belonging to the family were being coveted.
Now he discovered that indeed, the Hu Family business was quite a mess. Here he was, not having done much yet, and some house slaves who had betrayed them early on were already coming to his door.
He was caught off guard and somewhat unprepared.
But thinking it over, he was already planning to help Aunt Zhang resolve this trouble. Reflecting upon certain Cultivation matters and some long-fermenting plans, he realized the timing wasn't bad at all.
Moreover, he now had an advantage he didn't have before in dealing with this matter.
In the past, Elder Mountain Lord was quite indifferent about his affairs. He was merely fulfilling a promise to protect him, offering advice only when he felt like it. Or rather, he probably believed that only after Hu Ma entered Juehu Village and acquired the suppression object left by Granny would he truly count as a Hu Family member.
But this time was different.
The treasure hunters had encroached upon his territory, prompting the usually detached mountain lord to become visibly involved.
He had turned proactive...
Did this mean it would be easier to discuss some matters with him now?
This way, issues Hu Ma had contemplated long before finally reached the point where they could be scheduled and arranged.
The foolish young master of the landlord's family would eventually inherit the family business. To inherit the business meant facing complicated and difficult problems. Would he really take it one step at a time, only confronting them when forced to, with no other option?
That wouldn't do. He had to face them proactively and plan early for inevitable future issues!
He had spent half a year mulling over these matters, which was simple enough. However, Hu Ma understood that planning and executing these tasks would be no easy feat.
His strength was still too weak.
The waters within the Hu Family ran deep. Being a Reincarnator, he found navigating them extremely perilous, so...
...he needed to drag more people into these waters with him!
With this plan, Hu Ma sorted things out in his mind.
Having thought through every part of his plan and its key points, he took out pen and paper. He recorded what he had seen the previous night and the details the mountain lord had provided about the five individuals—their appearances, features, and respective abilities—all while sketching and waiting for nightfall.
Only after finishing dinner and seeing that all his staff were asleep did Hu Ma lie down on the bed, enter the Lifebound Spirit Temple, and with a serious expression, place his hand on the incense burner.
He had called upon many Reincarnators before, but this time was the most important...
"Is Miss White Wine there? Old White is calling..."
He called out three times without any response, and just as he was about to call the fourth, Miss White Wine's cold and detached voice rang out, "Speak."
Miss White Wine was rather good to him...
Hu Ma couldn't help but think about what Er Guotou had said. According to Er Guotou, whenever he called Miss White Wine, he had to state his purpose while calling; otherwise, he would certainly receive no reply. If he stated his business and she wasn't interested, there would be no reply then either.
At least he received responses each time, so he quickly said, "I'm just a bit curious. Didn't we talk about the Sealing matter before? My side was ready months ago, so how come there's been no news from you?"
Surprised by him bringing up the topic, Miss White Wine hesitated slightly before saying, "I need to make more preparations, and things aren't completely settled yet."
"Sealing, related to what I have to do, is a major undertaking and must be handled prudently. Of course, more importantly... discretion!"
"Discreet?"
Hu Ma felt a slight shift in his heart, vaguely guessing something. But rather than press the topic, he merely laughed, "Anyway, I've already promised you. I'll just be waiting for your word then."
"It's just that now there's something else I'd like Miss White Wine's advice on..."
Miss White Wine seemed a little surprised. "What could you possibly need now? Didn't you get all the main materials I agreed to give you for the Shousui inheritance oil lamp? And aren't you quite firmly seated as the little shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang?"
"I thought you'd be keeping a low profile for a year or two."
"That's true, but unexpected things tend to find their way to us, don't they?"
Hu Ma laughed. "Recently, I just received news of some out-of-town treasure hunters causing trouble at Old Yin Mountain."
"Old Yin Mountain?"
Miss White Wine paused for a moment, seemingly surprised at Hu Ma's mention. She remained subtly silent for a moment before she spoke blandly, "You probed for information on that last Blood Food group, and now suddenly there's another batch? What's their game?"
Hu Ma chuckled. "Just a coincidence, really. I was just wondering if Miss White Wine might be interested."
Among Reincarnators, there were rules to follow. Hu Ma speaking this way indicated he had intelligence in hand, was planning a job, and had mentioned it involved treasure hunters. If Miss White Wine was interested, she'd agree, and then they could discuss specifics and plans. If she directly said she wasn't interested, further discussion would be unnecessary.
As Hu Ma waited patiently, she indeed remained silent for a short while before suddenly chuckling faintly, "Treasure hunters are like natural fat sheep, especially out-of-towners. There's no reason I wouldn't listen in, is there?"
"Of course, how it would go depends on your plan first."
"That's only natural."
Hu Ma promptly agreed, set a time to meet, and then disconnected, calling upon Er Guotou once again.
He was well aware of Miss White Wine's cautious nature, so seeing her agree so readily surprised him.
The first call had gone smoothly, but unexpectedly, calling Er Guotou proved troublesome. Despite calling out his name four or five times, there was no response. Just as Hu Ma was thinking of skipping him, Er Guotou's lazy voice finally chimed in:
"Why call me so early?"
"I haven't even finished my drink, yet I have this persistent feeling someone is calling me..."
Hu Ma was speechless. "It's not early at all! It's already midnight..."
Er Guotou replied, "In your past life, when you didn't have to get up early for work, would you really go to bed before midnight?"
Hu Ma found himself unable to refute that and could only sigh. "That might be because you live in the city, where it's lively with a rich nightlife. We live in a manor out in the countryside, so we sleep early..."
As he thought about this, his expression turned serious. He lowered his voice and said, "Brother, I've got a big one on my hands. Interested?"
Er Guotou was suddenly cautious. "How big?"
Hu Ma thought for a moment. "At least bigger than our last job. And we're not after Blood Food this time, but the Spiritual Treasures of treasure hunters. If we can get our hands on even one item of theirs, it'll be worth several years of our hard work."
"Whoa..."
Er Guotou was clearly tempted but hesitated. "I don't know why, but after our last chat, I keep feeling that you, with those big, earnest eyes, aren't entirely trustworthy..."
"Are you sure it's Spiritual Treasure?"
"Of course!"
Hu Ma sighed. "There's definitely difficulty involved, but I've already asked Miss White Wine for assistance. If you're really busy..."
"What?"
As soon as Hu Ma said this, Er Guotou suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, he said, "Then count me in too."
Hu Ma was surprised. "Hmm?"
"What's with the 'hmm'?" Er Guotou replied, displeased. "Just count me in first. If Miss White Wine can agree, I reckon it's doable!"
Two successfully roped in...
After severing the connection with him, Hu Ma felt slightly relieved. As long as he could coax both of them into this plan, that would be enough. He already had a plan to persuade them.
Reaching this step seemed sufficient. But then Hu Ma remembered that the group they were dealing with were, after all, treasure hunters, so...
After much hesitation, he called again, "Is Miss Sweet Potato there? Old White..."
"I am, I am, I am here, Senior..."
Before his voice even faded, Miss Sweet Potato's voice hurriedly rang out, "Senior, hello Senior, I've missed you..."
What kind of reaction is this?
Hu Ma cleared his throat, making his voice sound deep. "I've got a job here, you..."
"Count me in!" Miss Sweet Potato immediately responded. "I'll join any job!"
"I'm bored out of my mind, Senior..."