Twilight Boundary

The voice that fell from the sky was indistinct, as if it could only be heard under specific circumstances. Yet, amidst the gloom and despair, the Ghost Walkers and common folk all felt a sudden jolt, sharply raising their heads.

They looked up instinctively, but strangely, without knowing why, they all closed their eyes.

Once their eyes were closed, instead of the expected darkness, they somehow seemed to perceive something—perhaps a fleeting illusion, or a residual image from when their eyes were open.

Vaguely, they perceived the sky above, thick with dark clouds and swirling mists. The clatter of chains echoed in their ears as they faintly discerned four tall, shadowy figures in soap clothes carried by the wind.

Dragging a chain, as if hauling some immense burden, they were swept past by the fierce wind overhead.

Only after these figures departed did the people subconsciously open their eyes, finding the world suddenly bathed in light.

It was as if their passage had torn away even the dense clouds that had obscured the sun.

Sunlight poured down once more, illuminating the land as if it were high noon, revealing everything clearly to their eyes.

The cries of the surrounding people subsided slightly as the sun emerged. Its rays drove away the chilling aura, and a sense of safety seemed to wash over everyone.

The shadowy figures that had been causing chaos shrieked harshly as the sunlight fell upon them.

These were the evil spirits that had been wreaking havoc. Now, they seemed to have appeared in the wrong place at the wrong time, looking around in panic.

They realized the predicament, and many were gripped by terror, but it was too late to act. Some melted instantly under the sunlight, while others cowered in the shadows, trembling—a stark contrast to their earlier ferocity.

Those who had been bewildered by the evil spirits were jolted awake as if from a long nightmare, abruptly opening their eyes and escaping its clutches.

"Kill... kill him..."

The sounds of combat with the green-clothed children had not yet ceased.

One such green-clothed child was being assailed by strong villagers wielding hoes and pitchforks. Moments before, such tools could not harm him, and his face had borne a mocking smile as he relished their fearful expressions.

But now, that expression vanished without a trace.

Baffled, he looked down to see the farming tools had pierced and torn through his belly.

He did not understand why his Mana had suddenly disappeared.

"Kill them! Beat them to death! Don't let any escape!"

In the alleys, Zhou Datong and his men, looking like figures drenched in blood, shouted fiercely.

They caught up to a green-clothed child who was about to strike a Ghost Walker and attacked. The green-clothed child also felt the Mana within him suddenly vanish.

Without the Mana from Old Master Qingyi, their bodies were now even weaker than those of ordinary people. Yet, their ferocity remained. Baring its teeth, it lunged at Zhou Datong and the others, but Zhou Datong met it with a fierce kick.

"SMACK!"

No one had expected the kick to be so powerful, launching the green-clothed child two or three zhang through the air.

Its body crashed into the mud wall behind it, snapping seven or eight bones.

The companions around were dumbfounded, staring at Zhou Datong in disbelief. "Brother Datong, how did your kick get so strong?"

"No way! Wasn't your leg broken before?"

Zhou Datong was even more astonished than they were, mumbling, "Did I succeed...?"

What just happened? What was that?

In this sudden reversal of fortune, everyone speculated about the meaning of the scene they had just witnessed.

Most did not understand; some even wondered if it had all been an illusion.

Only a few seasoned Ghost Walkers suddenly realized something. A burst of elation filled their chests, their eyes flushing red with excitement as one exclaimed, "A Ghost Capturing Order?"

"Hasn't that... hasn't that thing not appeared for many years?"

It's captured...

While performing the Magic, Hu Ma had also been nervous. If the old tree stump hadn't been nearby, he certainly would have given up.

This time, casting the Magic had been a much more delicate operation than summoning the old turtle in Niu Family Bay, yet he had still faced several dangers and had almost failed.

To put it more directly, the sensation of casting this Magic was like trying to bind a raging bull with a single, thin hemp rope. Even if his binding technique was flawless, there was always the gnawing worry that the bull would break free and, in its frenzy, gore him to death.

But now, at last, he had succeeded.

He looked at the rice circle before him. A chaotic surge of yin qi buffeted it from within, threatening to scatter the grains of rice at any moment.

The pieces of yin bone jade weighing down the four corners of the rice circle trembled violently, looking as if they might be sent flying at any second.

He glanced at the incense sticks beside him. The one in the middle was barely burnt, while the two on the sides had already burned down to their bases.

This was an undeniable omen of great misfortune!

Indeed, a thin hemp rope couldn't restrain a maddened bull, but Senior Old Tree Stump—as Hu Ma now thought of it—could lend its considerable strength.

It sat calmly just to Hu Ma's right, its gaze sweeping casually over the scene. The struggling green-clothed evil ghost seemed to feel an immense pressure and slowly began to quiet down.

The flames in the brazier before him had flickered, threatening to go out several times, but under the old tree stump's gaze, they suddenly stabilized and burned even brighter.

It's stable... Only then did Hu Ma feel a measure of relief. Indeed, with the old tree stump acting as a suppression object, this Magic was bound to succeed, whether it should have or not.

His expression turned cold. He looked across the brazier towards the green-clothed evil ghost within the rice circle and barked, "Who stands before this altar? State your name!"

Whether performing Summoning Spirit, Commanding Spirit, or spirit-constraining, the first step upon summoning a spirit was always to demand its origin.

If the summoned spirit divulged its origin, it signified submission. If it refused, the Magic could not proceed.

Hearing the demand, the green-clothed evil ghost stirred restlessly again, poised to flee. But the figure on the old tree stump gave a cold snort. The evil ghost shivered and settled back down, becoming docile.

Vaguely, it solidified into a ghostly figure with ferocious features, clad in green clothes. Kneeling on the ground, it said in a trembling voice, "May the Old Master know, I was once a Mule and Horse Merchant. I fell into a trap at a black inn and was drugged. My flesh was cut off to be made into steamed buns and sold, my entrails were fed to pigs and dogs. Only my skin remained, buried in a desolate wasteland.

"Fortunately, there was a trace of a Tai Sui remnant near my burial site. I absorbed its aura and managed to gain some cultivation. With this, I avenged my own murder. Then, I misled a few individuals and established the green clothes gang, solely to acquire Blood Food to sustain myself. Later, I received an Imperial Decree from the Meng family. It has been over thirty years now..."

A mere human skin actually became a spirit?

Hu Ma listened coldly, inwardly somewhat startled.

Even those who died with intact corpses and were filled with deep grievances could often only transform into evil, unable to cause much of a stir.

This green-clothed evil ghost, originally just a human skin, had actually cultivated into a Great Evil Spirit capable of wreaking havoc across an entire One State?

However, on second thought, it had relied on Tai Sui Blood and Flesh to achieve its cultivation. That made it less surprising. Anything connected to Master Tai Sui could lead to all sorts of bizarre occurrences.

Wasn't he himself a dead man who had been forcibly revived using Tai Sui Blood and Flesh?

Hearing it mention an Imperial Decree and something about managing a blood food mine, Hu Ma sensed that behind these Great Evil Spirits, there was likely a rigidly organized system for distributing benefits and dividing territory. If he pressed, he could probably learn all the details.

But with rage still boiling in his chest, he dismissed these thoughts and instead demanded, "A mere Evil Ghost like you dares to bring chaos to the land, harm human lives, and ignore the Yin-Yang Boundary? I ask you, who gave you such gall?"

"Lord of the Altar, spare me..."

The green-clothed evil ghost had already lost its courage upon being captured. Now, with the old tree stump looming nearby, it felt as if it were being crushed by a great mountain.

The man beyond the brazier exuded an unfathomable, terrifying aura of rage. The ghost immediately began to beg piteously, "I had no choice! Firstly, I was bound by an Imperial Decree from above, an order I could not defy. And secondly..."

"Secondly, I was also being driven by someone else's Magic Altar; I wasn't intentionally trying to cause chaos..."

If I hadn't experienced your evil firsthand, I might have actually believed you...

Hearing its pleas, Hu Ma's anger only intensified. He was already aware that this green-clothed evil ghost was acting under the Meng family's influence.

He knew full well that the Mana wreaking havoc across One State originated from this Evil Ghost. He had summoned it precisely to execute it. The questions were merely a formality; his killing intent was already potent. He glanced subconsciously at the old tree stump.

The old tree stump understood Hu Ma's intention and nodded slightly. This settled Hu Ma's resolve. "The facts are all laid out, and you still dare to quibble?"

"You are the grand Old Master Qingyi! If you hadn't willingly consented, who could have set up a Magic Altar to compel you?"

"Kill it!"

As he spoke, he suddenly began to recite a spell.

The Age Suppressing Book contained various spells for dealing with summoned spirits, their use depending on the specific circumstances. Among them were the Execution Spell, the killing curse, the Chains Curse, and the Dispel Curse. When Hu Ma set up the Magic Altar, it did not require cultivation consumption. However, the chanting of these specific spells would rapidly deplete his cultivation; the more potent the spell, the faster the consumption.

The last time Hu Ma had summoned that old turtle from Niu Family Bay, when he found it unyielding, he had used an Execution Spell to teach it a thorough lesson.

This time, however, he directly employed a killing curse.

Of course, a killing curse was inherently perilous, as it was most likely to provoke desperate resistance from an evil spirit.

Without the old tree stump's protective presence, Hu Ma would not have dared to use such a dangerously potent curse.

It wasn't just a matter of whether his cultivation could withstand the strain; the evil spirit, upon sensing such a lethal curse, would resist with all its might, potentially injuring him in the process.

But now, at his command, the spell rang out. Instantly, the fire in the brazier surged, and gusts of dark wind swirled menacingly, dimming the surroundings.

Vaguely, the small figures he had crafted from woven vines transformed into towering, soap-clothed enforcers. They converged from four directions towards the green-clothed evil ghost in the rice circle. The ghost, terrified, struggled with all its might.

But the figure atop the old tree stump merely raised a finger. The green-clothed evil ghost's form immediately began to shrink, its power to resist weakening rapidly. It was firmly held down by the surrounding soap-clothed figures.

One of the soap-clothed figures had already raised a knife high, aiming directly for its neck, poised to strike.

"Brother, spare its life."

But just at that critical moment, Hu Ma suddenly heard a voice laced with faint laughter echo near his ear.