Twilight Boundary

All night, Monkey Master called seven or eight souls, all of which turned into moths fluttering inside his lantern. Only then did he and Hu Ma quietly leave the village.

Once outside the village, the monkey jumped onto his shoulder, and his voice finally grew louder. He boasted proudly to Hu Ma about his trump card, but Hu Ma only responded indifferently, appearing distracted and uninterested in replying.

"You..."

The Monkey Master seemed unbothered as well, just smiled and said to Hu Ma, "You're still too young, you don't understand! Paths, paths, once you enter a path, you're no longer on the same road as those outside..."

He might have sensed Hu Ma's vague resistance towards him but didn't know that Hu Ma had already harbored several thoughts of killing him. He only knew that he was still being watched, outnumbered, and it wasn't the right time to act.

Enduring it until returning to Wutong Town, there were already people waiting to receive the Old Monkey at the entrance of the town, planning to take him for drinks. They invited Hu Ma to join, but Hu Ma directly refused.

They let Hu Ma return to the inn to rest, then went with the Old Monkey to Qianfeng Restaurant. Young Master Lu of the Lu Family had already prepared a table full of food and wine, waiting for the Old Monkey to return. Seeing the seven or eight moths fluttering inside his lantern, his expression improved significantly.

"So, Monkey Master, is that boy decent?"

But after sitting down and putting away the lantern, he was still not reassured and stared intently at the Old Monkey.

"There's no one more suitable than him."

The Old Monkey smiled, took a sip of wine first, and said, "Rest assured, I'm good at judging people. He's just a fledgling, just out in the jianghu. Even though he seems to know some rules, they were taught by his elders; he hasn't truly come out on his own. Moreover, even though he's trying to hold it in, it's clear he can't really accept my trump card, which means he's definitely not from our treasure hunters' trade. Otherwise, even if he hadn't done it himself, he'd have at least seen it and wouldn't have such a big reaction."

Listening to him, Young Master Lu's doubts were dispelled, and he showed some anticipation. "Did you get his hair or Eight Characters?"

"That, I didn't."

The Old Monkey shook his head. "After all, he's a Shousui man and quite cautious. I can't just go up and snatch it, can I? These old bones aren't sturdy enough to be taken apart by him."

Young Master Lu showed slight regret, shook his head, and said in a low voice, "What about his name?"

The Old Monkey chuckled, called for pen and paper, but didn't write.

Young Master Lu chuckled helplessly, held up three fingers, and said, "You sly Old Monkey, 300 taels should be enough, right?"

"More than enough."

The Old Monkey laughed in agreement, scribbled a few words on the paper, balled it up, and tossed it to Young Master Lu, laughing, "This is his true name, absolutely. I inquired about it from his brother; their names follow a similar pattern, and they even sound like they're from the same generation..."

"That's good, then. If I can recruit a Shousui man to my side, why worry about not being able to help Old Master Qingyi? I'll remember this favor of yours."

And Young Master Lu, upon seeing it, happily stored it away, raised his wine glass, and said, "Come, I toast to you. We'll make our move tomorrow and hope everything goes smoothly."

They should be making their move tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the inn, as far as outsiders could tell, Hu Ma just seemed low-spirited and depressed after returning.

Little Hongtang beside him glanced at him several times, then tentatively asked if she should go beat up the monkey squatting on the roof next door. But Hu Ma shook his head to stop her. After venting for a while, he silently lay back on the bed to sleep.

And in his dreams, he instantly started moving.

Sweet Potato had long been waiting there. As Hu Ma detailed these events, Sweet Potato was clearly a bit surprised. "Soul Calling Technique? The old man with a monkey... does he have one cloudy eye?"

Hu Ma nodded. "That's him."

"Heh heh, turns out it's this old scoundrel..."

Sweet Potato sneered coldly upon hearing that. "He's another vile old man, who used to frequent the Mingzhou Prefecture. He was involved in a few significant cases before being driven out. I heard he later joined the Green Clothes Gang to make a living. However, his reputation was so bad and he had so many enemies that even within the Green Clothes Gang, he didn't dare reveal his identity. But since he can call souls, and so proficiently, I'd wager it's him."

"He summoned these souls to break one of my spells. Moreover, they can call at most ten souls in one night; if he only called eight, it couldn't be out of kindness, sparing the other two. There's only one possibility: they've already gathered enough. So, I know my senior martial brother's plan. They'll definitely go up the mountain tomorrow."

"It's good that you were able to analyze some information from that," Hu Ma said.

While with the Old Monkey, even though Hu Ma was passive, he occasionally asked questions, hoping to discern their timing of action to inform Sweet Potato. Unexpectedly, though he hadn't managed to ask directly, Sweet Potato deduced it from the number of souls called.

Letting out a low breath, Hu Ma spoke with slight seriousness to Sweet Potato, "Speaking of which, are you familiar with this blind man? What are his weaknesses? Tell me about them."

Sweet Potato laughed and said, "I'm not familiar with him, but his technique is actually an unorthodox branch from our school; he hasn't learned it as deeply as my senior martial brother and I have. It's called the Impermanence Soul-binding Technique. It can summon a Living Soul for casting, but his method is far inferior. If mastered, one can secretly note a person's name and birthdate, or even just sketch their portrait in secret. Burn three incense sticks at night to invite Old Master Impermanence to call a soul. A chain would lock around your neck, and no matter how great your abilities, you'd have no way to use them. Even more potent methods involve shining something on you to learn your full name and Eight Characters, then they can use any trick they want on you... However, before all this, there's a crucial point... your name and Eight Characters haven't been obtained by him, right?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Ma quickly shook his head. "He doesn't know."

He had been extra cautious after suffering a disadvantage in Dayang Village, becoming doubly careful once he left.

Now it seemed... he would have to be even more cautious in the future.

"That makes things much better."

Sweet Potato said, "Senior, even though you're an old hand and undoubtedly highly skilled, you must remember: never let these people know your name. In fact, from this moment on, you should forget your own name. They might not be able to get your Eight Characters, or your hair and beard, let alone your Essence Blood. But just knowing your name gives them plenty of tricks to use against you."

"Is it really that supernatural?"

Hu Ma was a bit stunned upon hearing this. "Then what if it's an acquaintance? How should one deal with people from the Execution Soul Path?"

"Heh heh, let me tell you this!"

Sweet Potato said, "My senior martial brother and I still don't know Master's name. And even though Master is officially an Elder Worship in the Green Clothes Gang, he's always gone solo and kept his distance from others. Even his good friends don't want Master to come within ten feet of them, and they refuse to dine at the same table. As for my senior martial brother, he came from a prominent family, so initially, Master and I knew his name. But he was so terrified that he's changed it three or four times over the past three or four years, having maids and servants call him by different names, mixing them up daily. As for me, I wandered the streets as a child, picked up by Master. Though I remember my original name, I simply said I didn't, so Master gave me another name. But I've never truly acknowledged it in my heart, so of course, it doesn't really count as my real name."

Hu Ma found this somewhat incredible. "Do people in your line of work all live such arduous lives?"

Sweet Potato smiled wryly. "Because we know what methods can be used against others, we're naturally cautious about others using the same methods against us. It's not just our school; there are many such paths within the Punishment Soul. You should always be mindful of them."

Then, the two discussed some specifics of the next day's plans. Hu Ma recounted what he had seen and heard at Young Master Lu's place, including the appearance, demeanor, regional accents, forms of address, and attire of those around him. Only then did he exit the dream.

When dawn broke, Hu Ma got out of bed. Before he could even have breakfast, he heard a commotion downstairs. It was the Old Monkey entering the inn, but dressed in tattered clothes, he was quickly being driven away by the Shopkeeper and the inn's waiter.

He wasn't annoyed; instead, he grinned and bickered with them. When they postured as if to hit him, he hopped outside the door. When they turned back, he came back in. This continued until he saw Hu Ma appear at the top of the stairs, then he waved cheerfully:

"Little brother, let's go eat some buns; I know a place with big, white ones..."

The Shopkeeper and the inn's waiter were surprised to see that he actually knew Hu Ma and were unsure how to react.

Hu Ma waved his hand dismissively, not in the mood to joke with him. Previously, listening to Second Master speak crudely was amusing for everyone, but listening to this old beggar's crude talk now only felt disgusting.

Lazily walking out, he said to the Old Monkey, "With such abilities, why do you let them order you around?"

"It's fun..."

The Old Monkey laughed. "Everyone looks down on me, so if I decide to harm someone, I won't feel the least bit guilty."

Hu Ma glanced at him but said nothing more.

Though the Old Monkey claimed to take Hu Ma to eat big, white buns, they actually returned to Qianfeng Tea House.

All the people they had seen yesterday were present: the two sallow-faced men, the man surnamed Zheng who was skilled with flying blades, the martial artist in hemp clothes, and the dull-looking, apparently honest man who could only respond with a silly grin when greeted.

"Let's have a hearty breakfast, and after noon, we'll set off for the Ma Family Ancestral Hall."

Upon seeing Hu Ma walk in, Young Master Lu said, "I imagine my Junior Sister is already waiting there. That girl, though young and quite presentable, is deceitful, ruthless, thick-skinned, and shameless. While others have blood flowing in their veins, her belly is full of nothing but treacherous schemes... Although you are all seasoned veterans of the jianghu, you must remain vigilant to avoid falling for her tricks."

Everyone nodded, wondering what kind of opponent she could be. However, upon hearing the words "Junior Sister," Hu Ma was slightly taken aback.