Twilight Boundary-Chapter 536 - 527: Hu Ma Invites for a Drink

"Looks like we overestimated him..."

Inside the black sedan chair, a woman’s gentle voice resonated with a hint of amusement. "I initially thought that this Food-Protection General might be the Emperor Seed my cousin was searching for. But seeing him act like a hillbilly, I doubt his vision is really that poor. Now, this guy actually abandoned his people and came here alone. Is he so foolish as to be completely defenseless? Perhaps he’s merely a mountain bandit; why make such a fuss over it?"

...

Beside her, the Heavenly Destiny General had a grim expression, seemingly displeased by their contemptuous tone when saying ’Emperor Seed.’ After a pause, he said in a low voice, "This person has killed one of our Altar Masters, a Vice Altar Master, and dozens of followers."

"It may just have been a coincidence," the person in the sedan chair remarked indifferently. "The skills within the Path are varied and strange, but they are not always applicable in public. Your Altar Masters indeed have their talents, but most of them are not of the right path and cannot withstand the vigor of a human’s blood."

Hearing her words, the Heavenly Destiny General’s face notably darkened. He suddenly said, "Since we’ve found him, then..."

"...you’re not saying I can’t even break into a manor of the Red Lantern Society, are you?"

...

"I didn’t say you couldn’t break in," the person in the sedan chair said. "Even the Red Lantern Society isn’t stopping you; it’s just that the time isn’t right yet. Since the person has brought himself to you, why not take him? I’ll go with you!"

...

Even though she said she’d accompany him, when she gave the order, the nearby sedan bearers lifted the chair directly, leaving the Heavenly Destiny General to follow along instead.

In no time, a black sedan and over a hundred black riders moved forward. Lanterns swarming with moths guided the way ahead, and in the unseen shadows, mournful wails of resentful ghosts accompanied them as they gently swayed through the night towards the manor in Green Stone Town.

"Brother, you used to be fearless..."

In the manor at this time, Hu Ma met Yang Gong’s worried yet hopeful eyes. He pondered for a moment before slowly pouring wine for both Yang Gong and himself and then slowly spoke, "But now you’re afraid. Have you ever thought about why that is?"

"I..." Yang Gong, uneducated, feared questions in return. He was eager to speak but fell silent after uttering a single word. After a long while, he muttered in a low voice, "I used to have no way out. If I didn’t fight desperately, what else could I do?"

"In truth, it’s still the same," Hu Ma sighed gently and said. "Struggling for life essentially comes in two forms.

"One is to cling to life. As long as death doesn’t come for me, I can live. Life might not be great, but as long as others have it worse, I’m satisfied.

"The other is to rise and fight. Who cares about nobles or Incense Masters? If they dare provoke you, you batter through it... and you have always been the latter, which is what I’ve admired.

"Back in the Red Lantern Society, you dared to confront Great Incense Master Zheng, advancing with true skills. Who wouldn’t admire you for that?"

...

Listening, Yang Gong would’ve felt smug in the past, but now he found himself troubled.

"Now I..."

...

Hu Ma waved his hand. He had been listening to Yang Gong speak for a while, but now he wanted Yang Gong to listen to him. Slowly, he said, "While in the Red Lantern Society, besides opposing Great Incense Master Zheng, you had another way to live:

"That was by stepping on your brothers’ heads to climb upwards, ignoring those around you, and going to kowtow to that Zheng for some benefit. Could you not secure a bowl of rice that way?

"And look now, is there really much of a difference?"

Sighing low, he said, "Previously, you fought for dear life alongside a band of brothers who couldn’t survive. Now, you’re leading these impoverished villagers in a battle for life. Are you going to draw your sword as before, or are you planning to abandon yourself and live alone?

"If you toss aside the matters of the hills and head to the Truth Sect alone, they might accept you.

"Even if you don’t join the Truth Sect—just ignore the matters of the hills, haul away some treasures, and hide somewhere to live a modestly wealthy life—that’s also possible.

"However, this world will grow increasingly tumultuous. You might evade the matters here, but you can’t hide from those there. You might avoid this moment, but not the next. And the villagers in the hills cannot even evade things for this year...

"Everyone has no way out, so they follow you to fight for life. What are your plans?"

Reaching this part, he sighed gently, lifted his cup, and said, "By contrast, the chance to bow and scrape has existed from the past till now, hasn’t it?"

Yang Gong, hearing Hu Ma’s account, stood rooted there. He struggled to comprehend—a bit he understood and some he didn’t—but at certain key points, he understood:

No way out.

But still, the chance to bow and scrape...

It wasn’t so much Hu Ma’s words that moved him, but more like Hu Ma’s gaze at that moment reminded him of when he had first joined the Red Lantern Society. He suddenly gritted his teeth, as if in conflict with himself, biting hard, then raised his wine bowl. "I’ve never been taught since childhood, so I only know one way to live..."

...

"Then remember that way of living." Hu Ma clinked his cup with him, downing the potent wine. His eyes reddened slightly as he earnestly looked at Yang Gong and said, "From the beginning, I knew you wouldn’t choose otherwise. If you really would, you’d have fled long ago. Why come to me and say anything?

"But since you’ve come, I can give you a solid foundation. You don’t need to worry about anything...

"The opponents might be formidable, but those around you are more formidable. Don’t mind their abundance of talented individuals and strange treasures. As long as you cherish this bond of brotherhood, the talented individuals and strange treasures by your side will not be fewer than those of the Truth Sect...

"Just remember, compared to others, you have no clear advantage, except for your unique origins that are unmatched... 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"From the start as a little brother of Red Fragrance in the Red Lantern Society to today’s Food-Protection General, you didn’t rely on wily strategies or grand reputation. It’s merely because these people chose to trust you."

...

Yang Gong listened, and his heart was shocked. His expression became somewhat strained. "But, but my father-in-law said fools are the easiest to deceive..."

"Yes," Hu Ma gazed at him and replied sincerely. "Your father-in-law isn’t wrong; you should listen to him more. But I’m telling you about a different layer: those people are indeed the easiest to deceive in the world...

"But being easy to deceive doesn’t mean they lack insight. They are the most stubborn and the strongest.

"You must respect them and fear them...

"As long as you remember this, from this moment forward, ninety-nine percent of the people in this world stand with you. What will you have to fear in the future?"

...

CRACK...

Even Yang Gong hadn’t expected Hu Ma to say this. His intuition had vaguely anticipated Hu Ma’s previous words, but this final speech entirely surprised him.

Hu Ma’s words were simple and direct, yet possessed a kind of immediate and intense power that struck straight into his heart.

He felt he had heard something monumental, and his lips trembled for a long time before he spoke in a trembling voice, "Brother... what you told me, what is it?"

Hu Ma smiled at him and said, "These are principles the world hasn’t seen yet. I’ve only learned the surface. If you want to know, you can think of it as the secret of the Heavenly Book."

Yang Gong paused, surprisingly not doubting Hu Ma’s words. He instinctively shook his head. "No, how could the Heavenly Book be so simple? My father-in-law had me study military strategies and read writings, making my head spin and unable to grasp them... But what you said wasn’t even convoluted, yet it makes people... feel inspired!"

...

"That’s why it’s called the Heavenly Book, isn’t it?" Hu Ma genuinely gazed at Yang Gong. "I passed on to you this Heavenly Book; its value lies in being accessible to everyone—straightforward and direct—so you’ll never fear again. What I just shared isn’t even scratching the surface; there’s much more that’s powerful. Do you want to hear it?"

...

Yang Gong was so excited that his face turned red. The despondency he felt upon entering the manor vanished suddenly. He clenched his teeth tight, nodding hard, and was about to speak when suddenly, a fierce wind arose outside the manor.

The sound of galloping hooves seemed to rush closer quickly, mixed with wailing and howling sounds of ghosts. Even the manor’s gate, which Yang Gong had just fastened, was shaken by the gust—two slightly loose door panels noisily collided.

"This is bad..." Startled, Yang Gong rose, grabbing the knife beside him, exclaiming, "Things are turning for the worse... Are they really here to capture me?"

...

Hu Ma listened to the commotion outside but remained calm. "No need to worry," he told Yang Gong. "Sit down and continue drinking. This drink is on me. Since I’m hosting, I promise you’ll drink to your heart’s content with no one daring to disturb you."

As he spoke, he turned slightly and spotted Little Hongtang, who was propping her chin and watching their mundane banquet, curiously glancing outside the manor.

Seeing Hu Ma’s gaze turn towards her, and after he gave a slight nod, Little Hongtang finally brightened up. She hurried to the wall, grabbed the dusty Punishment Officer’s Great Saber, and swiftly climbed over the wall.

Bewildered, Yang Gong watched as the little ghost climbed over the wall and then glanced at the composed Hu Ma, unsure what to do.

Hu Ma looked at him and said, "You still haven’t answered my question. Are you ready to listen to what I want to tell you?"