“This is the biggest difference between a zougui ren and what's written in the Zhen Sui Shu…”

Hearing Aunt Zhang's reminder, Hu Ma suddenly understood, "When a zougui ren sets up an altar, it's as if they've turned the altar into the center of the universe, and they sit in the center, with the surrounding area becoming their domain."

"The Zhen Sui Shu completely lacks this aspect and doesn't even mention it."

"But, if we're looking at the fundamentals, doesn't the zougui ren seem more logical?"

"..."

While thinking rapidly, he sat down steadily as instructed. No one knew what was in the dark night ahead, but he could feel its chilling terror.

Aunt Zhang, although guiding Hu Ma to set up the altar, was still worried and kept a close watch. If anything went wrong, she was ready to take over the altar and bear the pressure herself.

This was often what a master needed to do for a disciple during their first altar setup.

Although she and Hu Ma didn't have the formal title of master and disciple, they had the substance of it. Even in this altar setup, she was holding herself to the standards of a master.

Of course, while prepared, she also noticed that Hu Ma was sitting calmly in the center of the altar, coldly gazing ahead. Knowing that something formidable was approaching, he didn't panic or rush, showing a composure that made her look at him in a new light.

The shopkeeper might not have been suited for setting up an altar, but he certainly had the composure and presence to sit in the center.

Little by little, a cold wind began to blow, causing the oil lamp on the altar to flicker. The surrounding light flickered, creating a strange and eerie atmosphere.

"It's coming..."

At that moment, Hu Ma focused his eyes and looked ahead.

He couldn't see the deathly thing in the darkness outside the altar, only sense that as it approached, the insects stopped chirping, and even some of the weeds withered.

However, as the thing approached the altar, especially after it entered the area three zhang three (approximately 11 meters) around the altar, Hu Ma's eyes blurred slightly. Using the light of the oil lamp, he saw what was groping toward the altar.

This was Hu Ma's first time setting up an altar, and the area three zhang three around it was his domain.

But if a more powerful zougui ren were to set up an altar, it wouldn't be three zhang three, but nine zhang nine (approximately 33 meters), or even several *li* (approximately half a kilometer). A more skilled zougui ren could create a domain of dozens of *li* with a single altar.

"Hmm?"

Hu Ma narrowed his eyes and looked at the obese, horrifying ghost that had entered his domain. He watched it sway and stretch out its hands covered in black sludge, slowly reaching for the oil lamp on his altar.

Aunt Zhang couldn't help but want to remind him.

But Hu Ma wasn't in a hurry. He didn't attack the ghost immediately. Instead, he waited for it to get closer so he could see it clearly.

Then, he suddenly grabbed the redwood sword beside him, chanted a low incantation, and thrust it forward.

"Chi!"

As he pointed the sword forward, the flame in the oil lamp suddenly flared up.

It was as if a cloud of fire had suddenly erupted, burning fiercely forward.

The sudden burst of light illuminated the surrounding darkness, and he saw that the obese ghost, which had reached the altar, was instantly engulfed in flames. It struggled and howled, rolling down the hillside, its cries fading as it disappeared.

With this initial victory, Hu Ma was surprised, "So powerful?"

Setting up an altar really did make a difference.

With the altar, one *fen* (unit of measurement) of strength could be used as ten. If he hadn't set up the altar and just poured in a *dao* injection, it probably wouldn't have been this powerful.

He subconsciously glanced at Aunt Zhang, who was protecting him, wanting to ask what she thought of his move.

But he saw that Aunt Zhang was also stunned. She whispered, "Shopkeeper, you're a *shousui ren* (year-guarding person), but it seems you have the talent of a *zougui ren*."

"So brutal?"

At the same time, several people who had just arrived under the cover of night were in the woods.

Among them was Granny Cui, who had just stepped out of a sedan. The old woman still looked pale and bruised after a day. Anyone could tell she had been injured. She held four black bone urns in her arms as she got out of the sedan, placing them on the ground one by one.

Beside her was a short, fat man with a scar on his face, riding a horse.

Another man, thin and wearing a straw hat and leggings, had driven a cart. There were several bamboo baskets on the cart.

There was also an old man carrying a basket filled with files, saws, and other tools, looking like a craftsman.

Faintly seeing the burst of fire on the hillside outside the woods and the little ghost they had sent out to scout the way being burned to ashes, they were clearly surprised.

The fat man with the scar on his face chuckled softly and said, "It should just be a small *zougui ren*. This altar has a kind of 'no evil shall approach' feeling. Looks like we'll have a good show tonight."

The cart driver said, "Let's test them first to see what their level is."

Granny Cui also said, "We should tell the children to retreat, lest they get hurt when we start fighting."

"Which of you old brothers wants to give them a taste of our power first?"

"..."

"Hehe."

The cart driver sneered, "The old brothers of Pingnan Road have joined forces. It's rare for someone to dare set up an altar and prepare to fight us without immediately handing over the person and begging for mercy. Do we need to go up and parley first?"

"No need."

Granny Cui said, "It's a mortal feud. We must kill them all and not let one go."

"They know what's coming, so let's save ourselves the trouble."

"..."

Saying that, she first placed the four black bone urns she had brought on the ground, preparing herself, and then looked at the others.

She sighed softly and said, "Old brothers, this time I've suffered a great loss, and I'm relying on you to help me regain my reputation. Please don't hold back later."

"I know the rules and won't let you help me for nothing..."

"..."

Saying that, she first pulled out a wooden figure from the sedan.

It looked strange, with many knife marks and nail marks. Some parts were burnt black.

For some reason, when this thing was taken out, it didn't seem special at first glance, but a closer look made one's hair stand on end.

She first looked at the carpenter, Old Li, and whispered, "Old Brother Li, haven't you always wanted this treasure?"

"This time, I'll lend it to you. You don't have to return it after things are done."

"..."

The craftsman, who was carrying a basket, was slightly surprised when he saw it. His wooden face showed unconcealable excitement.

"The Seven Shackles Judicial Wood, are you really willing to give it to me?"

"..."

Granny Cui handed it over directly and said, "It originally belonged to your sect. I was just playing with it."

The craftsman took it, caressing it lovingly, almost drooling.

Granny Cui then said to the scarred man, "Old brother, there are two in this group, one is a female *zougui*, and although I only saw her from afar, I knew she was a virgin and must have magical powers."

"The one in the coffin is even more extraordinary. If you want her, lock her in your cellar. I guarantee your Yin-harvesting and Yang-replenishing skills will reach a new level."

The scarred old man remained expressionless, but his eyes narrowed.

Granny Cui then looked at the man driving the cart, the one with the bamboo baskets, and whispered, "Brother Wang, we don't need to say much. With your abilities, it's a shame you can't become an elder in our gang. If this is successful, I'll recommend you."

The man chuckled and said, "Granny doesn't need to be so polite. We're all family."

Saying that, he first glanced at everyone present and whispered, "How about I show my hand first and test their depth?"

Granny Cui said, "They've set up an altar. Why don't you work with Old Brother Li?"

"Easy, easy!"

The craftsman and the cart driver both nodded.

First, the craftsman walked back a few steps, holding his beloved puppet, and placed it under a tree. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he picked it up again and quietly came out of the woods, circling around.

He carried a cloth bag and dug a hole on the west side of the altar, pulling out a bloody dead cat from the bag and burying it.

Then, under the cover of night, he quietly circled to the northeast side of the altar, found a crooked-necked tree in a suitable position, and pulled out a half-dead rooster from the bag, putting a rope around its neck and hanging it on the tree.

The altar was backed by a hillside, so he couldn't go up there. He did everything he could in all other directions.

Only then did he come back, coldly clapping his hands and saying, "It's done. This *zougui ren* chose a good place to set up an altar, wanting to fight us head-on."

"But I've ruined the feng shui of this altar's location. Now the good place they chose has become a place of great misfortune!"

"Let's see how they cast their spells!"

"..."

"Wonderful!"

The others all clapped and cheered, then looked at the cart driver and laughed, "It's Brother Wang's turn."

The cart driver had already climbed onto the cart, his face full of pride. Looking at the bamboo baskets on the cart, he sighed, "Good children, you've been hungry for so long. Today, Da Da (father) finally has a chance to let you have a full meal."

Saying that, he pushed the bamboo baskets, and inside, there was a hissing sound. It was a pile of white snakes with black stripes.

In the middle of the night, the sound of scales rubbing together was extremely eerie.

Even Granny Cui and the scarred man were a little frightened and hurriedly took a few steps away.

But the man had already taken out a bamboo whistle and started to blow it.

The snakes that crawled out of the baskets seemed to have received some kind of command. They crawled out of the tangled snake pile one by one and headed towards the hillside.

They only crawled a few steps before they disappeared, but everyone knew that in the dark woods, there were countless poisonous snakes that could take a person's life with one bite.

(End of Chapter)