Twilight Boundary-Chapter 596 - 587 Snake God Temple (Second Update)

"Is there truly such a custom?"

Listening to this, Hu Ma found it novel and beneficial to both parties. This method of traveling the jianghu was something to be admired.

Yet, he felt puzzled. "If that's the case, why do Witches have such a bad reputation?"

Calculation, upon hearing this, lowered his voice a bit and chuckled bitterly. "It's precisely because Witches are real. They have this habit, so wherever they go, they usually choose to lodge with families who have experienced misfortunes recently or have someone ill. Over time, people gradually began to believe that wherever Witches appeared, disaster was sure to follow. Some even say that they plant a gu first before lodging!

"Moreover, Witches are adept at various dharma methods. Among them are some scoundrels who harm people for money, tarnishing their own reputation.

"Back in Mingzhou, there were three nuisances: Tan'er Sect and Insect Sect. The Insect Sect comprised these Witches who were paid to harm others with gu."

"In this world, there are few things that can be clearly explained in a few words."

Hu Ma agreed with Calculation's words. When he turned to look at Wuya, he saw her knocking on the door and conversing briefly with someone inside who looked like a steward. The steward went to report, and shortly after returned to respectfully invite them inside. Reaching the main hall, an Old Master dressed in brocade robes received them, offered tea, and inquired about their origins.

Though Wuya was the one who knocked, given her young age, Hu Ma politely replied, "We are in the mountain goods business. Hearing that Guazhou is lively, we brought a batch of mountain goods here, which are now stored with a friend. However, his place is small, leaving us without a spot to rest, so we ventured out to find an inn. We didn't expect everywhere to be full, which is when my sister stopped in front of your residence.

"She mentioned sensing some unclean aura emanating from your residence, concerned that something was amiss and insisting on asking. Truthfully, I even chided her, worried that if she were wrong due to her limited abilities, she might inadvertently cause offense and unnecessary trouble for your household."

"No, not at all..."

Seeing that Hu Ma was neither servile nor arrogant and clearly a man of some experience, the Old Master of the residence hurried to reply, "Your sister's insight is quite spot on.

"To be honest, my son is gravely ill, waiting desperately for someone to save him!"

Saying this, he hurriedly ordered someone to bring the young Master over. Meanwhile, upon hearing that capable people had arrived, the inner residence was in chaos. A crowd of maidservants and women rushed over, carrying a child wrapped in blankets. Judging by the child's size, he seemed about eight or nine years old, but he was completely enveloped in silk quilts, making it difficult to see his face, only a vague human form.

Wuya's dark eyes darted about as she took a look and said, "Uncover him, let me have a look."

At her words, the Old Master hesitated, turned his head aside, and feebly waved his hand.

The maidservants nearby, trembling, mustered their courage and lifted the blanket covering the boy's face. Wuya, along with Hu Ma, Calculation, Zhou Datong, and the others, looked over and were all simultaneously astonished. They saw a young lad whose features should have been bright and intelligent, but his face was now covered in dense, warty pustules, like those of a toad.

Seeing this, Wuya became somewhat anxious. She pulled his hand out from under the blankets; it was similarly covered in pustules.

Some had already ruptured, and pus, blood, and mucus matted together into patches.

This tragic sight was unbearable even for the Old Master of the residence, who covered his face with his sleeve, lamenting, "My son has caught the toad illness. By my calculations, he has only about three to five days left to live. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to trouble our guests with such a sight..."

Hu Ma, hearing this, was slightly stunned and asked, "Toad illness?"

The steward who had led them in, seeing the Old Master's grief, explained on his behalf, "You guests may not know, but here in the Guazhou region, children between the ages of seven and ten often contract this pustule illness. Their bodies become covered in them, they neither speak nor take any food. From the onset of the illness to their last breath, it usually takes only about a month. However, this illness doesn't affect adults."

Hu Ma listened, his brows furrowing. "This illness is strange. Haven't you taken him to an apothecary to see a doctor?"

"We have."

The Old Master sighed. "We've sought medical advice, tried every Method available. Which one haven't we used?

"But the apothecaries can't treat it. They only say it isn't an illness but a consequence of karmic grievances from a past life, suggesting we go to the Mansion God Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings.

"Just a few days ago, our entire family, young and old, went to the Mansion God Temple to offer incense, but the Mansion God wouldn't accept our family's incense! The incense I lit extinguished in the blink of an eye."

Hearing this, Hu Ma found it utterly bizarre and said, "Useless to seek medical help, and the gods won't accept your pleas. Is there truly no choice but to await death?"

The Old Master sighed bitterly. "If you're asking about a Method, there is one. By Green Water Lake in Guazhou Prefecture, there's a Snake Immortal Temple, funded by the Yan Family elder. It's known for its efficacy. Previously, other children suffered from this toad illness. If seeking medical help and medicine proved useless, they would be taken to this Snake Immortal Temple. After presenting offerings, the child would be left in the temple for a day and a night. Adults were not allowed inside. After a day and a night, the child might be cured. However, many also simply breathed their last...

"Our family was out of options and already preparing to go to the Snake Immortal Temple. But who could have anticipated, with all the recent events in the city, people are saying that a great evil spirit from afar bears a grudge against the Snake Immortal in our city and intends to seek revenge soon. Consequently, the Snake Immortal Temple has closed its doors, and no outsiders are allowed entry. Our child has only this thirty percent chance of survival, and now even that seems lost..."

"Snake Immortal Temple? Great evil spirit?"

Listening, Hu Ma was already forming suspicions. He suddenly spoke up to the Old Master, "Old Master, this Snake Immortal Temple you speak of, the one enshrined within, is it an Earth Lord by the name of Chun Sheng?"

The Old Master paused. "We dare not inquire too much about the Snake Immortal's name, but the one venerated in the temple is indeed an earth god."

Well, isn't that something? Building a temple and claiming divinity? Hu Ma's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing in front of the others, turning instead to Wuya. "This illness, can you treat it?"

Wuya nodded and was about to speak when the Old Master and the steward both brightened up, their eyes shining.

Calculation, however, suddenly addressed the Old Master, "Forgive us, Old Master, there are some matters in our Path best not heard by others. Could you perhaps find us a more convenient place to speak?"

The Old Master hastily rose. "No need to find another place, no need at all. Speaking here is just fine."

Saying this, he called for the steward, instructing him to prepare wine and a spread for the table. He himself walked to the entrance of the hall, turned, and bowed deeply to them. "Dear guests, it will be dark soon, and the city is in turmoil. Please, do rest here tonight.

"As for my young son, it is his fate. He only has these three to five days left. If he can be saved, I, this old man, am willing to offer half of my family fortune. If he cannot be saved, alas..."

He bowed repeatedly while speaking, then finally went out.

Only after they had left did Hu Ma look at Wuya. He saw the Witch girl frowning, and she whispered:

"Shopkeeper Brother, their young Master, what he has isn't an illness!

"It's gu, toad gu.

"But, listening to their story, it doesn't quite sound like it. What kind of gu spreads like an illness, constantly appearing in the city, infecting one after another..."

Hu Ma had also sensed something amiss earlier and nodded. "Can you cure it?"

Wuya nodded. "I know how to cure it.

"To cure toad gu, one must use snake gu. Find a snake, the more venomous the better. Skin it, wrap the child in the skin, and then smoke his body with mugwort. After a few sessions of smoking, he should be fine.

"This is because toads are afraid of snakes. Once 'eaten' by a snake, the toad gu will be dispelled."

Hu Ma seemed lost in thought and nodded. "Don't you have a snake with you?"

Wuya, however, was startled. She lowered her head, carefully stroking her sleeve, and whispered, "I can't bear to use Little Qing!

"We'll have to catch another one..."

"As long as there's a way."

Hu Ma paused for a moment, then said to Wuya, "You go out later and show them what you can do. Datong, you go with her, to prevent any trouble.

"Also, before he is cured, tell the people of this household not to spread the word, lest it needlessly attract trouble."

After Wuya and Zhou Datong had agreed and gone out, Hu Ma's face turned cold. "They have quite some nerve."

Calculation lowered his voice. "This Earth Lord, is he the one you paid the life-buying money to?"

Hu Ma slowly nodded. "The earth snake ghost from Guazhou's deep water lake, listed in the Hundred Demons Record, holding a post in the Zhensui Mansion. They were all marked twenty years ago, burdened with debt. They are not permitted to receive titles or establish temples. When Zhensui Mansion reopens, they will still be needed. But this scoundrel, not only has it failed to respond to summons at the altar, it has also secretly built a temple and accepted incense offerings from people?

"Furthermore..."

He paused slightly before continuing, "The Meng family's claws haven't reached this far yet, have they?"

Calculation hurriedly replied, "No, they haven't. Although the Meng Family previously issued many Incense Orders, they have deliberately skirted around Old Yin Mountain and have never come near this place...

"...Our Red Lantern Lady was the first, you could say!"

Hu Ma nodded. "After the Emperor was skinned, only the Hu Family and the Meng family could grant Incense Orders.

"And those listed in the Zhensui Mansion's Hundred Demons Record, even if the Meng family wanted to grant them orders, they wouldn't have the authority. This means this snake ghost fundamentally had no possibility of establishing a temple. However, Guazhou does have a Mansion God, so I imagine it wouldn't dare to build a temple privately. That makes things interesting. Who was so bold as to allow it to build this temple?"

Calculation listened and gave a bitter smile. "Isn't this quite normal?

"The Iron Gate Yan Family commands considerable clout here, one might say. This Snake God also seems to be engaged in saving people. Since people are requesting it to cure illnesses, then with a word from those above, the common folk below will spontaneously build this temple and willingly offer incense to it. What can you do about that?"

"It's simple."

Hu Ma said slowly, "The mere fact that it built a temple is already compounding its crimes, a path leading only to death. And if the Yan Family permitted it to build this temple...

"...Then even the Yan Family will have to pay the price."