Twilight Boundary-Chapter 583 - 574: Sweet Potato’s Three Mansion Gates

"So, you chose someone with no foundation and then put on a grand show with your relatives when they visited, all just to pick out such a 'pure' Emperor Seed?"

The Path was stirred. As the Food Protection Army entered the city, Hu Ma had already returned to the mountain, discussing matters with the mountain lord, who wore an expression of deep contemplation.

"Yes."

Now that he had returned, Hu Ma no longer needed to play the role of the high-status, bad-tempered noble of the Hu Family, and he appeared more relaxed. Seeing the mountain lord looking rather intrigued, he explained with a smile, "The Zhen Sui Hu Family has struggled alone for twenty years. Naturally, we're a bit petty and unwilling to let others take advantage. The power of Zhensui Mansion is like this, and the Emperor Seed picked by the Zhen Sui Hu Family is the same."

"Of course, it's only a matter of time before he gets entangled with those nobles. Nobles may even emerge from under his own command; no one can stop it."

"I have no assurance I can keep them clean forever, nor do I have the power to change this world. I'm just trying to keep him clean for a little longer, making an effort to pull things a little towards the common folk before that happens."

The mountain lord pondered thoughtfully, a hint of amazement in his expression. "Your approach and ideas are quite astonishing, even to me. Where did you learn such principles? Was it from your Granny, or perhaps from Zhensui Mansion?"

It was the Heavenly Book... Hu Ma thought to himself. But in front of the mountain lord, it was inappropriate to speak of such matters, so he only sighed and said, "I'm merely judging others by my own standards. When I first came out from the village and earned some Silver Coin and Blood Food, I too succumbed to some greed, feeling a bit superior. I even became accustomed to it."

"Let alone others?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"I've always believed that people are neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It's just a matter of being more cautious."

The mountain lord nodded, seeming to regard Hu Ma with great admiration. He sighed lightly and said, "You are now the Master of Zhensui Mansion. I must be more careful when speaking with you."

"To be honest, I commend you for what you did this time. Some of your methods exceeded my imagination, and I'm unsure whether it's a blessing or a curse. For instance, you've set rules and gained fame, but one must admit, you've also planted the seeds of disaster."

"In these difficult times, everyone needs to stick together. Clans, households, villages, and settlements all recognize this way of survival. Siding with kin over principles is human nature, yet the first thing your Zhensui Mansion did was sever ties with relatives..."

"...Such a reputation will certainly make waves, but I fear outsiders will see Zhensui Mansion as lacking a bit of human kindness."

"Compared to the Meng family, the Hu Family is naturally weaker. Therefore, I understand why you used the name of Zhensui Mansion to invite the men dao yiren of this world into the fray. However, I'm not sure how many men dao yiren will follow a Zhensui Mansion that lacks human warmth and bet on you..."

"...Come midsummer next year, you surely can't bring a pack of yellow skin, a few walking ghosts from the villages, plus a timid and confused Red Lantern to perform at the Stone Pavilion, can you?"

Even his somewhat blurred features seemed to carry a hint of increased pressure as he sighed, "Hu Ma, you chose a difficult path twenty years ago..."

"It wasn't easy for you to successfully take the Golden Mace, but taking this mace is only the beginning. Setting the Meng family aside for now, the attitudes of the other Eight Surnames remain inscrutable..."

"Earlier, you bore the crimes of the spirits of Mingzhou. That showed courage, though I couldn't understand it. Theoretically, the Impermanence Li Family should have sent someone to find you by now. Aren't you worried?"

Listening to the mountain lord, Hu Ma grew a bit curious. "The Impermanence Li Family is responsible for collecting karmic debts and reaping souls, correct? Now that I've taken over Zhensui Mansion, does the Impermanence Li Family truly have the ability to snatch the soul of me, the Master of Zhensui Mansion?"

"Each of the Ten Surnames has its own unique abilities. Never underestimate anyone."

Hearing this, the mountain lord became more serious. "You've obtained Zhensui Mansion, so no men dao yiren in this world dare to underestimate you. But neither should you underestimate the abilities of the other nine Surnames."

"The Netherworld has Eight Sceneries: Ghost Gate, Naihe Bridge, Clothes Stripping Pavilion, Wangxiang Platform, Evil Dog Village, Poqian Mountain, Bloodstain Pond, and Granny Meng's Shop. Each represents its own authority and duties, possessing power that is ghostly and unfathomable. If you break their rules, even the Meng Family's Ancestor couldn't endure it."

"You must be extremely careful. If you don't want to capsize in an unseen gutter, it's best not to break their rules."

"Of course, by bearing these crimes, you've already broken the rules of the Impermanence Li Family. It's just that, based on my understanding, their family won't easily take responsibility for pursuing it."

"Yes, I'll remember that."

Faced with the mountain lord's warning, Hu Ma didn't seem to feel much pressure. He merely sighed and said, "I must admit, the Eldest Son of Meng Family has insight, and his Qi Cultivation Skills are quite impressive."

"This time, the conspiracy they arranged was truly sinister; each step was designed to leave me conflicted. Although I ultimately lashed out in anger and made things difficult for him, that was only because I acted irrationally, and my actions took him by surprise."

"People like him are taught from a young age to observe the world's situations, to understand its deceptions and betrayals; they are naturally adept at playing these games. His temporary retreat this time is partly out of fear that I might genuinely act irrationally and bash his head with this Demon Suppression Golden Mace, and partly because he's confident."

"He truly believes I can't summon the men dao yiren of this world, and even more so, that I couldn't possibly, in just half a year, possess the ability to overcome his Meng family's twenty years of planning."

The mountain lord listened, slightly astonished. "Since you know this, then..."

Hu Ma smiled. "But he's wrong."

"Never mind twenty years of planning; even with another twenty, the Meng family couldn't suppress Zhensui Mansion."

"There's a saying that's quite true: my taking up the Demon Suppression Golden Mace is just the beginning. The curtain of this grand drama hasn't even fully risen yet..."

"This grievance in Official Zhou is precisely the grand gift I've prepared for the Meng family!"

"Well..."

Seeing Hu Ma's confidence, the mountain lord looked rather surprised. He was genuinely curious and wanted to ask more, but given Hu Ma's current status, he could no longer treat him as a junior, so he refrained from saying too much.

He could only give Hu Ma a deep look and sigh, "It's good that you have such confidence. It's just a pity that as your abilities grow and you develop your own judgment, I can hardly help you anymore."

These words caught Hu Ma slightly off guard. Looking at that blurry face, he felt a poignant realization: even the mountain lord, with his vast Divine Skills, was beginning to show such helplessness. It made Hu Ma truly feel the changes of the past few years.

When does a person truly grow up?

Perhaps it's when one sees those they once deemed invincible showing their own powerlessness and fatigue.

They chatted more about minor worldly matters, allowing Hu Ma to fill gaps in his understanding. The mountain lord was forthcoming, yet Hu Ma distinctly sensed he was holding something back, not revealing a single word about certain topics—much like the mysteries Old Yin Mountain harbored, which kept the mountain lord guarding it as if imprisoned.

Of course, since the mountain lord wouldn't speak, Hu Ma couldn't very well press the Demon Suppression Golden Mace to his head and force him. After discussing a few things, he took his leave from the mountain.

Returning to the Manor, he wasn't in a rush to do anything else. He sat silently, recalling the dossiers and other items he'd seen when he first accessed Zhensui Mansion's records. He then carefully pondered the mountain lord's admonitions, meticulously planning his next steps.

Setting other matters aside for the moment, only after he had a clear plan did he wait until midnight. He quietly began practicing, his consciousness sinking into the dreamscape, arriving at his Lifebound Spirit Temple. Placing his hand on the incense burner, he made a call:

"Miss Sweet Potato, can you hear my call?"

This time, it was rather strange. In the past, when calling Sweet Potato, she would always jump out with an AWOO! almost immediately. One could say she was the only Reincarnator in this world with such a prompt response.

But this time, he had to call her three times before he heard her excited voice, "Ah, Senior..."

"Sorry, sorry! I was refining souls, preparing to open a Mansion Gate, so my response was a bit slow..."

"What?"

Hu Ma listened, a little surprised. This girl was also preparing to open a Mansion Gate? Logically, this should be a good thing, so why did he feel a slight shiver?

Sweet Potato said, "HAHAHA, it's all thanks to you, Senior! It's been so lively in Mingzhou these days. I even seized the opportunity to capture a resentful soul brimming with sins. This thing is rare; in life, it was a Human Demon, and in death, it became an Evil Ghost. Once I refine it, I'll have pushed open the first Mansion Gate."

"Then, by borrowing its power, along with the treasures I have, I can go hunt a Ghost King or something. That'll push open the second Mansion Gate."

"Later, using that as a catalyst, I'll nurture a whole nest of ghosts, making sure every single one of them is absolutely seething with resentment. Then I'll find an extremely baleful and remote place to set up camp. That way, I can directly push open all three Mansion Gates, HAHAHA..."

"Damn..."

Listening to Sweet Potato, she made it sound so simple, yet Hu Ma couldn't help but feel a little scared. He paused for a moment before saying, "Congratulations, congratulations... But these methods you're describing, none of them sound like proper techniques, do they?"

"Of course not!" Sweet Potato exclaimed. "Proper techniques are so slow..."

"Mine is fast!"

This actually makes a damn good point... Hu Ma couldn't help but sigh along. He calmed himself before saying, "Your Punishment Soul Path is a significant one. I don't understand its skills, but hearing your simple explanation, I realize I might have some opportunities here that could help you..."

"...Would you be willing to come and lend me a hand?"

"Oh, this..." Sweet Potato let out a WAH! and started crying, "Senior, I'm just about to open my first Mansion Gate, and you're already creating other opportunities for me?"

"Just tell me their name and how many people are in their family. You don't need to worry about anything else!"