Without saying a word or even a greeting, he picked up a flatbread and started eating, along with some cured meat and chicken legs. It couldn't be better.
The three members of the Ma family ate with great relish, and after they were full, they finished off all the offerings, ending with a few apples.
Zhang Xiaomo dared not eat it; this thing was a tribute item, and who knew if eating it would attract some evil spirits.
The three of them then found a clean spot to lie down, where they enjoyed a moment of peace.
“Grandma, there’s a stone statue here!” Ma Lihua pointed to the place where they had just eaten the offerings.
A stone statue stands there, seemingly a man, but his face is somewhat unclear, probably due to its age and weathering.
But the old Taoist priest suddenly opened his eyes. "Oh no, we've entered the Falling Flower Cave!" He stood up, his face pale, and his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Falling Flower Cave? Is there anything special about it?" Ma Lihua asked curiously, looking at the old Taoist priest's frightened expression.
"It's over, it's over. The stone statues in the Fallen Flower Cave usually belong to powerful evil gods. They follow unorthodox paths, are ancient, incredibly powerful, and have fierce and malevolent natures." He looked worried.
It's 11 o'clock now, and it's pouring rain outside, with thunder and lightning. You can also faintly hear the cries of wild animals.
Strangely, not a single animal came to take shelter from the rain; they all just lingered outside the cave entrance, as if there was something terrifying inside.
"Sigh! I really didn't check the almanac before I left home! Now I'm going to have to spend another night in the cave." As soon as Ma Hehua finished speaking, the grandmother and grandson also sighed helplessly.
Before the five people could settle in, a group of uninvited guests arrived outside the cave.
"Brother, this damn weather is terrible for going into the tomb!" a man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face said in a shrill voice.
"Fourth Monkey, keep your voice down. Let's go into the cave to take shelter from the rain, and then we can make some plans."
"Big Bear, Little Bear, you two go clear the way and see if there are any wild animals or evil spirits in this cave."
"Okay, big brother."
"Ergou, get the tools ready. Wuwen, grab your gear."
"Yes, brother."
The six people were quite conspicuous in the deep mountains, but none of them looked like good people, except for the eldest brother, who did look somewhat respectable.
As soon as Xiong Da and Xiong Er entered the cave, they were stunned to see Zhang Xiaomo and the others.
Both sides were observing each other, not daring to make any rash moves.
The old Taoist's clothes were quite conspicuous, making it clear at a glance that he was a Taoist, and he even looked somewhat... handsome, though one wonders if he had been overly pampered.
"Master, we just came in to take shelter from the rain, you won't mind, will you?" Xiong Da tentatively asked.
"This cave doesn't belong to me. Come and go as you please!" the old Taoist priest said calmly.
Xiong Da and Xiong Er exchanged glances, paying no attention to the three members of the Ma family lying on the stone mat.
Then Xiong Er came out of the cave and called the four people in.
"A Taoist priest from Mount Shu?" the man said softly, as if only he could hear it.
The old Taoist priest acted indifferently, with an expression that said "don't mess with me," which made the six intruders a little cautious.
"It smells earthy and awful." Ma Lihua's words broke the silence in the cave.
"What the hell did you say? Earthy smell? Do you know something?" Wu Wen looked tense and fierce at Ma Lihua.
"Slap slap slap..."
A dark figure suddenly rushed up and, without saying a word, slapped Wuwen several times across the face.
"You're asking for it! We wouldn't even say a word to my daughter, so how dare you yell at her? Who gave you the courage? Liang Ruru?" Ma Hehua's expression was more terrifying than a demon, making everyone shudder.
Zhang Xiaomo swallowed hard, thinking his aunt must be an honest and simple person. He hadn't expected this turn of events to be so sudden! He was scared.
Wu Wen was also startled by Ma Hehua's expression, but thinking about how he had been slapped by a woman, he felt extremely humiliated. His eyes reddened, and he quickly drew the gun from his waist, wanting to blow her head off with a burst of bullets.
"Wuwen, calm down, calm down. We still have important business to attend to, and we can't afford to make any mistakes." The man held his hand tightly and spoke heavily in his ear.
"Oh! You have a gun? Take it out and let me see! Let's see if your gun is faster or my knife is faster." Ma Hehua looked at the six of them with a sinister gaze, like a venomous snake about to pounce.
The old Taoist priest stood next to Zhang Xiaomo, and the two of them felt that they were the only normal people; everyone else was a big shot, someone they couldn't afford to offend, absolutely not someone they could afford to offend.
The man looked at Ma Hehua and smiled gently, "Auntie, I'm sorry! My brother here doesn't watch his mouth, so please don't take it to heart, just ignore it."
"You just let it out like a fart? Okay then!" Ma Hehua immediately turned around, half-squatted, and stuck out her buttocks, letting out a big fart in front of them.
"puff……"
Ma Lihua; "…………………………"
There's absolutely no need for that.
Ma Linghua; "…………………………"
Should I praise or not? But why do I feel a little embarrassed?
Zhang Xiaomo and the other person; "……………………"
This aunt is definitely not an ordinary person.
Six men; "…………………………"
"Hmph! You farted, and I still don't like him, and I still don't like you. I'll let it slide this time for my daughter's sake. But if you keep talking nonsense... Hmph! I'll not only treat you like you farted, I'll treat you like pigs and bleed you dry." Ma Hehua didn't seem to be lying at all.
That ruthless expression intimidated the group.
The man's face turned ashen, but he quickly changed his expression. "Auntie, what are you saying? We are civilized, polite, and law-abiding citizens. We can't do anything illegal."
Ma Hehua looked him up and down, then asked, "What's your name?"
The man was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he told Ma Hehua his name, "My name is Yizhanghong. I am a plant expert who likes to go into the mountains to investigate."
"Pah! Expert? You're just sneaking into other people's homes, aren't you? Don't you have any shame?" Ma Hehua ruthlessly tore off his mask.
Well, as long as you don't mess with me, I'll treat you like you're invisible. But if you take advantage of me, then I'm sorry, you'll have to eat a few of my ingots first.
“Mother, they’re tomb raiders, aren’t they?” Ma Lihua said with certainty.
"Wow! Not just a tomb raider, but an expert! Looks like you'll be embarrassed to show your face in public if you don't have some education these days," Ma Hehua remarked.
Six people; "…………………………"
Of course! Without some education, you can't even recognize characters, let alone read them. You should at least learn some classical Chinese! Otherwise, you'd be missing out on something valuable, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
It has to be said that Ma Hehua spoke to the hearts of these people. They were indeed cultured, but they were forced by life's hardships and had no other choice but to embark on this path of no return.
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