Now, Hu Ma didn't know anything about the family guarding this cave, and he only had a vague understanding of what had happened to Xiang丫tou (a girl’s nickname).

He brought her to see a doctor mainly to rely on Miss White Wine. She was one of his own people, and it was up to her to decide whether to treat her and how to treat her, so he didn't have to worry about it himself.

He was just thinking silently, while the old butler, seeing that Cao Xin Tang (a traditional Chinese medicine clinic) had agreed, was even more grateful, thanking him repeatedly.

What was unexpected was that when he mentioned the name of the Ghost Cave, Cao Xin Tang didn't care. In the end, they agreed to treat her, seemingly giving face to the small shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang…

Whether this represented some kind of complex feeling for him was unknown.

"You two can come back before midnight. Since I have to burn incense and bathe, I won't keep you for dinner..."

Hearing the shopkeeper of Wu Gui (Five Ghosts) make a joke, Hu Ma knew that he was being asked to leave. Seeing that Xiang丫tou had stayed in Cao Xin Tang, with a stick of An Hun Xiang (soul-soothing incense) lit beside her, which meant that Cao Xin Tang was protecting her and no outsiders could approach, Hu Ma felt relieved and walked out.

He first let Zhou Da Tong and the others return to the village, while he headed towards the Red Lantern Society.

After all, he had entered the city and had the whole day to spare. It wouldn't be appropriate not to pay a visit, especially after seeing Steward Xu this time…

…No, it's Xiangzhu (incense master) Xu now, but whatever it is, he has to urge him to pay the bill.

"Oh dear, this bill is not easy to calculate…"

Xiangzhu Xu was pleasantly surprised to see Hu Ma coming and said in a pretentious manner, "Hu Da Zhi (Hu, the great nephew), come and see what kind of mess that Zheng guy left me!"

"Now, does the society have to pay for taking over the Blood Food Mine left by the Qing Yi (Azure Clothes) Gang? Does it cost money to settle those newly recruited shopkeepers and allocate staff? Doesn't building a temple also require a large sum of money?"

"And there's also the tribute to the superiors. The more Blood Food Mines there are, the more tribute you have to pay."

"Oh, this requires money, and that requires money, but the society's foundation is just this much, how can I do it?"

"…"

Now that they were familiar with each other, Hu Ma knew that he was complaining on the surface, but happy in his heart.

So he smiled and said, "I don't care about that. You promised to write off my debt last time, you have to do it for me, right?"

"That's simple, I was thinking of you!"

Xiangzhu Xu waved his hand with a smile, and then lowered his voice and said, "Next spring, would you like to take a trip to the Blood Food Mine?"

"Ah?"

Hu Ma was taken aback, understanding all too well how much profit this sentence represented.

He quickly said, "Is that possible?"

Xiangzhu Xu said, "Anyway, things are not easy to handle…"

Hu Ma smiled and said, "I understand the rules."

Xiangzhu Xu said, "...It's precisely because it's not easy to handle that we need someone like Hu Da Zhi, who is steady and capable!"

"Are you being polite by talking to me about rules?"

"To be honest, I was thinking of you for this good thing from the beginning. I've even found an accountant for you. Do you know Lao Suanpan (Old Abacus) who saved your life? He's a really honest old fellow, and I'll send him to your village then."

"…"

"You've even thought about the accountant, is it really possible to arrange this for me?"

Hu Ma thought of the old guy who owed him sixty Blood Food Pills, and was immediately overjoyed. He quickly said, "Let's just say that the Red Lantern Society is such a big business, the incense master in charge of money and food has to find a reliable person to do it. Uncle Xu is doing a really good job…"

"Let's talk about it over drinks tonight?"

"…"

After making an appointment with Steward Xu for drinks, he left and went to find Yang Gong.

Unexpectedly, Yang Gong had just finished his shift and was teaching the lame little ghost in his yard how to deliver messages, how to send objects, and how to recognize the words he wrote. Suddenly, a gust of Yin wind blew, and when he looked up, he saw that his lame little ghost was gone.

Shen Bangzi (Shen the Stick) saw it and said, "Brother Yang Gong, this little ghost of yours is useless."

"It ran away before the master finished speaking."

"…"

Yang Gong was stunned for a moment, and then immediately smiled and said, "Go to Chun He Lou (Spring Harmony Pavilion) and tell them, my brother Hu Ma is here."

Sure enough, when he went out, he saw the lame little ghost kneeling in front of Hu Ma, shouting Hu老爷 (Master Hu) auspicious.

In the evening, Yang Gong was the host, inviting Xiangzhu Xu, as well as several供奉 (gongfeng – enshrined guests, experts hired by an organization), including Lao Suanpan who owed him sixty Blood Food Pills, plus several Red Incense disciples, and they sat down together.

These Red Incense disciples can still drink with these shopkeepers and stewards now, but once they rise to the next level and become incense burners beside Niangniang (the Goddess), this kind of social interaction will no longer exist.

After three rounds of wine, Hu Ma asked Xiangzhu Xu curiously, "What does this Cao Xin Tang do?"

"This place is not simple…"

Xiangzhu Xu said, showing off, to Hu Ma and Yang Gong and other greenhorns, "You are ultimately inexperienced, only seeing that our Red Lantern Society is becoming more and more prosperous now."

"But you must remember that even if our Niangniang builds a temple, we still can't provoke Cao Xin Tang, Plum Blossom Alley, and the Fu Ya (Prefectural Government)."

"Of course, they won't provoke us either. Everyone gives face and just passes by."

"…"

Yang Gong quickly said, "I know Plum Blossom Alley. Our Red Incense disciples on night patrol don't enter that alley. Last time they sent a servant over to buy a few Blood Food Pills, and the incense burner personally delivered them. But what is Cao Xin Tang?"

Hu Ma listened, feeling a little curious. Yang Gong used to be straightforward in his work, only recognizing the Red Lantern Niangniang, but now he seemed to have grown a bit?

Xiangzhu Xu said, "Our Red Lantern Society relies on Blood Food to eat, and we also have to serve Niangniang, so most of the people in the society are Shou Sui Fu Ling (soul keepers for the deceased), and a few Zou Gui Ren (ghost walkers) are also to better help Niangniang do things."

"But do you know that there is also a way among those wandering doctors who travel around collecting herbs?"

"That way is called Si Ming (Controlling Fate)."

"…"

"Si Ming?"

Hu Ma thought silently and said, "What's the point of this way?"

"The point is big."

Xiangzhu Xu smiled and said, "The outside of the way treats diseases, the inside of the way treats fate."

"Ordinary wandering doctors will use herbs and silver needles to help people see diseases and treat injuries. If the medicine cures the disease, that's a good doctor, but after entering the way, it's mysterious."

"It is said that they have the ability to forcibly extend people's lives. They can cure strange diseases that ordinary doctors can't cure, and even some people who seem to have reached the end of their lifespan, and are bound to die, can have their lives extended with their help."

"Inside the way, there is even a saying that people of Si Ming can change the book of death, so that Yan Wang (King of Hell) can't hook away people's souls!"

"…"

"Do they have such great ability?"

Hu Ma listened, feeling slightly moved, "Then I have to rush over and take a look."

"Not refreshing."

Everyone gained a lot of knowledge and listened patiently, but Shen Da Bangzi, a Red Incense disciple beside him, said, "Before our Red Lantern Niangniang built a temple, we felt that we were not afraid of anything in Mingzhou Prefecture City. Only the people from the Qing Yi Gang dared to oppose us, and we chased them and beat them."

"Now that Niangniang has built a temple, why do we have to be careful everywhere?"

"…"

This remark immediately resonated with several Red Incense disciples, but only Yang Gong seemed thoughtful and did not agree.

"Haha, this is a good thing…"

Xiangzhu Xu usually didn't have much patience with these uneducated Red Incense disciples, but now he knew that Niangniang had built a temple, and this batch of Red Incense disciples was probably the last batch, so he patiently explained with a smile:

"We have been staying here to do errands for Niangniang, and we rarely walk around in the martial world, so you don't know much."

"In fact, before, we were just making a living in the Blood Food Gang."

"The Blood Food Gang is just collecting and cutting Blood Food, fighting over and over again. We got the benefits, but our reputation in this martial world is just so-so. When you go outside and mention that you are a Red Incense disciple or shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, maybe someone will give you face, or maybe no one will pay attention at all."

"But now it's different. When we go out again, we are not someone from the Blood Food Gang, but disciples who enshrine the incense of the Red Lantern Niangniang of the temple. This is an identity."

"Even if they don't know us, other Jianghu (martial world) fellows with incense will think of the relationship, and even if they don't offer incense, those people in other ways will also respect our identity to some extent."

"…"

Hu Ma didn't know whether these Red Incense disciples understood the difference, but he himself had a sudden realization.

Is this the difference between Shaolin and Emei and a salt gang somewhere?

To put it bluntly, the Blood Food Gang really didn't have much of a brand in the martial world before…

No wonder the housekeeper of Xiang丫tou's family, even though he was down and out, could still always make himself feel a little unpleasant arrogance…

In the end, it was still a matter of Jianghu identity.

His identity as a shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang was really nothing in their eyes. It didn't necessarily add to his identity, and might even lower it.

Of course, the Red Lantern Niangniang building a temple would make some difference in the future, but this would also take some time. At least now, others still only regard him as a shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang.

Having a certain understanding of his Jianghu status, Hu Ma was also greatly relieved.

He immediately accompanied them for a drink, and when everyone was drunk, he declined Xiangzhu Xu's invitation to take him to listen to music in the city's red-light district, and instead went to Cao Xin Tang alone.

He was already seven parts drunk, but step by step, the closer he got, the more sober he became.

Shou Sui Ren (Soul Keepers) who have refined their five internal organs can drink a large bowl of arsenic, even without adding sugar, let alone wine?

When he reached the edge of Cao Xin Tang, he lit a few more sticks of incense to get rid of the alcohol smell on his body, and then went upstairs. The old housekeeper of the Li family was already waiting by the stairs. As soon as he saw Hu Ma coming up, he immediately bowed deeply.

But Hu Ma was neither too close nor too far from him now, just nodded indifferently and looked forward.

He had to have the airs he deserved. Understanding his position in the old housekeeper's heart didn't mean that Hu Ma accepted it.

"You subconsciously feel that I, a small shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, saved your young lady, and you are afraid that I will understand too much and try to take advantage of your gratitude or something?"

"I'm not that kind of person. Even if I want to, I have to let you take the initiative to repay me!"

I'm really awesome, I had a fever, but it didn't delay the update, it's still three chapters!

I'm asking for votes with confidence.

(End of this chapter)