Chapter One: In a time of chaos and lawlessness, the bandits seek to cut their path, and the celestial master of the ghost market makes his first appearance
As the shout of the leader echoed, the cleaver sliced through the air, creating a brilliant flash of light, and came down squarely towards the old man. The old man, with his mouth agape, neither dodged nor flinched, his eyes fixed intently on the leader's wrist, seemingly in a daze.
These fellows' eyes instantly turned red, and they immediately charged down, howling loudly, waving their weapons high above their heads, clearly not taking the old man seriously
A group of bandits rushed out from the thicket, looking down from the hillside. Indeed, in the distance, an old donkey cart was swaying its way over. The top of the cart was covered with straw, making it impossible to see what was inside, but it was clear that it was filled to the brim, resembling a small hill. The old man driving the cart was leisurely half-reclining on top of the load and had already fallen asleep, allowing the donkey to plod along at its own pace. The cart axle continuously emitted a creaking sound.
Ma San, are you trying to bring misfortune upon me? If you want to kill me, just go ahead!
A few characters shouted in unison, wanting to drag the old man down from that small, hill-like object. Who would have thought that the old man waved his hands and said, "No! Everyone, my old arms and legs can't withstand your fussing; it's better if I come down by myself!" As he spoke, he slid down from the cart, clasping his hands behind him, revealing a lewd yet ingratiating smile.
The only ones that seem somewhat normal are those last two wine barrels
The old dog of the turtle's son!
With a roar, the man lifted Ma San by the collar and shouted at him, "Are you trying to run away and think you can escape? If you don't start talking right now, I'll crush your eggs. Do you believe me or not?"
With a whoosh, a group of men immediately shouted, and without needing anyone to call them, they grabbed their knives and axes and rushed out. After all, in the dead of night, dealing with an old man driving a cart, there was no need for so many people to come out unless they were worried about not being able to move the goods. Now that the person had arrived, what was there to worry about? They just needed to rush out and kill that old man with the fierce eyes, and then all the goods in the cart would belong to them.
Hearing the cries of Chen Pizi behind him, two or three individuals turned to look, but the others said that this fellow was scared because it was his first time doing business, so they ignored it. Instead, they surrounded the cart with Dao'er Ye and shouted: "Hey, old man, get up!"
Immediately, a murmur arose behind the master of the house.
How incredibly unlucky! Isn't this just absurd!
Night
These fellows immediately surrounded, stretching their necks and peering in...! ... However, after a few stalks of straw were pulled down, these fellows actually changed their expressions completely!
What are you all doing? Surrounding an old man like me," the old man said as he reached behind and grabbed himself a couple of times, "Are you robbers or bandits? Even if you are with me, there's no need to make a fuss. I have nothing at all; it would be completely pointless for you to rob me!
In the center, there are two coffins, one large and one small, not to mention the various items piled beside them, including paper figures and horses, flower palanquins, mourning banners, white flower stools, burial clothes and pillows, ghost money and ingots, incense, candles, and spirit tablets. Additionally, there are white paper lanterns, spirit canopies, flower wreaths, offering tables, and mourning sticks, all of different types and in great variety, resembling a mobile longevity shop
The leading man was dressed in an ill-fitting silk robe, the noticeably short hem tucked into his belt. He sat on a stone in the woods, one hand resting on a long chopping knife, while the other hand kept slapping his face repeatedly. After a flurry of slaps, the man became increasingly irritated and cursed.
Although it is still the time between late spring and early summer, the nights have gradually begun to feel muggy. Countless mosquitoes and insects are buzzing incessantly in the mountains and forests. It is somewhat bearable while on the move, but once one stops, they are quickly covered all over with them—of course, who would remain motionless in those woods except for robbers or petty thieves
It is all his doing wwwhetushu.com, it is all his doing! Clearly it is food, I don't know how it turned into these things—Master Dao, Master Dao, it is all him! It is him!" Desperately twisting his head to the side, he shouted hoarsely: "Officials, it is him! It is him who is causing all this trouble!"
The local people, known as Chenpizi, appeared quite shrewd. After calculating for a long time, one of them confidently said: "Old man Daoer, look, that old fellow with bulging eyes has eaten offal soup and drunk old yellow wine. When he drives the cart, he will most likely go slowly. Plus, he is already an old donkey pulling the cart, so it is estimated that it will take at least four hours to get here. Don't be anxious, just stay steady; it should be about time in a little while."
Hmph! With a wave of his hand, the man immediately charged forward, quickly wrapping the old man up like a rice dumpling. Not to mention the old man with his bulging eyes, even a burly man would find it impossible to break free. He glanced at the scene with satisfaction and muttered a few words: "That coward Chen Pizi said we shouldn't rob, damn it, I thought there would be some traps or tricks, but I didn't expect it to be this simple..." Without paying any more attention to the old man, he reached out and pulled down a handful of straw: "Let's see what’s inside here."
Beside him, a man with a pockmarked face was rubbing the dirt off his neck with one hand while fanning himself with the other. Upon hearing the leader shout, he quickly sat up straight and replied, "Boss, this news is absolutely true! I clearly saw that old man with bulging eyes take out a heavy bag of cash and buy a whole cart of goods from the grocery store. He hasn't even spent all the money yet..." I clearly saw that old man with bulging eyes take out a heavy bag of cash and buy a whole cart of goods from the grocery store. He hasn't even spent all the money yet...
You little胎神 doll, have your eyes been blinded by the sun today?
A few men with fierce expressions muttered a greeting, each looking extremely eager for the human flesh and liver soup. Some even stuck out their tongues to lick their lips and exclaimed, "Delicious!"
I, I, I... Ma San's pants were soaked with urine—just encountering this situation was already eerie. The door was tightly shut, and on top of that, the fierce and menacing figure of the local tyrant threatened to cut off his eggs. How could he not be afraid? ... But now, the situation was clearly not like that... He mumbled a few words, and suddenly caught sight of the old man with bulging eyes sitting nearby, smiling. He immediately began to wail.
As the knife was about to reach the old man's head, ready to spill blood everywhere, in that split second... the knife suddenly came to a halt
The turtle's offspring pretends to be mysterious; first, break its legs before anything else
This strike was both swift and inaccurate, prompting the bandits to cheer in unison: "Good!" Especially Ma San, who, still seated on the ground and yet to rise, had already mustered all his strength to ingratiate himself, his voice remarkably resounding
Everyone, please take it easy, do take it easy...
The leader of the gang swung to the side of Ma San's morning, directly walking towards the old man, his fingers gripping the machete turning pale, seemingly not intending to say anything before delivering a fatal blow
However, there are no coincidences in the world; indeed, there is a group of people in this forest hiding and waiting for the fat sheep to come to them.
This old dog is indeed living well, while we are here getting bitten by mosquitoes! The old master listened to Chen Pizi's words and was somewhat satisfied, yet still filled with rage. After a moment of thought, he said fiercely: "Damn it! I am not feeling good today, it's his misfortune. Once we get the things, bring me his heart so I can make a bowl of detox soup to cool my anger!"
"What the hell, why hasn't he arrived yet at this late hour?" The leader, known as Dao'er Ye, became agitated and interrupted his words, turning to another person and asking, "Chen Pizi, you are a local and should be familiar with the terrain here. Calculate for me how long it should take for that old man with the bulging eyes to get here. Has he taken a different route?"
No, no, this is not good! Driver, this car cannot be taken!
While speaking, a rustling sound suddenly emerged from the bushes, causing everyone to jump up. Before long, a frail young boy crawled out from the grass, drooling and appearing before everyone, his face filled with excitement: "The master is here, people have come."
This vehicle contains none of the imagined provisions, such as food and clothing; instead, it is entirely filled with items meant for the deceased
As soon as the master became furious, the men nearby instantly felt weak. Just then, with Ma San carrying the bag, the pent-up anger found an outlet, and they all began to shout.
What the hell is this weather? Here I am, trying to cozy up with a girl, but instead I'm just feeding mosquitoes. Damn it, I'm really asking for trouble—Hey, Ma San, is your information reliable or not? If I end up empty-handed today, I swear I'll twist your head off!
Ma San was shouting, and this inexplicable slap left him utterly stunned.
The old man was momentarily taken aback by this fellow's pull, but those around him rushed down without noticing any significant danger. With no regard for what Chen Pizi was saying, he casually slapped the guy aside and strode forward.
It was as if an invisible hand had grasped the wrist of the man, thus blocking the knife downward
After just a couple of moments, the old man with bulging eyes opened his bleary gaze. Surprisingly, he showed no fear upon seeing so many people. He sat up, wiped the sleep from his eyes, revealing a mouth full of yellowed teeth, and said:
This group of people could not stop and all rushed down the dirt slope. Chen Pizi's face was as black as a pot bottom, and after glancing around, he unexpectedly turned and ran away. Who would have thought that just as he took a step, his legs suddenly went weak, and he sat down on the ground. This fellow's mouth twitched a few times, and he actually began to wail—his eyes fixed on the small flag behind the car, crying so sorrowfully that one would not have seen him like this even when his mother died years ago. While crying, he also slapped himself, saying, "I was wrong, spare me! I was wrong, spare me!" Who would have thought that just as he took a step, his legs suddenly went weak, and he sat down on the ground. This fellow's mouth twitched a few times, and he actually began to wail—his eyes fixed on the small flag behind the car, crying so sorrowfully that one would not have seen him like this even when his mother died years ago. While crying, he also slapped himself, saying, "I was wrong, spare me! I was wrong, spare me!"
The donkey cart naturally came to a stop when surrounded by so many people, with a group of individuals banging on the cart's boards, kicking the axle, while that Ma San even extended his hand to poke the old man lying on top with a stick
Looking around, this flag is merely about one foot square, with a pattern resembling a flagpole on a black background, and several large seal characters above it
What kind of flag is this, after all
The old man fiercely shook the cleaver in his hand and shouted arrogantly: "Damn it, you turtle son, you talk too much! It is indeed true that the people from your side are numerous and bold, but you are not even a bit intimidated!" As he said this, he suddenly slammed the knife down on the cart and commanded: "Come on, tie this old turtle son up!"
The man, still furious after the beating, pointed at that guy's nose and shouted angrily: "What the hell, you son of a bitch! Didn't you say it was a cart full of grain and cloth? How come it all turned into this crap? Let me tell you, if you don't explain this clearly today, I'll have your balls cut off, do you believe it?"
The local man, Chen Pizi, was originally following along, but after just a few steps, he suddenly caught sight of a small flag at the parking space, and his face immediately turned ashen—he clutched the clothing of the nearby Tao Ye tightly and let out a wail akin to that of a slaughtered pig
The fellow known as Dao Er Ye is, after all, an old bandit who has fled through three provinces. He is no stranger to the bloodshed and legal troubles that come with his past. Naturally, he understands the consequences of coming here across provincial borders and causing his brothers to feel disheartened at their first appearance in the market. While it may seem trivial if people disperse, he fears that his authority will plummet. Thus, with a stern expression and a puffed-up face, he turns around and delivers a slap to Ma San, who is shouting the loudest.
The underworld figure gasped in cold air, and a shiver immediately crawled up his spine! Usually, these individuals, despite their audacious nature and ruthless tendencies in killing and looting, are the ones who believe the most in ghosts and deities. Even during the day, if they encounter a funeral procession, they must spit twice and stomp their feet three times, muttering phrases like 'good luck and great fortune.' Who would have thought that tonight they would actually stay up until midnight to snatch something like this!
The Collection of Underworld Spirits