Twilight Boundary-Chapter 441 - 435 Not Eating Beef Lord

"What?"

Looking at the One Cent Sect Leader, Immortal Miaoshan of the Not Eating Beef Sect, who just recently had an ethereal, high-and-mighty presence, now kneeling before him with a THUD, Hu Ma thought she must have met the Red Lantern Lady already.

He almost doubted his ears. "What did you call me?"

"Naturally, ’Sect Hierarch.’"

Immortal Miaoshan took a deep breath. Besides astonishment, her face showed an indescribable reverence and excitement as she hurriedly said, "Subdue tigers, subjugate Jiao, pass through the Three Ghost Gates, and ascend the twelve Bone-Stripping Stairs. Within our Not Eating Beef Sect, such a person is acknowledged as a heavenly being."

"Besides, you have karma with the Great Mighty Sky General Seal. You received its teachings in one night and entered the sect straight away. There is no doubt about it."

"You are the Heavenly Chosen One, the master of our Not Eating Beef Path’s Tao!"

"Acknowledged heavenly being... the Not Eating Beef Lord?"

Hu Ma hadn’t expected this twist. He had indeed subdued a fierce tiger and a Jiao. As for the Ghost Gate and the twelve tiers, those were directly waived for him.

Of course, outsiders couldn’t possibly know this, but the key is that Immortal Miaoshan, the one kneeling before me, was the one who showed me the painting. Could it be she intended to test me from the very beginning?

Feeling uncertain, he focused on the Taoist. "From the start, you showed me this painting to see if I could pass the test? Get up and speak!"

"This..."

Upon hearing his words, Immortal Miaoshan slowly rose, her expression becoming hesitant.

Hu Ma’s face darkened slightly, and he said, "Speak!"

Previously, Immortal Miaoshan had been full of rhetorical tricks, refusing to reveal the truth. But now, Hu Ma’s status in her eyes seemed completely different. At his sharp command, the immortal shivered and hurriedly confessed,

"No... it’s not like that..."

"Actually, when I first asked you, Sect Hierarch, to view the painting, I didn’t think you could clear this hurdle. For twenty years, the Not Eating Beef Path has had no common master. Many Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters thought they could pass the three gates and ascend the twelve Bone-Stripping Stairs to command respect, but they all failed..."

Hu Ma listened, somewhat confused, and looked at Immortal Miaoshan in surprise. "Then why did you let me see it?"

"Because... because you inadvertently entered the path of the Great Mighty Heaven Master General..."

Immortal Miaoshan began to stutter, cautiously saying, "The Great Mighty Sky General Seal is a technique our Ancestral Master of the Not Eating Beef Path cultivated. It is most unpredictable. Those without destiny cannot find its path despite diligent practice. Those with destiny, however, as though watched by this technique, progress rapidly even without practice."

"However, this dharma method is too weighty. It’s better for those without destiny. For those with destiny who enter this dharma method, their fate is often too light, and they are soon crushed by the technique, leading to their demise."

"Later, the Senior Brothers, by a stroke of luck, found this painting left by the Ancestral Master. It can alleviate the burden of this technique. For those Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters trying to cultivate this technique, once they realize their life essence is too shallow and can’t withstand it, they enter the painting to clear the obstacles."

"...Of course, they all failed. Subjugating fierce tigers and felling Jiao aside, passing the three gates and climbing the twelve tiers is like being flayed and having one’s bones stripped. No one can make it through. The process itself can kill a person several times over."

"But because of this, they could instead shave off thirty percent of their cultivation and also remove the seed of the Great Mighty Sky General Seal Technique that this technique leaves on a person."

"So..."

Listening to her truthful explanation, Hu Ma found it rather intriguing. He looked down at her. "So, you let me view the painting to..."

"Save your life..."

Immortal Miaoshan whispered, "You didn’t seem like a bad-hearted person. When the Demon Corpse attacked, you lent a hand. Obtaining the Great Mighty Sky General Seal was an accident. Inadvertently entering its path was an undeserved misfortune falling from the sky..."

"I only thought, as a mere manager of the small Blood Food Gang, how could you possibly bear the weight of this Seal Technique? Entering this painting and enduring some hardship would not be easy. But at least, at least you could stay alive..."

Listening to her convoluted explanation, Hu Ma was thoroughly confused. It took him a while before he said, "If you had this intention, why didn’t you make it clear earlier?"

"Both the Great Mighty Sky General Seal and this ghostly painting are secrets of our Not Eating Beef Path..."

Immortal Miaoshan furtively glanced at him. "I originally wanted you to become my disciple. Only then could I tell you. But you refused. I was quite angry then, but now I understand..."

"...Of course, you couldn’t become my disciple. You are the destined Lord of the Not Eating Beef Sect; I should be the one to bow to you!"

To think I’d foolishly become the Not Eating Beef Lord?

Hu Ma now understood the reasoning, but he found this change in identity somewhat bizarre.

No, it’s just being acknowledged by this one disciple of the Not Eating Beef Path. In reality, things are probably still far from settled.

Reflecting briefly, he found the matter incredibly absurd and instinctively wanted to decline. But then he suddenly realized this wasn’t an issue of being the Sect Hierarch of the Not Eating Beef Sect. The crucial point was that the Not Eating Beef Sect was the legacy of the previous generation’s Reincarnator.

It wasn’t about whether he became the sect leader or not; it was about inheriting this legacy.

Most crucially, after his conversation with Big Red Robe, a suppressed worry had already taken root in his mind. He wanted to clarify this matter. This meant efficiently and quickly uncovering the problems hidden within the Not Eating Beef Sect.

Therefore, the words of refusal didn’t come out. Instead, deep in thought, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Immortal Miaoshan.

While Hu Ma was engrossed in his thoughts, Immortal Miaoshan was also nervously peeking at him. She, too, was somewhat bewildered, wondering if she had unwittingly done something truly significant.

Hu Ma pondered for a moment and then said to her, "Come over here!"

Already anxious, Immortal Miaoshan once again knelt with a THUD and started to crawl forward.

"Holy shit..."

Hu Ma felt a headache coming on and quickly shouted, "Stand up and speak! No kneeling!"

"Ah!"

Immortal Miaoshan looked as if she had been struck by lightning, completely stunned. Although she scrambled up from the ground, she appeared both excited and thrilled, as if a sudden realization had dawned on her.

Hu Ma looked at her, somewhat speechless. "What’s wrong with you now?"

"I..."

Immortal Miaoshan’s voice trembled slightly. "I was young back then, so I never met the Ancestral Master. But I heard about him from the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."

"Back then, the Ancestral Master was just like this! He would shout, ’No kneeling!’ to enlighten them!"

"I was just wondering how it could be such a coincidence. Someone just happens to come along, immediately obtains the Ancestral Master’s technique, easily passes the three gates, and ascends the twelve Bone-Stripping Stairs. Could it be... could it be... Sect Hierarch, you’re not yet twenty this year, are you?"

Hu Ma looked at her excited expression and suddenly understood. This woman can’t be mistaking me for the reincarnation of the Great Virtuous Master, can she?

He found the idea preposterous. Yet, inexplicably, he recalled how Big Red Robe had suddenly drawn close to him earlier, and the subsequent astonishing change in attitude. A shadow immediately fell over his heart, and the mocking, teasing words he wanted to say caught in his throat.

Could this truly be a blessing for our Not Eating Beef Sect? Immortal Miaoshan also thought urgently.

There was a sense of unreality to it all, yet she felt that every detail of what she had witnessed was undeniably true.

Looking at Hu Ma again, she saw this minor manager of the Blood Food Gang. His bearing was steady, his manner composed. Even a simple frown from him seemed to carry an imposing air. This only made her more excited.

If I accidentally discovered the Sect Hierarch, wouldn’t my status within the Not Eating Beef Sect skyrocket? Wouldn’t I become one of his close confidants?

When the world is finally at peace and the Sect Hierarch becomes the State Preceptor, then wouldn’t I become...

The more she thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed. She felt that everything—from her agreeing with her Senior Brothers to come here and handle this matter, to encountering the Sect Hierarch, to her momentary decision to grant him the opportunity to view the painting—was all predestined.

The heart that had been thrown into a panic by the great hall officer gradually calmed. She focused intently on Hu Ma. "Sect Hierarch, your arrival is timely. You should show us a clear path..."

Hu Ma, still lost in his own thoughts, instinctively responded, "What?"

"Naturally, how to deal with that great hall officer who has come looking for trouble..."

Immortal Miaoshan said, "That blind fool, daring to cause us trouble right before the Lantern Festival! We must teach him a lesson. This will also show the surrounding commoners the capabilities of our One Coin Sect. Once we have their support, starting an uprising won’t be difficult."

"Holy shit..."

Startled by her sudden mention of this, Hu Ma finally remembered what Calculation had rushed over to tell him earlier. His heart skipped a beat. What sort of Sect Hierarch am I?

I haven’t even established myself, yet I’m already expected to shoulder this responsibility and go up against that great hall officer?

This matter was too significant; he couldn’t commit yet. He needed to be able to withdraw if necessary. However, since he had decided to dig out some genuine information from within the Not Eating Beef Sect, he didn’t rush to refuse. Instead, he said, "Don’t call me Sect Hierarch for now. But if I have questions for you, you mustn’t hide anything from me."

Immortal Miaoshan immediately nodded. "Understood, General."

’General’? What the hell is that now?

Hu Ma found this rather strange. "Don’t use that title either."

Immortal Miaoshan was momentarily stunned. Who knew what went through her mind, but she tentatively asked, "Uncle Master?"

"Uncle Master?"

Hu Ma was taken aback for a moment. "How is this seniority determined?"

Immortal Miaoshan quickly explained, "Within the Not Eating Beef Sect, there is only one Ancestral Master and a few Uncle Masters who vanished long ago. All other disciples, regardless of age or depth of cultivation, are simply addressed as Senior Brother or Senior Sister."

"But you, Sect Hierarch... you are different. Even to avoid any impropriety, addressing you as Uncle Master is the most suitable."

"Uncle Master it is, then..."

Hu Ma slowly exhaled, then looked at her. "Setting other matters aside for now, you’re all hiding in these mountains, preparing for such a major undertaking. Did you never consider that a great hall officer or someone from the government might come looking for you?"

Immortal Miaoshan was slightly taken aback but quickly replied, "Of course, we considered it. We are well-practiced in dealing with such things."