Twilight Boundary

To Hu Ma, this was quite a surprise. However, upon seeing his reaction, Bald Zhang simply smiled, waved his hand, and said, "Let me finish."

"Both Old Wu and I follow the Shousui man's Path, but we learned different skills. Old Wu has a trump card called Four Ghosts Salute, while my Master taught me a skill called Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar."

"His skill can be used once he trains his limbs and hands. As for mine, I can't use it until I've trained my Five Organs."

"This is why neither of our skills is top-notch…"

"He lost his momentum once he trained his Five Organs."

"As for me, my disciples are of little help unless they train their Five Organs, leaving everything to me."

"A few years ago, Old Wu wanted to exchange his Four Ghosts Salute for my Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar. It would have been mutually beneficial, but I didn't agree. After all, my skill is a tier higher than his. If I agreed to the exchange, wouldn't I be the one taken advantage of?"

"To be honest, this issue caused some unpleasantness between us…"

This… Hu Ma thought. I knew just how important a trump card was to the people in this world. These two men clearly needed each other; an exchange would have benefited both, yet they refused because of their calculations, leading to discord. However, Bald Zhang was openly discussing it now. If I wanted to learn such a skill, what would I have to pay? He would probably want the Blood Tai Sui I gave him returned, or worse, I'd have to give up the Blood Food Pill awarded by the Lady this time. In my heart, I didn't mind Bald Zhang setting conditions. A trump card is a matter of survival; everyone values it more than life itself. Even if this skill were exchanged, it would be normal for Bald Zhang to ask for additional conditions, since his skill is a tier higher than Four Ghosts Salute.

"Then, brother…" Hu Ma, having figured it out, suppressed his excitement and said softly, "Brother, to be frank, how much extra would I need to give you to exchange for your skill?"

Bald Zhang laughed and shook his head. "No need, let's exchange it directly. Consider the extra as a gesture of friendship."

Hu Ma was already somewhat excited upon hearing this.

Bald Zhang wasn't a Reincarnator; he didn't underestimate me. They all valued their skills more than life itself. Even in an exchange, offering a higher-tier skill for a lower-tier one was an enormous favor.

Watching Hu Ma's reaction, Bald Zhang nodded and smiled.

He had his own thoughts. After all, he saw Hu Ma's youth, his skill as a Shousui man, and how he had made his way in the Red Lantern Society. Some even said he had caught the eye of the Red Lantern Lady… To people like Hu Ma, Yang Gong was soaring high, but in the eyes of other Shopkeepers, Hu Ma wasn't lacking and was even more valued than Red Fragrance, who risked life and limb. With the Red Lantern Lady wanting to build a temple and so many opportunities in the Red Lantern Society, establishing a good relationship with such a young man would allow them to look out for each other.

"So, I thank you, brother…" Overjoyed, Hu Ma stood up solemnly and bowed to Bald Zhang.

It was fortunate I severed ties with Shopkeeper Wu Hong in advance, allowing me to exchange my skill for his. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible without reporting to Shopkeeper Wu Hong. Of course, even now, if I had the chance to meet Shopkeeper Wu Hong again, I could share the newly acquired skill with him.

"No need to be polite, young brother, let me explain it to you first." Bald Zhang seemed an open and honest man. Smiling and waving his hand, he continued to explain, "This skill is called Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar. We use our mouth to wield Magic, like the rumble of spring thunder with a sound akin to a toad's croak, hence the name.

"The Five Thunders correspond to the Five Organs; once one organ is trained, you can use it.

"Moreover, the more organs you train, the greater the power becomes, bringing more variations.

"One organ adds one unit of power, one organ brings one unique use. If all five organs are fully cultivated and their five roars sound in unison, the resulting cry might be strong enough to shatter a ghost mansion conjured by an Evil Ghost.

"It was only because my Master died, and now his daughter is my wife, that I can share this skill with others…"

Hu Ma listened as Bald Zhang explained in detail, growing even more excited. Just one piece of true instruction was enough to discern whether it was truly a trump card. A huge gain, a tremendous gain! With joy bubbling inside, I only had one concern: "Training this skill doesn't make me go bald, right?" Of course, even if it did, it wouldn't matter; I'd have to learn it regardless.

Their spirits high, they shared their respective skills in the quiet, empty hall, one explaining Four Ghosts Salute, the other Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar, both transparent and withholding nothing. After hours of detailed pointers, they each departed at dawn.

"Shopkeeper Hu, we'll head out now. The next time you're free, come to Kouzi Mountain for some drinks!" Bright and early, Bald Zhang packed the livestock and wagon, laughed, and bid farewell to Hu Ma. His sleepy disciples remained unaware of the significant events that had transpired.

"Certainly, certainly!" Hu Ma laughed while saying goodbye, sensing a solid bond formed with Bald Zhang.

The camaraderie from exchanging skills far outweighed bringing a cartload of items here.

"The brothers at the Kouzi Mountain branch sure do know how to enjoy life…" Watching as the group left, Li and Zhou Datong remarked. "They brought a lot, but they ate and drank a lot too."

"They even snored at night…"

Hu Ma smiled at them and replied, "Remember this group of people; treat them as good brothers in the future."

It was better left unsaid, but someday Zhou Datong and the others might benefit from Bald Zhang's generosity and learn his skills.

Having sent off Bald Zhang, Hu Ma gained a general understanding of the situation in Mingzhou Prefecture and trained even more diligently. Earlier, his motivation for training stemmed from the goal of reviving his body quickly and an obsession with reanimating a specific area, but now he discovered a new joy.

Bald Zhang assumed Hu Ma had just started training the Five Organs and would need some time to master the skill. But unbeknownst to him, as soon as Bald Zhang left, Hu Ma had already started practicing the skill. Silently channeling Mana to his organs, and having practiced refining life in the lungs, Shousui men naturally possessed ample inner energy. With the dharma method now acquired, a sudden burst roared from Hu Ma's mouth, like a golden toad exhaling, like thunder resounding. Unlike Four Ghosts Salute, this trump card could unleash energy that hinted at exorcising evil spirits.

When he practiced this skill, even Little Hongtang stayed away from him. When he asked her, she simply shook her head. "Too noisy."

"Is it only too noisy?"

Hu Ma wanted to capture an evil spirit to try out the roar directly. Of course, he couldn't test it on Little Hongtang; he couldn't bear to.

And so, after several focused days of training, Hu Ma saw significant progress, though this left Zhou Datong and others rather vexed. Every so often, they lamented around the Manor, "There's no pond, so why do we keep hearing toads at night?"

Hu Ma, hearing this statement, felt his face go dark. For their sake, as the Manor was now back on track and the Red Lantern Lady's Club was on the verge of great changes, Hu Ma called Zhou Datong and the others together.

"The old shopkeeper is gone; the Manor is ours. But now that we have no oversight above us, we are responsible for our affairs."

"Previously, I noticed you practiced your forms quite diligently, so let's test you. Let's see how much progress you've made in the year or so since joining the Manor."

In Hu Ma's plan, this was a must. While the green-clothed evil ghost's intentions were unknown, it shouldn't disrupt his own path. Having firmly established himself as Shopkeeper, the pressure was greater. He couldn't rely on himself alone to manage the Manor. He needed to educate his team on the skills.

Why was Bald Zhang willing to trade his Five Organs skill for my lower-tier skill? It was all for better training his disciples. Now that I've become a Shopkeeper myself, how foolish would it be to handle everything personally instead of cultivating disciples to serve me?

"Ah?" Upon hearing this, Zhou Datong and the others were dumbfounded. Previously, progress was checked by the stern Second Master. Later, it was the grim old shopkeeper. Afraid of losing their jobs, they dared not slack off. But now, why was Brother Ma Zi urging them to train and practice too?

They reluctantly steeled themselves and performed their skills one by one in front of Hu Ma. As Shousui men, or even before becoming such, when they were Stokers, they learned skills. These skills included techniques for fists, feet, and swordplay, practiced piece by piece. Once mastered, they'd be considered formidable characters in the jianghu. Zhou Datong and the others had initially learned skills from Second Master, but his skills were thinned to only three moves when split apart. Simply put, they had Training Methods but lacked actual combat techniques. So what Zhou Datong and others used were the complete but dull skills taught by Shopkeeper Wu Hong back then.

The gang felt uneasy under Hu Ma's serious scrutiny during their practice. One by one, they displayed the set of skills taught by Shopkeeper Wu Hong, afraid of a scolding from Hu Ma. However, Hu Ma was satisfied with them; at least they executed their skills fully and decently. They were just lacking in veteran experience. But there was no help for it.

Unlike them, I recognized the importance of these skills from the start, pondering daily how to execute each move. Thinking daily about how to strike someone with a knife most effectively, or how to attack the most undefended parts, infused even my ordinary skills with menace. They, however, were merely compelled to practice; though they became adept, they hadn't mastered the techniques. Regardless of past or present life, these young men never understood the importance of learning. It was fortunate enough if they even listened. If there truly existed someone who relentlessly honed their skills without coercion, practiced diligently, and achieved exceptional proficiency… well, I would have to be wary of that person. Why would a healthy, untroubled individual, with no grievances or enemies, dedicate themselves so intensely to perfecting murder skills? Were they planning a rebellion?