Twilight Boundary

The surroundings were gloomy and pitch-black. The ghost temple club was in full swing, yet it carried a chilling, ghostly aura.

An eerie wind blew from an unknown direction. In the shadows, something unclear and inexplicable seemed to flit about. A bone-chilling coldness rolled in like night fog, making the roadside weeds RUSTLE and sway.

All around, there was a dead silence. The townspeople kept their doors and windows tightly shut. Only at the Manor, beneath high-hanging red lanterns, did it appear bustling and lively.

The scent of wine and meat rose into the air. The voices of the workers shouting and calling out traveled far into the quiet night. Even those performers near the Manor couldn't help but frown, feeling a peculiar unease.

In their eyes, it seemed as if the Manor had a dozen or so stoves burning. It was so unbearably warm, even in the dead of winter, that people had shed their thick cotton coats.

As a result, the rattle outside the Manor was struck ever more urgently. In the darkness invisible to the human eye, something else was being urged on, inch by inch, eager to squeeze into the Manor.

Meanwhile, Hu Ma was telling jokes to the tipsy workers. "Have you heard of the 'Four Softs'?" he asked.

The workers' eyes glazed over. "What are the 'Four Softs'?"

Hu Ma chuckled. "This is something the Second Master from our village said: a cotton bale, a willow twig, sun-ripened persimmons, and a woman's waist..."

The workers burst out laughing, their faces flushing with excitement.

Zhou Datong, overhearing, laughed and picked up the thread. "Is that all? There's more! The 'Four Hards,' the 'Four Tenders,' and the 'Four Limps.' Have you heard of those?"

The workers didn't know what these referred to, but for some reason, just hearing the names got them excited. Their faces glowed, and their eyes practically shot sparks.

"With Datong here, we're set..."

Hu Ma looked at the workers' excited expressions and couldn't help but think to himself. Perhaps I should just tell them some racy bits from that Golden Plum novel to keep them entertained. Of course, it would definitely have an effect, but my image as a calm and dependable junior manager would probably be shattered instantly. Datong is a good brother, and very talented indeed...

As he drank, he nonchalantly glanced outside the Manor. The sky seemed to grow even darker, noticeably more so than before. An eerie wind circled the Manor, WHOOSHING restlessly, as if something was desperately trying to get in.

But as it happened, the workers were eating well, drinking well, and thoroughly enjoying the stories. Their attention was completely focused, utterly engrossed, like an egg with no cracks for anything to seep through.

Of course, it was fortunate that the ones who came today were from the Tan'er Sect. If it had been a beauty-type evil spirit... ...we would likely have been wiped out.

But seeing that this method had held them off for quite some time, whatever was outside seemed to be growing more anxious. Hu Ma listened to the rattle clattering outside; it was being struck so fast it seemed like it would start smoking.

After an unknown amount of time, a gust of sinister wind suddenly blew out of nowhere. It chilled the workers to the bone, instantly snapping them out of their reverie and excitement.

Looking down, they saw the bonfire roasting the sheep suddenly flare up with a WHOOSH. The flames quickly died down, as if cowering in fear. The red lanterns above their heads, swayed by this sinister gust, began to swing gently, causing the red shadows of the people on the ground to flicker and sway.

"Huh?"

Someone finally reacted, turning dumbly to look outside the wall. "Those performers... haven't they left yet?"

CRASH!

Hu Ma had been watching for this. Seeing the workers' attention diverted, he suddenly rose and smashed his bowl on the ground. The sound immediately drew the workers' startled gazes.

Hu Ma, his face full of displeasure, cursed towards the outside of the Manor. "Damn it all, what a buzzkill! We brothers here in the Manor work ourselves to the bone every day. It's taken months for us to finally get a decent meal with meat and some wine to drink!"

"Don't tell me some evil spirit has actually been drooling over our food and wants to come sneak a bite?"

"This is outrageous bullying! Do they really think we brothers are easy to mess with? Why don't they go ask around? Which evil spirit from all the villages in this area hasn't been driven away by us?"

"Whoever dares to cause trouble again, believe it or not, we'll blast you to death with a True Yang Arrow!"

...

By now, not much of the sheep was left, and the workers were about seventy to eighty percent drunk.

That recent blast of sinister wind had sobered them slightly, but hearing Hu Ma cursing so vehemently immediately stirred their emotions.

People are easily angered when drunk, especially since Hu Ma's words resonated with them. Although they all feared evil spirits, they patrolled every night and had never encountered any that dared to offend the Red Lantern Lady. So, naturally, they had a bit of bravado, like the fox borrowing the tiger's might.

Coupled with the fact that Hu Ma, whom they had always trusted, took the lead in cursing, they all joined in, swearing loudly.

Streams of profanities poured from their mouths. Some even stood up, jumping and clapping as they cursed.

That gust of sinister wind that had penetrated the walls was actually suppressed by their uproar. The flames of the fire roasting the sheep gradually flared up again, and that bone-chilling sinister wind vanished.

"Very good, don't stop!" Hu Ma encouraged them, very pleased with their reaction.

A stove fire could ward off evil spirits, and so could profanity and anger. In Dayang Village, the Second Master had once said that if you encountered Wandering spirits at night, cursing loudly would keep them from daring to approach.

Besides, now it was like seven or eight human furnaces cursing together!

Of course, he also understood that what they were facing now wasn't just Wandering spirits. Though this tactic was temporarily effective, it might also provoke the enemy's anger.

So, while the workers were cursing up a storm, he quickly got up and went to the kitchen. He returned with a few live roosters, a pot of brown sugar water that Li had just prepared, and some boiled eggs.

He gave Zhou Datong a meaningful look, signaling him to continue keeping the atmosphere lively, while he himself quickly moved to the edge of the Manor grounds.

He slit a rooster's throat with his knife, sprinkling its blood in a circle around the Manor. Then he went to the Manor's gate, threw out the still-flapping rooster, placed the pot of sugar eggs at the entrance, lit a few incense sticks, and waited silently.

The night was pitch-black. Outside the Manor, it was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

He heard the rooster he had thrown out FLUTTER a couple of times, then it suddenly vanished as if something had swallowed it whole.

"Have they come yet?"

Hu Ma turned to see Little Hongtang squatting beside him. Her face was filled with worry—or rather, fear—as she stared intently outside.

As soon as night had fallen, she had come out of her room. She would occasionally climb onto the roof or the walls on either side, only to scurry back as if startled, yet she didn't dare approach the table where Hu Ma and the others were drinking.

Those workers earlier had been truly frightening.

Only now did she dare to come near Hu Ma. When he asked his question, she shook her head.

"This..." Hu Ma trailed off.

Hu Ma could only wait patiently. He felt the cold, gloomy air outside the Manor grow heavier, chilling him to the bone.

He also noticed that by the two tables behind him, the workers, who had been so boisterous just moments ago, had fallen silent. Only Zhou Datong was still trying to keep up the cursing, but his voice sounded very faint and strained.

Outside in the courtyard, the grass suddenly rustled. Then, a voice came from behind him, "Junior Manager, you certainly have a lot of old enemies visiting you tonight..."

Hu Ma jumped in fright and quickly turned around. He saw Li's body contorting unnaturally, his eyes darting around, while his voice, sharp and hoarse, addressed him. Li was looking at him with a peculiar gaze.

How did he get possessed so quickly?

Hu Ma was taken aback, then he quickly understood. In the entire Manor, Li was the one most susceptible to possession—no one else even came close.

"Don't eat it!"

Seeing Li start to stick his fingers into his mouth as he spoke, Hu Ma quickly stopped him. "Good neighbor," he said, "we're all on the same side here. It's fine to borrow his body to talk, but please spare his fingers. He's the one who brewed the brown sugar water for you..."

The entity possessing Li reluctantly lowered his fingers. "Why did you call us here?" the entity asked through Li.

"Isn't it obvious enough?" Hu Ma replied, glancing outside the Manor. "The ghost temple club is in full swing out there. We have a relationship, don't we? We see each other all the time. Could your family lend a hand?"

The entity in Li said, "Your Red Lantern Lady is so formidable. What help could you possibly need from us?"

Hu Ma quickly said, "She's high and mighty, true, but is her connection with you as deep as ours?"

"Good neighbor, even if you don't help me out this time, at least help me see what kinds of things have gathered outside..."

...

This was also part of his plan. He knew from the start that this night would be far from peaceful, and he had no idea what formidable entities the Tan'er Sect might have summoned.

He especially didn't dare let Little Hongtang go out to scout, genuinely worried that Aunt Tan might gobble her up in a single bite.

The only ones he could ask for help were this nest of Yellow Immortals. Their family was extremely fierce. They had killed Xu Ji back then, and even the old shopkeeper had assumed they would surely be terrified and flee into the Old Yin Mountain. But, in reality, they hadn't gone anywhere.

They still roamed the surrounding area, merely avoiding conflict with the night patrollers. Of course, most of the time, Hu Ma also pretended not to be aware of their existence.

Now that Hu Ma had prepared offerings, he was waiting to see if they would show up. If they came, it would mean they weren't too afraid of the things outside and could help him scout the situation.

If they didn't, it would mean they too had been scared off. The f*u@l*l+ s%e&rie&s is h!o!s+te.d- on My V+i#rt%ual* Li.b.ra%r*y@ Em^p^ir*e&,. kn-ow@n as M+V7%LE*MPYR.@

"There are quite a few entities out there," the Yellow Immortal possessing Li said, its eyes flicking towards the pot of sugar eggs outside the Manor. "And their offerings are much more generous than yours... Our family is righteous, though. We'll eat a few of your eggs and help you with this small matter. But we can't handle anything more."

Hu Ma quickly said, "Many thanks, many thanks."

The entity in Li paid no heed to his thanks and asked directly, "So, what will you offer next time?"

Hu Ma replied, "How about ten chickens?"

A look of delighted surprise flashed across Li's face before he suddenly collapsed, unconscious. The entity possessing him had already departed.

Hu Ma heard a commotion outside. In the darkness, a yellow shadow seemed to flash by, and the small pot containing the sugar eggs was snatched away.

He breathed a small sigh of relief but still didn't dare let his guard down. He called Zhou Datong over to carry the unconscious Li back inside. Then, turning to the workers, whose faces were etched with terror—the fear having completely sobered them up—he said in a low, grave voice,

"Don't ask any questions. All of you, go back to your rooms. Bar the doors and windows tight, and don't come out no matter what you hear!"

...

The workers, initially tense and bewildered, stood stunned for a moment. Then, with a WHOOSH, they scrambled up and dashed back to their rooms.

Hu Ma sighed softly. He sat alone by the table and swept the messy cups and plates onto the ground. He then placed his Wooden Sword and waist knife on the tabletop and, all by himself, stared out into the oppressive night.

He had relied on too many external forces tonight. For the remainder of the night, he would have to depend on himself.