Twilight Boundary

"Is it over?"

A single breath had dissipated Incense Master Zheng. The surrounding yin qi finally faded, and everything returned to calm.

At this moment, Hu Ma reverted to being the little shopkeeper at the Red Lantern Society Manor, the experience feeling somewhat surreal.

Looking down, he saw only an extinguished brazier at his feet, incense burned down to two short sticks and one long one, some scattered rice, a yin bone jade pressed upon the rice, a few tattered straw men bearing many tears, and… a seemingly insignificant old tree stump.

Was it truly with just these few items that they had managed to kill the green-clothed evil ghost—a Great Evil Spirit that had wreaked havoc in Mingzhou Prefecture for decades, occupied numerous blood food mines, cultivated hundreds of followers, and could even contend with the Red Lantern Lady?

…And they had even incidentally dealt with an Incense Master from the Red Lantern Society.

No matter how he thought about it, Hu Ma found it somewhat unreal, as if everything he had just experienced was merely an illusion.

Yet, he knew with certainty that the green-clothed evil ghost had indeed been eliminated.

It had been killed right in this simple Magic Altar, leaving behind barely any traces—only a tattered piece of green cloth tossed at the edge of the rice character circle. Such a powerful evil spirit had been killed, and all that remained was this small item.

As for Incense Master Zheng, he was gone in a single breath, leaving nothing behind.

"Senior, I…"

Hu Ma took several deep breaths to calm his fluctuating emotions, then turned to look at the old tree stump.

He found that the old tree stump wasn't looking at him but was instead observing the piece of green cloth left within the rice character circle with keen interest. It picked the cloth up with two fingers.

The stump glanced at Hu Ma, as if intending to hand it over, but then hesitated for a moment. Smiling gently, it waved towards the bushes nearby and said, "Little Hongtang, come here."

Hu Ma turned his head and saw Little Hongtang squatting on a nearby tree branch.

In recent days, with evil spirits abounding, Little Hongtang had followed him, though she hadn't been of much help.

After they reached Old Yin Mountain, she had stayed close but dared not approach the Magic Altar.

Now that the ritual was over and the old tree stump had called her, she slid down from the tree.

She obediently approached the old tree stump, placed her small hands at her waist, and curtsied sweetly, saying, "Blessings, Mountain Lord Grandpa…"

"Such a good child."

It seemed the old tree stump was acquainted with Little Hongtang.

But perhaps that wasn't surprising. Little Hongtang had followed Granny for so long; she was more familiar with Granny's old acquaintances than he was.

The old tree stump praised Little Hongtang, then carefully handled the piece of green cloth. It wasn't out of fear, but rather as if disdaining its soiled state, gently tearing away the blood-stained, burnt, or slashed fragments.

Leaving only the cleanest and flattest piece, it took Little Hongtang's arm and gently tied the cloth around her wrist.

It even tied it in a bow.

Then, patting her with a smile, it said, "It's all right now. Go play!"

"?"

Hu Ma was shocked. Don't just give random things to children! That was a remnant of the green-clothed evil ghost! Couldn't something left behind by it still be dangerous for Little Hongtang? Why not give it to me instead?

"This item is heavy with yin qi; it's not suitable for you," the old tree stump, who seemed to understand people's hearts, simply explained. "Let the child have it to play with. Little Hongtang is very well-behaved."

"She used to follow your Granny, and every time she left the village to play, she would greet me."

"After you took her away from the village, I actually missed her."

"…"

Even though you say that, I still feel you're a bit biased… Hu Ma mused. Of course, he wasn't jealous of Little Hongtang; his mind was occupied with other thoughts.

The Meng family member wanted to force me to show myself. I didn't grant his wish, nor did I reveal my identity. But he paid such a great price, sending a Living Soul into the Magic Altar, even risking injury, just to convey a message? Logically, we should harbor deep-seated enmity. My original self was even killed by the Meng family, yet he spoke repeatedly only of the Stone Pavilion Alliance… What exactly did this Stone Pavilion Alliance mean? And what did he mean by saying the other nine surnames were waiting for my return? I truly know nothing about the affairs of the Ten Surnames. But for him to come all this way, just to tell me these few words face-to-face, there must have been a purpose. In other words, he must have thought that once I heard these words, I would understand something? But what the hell do I understand?!

"I know you want to ask about the Stone Pavilion Alliance," the old tree stump said gently, noticing Hu Ma's gaze. "But that's not something I can answer. It's a matter for the Ten Surnames, and I know nothing of its contents."

"Even the fact that the Ten Surnames cannot attack one another was something your Granny mentioned to me before she left Old Yin Mountain. A significant reason for her return was to make this alliance effective again for the Hu Family."

"Of course, she wasn't entirely reassured back then, so she entrusted this matter to me."

"Judging by this incident, the alliance still holds some sway. At least, the Meng family member who came this time did not intend to kill you."

"…"

No intent to kill me? Hu Ma silently pondered this phrase. On the surface, it indeed seemed so. Perhaps it was because that Meng family member couldn't see through me, or maybe he simply wasn't confident. This time, it was just a conversation; no lethal actions were taken. However, the more I think about it, the more absurd it seems. He went to such lengths just to force me to appear and talk for a few moments, and for that, a Great Evil Spirit from Mingzhou Prefecture died, an Incense Master of the Red Lantern Society died, and more importantly… how many Ghost Walkers and common folk perished? As a Reincarnator, I'm not unfamiliar with human lives being treated as mere numbers and bargaining chips. But experiencing it firsthand still feels somewhat suffocating.

"So, at this moment…" the old tree stump began, a slight smile appearing on its face, "I also want to ask you."

"How does it feel to be a member of the Hu Family?"

"…"

Feel?

Hu Ma was somewhat surprised by the old tree stump's question. He lifted his head to look at it, saw the smile in its eyes, but didn't answer immediately.

"I don't know, Senior," he said quietly after a long silence, his voice carrying a sense of ease born from honesty. "Because I never thought about *being* a Hu Family member. I just did some things that I wanted to do."

"…"

"Hmm?"

The old tree stump seemed somewhat taken aback by this answer. It looked at Hu Ma for a long time, then sighed lightly and said, "That answer is surprisingly good…"

"You've handled this matter more commendably than I had imagined."

"It's not because you can actually use the Hu Family's Magic, but because I didn't expect you to ask for the name of that Meng family disciple."

"If it were anyone else, even your father when he was alive, he might have been angry, but he wouldn't have forcibly detained that Meng family member as you did."

"…"

Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. He had no memory of his original self's father, only knowing that he had passed away very early. Yet, the old tree stump's words made him feel a bit strange.

He instinctively asked, "Why?"

"Because the Ten Surnames have their own decorum," the old tree stump said calmly. "As I mentioned, that Meng family lad was actually abiding by the rules."

"Since he observed the rules, one generally wouldn't be so overbearing. Your Granny's arrangements in Old Yin Mountain, initially not letting me interfere, were for the sake of upholding these rules. To protect you, she returned to the ancestral hall, also for the sake of the rules."

"…"

Hu Ma was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding the old tree stump's words.

He slowly suppressed his true thoughts and, choosing words more aligned with this world's conventions, said slowly, "I didn't think that much."

"I just felt that all people are the same. Is his face somehow more important than mine?"

"…"

"?"

The old tree stump was so surprised by these words that it took a moment before it began to laugh gently. "Perhaps it's because you're of the Hu Family but never truly grew up within it. Those words don't quite fit someone from the Ten Surnames."

"However, I find them quite delightful…"

It continued to laugh softly, as if a weight had been lifted from its heart, and said, "In my eyes, you now possess the qualification to go to Juehu Village and retrieve that token."

"…"

"Token?"

Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "The item Granny left in Juehu Village isn't just a Magical Treasure, it's also a token?"

He felt a stir of excitement. "Senior, can I go and get it now?"

The old tree stump replied, "Not yet."

Hu Ma was slightly startled. "Why the sudden change? Why not?"

"Because your abilities are still insufficient…" the old tree stump sighed. "I originally thought you would first learn the necessary abilities and then cultivate this qualification. I didn't expect you to seemingly gain the qualification first…"

"But before Entering the Mansion, don't even think about it. You wouldn't even be able to carry that token."

"…"

Entering the Mansion…

Hu Ma pondered for a moment. His Shousui abilities were only at the Ascension stage, still some distance from Entering the Mansion.

As for the skills in the Age Suppressing Book, a quick glance revealed they were all Magic Altar spells and Zhensui dharma methods. There was no mention of corresponding cultivation systems like Ascension or Entering the Mansion.

Of course, Hu Ma had also learned this time that the Age Suppressing Book was actually part of the same system as that of Ghost Walkers. Perhaps this "Entering the Mansion" was to be reckoned according to Ghost Walker conventions.

A lingering unease remained in his heart, but he knew he couldn't stay in the mountains any longer, as many matters awaited him outside. Therefore, he could only suppress a sigh, gather his spirits, and thank the old tree stump for its protection. He promised to visit again after he had the ability to retrieve the item Granny had left in Juehu Village. Then, he packed his things and quickly departed from the mountain.

Hu Ma mounted his horse, with Little Hongtang seated in his lap, occasionally tugging at the green cloth on her arm.

"How does it feel?" Hu Ma, who had always felt there was something unusual about the green cloth, instinctively asked.

Little Hongtang replied, "It doesn't feel like anything special, but this bow isn't tied very prettily…"

"…"

Hu Ma didn't know how to respond and could only say, "Let's discuss it when we're further away. We're still within the territory of Old Yin Mountain…"