Twilight Boundary-Chapter 592 - 583 Guazhou Heroic Invitation

How could Hu Ma respond? Of course, he just kept saying yes, yes, yes.

Upon hearing that Er Guotou had come into contact with such a thing, Hu Ma really felt uneasy. However, seeing that Miss White Wine had given Er Guotou sufficient warning and planned to cooperate with him to study it, he felt slightly relieved.

At least, for the time being, he didn't have to worry whether Brother Er Guotou would suddenly transform into some bizarre, terrifying, and grotesque entity one day...

But the doubts in his heart couldn't be dispelled, not even for a moment.

Such a thing... As the heir to the Zhen Sui Hu Family, he had never heard of it. Others assumed it belonged to his family, yet he was one of the people in this world most terrified of it...

It was too strange.

However, the Reincarnators were only now boldly starting to learn about things they previously had no chance to encounter. Similar problems were likely to arise frequently. Hu Ma adjusted his mindset, deciding to stick to the original plan and prepare for the upcoming events first.

He calculated the time; it was about right. Since the payment for the sword-catching contract had been delivered, he planned to depart ahead of schedule.

Before departing, he first visited Aunt Zhang, asking her to temporarily dismantle the Magic Altar and stop the roll call for now. He also gave Seventh Aunt a leave of absence, instructing her only to continue waiting around the Manor; if anything arose, orders from the Prefecture would naturally arrive.

Aunt Zhang had been under immense pressure during this time. Seeing that she could finally dismantle the altar, she breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to say to Hu Ma, "Shopkeeper, do you... do you want to tell that noble person... I'm just worried I'm not capable enough to handle the tasks he assigned. If there's someone more suitable, they could take my place..."

"...I don't mind any hard or tiring work."

"..."

Hu Ma smiled and comforted her, "There aren't many people he trusts, Aunt Zhang. Just continue with your duties. There aren't many such demanding tasks left now. You can rest for a while and just wait for news."

Aunt Zhang was a bit puzzled. Clearly, the formidable individuals on that list had mostly not been called yet. Was it already over?

But Hu Ma didn't explain much. Among the current Four Great Hall Officials of the Ghost Walkers, Aunt Zhang was the only pure Ghost Walker. It wasn't that there were no Ghost Walkers in Mingzhou Prefecture; there was even one who had reached a significant standing. But far from helping with matters, that one was currently preoccupied with fleecing the main family...

Returning to the Manor, he packed his luggage and brought Zhou Datong along. At this point, Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu had remained with the Food Protection Army. They had returned once to express their desire to try and make a name for themselves in the army.

Hu Ma merely instructed them to be careful in all things. He also told them they must return to Dayang Village for the New Year to report to their parents and get their approval before committing to anything. He was only responsible for teaching them skills on behalf of Second Master; he wouldn't make such important life decisions for them.

Food-Protection General Yang Gong had also secretly visited the Manor once under the cover of night, seemingly with much to say. However, everything Hu Ma needed to convey to him had already been thoroughly explained on the night Yang Gong led the Food Protection Army out of the mountains.

This time, Hu Ma simply invited him for a drink and told him, "You've already done very well. What more are you worried about? You don't need to constantly wonder what I might say about your actions."

"Just look at the common people. What they wish to say is precisely what I want to say to you."

"..."

"..."

As for those who abstained from beef, arrangements were made for each. The White Armor Army had already returned, unaware that Hu Ma was even there. Among the non-beef eaters, some stayed, some dispersed; the Iron Mouth Think Tank remained by Yang Gong's side, while the others went their separate ways.

Only Immortal Miaoshan had purchased a large residence in Mingzhou City, apparently intending to stay for an extended period. She even had Little Douguan come over to invite Hu Ma for a visit.

But Hu Ma was currently busy with killings; where would he find the time?

Having decided to go to Guazhou, Hu Ma also planned to make a detour. He would first visit the blood food mine to see Calculation, and then continue his journey from there.

Considering Zhou Datong's slow pace, Hu Ma had initially planned to use magic to travel ahead quickly by himself at night, letting Zhou Datong follow slowly and then stay at the mine. Unexpectedly, however, Zhou Datong exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Ma Zi, I'm not slow anymore!"

Hu Ma found this amusing and decided to test him, only to be genuinely surprised. When Hu Ma summoned the Heaven Measuring Boots and traveled, it was as if aided by ghostly gods; even the Little Ghosts Carrying a Sedan Chair summoned by Sweet Potato couldn't outrun him.

Yet, unexpectedly, Zhou Datong, despite his abilities only being at the Ascension stage, could actually somewhat keep up with Hu Ma, as long as Hu Ma didn't use his full speed. They could travel side by side.

Upon asking, Hu Ma learned that while Zhou Datong was in the Food Protection Army, the Iron Mouth Think Tank of the army had drawn two talismans on his legs. When he ran, these talismans would ignite. Since Zhou Datong was already skilled in leg techniques, this was like adding wings to a tiger.

Hu Ma watched him, marveling. With skills like these, whose wall couldn't he scale in the future?

After traveling like this for two days, they arrived back at the blood food mine. Gazing at the ore veins hidden deep within the mountains, Hu Ma put away the Heaven Measuring Boots. Before he could say anything, he was suddenly taken aback.

In the valley, he saw a slender Witch Girl adorned with silver ornaments, looking elegant and refined, feeding chickens with a winnowing basket. Moreover, circles of flowers and plants had been planted in the valley at some unknown time, lending it a fresh and charming appearance.

For a moment, Hu Ma almost thought he had come to the wrong place. Then he saw the Witch Girl look at him, scrutinize him for a moment, and then break into a smile. She called out towards the house, "Master!" and then approached him with the basket.

"Are you Shopkeeper Brother? Thank you for saving my life..."

"..."

"Wuya?"

Hu Ma recognized her, and couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise.

This girl had been poisoned by the Black Tai Sui and had fallen into a deep coma. He had planned to use the Hu Family's Dispel Curse, along with the suppressive power of the Great Mighty Sky General Seal's Dharma Form, to gradually heal her. Before he left, he had only treated her once. Although the Dispel Curse from the Age Suppressing Book had been kept by her bedside, without him personally casting the magic, its effects shouldn't have been this potent. How had she awakened already? Moreover, looking at her now—smiling, with fair skin and bright, spiritual light in her eyes—she was completely different from her previous withered state.

"HEY! HEY!"

Just as Hu Ma was about to ask, Calculation's flustered voice rang out. He rushed into the courtyard, hitching up his trousers, winking frantically at Hu Ma to keep him from speaking. Calculation quickly said, "Wuya, my good disciple, quickly greet your lifesaver!"

"Back when your village was afflicted by an evil spirit and the gu insect's curse backfired, it was this Shopkeeper who saved you..."

"..."

Hearing this, Hu Ma understood. Wuya had indeed lost her memory, just as Monkey Wine had planned. He sighed inwardly. What Calculation said about her village being harmed by an evil spirit seemed plausible enough. So, he nodded and said, "Indeed, I saved you. I just didn't expect you to wake up so quickly."

Then he asked Calculation, "When did you take her as your disciple?"

"Well, I was idle anyway..." Calculation scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "She woke up not long after you left..."

"Yes, rest assured, she's fully recovered..."

"I'm an old man here in this valley, with no one to talk to. Seeing she's a clever child, I had her kowtow to the ancestral master and accepted her as my disciple. Sigh... this girl has had such a bitter fate. I just hope our ancestral master can watch over her a bit more."

"..."

"That's a joyous occasion, then," Hu Ma said with a smile as he walked further into the valley. "If I had known earlier, I would have arranged an apprenticeship acceptance feast for you."

Calculation grinned widely. "It's all the same if you make up for it later!"

Calculation led Hu Ma towards the main hall, but Hu Ma didn't follow immediately. He went to the stable first, took one look, and exclaimed in shock, "Why is Master Ma so thin?"

Master Ma lay lazily in his stall, glanced up at Hu Ma, then turned his head away again.

Calculation instantly broke out in a cold sweat. "I-I don't know! I've been in the valley the whole time, I haven't gone anywhere..."

"Who asked you?" Hu Ma turned his head, somewhat surprised. He carefully examined Master Ma. Seeing that the horse didn't appear to be sick, he felt slightly relieved.

Wuya added from the side, "I've been getting up at night to feed Master Ma grass, but he doesn't seem to like it much. I remembered people in the village saying that when stallions mature, they need to be paired with a mare. I even brought a mare over, but he kicked her out..."

Hu Ma was instantly bewildered. He bent down, sniffed the feeding trough, and then understood.

He said to Wuya, "From now on, before you feed him, pour two catties of wine into his feed. Otherwise, he won't have an appetite and won't eat."

Once he confirmed Master Ma was alive and the mine was quiet, Hu Ma returned to the main hall. He was travel-stained from the two-day journey.

Wuya, her large, dark eyes full of curiosity about this Shopkeeper who had saved her life, brought him a basin of water to wash his face. However, Calculation stopped her at the door, advising, "You should have less contact with him in the future, understand? Master won't steer you wrong."

"Your destiny is light. Getting too close to someone with such a heavy destiny will lead to serious trouble..."

"..."

Wuya asked curiously, "Teacher, but didn't you say before that my destiny was heavy?"

Calculation said, "Your destiny is a peculiar sort—light one moment, heavy the next. It shifts depending on who you encounter. If it weren't for this, the ancestral master might not have been willing to accept you..."

After saying this, Calculation took the washbasin himself and eagerly brought it in for Hu Ma, smiling. "How did you get back so quickly? With so much on your plate, I thought you wouldn't return until after spring next year!"

While washing his face, Hu Ma replied, "I'm just stopping by to take a look. I'll be heading to Guazhou again soon."

Calculation asked, "What now? Whose head are you planning to chop off this time?"

Hu Ma immediately turned to look at him and chuckled, "I didn't expect you to be so well-informed..."

"Does that even need saying?" Calculation boasted, reclining on a nearby Taishi Chair with a wide grin. "Little Shopkeeper, you've really hit the big time now. But how about we make a bet?"

Hu Ma asked in surprise, "What bet?"

Calculation lowered his voice. "I bet that if you go to Guazhou like this, you won't even make it past the Yan Family's Iron Gate!"

"Huh?" Hu Ma was astonished. "You even know about that?"

Calculation was momentarily speechless, then rolled his eyes. "Don't you know? In the last two days, Guazhou's Register of Heroes has been circulated all the way to Gunzhou! Do you have any idea how many experts from various Paths and prominent spirits they've invited, all preparing to intercept you?"