Chapter 1 The Beginning

Barren mountains, ghost caves.

Just as Meng Sizhong, the Meng family's fortunate descendant within the five degrees of mourning, kowtowed, a faint laughter seemed to emanate from the depths of the cave, appearing and disappearing.

Meng Sizhong was entranced by the wind, his body stiffening as he slowly rose.

As if guided by an unknown force, he stumbled into a village at the foot of the mountain. In the village, a farmer's sheep pen held a newborn lamb, stillborn and abandoned in the pen. But the dead lamb slowly stood up.

Brown, horizontal pupils, eerie and stiff.

Meng Sizhong arrived in the village and went straight to the lamb, slowly reaching out his arms to embrace the strange creature.

In the next moment, the junior officials, family guards, and the ceremonial escort behind him watched the scene, not daring to breathe. Then, they quietly gave the order, and suddenly, gongs and drums resounded simultaneously, suonas piercing the sky, creating a commotion as grand as sending off a god.

Calamity, formless and invisible, left the ghost cave and would attach itself to something. This was inviting calamity.

And the Meng family's descendants used their bodies to send off calamity, which meant delivering the calamity to its designated place.

This was sending off calamity.

They were all cautious, crowding around Meng Sizhong, step by step, following the small path towards Lao Yin Mountain.

The same ceremonial escort and the same scene were also happening in ten other places. Eleven Meng family descendants, holding eleven different cursed objects, were heading towards Lao Yin Mountain from different directions.

In places like Lingshou Prefecture, a stone tablet would be erected thirty miles away, at the end of a small path, representing the boundary of the ghost cave. These abandoned ghost caves also had stone tablets, and the surrounding woods were covered with many red cloth strips.

These were tied by the local zou gui ren (ghost walkers), indicating danger and preventing strangers from approaching.

Now, they were playing music, burning incense, and gradually, they arrived at the stone tablet and the woods filled with cloth strips, then slowly stopped.

The arrow was on the string, the calamity was about to descend upon the world, just one step away.

…

…

"Nephew, please prioritize the overall situation..."

At the same time, in the Meng family's ancestral home, several stern-faced, travel-worn figures, disregarding etiquette, strode across the Meng family's threshold.

The Meng family's young master, Meng Sizhong, was hanging his head, a sneer on his face, but when he looked up, his expression suddenly turned aggrieved: "Several uncles, you were nowhere to be seen when my Meng family was attacked by demons, but now you all enter my home at the same time?"

"Nephew, think carefully!"

The people who entered the door, clearly having traveled from afar, didn't even bother to catch their breath, but anxiously said, "We all know about your Meng family's affairs, and we are indeed worried for your family."

"But the Meng family has built this foundation over several generations. Are you really willing to use it all up in a reckless fight?"

"..."

"So, you've come to stop me from taking revenge!"

The Meng family's young master was immediately enraged when he heard this, and he gnashed his teeth and said, "It was the Hu family who went too far, imprisoning my father, spreading slander, and allowing demons to kidnap my mother. How can Meng Sizhong, as a son, sit idly by?"

"Since the Hu family is unjust, then the Meng family will risk destroying our family business to avenge this!"

"..."

Hearing this, the people who had rushed over were immediately embarrassed, and sighed, "We, as members of the martial world, will also search diligently for the matter of Meng family's madam being kidnapped, but whether it was done by the Hu family is still unknown..."

"As for Meng family's master, what kind of abilities does he have? The Hu family has no foundation in the underworld, so it is even more impossible to imprison him..."

"...right?"

"..."

Some words even made them feel uncomfortable, and the people next to them quickly interjected, "The matter of inviting calamity is of great importance, especially since you are inviting eleven calamities at once, this..."

"Have several uncles come to persuade me?"

Meng Sizhong suddenly became furious, and said, "Enough, enough, everyone is bullying my Meng family, but my Meng family also has filial piety and pride. Several seniors, please go back!"

"You this..."

Seeing that he wouldn't listen to reason, the few who came also frowned deeply.

"Meng family's nephew, please listen to me..."

Finally, someone suppressed their anger and persuaded gently: "You are the most outstanding of the younger generation of the ten surnames, you should know the importance of the Stone Pavilion gathering, and now that the Great Master is missing and the Madam is not at home, it is time for you to shoulder the burden. How can you be so impulsive?"

"Me?"

Meng Sizhong sneered when he heard this, and said, "I am of a low seniority, how can I be qualified to shoulder the burden and enter the Stone Pavilion for the Meng family?"

Hearing him mention the Stone Pavilion, the others exchanged glances, and they had a clear idea in their minds. An old man with a long beard smiled and said, "In the Meng family, who else is qualified besides you?"

The remaining people also persuaded: "Knowing that there is a grudge between your Meng family and the Hu family, after the Stone Pavilion gathering, the two families can settle it themselves."

"But it was the Hu family's absence that postponed it for twenty years. If you can't restrain yourself now, wouldn't our plans be delayed for decades again?"

"..."

"This nephew is not someone who doesn't know the importance of the overall situation."

Meng Sizhong seemed to be moved, slowly raised his head, and said seriously: "I don't necessarily want to drag the Meng family's great cause to fight to the death with the Hu family. Alas, these grievances are all from the previous generation. In fact..."

"...in fact, back in Mingzhou, the Hu family's young master helped me find my second brother's remains, so that he wouldn't be exposed in the wilderness. I am still grateful to him."

"..."

The others listened and hurriedly said: "Well said, well said, then..."

Meng Sizhong's voice suddenly deepened, staring at the people who came over, and said, "Then I would like to ask uncles to agree to a few things. If the Hu family is willing, then even if we have grievances, we might as well discuss them at the Stone Pavilion."

The few people concentrated and said, "Tell us."

"First, my Meng family is being targeted by demons, and all sides are unstable. I would like to ask you uncles to help us deal with the demons, considering our connection to the martial world."

Meng Sizhong slowly opened his mouth and stated his conditions: "Second, they don't really need to interfere in the affairs of the underworld. After my family's ancestor wakes up, he will naturally find my father. However, the Hu family's zou gui (ghost walkers) are all over the world, and I want them to work to find my mother."

The others listened, not knowing what to do for a while, and slowly opened their mouths and said, "Continue."

"Third..."

Meng Sizhong sighed softly at this point, and said: "I am also willing to prioritize the overall situation and suppress the anger of the Meng family, but after all, my name is not right and my words are not justified. I also need several uncles to witness, and the agreement to enter the Pavilion."

For a moment, there was silence all around. After a long time, someone slowly said: "So, you want us to recognize your status as the master of the Meng family, and most importantly..."

"...guarantee that you can enter the Stone Pavilion?"

"..."

A look of sadness appeared on Meng Sizhong's face, and he sighed, "This nephew is only prioritizing the overall situation, are several uncles unwilling to agree?"

"Now it is my Meng family who has been forced to this point, and there is no other choice. Even these three conditions are only to save some face. How about this, even these three conditions, I won't say much, as long as two of them can be met, I will take a step back, how about that?"

"..."

"..."

The people who came all looked at each other. After a long time, they sighed softly: "We will discuss it, and we have already sent people to Mingzhou to find the Hu family..."

"Then you have to hurry!"

Meng Sizhong sighed softly, and a smile appeared on his face again, and said, "Someone!"

"Why don't you serve tea to the uncles?"

…

…

"He is really smart..."

Hu Ma couldn't help but sigh when he heard Zhao Sanyi's words: "Sacrificing ten disciples of the clan, creating this situation where the arrow is on the string and must be fired, and also being sure that the Hu family can't compete, and the other eight surnames dare not sit idly by, and jointly put pressure on our zou gui (ghost walker) sect?"

Zhao Sanyi was also anxious when he heard this: "To be honest, no one cares about what happens to the Meng family, but the Hu family cannot be missing from the Stone Pavilion Alliance, and it really shouldn't happen now..."

"That young master of the Meng family is really desperate. He actually forced people who are connected by blood to kowtow in front of the ghost cave to invite calamity. No one knows if he will really release it..."

"As long as he shakes it, one calamity will come out, and two calamities will be born. Eleven calamities will come to Lao Yin Mountain together. No matter where your young master is hiding, he can't escape."

"You... can't you really help us persuade him?"

"..."

"I can't persuade him."

Hu Ma slowly said: "But the conditions he said, I can't help but satisfy one of them."

"Ah?"

Zhao Sanyi was both surprised and delighted when he heard this, and hurriedly said: "Okay, okay, you can satisfy one, and we can satisfy another, then we can at least hand in the task. What else can that mad young master of the Meng family say?"

Hu Ma listened and suddenly said: "But if I do it, and the Meng family still causes disaster, harming our zou gui (ghost walker) sect, what should I do?"

"After all, in order to quell this disaster, I have already violated the young master's order..."

"..."

"He dares?"

Zhao Sanyi was furious: "Our Zhao, Zhou, Chen, and Wang four surnames are jointly guaranteeing it, and it's not a joke. The Hu family has already agreed to talk, and if the Meng family is still obsessed, then they don't even value the friendship between the ten surnames."

"That's good."

Hu Ma sighed after hearing what he said, raised his hand and pointed forward, and said: "That Meng family's madam is in the courtyard in front, you can take her back, and that's it."

"Ah?"

Zhao Sanyi was really stunned when he heard this.

He blinked his eyes and suddenly realized, raised his foot and rushed to the courtyard in front. Chen A'bao and Zhou Fourth Miss, who were following behind, were also stunned for a moment before realizing that the situation had turned around, and hurriedly followed to run to the courtyard in front.

Zhou Fourth Miss also turned her head to look at Hu Ma, and felt that this person was really responsible.

But after they rushed over, Hu Ma gave a slight cold look: "Now that things have come to this, it seems that the Meng family has made a wrong decision if they want to stop..."

"Since your arrow is on the string, but you are holding it back, then why not let me fire this arrow for you?"

"..."

"..."

North, Anzhou Lingshou Prefecture, Dashi Cliff Village, Xiang Yatou was holding a letter that Hu Ma had handed over a few days ago, and along with this letter was a copper coin.

"Father..."

She said to Master Li with a trembling voice: "Brother Hu sent a letter, asking us to help him..."

"He wants, in the name of the Meng family, to personally invite calamity..."