Twilight Boundary-Chapter 544 - 535 Indecent Private Worship

"Who did I offend this time...

"Ever since this wretched temple was built, I haven’t even stepped out of the front or back gates. Yet, the Right Protector keeps forcing me to learn how to bestow marriages, how to bless people with sons...

"...I never even had a child when I was alive. How should I know what advice to give those people when they come and bow, asking for sons?

"But now that I’ve ended up here, why is there no peace? Everyone says building a temple is good, but how does it feel like the more temples we build, the more I’m being turned into a subordinate? It was better before when I was just following the Right Protector, pretending to be a ghost in the woods to scare passing merchants and rob them of their gold and silver...

"Back then, they all called me the Red Lantern Ghost, but I still enjoyed the incense offerings, never worrying! Later, they called me a scourge of Mingzhou, but life was still pleasant. Now, they call me the Case God, and it’s as if I have no face left...

"They say I harmed an entire city, but I don’t even know how it happened. They want to turn me to dust...

"...They said at the beginning that the worst that could happen was being a foot-washing maid!"

When Hu Ma led Li and the others to Zhu Gate Town, the place was almost deserted. Only rows of red lanterns hung, swaying in the cold wind, a faint sound of lament and wailing seeming to drift from them.

The incense master, Worshippers, and managers had mostly fled. Those who hadn’t yet grasped the situation looked bewildered, clutching their weapons, uncertain of what to do or where to go.

As Hu Ma watched from the town entrance, he couldn’t help but sigh. "When I first joined the Red Lantern Society, there wasn’t even a temple. Yet we were strong in numbers and talents, with a depth that seemed impenetrable. Now that Mingzhou has only just begun to show signs of chaos, the difference between these jianghu sects and a true competition of fortune has become apparent. There are clearly many capable individuals, yet they are utterly vulnerable! But it is precisely at times like these that our loyalty shines brightest..."

A thought stirred within him: Could it be that after so long, I finally have a chance to enter the core management of the Red Lantern Society?

He hurriedly instructed Li and the others to pull themselves together, secure the livestock, and guard the items on the cart. With bold and spirited steps, they headed into the town. Before they even arrived, Li and the others were shouting, "Hu Ma, the Shopkeeper from Green Stone Town, is here to protect the entourage..."

Strictly speaking, the term "protect the entourage" was not appropriate, but Hu Ma thought to himself that since the Red Lantern Lady was now a Case God, any slight overstep should not be of concern.

Meanwhile, in the mansion inside the town, Left Protector Shen Hongzhi was also overwhelmed. Ever since news arrived yesterday of the Truth Sect’s impending attack, the number of people remaining in the town had dwindled.

Some left a note and ran off under the pretense of going out on business. Some claimed they had to return home to attend the wedding of their eighty-year-old mother as a groomsman. These were the ones who followed protocol. Many more simply vanished without a word, some even taking valuables with them.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. "Every one of them, once the Lady gets through this ordeal, will need to be properly dealt with!"

The Red Lantern Society wasn’t inherently disorganized. When fighting the green-clothed Evil Ghost, discipline was strict. Those selected knew they were facing certain death but had to brace themselves and go.

Now, however, the situation was different. When facing the green-clothed Evil Ghost, the Red Lantern Society held the upper hand. Even if they lost the advantage, they still had the strength afterward to retaliate against those who did not follow the rules, killing entire families without hesitation.

But with the Truth Sect, not only was victory unlikely, but losing meant even the Red Lantern Lady’s temple couldn’t be preserved, leaving no possibility for retaliation. Therefore, the members fled without any real pressure to stay.

Even she, a Protector, could only utter harsh words; deep down, she knew she was at her wit’s end.

But just as she watched the people of the town leave, unable to stop them, she suddenly heard someone was coming to "protect the entourage." Her heart suddenly leaped with joy.

Hurriedly, she went out to welcome them, only to see Hu Ma arriving with only seven or eight companions, pulling a large cart, leaving her once again stunned.

"Just a few people, what can they accomplish?"

Yet, as she reconsidered, her heart filled with despair. Facing such formidable opponents, only those with a sense of righteousness would think of our Lady, like my sworn sister and this loyal little leader. What more can one ask for?

If I have to run later, I must take them with me. Such loyal brothers will be useful when we try to rise again...

So she hastened to invite them into the town, directly into the residence opposite the Red Lantern Lady’s Case God Temple, where they sat down with the Left Protector personally accompanying them for tea. In the past, Hu Ma, as a little shopkeeper, would at most have been seated with the incense master, never having the honor of such company.

Indeed, chaotic times seemed favorable for advancement.

Once seated with tea served, the three exchanged wide-eyed glances. The Left Protector then broke the silence, "The Truth Sect is fierce these days, and with so few people left in the society, how can we contend with them?"

Hu Ma picked up the tea, took a sip, and said, "If they act unreasonably, why be polite? If they really come, we’ll fight!"

Gua Shao, sitting nearby, rolled his eyes at Hu Ma, pretending not to recognize him. But upon hearing this, he immediately slapped his knee and said, "Then let’s fight!"

Later, when we try to rise again, perhaps I shouldn’t bring these two along...

Just as she was thinking of what to say, there was a sudden cracking sound outside. A gust of wind, from who knows where, suddenly swept into the town, sending sand and stones flying, making all the window sashes, door panels, and lanterns tremble.

Her face turned pale with fear. "It’s happening already?"

A large contingent emerged from Mingzhou Prefecture City. Amidst a swirling, ominous wind, a black sedan chair appeared, accompanied by two maids, four servants, and a Red Fire Bull, with the Heavenly Destiny General wearing a black cloak riding on top. Dozens of horsemen followed.

Further behind were two rows of Truth Sect Altar Masters holding green banners, along with over a hundred members with gloomy dispositions and brimming with killing intent, forming a dense crowd. It seemed as if everyone who had remained in Mingzhou City was now part of this procession.

With such a grand procession, not only Zhu Gate Town but even the people along the way, including the nobles in Mingzhou City, were frightened, sending people to trail them from afar just to gather information.

The Truth Sect members advanced with murderous intent but halted about three miles from Zhu Gate Town, not entering it directly. Several Altar Masters, carrying green banners emblazoned with the character for ’Truth,’ dismounted, stepped forward, and thrust their green banners into the ground.

THUD!

Eight green banners were planted simultaneously, and the eight Altar Masters began to circle them, chanting incantations.

As they chanted and circled, the banners began to spin, unleashing gusts of ominous wind. One by one, vindictive souls and Evil Ghosts climbed out from beneath the banners, carried by the ominous wind towards Zhu Gate Town.

Those with weak fire qi could even see Evil Ghosts, covered in chains, crawling rapidly along the ground straight towards the Red Lantern Lady’s temple.

In front of the Red Lantern Temple, Hu Ma sensed the wind outside and was shocked. Good heavens! No introductions or charges, just directly snatching people? This style is even more domineering than our Zhensui Mansion!

Ignoring Gua Shao’s winks of excitement, he turned his head to look at the red lantern in the temple opposite. Surely Er Guotou, of all people, couldn’t have chosen someone who can’t rise to the occasion?

SIZZLE!

As he pondered, the wind within the town grew fiercer, toppling wooden structures. Meanwhile, in the small Case God Temple, merely a few dozen square feet in area, the red lantern suddenly glowed with an eerie light.

The light instantly filled the small Case God Temple, even breaking through the roof tiles to illuminate the deep blue night sky.

With the lighting of this one red lantern, all the unlit red lanterns hanging throughout the town began to glow one by one, forming a blazing array of red lanterns.

Though the Red Lantern Lady was timid, seeing so many Evil Ghosts rushing into her temple to capture her spurred her to resist. If one listened closely, indistinct cries of "Unjust!" and "Don’t bully me!" could be heard.

It gave the impression of someone being unfairly seized, struggling and crying out in protest.

The only problem was, her struggle seemed somewhat intense. Wherever the red light shone, chilling, ominous winds whipped through the air. The Evil Ghosts had just extended their claws and thrown their chains when they were met by the brilliant red light of the lanterns.

Instantly, like new snow melting in the sun, the chains snapped link by link. The faces of the fearsome Evil Gods and Evil Ghosts were torn into fragments by the red lantern light.

RIP... RIP...

Three miles away, two of the eight green cloth banners planted by the Truth Sect suddenly tore apart with a ripping sound. The two Truth Sect Followers guarding them were sent flying, spewing blood, with no hope of survival.

This unexpected development stunned everyone present, not just the Truth Sect members; even Left Protector Shen Hongzhi was momentarily dumbfounded.

"No way... is the Lady’s mana truly this powerful?"

Within the temple, the red lantern light that had just flared so brilliantly now dimmed slightly, as if perplexed. "Huh?"

"Resisting Execution Ghosts, injuring our Law Enforcers!"

Three miles away, the Heavenly Destiny General, seated on his horse, witnessed this scene. His expression changed drastically, and his voice turned icy. "I’ve long suspected this minor Case God has mysterious origins and secretly receives incense offerings.

"Now, look at her mana—it’s even more formidable than I imagined! How could such a minor Case God, whose temple was established less than a year ago, cultivate such Magic?

"I suspect she may have long been secretly benefiting from an evil sacrifice! That’s how she has such power!"

Beside him, the Hu Family’s cousin, sitting in the black sedan, was also startled by these events. She deeply agreed with the first half of the Heavenly Destiny General’s statement but hesitated regarding the latter half. "Her mana is indeed not what a Case God should possess.

"But if it were an illicit sacrifice, how could it manifest in such an open and righteous manner?"