Twilight Boundary-Chapter 600 - 591: The Time to Reclaim Life

"Once you pay the death money, you have seven days to take your target's life."

"If you can't, then you lose face."

"If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn't be so bad. Losing face would just mean leaving the jianghu, perhaps returning under a different name after a few years. But you can't do that!"

"You paid the death money as a sword capturer of the Hu Family. If you can't take the life, it's the Hu Family's face that's lost, it's the face of Zhensui Mansion! Do you realize how serious this is?"

"But now, with the deadline looming, you're actually doing nothing but sharpening your blade?"

Old Man Calculation truly couldn't bear it anymore. By the time they had arrived in Guazhou City, five and a half days had already passed since the death money was paid. In this last day and a half, there were countless things to be done, yet Hu Ma seemed to have completely idled.

He wandered around the gardens, sharpened his blade, and did nothing else, making Old Man Calculation pace about anxiously. Even Wuya couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Master, why are you muttering to yourself here? Go and tell Shopkeeper Brother!"

"I'm not going!"

Old Man Calculation said angrily, "That brat is all sweet talk when he needs something from you, but once he has a plan, he keeps it to himself and just lets you worry! It was the same last time in Shima Town; he had it all figured out but just let me, an old man, fret for him."

Wuya found it even stranger. "Since Shopkeeper Brother has a plan, then we should just watch and see!"

"That's not an option either..." Old Man Calculation sighed. "It all comes down to our ancestral master not being up to par. He couldn't even afford the three main sacrificial offerings in his lifetime! He spoke ambiguously, neither letting us two leave nor explaining things clearly to us..."

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he said to Wuya, "Good disciple, I can't bring myself to ask him. Why don't you go and sound that brat out?"

Wuya was puzzled. "Master, didn't you say my fate is too light and I shouldn't ask such things?"

Old Man Calculation's face stiffened for a moment, then he quickly said, "Actually, over these past few days, I've come to understand. Whether your fate is light or heavy, you can't escape it anyway. Think about it, in our Path, those who could become disciples of the ancestral master all had light fates. Why? Because a light fate allows one to avoid trouble and avert disaster!"

"But look at me. I was born worthless; is there anything I can truly dodge?"

Wuya held great respect and gratitude towards Hu Ma as her benefactor and didn't doubt him. However, hearing Old Man Calculation speak this way, she picked up her tea, went to the garden beside the mansion, and found Hu Ma. He was instructing the mansion's butler to open the back door.

Because the young Master of the mansion was still recovering from his rash, though not fully healed, the people of the mansion still treated these capable individuals with great respect. No one dared to disobey their words. When asked to open the door, they opened it. When asked to set up an incense table, they set it up.

Wuya watched, curious. "Shopkeeper Brother, what are you doing?"

"Did your Master send you?" Hu Ma asked with a smile, taking the tea from Wuya and sipping it.

Seeing Hu Ma's smile, Wuya felt a sense of closeness. Perhaps this Shopkeeper sometimes had an aura similar to her brother, Wu Song? Of course, upon closer reflection, it wasn't quite the same; Brother Wu Song's aura was more mysterious.

She didn't hide anything from Hu Ma and smiled. "Master is fretting in the front courtyard. He says you're not attending to proper business and are just fooling him."

"For him to worry about this for me shows that Brother Calculation is truly looking out for us. The two hundred catties of Blood Food I promised him weren't in vain."

Hu Ma smiled. "But tell him to rest assured, we're not really neglecting our duties. Wuya, do you know that although I walk the path of a Shousui man, I am also a practitioner of the Walking Ghost Path?"

"We practitioners of the Walking Ghost Path are close to the ghostly gods. No matter what shady business is hidden in this city, it might be concealed from people, but it cannot be hidden from the ghostly gods. Investigating it would be very troublesome. Since that's the case, we won't investigate. We'll just set up the altar and consult the ghostly gods directly."

"Also, pass this message to him!"

As he spoke, Hu Ma sighed deeply. "The Master of Zhensui Mansion would rather execute his own relatives than bend the rules for personal reasons, all to win the hearts of the people of the world."

"What does it mean, 'there are no people of our own in this city'? As I see it, this city is full of our own people."

"I am now setting up an altar in this Zhao Mansion and opening this small gate to allow the ghostly gods to come and go freely, without harming the Zhao Family's blessing. Tell your Master that I believe once I set up this altar, ghostly gods will naturally come forward—some to lodge complaints, others to report matters."

"If he asks where I get my confidence, then tell him..."

As he spoke, he slowly lit the candles on the incense table. Then, he casually grabbed a handful of incense ash and scattered it in front of the table. His eyes steady, he declared in a low voice, "Because I believe in justice in this world!"

"PFFT..."

Wuya was stirred to the core by Hu Ma's words, her eyes full of reverence. After going back to Old Man Calculation and recounting what had been said, it startled Old Man Calculation so much that he spat out his tea.

"What... What nonsense is he spouting?"

"That Master of Zhensui Mansion's method of killing his relatives has practically become a joke, and now he's boasting about it?"

"But... but..." Wuya hesitated, then whispered, "Master, Shopkeeper Brother really did set up an altar in the back garden, and then all sorts of little ghosts rushed in, clamoring to tell him various things..."

"What?" Old Man Calculation shot up, his face a mask of disbelief. "He found out about the toad illness?"

Wuya nodded. "I heard a little ghost mention it."

Old Man Calculation found it even more incredible. "Then the matter behind the Earth Snake God Temple—he found that out too?"

Wuya said, "Several little ghosts were fighting to tell him. Two of them even started a brawl, gouging eyes and pulling hair, just to be the first to report."

Old Man Calculation's hands trembled. "Don't tell me he even found out about the affairs within the Yan Family just like that?"

Wuya nodded solemnly. "Yes. Shopkeeper Brother's face turned pale listening to them. Just now, he dismantled the altar, took his blade, closed the small gate, and strode out the main gate with Brother Datong."

"This..." Old Man Calculation's brows knitted into a tight knot, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and uncertainty. After a long, long pause, he finally looked up, dazed. "Surely not?"

"Let's go!" Suddenly, as if a thought had struck him, he leaped up as if scalded. "I think I might be starting to understand why the ancestral master insisted we stay by his side. Let's go and see!"

「...」

At the same time, in Guazhou Prefecture, at the Iron Gate Yan Family's estate, a banquet had already been prepared as dusk fell. It was said to be the birthday of Master Yan's third concubine. Although she was not the main wife and it didn't call for a grand, public celebration, the estate was still festively adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Outsiders were unaware, but those within the Path understood: Master Yan's third concubine was a Little Medical Immortal from the Siming Path. So, while her official status wasn't high, she carried considerable weight within their circles.

Of course, because she was, after all, a concubine, only a few close associates were invited for an intimate gathering.

By now, the Yan Mansion was illuminated on all sides, wine was being warmed, and seven or eight tables filled the courtyard, all bustling with guests. Among them were Mr. Liu from the south of the city, Master Gongyang from the Flavor Restaurant outside the city, Aunt Li from the Skillful Hand Restaurant, and even the Iron Threshold King had sent a congratulatory gift.

"Please, please..." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

As soon as night descended, the assembled company began to drink. Master Yan naturally occupied the main seat, his concubine sitting beside him, her eyes full of allure, serving him wine and using chopsticks inlaid with white jade and silver to offer him food.

Everyone at the tables was engaged in animated conversation, their spirits high, occasionally sharing anecdotes of extraordinary individuals to liven up the drinking. In the center of the courtyard, an opera troupe performed with gusto, the performer in green clothes dancing exquisitely with long, flowing water sleeves.

Yet, strangely, no matter how lively the atmosphere appeared, with everyone smiling and deliberately raising their voices, an inexplicable sense of oppression hung in the air, making even the lantern light seem somewhat dim.

Occasionally, during lulls in conversation, some would exchange glances, and a somber unease could clearly be seen in each other's eyes.

"Hehe, Mr. Chun Sheng, why the worried expression?"

Amidst this gloom, a man in a light yellow robe with a distinguished air, sitting beside Master Yan, spoke with a smile. "I know you still have some concerns, but in all the affairs of this world, nothing is greater than reason."

"Never mind that he's just a minor sword-catcher, who I hear hasn't even reached Shangqiao yet. Even if the Master of Zhensui Mansion himself came, could he truly ignore all the heroes of this world?"

The White-clothed Scholar sitting to Master Yan's left turned even paler at these words, forcing a smile, but found it difficult to speak.

Now that someone had finally broached the subject that had been weighing on everyone's minds all evening, the others could no longer hold back.

"That's right! I, for one, don't believe that Great Sword Catcher of the Walking Ghost Path truly dares to come!"

"Hah, it's rather amusing, isn't it? He follows the Walking Ghost Path but employs a Shousui man as his sword-catcher. We have the Protector General under the Iron Threshold King here! When it comes to seniority within the Shousui Path, if that sword-catcher shows up, he might have to kowtow to our Protector General first!"

"Mr. Chun Sheng, you really don't need to worry. The iron threshold of Yan Mansion isn't one that just anyone can step over!"

The group laughed and chatted loudly, genuinely managing to dispel some of the intangible tension in the air. Just as everyone was about to take advantage of the improved atmosphere to enjoy a few more drinks, a man in a silver robe, with intricately carved boots and a red headdress, unexpectedly chuckled from the crowd:

"Though I heard that Zhensui Mansion cannot be suppressed even by imperial decree, and that the Lord of Guanzhou Prefecture, once personally enfeoffed by the Emperor, was smashed to dust with a single mace. But this iron threshold of the Yan Family, he definitely won't be able to cross..."

Another woman, entirely swathed in black robes with only her small, listless-looking head visible, added, "Mainly because those from the Hu Family are ruthless. They kill their own kin, so killing a couple of passersby wouldn't cause them much stress..."

Her words instantly cast a pall over the gathering. People exchanged uneasy glances, and the White-clothed Scholar next to Old Master Yan was so startled that he knocked over his wine cup.