Twilight Boundary-Chapter 638 - 629 Zhao Family’s Divine Skill (Second Update)

"This is a matter of great importance, so don't act rashly!"

"This isn't something you can handle alone. Even if I'm unreliable, I can't just stand by while you, my little brother, go in and risk your life. So, stay here patiently and don't wander off. Let me go up first and discuss this with the others. After all, it's troublesome for your physical body to travel between yin and yang, while my yin soul can come and go in the blink of an eye."

It was unknown what Hu Ma's words stirred in Er Guotou, but they moved the old man to tears.

Without further delay, after cautioning Hu Ma, he raised his hand and collected the surrounding incense.

He then met Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family and Chen Abao of the Black Magic Chen Family, who were waiting outside the residence. Without saying much, he gave a slight nod and floated outside the village.

With a wave of his large sleeves, a gust of nether wind instantly swept through the area, and he vanished.

He was in a hurry to return, not even bothering with his usual concealment. His yin soul spread out, returning from the yin realm to the yang realm with divine-like skill. Even the nether wind stirred by his passage carried a faint purple hue.

"Remarkable indeed..."

Divine Hand Zhao and Black Magic Chen noticed the hint of purple qi in his method of returning to the yang realm. They nodded slightly, exchanged glances, and both returned to the courtyard.

At this time, Hu Ma had also consumed a small piece of Blood Tai Sui and was slowly practicing to restore his cultivation.

With his physical body traversing yin and yang, every moment he lingered below diminished his cultivation. However, in this village of the living within the underworld, he could rest briefly and recover some of it.

"The Hall Officer is our guest here too."

When Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family saw Er Guotou depart, leaving only Hu Ma behind, he assumed Hu Ma was waiting for orders and thus had no intention of discussing important matters with him.

However, seeing Hu Ma consuming Blood Tai Sui to recover his cultivation—not even processed into Blood Food Pills—he felt a bit sympathetic. He turned back into the house and brought out a small box.

Upon opening it, he revealed several Purple Pattern Blood Food Pills. They resembled Golden Silk Tai Sui, but their patterns were not golden, instead featuring threads of purple qi.

He chuckled. "Don't be shy. Take these Blood Food Pills. They'll help your cultivation recover faster, and they're quite good at staving off hunger."

Hu Ma opened his eyes, a little surprised.

That Purple Tai Sui, or "immortal qi," was so important and, more crucially, dangerous. Of all those he had seen consume it, apart from Er Guotou, not a single one had remained sane.

But now, seeing the Divine Hand Zhao Family's casual display, not only consuming it themselves but even offering it to a guest, was astounding.

Of course, he could tell Zhao Sanyi was speaking the truth; these Blood Food Pills were primarily made from Golden Silk Tai Sui, merely touched by a trace of purple qi, not truly "Immortal Pills."

"It's good you're not offended. These aren't real Immortal Pills, just touched by the aura of Purple Tai Sui."

Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Family smiled. "Brother, you're a Great Sword Catcher from the Zhensui Mansion and so close to Young Master Hu. Haven't you tried it?"

"Indeed, I haven't."

Hu Ma picked one up and examined it closely, sighing. "Such a rare item... Not only have I never tried it, but Young Master Hu most likely hasn't either."

Just then, Chen Abao of the Black Magic Chen Family happened to float by, coldly interjecting, "He has."

"?"

Hu Ma was taken aback. How could she be so sure?

Zhao Sanyi gave Hu Ma a sympathetic look. "The Hu Family shouldn't be lacking in this. Why are they so stingy with you?"

Thinking of something, he chuckled and said in a low voice, "Brother, how about considering coming to help us at the Divine Hand Zhao Family?"

"After all, Shousui men can perform feats like breaking stones on their chests. Perhaps joining the trick door wouldn't be a bad way to earn a living..."

"?"

Hu Ma was a bit confused. I'm from the main Walking Ghost Family. Why would I run off to your trick door?

Besides, my public identity is that of a Sword-Catching Great Hall Officer of the Walking Ghosts. Are you trying to poach me directly from our Zhensui Hu Family?

But it was clear Zhao Sanyi was joking, so they chatted casually for a bit. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Faced with the box of Blood Food Pills, Hu Ma pondered for a long while before picking one up and slowly consuming it. Previously, he had consumed green, white, red, and Golden Silk Tai Sui—even black variants—without any such hesitation. But having witnessed the fate of those who rashly consumed Purple Tai Sui, he was uneasy. As he ate it, he remained vigilant, ready to spit it out if anything felt wrong.

Unexpectedly, he only felt his cultivation steadily recovering, and a warmth spread through his veins.

However, because this particular Blood Food Pill had too little purple qi, he couldn't perceive any noticeable benefit to his Lifebound Spirit Temple.

But sensing his cultivation was recovering, he relaxed somewhat, waiting for word from Er Guotou while silently mulling over various details.

His main concern now was whether it was possible to bring the Zhensui Mansion into the underworld. In theory, wherever he was, as long as he followed the Method written in the Age Suppressing Book and summoned the Golden Armored Warriors, he could command them to use the Golden Mace to bring the Zhensui Mansion to him. However, since this was not the mortal realm but the underworld, he had to consider the possibility of unexpected occurrences.

But how should he attempt it?

"Well, now! Full of spirit and energy in such a short time. It seems your dharma method is quite effective..."

While Hu Ma was pondering, the young master from the Divine Hand Zhao Family, having strolled around the village looking thoroughly bored, saw Hu Ma pause his practicing and approached him again.

Hu Ma was merely a sword-catching hall officer, his status ultimately beneath Zhao Sanyi's. Thus, Zhao Sanyi paid him little mind and, without asking, casually sat down beside Hu Ma.

Suddenly, he grinned at Hu Ma and winked. "Care for a cup?"

Hu Ma paused. "Hmm?"

"We're idle anyway..."

Zhao Sanyi chuckled, reached under the stone bench, and casually retrieved a wine pot. He placed it on the table, then fumbled on the ground and produced two cups.

"Oh?"

Hu Ma craned his neck to look at the ground beside Zhao Sanyi, but it was clearly empty; there was nothing there.

Oh, I get it now; this young master from the trick door is showing off his skills. But who would refuse a magic show when there's nothing better to do? With a smile, he said,

"You can conjure wine, but surely you can't make dishes appear as well?"

Zhao Sanyi feigned a troubled expression. "Oh dear, these things have to be prepared in advance. How could I just conjure them?"

As he spoke, he suddenly reached towards the ground again and produced a plate of roasted chicken, smiling. "Will this do?"

Hu Ma's eyes lit up. "Is there more?"

Zhao Sanyi looked slightly exasperated. "Producing one is impressive enough. Wanting more is asking too much..."

As he said this, his right hand quickly swept downwards, and suddenly, a plate of smoked fish was on the stone table.

"Incredible, truly incredible..."

Hu Ma was full of admiration. He suddenly said, "If there were a plate of peanuts too, that would be even better..."

"Haha, is the Hall Officer testing me?"

Zhao Sanyi waved his hands dismissively, then with a flick of his sleeve, an oil-paper package of peanuts appeared on the stone table.

Seeing Hu Ma's eyes light up, Zhao Sanyi looked rather smug, yet he deliberately furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, "Three dishes... that doesn't sound right..."

Then, he first took a small pouch from his waist, which was filled with all sorts of seeds and fruit pits.

He rummaged through it for a moment and said with a smile, "Then let's have a peach!"

With that, he took out a peach pit, dug a shallow hole in the ground, buried the pit, poured a cup of wine over it, and softly began chanting over the spot.

Before long, a sprout emerged from the soil, instantly growing into a tree. Flowers bloomed and withered, and in a flash, the tree was laden with ripe peaches.

He plucked two peaches, looked at Hu Ma with a proud expression, and laughed, "Four dishes! Perfect to go with the wine!"

"Marvelous, truly marvelous..."

Hu Ma couldn't help but clap, praising him repeatedly and sincerely. After all, it costs no reward money, and he's offering drinks. A few compliments are only right, aren't they?

Opposite him, Zhao Sanyi, his face slightly flushed from the praise, looked extremely excited. He eagerly picked up the pot and refilled Hu Ma's wine cup, saying with a laugh, "Brother, don't stand on ceremony!"

Seems like people from the trick door love being praised; the more you compliment them, the more excited they get... Hu Ma thought, raising his cup. He clinked it with Zhao Sanyi's and drained it, all the while praising how the title "Divine Hand" was truly well-deserved.

Just as the two were in high spirits, Chen Abao floated past them holding a basin, coolly interjecting,

"Didn't you just buy those peaches for two copper coins?"

Zhao Sanyi's expression turned a little awkward, and he shot her a dissatisfied glance.

"We don't care where it came from," Hu Ma said with a laugh. "But as a Shousui man, my eyesight is renowned, and yet I couldn't see through Young Master Zhao's methods. That truly earns him the title 'Divine'..."

"Besides, what's so difficult about True Skill? I can even turn myself into a dead man!"

"To know it's fake, yet make it indistinguishable from the real thing—to pass off the artificial as genuine—now that's true mastery..."

These words lifted Zhao Sanyi's spirits again. He readily agreed, feeling a growing sense of camaraderie with Hu Ma.

The Ten Surnames rarely praised one another, usually preferring to use opportunities to gauge each other's abilities. As for praise from ordinary martial artists, he, the young master of the esteemed Divine Hand Zhao Family, wouldn't deign to notice it.

Hu Ma's status as a Great Hall Officer of the Walking Ghosts was just right. Coupled with his sincere praise, free of any pretense, it was no wonder Young Master Zhao was overjoyed.

But as they drank and chatted, Hu Ma looked at the surrounding village and grew curious. He chuckled. "Speaking of which, the most divine thing here is this village itself."

"How can a village of the living be constructed within the underworld?"

"Such skill... even I, and Second Brother Bao who came with me, are full of praise. Whose handiwork is this?"

"I built it!"

Zhao Sanyi, his face flushed, beamed. "We in the trick door may not know much else, but we certainly have plenty of Time-stealing methods. To build this village, one must first thoroughly understand yin and yang, and then..."

Just as he was about to launch into a detailed explanation for Hu Ma, Chen Abao floated past behind him again, coolly remarking, "Purple Tai Sui..."

"Don't all Ten Surnames rely on Purple Tai Sui to refine the void into reality in the underworld? What has that got to do with the trick door?"

"If it weren't for Purple Tai Sui, let's see him conjure something out of thin air..."