Twilight Boundary

"Not bad, you've learned the techniques, but you're still lacking when it comes to real combat."

Hu Ma was quite satisfied with these apprentices' skills, saying, "In the future, let Datong train them more, using the methods taught by our Second Master, and really spar... but if you're practicing with knives, don't use those two bells."

"Even the best black oil ointment can't grow that back..."

Initially, Second Master taught them martial arts in the village, and he truly drove them to the limit. The methods were simple but effective. With this kind of training, high-level moves weren't necessary; after long practice, they all became fierce when fighting.

"You all have passed this test. Now let's see how skilled you are."

While speaking, Hu Ma crossed his legs and sat on a bench. It would be better to switch to a Taishi Chair in the future; it's more back-friendly, and of course, it exudes more authority.

Hearing his command, Zhou Datong and the others approached nervously, lining up before him, extending their wrists for him to test their skill. This method was actually simple: just a slight probe with his own energy, and he could gauge the opponent's foundation. Not everyone could, like a Reincarnator, hide their true cultivation by controlling the Life Incense in the incense burner.

"Hmm?"

After testing several people, Hu Ma was slightly astonished, internally thinking, Not bad...

None among these apprentices had broken through to one Column of cultivation. But surprisingly, quite a few were close. Zhou Datong's skill level was already at eight or nine-tenths of one Column of cultivation, just a hair's breadth from a full Column. The others, like Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu, weren't bad either, all possessing a skill level of seven or eight-tenths of one Column of cultivation. They couldn't match Zhou Datong, but it was still commendable.

Hu Ma quickly realized the reason. These young men with solid foundations had run mountains with Second Master since they were kids, lifting stone locks and strictly sealing their stove fire, not leaking a bit. Their foundations were extraordinarily solid. As for himself, his body was fundamentally dead, never producing any vitality. But they generated vitality every day, their stove fire blazing intensely. Plus, after coming to the Manor, though they hadn't eaten Blood Food, they had almost feasted on green food. How could they not catch up? After all, it's true to say, the treatment in his Manor was excellent. In other manors, the provisions for the apprentices weren't necessarily as thorough, often skimping on quality. The savings from the apprentices' rations would often fall into the Shopkeeper's hands. Yet, having taken over the Shopkeeper duties here early on, he'd never skimped on them—he simply found it beneath him. This had made their foundations strong, nearing one Column of cultivation.

But looking further down, he found that, besides Zhou Datong and a few other outstanding ones, there were some with skill levels of six or seven-tenths, others with five or six-tenths, and at the very end, there was even one with only two or three-tenths. Hu Ma's face tightened.

"Why is your skill so weak? Be honest, do you..." He held up his hand and gestured up and down, looking sternly at this apprentice.

"No... no..." This apprentice was almost in tears seeing Hu Ma so serious. "...Not that often!"

Hu Ma was speechless. "Just as I thought!"

One Column of cultivation equaled twenty years of vitality. For a man, if he reached twenty without having expelled his vitality, avoided severe illness or disaster, and exercised regularly, his vitality would peak. At that point, he would become unappealing to wandering spirits and Yin Ghosts. Of course, that was the ideal. In reality, in these times, nobody had enough to eat, and no one could guarantee staying uninjured, so their skill level would be far below the ideal. For ordinary people, even a robust twenty-year-old, their skill level would often only be around six or seven-tenths. This applied to the healthier individuals. In the Path, this very level is considered one Column of cultivation. People in the Path could use Blood Food to briefly reach Three Column Tao. In industry terms, this was sixty years of Tao—a level ordinary people could only dream of achieving...

These apprentices weren't Path members. They were all sixteen or seventeen years old. Although their bodies hadn't reached their peak, they were supplemented with green food and white food. Therefore, they should have reasonably reached a skill level of six or seven-tenths. This guy's skill was so weak; he clearly wasn't being honest, probably indulging every day or two.

"Those miners at the blood food mine work themselves to the bone every day but can resist. Here you are, living the good life, and you can't hold back?" Hu Ma frowned sternly. "Better quit it!"

"Next time this happens, I'll give you a knife. Either you cut off your hand, or you cut off *that*. Your choice!"

"Noted, noted..." the apprentice agreed hastily, almost swearing an oath.

The other apprentices exchanged worried glances, afraid. They were all sixteen or seventeen, young men, and every morning would be a row of flagpoles. Though they knew they must remain chaste, abstaining to build their strength. But when self-control occasionally failed, were the consequences really this severe?

Fortunately, Hu Ma only checked everyone's skill level and didn't interrogate each one. After asking, he had a clear idea. He summoned Zhou Datong to follow him into the inner courtyard, and after closing the door, retrieved an oil lamp from the cabinet.

He smiled, "Datong, want to learn some skills?"

"Huh?" Zhou Datong was already anxious when called in by Hu Ma. When he suddenly saw Hu Ma bring out an oil lamp, Hu Ma's face, abruptly smiling and underlit by the lamp's glow, looked particularly sinister. This frightened Zhou Datong greatly.

He kneeled with a thud, crying out, "Brother Ma Zi, I was wrong! On the night of the sixteenth last month, at the third watch, in the outhouse... I did it once."

"Not only did I do it, but Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu have too, and even that deaf guy, he did it next to the sheep pen last time..."

Hu Ma was baffled. What the heck is all this? Were these guys usually this dishonest?

But considering his current level of cultivation, having entered the Path and learned many Path matters, he understood: As long as they didn't truly lose their yuan yang, an occurrence once or twice wasn't an issue. Second Master, however, being outside the Path and unaware of the intricacies, was like an ascetic monk, strictly adhering to these precepts, hesitant to even approach the thunder pool line.

Not knowing is one thing, but now that I know, I can't let it slide... After all, if I haven't done it, why should they?

"Do you know why I called you in here?" Hu Ma scolded Zhou Datong harshly. "It's to teach you skills."

"Do you know what this is? It's something that our Second Master, despite his lifelong study, never learned. It's our good fortune to have learned it, and we can even teach it to you all."

"But you all can't even endure a bit of hardship. Every hard-earned bit of skill is wasted on the sheep! What, do you really need to go back to the village and suffer again?"

Zhou Datong, after this reprimand, wore a woeful expression. "I know I'm wrong, Brother Ma Zi."

"It's all that deaf guy's fault. We didn't know about this stuff until we saw him do it once and learned..."

Seriously, how do people come to know this without being taught? Hu Ma felt a bit mystified. In my past life, even I had a teacher for that...

But letting them know the severity sufficed. He didn't press further, just advised him to be careful, then pushed the oil lamp toward him. Now, with his reincarnated dead hand, he wouldn't be affected by the poison of the oil lamp. This lamp was one of the last from the batch passed down by the old Shopkeeper. Having used three for his act, this was the only one left.

"For Second Master's sake, I'll let it go this time. During the New Year, you ought to bring some good offerings to Second Master," he said sternly. "Take this lamp!"

Zhou Datong agreed repeatedly, tilted his head for a glance, and cautiously reached out to hold it.

"OUCH..." However, not long after holding the lamp, he suddenly cried out softly, clutching his left leg, and looked up at Hu Ma in disbelief.

"Don't worry, this is the first step to entering our Path," Hu Ma said softly, watching Zhou Datong. "This is also a key point that outsiders, unless told, will never comprehend."

Zhou Datong listened, his eyes wide. Then, he suddenly asked seriously, "If so... Brother Ma Zi, should I call you Master from now on?"

Hu Ma was taken aback and pondered this. It did make sense. He himself had been taught the dharma method without a master because he had repaid Shopkeeper Wu Hong's favor in another way. But Zhou Datong hadn't. Logically, by transferring the dharma method, Hu Ma would be his Master, a significant favor. Yet, they had all come from the same village, fighting for survival, and were of similar age. Bearing this title seemed unnecessary.

After a brief contemplation, he looked earnestly at Zhou Datong and said, "No need. In terms of Path affiliation, you should just call me 'Senior Brother.' I am accepting you on behalf of Second Master, and I will accept a few others later. However, you should attribute this kindness to Second Master. Second Master is our common Master; all the skills we have were learned from him."

Zhou Datong was surprised and nodded repeatedly. "I understand, Brother Ma Zi."

"Off you go!" Hu Ma nodded. "That crutch leaning against the wall—you made it for me back then. I've always kept it for you."

「Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard」

The apprentices had no clue what was happening when they saw Zhou Datong being summoned by Hu Ma. They were all apprehensive until evening, almost nightfall, when Zhou Datong emerged, limping with a crutch, looking miserable.

"What happened?"

One by one, they hurried over to ask. Zhou Datong, with a pained expression, said, "Last month, I... did that thing once."

"Brother Ma Zi found out and broke my leg to teach me a lesson."

The apprentices were utterly stunned. Their necks shrank in fear as they thought, I won't risk it; never again.