Twilight Boundary-Chapter 494 - 486: The Master Who Does Not Eat Beef

"The Three Volumes of Heavenly Books: one for Nether Communication, one for Peeping Heaven, and one for summoning Divine Weapons to descend to the mortal world?"

Seeing his Big Senior Brother’s extremely serious expression, Hu Ma was taken aback for a moment. "Is there any Heavenly Book in that Ghost Cave? Inside, there was only a Big Red Robe on its last breath. It uttered a few words and died, making the place seem like a temporary refuge. Before its death, the Big Red Robe only revealed these secrets to me. As for any inheritance of abilities, there was nothing at all. My heart was full of doubts; how could I possibly know what this Heavenly Book they were anticipating even was?"

However, though slightly startled, he didn’t immediately deny it. Instead, while pondering, he silently sorted through his thoughts, secretly trying to understand things from their perspective.

Do they know that the Great Virtuous Master, or rather, Lao Junmei, is actually a Reincarnator? Unlikely! Perhaps they understood that this Great Virtuous Master was born with knowledge, possessed strange ideas and theories, and realized he was different from ordinary people. But at most, just like others in this world, they probably thought the Great Virtuous Master was an Evil Ghost crawled out from hell, or to put it nicely, a deity reincarnated and descended to the mortal world. However, they likely couldn’t grasp the concept of reincarnation itself. And from their perspective, it became clear how they saw him. He was just a little shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang who came to the territory of the One Coin Sect in search of Magic but inadvertently passed the Three Passes and Twelve Tribulations and received the inheritance of the previous Sect Hierarch, his identity suddenly becoming mysterious. Moreover, in their eyes, this inheritance likely wasn’t just the Great Mighty Heavenly General Seal. It probably included other miraculous things, such as the ’Three Volumes of Heavenly Books,’ which they considered omnipotent.

Once he understood this in his heart, he merely nodded slightly, not concealing his hesitation, and said, "I did indeed learn something. But I’m not sure if this is what you refer to as the Heavenly Books..."

He paused slightly, then looked the Big Senior Brother in the eyes and continued, "Do you need me to reveal it, so we can study it together?"

Upon hearing his words, Immortal Miaoshan, who was standing nearby serving tea, heaved a long sigh of relief. I knew it! The Sect Hierarch must have received some powerful teachings after entering the Ghost Cave. After all, he was just a little shopkeeper initially. He used to tremble when he saw me; he’d kowtow if I told him to. I even told him to acknowledge me as his master... though he wasn’t very obedient about that. But after he passed the Three Passes and Twelve Tribulations, anyone with eyes could see his whole demeanor changed. It even got to the point where I became afraid of him. Not just afraid, he even taught me how to rebel... Where did this ability and insight come from? How did he manage to subdue that Demon Corpse, ride the Stone Horse out of town, and slay the Eight Decline Gods? Undoubtedly, he learned it from the Three Volumes of Heavenly Books...

As Immortal Miaoshan’s thoughts wandered, the Big Senior Brother looked at Hu Ma’s composed gaze, gently shook his head, and sighed quietly, "The Three Volumes of Heavenly Books are all-encompassing, beyond what ordinary mortals can comprehend. If I were capable of learning them, the Young Master would have taught me long ago. He used to say, ’Those who are capable need no teaching; those who are not, cannot be taught.’ I suppose that’s precisely why he placed the Three Volumes of Heavenly Books in the Ghost Cave, awaiting the one destined to find them. Now that the Sect Hierarch has received this inheritance, it is already a great fortune for us of the Not Eating Beef. How could we dare to be so greedy and disrespectful?"

"That is good, then."

Hearing his sincere words, Hu Ma also nodded slightly.

He had to admit, he felt a subtle pressure from this Big Senior Brother of the Not Eating Beef, who looked like a simple old farmer from the countryside. The Great Virtuous Master had been missing for a long time, yet the Not Eating Beef had never ceased their rebellious activities. For these demon people to survive the onslaught of the Ten Surnames for twenty years without being extinguished, and still be plotting rebellion—their abilities were certainly not to be underestimated. And this Big Senior Brother was even more unfathomable. If a Reincarnator wanted to understand what had happened before, they couldn’t avoid the Not Eating Beef. By sheer luck, he had now become the Sect Hierarch of the Not Eating Beef, gaining many conveniences. However, he also had to be cautious. Being the Sect Hierarch of these demon people was no easy task. Just like the Red Lantern Lady and this Immortal Miaoshan—who was to say he wasn’t just a shield for others? In these chaotic times, those who rushed to the forefront were either destined to be Emperors or doomed to be scapegoats... He definitely needed to engage with the Not Eating Beef. It wasn’t just because they were connected to the Reincarnator’s secrets; their help would be valuable in many other matters too. Of course, one couldn’t only look at the bright side; necessary precautions were also essential.

With these thoughts, he spoke frankly to the Big Senior Brother, "Having experienced this Lantern Festival, I truly admire the ideology of the Not Eating Beef disciples—deceiving gods and ghosts, but not the common people. I admire your courage in granting blessings to the people and confronting Shousui’s great hall officer. But I also know that what you are all doing now are matters of great significance... Not to mention I have my own pile of troubles to deal with, even if I wanted to lend some help, with my abilities only at the level of having just pushed open the Second Mansion Gate..."

"Sect Hierarch, I understand everything you’ve said." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Although Hu Ma lacked confidence when he said this, the Big Senior Brother, however, appeared very understanding. He acknowledged Hu Ma’s words and nodded gently.

He was very old. His appearance was that of someone who had toiled in the fields his entire life; his skin was tanned dark by the sun, and his wrinkles were deep, making it difficult for others to discern his true thoughts. Yet, his expression seemed exceptionally sincere. He rose gently, placed a hand on his chest, and said softly, "In truth, the world generally regards us, the Not Eating Beef, as a religious sect, and we have indeed been waiting for the Sect Hierarch to appear. But in reality, the Not Eating Beef is more akin to a Tao lineage, or perhaps, a school of thought. For the past twenty years, my various martial brothers and I have scattered across the land. Each of us has followed our Master’s final behest: to observe this world, to observe its people. We weren’t merely focused on forcing that barbarian royal family to abdicate their throne; we were also engaged in learning. Our Master said we were too arrogant, that we needed to humble ourselves, to go among the common folk and learn the things he didn’t have time to teach us. He said if we weren’t humble enough, we should kneel. If we couldn’t bring ourselves to kneel, then we should break our own legs... He said that only by being humble enough could we begin to see certain problems.

"Looking back now, perhaps we have indeed identified some problems. We’ve seen the superficiality of this world, seen how wild ghosts have no haven and living humans no way forward. We have also been following our Master’s instructions, establishing karmic connections and causal links in various places, hoping that one day, they might contribute to achieving something great... Yet, we are often lost. The more we see, the more things there are that we cannot comprehend. The more we prepare, the more we realize how difficult it is to achieve great things. We’ve increasingly discovered the terrifying nature of the Ten Surnames and the great clans, to the point where even thinking about accomplishing such a grand undertaking feels like a joke..."

As he spoke, a hint of bitterness could be detected in his words. It was only briefly apparent before he concealed it again. He looked very earnestly at Hu Ma and said softly, "What we truly need... is guidance. Compared to addressing you as Sect Hierarch, I would much prefer to call you Virtuous Master."

Listening to these words, Hu Ma remained silent. After a long moment, he slowly exhaled.

He looked solemnly at the Big Senior Brother and said softly, "My abilities are limited; I wouldn’t presume to offer guidance. But as for these Three Volumes of Heavenly Books... I too hope to understand them quickly."

Their eyes met, and both saw sincerity in the other’s gaze. In that silent understanding, it felt as if a great weight had finally been lifted from both their shoulders.

Immortal Miaoshan, standing beside them, was growing a little anxious. The Sect Hierarch is, after all, the Sect Hierarch—the one we of the Not Eating Beef have waited twenty years for! Why are these two still speaking so cryptically? Still, it’s precisely this kind of attitude that actually makes one feel a bit more reassured.

Only then did Hu Ma finally feel at ease enough to start asking some questions.

Indeed, there were many things he wanted to understand, so he decided to stay temporarily in the grand mansion of the General Altar. He planned to remain for a few days to ask this Big Senior Brother of the Not Eating Beef about various matters: the origins of the Not Eating Beef, their preparations over the past twenty years, details about the Great Virtuous Master—his past experiences, the people he had met, and even his reasons for founding the Not Eating Beef.

Furthermore, this Big Senior Brother also informed Hu Ma about the plans and various preparations of the Not Eating Beef’s Eight Gates disciples, who were scattered throughout the various regions of the Yi Dynasty’s Seventy-two Paths. He even shared some of the secret codes and passwords used among the disciples.

However, while Hu Ma asked many questions about the former Sect Hierarch, even inquiring about some dharma methods within their Path, he tried his best to ask as little as possible about matters concerning their rebellion, such as name lists that could implicate people’s lives and families.

To put it bluntly, his relationship with the Not Eating Beef was like an arranged marriage. It was best for everyone to maintain a sense of propriety at the beginning and only delve into deeper issues after slowly becoming more familiar with each other.

After a day of discussions, when Hu Ma walked out of the grand mansion of the General Altar, he had a clearer understanding in his mind. The Not Eating Beef does seem to trust me as their Sect Hierarch, revealing all their secrets without reservation. However, it’s not certain they entirely believe *in* me. This Big Senior Brother possesses considerable abilities, and the more capable someone is, the less they tend to believe in such fantastical matters. So, while his respect for me is genuine, he’s far from being completely convinced or won over. Rather than saying he trusts me and is willing to revere me as his master, it’s more accurate to say he believes I have truly inherited the Three Volumes of Heavenly Books... But where on earth am I supposed to get this thing? Am I supposed to transcribe Sun Tzu’s ’The Art of War’ for them from memory, or perhaps something even more profound like the ’Tao Te Ching’? ...But I can’t remember any of it! I just wish Monkey Wine wasn’t a science Ph.D. If only I could run into a liberal arts Ph.D., then things would be much easier...

After pondering these matters for some time, he took out the Old Man Candidates for a Mount ascent painting he had earlier obtained from Immortal Miaoshan. Having experienced such significant events and gained a deeper understanding of the Not Eating Beef, he now felt a slight anticipation for entering the Ghost Cave a second time.

The Big Red Robe told me to awaken the Stone Horse and retrieve the item stored within its belly. I did that... The strange big seal that was tied to the old elm tree is also in my hands now. So, if I enter the Ghost Cave again, will things be different this time...?

With this thought in mind, he observed the painting once more. His Divine Soul separated from his body and slowly entered the scene within the artwork.

Having now cultivated the Great Mighty Sky General Seal, his Divine Soul was even more condensed. This time, he didn’t even see the ferocious tiger or the man-eating Jiao that had once blocked his path. He went directly to the front of the three passes and twelve tiers and, riding the ’elevator,’ entered straight into the cave.

With anticipation in his heart, this time, just as he entered, he immediately sensed that this Lifebound Spirit Temple was different from before.