Twilight Boundary-Chapter 579 - 570 Immortal Xian’er

"After all, we're all relatives..."

Hu Ma glanced up in the direction of Mingzhou City and smiled at the Eldest Son of the Meng Family. "My place is too filled with hostility, not suitable for hosting guests. I need to borrow the ceremony tent of Brother Meng, if that's all right?"

The Eldest Son of the Meng Family pursed his lips, feeling a deep sense of discomfort. Before coming to Mingzhou, he had tried his best to understand the various situations of this Hu Family descendant. Clearly part of the Ten Families, he had never enjoyed a day of comfort; his fate was said to be extraordinarily noble, yet he was hiding in the mountains with no one to look after him. Based on this, even without meeting him, one might deduce he was timid, sensitive, fierce, perhaps even obsequious or unhinged. But now, upon dealing with him, he found him completely different; he had even adopted the affected airs and thick skin of a noble. What in the world was going on? The Hu Family wants to meet their relatives, yet they're borrowing *my* Meng family's ceremony tent? How is that appropriate?

But he couldn't say no. A noble had to maintain decorum; he couldn't utter words of refusal. So, not only did he agree, but he also waved his hand, and a row of banners was arranged to encircle and screen off the bloody battle formation.

A team of maids and servants quickly cleaned the ground and laid down carpets. Small tables and meditation cushions were placed upon them, adorned with candied and fresh fruits. A small stove was lit to brew tea, and sandalwood incense was burned.

Hu Ma, with even less ceremony, sat directly in the main seat, effectively pushing the Eldest Son of the Meng Family to a guest's seat.

This display of grandeur made the Eldest Son of the Meng Family even more uncomfortable. It's like when an extremely outgoing person—a 'social bull'—is present, they always make others uneasy. But how do you make such a person uneasy? By introducing someone who's an even bigger 'social bull'!

"Oh dear..."

Before the tea was ready, a flash of red light announced the arrival of Little Hongtang. She entered with three men in black cloth robes and a young woman with a delicate but slightly full figure. They all looked somewhat dazed and bewildered.

They were initially filled with trepidation, but Hu Ma's reaction was far beyond their expectations. He rose from a distance to greet them, bowing deeply and smiling, "I grew up in the village and haven't had the chance to visit Qingyuan for a family reunion, so I'm not quite sure how I should address you all?"

Seeing him so polite, everyone present was a bit stunned. Little Hongtang tilted her head, glanced at him, and then moved aside, while the four distant relatives merely stared at each other, momentarily speechless.

Instead, the Eldest Son of the Meng Family suddenly spoke, "That's Second Uncle Hu Qiu, Third Uncle Hu Feng, Fourth Uncle Hu Liang, and, of course, Miss Hu Xi—the eldest granddaughter of the fourth generation of the Hu Family, who was recently betrothed to the Heavenly Destiny General..."

"Of course, she only counts as the eldest granddaughter of the main branch because your Zhen Sui Hu Family separated from them. Strictly speaking, within the Qingyuan Hu clan, the eldest grandson of the main branch can only be you, regardless of their status or age. When you meet them, you don't need to be so polite."

"Besides, they arrived in Mingzhou long ago. Surely Brother knew this all along?"

"Of course, I knew."

Listening to the words of the Eldest Son of the Meng Family, Hu Ma still wore a smile. He invited these relatives to sit and personally served them tea, his smile carrying a hint of apology and sincerity. "I knew early on that relatives had arrived. It wasn't that I didn't want to see you, but rather that I couldn't."

Facing their puzzled and apprehensive gazes, he sighed and continued, "If I could meet these relatives, then perhaps my grandfather wouldn't have needed to split the family back then, and my father wouldn't have had to move our whole family to Mingzhou."

"And my Granny, why did she, even when facing dire straits back then, still refuse to ask the main family for help?"

Saying this, he sighed again, shaking his head. "I had a message delivered via sword catching earlier. I imagine it wasn't well-received, but I ask my uncles and cousin here to forgive me. It's not that I consider you all outsiders; it's just that the Qingyuan branch... must be treated as outsiders."

"This..."

His words were so polite that they elicited some unexpected reactions from the Hu Family members. Second Uncle Hu was startled, suddenly looking up at him and saying softly, "If you're trying to mock us, then there's no need."

"We came over because we thought you didn't understand the Zhensui Mansion and were worried you might get into trouble. Only now do we realize that we were the ones who didn't understand."

"Now that things have gone awry, it's difficult to explain further. We just hope you..."

He clearly wanted to say something along the lines of 'we were ignorant of the circumstances' or perhaps leverage his status to plead for leniency. However, the situation had escalated too far. Moreover, with the Zhensui Mansion just established and new rules set, this eldest grandson from the separated branch was displaying such indifference that the words caught in his throat.

"My uncles are simply overwrought with concern, and it has clouded their judgment; plus, some old matters are entangled in this. It's understandable."

Unexpectedly, Hu Ma voiced their thoughts for them, sighing, "The situation is indeed rather unsightly, but I appreciate the sentiment behind your actions."

"I'm just a little unsure what prompted the folks back in our old home to suddenly think of me, leading to such a misunderstanding?"

"It's..."

The matter seemed to touch upon something awkward to discuss. Hu Ma's straightforward question caused some hesitation. Both Second Uncle Hu and Fourth Uncle Hu stole a glance at the Eldest Son of the Meng Family.

In the silence, it was Cousin Hu Xi who suddenly spoke, "Because we all know the Zhensui Mansion is about to emerge."

Everyone else was startled and hurriedly looked at her. Cousin Hu Xi, however, remained composed, looking only at Hu Ma. "The world is already in chaos; even the Ten Families and Four Halls can no longer maintain control. Various local warlords—grasshead kings—have long since emerged."

"Qingyuan has been concerned as well. We kept waiting and hoping, but there was no news from the Zhensui Mansion. Furthermore, Grandma Bai... or rather, Great-Aunt Bai, as I should call her, returned to the ancestral hall."

"When that news spread, we had already decided to come."

"Later, we learned you were in Mingzhou. After hearing about the incident with the Zhensui green clothes and the slaying of the Five Evil spirits, we realized that you were the only one left in the Zhensui lineage. Even the Protector God was gone. You were all alone—how could you possibly support one of the Ten Families by yourself?"

"So, we planned to come... to see you."

"Just to see me?"

Hu Ma nodded, smiling. "Or perhaps you thought that now that the most difficult twenty years have passed, and I'm all alone, it's the perfect time to come and reap the rewards?"

His words caused the expressions of the Qingyuan Hu Family members present to change drastically. Their faces paled, and they looked as if they wanted to explain.

But Hu Ma waved his hand and smiled, "Don't panic. I'm just joking."

"However, my dear uncles, you knew I was in Mingzhou, and you came so well-prepared for this trip. I doubt this was a casual visit. Could it be that there's some instigator pulling strings from behind the scenes?"

Saying this, he glanced at the Eldest Son of the Meng Family beside him and smiled, "Brother Meng, no offense. I'm not referring to you."

The Eldest Son of the Meng Family wore a somewhat peculiar expression but managed a smile and said, "Understood."

Upon hearing Hu Ma's words, the expressions of everyone present changed dramatically once more. They furtively glanced at the Eldest Son of the Meng Family, but ultimately, they remained conflicted and couldn't bring themselves to say anything.

Only Cousin Hu Xi's expression was the most complex. She tried to force a bitter smile but couldn't. The Qingyuan Hu Family had, of course, carefully considered their actions and come fully prepared. Even she had been promised a destiny of becoming the Empress. However, even with the most generous conditions, to speak of them after their plans had failed made them seem like a joke. Yet, she had to admit, before this failure, those conditions had been incredibly enticing, seeming almost within reach, tangible even.

"I know what you want to ask."

At this moment, Third Uncle Hu, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked at the Eldest Son of the Meng Family and said, "But this matter truly has nothing to do with the Meng family, nor did they need to instigate us to do anything."

"Tongyin and walking ghost practices have always been aligned."

"Twenty years ago, it was always the Hu Family wielding the mace and the Meng family using the seal. That was the established rule for many years. Back then, your grandfather—my eldest brother—developed a feud with the Meng family to monopolize the Zhensui Mansion. That was not the wish of us, the Qingyuan Hu Family. After he separated our branch from the main family, he continued his endless conflict with the Meng family..."

"Now look at the result. He obtained the Zhensui Mansion, but his line has ended up in this state. Isn't that lesson enough?"

"Besides..."

He paused here, his gaze uncontrollably flickering towards Little Hongtang, who was squatting in a corner, seemingly in a daze, and he continued in a low voice, "The Returning to Hometown Secret Realm, the chance to become an immortal..."

"If we don't mend our old ties with the Meng family, how could our Hu Family ever have such an opportunity..."

"Returning to Hometown? Becoming an immortal?"

Listening to Third Uncle Hu's words, which even carried a hint of resentment, the smile on Hu Ma's face didn't change, but his eyes grew noticeably colder. Surprisingly, he wasn't taken aback. Wouldn't the Meng family's greatest leverage be this so-called Xian'er? It's just that some people are terrified of the Meng family, while others covet this opportunity so badly they're willing to be manipulated...

He himself pondered for a long moment before finally speaking slowly, "Do you truly believe that something can become a so-called immortal?"

"How could this be false?"

Second Uncle Hu, hearing this, couldn't help but look up and retort, "Countless individuals on the Bridge have glimpsed heavenly secrets. Since then, all their thoughts and actions have been dedicated to resolving the doubts in their hearts and stepping into the Return to Hometown Realm. And the Meng family..."

Hu Ma shook his head, saying mildly, "A Madman will also hear and see all sorts of nonsensical things. If you truly believe such claims, setting aside what kind of monstrous entity one might become, even if there were a genuine way to unravel the secrets of Returning, do you think it could be attained merely by kowtowing?"

The Eldest Son of the Meng Family's expression changed suddenly upon hearing this. Hu Ma, however, turned to him again with an apologetic smile, "Brother Meng, please don't take offense. I'm just speaking with my own family."

The Eldest Son of the Meng Family could only manage an awkward smile in response.

"As for all of you..."

Hu Ma then looked at his uncles and cousin, sighed, and said, "After all, blood is thicker than water. No matter how reprehensible your actions, I cannot deny that we are family."

"Ah?"

The Hu Family members were greatly surprised, even somewhat excited. "You... you're really willing to..."

"Of course."

Hu Ma nodded. "Family shouldn't speak like strangers. Is there anything that can't be discussed openly? However, I happen to have a matter that only family can help with. I trust you won't refuse me, right?"

The three uncles spoke simultaneously, "What is it?"

Hu Ma smiled. "I just need to borrow your heads for a while to help build the reputation of my Zhensui Mansion. I trust you won't be so stingy as to refuse?"