Chapter 13 Receiving the Seal

Hu Ma, having received the seal, was actually quite curious about it. However, under the watchful gaze of the other party, he didn't want to appear too frivolous.

As he slipped it into his sleeve, he took a close look and was slightly surprised. The seal was a foot square, obviously an old object, seemingly carved from a piece of inferior jade. There were faint blood patterns inside, but the seal face was blank.

If it was an old seal, how could it be blank?

He was filled with curiosity, but he wasn't in a hurry to ask. This Bu Shi Niu (Do Not Eat Beef) sect was full of mysteries, and there were too many questions to ask. He needed to stay calm.

Dealing with these demonic people was like dating; it required a push and pull of attitude and emotions.

So, he simply pondered to himself, and then entered the hall with this Senior Apprentice Brother and Fairy Miaoshan, taking a seat on the grand master chair.

The Senior Apprentice Brother, who resembled an old farmer, also sat to his left. Fairy Miaoshan originally wanted to sit as well, but after being glanced at by the Senior Apprentice Brother, she suddenly realized something, awkwardly got up, and proactively went out to pour tea for the two of them.

Hu Ma looked around the main altar and found it a bit too empty. The night before last, he had clearly seen quite a few Bu Shi Niu disciples, far more than the few he saw now. So, without hiding his curiosity, he asked the Senior Apprentice Brother:

"Where are the others?"

"..."

"I already dismissed them yesterday."

The Senior Apprentice Brother said, "Logically, they should have come to pay respects to the sect leader, but I told them that the overall situation must be prioritized."

"Now that this Lantern Blessing Assembly has been held, the commotion is quite significant. We don't know what kind of turmoil it will cause in various places. They also need to return to their respective areas, either to support their own endeavors, or to guard against others."

"Hehe, please allow me to inform the sect leader, the Bu Shi Niu disciples, regardless of their abilities, each represent a cause and effect in various places..."

"Furthermore."

He paused, then looked at Hu Ma sincerely and said, "Before, there was an important matter that required the urgent summoning of Bu Shi Niu disciples, so the disciples nearby all came to this place to pay respects to the sect leader."

"But Bu Shi Niu has important responsibilities, and the sect leader is even more important. Therefore, we are different from others. Normally, except for the eight branch leaders, ordinary disciples are not qualified to meet the sect leader. Fortunately, the sect leader did not reveal his true appearance yesterday, saving some trouble."

"..."

"There's such a rule?"

Hu Ma was taken aback, then immediately understood: They had to be careful.

After all, they were a bunch of people busy with rebellion every day!

Moreover, although he hadn't had much contact with the Bu Shi Niu disciples, he could see that they were not a group of kind and gentle people.

If something really happened, they might even betray the sect leader.

With no moral bottom line and focused on rebellion, perhaps the world's view of Bu Shi Niu wasn't entirely accurate, but the label of "demonic people" was definitely fitting.

"Going to various places to handle your important matters?"

While chatting, he didn't hide his curiosity and smiled, "The Yiqian Sect's situation is so good, why not stay here?"

"With the abilities of your Bu Shi Niu disciples, if you concentrate your forces in one place, you could not only hide in the mountains to rebel, but directly attack cities and seize territories, right?"

"..."

Although it was only the first meeting last night, he had already gained an understanding of the abilities of these Bu Shi Niu disciples. Being able to force the dignified Shousui (Year Guardian) sect's chief official to be unable to enter this town showed that these demonic people were indeed quite capable.

Of course, if one were to truly compare the commotion last night, the Meng family's Second Young Master was even more difficult to deal with. But Hu Ma was also clear that the Meng family, or rather, the Ten Families, couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. Their abilities were deeply tied to their families.

But looking at the world, the Ten Families were still a minority and were used to hiding behind the scenes. The truly active forces in the martial world were still the extraordinary individuals from various sects and paths.

"For Bu Shi Niu, with the Yiqian Sect's Lantern Blessing Assembly successfully held, its mission is completed."

The Senior Apprentice Brother also answered honestly with a smile, "As for how this momentum-building event in Shima Town will turn out and what extent it will reach, that doesn't have much to do with Bu Shi Niu."

"Strictly speaking, Bu Shi Niu only hopes that this Yiqian Sect can start a rebellion, but it doesn't care whether it can seize the world. Besides..."

He smiled and said, "The hope itself isn't very high."

"After all, the Yiqian Sect is only taking food from others' mouths. Now that it has held the Lantern Blessing Assembly, the food has of course been taken out, but it can't become fat in one bite. Moreover, the Emperor's fate hasn't been found in the Shima Town area."

"My Bu Shi Niu disciples focus on the seventy-two paths of the world, lurking and setting up ambushes in various places, looking for opportunities. The Yiqian Sect has taken the lead, but in terms of foundation, it can only be considered small."

"..."

"..."

'He's being honest and not hiding anything about Bu Shi Niu from me.'

Listening to his words, Hu Ma nodded slightly. What he was saying now was actually Bu Shi Niu's secrets, but he was very frank and didn't hesitate at all.

He understood his words and didn't intend to ask about the problem in detail.

In fact, he had already seen their difficulties when he first arrived in Shima Town. The world's chaotic situation was already apparent, and there were rebellions everywhere. Even aristocratic families were starting to invest everywhere. It seemed that the Yiqian Sect had caught up with a good time.

But the problem was that the Yiqian Sect was supported by Bu Shi Niu and was naturally shorter than others in some ways. Those rebels secretly supported by aristocratic families would never attract the chief official of the Shousui sect from the very beginning.

Taking food from others' mouths was a very appropriate description.

Now, this Yiqian Sect had coincidentally hit the jackpot. The Lantern Blessing Assembly was held beautifully, and its reputation would probably spread hundreds of miles in an instant. If it wanted to do something again, it would definitely be able to get a response from all sides.

But what about after that?

At least with Hu Ma's current understanding and knowledge, he couldn't determine the fate of the Yiqian Sect. The extraordinary individuals in Bu Shi Niu weren't fools, and of course, they wouldn't dare to go all-in here. Relatively, taking advantage of this momentum to drop a few more chess pieces was the most crucial thing.

He was a reincarnator with knowledge from his previous life, but they were professionals who had been rebelling for twenty years, not inferior to him. Therefore, although Hu Ma had thought of some things, he didn't intend to discuss them in depth, but pondered and directly turned to the key point.

"I originally came to seek guidance, but unintentionally had this kind of connection with Bu Shi Niu. But this matter is of great importance, and no one dares to entrust their life and fortune to it so easily. So, if you don't mind, old sir, I have a few questions to ask."

"..."

The old farmer, or rather, the Senior Apprentice Brother in the eyes of the Bu Shi Niu members, was not surprised at all by Hu Ma's words. He simply smiled and said, "Please ask, sect leader. I will tell you everything I know."

"Good."

Hu Ma slowly took a breath, looked at him seriously, and directly said, "How much do you know about the previous sect leader?"

"He was my benefactor. I used to be a farmhand in his family."

The old farmer also met Hu Ma's gaze and said directly, "Although I am seven years older than him, I have always followed him and regarded him as my teacher. This skill and this knowledge were all taught to me by him."

"Until twenty years ago, on the eve of the Grand Capital Sacrifice, he asked me to leave with the disciples. Before that, I had always served at my honored teacher's side."

"..."

"Left with the disciples?"

Hu Ma was slightly surprised. That battle was so grand, and the consequences were so serious. Now, it seemed that the Great Virtuous Teacher had done it alone?

"Then..."

He listened and immediately asked, "When he asked you to leave, didn't he say anything to you?"

"Perhaps, it can be considered that he said something..."

The old farmer met Hu Ma's gaze and slowly said, "He said to me, 'Too early, and too late...'"

Hu Ma immediately frowned. The old farmer knew what he was wondering and slowly said, "Teacher said that it was too early because there wasn't enough time for various preparations. It was too late because he was born as a human, but only at this time did he understand the responsibility he was born with."

"So, he asked me to leave with all the disciples, urging us to hide, but also to be prepared. He only said that he would definitely come back again, and when that time came, he would take us to save this world."

"..."

"Good heavens..."

Listening to this, Hu Ma couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart. This previous reincarnator was indeed domineering, talking about saving the world at every turn.

He shook his head slightly and then said, "Then, how do you determine if it's him who has returned? Or rather, why did you immediately recognize that I could be your sect leader?"

"Naturally, it's because of the Ghost Cave Secret Realm."

The Senior Apprentice Brother honestly said, and even looked up at Hu Ma when he said this, "The sect leader left behind a last will, which was to wait for someone who could pass the three trials and twelve levels. In the past twenty years, many disciples have tried to break through this formation."

"Unfortunately, regardless of their abilities or character, they all failed before the three trials and twelve levels."

"Over time, we have all completely given up and only regard this path as a treasure for tempering our mind and cultivation, until your appearance, sect leader."

"..."

Hu Ma listened and already had some questions, but he seemed to have anticipated them, slightly raised his hand, and said softly, "I know what the sect leader wants to say. Bu Shi Niu has waited bitterly for twenty years, how could it so easily believe in one person?"

"In fact, the reason is very simple."

He looked directly into Hu Ma's eyes and said in a low voice, "The one who passes the three trials and twelve levels becomes the sect leader, not only because it is said that the one who passes the three trials and twelve levels has the fate of a sect leader, and not even because they have cultivated the Dawei Tiangong General Seal..."

"But because, according to legend, the one who passes the three trials and twelve levels and enters the Ghost Cave Secret Realm will obtain the three volumes of heavenly books passed down by the sect leader."

"..."

"Three volumes of heavenly books?"

Hearing this name, Hu Ma was stunned and looked at him curiously.

"Yes."

The Senior Apprentice Brother also looked at Hu Ma, seemingly a little nervous, lowered his voice, and slowly said, "One volume communicates with the netherworld, one volume spies on the heavens, and one volume can summon divine soldiers and generals to descend to the mortal world..."

"With these three volumes of heavenly books, let alone the Ten Families, even this world will be in our hands. Therefore, from the moment I arrived here, I have always wanted to ask:"

"Sect leader, have you obtained the three volumes of heavenly books now?"

(End of Chapter)