Twilight Boundary

Red Lantern Lady...

Whether it was the Ninth Grandpa carrying the altar on his back, the old shopkeeper, or Sister Wu He wrapped in dog skin, they all understood what that momentary flash of red light truly signified. They also knew, with chilling clarity, what kind of presence could make itself known so suddenly, bringing with it such immense pressure that even Aunt Tan's resentment was suppressed. Within a ten-mile radius, only the Red Lantern Lady possessed such imposing authority.

"You... you actually invited the Red Lantern Lady?"

The Ninth Grandpa's laughter died in his throat, turning into a gasp of surprise. His voice grew hoarse. He couldn't understand. This man, Wu, had fought so desperately for the Blood Food for so long; why would he summon the Red Lantern Lady in the end?

But he also hadn't anticipated the look of utter despair and confusion on the old shopkeeper's face as he too stared towards the Manor. "Why would I invite her?" Shopkeeper Wu muttered, aghast. "If I intended to invite her, why would I have guarded it for so long, gone through all this trouble? What would it all have been for?"

...

If I wanted to invite her, I would have done so much earlier, he thought. I truly don't understand how the Red Lantern Lady was summoned.

To be safe, I explicitly taught no one in the Manor the method to call upon the Red Lantern Lady. I even made sure to use less oil in the lanterns...

Most critically, if the Red Lantern Lady arrives, then all my meticulous plans...

"You, Wu! Shopkeeper Wu!"

After a suffocating moment of silence, the Ninth Grandpa of the Tan'er Sect suddenly had a realization, shouting, "The Red Lantern Lady wasn't invited by you, was she?"

"You're not that foolish! If she's disturbed, neither of us gains anything. Let's stop fighting. It's better we each just leave..."

"At worst, we each take half of this Blood Food and get out of here before she arrives!"

...

The proposal sounded utterly preposterous. Both sides were locked in a blood feud, their differences irreconcilable. If they actually did that, how could they face themselves?

However, Shopkeeper Wu was indeed consumed by hatred. Images of his dead apprentices and assistants flashed through his mind. But as his fury seethed, a strange impulse stirred within him. He looked fiercely at the Ninth Grandpa, a new thought suddenly crystallizing.

His hatred for the Tan'er Sect was genuine, never feigned, but now... now he was genuinely tempted.

Should they seize this chance and flee?

Or should he wait for the Red Lantern Lady to arrive, offer her this batch of Blood Food, and claim he was atoning for his actions?

The latter was undoubtedly safer, but the former promised a far greater reward.

Only he truly understood the value of this Blood Food; it was a fortune that would take him countless years of service to the Red Lantern Society to earn.

Furthermore, while he still possessed some fighting strength, his substitute was already dead.

Even with his third-tier Shousui man abilities, he wasn't confident he could withstand Aunt Tan's assault. If it came down to a real fight, he might not last until the Red Lantern Lady arrived from the Manor...

Wu He, at this moment, also tore the dog skin from her head and cried out, "Master, kill them!"

"Avenge us! Let's return the Blood Food!"

...

"Ninth Grandpa, we have to go!" the other members of the Tan'er Sect yelled, "Otherwise, when that Red Lantern arrives, we'll be..."

They had only clashed for a short while, yet all of them had been severely injured by the old shopkeeper.

Despite their followers' urgent cries, neither the Ninth Grandpa nor the old shopkeeper dared to make a move.

The Ninth Grandpa worried that if he tried to leave now, Shopkeeper Wu would desperately try to delay him, costing them precious time. Meanwhile, the old shopkeeper knew that if a fight broke out now, the Tan'er Sect would also fight with the fury of cornered beasts. Without his substitute, he wouldn't have the upper hand. Moreover, even if he managed to stall his opponent, once the Red Lantern Lady arrived, this Blood Food would be lost to him—not even a sliver would remain his...

Thinking it over, perhaps splitting it between them truly offered the greatest profit?

His heart gave a lurch. He abruptly turned his head, his eyes locking with the Ninth Grandpa's, a silent, desperate agreement seeming to pass between them.

Just then, a cold chuckle suddenly emanated from the shadows.

Both sides froze, holding their breath. They had been so fiercely engaged in their battle that they hadn't noticed when this person had arrived.

Or perhaps... had she been waiting there all along?

Peering through the gloom, they could vaguely discern a slender female figure. Something was perched on her shoulder, only a pair of glowing eyes visible in the darkness.

The woman let out a cold sneer but said nothing. Instead, she seemed to slowly draw an object from her robes. With a light shake, it produced a clear, ringing sound—it was a small bell.

As the bell chimed, the porters, who had stood woodenly by without participating in the brutal fight, began to stir. One by one, they picked up their shoulder poles, hoisted the sacks of Blood Food, and, ignoring everyone around them, slowly walked towards the woman...

"You..."

Witnessing this sudden turn of events, the people present finally seemed to snap back to their senses.

Abruptly turning their heads, the Ninth Grandpa and Shopkeeper Wu saw the same dazed confusion on each other's faces. Then, a horrifying thought struck them simultaneously:

"Someone here to pluck the peach?"

...

They had fought each other to the brink of death, only for someone else to be waiting in the wings to snatch the prize?

A wave of shocked, urgent absurdity washed over Shopkeeper Wu and the members of the Tan'er Sect. Shopkeeper Wu shouted harshly, "Friend, what's your affiliation?"

But the other party didn't answer, merely standing there silently as the impassive porters walked past her, heading into the darkness behind.

The Ninth Grandpa of the Tan'er Sect and the old shopkeeper were both unnerved by this eerie figure. Having confirmed she wasn't an ally of their opponent only made the situation more bizarre and unimaginable.

In their desperation, they could no longer hold back. Both men leaped forward, launching ruthless attacks at the silent figure. One clapped his hand onto his already cracked altar, rapidly chanting a spell.

Instantly, a deep, resentful aura, wrapped in the night wind, surged towards the motionless woman.

The old shopkeeper, simultaneously, flipped open his bundle, withdrew a Chain Dart, and with a sharp flick of his wrist, sent it whistling through the air, aimed straight at her heart.

It wasn't just the two of them; the surrounding members of the Tan'er Sect also reacted, simultaneously channeling the resentful energy of their Aunt Tans.

Both sides had suddenly allied, directing all their attacks at this mysterious individual—the danger was immense!

But the woman in the shadows, shaking the bell, seemed utterly unconcerned. She stood there, perfectly still. However, the creature with the luminous eyes on her shoulder suddenly opened its mouth and emitted a raspy, piercing, and utterly bizarre cat's cry.

The shriek was incredibly chilling, carrying an almost tangible pressure in the night air. Everyone present felt their heads spin, their limbs grow heavy; they were momentarily rooted to the spot.

With that cry, something in the air seemed to explode. The old shopkeeper's powerfully thrown Chain Dart abruptly reversed direction in mid-flight.

It flew back towards him, faster and heavier than when he had thrown it, and slammed into his chest with a sickening thud. He was sent tumbling backward and a spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

The Tan'er Sect fared even worse. The currents of sinister wind they had summoned recoiled upon them. The altars they held began to explode, one after another. The Aunt Tans within let out desperate, tragic shrieks as red and white remnants scattered across the ground.

With just that single exchange, both the Tan'er Sect and the old shopkeeper realized the terrifying power of their new adversary.

If both sides had been at their full strength, they might have stood a chance. But now, they were all battered and depleted. Where would they find the courage to resist?

The Ninth Grandpa of the Tan'er Sect, his voice hoarse with despair, cried out, "Friend, who in the world are you?"

"At least leave us your name, so we know we lost fair and square!"

...

Silence.

Then, another low, cold chuckle came from the figure in the shadows, who still offered no answer, only that chilling sound.

The porters had already walked past her and vanished into the darkness. She stopped ringing the bell and seemed about to turn and leave, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, she began to walk forward.

This movement sent a shiver of fear through the Tan'er Sect members and the old shopkeeper. They tensed, thinking she was about to silence them all. To their surprise, she merely walked over to Wu He and gently raised her hand.

Wu He, startled, instinctively tried to leap up and resist. But before she could react, the woman's slender fingers had already touched the dog-pelt hood.

With a flick of her wrist, she tore a piece of the dog skin from Wu He's back.

Wu He cried out in agony, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing for death. Even the old shopkeeper, desperate, tried to jump up, but the strange cat on the woman's shoulder fixed him with its gaze, and an immense weight seemed to press down on him.

Yet, the woman did nothing more to Wu He. She merely produced a tinderbox, struck it alight, and shone its flame briefly on Sister Wu He's exposed back. She let out a quiet, hoarse laugh. "Pitiful. It truly is the evil skill of Beast Creation..."

"However, the Tan'er Sect's methods for cultivating their Aunt Tans are commendable, though their Beast Creation Technique isn't quite up to par."

"If you could find someone from the Divine Hand Zhao Family, she might not be beyond saving..."

...

Having said this, she paid them no further mind. She turned, and with the gentle, fading jingle of her bell, she vanished into the night.

By the time they recovered their senses, the bell-ringing woman had long since led the porters away, disappearing into the darkness.

She had come strangely and departed swiftly.

The remaining people on the field stared at each other, completely bewildered. Who knew what any of that was supposed to mean?

After a long moment, Shopkeeper Wu suddenly snapped back to reality. He, too, felt that the mysterious person had arrived with uncanny abruptness and left with decisive finality, exuding an indescribable aura of enigma.

But the facts of the situation allowed no room for hesitation. The Blood Food was gone. The Red Lantern Lady was probably going to arrive very soon. Most importantly, he no longer had his substitute. Just moments ago, fighting the Tan'er Sect, he might have been far from their match...

But now... now their altars were mostly destroyed, while he, despite having coughed up some blood, still had the strength to fight!

As this realization struck him with sudden clarity, his eyes fixed on the Tan'er Sect members with a fierce, predatory glint. And it was only when the old shopkeeper's burning gaze fell upon them that the Ninth Grandpa and the few surviving cultists jolted, a chilling premonition dawning in their hearts.

This old bastard wants to silence us!

"Boys, fight for your lives!" the Ninth Grandpa roared.

...

Another desperate, brutal melee erupted. But the mysterious woman was already long gone, vanished without a trace.