Twilight Boundary-Chapter 640 - 631: Three Talismans

As expected of the trick door main family, the most experienced and well-informed in the jianghu...

Hu Ma drank and chatted with this Young Master Zhao, feeling as if he had gotten his fill of gossip. Although this Young Master Zhao was shrewd and would laugh off any matters touching upon the dharma methods and secrets of their trick door, when it came to anything unrelated, he was incredibly forthcoming. The more he spoke, the more engrossed he seemed to become.

After spending two days in this small village, Hu Ma had indeed gained a lot of insight. He had even learned quite a bit about the underworld.

He also used this understanding of the underworld to thoroughly contemplate matters concerning the Zhensui Mansion.

As thoughts gradually formed in his mind, he felt more confident about entering the City of the Dead.

Meanwhile, Er Guotou came down two days later. He didn't need Divine Hand Zhao or Black Magic Chen to welcome him. He appeared directly in Guli Village, leaving Divine Hand Zhao stunned.

Zhao watched Er Guotou walk through the street in amazement and asked, "The location of our small village is constantly changing, isn't it? How did you just walk in? How did you find your way here directly?"

"Truly impressive..." Chen Abao chimed in from the side. "They say walking ghosts don't enter the underworld, but there's no one in the underworld they can't find..."

"This saying certainly lives up to its reputation."

Er Guotou didn't even seem to realize anything was amiss with how he found his way there. With a heavy heart, he didn't give it much thought.

Upon meeting Hu Ma, he flicked his large sleeve. A few incense sticks fell around them, immediately isolating the concerned-looking Zhao Sanyi and Chen Abao. Er Guotou then said to Hu Ma, "I have already spoken with Miss Red Wine. Indeed, as you mentioned, things must be done."

He then handed over a piece of folded, tattered cloth, whispering, "You previously asked someone to investigate the Noble Zhang Family's background. That task is complete."

"However, I must say, they are one of the Ten Surnames. They are mysterious and have a complex web of power. What we've unearthed in such a short time is only a part of it. At most, it's just enough to give you some awareness so you won't be completely clueless."

Hu Ma tucked the piece of cloth away and nodded, saying, "I understand."

No matter how famous or capable an entity might be, if their background were entirely known, one could find a flaw.

But as the Noble Zhang Family was one of the Ten Surnames, thoroughly investigating their background was indeed wishful thinking.

"The Noble Zhang Family's nightmare magic is potent and kills invisibly. You must be very careful..."

Er Guotou could not help but warn in a low voice, "Miss Red Wine is also helping to find people skilled in nightmare magic and has inquired about methods of self-preservation. Some key points are written on this cloth. Review them carefully and commit them to memory."

"Sigh, there's no other way. There aren't many Reincarnators proficient in nightmare magic. If only we could find that old predecessor codenamed Mr. Longjing, that would be great..."

This inadvertent sigh made Hu Ma pause slightly. "Longjing?"

He recalled Miss White Wine mentioning this name.

"Miss Red Wine mentioned it."

Er Guotou sighed, "Earlier, she and Miss White Wine were in Shangjing, following someone codenamed Nu'er Hong. That person once spoke about matters concerning the previous generation of Reincarnators, such as Lao Junmei, Big Red Robe, Mr. Longjing, and Tieguanyin."

"And this Mr. Longjing they mentioned, it's said he was a nightmare master who once cursed and killed over a hundred thousand members of the Yi Dynasty's Dou Clan royal family. Extremely formidable."

"It's just that this person is probably already dead."

"Dead?"

Hearing this, Hu Ma couldn't help but think of the nightmare master Zhao Sanyi had mentioned, the one who wasn't surnamed Zhao. How could someone with such great abilities die? he wondered.

"The leader whom Miss Red Wine and Miss White Wine followed also went missing, so their knowledge is limited."

Er Guotou let out a bitter laugh and said, "But his death isn't surprising. Nightmare magic kills invisibly, and its backlash is the most severe."

"At that time, this predecessor cursed the royal family. The world's fortune was still with the Dou Clan then. Logically, even if the Emperor was skinned, his son or another clansman could quickly be chosen as a new Emperor. The world would still belong to the Dou surname."

"But this predecessor eradicated the Dou Clan's royal bloodline in one go! What do you think that represents?"

"It means he single-handedly ended the Yi Dynasty's over two hundred years of fortune!"

"Even if his nightmare magic didn't go awry, the sheer weight of such immense karma is already unimaginable..."

PHEW...

Listening to his words, Hu Ma couldn't help but take a deep breath, a sense of yearning welling up inside him. "The previous generation of Reincarnators were truly formidable. If they were still around, how could we be living in such a repressed state?"

Er Guotou clearly felt the same, but as they exchanged a glance, there were some words unspoken.

Even such powerful Reincarnators of the previous generation ended in crushing defeat...

So, what is it that Reincarnators ultimately have to face?

As Hu Ma was contemplating this, Er Guotou, seeming somewhat restless, waved his hand. He sighed softly and said, "Ah, let's not discuss superfluous things. The matter has come to this. Just enter the City of the Dead boldly."

"Eh?"

Hu Ma was taken aback.

That's not right. Just two days ago, old brother was still visibly moved, extremely reluctant to let me take this risk. How did his attitude change so much after this trip?

"However, since you're going to enter the City of the Dead, you can't go without proper preparations."

As he spoke, Er Guotou's expression turned solemn. He slowly took out three talismans, placing them one by one on the stone table. In a serious tone, he said, "These talismans, you must keep them on your person."

Hu Ma glanced at the talismans. There was one green, one yellow, and one red, each with intricate talisman patterns. He asked curiously, "What are these?"

"This first talisman is my gift to you!"

Pointing to the green talisman, Er Guotou slowly said, "Once you enter the City of the Dead, no one knows what you'll encounter or whether things will go smoothly. I'm giving you this talisman to protect your life. If you encounter a danger you can't resolve, burn this talisman!"

Hu Ma saw an unprecedented gravity on Er Guotou's face and couldn't help but ask solemnly, "What does it do?"

Er Guotou slowly replied, "I will help you escape the City of the Dead. I will save your life."

These sounded like ordinary words, but Hu Ma detected a certain resolve in Er Guotou's voice. He too became serious, looked Er Guotou in the eyes, and nodded.

"This second talisman..."

Er Guotou pointed to the second one, a red talisman. Its talisman patterns were fierce, and it seemed to exude a palpable killing intent. "This was delivered to me by a ghost from Miss Red Wine."

"In the City of the Dead, or anywhere else in this world, if you determine that someone deserves to die, then just stick this talisman on them. Regardless of their status or how powerful they are, just stick it on..."

Hu Ma asked in a low voice, "And then?"

Er Guotou slowly said, "Then, they will die!"

"Even I don't know how they will die, or who will kill them—whether by curse or by blade—but I know they will definitely die."

"The kind of death where their bones are ground to dust and their soul is scattered to the winds!"

Hu Ma instantly understood what this red talisman represented. He took it, held it for a long moment, then slowly nodded and put it away.

"And this third one, the green talisman..."

Seeing Hu Ma's gaze shift to it, Er Guotou continued slowly, "This is a final resort. If you enter the City of the Dead and discover something important, but it's inconvenient to send a message, burn this talisman. When you speak, those of us outside will be able to hear you."

"?"

The first two talismans had primarily filled Hu Ma with gratitude and shock. Hearing about this third one, however, left him rather bewildered. "Wait, isn't this talisman for leaving one's last words?"

Er Guotou looked embarrassed too. He quickly pushed it towards Hu Ma, saying, "Don't overthink it. It's just being prepared for any eventuality. Good boy, take it..."

Hu Ma felt helpless but had to admit this third talisman was also very useful. So, he obediently put it away. Er Guotou looked at him, seeming to have much more to say, but in the end, he only let out a low sigh.

He patted Hu Ma on the shoulder, saying, "Perhaps I've really stayed in this world too long and lost some of my nerve. It actually took a young brother like you to enlighten me. But rest assured, your old brother isn't the type to shirk responsibility."

"This time, I'll be waiting in the underworld. I'll personally bring you back up."

Reincarnators weren't fond of being overly sentimental. Hu Ma understood the unspoken meaning in Er Guotou's words and nodded gently.

The two exchanged a smile; everything was understood without words. Er Guotou didn't dawdle any longer. He left the village directly to make his arrangements.

Hu Ma, carrying the three talismans, then went out to consult with Zhao Sanyi and Chen Abao.

WOW...

Zhao Sanyi and Chen Abao had been outside the courtyard all this time. They had finally seen Er Guotou return, only for him to enter the small courtyard, exchange a few words with Hu Ma, and then leave directly. Now, Hu Ma was coming over to discuss things with them.

They felt as if their horizons had been greatly broadened. They even looked at Hu Ma with a degree of sympathy and said, "No, but... that esteemed person... is he really letting *you* enter the City of the Dead?"

Didn't I already tell these two that I'm the one handling this, the walking ghost of the Great sword catching sect?

Hu Ma was a bit puzzled why these two were so surprised. He smiled and said, "I alone am enough."

"Remarkable, remarkable..."

Zhao Sanyi expressed admiration, sighing, "Clearly not a walking ghost, yet so responsible and courageous..."

"Brother, after you finish this assignment for the Hu Family, are you really not going to consider joining our trick door?"

Is this lad serious? Hu Ma was rather surprised. He laughed outright and said, "Don't joke around. Dealing with the important business at hand is what matters now."

"You two, since you also don't want to see the Meng family succeed, your objective aligns with our Ghost Walking Sect. Now that we, the walking ghosts, are undertaking this task, shouldn't you also show some sincerity?"

Hearing this, Zhao Sanyi exchanged a glance with Chen Abao. He nodded lightly and said, "That goes without saying."

"The two of us will personally escort you into the City of the Dead to find that evil spirit!"