Twilight Boundary-Chapter 618 - 609: Divine Hand Zhao, Black Magic Chen

"At last, it's over..."

Hu Ma, knife tucked under his arm, watched the kowtowing commoners and the jianghu adventurers who had suddenly become heroes. Saying little, clad in a black cloth robe and a smiling mask, he quietly vanished into the shadows.

A walking ghost Great Sword-Catcher had to maintain that air of mystery. If one was to kill the Earth Snake God, it had to be done swiftly, without a moment's delay. If one was to kill Old Master Yan, all evidence of his crimes had to be laid bare, making the execution justified and clear. Furthermore, one couldn't be obstructed upon arrival, as that would disrupt the murderous aura. And upon departure, one couldn't be seen by all; it was essential to leave the impression of being elusive, as if everywhere at once, to achieve the desired deterrent effect.

Of course, many matters still needed handling in the Yan Mansion and within Guazhou Prefecture. But those were no longer tasks for a sword-catcher. The matter of holding the Yan Family accountable required Aunt Zhang, the Ghost Inquiry Hall Official. Old Master Yan's corpse, along with the many commoners and jianghu adventurers seeking justice, were all prepared for her.

And if anyone was dissatisfied with how the Yan Family's affairs in Guazhou were handled, Seventh Aunt, the Reasoning Hall Officer, would step in. As for the most tangible assets—such as the Yan Family's estates, salt and iron mines, Blood Food taverns, and the courtesans they kept—that was for the Red Lantern Lady. There was no concern about the Red Lantern Lady being overwhelmed; she had plenty of capable people under her. Besides, Er Guotou had little to occupy him at the moment.

Unfortunately, after seven generations of official status and two hundred years of accumulation by the Yan Family, who knew how much gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and other valuable items were hidden in the mansion. Hu Ma had briefly noted that it had all been thoroughly plundered...

Damn it, they really dug three feet deep, leaving absolutely nothing behind!

What remained was the foundation of power in the Guazhou area. Hu Ma wasn't worried about it. After his departure, Zhou Datong would naturally appear as instructed to seal off the Yan Family and preserve evidence. He would also have Little Hongtang run an errand to Mingzhou to inform Immortal Miaoshan.

Who was ruthless enough to turn the Iron Threshold King and his two thousand personal guards into a bonsai display?

The Iron Threshold King, backed by the Yan Family, had wielded considerable power, commanding an Iron Threshold Army of thirty to fifty thousand. However, despite the numbers, only about two or three thousand were truly loyal. Now that they were all dead here, the entire Iron Threshold Army was effectively leaderless.

If Miaoshan acted quickly and seized the opportunity, she might be able to bring such a large territory firmly under the control of Not Eating Beef.

By then, with Old Yin Mountain secured on three sides—the Food Protection Army to the north, the White Armor Army to the west, and the Iron Threshold Army to the south now in their hands—the three armies could unite, communicate freely, and plan for greater ambitions, advancing or retreating as they pleased.

However, for Hu Ma himself, the most pressing matter currently was the first gathering of Reincarnators.

Lost in thought, Hu Ma underwent Death Transformation, moving without alerting the city's inhabitants, who were all celebrating with gongs and drums, discussing the Yan Family's downfall. He headed quickly towards the west of the city to rendezvous with Calculation, Wuya, and the others. His pace was swift, and in an instant, he left the bustling area far behind, nearing Old Master Zhao's residence.

"Impressive skills..."

Just then, as he hurried along silently, a soft sigh suddenly echoed before him. He stopped instantly, his eyes narrowing as he looked ahead.

At the entrance of the alley before him, two figures emerged, one on each side. One, in a silver robe and red crown, was dressed in an exceedingly opulent manner, stylish to the point of being somewhat flamboyant. The other was entirely wrapped in a black robe, revealing only a pretty but listless small face. They stood waiting at the alley entrance, looking at him. The man with the red crown was the one who had spoken.

His expression remained unchanged, but Hu Ma was instantly on high alert. He had now opened three Mansion Gates and was sensitive to the slightest disturbance. Yet these two had appeared as if from nowhere, without any warning. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Especially these two, both possessing an aura unlike ordinary people. He had encountered them before and mistaken them for Reincarnators. But now, seeing them block his path, he understood: if they were truly Reincarnators, they likely wouldn't need to intercept him here and now.

"Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family, Chen Abao of the Chen Family..."

The two were also sizing up Hu Ma. After a soft sigh, the red-crowned man spoke, raising his hand slightly in a salute, "Greetings to the Zhensui Hu clan, sword-catching lord of Zhensui Mansion."

"The Ten Surnames?"

Hu Ma was suddenly shocked. To be known as Divine Hand Zhao and for her to be from the Chen Family associated with Black Magic, they had to be direct descendants of the Ten Families; collateral branches wouldn't have such a distinction. Yet, the Ten Families were known for being elusive, rarely showing themselves. And now, two had appeared before him at once?

The impact was considerable, but Hu Ma maintained his composure. He merely nodded slightly, then slowly raised his hand in a return salute, and said calmly, "What guidance do you have for me?"

His own identity was that of a walking ghost sword-catching hall officer, a rank below descendants of the Ten Surnames. However, the walking ghost sword-catching hall officer was chief among the great hall officers and answered only to his own family. He didn't need to kowtow or perform excessive ceremony when meeting descendants of other Ten Surnames.

"We just have a few questions." After the exchange of pleasantries, the man with the red crown, resembling a large rooster, seemed somewhat impatient. He said in a deep voice, "We weren't surprised that you came to kill that earth snake ghost. But for you to arrive and, within a few short days, thoroughly investigate the Yan Family and even deal with Old Master Yan, who had supposedly become an Immortal—was this all orchestrated by your young master, or do you truly possess such capabilities?"

Indeed!

Listening to their words, Hu Ma's mind raced. He had already formulated a reply and nearly blurted it out. But on second thought, he remembered his identity as a member of the Great Sword-Catching Sect and decided not to speak hastily, nor did he show any intention of answering directly. Instead, he asked coolly, "Become an Immortal? You also believe that old demon of the Yan Family could be considered an Immortal?"

"This..." Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family, who had been anxious, paused at Hu Ma's counter-question. Beside him, Chen Abao, huddled in her black robe, ducked her head and mumbled, "Well, that's what everyone says. Immortal or not, it's just a name..."

"Hmph!" Hu Ma snorted faintly, cradling his blade. "I don't know what others say or how they view Old Master Yan, but Zhensui Mansion regards him only as an evil spirit. Since he's an evil spirit, he won't be spared. A single strike to cut him down is all it takes. What's all the fuss about?"

With just that exchange, the dynamic shifted, and Hu Ma seemed to gain the upper hand.

Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family scratched his head near his red crown, his expression a mixture of a wry smile and concern. He lowered his voice, "This isn't something to discuss openly. You don't need to worry that we have other intentions, but... it's just that your Zhensui Mansion's methods are truly terrifying. Are you aware of the consequences of opening Mansion Gates so widely? You handled this assignment beautifully, but have you considered that your actions might have... attracted true evil spirits?"

Hearing these unexpected words, Hu Ma's heart sank. But having long been prepared, he showed no expression. He said coldly, "Evil spirits or not, Young Master Zhao, why don't you be more specific?"

His voice was already tinged with frost. Two prominent figures from the Ten Surnames appearing in Guazhou Prefecture, deliberately blocking his path to ask about evil spirits—it demanded caution.

"Specific? How much more specific do I need to be?" Hearing Hu Ma's response, Young Master Zhao appeared somewhat agitated, his brow furrowed. He said in a low voice, "Although you haven't done Shangqiao yet, since you're accompanying that esteemed brother of yours and have taken on this role as a Great Sword-Catcher, you must have some understanding. Haven't you heard that there are truly terrifying evil spirits in this world—Evil Ghosts that crawl up from the depths of the underworld? They are masters of disguise, demonic and horrifying, solely intent on bringing disaster to the human world."

His words put Hu Ma on high alert. Chen Abao, still huddled in her black robe, sighed and added dejectedly, "Your Zhensui Mansion is so impressive... Not like the Zhao Family, who are just seen as tricksters playing jianghu games, always being mysterious. And not like us, who hide ourselves away, only knowing how to practice Black Magic in remote mountains and wilderness, looked down upon by everyone...

"Sigh, speaking of which, it used to be said that among the Ten Surnames, at least the Hu Family was at the bottom, so our two families weren't the most disgraced. But now that word of tonight's events has spread, who would dare look down on the Ghost Walking Hu Family anymore? From now on, the most disgraced among the Ten Surnames will once again be the trickster Zhao Family and our Chen Family!"

?

Hu Ma was somewhat bewildered. What on earth were they trying to say with all this?

All he could discern was a torrent of grievances and complaints.

"You..." Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family beside her seemed to be losing his composure. He glared at Chen Abao and whispered, "Why are you starting again? We're still one of the Ten Surnames; we haven't fallen that low... Besides, next time you're wallowing in self-pity, just talk about your Chen Family... Don't drag our Zhao Family into it!"

"Isn't it true?" Chen Abao immediately looked displeased. "Your Zhao Family calls itself Divine Hand Zhao, but behind your backs, people just call you trick Zhao. Our Chen Family calls itself Black Magic Chen, but people have always secretly called us Ghost Chen... Don't try to put on a brave face, Brother Zhao. I know you secretly gossip about how the Meng Family only knows how to kowtow and how the Hu Family is almost extinct. But face the facts: the Meng Family is powerful now, and the Hu Family has also risen to prominence. Among the Ten Surnames, our Chen Family is indeed the least reputable, but thankfully, we have your Zhao Family to keep us company at the bottom..."

"Only you despise your own origins. Our Zhao Family is doing just fine..." Zhao Sanyi muttered, his face a picture of exasperation. He forced an awkward smile at Hu Ma and said, "Ignore her. Let's get back to the important matters. Hall Officer, we merely came to give you a warning. We both witnessed the earlier commotion. In fact, we were the ones who held off the Guazhou Lord. We certainly acknowledge that you handled things impressively. But we must also advise you: opening the Mansion Gates wide is one thing, but what if those evil spirits, intent on harming the human world, managed to slip in? Or perhaps... they already have?"