Twilight Boundary-Chapter 556 - 547 Preparing for War

"So, this Divine Incense Distribute of the Red Lantern Lady has a significant background..."

"I was wondering how she suddenly became so assertive, stood tall, and drove out those from Plum Bossom Lane. I wondered how she faced the Truth Sect’s aggressive pressure and refused to give even one tael of Blood Food, claiming it was stolen."

"Alas, it’s my fault—all my fault. I used to think our Lady was muddle-headed and incapable of great accomplishments. Now, it seems we were the muddle-headed ones..."

"Thanks to Xu for the message, we came in time; otherwise, we might have had to face the reckoning later..."

"However, that this Little Hongxiang has now received such fortune and become the food-protection General is truly hard to fathom..."

"Haha, have you considered when this rise of Little Hongxiang began?"

"It wasn’t this time. It started much earlier, when bandits were causing trouble in the mountains. Back then, he was just a disciple under the Lady and was sent into the mountains, where he made a name for himself. Later, it was also the Lady who expelled him from the society, which allowed him to completely establish his roots in the mountains."

"And don’t forget, even after being expelled from the society, he didn’t end up like other Red Fragrance disciples, who practically left half their lives behind in the society. Instead, he was allowed to leave with all his limbs intact..."

"Oh my, so this grand chess game has been in motion since way back then?"

"Ah, I knew it! Without such shrewdness, how could the Red Lantern Lady have come this far?"

"..."

Now, in Zhu Men Town, the various Shopkeepers who had rushed to offer protection, along with the Mine Chiefs from the Blood Food mine, discussed more and more in private. They increasingly felt that the Red Lantern Lady was unfathomable, believing that everything which seemed coincidental was, in fact, meticulously planned.

Across from the Red Lantern Lady’s Case God Temple, in the spacious inner hall, Left Protector Shen Hongzhi perched on the edge of her chair, nervously watching Aunt Zhang.

As someone familiar with the Path, she naturally knew the significant background of this seemingly ordinary young woman before her. Her mind was filled with countless questions she wanted to ask, but she didn’t know where to begin.

Aunt Zhang, however, was kind-hearted. Noticing the Left Protector’s nervousness and her head full of doubts, she took the initiative to explain, "Actually, I don’t really understand the matters here myself. I, too, faced a great calamity before. When I survived, I understood that I now bore certain responsibilities."

"As for the identity of your Red Lantern Lady, I only learned of it last night."

"Frankly, I had quite a few misunderstandings about the Blood Food Society before. But now, seeing that the people under the Red Lantern Lady dare to shoulder the great cause, to protect the grain for the people of Mingzhou and leave them a path to survival, I realize my previous judgment was indeed lacking."

"On this trip into town, I haven’t been of much help. I’ve merely set up lights for your Lady for the purpose of expelling evil and tidied the incense table. Consider it a small token of my respect..."

"..."

"Oh, no, no, you’re too kind..." Shen Hongzhi quickly shook her head. "We are immensely grateful, truly. Great walking ghost, would you care for some tea? I’ll go pour it for you!"

Aunt Zhang shook her head. "Tea isn’t necessary. A cup of plain water will be fine."

"Yes, of course."

Shen Hongzhi didn’t dare to insist. She quickly agreed, poured the water, and personally presented it before cautiously asking, "Then, what about the matters that follow?"

"I am just a rural walking ghost; I don’t understand these major affairs."

Seeing her inquiry, Aunt Zhang spoke slowly, "However, I can now see that within Mingzhou Prefecture, the ghostly gods are restless, yin and yang are in disarray, the human populace is dazed, and spirits are agitated. It seems an evil spirit has descended upon Mingzhou City, alarming all the living souls in Mingzhou."

"If this persists, I fear Mingzhou will become a desolate land. Not only will the living be affected, but even the Red Lantern Lady’s incense will not burn steadily. Indeed, no one will be able to remain uninvolved."

She was, indeed, just a rural walking ghost, so her way of thinking about matters was straightforward, unconcerned with the conflicting interests of various parties.

But as she spoke these plain words, Shen Hongzhi suddenly felt enlightened and nodded repeatedly. "That’s exactly how it should be!"

At the same time, while the Left Protector was discussing matters with Aunt Zhang in the inner hall, Seventh Aunt, who disliked being out during the day, had found a grassy patch somewhere to sleep. Meanwhile, in the Red Lantern Lady’s Case God Temple, the Red Lantern Lady herself was currently troubled.

The Case God Temple, which previously held only an incense table and a single worshipped Red Lantern, had now undergone a dramatic transformation. Yesterday, that walking ghost from the Great Sword Catching Sect had departed, but left behind a group of peculiar little ghosts.

Just as the Red Lantern Lady was stewing in her worries, this walking ghost, the Inquiry Hall Officer, arrived in town. Seeing the situation, he first sighed pitifully a few times, then ordered a row of a hundred oil lamps to be lit and placed beneath the Red Lantern.

There were so many oil lamps that it seemed the small Red Lantern Temple could hardly contain them.

And this was precisely what troubled the Red Lantern Lady. These little things, once offered oil lamps, did quiet down considerably and didn’t cause a ruckus in broad daylight.

But, one after another, they were incredibly gluttonous and particularly fond of oil. The flames burned vigorously even during the day, right there on the incense table below. One by one, they were positioned so that she, hanging above the incense table, felt uncomfortably roasted. She could only think with growing exasperation:

When on earth can these little things be sent away...

I’m a Case God, after all! Who can stand chanting scriptures for them and babysitting them all day long? It’s unbearable!

And that detestable Right Protector! He was all smooth talk before, saying he’d handle all the important matters and that I should just be the Red Lantern Lady in peace. Now, at this crucial moment, why is there no sign of him?

...

...

Similarly, during this period, Yang Gong, outside the town, was also perplexed. He could understand the nobles in the city secretly sending provisions and soldiers over the past few days. He could also understand the surrounding villages and even bandits coming to pledge allegiance.

However, the strange people who later came voluntarily to join him truly baffled him.

These people appeared to be jianghu wanderers and artisans from all walks of life, a motley crew indeed, but very few among them looked like they could actually fight.

Moreover, these people were remarkably forward. After just one customary welcoming meal, they immediately declared their intention to serve him. Some went to measure the terrain between Zhu Men Town and Mingzhou Prefecture city, others wanted to inventory weapons and equipment, and some even offered to be cooks.

Yang Gong was currently focused solely on finding fierce warriors. Seeing these people concerned only with various trivialities was acceptable in small numbers, but as more arrived, he began to grow impatient.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, his father-in-law, who had previously been eagerly urging him to return to the mountains, unexpectedly jumped out and kicked him squarely on the backside, scolding harshly, "What are you annoyed about? Huh? What are you annoyed about? Whatever is said, you just listen obediently and learn!"

"Let me tell you, without him, there wouldn’t even be you! You’ve got two useless holes on your face, completely blind to a true expert."

"..."

Yang Gong, after being harshly scolded by his father-in-law, had a peculiar look in his eyes. "He’s not my father, so how could it be that without him, there would be no me?"

But despite his words, he managed to calm himself and observe. Bit by bit, he watched as these people received their orders, set up camps, distributed rations, and even summoned craftsmen from goodness-knows-where to repair armor and make seals.

They handled task after task with impressive familiarity—matters Yang Gong hadn’t even considered when leading his men out of the mountains. Within a mere day or two, they had divided forces, established encampments, recorded names in registers, and set things in order. The bustling, chaotic Zhu Men Town, both inside and out, was settled in an instant.

Although Yang Gong didn’t understand all of it, he wasn’t foolish. He now grasped the situation and sighed softly, "If these people had come earlier, my brother Shen Bangzi might not have had to lose his life..."

With this realization, his respect for these individuals grew considerably, and he began to sincerely seek their guidance.

Among them was a man dressed as a fortune-teller, who claimed to be a wanderer of the jianghu, belonging to the Golden Character Line, and known as Iron Mouth.

He smiled cheerfully at Yang Gong and said, "General, you are blessed with good fortune, rising with the momentum. You now possess a recognized status, command respect from ghostly gods, and attract followers from all directions. With sufficient soldiers and many commanders, you’ve forcefully carved out a heaven-sent favorable situation here in Mingzhou..."

"However, in my opinion, there is still one deficiency."

"..."

Yang Gong’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Brother, please don’t be polite with me. Speak your mind; I’m listening."

Iron Mouth smiled. "You lack a decisive, good battle."

"I can see that you have an expert guiding you, turning hopeless situations into miraculous survivals, defiantly altering your destiny to achieve your current standing. It’s no exaggeration to say a dragon scale has grown on a mudfish. Now, you are merely waiting to enter Mingzhou to claim the King’s mandate."

"Of course, this ’King’ is initially just a grasshead king, but in these times, even a grasshead king carries real weight!"

"But speaking of which, that noble person, while arranging everything exceedingly well, didn’t choose the opportune moment. An excellent piece of raw material, yet without being tempered by a fierce fire, how can it be forged into a fine blade?"

"..."

Yang Gong understood the point but was puzzled. "How can there be no good battle? Aren’t there still several thousand soldiers in Mingzhou City?"

"Their fighting spirit has long dissipated; it’s merely concealed by a malevolent aura, so it isn’t apparent yet."

Iron Mouth chuckled. "It would be easy for you, General, to enter the city now. Those nobles in Mingzhou City are probably eager to throw open the gates for you. However, I feel that entering in such a manner would seem too easy."

"Winning without a fight is certainly good, but this band of men under you is not so easily subdued. Without that one good battle, even if you enter the city, your seat as this grasshead king won’t be stable. You might even be pulled down from it."

Yang Gong suddenly realized that what this man was saying was identical to his father-in-law’s words. He quickly said, "Then, please advise me, sir. What should I do?"

"Securing this one good battle brings this advantage."

The other man smiled. "Once this battle is won, your destiny will truly become yours. Even if those under you have second thoughts, you’ll be able to suppress them. You must understand that at such a pivotal moment of rising, your title as food-protection General must outweigh actual thousands of soldiers and horses."

A mere title... is it truly more important than all these loyal, flesh-and-blood brothers under my command?

Yang Gong was struggling to comprehend these dynamics. He vaguely sensed the truth in the man’s words but didn’t know where to begin. Just then, he heard someone report from outside, "This is bad! Really bad..."

"From the direction of Mingzhou City... a group of beggars has come..."

"And they’re viciously fierce!"

"..."

Yang Gong heard this and was wondering why beggars would cause such a commotion when Iron Mouth’s expression suddenly changed. He quickly raised his hand, made some calculations with his fingers, and his face turned somewhat peculiar. "So that’s how it is..." he muttered. "No wonder he could become the Sect Hierarch. To think he had already calculated for such sinister things?"