Twilight Boundary

"Yes, yes..."

The innkeeper hurriedly agreed, not daring to ask any further questions.

They had previously seen some Martial Artists arrive inexplicably and then disappear just as mysteriously.

In fact, the people in the town, especially those who owned shops, were well-informed and perceptive. They vaguely guessed it was related to Young Master Lu from the rice shop, but who would dare to ask about it?

No one cared about a few missing Martial Artists. However, a murder case had occurred in the town earlier, which had made people quite tense.

It was still the same now. They initially thought Hu Ma would be one of those who disappeared without a trace or that he would reappear as Young Master Lu's attendant, yet unexpectedly, he returned, looking rather indignant.

Not daring to provoke him at this moment, they quickly let him in and had someone hurry to prepare hot water and noodles.

*They were secretly relieved that they hadn't rushed to split up his luggage overnight; otherwise, he would have accused them of running a "black shop," and there might have been quite a ruckus.*

"Little Hongtang, one of those Martial Artists staying at the inn is in a room at the end of the third floor. Go inside, search for the Silver, and bring it to me."

Once upstairs, after Hu Ma had hot water brought by an attendant, washed his face, eaten a large bowl of hand-pulled noodles topped with fatty pork, and swallowed a Blood Food Pill to replenish his energy from the night's exertions, he immediately instructed Little Hongtang.

The Martial Artists who were with him had each received some Silver. Now that they had lost their souls, the Silver was his.

This had been discussed with Gua Shao earlier and was considered his share.

So, he had Little Hongtang keep an eye on those people's lodgings beforehand. Now that the matter there was settled, their Silver had become ownerless, and of course, he had to gather it quickly.

Of course, that didn't include the ruthless Old Man Wang. He dared not send Little Hongtang there.

"Didn't Granny say before that taking people's Silver wasn't quite right?" Little Hongtang asked, still a little dazed.

But upon hearing that no one was guarding it and she wouldn't have to worry about being seen, she decided to trust Brother Huma.

After all, Granny had also told her to listen to Brother Huma in the future, so she nodded vigorously. A gust of wind blew past the window lattice, and she disappeared.

Hu Ma lit some incense in the room and patiently waited for Little Hongtang to return.

Before long, Little Hongtang came back, carrying a bundle. She struggled to climb through the window and tossed it onto the ground with a WHOOSH.

"There's also some in that uninhabited house at the town entrance..."

Hu Ma pointed out another location, gave Little Hongtang a large piece of green food, and watched her leave joyously.

Two hours later, Hu Ma washed his face and soaked his feet in hot water, then ate another large bowl of noodles the inn had cooked for him through the night. Only then did he feel a little relieved. By this time, three or four bundles had piled up behind him, each containing the Silver that Young Master Lu had previously distributed.

*Young Master Lu was also shrewd; he deliberately gave each person a hefty amount of Silver, making it look substantial, knowing full well that these Martial Artists couldn't take the Silver away in a short time.*

*Once his plan succeeded, the Silver could still be reclaimed.*

*Had he given them banknotes or equivalent jewels and Blood Food, they might have been hidden away at an opportune moment, making them difficult to retrieve.*

*Of course, now it was Hu Ma's gain.*

Altogether, about seven or eight hundred taels of Silver, plus these old items—this trip wasn't in vain.

Stuffing the Silver under the bed, Hu Ma mentally planned to move it to the large cart tomorrow. He silently plotted, feeling somewhat excited. Of course, this isn't the main part. The main part is that I helped Gua Shao; now it depends on how this brother... no, this sister, thanks me.

After eating and drinking his fill and feeding Little Hongtang until she was full, Hu Ma finally lay on the bed, practicing his cultivation techniques while waiting patiently.

"Old White, my brother, are you there?"

Sure enough, after he had slept until the latter half of the night, Gua Shao's voice rang out.

Hu Ma answered solemnly, "I've been waiting."

"Haha, old brother, you are truly amazing!" Gua Shao laughed out loud upon hearing Hu Ma's words. She no longer disguised her voice, and her excitement was apparent. "If not for you, I wouldn't have been confident dealing with my Senior Brother."

"In our sect, we don't have much skill for fighting. I couldn't even deal with the old beggar he brought to assist. But you, one slash for each, so clean and swift..."

"...But you were too heavy-handed; my arm was almost crippled!"

"..."

Hu Ma chuckled at this and said, "I didn't exert much force, but I forgot the knife had a nick, and it tore off a chunk of flesh."

Gua Shao sighed, "Your knife is like a saw. How did it get like that?"

Hu Ma replied, "Kill enough people, and it ends up like this."

"?"

Gua Shao was momentarily stunned and cautiously asked, "Senior, do you just kill people for fun when you have nothing else to do?"

"Not exactly," Hu Ma said. "I've also killed zombies. Oh, and make sure you clean your wound properly. I used this knife to chop a drought ba before; it might still have corpse poison."

"HISS..." Gua Shao inhaled sharply, noticeably shivering. She tentatively asked, "Senior, when you attacked, a gust of yin wind suddenly swept through the courtyard, and I felt my Divine Soul become unsteady. What skill was that?"

"Is it one of the Paths of the Shousui man?"

"..."

Hu Ma knew she was referring to his Four Ghosts Salute. Back then, he had performed the ritual from across the wall, and no one in the Ancestral Hall courtyard could escape its effects. Regardless of whether they had yellow official paper on their faces, their Divine Souls would be shaken, and their movements would slow.

Then, when he entered with his knife to slit their throats, it was much more efficient.

If it hadn't been for this initial salute, dealing with the soul-calling Old Monkey might not have been so smooth.

But hearing Gua Shao's question, he only smiled and said, "We'll discuss it when necessary."

"For now, have you obtained that treasure?"

"..."

"Got it..."

Gua Shao paused, realizing this veteran of the jianghu wouldn't easily reveal his secrets.

Back when I revealed the secrets of the Punishment Soul Path, it was because I needed his help. Now that I'm asking him, he naturally won't spill his own. Just like Miss White Wine; when I asked about her identity in this world so I could go find her for fun, she simply ignored me. These seniors are so mysterious...

She didn't mind. Speaking of obtaining the treasure, she got excited and said with a laugh, "Our Master was truly cunning. I finally managed to subdue my Senior Brother and retrieve the treasure from the old tomb."

"Now, I've become the Sect Leader of our Path! I'll also be able to learn Senior Brother's specialty—that technique with the yellow official paper—from him."

"According to the previous agreement with our Master, his title of Elder Worship in the Green Clothes Gang is mine now!"

"..."

Listening to Gua Shao, Hu Ma was slightly moved and asked, "What is the treasure your Master left behind?"

"Heh-heh..." Gua Shao, slightly embarrassed by Hu Ma's inquiry, chuckled and said, "To outsiders, it's nothing much, just a coffin from an old tomb, nurtured with yin qi over many years, which has finally become useful... Of course, for me, the treasure isn't just that."

"My Senior Brother is filthy rich, so as his Junior Sister, I, of course, have to gladly accept it."

"..."

Detecting her hesitation, Hu Ma realized his question had been abrupt. By asking, I made her feel uncomfortable about not revealing it, but essentially, she didn't have to disclose anything.

Realizing this, he changed the subject and simply chuckled, "The Lu Family has such a large enterprise. How exactly will you take possession of it?"

"Marry him..." Gua Shao laughed. "He's my Senior Brother, I'm his Junior Sister. We learned our arts together and have such deep feelings. What's wrong with me marrying him?"

"It's just that my Senior Brother's feelings for me, his Junior Sister, are now so 'deep' that he's completely trusting and obedient. Whatever Silver I want, he'll give me. In a few years, he'll conveniently fall ill and die, and won't the Lu Family be mine then?"

"Hmm?"

Listening to this, Hu Ma couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

Earlier, I only thought Gua Shao subdued Young Master Lu to use his skills for treasure hunting. I never expected her methods to be so ruthless. She intends to turn Young Master Lu into a puppet, using him as a stepping stone to seize the Lu Family's fortune, built over generations?

Thinking of the hapless Young Master Lu, muddle-headed and about to hand over his family's business, Hu Ma couldn't help but shudder.

The Punishment Soul Path is truly insidious... Earlier, whenever Young Master Lu mentioned his Junior Sister, he would grit his teeth in hatred, saying all sorts of things that made her sound completely different from the Gua Shao I know. But thinking about it now, Young Master Lu doesn't seem to have been wrong at all. To him, and to the people of this world, Gua Shao indeed has such a sinister and venomous character. It's fortunate that I'm on her side... Miss White Wine specifically warned Gua Shao, telling her about the wariness between Reincarnators and the need to have principles. Was it because she already knew Gua Shao's character?

...

"As for your thank-you gift, that's the most important thing now," Gua Shao continued, interrupting his thoughts. "I've thought of several Methods for you to consider. First, you, old brother, could also join their rice shop. I can help you get a share, and that way, you'll have a monthly income."

"The second option is for me to help you gather a large sum of Silver first. However, acquiring that much cash isn't easy. I'll need some time to sell off some of their family's jewels..."

"Invest in shares..." Hu Ma was slightly tempted. In this world, rice, silk, tea, and salt are the most profitable ventures. If I had that kind of business, I would never be poor. However, doing so would mean constant dealings with Gua Shao. Dragging things out long-term might not be reliable.

Feeling a bit helpless, he said, "Why don't you just help me gather some Silver for now? I'm not particularly in need; I mainly came to help this time."

"Yes, this is a favor I won't forget..." Speaking of the success of this matter, Gua Shao couldn't help but become excited again. "Once I have the item, I'll rush to Mingzhou Prefecture to help the Green Clothes Gang win a match in the arena!"

"At that time, I'll earn quite a bit of Blood Food and will definitely be able to gather a substantial gift like that for you."

"..."

With Miss White Wine acting as guarantor, Hu Ma wasn't worried about Gua Shao shortchanging him.

Hearing her words now, his interest was piqued. "I've also heard about the Green Clothes and Red Lights Fighting. From what you're saying, the Green Clothes Gang seems quite confident about this contest?"