Twilight Boundary-Chapter 606 - 597 Haishou Mansion

"The Yan Family is truly formidable..."

"The Lord of Gua Prefecture is at your command, and the Iron Threshold King comes at your call. You even keep a profound old evil spirit at home..."

Seeing the Yan Family's display, even Hu Ma couldn't help but exclaim, "But the most impressive thing is..."

"...when you got angry, you dared to lock this group of evil spirits in your own house? How many people are in your family that you'd dare to do such a thing?"

"..."

Seeing the Yan Family enraged for the first time and revealing their true capabilities, he felt no worry; instead, he couldn't help but laugh.

As ghostly wails resounded around the Yan Family's Iron Gate, he had already kicked Mister Chun Sheng's snake body aside.

Then, facing the overwhelming might of the Yan Family, he pointed his great saber forward and eagerly shouted, "Ghost Walkers, sword capturers, heed my command! Charge into the Yan Mansion and capture that old evil spirit!"

He had to shout urgently because his group was on the verge of rushing forward on their own.

If he hadn't given the order then, he would have been left alone.

Indeed, thanks to his quick shout, it appeared to outsiders that while anyone else would have paused to observe the Yan Family's show of force, countless sword-capturing small hall officers by his side had instead surged forward. This display of fearless bravery startled Master Yan and the martial artists present,

"Where did the Zhensui Mansion find so many Death Soldiers? Even the men we pay handsomely aren't this brave..."

"Could the foundation of the Ten Families truly be beyond our imagination?"

"..."

"..."

But just as they were filled with surprise and doubt, with the Iron Gate closed and the ghostly wails echoing, numerous small doors within the deep and vast Yan Mansion simultaneously burst open.

A torrent of soldiers and a rain of arrows erupted as a group of House Generals charged out. Each was clad in sturdy armor and radiated a murderous aura.

Previously, the Yan Family had also followed the rules, only inviting martial arts experts and Ghost Walker sword capturers to cause trouble, without deploying their own privately raised House Generals.

The reason was simple: adhering to jianghu rules benefited everyone. If the Yan Family had immediately deployed their House Generals, what would happen if the Zhensui Mansion responded by sending Golden Armored Warriors?

Of course, this jianghu etiquette ended there. Once the Iron Gate was shut, it would be a fight to the death.

Not a single living thing, let alone the Ghost Walkers and sword capturers, was to be left alive inside the mansion.

"Oh? More minions?"

The small Ghost Walker sword capturers at the front, seeing so many people pouring out from the Yan Family, were shocked and scattered in all directions. Some leaped onto rooftops, while others hid in the eaves.

Facing the ferocious, armored Yan Family House Generals, none of them were afraid, yet none were willing to selflessly take the lead.

After all, when it came to bluster, this generation of Reincarnators was harsher than the last, but few were truly daring enough for a merciless slaughter.

Even when seizing those few flags earlier, they had mostly just drugged or immobilized their opponents before taking the flags and leaving.

The one in the rabbit mask who was covered in the most blood hadn't actually killed anyone; the blood had splattered onto him when he knocked people out with a brick.

Simply put, despite the chaos during their half-day inside the Yan Mansion, Hu Ma's group was responsible for the only actual fatalities.

...Instances like 'Sweet Potato' were, after all, rare.

Facing the swarm of Yan Mansion House Generals, they scattered immediately, unwilling to shed blood straight away, opting to observe the situation first.

But to outsiders, it seemed as if they had indeed been routed.

Even Master Yan, who had been wondering why these people hadn't killed him to vent their anger, was delighted by this sight, "These jianghu characters truly can't hold their own."

"No matter how rampant you are, you're no match for real weapons! My Yan Mansion House Generals can disperse them. When the Iron Threshold King's army arrives, who will be left alive?"

"..."

"Looks like you'll have to take the lead..."

Seeing the commotion, Miss Red Wine frowned and said beside Hu Ma, "Some matters need bloodshed to appear serious."

"But our generation of Reincarnators truly is a bit soft-handed," she said. "If it were the previous generation, any one of them could have come here and ensured not even a dog in the Yan Family would be left alive."

"..."

"I understand."

Hu Ma nodded, then glanced at the night sky. "What about the others?"

"Compared to that Earth Snake God, the Yan Family's Alchemy is what's most important now. We can't let any key individuals escape."

"We'll need them to clarify the full story later!"

"..."

"You mean the one who just ran off?"

A hint of a cold smile appeared in Miss Red Wine's eyes under her mask. "Don't worry, Bai is guarding outside!"

"She's the most meticulous one. Life Pavilion once pushed her Grass Heart Hall to the brink, making things difficult for everyone, high and low. One wrong step led to constant obstruction."

"Although she claims not to care about Grass Heart Hall, do you think she'd pass up an opportunity to catch Life Pavilion making a mistake?"

"..."

Upon hearing Miss White Wine's name, Hu Ma felt relieved and smiled. "She's here too?"

Miss Red Wine replied, "Who wouldn't watch a good show? She's just cautious, hiding outside!"

Hu Ma nodded. "Then about the others..."

Miss Red Wine displayed a hint of pride, saying indifferently, "I'm here."

"Impressive!"

Hu Ma immediately felt a sense of respect. He found that collaborating with Miss Red Wine was actually much easier than working with Miss White Wine, Er Guotou, and the others.

She was from the Trick Door—sharp-eyed, quick-witted, and thoughtful. Moreover, she wasn't timid in her actions and considered everything, even things he might not conceive of.

Now that she was overseeing things, what else was there to worry about?

With a relaxed mind, he suddenly stepped forward, picked up the Punishment Officer's Great Saber, took a deep breath, and blew hard on the black bone on its hilt.

WHOOSH!

The murderous Yan Family House Generals, who had surged from the depths of the mansion, were sent sprawling by this baleful aura.

Many of them stumbled, their killing intent instantly suppressed, leaving them completely disoriented.

"Huh?"

Although Hu Ma saw the effect, he felt slightly puzzled.

The black bone on the Punishment Officer's Great Saber carries such an intense baleful aura. A single breath of it should have been enough to steal their souls. Even if it didn't kill them, they should have been stunned, unable to recover for a good while. Yet now, these House Generals have merely stumbled and are already trying to get back up. It's as if their courage is undiminished, and they still have the strength to fight?

As his thoughts raced, the Punishment Officer leveled his great saber. The blade vibrated, deflecting the volley of Crossbow Arrows, while he focused on discerning the Yan Family's true foundation.

"Hall Officer, be careful..."

Just then, a person wearing a snake mask, perched on a nearby roof beam, suddenly said to Hu Ma, "The Yan Family runs deep. On the surface, they appear to be officials who only read saintly books and don't study Qimen Skills. But in reality, they have long since mastered the ways of the Path."

"This mansion of theirs is no simple place; it was built using the arts of the Haishou Path."

"It took several generations of the Yan Family, who knows how many master craftsmen they found, and how many nefarious methods they employed, to build this place in conjunction with the imperially bestowed Iron Gate. It's long been unfathomably profound."

"If you underestimate the Yan Family just because they don't seem to have any experts on the surface, you're in for a rude awakening. This mansion itself is an expert of the highest caliber."

"Even someone who has reached Shangqiao might not be able to come and go as they please in this mansion."

"What's more, Haishou counters Ghost Walkers. Your Ghost Walker abilities will be at an even greater disadvantage inside this mansion."

"..."

"Huh?"

Upon this reminder, Hu Ma instantly understood. As realization dawned, he glanced at the speaker, seeing only his eyes.

He vaguely recognized the voice; it sounded familiar. Could it be someone from Miss Red Wine's Anzhou contingent, codenamed 'Bamboo Leaf Green'?

He quickly asked, "Then where's the mansion's weak point?"

Bamboo Leaf Green cackled and said, "It's on four stakes deep inside the mansion."

Hu Ma smiled. "How do you know so much?"

Bamboo Leaf Green laughed, "Their ancestor owes me gambling debts. Never mind this, I even know where their family treasury is."

Reincarnators truly are extraordinary...

Hu Ma marveled internally. He felt he had already thoroughly grasped the capabilities within this Yan Family mansion.

The Haishou Path specialized in using objects to control people. Its practitioners often worked as artisans, Feng Shui masters, well-diggers, or constructors of 'yin and yang' dwellings. The residences they built were indeed not to be underestimated.

No wonder these small hall officer Ghost Walkers scattered the moment the House Generals appeared, waiting for someone else to take the lead. It seemed their judgment wasn't bad.

Most Reincarnators of this generation haven't reached Shangqiao. Even those who have likely wouldn't rashly take the lead. This has always been a weakness of Reincarnators over the years.

But not taking the lead was fine. As long as one could clearly see the opponent's foundation, things became much simpler. In Path duels, the most feared thing was not knowing the opponent's depth.

Since it's the Haishou Path, wouldn't that be simple then?

"Speaking of Haishou countering Ghost Walkers, it's clear where the Yan Family's confidence lies..."

He focused his thoughts, then said aloud, "But among all the Paths, surely there's one that can counter your Yan Family's Haishou Path?"

As he said this, his gaze suddenly swept back towards the shadows near the Yan Family mansion's main gate. Two figures had quickly hidden there just as the Yan Family was closing the gate. He shouted,

"Miss Wuya, lend me a hand! They say Witchcraft counters Haishou..."

"Help me break the evil things inside this mansion!"

"..."

"Ah?"

From the shadows, Wuya's surprised and pretty face popped out.

Even more surprised than her was Calculation, who was so shocked he almost cursed aloud, "What the hell?"

"We just snuck in to take a look, and now we're being called out? You want her to break the Yan Family's mansion? Why don't you just ask her to take down the entire Yan Family by herself?"