Twilight Boundary-Chapter 598 - 589 Reincarnator Calling

"Immortal qi? What is immortal qi?"

Wuya and Zhou Datong both heard this and felt somewhat puzzled. That young Master seemed just like an ordinary child, frail to the extreme. How could he possibly exhale immortal qi?

Hu Ma and Calculation exchanged a few words, confirming each other's suspicions. Both the old man's and the young man's faces turned somber.

Hu Ma had seen Xian'er before and had even fought it, so he was very familiar with it. He could confirm that the evil energy exhaled from the young Master's mouth was already remarkably similar to the essence of those who had supposedly become immortal, though the cause and effect were still unclear.

Had the Yan Family really become so arrogant as to dare mess with such things behind the backs of the Ten Surnames?

Calculation, on the other hand, thought even more deeply, feeling a chill down his spine. He quietly tugged on Hu Ma's sleeve and whispered, "If the toad gu that's widespread in this city is indeed related to that immortal qi, then the waters in Guazhou are much deeper than we thought..."

"Isn't it obvious?"

Hu Ma squinted, looking at the dark, oppressive sky over the city, and said, "They've also mentioned the legend of the Snake God Temple before. It's not hard to speculate further."

"Since this seems to be the only way to cure these children, I imagine many of the children afflicted by the toad gu are sent to the Snake God Temple. Perhaps it's to take advantage of that one night to collect the last of the evil energy these children exhale."

"If they exhale it completely, they die immediately. So most who enter the Snake God Temple end up dead."

"There are also some exceptions, where it's not completely collected, but most of it is exhaled. They're left half-dead and useless, even if the toad gu is cured. Although the person looks wasted, at least the toad disease itself is gone..."

"Heh heh, it's a win-win for them, even though it's a dastardly act. But the incense keeps burning even more prosperously..."

Sigh, this evil energy is the purest thing when inside a person, but it becomes the filthiest once exhaled upon death.

The calmer Hu Ma appeared, the more anxious Calculation felt. He quickly whispered, "Though I've seen a lot in my life, I've never encountered this immortal qi. It's just that the aura feels incredibly sinister..."

"Can you really tell if that's immortal qi?"

"If it is, then what kind of beings were those who were tempted by it just now, almost unable to resist?"

Hu Ma didn't answer. He was contemplating that, having only seen Xian'er, he hadn't personally seen the Purple Tai Sui. He couldn't be entirely sure if they were the same thing.

But this aura possessed the same qualities he had observed in Xian'er: extremely sinister and mysterious. If something lived by relying on this stuff, things would get interesting.

"Regardless, since we're here, we can't just stand by and do nothing."

He contemplated for a moment before saying lightly, "We still have a day and a half until the time to collect the life, don't we?"

"Might as well handle it all together."

"Huh?" Calculation exclaimed, his expression growing troubled. He had asked about this matter precisely because he feared Hu Ma would think this way. "Don't you dare underestimate the Iron Gate Yan Family!"

"How do you think they got that name? It's because their ancestors once led troops in battle, successfully stopping one hundred thousand barbarian soldiers. The late emperor personally bestowed an iron threshold upon them. This threshold, imbued with imperial aura, prevents ghostly gods from entering and deters evil spirits. Anyone from the Path who sees it must kowtow before passing."

"Your identity as a walking ghost Great Sword Catcher isn't enough to kill that snake ghost. And if you want to take on the Yan Family as well, that's far beyond what Great sword catching can accomplish."

"At the very least, the Master of Zhensui Mansion himself would have to intervene just to get the Yan Family to sit down and talk. And that's just for discussion! To convict them, you'd have to investigate every single detail thoroughly and present irrefutable evidence..."

"This is a tricky matter..."

He spoke, growing increasingly distressed, and sighed, "When dealing with the Yan Family, it's always best to start with Reason and Inquiry. Sword catching is often inconvenient..."

"Remember this in the future: the Four Great Hall Officials of the Ten Surnames each have their specific roles. Reason and Inquiry officials usually take the lead. The 'shout-kill' sword catchers are always the last resort, sent out only when no other options remain..."

"Yet, in your Zhensui Mansion, which only reopened a few days ago, the sword catchers have been running back and forth constantly..."

Seeing the old man's advice devolve into complaints, Hu Ma gave a wry smile. "I understand your reasoning, old brother, but given the current situation, isn't Zhensui Mansion out of options?"

"Forgotten for twenty years, we're practically a ghost. The soldiers enlisted two decades ago don't even take our orders. How can we reason with anyone? So, only a walking ghost Great Sword Catcher like me can go out and handle these tasks."

"But rest assured, I won't underestimate the Yan Family, nor will I overestimate them."

"With such sinister affairs in Guazhou, I can't believe the Yan Family isn't involved. And their relentless protection of the snake ghost isn't merely out of friendship. As the saying goes, a just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust one finds little. As long as we confirm they have something to hide, it can certainly be exposed..."

Calculation listened, feeling somewhat helpless. He furrowed his brow and said, "You, ah, how can you be so sensible at times and so naive at others?"

Wuya, beside them, listened intently. Though she didn't understand everything, Hu Ma's words inspired a bit of admiration in her. "Shopkeeper Brother speaks so well, and so logically..."

Calculation hurriedly interjected, "This kid just spouts astonishing words occasionally, but don't listen to him."

"Grand pronouncements are just to fool children."

"As long as one's methods are sufficiently covert, who's to say you can't conduct shady dealings while also playing the role of a benevolent Old Master?"

"If you truly can't gauge their hidden depths and still choose to provoke them, who do you think will end up suffering?"

Hu Ma, at this point, couldn't be bothered with this old man lecturing his disciple. He waited for the Old Master of the household to arrange for someone to look after the young Master. The Old Master then returned, profusely thanking them and presenting them with four hundred taels of silver, before arranging guest rooms for them to stay in.

The earlier promise of offering half the family fortune in gratitude went unmentioned, but Hu Ma and the others didn't mind. They settled down to rest. The matter they had been preoccupied with since entering Guazhou City was finally coming into play.

"Guazhou's waters are deep, hiding dragons and crouching tigers, but it's also a grand stage for a drama..."

Lying in bed, he thought silently, a sense of anticipation building within him. Closing his eyes, he delved into his Lifebound Spirit Temple. It's about time to let out those who are best at muddying the waters, isn't it?

He knew Guazhou was different from other places and was bound to be lively. However, upon entering the Lifebound Spirit Temple, the level of activity still startled Hu Ma. The moment he entered, he was met with a cacophony of voices, rising and falling in utter chaos:

"Da Qu, Da Qu, calling Da Qu! This is Tiequ..."

"Is Distilled there? Is Distilled there? With so many people, isn't there anyone codenamed Distilled?"

"What the—? You're called Five Skin? *My* codename is Five Skin! How dare you steal my codename? Want to meet up and settle this?"

"Isn't Laozao a wine? I'm asking you, is Laozao a wine?!"

"What in the world is this mess?"

Hu Ma was accustomed to the Lifebound Spirit Temple being mostly dead silent, with only occasional calls from acquaintances. This sudden, market-like chaos felt disorienting.

But as he listened more closely, he felt an unexpected sense of comfort, reminiscent of group chats from his past life. He listened quietly for a while, then stepped forward and placed his hand on the incense burner. "Codename Old White, calling from Guazhou. Is anyone looking for a side job?"

After calling out, he waited, certain that with so many Reincarnators in Guazhou, someone must have heard him.

Unexpectedly, just after he finished speaking, he realized...

...no one was paying him any attention!

"Five Skin, Five Skin, let me remind you, Five Skin is a type of traditional Chinese medicine, not a wine."

"Bullshit! Where I'm from, there's a wine called Five Skin. You're just ignorant!"

"Three Whip Wine calling from Guazhou! I've found a brothel here. Any brothers willing to go exploring with me?"

"Isn't Laozao a wine? I'm asking you, is Laozao a wine?!"

"What the actual..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Hu Ma felt a bit stunned. The familiar feeling began to recede, his head buzzing from the noise.

His hand still on the incense burner, he channeled his energy and suddenly roared, "Old White calling! Anyone interested in earning some extra cash?"

This shout, amplified by the power of his four columns cultivation, was deep and forceful. It instantly suppressed the surrounding clamor, and the chaotic din fell into an incredible silence.

Even Hu Ma's eyes lit up. He realized that higher cultivation had this unexpected benefit: one could overpower other voices when calling out.

But the silence lasted only a moment before countless voices erupted again, even more chaotically than before: "Who's so loud? Don't your neighbors need to sleep? Some of us have to work the fields tomorrow..."

"This young brother is full of vitality, truly vigorous! Three Whip Wine hereby appoints you to go exploring with me..."

"Isn't Laozao a wine? I'm asking you..."

Hu Ma was about to lose it and wanted to log out. Just then, he heard a familiar voice: "He's the organizer of this gathering. The most valuable information is with him. Everyone should show some respect."

"However, young brother Old White, it's not yet our agreed-upon date. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Miss Red Wine?"

Hearing this, Hu Ma felt a wave of relief. Just then, the voices outside erupted again: "Ah, so it's the organizer! Forgive my earlier rudeness, forgive me..."

"Three Whip Wine, you're in trouble now! Daring to try and drag the organizer into your schemes! The organizer is about to kick you out of the Reincarnator circle..."

"Ah, Organizer sir! Come, quick, connect with me! Save me a friend slot!"

"Organizer, get out here! I'm asking you: isn't Laozao a wine?!"