“What’s going on?”

Seeing the old steward suddenly run over, looking travel-worn, even Li Wazi felt a little pity. Considering he was at least family to Xiang Yatou, he got him some food.

But before he finished a bowl of rice, this man kowtowed and cried to Brother Ma, and even went into the inner courtyard to talk. He was curious about what they were discussing.

“Shopkeeper, please hear me out.”

The old steward came to Hu Ma in the inner courtyard, a troubled look on his face. He lowered his voice and said, “There are some things I haven’t said directly, which I’m sure has been annoying, but please forgive me, shopkeeper, as I am just a…”

“…steward!”

“There are many things related to the master’s family that I know but cannot speak of. If it’s just guessing, even thinking about it would be disrespectful to the master.”

“…”

Hearing him say this, Hu Ma finally looked up at him and said, “It’s honest of you to say that, old man. But you pulled me in here just to say this?”

“Of course not…”

The old steward sighed softly and said, “What I want to tell you, shopkeeper, is that Miss is of course the unique Miss of the Guidongzi Li family, but the Li family’s situation is far more complicated than outsiders can imagine.”

“The Li family has guarded the Ghost Cave for generations, a great responsibility, but it also means that the Li family cannot put too much energy into worldly affairs.”

“Our master is kind-hearted and loves Miss very much, but…”

He paused slightly, his expression obviously troubled, and whispered, “But I’m also old. How could I not understand some things?”

“The reason Master was willing to trust me and let me look after Miss was because I came from the Ba Xi Men (acrobatics school), with sharp eyes, quick hands, and careful work. But back then, right under my nose, someone managed to abduct Miss…”

“Not to mention now, Miss, as a member of the Guidongzi Li family, is born with the ability to travel the soul and is protected by the Yin Die (underworld tablet), yet her soul was still captured, unable to return…”

“…”

Hearing him speak, Hu Ma also looked serious, raised his eyebrows, and said, “So you think the matter of your Miss going missing…”

The old steward nodded heavily: “There must be something fishy, even…”

“…it was done by someone connected to the Li family!”

“…”

Hu Ma had already guessed this, and now he just nodded slowly: “In that case, the letter I sent should have been received by the Li family?”

The old steward nodded heavily and said, “The letter should have arrived.”

“However, it certainly wasn’t received by the Master.”

“…Alas, as the master of the Guidongzi Li family, he has to guard the Ghost Cave and oversee the San Gu (three valleys). Worldly affairs are handled by outsiders. A letter sent in from the outside has to go through several hands before it reaches the master!”

“…”

“The old man is willing to tell me this, which shows he’s really sincere.”

Hu Ma nodded slowly, knowing that the old steward had revealed the truth, and pondered, “So you feel that instead of sending another letter back and causing trouble, it’s better to send the person back directly?”

The old steward sighed softly and said, “If someone really plotted against me, taking Miss from my hands, and then used insidious methods after receiving the letter, preventing Miss from returning, then those people must be terribly wicked…”

“It’s Miss’s great fortune that she met a kind-hearted person like you, shopkeeper, who saved her life and kept her honor intact…”

“To be honest, I’m both happy and scared to have found Miss this time. Happy that there was no real danger, but scared of what will happen next time?”

“Instead of sending a letter back and waiting for who knows who to come, it’s better to send Miss back directly.”

“No matter who is playing tricks, as long as she sees the Master, she will have survived this tribulation. As long as the Master takes action, those villains hiding in the dark will all be thrown into the Ghost Cave!”

“…”

The old steward nodded repeatedly, but Hu Ma frowned and said, “Then why not just find a镖局(镖局) (security company)?”

“镖局(镖局) (security company)…”

The old steward said with a wry smile, “Firstly, I don’t think much of their skills…”

“Secondly, to be honest, I’m suspicious of everyone right now. I don’t know who wants to harm my Miss, so I don’t dare to seek out any old acquaintances or leak any news. Now, besides you, shopkeeper, I don’t know who to trust…”

“…”

At this point, Hu Ma felt that the time was about right.

But he still looked hesitant and sighed, “I understand what you mean, old man.”

“It’s just, alas…”

“I originally just saved someone casually, how did it become…”

“…”

Seeing Hu Ma’s troubled look, the old steward also felt a little guilty.

He was silent for a long time, then suddenly steeled his heart, stood up, and presented something to Hu Ma, saying, “Shopkeeper, please take a look.”

Hu Ma was a little surprised. He looked down and saw that he was holding a copper coin stained with blood.

He hesitated slightly and said, “This is…”

“A life-saving copper coin.”

The old steward seemed to have made some kind of decision, and whispered, “The Guidongzi Li family has profound secrets that are hard for others to imagine. They have always been generous and sincere.”

“This copper coin was actually given to me by the Master after I entered the Li family as a servant.”

“I also know that it’s too much to trouble you again and again. If I don’t show sincerity, it would be too much to ask. So, I took this copper coin out of my body, first to confirm my identity, and second…”

“…”

He hardened his heart and said, “With this copper coin, you can die once in place of being harmed by Xinghun (executioner souls), Haishou (harmful spirits), or evil spirits.”

“To put it bluntly, this is the money I sold my life for after entering the Li mansion.”

“I couldn’t take it out in the Caoxintang, because the people of their Siming (fate-controlling) Sect hate this kind of thing the most, but now that I’m facing you, my benefactor, I won’t hide it.”

“Whether you agree to help or not, shopkeeper, I’ll leave this copper coin here as collateral.”

“…”

“You…”

Hu Ma was a little surprised to see the copper coin.

The old steward was really anxious. Even if he didn’t take out something, he would have agreed after saying a few more words…

“Forget it, forget it.”

Hu Ma waved his hand and sighed, “Old man, please put it away.”

“To be honest, I’ve been uneasy ever since I paid the medical bills for you that day. You make it sound so nice, but what if something happens to you? My future will be ruined by you.”

“So, you said you want to send Xiang Yatou home. Although it’s difficult, it’s a good opportunity for me to go along and see for myself. This uneasiness in my heart is better than just waiting.”

“But it’s no short trip from Mingzhou to Anzhou.”

“Our journey will probably not be smooth, so even if we are to set off, you must first agree to a few conditions.”

“…”

The old steward was already excited when he heard Hu Ma’s words, and said repeatedly, “Please tell me, benefactor.”

Hu Ma thought slowly and said, “First, I can send her back, but you’re suspicious, and I’m suspicious too. You can’t trust others, but I still can’t quite trust you…”

“So, along the way, whether we’re traveling, resting, or sleeping, all matters, big and small, must be up to me.”

“…”

The old steward nodded immediately. At this time, the more hesitant and careful Hu Ma seemed, the more he believed that Hu Ma had nothing to do with it.

“Second…”

Hu Ma said, “If there’s any problem, and I ask you about the Li family, especially involving this so-called grudge, you can’t hide anything anymore. Otherwise, if we encounter trouble, we won’t even know where it came from.”

The old steward paused slightly, then nodded and said, “Yes, everything is for Miss’s safety. Even if I say something I shouldn’t, I don’t think the Master will blame me.”

Hu Ma nodded and said, “Third, I don’t mind sending Xiang Yatou back to Anzhou, but we must travel incognito along the way and never make a fuss. Even, as I see it… maybe, to avoid trouble, we should just let Xiang Yatou sleep in a coffin?”

“Don’t worry, she doesn’t eat, drink, or move now anyway. She can sleep in the coffin, with air holes left in advance, and we can pretend to be corpse drivers sending a corpse back to their hometown. Wouldn’t that be more convenient?”

“…”

“Ah?”

The old steward was taken aback at this time, but after hearing Hu Ma’s detailed explanation, he was relieved.

In fact, he was from the Ba Xi Men (acrobatics school) himself, with plenty of Jianghu (martial world) experience, so how could he not know that this was the safest way?

It’s just that as a steward, he couldn’t suggest such a thing. Others could, but he couldn’t.

Seeing that the old steward had agreed to all the conditions he had put forward, Hu Ma finally felt a little relieved and carefully planned everything.

That day, he let the old steward rest in the village. The next morning, he sent Zhou Datong and Zhao Zhu to accompany him to Caoxintang in the city to bring Xiang Yatou back.

He also arranged for Zhou Liang to go to the city to find a mule and horse dealer, and then go to a security company to spend money and ask them to draw a route, where it was safe, where it was dangerous, where to travel, and where to rest, everything in detail.

After that, he went to the town and bought a ready-made coffin for Xiang Yatou to sleep in.

However, the final preparation was also the most crucial one.

Hire a Zou Guiren (soul guide)!

If you’re going to put on a show, you have to go all out. Since you’re going to “send someone back to their hometown,” how can you not have a Zou Guiren (soul guide) follow?

The journey from Mingzhou Prefecture to Anzhou Lingshou Prefecture is not short.

First, take the official road all the way to Gunzhou, cross the Shazi River, then take the Pingnan Ancient Road, pass through Dongchang, Weiqing, and Huaide to reach Anzhou, send a letter to the local reincarnation organization, and then go to Dashitou Cliff in Lingshou Prefecture…

Even if there are no delays on the road, it will probably take more than a month, plus the world is not peaceful, and who knows how many things will happen.

The experience and insight of a Zou Guiren (soul guide) can help deal with it.

Moreover, if you really want to learn the skills in the *Zhen Sui Shu* (Book of Suppressing the Year), you have to first take a refresher course in the ways of Zou Guiren (soul guide). If you hire a Zou Guiren (soul guide) to follow you, and you’re a little more observant and talkative along the way, won’t you learn the skills you need?

The Hu family is the ancestor of Zou Guiren (soul guide), so stealing from your own family doesn’t break the rules, right?

(End of Chapter)