Twilight Boundary-Chapter 508 - 500: Hu Family’s Collateral Relatives

Chapter 508: Chapter 500: Hu Family’s Collateral Relatives

"A family division is not something to be taken lightly."

Seeing the surprise and confusion on Hu Ma’s face, the mountain lord sighed gently and said, "Once a family like yours, the Hu Family, splits, even if you commit crimes beyond redemption deserving of the execution of nine generations, it would not affect them."

"Of course, if they commit a crime deserving the execution of nine generations, it wouldn’t affect your branch either."

"Back in the day, that was the case with your Hu Family. Under the witness of the ghostly gods, the family split and lived separately. Some took the family estate, some received fortunate treasures, and your branch received Zhensui Mansion."

"Thus, the Hu branch in Qingyuan, even with thousands of acres of fertile land and abundant wealth, is only the Qingyuan Hu Family, while your branch, even if enduring hardship in Dayang Village, remains one of the Ten Surnames, the Zhen Sui Hu Family!"

"..."

"This..."

Hu Ma was at a loss for words for a moment. After a long silence, he forced a smile and said, "Although it sounds like those good days that should have belonged to me are gone because of it."

"But why do I find it hard to understand?"

Even a fool knows that having skills is the foundation of life, so why would anyone want to separate Zhensui Mansion?

"..."

Could the Hu branch in Qingyuan be fools? In this chaotic world, no matter how much wealth your family accumulates, it’s just a fat sheep. Having skills in your hands is the key. Even I, a Reincarnator, can see this. Why would they do something so foolish?

"Because Zhen Sui Mansion isn’t easy to manage."

The mountain lord heard Hu Ma’s surprise and instead smiled faintly. Although his features were unclear, the sneer in his smile was evident. "It’s not that they don’t know the power of Zhensui Mansion; it’s that they don’t dare to bear the consequences of taking over Zhensui Mansion."

"Look at yourself."

"You are also a dignified member of the Hu Family, yet now you have to work for the small Blood Food Gang to make a living. Your father was the eldest son of the Qingyuan Hu Family, but he died inexplicably in the Black Wind Disaster."

"Your mother couldn’t endure the hardships on Old Yin Mountain, so your Granny sent her back home."

"The most prestigious branch of the Qingyuan Hu Family, reduced to just you and your Granny, struggling on Old Yin Mountain for twenty years. But eventually, even your Granny couldn’t escape..."

"..."

At this point, he also paused slightly, as if he couldn’t continue.

But as Hu Ma listened, he suddenly looked up, his expression slightly suspicious. "Are these things all related?"

"Yes."

After a long while, the mountain lord sighed softly and said, "On the surface, you can understand it as carrying a Heavy Weapon and standing out, hence being pressured and impoverished by enemies."

"But in terms of fate, it’s not unreasonable to see it as the inherent cost of taking over Zhensui Mansion—too much evil energy cutting off the blessing."

"..."

That actually made sense now...

Hu Ma felt a sinking feeling in his heart upon hearing the mountain lord’s words, as if something suddenly became clear.

This time in Shima Town, he met the second young master of the Tongyin Meng family. Although there were twists and turns, he indeed managed to kill him, but Hu Ma genuinely saw the gap between himself and those from the Ten Surnames.

The identity, status, family upbringing, the help from the Steward by their side, the treasures they wore, even the weight carried by a single "Meng" character—all were beyond what ordinary people could imagine, making the Hu Family’s downfall even harder to comprehend.

Thinking slowly, he said to the mountain lord, "If such a huge price was paid to take over Zhensui Mansion, then what... what could they have been after?"

"In this world, there are always people who are not in a hurry, but some are."

Facing Hu Ma’s inquiry, the mountain lord gave him a deep look and just sighed slowly. "It seems your Zhen Sui Hu Family belongs to the latter, the ones in a hurry. So even knowing a huge price had to be paid, they still took over Zhensui Mansion."

"As for the more specific reasons, I don’t know. It’s probably related to what’s spoken of inside the Stone Pavilion, but your Granny wouldn’t speak of it."

"You can ask her directly when you meet her."

"..."

"The Stone Pavilion Alliance, the Stone Pavilion Alliance again..."

As Hu Ma listened, his curiosity became uncontrollable. He eagerly wanted to know what kind of purpose caused a noble clan to abandon their greatest skill and for this Hu branch to willingly leave the ranks of nobles and endure hardship on Old Yin Mountain...

After a long while, he finally sighed and said, "Leaving aside everything else, if the Qingyuan Hu Family has already split and separated, why are they looking for us again now? What’s their plan?"

"That, I don’t know either."

The mountain lord, sitting behind the desk, sighed deeply, glanced at the lively table of the village family in front of him, and said, "Maybe upon seeing you’re still alive, they feel the cost of taking over Zhensui Mansion isn’t that terrifying after all."

"But having noticed their arrival, I must remind you, no matter what."

"After all, even as former remnants of the Zhen Sui Hu Family, they are now openly mingling with evil cultists from the Truth Sect, forming marriage alliances and becoming quite intimate. Perhaps they’re even thinking of an opportunity to return to the ranks of the nobles, even aspiring to become relatives of the new dynasty’s Emperor..."

"..."

"Truth Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Ma felt a chill in his heart, thinking of those people with green banners he saw at the foot of the mountain.

He urgently said, "I ran into them on my way here. Their details are unknown, so I didn’t act rashly. I was also going to ask you, senior, who these people are."

"Destiny Chasers!"

Speaking of these people, even the mountain lord’s ill-defined face seemed to darken. He said in a low voice, "In the past, they were notorious evil cultists, running a flesh market, sacrificing good people, hated and killed by all for their heinous crimes!"

"But now, the world has changed. Some have their eyes on their skills and foundation and want to use their strength to vie for the Emperor, even appointing a Heavenly Destiny General for them."

"The few uninvited guests from your Hu Family arrived with them, looking ambitious. They settled into the government office as soon as they arrived, surveying land, secretly contacting nobles, appearing to have plans to make Old Yin Mountain their Dragon Raising Land."

"..."

"Mingzhou government office?"

Hearing this, Hu Ma couldn’t help but be startled. The One Coin Sect also intended to rebel and vie for destiny but was merely plotting quietly in the mountains, not even revealing their heads, and they still attracted a great hall officer to sweep them out.

But this Truth Sect, arriving in Mingzhou, openly moved directly into the government office?

What is this even? Even if that government office was low-profile, it still held the nominal authority to govern Mingzhou. With the Truth Sect arriving and moving in, does this mean the entire Mingzhou directly surrendered to them?

The gap was far too great...

The Heavenly Destiny General chosen by the Ten Surnames and those noble families, everywhere they went, encountered smooth sailing, incomparable to the treatment of the wild and rebellious.

If they truly succeeded in the future, wouldn’t history record them as a Heavenly Destiny General perceiving the people’s suffering, with compassion for the world, thus rallying the masses, where state and county governments surrendered promptly in their path, embodying the notion "Destiny Shall Prevail"?

Did the Mingzhou government office just concede so easily to them? Is this a rebellion or a marriage?

Thinking this way, Hu Ma found it slightly amusing. He thought killing the one in green clothes and slaying five evil spirits had already pacified Mingzhou significantly, believing it would be stable for a while. But in just a few days, it turned into a coveted trophy for others?

"What do you think it’s for?"

Seeing Hu Ma’s astonishment, the mountain lord couldn’t help but chuckle and said, "Everyone knows there’s a noble from the Hu Family in Old Yin Mountain, whom neither gods nor demons dare to invade, nor evildoers dare to enter."

"So if even the Hu Family nodded, who would dare disrespect this Heavenly Destiny General?"

"..."

"What?"

Hu Ma suddenly realized, finding it both absurd and funny. "Wow, I’ve become their backing?"

The mountain lord also found it amusing, but there was a sense of helplessness in his laughter. He sighed lightly and said, "You don’t nod, but there’s always someone nodding for you. Others wouldn’t know these things, and after all, the people from the Qingyuan Hu Family are indeed also surnamed Hu."

"With such a status, wherever they go, they automatically represent an attitude..."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Ma understood the crux of the issue. His gaze turned slightly cold; although he was smiling, there was no warmth in his eyes.

"That’s how it is."

Seeing that he understood, the mountain lord sighed lightly and said, "I am not of the living, nor am I interested in this. Whether they are the Heavenly Destiny General or chasing the throne has nothing to do with me."

"What I care about is simply not wanting this region of Old Yin Mountain to fall into chaos."

His voice carried a hint of lament as he continued, "Nowadays, the entire world has become lightweight. Even Old Yin Mountain, guarding a land of eight hundred miles, cannot escape this fate. But with me here, it will still be somewhat better, ensuring favorable weather conditions, allowing the people to barely survive."

"But even such a place for barely getting by, in the eyes of those people, has become a fat granary. To accomplish great deeds, they eye this place first for money and food, fearing they will bring the calamity of war here."

"I can shield these mountain folk from natural disasters but not from man-made ones, and that’s why I called you back."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on the group of villagers with joyful expressions, softly saying, "Although it’s a separate family, after all, the bloodline is the same."

"Now, they might not genuinely intend to encroach, but they are indeed using this method to force you to show up. If you don’t respond, the situation in Mingzhou will become uncontrollable. If you do respond, all these years of hiding will have been in vain..."

"What will you..."

"..."

As he reached this point, he paused slightly, feeling the situation was tricky. However, to his surprise, Hu Ma remained calm as he listened to everything, then straightforwardly said, "Didn’t you just say, senior, that both branches of this family are completely separate? Even if the nine generations were to be executed, it wouldn’t impact the other side?"

"In that case, they are outsiders to me, not worth mentioning."

"Since they want to come to Mingzhou to stir trouble, it just so happens..."

He said this with a cold glint in his eyes, a sinister smile. "I came back in a hurry this time, didn’t bring anything, but I did bring back a fine blade that kills without staining with blood..."