Twilight Boundary

"Brother, you're in such a hurry to find me. Is there good news?"

Under Hu Ma's watchful eyes, as he made his call, the half-stick of Life Incense in the burner suddenly burned faster. A wisp of fragrant smoke, like a serpent, wormed its way into the dark red mist. It twisted and spun rapidly, as if searching for something.

After a moment, the wisp of smoke suddenly straightened. Er Guotou's voice followed and, at the same time, the burning speed of the Life Incense gradually slowed.

Though it was his first time formally calling someone, Hu Ma had already familiarized himself with how to use the Life Incense.

If the Life Incense was placed in the incense burner, he could hear others' calls at any time. If it had connected before, they could even call him directly. Of course, this required him to be in a dream state, allowing him to be pulled into the spiritual temple instantly.

If he were awake, he might feel a slight sensation, but Hu Ma hadn't tried it yet.

Previously, Er Guotou had only scheduled talks for the zero days. However, as long as Er Guotou was dreaming, Hu Ma could call him even if it wasn't a zero day.

But such abrupt interruptions, unless for urgent matters, were somewhat impolite.

Now that he heard Er Guotou's voice, Hu Ma knew the call had succeeded. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "It's not very clear yet, but I have managed to gather a little information."

"However, I'm eager to ask you: if we really want to acquire that batch of Blood Food, what preparations are needed before we make a move? And how should we cooperate to ensure a stable and successful outcome?"

He was now almost certain that the batch of Blood Food was near the Manor.

But this information didn't need to be divulged during their first contact; it was better to confirm things first.

Hu Ma was cautious, and that Er Guotou fellow was even more astute. He didn't ask for details, instead saying, "Simple. First, figure out the situation. Second, decide on a strategy for action. And finally, ensure that after we get it, we clear up all traces and can enjoy it safely."

Reconnaissance, action, and fencing? These words unexpectedly popped into Hu Ma's mind. He quickly said, "Let's not discuss the other parts for now. The action itself requires caution."

"Brother, it's not that I doubt you, but I must ask: are the people of the Tan'er Sect easy to deal with?"

Er Guotou sounded slightly stunned. "That bunch of low-lives? Have they really come out of Old Yin Mountain?"

"It's almost certain."

Hu Ma said, "The information isn't clear yet, but I can confirm one thing: if we want to securely obtain this batch of Blood Food, we will inevitably have to confront them."

Er Guotou's voice grew steadier. "How many of them are there?"

Hu Ma indicated he wasn't sure, only saying, "We must at least be prepared to deal with the entire Tan'er Sect."

Hearing this, Er Guotou fell silent for a moment, pondering. Finally, he said, "This indeed requires careful planning. Although most members of the Tan'er Sect are renegades, they were able to cause such a major disturbance in Mingzhou Prefecture back then. Their abilities should not be underestimated."

"...What is that Shopkeeper of yours plotting this time? With his limited bag of tricks, how can he possibly contend with such people?"

Hu Ma listened, a wry smile playing on his lips, though he felt it internally. "I truly don't know..." he replied.

If I can see these things, how could the experienced Er Guotou not see them as well?

The old shopkeeper had offered his explanation for not reporting these matters, but anyone who heard it would find it exceedingly peculiar.

No matter how much was said, the primary question remained: did the Shopkeeper truly have that much confidence? Could he deal with the entire Tan'er Sect on his own?

Or perhaps, he thinks adding me to the equation is sufficient?

"Regardless, this involves the Tan'er Sect, your secretive old shopkeeper, and keeping it all hidden from the Red Lantern Society. Relying solely on the two of us seems too risky..."

Er Guotou mused, then said slowly, "Perhaps, we two brothers need to find a helper."

"A helper?"

Hu Ma was somewhat surprised. "Where would we find one?"

"Naturally, Miss White Wine..."

Er Guotou chuckled. "She's quite skilled. As far as I know, she's not originally from Mingzhou Prefecture but came here to handle some business. She should still be in the area."

"However, she doesn't enjoy chatting. I've called her several times. I imagine she heard me but simply couldn't be bothered to respond."

"You tried to initiate a conversation with her?"

Hu Ma was even more surprised. "Then why do I always have to wait until the zero days to contact you?"

Er Guotou fell silent for a moment, sounding a bit embarrassed. "Well, with you, it's always about serious matters..."

"...But who wants to make small talk with another guy for no reason? When I occasionally come online, of course, I'm hoping to chat and flirt a little with Miss White Wine. In front of you, I have to maintain my 'big brother' persona!"

What on earth is this nonsense...

Hu Ma was speechless upon hearing this and could only shake his head helplessly. "I still need to continue gathering specific information," he said. "There are too many uncertainties at the moment."

"However, if we do decide to act when the time comes, we should find this helper in advance. I estimate the Tan'er Sect might arrive very soon."

Er Guotou laughed at this. "Don't worry about that."

"If I invite Miss White Wine out for tea or to browse a cosmetics shop, she might ignore me. But if I tell her about this batch of Blood Food, she'll definitely be interested."

After discussing a few more details, Hu Ma left the spiritual temple.

Having conferred with Er Guotou, and with good things seemingly on the horizon, there was no longer a need to wait for the zero days.

In the near future, every midnight, he would enter the Lifebound Spirit Temple and wait for the duration of One Incense. If there was news, they would exchange it; if not, he would depart.

The next day, after waking up, Hu Ma quietly attended to his Cultivation and managed affairs around the Manor.

Asleep, he was the Reincarnator; awake, he was still Hu Ma.

He was willing to invest effort and eager to learn new skills.

The old shopkeeper had promised to replenish his Blood Food, and it was truly provided in abundance.

Although the Shopkeeper never seemed willing to generously provide Blood Food Pills again, large bowls of green food were supplied daily. Hu Ma consumed it all without hesitation and felt the nourishment of its blood essence.

Previously, his diligent Cultivation had consumed Life Incense rapidly. Between refining life and maintaining his connection with the Reincarnator, his third stick of Life Incense was nearly depleted. His cultivation level was on the verge of dropping from Three Incense to two Life Incense.

However, with the nourishment from the green food, he managed to preserve this third stick of Life Incense. Although his Cultivation progress didn't falter, the Life Incense also stopped diminishing.

Besides his Cultivation, he also instructed the Manor's workers to strengthen patrols, having them wander around the grounds when they had free time. The authentic version is on M|V|LEMPY_R.

Of course, he strictly cautioned them not to engage if they encountered anyone suspicious or anything unusual.

I know perfectly well that if these workers encounter people from the Tan'er Sect, their incense burners and rudimentary skills won't be nearly enough.

Regarding the earlier murders in the village, someone eventually came to the Manor seeking help.

Just as Hu Ma had guessed, the news of such a gruesome murder case at the Toufu Zhao family home terrified the people of the Manor.

People had hurried to the city to report it to the government, but no officials had come down to investigate.

It seems the government officials aren't foolish. In such a remote area, so close to the edge of Old Yin Mountain, what kind of strange occurrences couldn't happen?

Why would I rush over there? There's no benefit for me, and what if I encounter something dangerous and get myself killed?

The surrounding villagers, who had always considered the Red Lantern Society practically family, ran to the Manor to seek help from the Shopkeeper when the city's government failed to act. Seeing it was about this matter, Hu Ma didn't even feel the need to consult the Shopkeeper and casually followed them.

In fact, more than the murder itself, the villagers feared that the case was too malevolent and might have attracted an evil spirit.

However, their fears in that regard were unfounded.

Upon re-entering the Toufu Zhao family home, Hu Ma found it still as bloodily brutal as before, though now an additional putrid smell hung in the air.

And yet, it was clean.

In terms of anything supernaturally amiss, this house was cleaner than any other place.

The Tan'er Sect members had dealt with the unfortunate Widow Zhao quite thoroughly, and the Shopkeeper had also ensured everything was handled cleanly on his end.

So, for Hu Ma, all he needed to tell the villagers was, "Gather all the severed limbs and remains, and burn them."

"Burn some paper offerings and light some incense in the morning and evening, and things will settle down."

Seeing the terrified faces of the villagers, Hu Ma also considered that since the Tan'er Sect had already lost two of their members, they would be unlikely to let the matter rest.

So he deliberately said, "There's no need for you to ask the government to investigate this case; it's quite simple. Some demon people from outside targeted Widow Zhao, sneaked in at night, and murdered her. You saw that human skin—that's something created by those who practice evil skills.

"However, that person didn't get away with it. They were killed even more gruesomely, their life claimed by Widow Zhao's vindictive soul! What do they call this? Heaven has eyes, and retribution is swift and unerring!

"However, we fellow villagers must also be more vigilant.

"Regarding these practitioners of evil skills, everyone needs to be on guard. What happened to the Zhao Family isn't the first such incident.

"Some time ago in Ganzi Village, a peddler passed through. He looked like a decent fellow with his thick brows and big eyes, but he was actually a child trafficker. He nearly managed to lure away three children. Fortunately, I happened to encounter him and helped get the children back. Otherwise, the mere thought of what could have happened is terrifying!"

The villagers had naturally heard about this incident and nodded quickly in agreement. "Exactly, exactly!"

Some were even furious, exclaiming, "From now on, if we see any of those itinerant peddlers daring to enter our village, we'll just kill them on the spot!"

Hu Ma was taken aback. These villagers aren't joking. When they get angry, they're fully capable of killing one or two people and throwing the bodies out for the dogs without batting an eye.

He quickly interjected, "No, no, that's going too far! Most of them are good people, just trying to earn a few copper coins by peddling their wares from street to street. They provide a convenience for us all, don't they? It's only the demon people hiding among them who are truly hateful!"

"Fellow villagers, you just need to be a bit more cautious. If you spot anyone or anything suspicious, come to the Manor and let us know."

Hearing this, the villagers were deeply moved. Some of the older ones grasped Hu Ma's hand, fervently expressing their gratitude.

As I handle these matters, my reputation seems to be growing, Hu Ma faintly sensed.

Perhaps even surpassing that of the usually reticent old shopkeeper.

After dealing with this matter, Hu Ma returned to the Manor. Several days passed, and his sense of unease grew.

Even with the Manor's workers assisting in surveillance and the villagers keeping an eye out for unfamiliar faces, there should have been few, if any, oversights. Yet, for three to five days, there was no sign of activity. He knew they were supposed to come, but no one appeared. This calm before the storm was the most nerve-wracking.

However, tasks still needed to be done. Although he was unclear about the Shopkeeper's true intentions, after finishing lunch that day, Hu Ma covertly checked the time and then walked into the inner courtyard.

He approached the Shopkeeper, a smile on his face, and tossed aside the cane he had been holding.

"Shopkeeper, I've succeeded!"