Twilight Boundary

The deal between Old White and the Reincarnator at night, what does it have to do with me, Hu Ma, during the day?

Ever since he realized this world's deceitfulness and dangers, Hu Ma had insisted on maintaining two ways of thinking to avoid leaving any clues. That's also why some things naturally came to mind.

I'm just a minor Shousui man taking on some side gigs. Yet, I was miserably conned by this town's Young Master Lu and his Junior Sister. Although I luckily survived, the promised silver vanished like water. Should I take revenge?

...Ordinarily, no. Having witnessed their capabilities, wouldn't going back just mean asking for trouble?

...Hide away for ten years or so, and when I have the confidence, strike—that's the proper way.

But my persona dictated that I had to go.

After all, not only did I suffer a loss and nearly die, but I also discovered their home. As a Shousui man adept at close combat, and full of vigor, not taking this revenge would seem unreasonable.

And once I take this revenge, suffer a small setback, and then report some leads back to the Red Lantern Lady's Club, this arduous task's reward will be secured.

Of course, discussing it with Sweet Potato, arranging for me to kill Young Master Lu and take him back to report, probably isn't impossible.

But firstly, Young Master Lu is also Sweet Potato's spoil of war. Secondly, with my current cultivation, dealing with people from the Execution Soul Path, I can gather some intelligence and earn credit for the effort, that's enough. Such a major accomplishment would be too conspicuous if I claimed it.

He immediately made an agreement with Sweet Potato and then silently pondered alone throughout the night.

The next morning, he first had a hearty meal. Then, he gathered the silver from under his bed in batches, loaded it onto his donkey cart, settled the room fee, and left fifty taels on the inn's table. He said to the Shopkeeper, "Folks in your town have done a 'good deed.'"

"Leave this silver here. Later, use it to settle those idiots. If you embezzle any of it, I'll come back for you."

"..."

Without caring if the Shopkeeper understood, he left the inn.

The martial artists had lost their souls. With no one to care for them, their only fate was to starve. He had left fifty taels of silver out of goodwill, but he was powerless to do more.

After striding out of the inn, he led the donkey cart to find a local Carriage Shop. He hired a coachman to help drive the cart out of town, then had him wait by the roadside to watch it.

"I remembered something and need to go back for a bit," Hu Ma told the coachman. "Please watch the cart for me. But be careful, don't peek at what's on my cart, and don't get any funny ideas."

The coachman quickly replied, "What are you saying, sir? I'm an honest man, just driving a cart to earn silver."

Hu Ma said, "It's best if you are. Even if you're not, I have my ways."

Saying this, he first lit a stick of incense at the front of the cart and bowed to it. Then, he turned and headed back into town.

The coachman, seeing Hu Ma's mysterious actions, indeed paid close attention, watching the incense stick on the front of the cart. He probably guessed this was no ordinary traveling merchant.

However, when he looked back at the cart tracks on the muddy road—it had rained earlier—he could tell from their depth that the cart must be carrying something quite heavy. What could be so heavy?

The more he thought, the curiouser he grew, and he was tempted to quietly reach out and lift the thatch covering to take a peek.

Just then, he suddenly heard a "HEE HEE" giggle. His vision blurred, and he saw a little girl in a red dress with two small horn-like pigtails, sitting on the cart shaft, her little feet dangling and swinging.

The coachman instantly broke into a cold sweat. He quickly knelt on the ground, endlessly pleading and praying.

...

Hu Ma wasn't worried about anything else. With Little Hongtang watching, that coachman wouldn't dare try to run off with his silver.

He merely concealed a knife in his clothes, donned his straw raincoat and conical hat again, and headed towards Lu's Rice Store in town. On the way, he used Reincarnation on his lungs to simulate death, causing his face to become deathly pale.

This was a Disguise Technique he had learned. He had used it before when he went to Niu Family Bay to assist Yang Gong and faced the members of the Green Clothes Gang. It didn't require much effort; just this simple transformation drastically changed his complexion, far more effective than sticking on a fake beard or anything similar.

Since I wore yellow paper on my face yesterday and didn't truly meet Sweet Potato face-to-face, today is just about playing out the beginning and end of the act. There's no need to reveal my own face.

Soon, he arrived before Lu's Rice Store. From a distance, he saw a group of workers bustling about, moving goods. It was a lively scene. He paid them no mind, merely affecting the demeanor of a brash, inexperienced martial artist, and silently walked towards the rice shop.

Noticing many curious gazes directed at him, he simply asked in a low voice, "Where's your Young Master Lu?"

The surrounding workers didn't answer, only sizing him up.

A stranger suddenly appearing and asking for their young master, and not even dressed in silks or adorned with silver—naturally, no one would talk.

But Hu Ma remained silent and tried to push his way into the rice shop. The workers, alarmed, hurriedly shouted and moved to block him.

"What are you doing?"

"If you have business, speak to our Shopkeeper first..."

"..."

Hu Ma didn't speak, merely reaching into his clothes, his gaze fixed warily on the rice shop workers.

Seeing his demeanor, the workers also grew vigilant. Many of them gripped the iron hooks they used for hauling rice bags.

The atmosphere had grown tense when suddenly a coquettish voice drifted from inside, "Why are so many people crowding the doorway? Has the person sent to fetch medicine for my Senior Brother returned yet...?"

Another, older voice quickly replied, "Soon, soon, Young... Young Lady, is our Young Master's injury not serious?"

As they spoke, they approached. Looking up, they came face to face with Hu Ma.

It was indeed Sweet Potato, whom he had encountered the day before. Yesterday, she had worn simple, practical clothes, looking like a martial artist. Today, however, she was dressed in the attire of a young lady from a wealthy family, looking radiant.

Yet, the roguish air about her was unchanged.

Accompanying her was the Lu Family's old housekeeper, the same one who had previously helped Young Master Lu receive Hu Ma and the other martial artists.

Sweet Potato had just reached the doorway when she saw Hu Ma. "You..." she began, pausing slightly.

Hu Ma, however, suddenly radiated killing intent and roared, "You Junior Sister and your Senior Brother ganged up to swindle people! Now, pay with your lives!"

As he spoke, his hand shot out from his clothes, revealing the blade he had hidden there, already unsheathed.

He lunged forward in a single step, bringing the blade down fiercely.

"Oh my god..."

Seeing this sudden attack, everyone was terrified and scattered to the sides.

Sweet Potato was especially shocked and cried out, "Old Housekeeper, save me!"

As she spoke, she pushed the old housekeeper forward while rapidly retreating herself, her hand reaching into her sleeve.

At that moment, the old housekeeper also recognized him. The one who had come was indeed one of the martial artists he had helped the Young Master recruit two days prior, and a skilled one at that.

He hadn't dared to ask, but he understood in his heart: the Young Master must have undertaken some significant affair, and those martial artists who hadn't returned had likely already lost their lives.

Now, seeing someone suddenly appear seeking revenge, the realization struck him fully, and he cried out loudly, "Hero, spare my life...!"

WHOOSH...

Hu Ma's blade, which should have directly chopped off the old housekeeper's head, was met instead by a sack of rice thrown by the workers. They had been wary earlier, seeing his ill intentions. Now, though none dared to confront him directly, they instinctively threw a rice sack to intercept.

Hu Ma sliced open the rice sack, and a shower of white rice instantly obscured his vision.

At the same time, the Junior Sister, having retreated a step, swiftly pulled a stack of paper money from her sleeve.

Following the cloud of rice, she suddenly flung them towards him.

Hu Ma swung his steel blade in a circle, sweeping away most of the paper money. However, in the dizzying confusion, a few sheets still seemed to strike his head.

He instantly felt dizzy, as if a large stone had struck his head. His legs became somewhat unresponsive, and he staggered slightly. He felt the world spin, and his body seemed to have become lighter.

Knowing he'd been hit, he immediately shouted, wildly swinging his blade as he turned to flee, "Lu Family, mark my words!"

"The mountains don't turn but the rivers do! This matter between us isn't over!"

"..."

Shouting, he rushed out of the street entrance, barging through the crowd and running off at great speed.

However, he failed to notice that just as he fled, from another direction, a dull-looking man carrying a knife was slowly approaching.

Hu Ma still needed to hide his blade. But this dull-looking man was so inconspicuous that even though he carried a short knife in his hand, others merely took it for a hoe. No one paid him any mind. He, too, saw Hu Ma and paused for a moment, slightly surprised.

Since someone is stepping forward to handle such a harmful matter, then it's good. If someone steps forward, then I don't need to.

He seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps conversing with something unseen. He turned his head and slowly walked into the distance. Only when no one else takes care of it, do I need to act.

"Who... who was that...?"

Meanwhile, the housekeeper, having just escaped death, clutched his chest, panting heavily.

"He was one of the people my Senior Brother swindled last night," Sweet Potato said, looking in the direction Hu Ma had fled, and sighed. "We saw he was a greenhorn and just thought of tricking him. But we didn't consider that even though he's a greenhorn, he's actually quite capable!"

"Now, this is a big problem."

"Old Housekeeper, I think you should listen to me. It's best to quickly transfer the ownership of this rice shop. Otherwise, if his sect comes looking for trouble, our Lu Family might not be able to withstand it..."

"..."

As she spoke, she stole a glance in the direction Hu Ma had disappeared, thinking to herself, This senior is of such high status, yet he's willing to cooperate with me to put on a full show. He's truly professional... He's done me a good turn; I can't be lacking in repaying this favor. But his standards are so high, only tens of thousands of taels of silver would catch his eye. Where am I supposed to find that for him?