Twilight Boundary-Chapter 550 - 541: What is Called Brand Presence

"Sword-catching, sword-catching..."

The woman in the black skirt staggered back a step, her voice trembling as if unable to accept the truth. "This can’t be! How can the sword-catching be seen before the person it represents?"

"He wouldn’t be so rude, he... Do you think I can’t see through you?"

Her voice suddenly filled with an inexplicable suspicion, and she shouted harshly, "Your skills are mostly from the Shousui Path. How dare you take on the role of sword-catcher for *my* Walking Ghost Path?"

Is this just a collateral branch of the Hu Family? So, still a cousin of my own bloodline, then?

Listening to this woman’s trembling voice, Hu Ma slightly raised his head, examining her features, figure, and aura, and pondered to himself, ...The food seems good!

But when he spoke, his eyes only carried a faint pride. "Whether I am worthy or not, what concern is it of yours?"

Seeing the other party clenching her teeth, his voice suddenly deepened, vibrating all around. "The noble in the mountain said that he despises how this Walking Ghost Path has declined over twenty years. Those with virtue hide in the countryside, lacking Righteous Skill, while those without virtue idly enjoy wealth and luxury, shaming the ghostly gods."

"Therefore, he chose me, a Shousui, to perform the sword-catching, to execute before reporting. We judge only by the crime, not by who the other party is, nor do we look to see if the other party..."

"...is named Hu!"

As these murderous words were spoken, the woman in the black skirt seemed to be struck hard, staggering back again.

And the spies of the nobles in the city around them, who had just nearly lost their lives, suddenly understood, their hearts filled with an indescribable panic. Indeed, indeed! We’ve all been deceived by the Truth Sect! They have nothing to do with the noble at all...

The Walking Ghost’s great sword-catching has appeared! These people are just demon people, mere evil demons!

We... backed the wrong people!

An outsider sect, with no foundation in Mingzhou, had suddenly grown influential. They swaggered into the government of the Mingzhou Prefecture, backed by various nobles and officials, even collecting grain taxes into their own pockets.

At other times, anyone would have come and asked: On what grounds? Did they really think the Truth Sect possessed such ability to attract so many followers?

Ultimately, it was all because of one name: ’Hu.’

But now, things had become deeply entangled. They had even sent out their secretly raised young men to fight several battles, with countless deaths, and the grain taxes had been collected. They were eagerly awaiting the noble to appear and reassure them.

Yet now, they suddenly heard it wasn’t his intention?

A sense of absurdity, horror, remorse, and shame filled their hearts. Some were so choked with emotion that anger flared. If this Truth Sect wasn’t propped up by you, why didn’t you say so earlier?

These people were using the Hu Family’s name to bluff and swindle; why didn’t you warn us sooner?

Though it was greatly disrespectful, a doubt even arose in their minds: Is the noble deliberately watching them make fools of themselves?

"Enjoying wealth but guilty before ghostly gods..."

As chaos erupted around them, the young lady of the Qingyuan Hu Family, who had emerged from the sedan chair, was trembling slightly with anger. Since arriving in Mingzhou, she had been waiting for the other party to appear. Now, hearing these eight words first, she understood his attitude.

From the earlier spirit reasoning, to the Inquiry conducted decisively by someone yet unseen, to this insignificant Case God now being protected, and to this great sword-catching from the Shousui Path...

Each incident was a result she least wanted to see, making her momentarily unable to control her expression. She clenched her teeth. "This isn’t child’s play!"

"The Zhensui Mansion is not to be trifled with like this, appointing people so casually! He doesn’t even show his face, knows nothing of Mingzhou’s situation, yet dares to send an outsider like you to kill. Does he... does he even know what he’s doing?"

"Does he really think finding someone to bear the title of sword-catching can solve everything? Does he truly believe that even without showing his face, he can protect such a minor Case God?"

In her roar, her eyes were cold as she stared hard at Hu Ma, who stood alone with his saber, guarding the Truth Altar. Behind her, the earth rumbled. The heavy thud of hooves and scattered footsteps echoed incessantly, streaming in from outside, directly into their ears.

In the surrounding night, mostly spies from various factions who had heard the words of the Walking Ghost’s great sword-catching and were already feeling discontent with the Truth Sect, now felt a sudden chill due to this new, imposing arrival. They didn’t have time to look elsewhere and urgently peered towards the direction of the sound.

Behind them, from the direction of Mingzhou City, a troop of soldiers was rushing over, carrying the banner of the Qingli Sect. And that wasn’t all. In the western night, they also saw more banners, flickering as they swung in the night sky, rapidly approaching.

"The soldiers of the Truth Sect?"

Countless people were startled. "They’re just dealing with a minor Case God, yet they’ve brought in troops?"

To topple the Red Lantern Lady’s small Case God Temple, they’re directly deploying soldiers?

"This... this isn’t according to the rules..."

At this moment, the cousin from the Hu Family, hearing the sound of soldiers stampeding behind her, also wore a grim expression. She naturally understood the rules, perhaps even better than Hu Ma. But now, her eyes held a hint of fierce resolve.

"He shouldn’t, without even showing his face, shut out his own kin from a thousand miles away. He certainly shouldn’t, ignorant of the world’s situation, treat the Zhensui Mansion as his personal game..."

"If these soldiers charge forward and, even after his intervention, still destroy this Red Lantern Case God Temple, where will he, where will the Hu Family, hide their faces?"

Watching the swaying green banners behind her, the surging silhouettes beneath them, and the clash of weapons, the face beneath Hu Ma’s mask grew somber.

This is bad...

Around the Truth Magic Altar, anxiety gripped those both in front and behind.

The spies of the nobles at the back knew Hu Ma’s identity. They saw this Walking Ghost’s great sword-catching standing alone, while two to three thousand soldiers had arrived in an instant. No matter how great one person’s abilities, how could he possibly withstand such a mighty army?

But if the Walking Ghost’s great sword-catching were to die at the hands of these people, how would anyone save face afterward?

My protector...

And within Zhu Men Town, the Red Lantern Lady shivered, even stopping her incantation mid-chant. A faint, shrinking red light emanated from her as she gazed northward. They even brought soldiers?

Neither the Red Lantern Lady nor the Left Protector Shen Hongzhi held high positions, nor was their perspective grand, but they too heard the astonishing sound of hooves, and their spirits instantly plummeted.

That night, the Truth Sect had employed many dharma methods, but whether it was the Green Banner Ghost or the Hundred Demonic Cauldron, neither was as terrifying as these soldiers.

Even the Red Lantern Lady herself sensed that while her Mana was indeed not low, if those two to three thousand soldiers surged forward together, the sheer overwhelming presence of so many mortals would be enough to directly suppress her. Never mind herself; even the Mansion God might struggle to hold out.

There was an inherent divide here: one of life versus death, of power versus authority.

The god of a prefecture could influence the people of that prefecture, or even an entire region—numbering in the millions, if not tens of millions.

But influence was merely influence. If people truly gathered, a few hundred were enough to physically topple temples and shatter golden bodies.

The situation had changed in an instant, causing countless hearts to tremble, lost and unsure.

Yet Hu Ma, seeing the Truth Sect’s troops gathering at this moment, felt only slight surprise. Gusts of yin wind swirled around him, intermittently blowing in, some carrying the scent of Old Yin Mountain.

Within these winds was the breath of slaughter and battle cries, giving him a clear understanding of the situation. Now, seeing the Truth Sect’s soldiers, ever-increasing in number—each banner representing at least two or three hundred men, with over ten banners indicating a vast assembled army—how many were there indeed?

But facing the indignation and fierceness on his cousin’s face, and the deafening sound of hooves and the rolling killing aura, his face instead revealed a hint of mockery. "Do you all really believe you’ve seen the true foundation of Mingzhou?"

As his words fell, the Punishment Officer’s Great Saber in his hand suddenly emanated layers of murderous aura. The gale it produced was like a series of thunderous bolts, scraping every face raw. Even the troops that had just rushed nearby had their mounts rear up in fright, hooves pawing the air.

In that instant, it seemed as though he alone, by raising his saber, had awed an entire troop into stillness.

And in that brief silence, another sound of trampling hooves reached everyone’s ears. But this time, the direction was reversed, coming from south to north, from the south of Zhu Men Town, galloping heavily, advancing at a brisk pace.

Everyone’s expression changed. They urgently looked towards the south, hearing a voice resonating in the night wind from afar, "Who dares disrespect my Red Lantern Lady?"

"The Yin Mountain’s food-protection General, Red Fragrance Disciple Yang Gong, comes specially to protect our Red Lantern Lady’s divine presence..."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this voice, whether it was the woman in the black skirt who had emerged from the sedan chair, the spies listening in secretly, or even the Truth Sect’s troops gathering from all directions, their faces changed dramatically. Incredulous, they glanced towards Zhu Men Town.

Inside Zhu Men Town, the shivering Red Lantern Lady was even more astounded.

"What?"

"Who dares disrespect my Red Lantern Lady?"

Following the rapidly approaching sound of hooves, other voices rang out, "Internal Affairs incense master Xu Wensheng leads his men to protect Her Ladyship!"

"Kouzi Mountain division Shopkeeper Bald Zhang, leads his men to protect our Red Lantern Lady’s divine presence..."

"Huozi Ridge Xiong comes to protect Her Ladyship..."

"Lady Sun from Red Rice Ridge division leads the entire mine’s forces to protect Her Ladyship’s divine presence..."

One by one, the voices arose, startling all present, their faces changing color in disbelief.

In the southern night, vast formations of troops broke through the darkness, surging forward like a black tide. They swept past Zhu Men Town, a black, oppressive mass, exuding a roiling murderous aura as they advanced directly towards the Truth Magic Altar in the night.