Twilight Boundary-Chapter 555 - 546 I Should Enter the City
When Hu Ma emerged from Old Yin Mountain, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
By now, Zhu Men Town was bustling with activity. Three thousand soldiers from the Food Protection Army, along with shopkeepers from various branches, army leaders, and even the Food Protection General himself, had all streamed into town to pay their respects to the Red Lantern Lady.
It could be said that this small Case God Temple, occupying just a few dozen feet of land, had never seen so many people kneeling and bowing since it was first built, especially not people whose fates and fortunes had shifted so dramatically.
This scene moved the Red Lantern Lady so much that she dared not move at all.
She saw the Food Protection General come to seek her blessing. All the shopkeepers and devotees outside, along with individuals of significant fate within the Food Protection Army, came to kneel one by one. She couldn’t even respond and only secretly sent a message to the Left Protector, Shen Hongzhi.
Her first instruction was to ensure these people were settled, fed, and watered properly, lest they get desperate enough to tear down her temple.
Second, she thought, Shouldn’t we bring over what little is left in the Blood Food Storage? They all rushed over at midnight to protect the sovereign; this humble Case God can’t be ungrateful, even if it seems they weren’t actually protecting me.
But the Left Protector, Shen Hongzhi, was also overwhelmed. No one had expected the town, which had been deserted just yesterday, to be suddenly packed with people in the span of a single night.
Fortunately, the soldiers of the Food Protection Army were quite orderly, with most of them stationed outside the town. It was therefore sufficient to arrange accommodations for their leaders within the town and to bring out the town’s stored grain, cattle, and sheep to reward the soldiers.
When she saw Yang Gong again, her heart grew even more uneasy. She had an impression of this Little Hongxiang from before.
But now, seeing his status change so dramatically, she felt awkward speaking with him. Concerning the Red Lantern Lady’s suggestion to bring out the Blood Food, she agreed and had already arranged for people to go to the Blood Food Storage.
However, when they went, they received a shock. "Oh my, the remaining Blood Food has decreased by half again..."
"Last night, someone must have used the chaos to sneak over, daze the guards, and cart the Blood Food away, one load after another. But fortunately, it seemed the person had no helpers, not even livestock, just a solitary cart they were pulling themselves..."
"Our people who went there in the morning even saw her from afar. When they shouted, she abandoned the cart and fled. Her legs seemed a bit clumsy, but she ran very fast..."
"..."
"Could it be those demon people from the Truth Sect again?"
The Left Protector, Shen Hongzhi, was fuming. "With so little left, and they still covet it?"
However, the remaining Blood Food was sufficient; it was nearly a thousand jin. Yang Gong and the leaders of the Food Protection Army had never seen so much Blood Food in their entire lives.
The black oil ointment, the town’s stored grain, cattle, sheep, and horses were all delivered to the Food Protection Army’s tents. Yang Gong and the country bumpkins from the mountains were utterly shocked. "Is the Red Lantern Society really this wealthy?"
"Is this entire vat filled with the legendary Blood Food, said to be more precious than gold? A single bite of this stuff supposedly costs a small building and two plump wives, and now it’s actually being stored in large vats?"
"..."
It wasn’t just the Red Lantern Society. As dawn broke, and not much time had passed, people from all directions—nearby manors, towns, and even from Mingzhou Prefecture city where the gates had been clandestinely opened—came to Zhu Men Town. They bore gifts and were sometimes accompanied by soldiers, all to pay their respects.
Their stated origins were surprisingly grand; they were noble lords from Mingzhou City itself. They claimed to be expressing gratitude for the Food Protection Army’s benevolence and had come to offer support or enlist.
The items each arriving group carried were startling. Their gift lists mentioned cattle, sheep, pastures, fodder, and even weapons and armor. This intimidated Yang Gong and the others from the mountains, who found it all hard to believe. They did not understand that the city’s people had reversed their stance, eager to place their bets promptly so as not to be left behind. While in the mountains, they had initially received nothing, not even complete weapons. How had their status transformed so dramatically in just five or six days, with everyone now bringing so many gifts?
Other specific matters aside, just consider the soldiers flocking to join them: dozens from here, hundreds from there. Entire mountain bandit gangs reformed and came to enlist. From another manor, hundreds of able-bodied young men, all professing gratitude, wanted to join and protect the grain.
At this rate, wouldn’t the army exceed ten thousand in just two or three days?
And just as these rapid changes were leaving everyone dazzled, bewildered, and somewhat at a loss, someone arrived from the mountains. It was none other than Yang Gong’s father-in-law, Old Taishan, who had rushed to the town with a dozen house servants.
After first kneeling to the Red Lantern Lady with Yang Gong, he hastily called Yang Gong into a tent and said urgently, "I know what’s happening here. Quickly, follow me back to the mountains!"
"Back to the mountains?"
Yang Gong was greatly surprised by this. "But the remnants of the Truth Sect are still in the city, and the grain they stole is also in the city. We’ve just managed to gather so many soldiers; we’re ready to charge into Mingzhou in one go. How can we leave now?"
"If you don’t leave soon, you’ll likely die," Old Taishan warned sternly. "Something’s wrong. Things are moving too fast. You’re being pushed out to die."
"Now that you’ve reached this point, you’ve protected not only the grain in the mountains but also that of the nearby prefectures and counties. News of the Food Protection General’s army has also arrived."
"Now is the perfect time to return to the mountains, plan meticulously, and train your soldiers carefully. But if you stay here, among those Jianghu Grass and noble lords, who truly trusts you?"
"The soldiers are rallied under your name, but they could easily engulf and destroy you."
"Quickly, now is not the time for you to enter Mingzhou City. Pretend to be injured... no, pretend to be ill, and return with me to the mountains."
"When the situation here becomes clear, your time to re-emerge will come!"
"..."
Yang Gong and his men were still unaware of the thirty thousand hungry ghost army, but they all sensed that Mingzhou Prefecture was far from simple. The strange phenomena from the previous night still weighed heavily on everyone’s mind, and Yang Gong knew that what his father-in-law said was likely true.
Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly remembered what Hu Ma had told him at the manor in Green Stone Town. Slowly, he shook his head.
"Old Taishan, I cannot go back yet."
"I also know a calamity is coming to Mingzhou. I can see that those who come to join us do not necessarily truly submit to me. Furthermore, I know this army, though it appears strong, is a motley crew and wouldn’t fare well in a hard-fought battle. Yet, it is precisely at times like this that I must make my name."
"After all, when I first came out of the mountains, it was to protect this grain of Mingzhou..."
"I can make calculations, but others are even better at it. Leaving now would be easy, but what about the grain outside the mountains? Should I abandon it too?"
"I don’t know if this venture into the city will be smooth, nor what I will encounter. However, I believe one thing: as long as I remember to protect the people’s grain, this land of Mingzhou will not fail me."
"..."
"Just because you call yourself the Food Protection General, does that mean you genuinely only care about those few grains?"
His father-in-law was exasperated. He wanted to hit him with his cane, but seeing Yang Gong’s serious expression, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He just said indignantly, "Those mud-legs! Once they’ve eaten and drunk their fill, who will care about you?"
"The noble lords in the city initially sided with the Truth Sect. They’re only approaching you now to test the waters because you’ve gained some momentum. If all you care about is those few grains, how many of them will truly take you seriously?"
"I don’t care who taught you all this nonsense! I only ask you this: with your forces growing more numerous by the day, and everyone harboring their own agendas, do you have enough wits about you to manage them all?"
"..."
Yang Gong was momentarily struck speechless. On major matters, he trusted Hu Ma and the "Heavenly Book" he had heard about that night; he knew he shouldn’t retreat now but rather push forward. However, when it came to specific details, he indeed felt like he was in a tangled mess, completely overwhelmed and confused.
But just then, he suddenly heard someone report from outside the tent, "Is Brother Yang in there? Please come out quickly, more people have arrived."
"A fortune-teller, claiming to be from the city, says he has urgent matters to report..."
"..."
Before that voice faded, someone else shouted, "Brother Yang Gong, come quickly! Some Jianghu Strange People are here! They say they admire you and want to join!"
"Food Protection General, a destitute scholar brought half a sack of grain, saying he wants to contribute to the army and even manage the accounts..."
"Hey, why have performers shown up too?"
"..."
This succession of announcements left both Yang Gong and Old Taishan stunned. Having no alternative, they could only go out to meet them.
To Yang Gong’s eyes, it was quite a sight. Some were dressed as fortune-tellers, some wore commoner’s clothes and had extremely sturdy builds, some wore scholar’s caps and had a refined demeanor, while others were in colorful attire, armed with various weapons and implements—one even had a monkey perched on his shoulder...
At first glance, it was an odd assortment, hardly looking like a proper force, but their expressions were all composed and natural. Even when they saw the teeming soldiers surrounding Zhu Men Town from afar, they showed no fear, instead looking on with appreciation.
Yang Gong, having been a Red Fragrance disciple, knew not to underestimate people, so he hurried forward to greet them.
However, Yang Gong just smiled and welcomed them, refusing no one who came to join. In contrast, his father-in-law, who had come out with Yang Gong, initially assumed these were people with ill intentions. But after one distant look, his expression changed dramatically.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. By now, he was so shocked his face had completely changed. He quickly hid himself and only came out after Yang Gong had met the newcomers and ordered a banquet to be arranged for their reception.
Seizing a moment when the fortune-teller was alone, he hurried over and kowtowed, his head hitting the ground. "Benefactor! Benefactor!"
"..."
He was so overcome with emotion that old tears streamed down his face as he stammered, "Liu Fugui from Yu’erwa Village, Xiaoliang County, Old Yin Mountain, pays his respects to Senior Brother Who Does Not Eat Beef!"
"Eight years ago, Senior Brother, you passed through Yu’erwa and saved the lives of everyone in my village. You instructed us to wait secretly for the right opportunity to achieve great things. For these past eight years, we have kept your words firmly in mind and have not eaten a single bite of beef, only hoping to receive your guidance once more...
"...I wonder, Senior Brother, do you still remember me?"
