Twilight Boundary

With Miss White Wine acting as a guarantor, the two parties already had a foundation of mutual trust. Moreover, what Sweet Potato said helped Hu Ma understand the differences between the Reincarnator group and others, which put his mind slightly at ease. Immediately, he had a detailed conversation with Sweet Potato about the matter. He found out the trump card and weaknesses of Sweet Potato's senior brother and agreed to exchange information every night before finally falling into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, he equipped himself with a steel knife and still wrapped the Wooden Sword in cloth strips to keep it out of sight. After freshening up, he went downstairs. He first sat in the shop and took out a handful of copper coins. He asked the shop assistant to brew a pot of good tea and then went out to buy two baskets of steamed buns to eat.

This certainly wouldn't require so many copper coins. When the shop assistant returned, Hu Ma just waved his hand, letting him keep the remaining ones. He then ate while inquiring about any silver-earning opportunities in the vicinity.

The shop assistant, having received the reward money, was all smiles and said, "With your skill at making money, how could there not be a place to earn? What line of work are you in, sir?"

Hu Ma chuckled, then pulled out the knife from his waist, unsheathed it halfway, and placed it on the table. The knife bore a few rust spots, stained with dark red marks that wouldn't come off. The blade showed several nicks, clearly from cutting people.

"You make a living with the knife?" the shop assistant asked, jumping in fright, suddenly hesitant to speak further.

However, the Shopkeeper behind the counter, who was tallying accounts, chimed in with a smile, "Sir, I believe you must be a heroic figure in the jianghu. To let you know, vendettas and violent feuds have become rare here in Wutong Town in recent years."

"If you wish to earn silver, there is a notice in front of the blue-brick courtyard east of town. They are looking to hire someone with your skills."

"Is that so?" Hu Ma sheathed his knife and said, "If it's true, I'll give you more reward money when I return."

Saying this, he stood up. It was cloudy outside and looked like it could rain at any moment. So, he took down the conical hat and raincoat hanging by the inn door, put them on, and promised to return them. The Shopkeeper and the shop assistant did not dare to stop him.

After he had gone some distance, they curled their lips, a cold sneer appearing on their faces.

"These days, even those who live by the knife dare to swagger about doing business so openly."

The old shopkeeper glanced disdainfully in the direction Hu Ma had left and said, "Back in the day, we wouldn't have hesitated to report him and have him arrested."

As he spoke, he lowered his head to continue tallying accounts, evidently not taking the matter to heart.

Hu Ma left the inn and wandered the streets for a while. Eventually, he made his way to the west of the town. There, from afar, he spotted a row of large blue-brick houses with seven or eight notices pinned to the neatly aligned brick walls.

Upon closer inspection, he found they all contained the same content, which read:

"The bandits at Ma'erwa are rampant, robbing rice and harming people. Abundant money and provisions are offered to recruit brave warriors to eliminate this threat for the people. We await the arrival of all heroes."

Looking further down, the address provided was Qianfeng Tea House.

Hu Ma read this and confirmed it was the notice posted by Young Master Lu. This young master was actively seeking skilled individuals but couldn't openly advertise for them. Therefore, he used the pretext of suppressing bandits to attract heroes from the jianghu.

So, he tore down one of the notices and, asking for directions along the way, headed towards the Qianfeng Tea House in town.

Once there, he indeed saw a three-story wooden building. It looked quite grand and was elegantly decorated; even in Mingzhou Prefecture, it would be considered quite impressive.

Hu Ma took the notice and headed straight into the tea house.

At the door stood a Tea Doctor with a white towel draped over his shoulder. He saw Hu Ma in a raincoat and conical hat, with leggings tied and a steel knife gleaming at his waist. The Tea Doctor immediately recognized him as someone from the jianghu.

He greeted him with a smile and said, "Sir, are you also here because of the notice? Please, come inside!"

With that, he didn't ask much more and directly invited Hu Ma inside to sit. The spacious tea house had about a dozen square tables. However, it was empty, save for five or six others besides Hu Ma, who all looked fierce and appeared to be from the jianghu.

Hu Ma didn't need to ask; the Tea Doctor brought over tea and a few snacks but asked nothing further.

They sat there quietly for half a morning. During that time, two or three more people arrived. A few groups of guests also attempted to enter for tea, but the Tea Doctor would speak with them in a low voice, and these guests would hurriedly leave.

It seemed likely that Young Master Lu had spared no expense, booking the entire tea house exclusively to receive those, like Hu Ma, who had come in response to the notice.

As noon approached, some among them grew impatient and shouted out questions several times.

Just then, an old man dressed in silk clothes entered. As soon as he came in, he apologized. "Everyone, you've waited a long time. We have prepared a banquet to welcome you. But before that, please follow me to the backyard to meet our Young Master Lu."

The crowd exchanged glances and then stood up, filing into the backyard.

Behind the tea house was a large courtyard, about ten zhang square. A line of stoves was set up, all with water boiling atop them.

At the far end of the courtyard stood a Taishi Chair with a small table beside it, on which tea and snacks were placed.

A thin man in a white robe sat in the Taishi Chair, drinking tea. Noticing the people who entered, he slightly lifted his eyes to scan them. Then, he lowered his head again to sip his tea, not saying a word.

The steward who had led them in quickly said, "Everyone, this is our Young Master Lu. We are all from the jianghu, so there's no need to stand on ceremony."

Even though he said this, a few still cupped their hands and bowed respectfully to Young Master Lu.

But Young Master Lu didn't even look up, merely offering a slight nod.

Young Master Lu remained silent, so the steward became his mouthpiece. Smiling, the steward said, "To be frank, we've invited you here to rid the land of bandits and protect the people. However, once the notice was posted, all sorts of people from the jianghu showed up.

"But please don't think us blunt; you dared to come, but we daren't just accept anyone. This is a dangerous line of work. If ordinary people go, they might lose their lives with one careless mistake.

"So, if you don't mind, would each of you demonstrate your abilities before our Young Master Lu?

"Those who possess the necessary skills, we will invite you in. If your skills aren't suitable, we'll consider it as making a new friend and part on good terms."

The crowd listened, looking at each other and realizing, "So they want to test us!"

They had all come after seeing the notice or hearing there was a way to earn silver, thus joining the commotion.

However, since the employer wanted to see their skills, there was no reason not to demonstrate them.

First, a stout man in black clothes and pants, with a headscarf, stepped out. He removed his outer garment, revealing two heavy steel knives underneath.

He bowed to Young Master Lu, who was positioned above them. Proudly, he announced, "Gentlemen, my greetings. I am Chen Dalong, known as the Tiger King Knife who shakes three provinces. I've mastered exceptional knife skills since childhood. Today, I invite the masters here to offer some guidance."

With that, he let out a shout, took his stance, and began wielding his double knives with vigor, the blades gleaming with a chilling light.

Hu Ma watched from the side, his eyes fixed on the display, then… he almost burst out laughing. This Tiger King Knife, as he called himself—his supposed skills were truly something, yet completely lacking any discernible form. Even the few moves Second Master taught were more structured than his.

The steward also seemed somewhat dumbfounded as he watched. After a moment, he sneakily glanced at Young Master Lu, whose face had turned ominous. Hastily, the steward stopped Chen Dalong. Clapping his hands, he said, "Good knife work, good knife work! Sir, please go outside and have some tea. We'll provide a meal."

"Huh?" Chen Dalong, his enthusiasm undiminished, asked, "Steward, what do you mean by that?"

"You're not keeping me? Steward, let me tell you, I've been learning knife skills for twenty-eight years! I'm impervious to thrown water, and I can cut down men like slicing melons…"

The steward's face was already filled with embarrassment; he just wanted the man to leave, but Chen Dalong refused, intent on showing off his knife skills.

Suddenly, amidst the commotion, Young Master Lu, who was seated at the front, abruptly lifted his head and looked at Chen Dalong.

"Your knife skills are impervious to water? Fine. If you can truly manage that, I'll pay you five hundred taels of silver to stay."

Chen Dalong was overjoyed and about to speak. Suddenly, he saw that Young Master Lu, even as he spoke, had already risen. Young Master Lu then took a kettle of boiling water, which was whistling on a nearby stove, and threw the kettle and its scalding contents straight at him.

Chen Dalong, caught off guard, was hit in the face by the kettle. Boiling water streamed down his body, and he let out a horrific scream, rolling on the ground in agony.

"What worthless trash!" Young Master Lu exclaimed, his face cold. "Give him money for his injuries and get him out of here! NOW!"

The screaming Chen Dalong was carried out, his cries still echoing faintly in the distance. The remaining people were left stunned.

As they exchanged uncertain glances, a burly man in gray clothes stepped forward. "Let me try!"

"I've learned hard Qigong: Silver Spear Stabbing Throat, and breaking stone slabs on my chest."

Saying this, he untied the bundle on his back, revealing three to five Red Tassel Spears. He aimed one at his own throat, its other end propped on the ground.

With a flex of his arms and a sharp cry of "HEY!", he lunged forward, and the Red Tassel Spear snapped in two.

The man looked rather proud of himself. He stood up straight and looked towards Young Master Lu.

Young Master Lu's expression grew even colder. He cast the man a glance, then suddenly pulled a sharp short spear from his robe and threw it directly at the man's feet. He sneered, "Don't use that wooden junk. Use this. If you can survive, I'll hire you."

The hard Qigong practitioner froze. He picked up the short knife and unsheathed it; it was incredibly sharp. He hesitated instantly.

The steward saw the situation and realized its severity. Without waiting for Young Master Lu's instructions, he stepped forward, took the short knife from the man, and sighed, "Sir, perhaps you should also step aside?"

The hard Qigong practitioner's face flushed crimson with shame. He didn't even bother to pick up the broken Red Tassel Spear from the ground and hurried away.

"We invite people, and all we get are these charlatans and fakes," Young Master Lu said, having seen two performers, his impatience growing. "Are there truly so few skilled individuals in the jianghu?"

Being openly mocked like this, even the remaining men looked embarrassed.

Some, unable to bear the humiliation, were already thinking of slipping away quietly.

Hu Ma now had a clear understanding of the situation and his own position. He pressed the handle of his knife, stepped forward from the crowd, and said, "If you're inviting people, then invite them. What's the point of this ostentatious display?"