Twilight Boundary

"Yang Gong?"

The guards here were all Red Fragrance Disciples, usually proud and difficult to command. When someone approached unexpectedly, they were naturally subject to questioning.

But upon hearing Hu Ma call out to the Three Fragrances Disciple, especially Yang Gong who had just made a name for himself, they didn't dare to be negligent. They hurriedly ordered Hu Ma to wait there, assuring him that someone would perform incense-burning to summon the ghost in the guise of a green-clothed pageboy to fetch Yang Gong.

Hu Ma just sat in the donkey cart, looking pale and on the verge of fainting, much like a fragile Daiyu.

After waiting for no more than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he suddenly heard footsteps in the distance, followed by an urgent shout:

"Who is looking for me?"

"Could it be my brother Hu Ma has arrived?"

It was indeed Yang Gong, who came running with long strides, his robe's belt not even fastened, as if he had just been sleeping. Without asking for details, the moment he heard someone was looking for 'Brother Yang Gong,' he leaped to his feet.

In this area, among those he knew, 'brothers' called him Brother Yang, members of the society called him Senior Brother Yang, and he had no other acquaintances. Only Hu Ma would address him as 'Brother Yang Gong.'

Running closer, he indeed saw Hu Ma sitting on the donkey cart and immediately became anxious.

He was about to urge him to leave, wondering why this fellow, even after receiving his message, had returned at this time. However, upon seeing Hu Ma's abnormal complexion, he panicked. Approaching for a closer look, he shouted, "What happened to you? Why do you look so ghastly?"

"Quick, the Blood Food Pill!"

As he spoke, he reached out behind him.

Several people had followed him. Seeing him ask for the Blood Food Pill, one person hurriedly pulled out a green porcelain bottle from his bosom and handed it over.

But when Yang Gong took it, he was immediately furious. He smashed it on the ground and stamped it to pieces, shouting at the person behind him, "Don't try to fool me with this stuff fit for dogs! I asked for the Blood Tai Sui!"

Typically, whether white, green, or red, as long as it wasn't black, it was referred to as Blood Food.

However, only those refined into pill form for convenient carrying and consumption were called Blood Food Pills.

The Disciples who had followed him weren't ignorant; they just hadn't expected Yang Gong to genuinely demand a Blood Food Pill so abruptly.

That was expensive stuff!

Now, seeing Yang Gong berating them, they looked troubled; they didn't even have any on them.

Luckily, at this moment, several others ran over. Among them was Shen Dabang, who had met Hu Ma with Yang Gong before.

Having heard Yang Gong's shout and recognized Hu Ma on the donkey cart, Shen Dabang hastily pulled out an object wrapped in a handkerchief from his chest. Unwrapping it layer by layer revealed a small porcelain bottle, its stopper wrapped in red cloth.

Yang Gong snatched it, pulled out the stopper, and held it to Hu Ma. "Brother, consume this before speaking."

He was a Red Fragrance Disciple, after all, with different experiences from Hu Ma and the others. He recognized at a glance that Hu Ma was nearly depleted, like an oil lamp about to go out. Red Fragrance Disciples only reached such a state when they had borrowed too much Mana from the Red Lantern Lady, and he knew Hu Ma needed a Blood Food Pill to keep him alive.

"This..."

Hu Ma hesitated. He'd only feigned such a state to make his act convincing; he hadn't expected Yang Gong to be so generous.

But after a brief hesitation, figuring he would definitely repay him in the future, he consumed it in one gulp.

Immediately, he felt a surging vitality spread within his chest. Even without doing anything, his spirits lifted. Taking a deep breath, he then said softly to Yang Gong, "I went out to handle some business for the society. I didn't expect to encounter someone formidable, and I got injured."

Yang Gong's eyebrows knitted together fiercely. "Which bastard hurt you? I'll turn him into a human stick to vent your anger!"

Hu Ma's heart sank a little as he listened; he understood that his friend Yang Gong wasn't just making idle threats. It wasn't in Yang Gong's nature to curse without meaning it; if he said he intended to turn someone into a human stick, he truly planned to do just that.

"Let's not talk about this first," he quickly said. "Is Manager Xu, the one in charge of distributing provisions to the Green Fragrance Disciples, around?"

"...Yes, the one with the wispy mustache like a mouse's whiskers, who loves to dress like a scholar in green robes. He's a relative of my family. Take me to him first."

"He should be lodging in the tile-roofed house to the west."

Yang Gong reacted, glanced around, and someone pointed in a direction. He then turned and said to Hu Ma, "Get on. I'll carry you."

"No need, I can walk."

Hu Ma felt somewhat embarrassed. He jumped from the cart and was about to walk away when he suddenly added, "Look after the donkey cart for me, alright?"

Yang Gong replied, "Don't worry. No one dares to touch our brother's belongings."

Saying this, he turned to the Red Fragrance Disciples. "Listen up and take a good look," he declared. "This is Brother Hu Ma from Green Stone Town, one of our own. He saved my life and Shen Dabang's before. From now on, when you see him, you all better treat him with respect!"

Most of those who had followed, identifiable by the red sashes around their waists, nodded in agreement at Yang Gong's words. "Of course," they chorused.

Hu Ma was rather surprised. It seemed Yang Gong was quite influential now, having gathered such a large band of followers! And they're all Red Fragrance Disciples.

As they spoke, they walked into the town. They weren't subjected to any questioning, as the Red Fragrance Disciples on guard duty all regarded Hu Ma as one of their own.

Even the donkey cart wasn't searched. Instead, someone led it to a nearby stable and fed the donkey high-quality fodder.

This was treatment that even a genuine Shopkeeper from a Manor would likely envy.

Following Yang Gong into the town, Hu Ma noticed that Zhu Gate Town, now home to a few hundred households, was clearly divided into two sections.

On one side, many courtyards had red lanterns hanging at their entrances, signifying that members of the Red Lantern Society were lodged there. The other side, in contrast, was marked by fluttering green banners. In the middle of the main street, a high platform was faintly visible, with guards stationed on either side of it.

Yang Gong led Hu Ma down an alley. By now, many people, having heard the commotion, were coming out to see what was going on.

From a distance, Hu Ma saw Manager Xu—the one with the medium beard—also standing on tiptoe and peering in their direction. Hu Ma quickly waved. "Senior, I've found you!"

Manager Xu squinted, hesitating as he tried to make out Hu Ma from afar. When he finally confirmed it was him, he was visibly shocked.

"Good heavens, Nephew Hu, it really is you! What on earth happened to you?"

"I was a bit too eager for merit and ended up getting injured."

Approaching Manager Xu, Hu Ma lowered his voice and said with a bitter smile, "I was worried my position as Shopkeeper wasn't secure, so I accepted a task from the society: to investigate the annihilation of the Big Shen Family outside the Mingzhou border."

"Unexpectedly, things didn't go smoothly. I ran into people from the Execution Soul Path. I thought I was their equal, but I never imagined I'd suffer such a major setback when we clashed..."

"Quick, come inside and talk!"

Manager Xu's expression changed abruptly at these words. He hastily led Hu Ma into the adjacent courtyard. Turning to look at Hu Ma, he saw his pale face, with only an unhealthy flush on his cheeks induced by the Blood Food Pill. A cloud of yin qi still clung stubbornly between his eyebrows.

He couldn't help but scold softly, his tone tinged with disappointment, "You foolish, honest boy! I heard you'd taken on this task and initially thought it might be a good opportunity."

"But why weren't you more careful? Did you really have to see it through to the bitter end?"

"Couldn't you have just wandered around outside for a bit, put in a show of effort, then come back and report to me? Is there any task you couldn't have passed off that way?"

Hu Ma was momentarily stunned by this. Actually, that was my original plan... he thought to himself.

Outwardly, however, he could only manage a somewhat sheepish, bitter smile and shake his head. "I thought I was being careful, but I still underestimated them..."

"Those from the Execution Soul Path are all insidious and vicious. They're never easy to deal with!"

Manager Xu chided him, then asked with concern, "What exactly did they hit you with to leave you in this state?"

"I recall your foundations were solid before. Now, it seems your cultivation is almost entirely depleted."

"I... I'm not sure either."

Hu Ma looked somewhat awkward. "I just got a face full of paper money thrown at me. I couldn't dodge it, and then... well, this happened."

"Paper money?"

Manager Xu was visibly startled. "You just sit tight," he said hurriedly. "I'll go find someone to take a look at you."

As he said this, he started to head out. Spotting Yang Gong standing by the door, he addressed him, "You must be Senior Brother Yang, right? We've met before. We're all on the same side here, so please forgive my lack of hospitality. Could you keep an eye on young Hu? Help yourself to some tea. I need to fetch someone knowledgeable to come and examine him."

Actually, he had noticed Yang Gong following them earlier and had seen his anxious expression.

However, he had deliberately refrained from acknowledging him then. Instead, he'd made a point of speaking to Hu Ma about 'looking after their own,' thereby now including Yang Gong as an insider too.

Red Fragrance Disciples were known for sticking together; outsiders rarely managed to get familiar with them.

"Thank you, Manager Xu. Don't stand on ceremony with me. Please, go quickly. If they're unwilling to come, I'll go get them myself!" Yang Gong urged. Manager Xu then quickly departed.

He had been sitting for only a short while, and a servant had just brought tea, when footsteps were heard outside. Manager Xu reappeared, practically dragging in a reluctant-looking old man with a small cap, graying hair, and the general appearance of an accountant.

The old man, tugged along by Manager Xu like a kite on a string, frowned slightly upon noticing Yang Gong sitting nearby, and his reluctance seemed to lessen somewhat.

"What's all this about? You drag me over here without a clear word of explanation?"

Manager Xu explained, "A young brother from our society went out on an assignment and was injured by someone from the Execution Soul Path using paper money."

"Within our society, as far as I know, you're the only one who understands the methods of the Execution Soul Path. That's why I had to urgently call you over to take a look."

"Paper money?"

The old man listened, surprised. He tilted his head to look at Hu Ma, and upon seeing the yin qi lingering between his eyebrows, his surprise deepened.

He quickly sat down beside Hu Ma, extended his fingers to take his pulse, and whispered, "Relax, now. Don't resist."

Hu Ma knew what the old man intended to do. Of course, he couldn't offer no resistance at all. However, while he currently had two prominent Life Incenses, he had already removed both complete stalks from his incense burner, leaving only a tiny fragment inside. This way, it would appear as if he only had a minuscule flicker of residual spiritual fire within him.

As the old man's fingers rested on his pulse, this wisp of residual incense stirred faintly within Hu Ma's body, allowing the old man to sense the presence of his cultivation.

The old man was instantly aghast. "Good heavens, lad!" he exclaimed. "What injury are you talking about?"

"This isn't an injury—someone has bought his life!"