Twilight Boundary

"When did the Red Lantern Society become so generous?"

Looking at Manager Xu's serious and earnest face, Hu Ma was momentarily stunned.

Normally, Manager Xu couldn't make such decisions, especially with the Incense Burner and the Red Lantern Lady right there with him. However, the Incense Burner usually ignored these mundane affairs of the society, and the Red Lantern Lady cared even less. Manager Xu immediately realized this was a good opportunity and, without even needing to return to the city for instructions, settled the matter right in front of the Red Lantern Lady.

Of course, even if he had wanted to seek instructions, there was no one to ask. Great Incense Master Zheng was missing, and the position overseeing such affairs was vacant…

For a moment, Hu Ma was overjoyed, and Manager Xu was quite pleased as well.

Even the lantern held by the Incense Burner seemed to finally relax, quietly extinguishing as the Red Lantern Lady departed.

Only Yang Gong, standing beside them with his arms crossed, glared at Hu Ma in disappointment.

"This foolishly earnest brother of mine actually dared to take charge of the Manor's affairs at a time like this, not even realizing what he's just been through..."

"You've helped the Lady save face now, but do you realize you nearly lost your own life?"

"..."

After talking at the Manor gate for a while, Hu Ma hurriedly invited Manager Xu and the others inside. However, the Incense Burner, who had remained mounted outside, turned his horse and left as soon as he saw the Red Lantern extinguish, without even a word to Hu Ma.

Hu Ma hesitated slightly, unsure whether to ask them to stay, but Manager Xu said, "Just let them go about their business. They have important matters to attend to on this trip!"

Hu Ma asked, "Should we invite them to dine in the Manor then?"

Manager Xu laughed, "Just worry about us; that's fine. The Incense Burners never dine with Manor Shopkeepers."

"Sometimes, they don't even need to eat. Just incense is enough."

"..."

"They're probably becoming just like the green-clothed child—spending so much time with evil spirits that they resemble ghosts more than humans..."

Hu Ma nodded, asking no further questions, and busied himself with inviting Manager Xu inside. However, even Yang Gong had to depart with the Incense Burner.

Upon entering the Manor, they saw Little Hongtang pinning down a little ghost and giving it a beating.

The little ghost cowered, covering its head and not fighting back. When Hu Ma entered the Manor, it quickly shouted, "Greetings, Old Master Hu!"

"What's going on here?"

Hu Ma hurriedly went forward to pull them apart and even gave the limping little ghost a piece of meat.

Only then did the limping little ghost, overjoyed, clutch the piece of green food and run out of the Manor after Yang Gong.

It turned out that when the Lady had been present earlier, it hadn't dared to show itself to seek a reward, so it hid inside the Manor waiting for her to leave. But this Manor was Little Hongtang's territory, and since it had hidden there without even paying respects to Sister Hong Tang, it ended up receiving a thrashing from Little Hongtang.

"Senior Brother Yang's little ghost is quite famous in the society..."

Manager Xu watched the little ghost hobble awkwardly out of the Manor, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Previously, some people even used Blood Food to tease this little ghost for fun. Now, no one dares, fearing Senior Brother Yang Gong's wrath."

"But Senior Brother Yang Gong himself used to complain about it daily. Now he's gotten used to it. When the society considered replacing it for him, he refused, saying it was fine to make do for now..."

"..."

Yang Gong has really made his mark... Hu Ma sighed inwardly. He'd once thought he was progressing at a reasonable pace, but in the current Red Lantern Society, Yang Gong was much more impressive than him. He was now qualified to accompany the Red Lantern Lady on her missions, alongside the Incense Burner. But these Incense Burners and the Red Lantern Lady... they came to my Manor, yet they didn't stay, didn't even eat. Where on earth did they go?

As they conversed and entered the inner courtyard, Manager Xu noticed several of the Manor staff inside with bandaged injuries, some so heavily bandaged they looked like dumplings. He could guess how serious the earlier incident had been and what dangers the Manor had faced these past few days.

Once seated in the inner courtyard, he leaned in and told Hu Ma softly, "Nephew Hu, it's not my place to criticize, but this time, you truly dodged a major calamity!"

"Was there more to this matter than meets the eye?"

Hu Ma played along, putting on an expression that suggested he, too, had sensed something.

"More than meets the eye? That doesn't even begin to cover it!"

Manager Xu lowered his voice. "People we wouldn't even dare to imagine were involved. Otherwise, do you think that green-clothed evil ghost, as powerful as it was, would just vanish into thin air?"

"Even for our Lady, while banishing that green-clothed evil ghost might have been manageable, killing it would have been incredibly difficult. Who could have guessed that such a profound expert was hidden right here in our Mingzhou Prefecture?"

"Indeed..." Seeing his solemn face, Hu Ma could only sigh in agreement. "Who could have guessed?"

"Now, the rules within the Red Lantern Society are going to change."

Manager Xu continued, "After this incident, the Lady has ordered the temple in Zhu Gate Town to be built. From now on, all Manor employees, wherever they are, must strictly observe the rules and treat people with kindness. If anyone causes trouble, the Lady will undoubtedly punish them severely."

"This time, the Lady also came to pray to the deities of all directions, making a solemn vow to establish her divine presence through incense offerings and bring blessings to the surrounding people..."

"..."

Pray to the deities of all directions? Hu Ma found it strange. She's a Great Evil Spirit, what deities would she pray to? And she was in such a hurry to leave with the Incense Burner and Yang Gong just now. Could there be something else going on?

「Outside the Manor, near Old Yin Mountain.」

The Incense Burners rode horses specially trained not to neigh wildly or startle in the dark. They moved as if melting into the night, silently arriving at an open clearing.

All of them were silent, including the Red Fragrance Disciple Yang Gong and the others following. They felt an immense pressure, each keeping their mouths shut, sensing the oppressive darkness of the night.

They proceeded in silence until they saw a red lantern lit up in the wild field ahead. All around was pitch black, with only the faint glow of the Red Lantern piercing the gloom. On either side of the lantern sat a figure in a red robe, one wearing a smiling mask, the other a crying mask.

The lead Incense Burner, upon seeing them, reined in his horse and raised his lantern high.

The red glow within the lantern was initially dim, emitting only faint light, but when lifted, the light gradually intensified, spreading in all directions, eventually illuminating an area with an eerie, blood-like redness, as if dyeing a space with fresh blood.

The Incense Burner's expression and gaze grew even more solemn and grave, as he began to chant strange spells.

The two Protectors are waiting here as well?

It wasn't yet time for Yang Gong and the others following behind to chant the spell, but they could only follow suit, closing their eyes and sensing the uncanny power within the incantation.

He didn't know why the Red Lantern Lady had come here. He only knew that only loyal Red Fragrance Disciples like himself, who had earned the Lady's favor, were qualified to accompany her. His palms were already slick with sweat.

Is it time to prove my loyalty to the Lady once again?

Yang Gong never doubted himself. He had risen from a starving street urchin—one who had nearly been mutilated by beggars to be thrown onto the streets to beg—to his current status as Master Yang Gong, a man feared and respected by all in the city. And it was all thanks to his loyalty to the Red Lantern Lady. That's why, no matter who the Lady's opponent was, he always dared to be at the vanguard. If he died, so be it. If he survived, he would achieve great things. So, the Lady had come to this desolate, uninhabited place, bringing only her trusted confidants, and the two Protectors were already waiting. What was she planning to do? He couldn't help but recall the rumors. Previously, when various places in Mingzhou Prefecture were plagued by evil spirits, the Red Lantern Lady had strictly forbidden any of her subordinates from intervening. That was until word came that some powerful figure had dealt with the green-clothed evil ghost. Could the Lady be here to find that person? Looks like today will be another tough battle...

Yang Gong wiped the sweat from his palms on his clothes, gripping the nails hidden in his belt and clenching his teeth tightly.

The incantation grew more rapid, the Red Lantern shone brighter, and its eerie light seemed to transform the area into a hell-like space. One could even see the uncanny red glow itself seeming to come alive.

In the darkness, the light pulsed and intertwined, vaguely coalescing into the slender, graceful figure of a woman in palace attire. She materialized lightly upon the broad expanse of ground, her form ethereal and illusory, gazing down upon the darkness with an air of absolute dominion.

That was the Red Lantern Lady, his supreme Lady, to whom Yang Gong had sworn allegiance the moment he joined the Red Lantern Society.

Even as a Red Fragrance Disciple, Yang Gong had seldom seen the Red Lantern Lady manifest in her true form. Each time he did, his heart would be profoundly shaken, leaving him overwhelmed.

No matter who the Lady intends to deal with this time, I must charge forward...

...And just as Yang Gong was thinking with fervent excitement, he saw the Red Lantern Lady manifest in the darkness, then suddenly, with the grace of a willow bending in the wind, she knelt—an act performed with an astonishing display of authority.

?

Yang Gong's eyes widened in disbelief.

He saw the Red Lantern Lady kneeling in the direction of Old Yin Mountain—no, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't directly towards Old Yin Mountain; it seemed she was merely kneeling toward this general area. Her voice was soft and ethereal, too faint for ordinary humans to make out clearly, but as a Red Fragrance Disciple, he could still vaguely discern a few words.

He seemed to make out phrases like, "Unaware of Your sacred presence here, I have caused much offense..." and "The Meng family's Incense Order dictates the temple construction must proceed..." and "I will wholeheartedly pursue good deeds and accumulate merit..." and other similar expressions.

"Lady, that should be sufficient."

The Red Lantern Lady knelt in reverence for a long time before one of the Protectors, the one with the smiling mask, gently advised, "If the esteemed personage is indeed here, they would have heard you by now. To be thorough, we should still visit all the other potential locations where these esteemed ones might be..."

"Once we have made this circuit, even if the esteemed personages are not in any of these specific places, they will surely understand the depth of the Lady's sincerity..."

"..."

Only then did the Red Lantern Lady acquiesce. She rose reluctantly, her form fading as she returned into the lantern. Suddenly, however, the lantern's glow intensified slightly, as if she had recalled some other important matter.

Listening to her words, the Incense Burner's expression grew quite peculiar.

The two Protectors, who had been waiting there all along, also remained silent. After a long pause, the one with the smiling mask said, "That's right. It's better to be cautious. We can't let that little Shopkeeper from Green Stone Town spread loose talk and ruin the Lady's reputation."

Yang Gong listened, momentarily feeling numb...

The Red Lantern Lady hadn't come here to find some so-called expert... She'd come out here in the middle of the night to... to offer assurances?

This scene delivered a massive shock to Yang Gong.