CHAPTER 340: CHAPTER 348 SOMEONE REASONS (THIRD UPDATE)

The Imperial Decree from Zhensui Mansion was already Aunt Zhang’s last resort.

In those days, it was her mother who used an item left by Zhensui Mansion to intimidate the Five Evil Gods, thereby earning herself ten more years of life.

She had thought that by finding what Zhensui Mansion had left behind and the Imperial Decree, she could capture this Evil Ghost...

Perhaps she wasn’t confident, but there was no other way. Events now proved it truly didn’t work; indeed, there seemed to be no other method.

She could only watch helplessly as the Evil Ghost extended a massive hand toward her. Under the oppressive force of rolling evil qi, her Divine Soul grew dim, and she was unable to move. No one could control this Evil Ghost, and no one dared to address it. So perhaps, no matter how unjust, this was just fate?

But at this same moment, Hu Ma’s gaze turned toward Seventh Aunt beside him. He lowered his voice and said, "Seventh Aunt, it’s time for you to speak."

"What?"

Seventh Aunt, glaring with her two small, darting eyes, grew angrier the more she looked, yet she also showed a hint of fear. Upon hearing Hu Ma’s words, her eyes almost popped out.

"You’re the Hall Officer..."

Hu Ma softly said, "What’s a Hall Officer? Wherever they go, people kowtow. At every banquet, they must sit at the head seat. Most importantly, in this territory, when someone has a dispute with a foe, aren’t they looking to you, Elder, to step in and mediate and reason?"

"That’s right..."

Seventh Aunt suddenly realized. Isn’t this what I usually do? Ever since being formally appointed, for the better part of this past half-year, I’ve been living this way among the surrounding villages. Hu Ma’s words resonated deeply with her, yet she still hesitated a bit. "But this fellow seems rather fierce..."

"Fierce?"

Hu Ma said, "No matter how fierce or powerful he is, can he possibly be more formidable than the principle of reason itself?"

Seventh Aunt looked at Hu Ma’s deeply meaningful face and seemed to be greatly encouraged and affirmed. It was as if her vital pathways had suddenly been cleared!

Well said! Have I, Seventh Aunt, ever feared reasoning with anyone, no matter where I go? Our family has always valued reason! Right when we arrived, we dared to challenge the old shopkeeper of the Manor. And why? Because they asked us to leave without even offering us a proper meal! Could we let them keep their face after that?

With her somewhat reckless nature now stirred, it was impossible to suppress. That little bit of cowardice in her heart had long been tossed beyond the highest heavens. Seeing the new bride’s despairing expression, Seventh Aunt suddenly stood up indignantly, slamming her hand forcefully on the table.

"Retract those damnable claws for me!"

"..."

This furious rebuke instantly startled all the lurking evil spirits. Even the jubilant music abruptly stopped, and the surroundings became exceedingly quiet.

Even the Son-in-law Wei, who was reaching out to grab Aunt Zhang, suddenly paused. His head, on his stiffened neck, turned awkwardly and abruptly toward the head table. A strange smile played on his face, as if he had been expecting Seventh Aunt to speak all along.

"Small Hall Officer of the walking ghosts, what do you have to say?"

"..."

When speaking to Aunt Zhang, his voice was fierce and terrifying. But now, facing Seventh Aunt, it sounded sinister and eerie.

Suddenly confronted by those peculiar, seemingly all-black eyes, Seventh Aunt felt a momentary pang of fear. But her courage quickly returned, and craning her neck, she said, "I’m here to reason with you!"

"A young lady doesn’t want to marry, yet you forcibly drag her to the wedding ceremony? Is that how things are done?"

"Listen to Seventh Aunt’s advice: a melon plucked by force isn’t sweet..."

"..."

She truly wanted to reason with the Five Evil Gods, but in the eyes of those around, the scene had already transformed. The descent of the Five Evil Gods had plunged the entire village into chaos, with rolling evil qi muddling everyone’s minds, making it difficult even to speak, let alone think clearly.

Yet, Seventh Aunt’s straightforward attempt at reasoning seemed largely unaffected by the evil qi of the Five Evil Gods.

The Five Evil Gods scrutinized Seventh Aunt. He hadn’t taken this small Hall Officer seriously at first, but since she dared to speak at such a moment, she must be representing her family’s intentions. Thus, the smile on his face grew even more exaggerated.

"You are the small Hall Officer appointed by their family. Sitting at the head seat of my wedding banquet is, I suppose, in accordance with the rules. However, I have yet to ask: regarding Zhuo Dao Wenshi, the arbitration of disputes, and the distribution of Divine Incense, to which hall do you belong?"

"..."

Oh no! This question hit one of Seventh Aunt’s blind spots. She didn’t even know what a Hall Officer truly was, let alone which hall she belonged to!

But not knowing didn’t matter; Seventh Aunt was adept at blustering and arguing. If the Five Evil Gods had directly unleashed his ferocity and berated her, she might have been scared. But his current approach, with a smile hiding a dagger, played right into Seventh Aunt’s strengths.

She couldn’t see the dagger at all, only the smile, which made him seem weaker.

"What business is it of yours which hall I belong to?"

Seventh Aunt’s voice suddenly boomed, "You’re handling this unreasonably, so Seventh Aunt must intervene! Quickly release the young lady, or else..."

After a slight pause, she furiously cursed, "...or else Seventh Aunt will smack you with the sole of her shoe!"

"..."

This declaration seemed to reverberate with a deafening force. And just then, the horse, which had been standing off to one side, ignored by all but still clinging to hope, suddenly reared its hind legs and kicked violently, sending the nearby table and chairs flying.

CRASH! Several Red Lanterns were knocked down, and countless bowls and chopsticks were overturned. Even the flames in the nearby brazier flickered violently for a moment.

The surroundings instantly fell into complete silence. Never mind those who had been forcibly detained; even Aunt Zhang was now bewildered. She stared blankly at the old woman who dared to speak up for her at such a time, somewhat uncomprehending.

She was a walking ghost, vastly experienced in such matters. Of course, she could see that the old woman... was likely a ghost with little cultivation, right? How could she dare to speak on my behalf like this, even threatening to smack this evil ghost of the Five Evil Gods with the sole of her shoe?

But even amidst her swirling confusion, her gaze shifted slightly, and she suddenly noticed Hu Ma. He was sitting beside Seventh Aunt, quiet and unassuming, merely pouring tea.

He sensed her gaze, looked up slightly, and offered her a faint smile.

Aunt Zhang’s eyes widened, her heart filled with utter shock.

Even the Son-in-law Wei—or rather, the Five Evil Gods—was visibly taken aback. He clearly hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, and his voice wavered with uncertainty, "You... you’re going to smack me with the sole of your shoe?"

This question was extremely amateurish. In a village squabble, if someone says they’ll smack you with their shoe, you’re supposed to retort immediately, "No, I’ll smack *you* with the sole of *my* shoe!"

His hesitant question, however, revealed a distinct lack of confidence, which only emboldened Seventh Aunt. She slammed the table again, her voice even louder than before, "I’ll smack you, you muddle-headed scoundrel!"

The Five Evil Master was utterly dumbfounded by this tirade.

The surrounding evil spirits were also profoundly shaken by this scene. Seventh Aunt’s magnificent display of verbal abuse was deeply seared into their minds, an impression that could never be erased.

"Haha, haha..."

The Five Evil Master remained silent for a long while before suddenly bursting into laughter. He truly didn’t know how to describe his feelings; for a moment, he found that apart from laughing, there was nothing else he could say.

His primary goal had been to capture Aunt Zhang, but now, she suddenly seemed unimportant. He just laughed, his voice growing increasingly fierce, then abruptly shouted, "Good! Excellent! This family’s small Hall Officer is indeed so domineering!"

"Since that’s the case..."

As he spoke, without any warning, he suddenly spun around and lunged, snatching at Seventh Aunt who was at the table.

This grab unleashed rolling waves of evil qi and chilling gusts of wind. His simple reach not only enveloped Seventh Aunt but also the horse by the brazier—the one that had urinated on the fire and kicked the table.

Hu Ma, sitting beside Seventh Aunt, however, was not his direct target, only brushed by the surging evil qi.

"I am the protector whose title was usurped by that family! You are their newly appointed Hall Officer!"

As he lunged for Seventh Aunt, the Five Evil Gods’ voice thundered, vibrating with a complex jealousy, "I want to see! After they cast me out and promoted you, just what great abilities do you possess?"

Everyone nearby was terrified by this outburst, shrinking back and covering their eyes.

But facing this surge of evil qi, both Seventh Aunt at the table and the horse by the brazier remained utterly still.

One was petrified with fear; the other was filled with anticipation.

"Eh?"

The Five Evil Gods, who had struck out in a fit of rage, partly to vent his fury, felt his heart sink slightly. He sensed an unexpected change. So unyielding?

His heart paused, and the evil qi also faltered for an instant. Then, at that very moment, a faint sigh echoed from outside the village.

The sigh was very soft, yet it reached the ears of everyone present. Simultaneously, a delicate scent of incense drifted in, light and ethereal, instantly dispersing the oppressive evil qi that weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.

Even the Five Evil Gods, in his fury, suddenly quelled his anger. He slowly turned and looked towards the adjacent table. Beside Seventh Aunt, a man had appeared, unnoticed until now. He wore a green robe, with wide sleeves and a loose sash, exuding an air of scholarly elegance.

No ordinary human could see this person’s face clearly. Even if they tried to look directly, the figure seemed almost non-existent. The Five Evil Gods, however, could undoubtedly see him.

The anger on his face had completely vanished, replaced only by a faint mockery. "So, you finally dare to emerge from the mountain?"

"Matters beyond the mountain are troublesome; I naturally wouldn’t dare to come out," the figure in green replied lightly. "However, when someone performs the ritual of setting up the altar and invites me to meet an old acquaintance, how could I possibly refuse?"

"Setting up the altar?"

The Five Evil Gods suddenly roared with laughter, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. "Was it someone from that family? These days, they only dare to invite you to deal with me. They don’t even dare to show their own faces before me anymore?"

He burst into another fit of laughter, his voice suddenly filled with malice. "Even if it is you, you are now outside the mountain! And with the current confluence of the Five Evils, half of Mingzhou has become my altar! What can you possibly do to me?"

"Indeed, much of Mingzhou is in turmoil. Evil qi arises spontaneously, and there could be no place more suitable for your descent than here..."

Yet, facing the Five Evil Gods’ wild laughter, the figure in green merely smiled faintly and said, "But if it weren’t so, would you have dared to come?"

"And if you hadn’t come, how else would that person have seen you?"