Twilight Boundary-Chapter 642 - 633: City within the City of the Dead

"Whew..."

The hole Zhao Sanyi had dug wasn't large, but in this underworld, everything seemed to have lost the physical rules of the mortal world. As soon as Hu Ma slipped inside the hole, she immediately felt enveloped in a miasmic haze.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself entirely wrapped in a fog of shadowy mist, goosebumps rising layer upon layer. Everywhere she looked, it was like a scene from a nightmare.

Mountains of white bones and mud, thick with corpses, covered the ground. In a daze, it felt as if she were on a street where both sides bore people hanging from ropes. Looking into the distance, some were half-buried in the earth, some had starved to death, emaciated, and others were decapitated.

The various, constantly shifting terrifying scenes interwove layer by layer, and the morbid resentment pressed upon her like a mountain.

In her earlier years, she had dealt with people from the Tan'er Sect, who were adept at manipulating resentment. But the resentment here in the City of the Dead was so potent that any wisp casually drawn out would far outweigh their aged, fermented concoctions.

Especially this resentment, which felt illusory and detached, passing through the body as if it could disperse all human joy and happiness, leaving only endless sorrow.

"Here in the City of the Dead, many are vindictive souls who suffered injustices before death," Chen Abao, wrapped in Hu Ma's black cloak, slowly explained, her mournful eyes gradually lighting up. "They come down here with the sights of their tortured past lives, so this city stitches together all sorts of mortal suffering. If you wish to see, you can witness any tragic scene imaginable here, and that's truly... so magnificent."

"...I could live here."

"..."

"?"

Hu Ma was stunned. What kind of peculiar hobby does a young girl have?

But remembering Chen Abao was from the Ghost Chen Family, she didn't say more, only whispered, "Set your hobby aside for now. How do we find that evil spirit?"

Hearing Hu Ma's words, Chen Abao reluctantly withdrew her gaze, saying, "Let's walk ahead and look around!"

So you didn't know where it was and just came in to find it on the spot?

Hu Ma felt helpless but could only step forward. Standing there, she initially felt resentment as heavy as a mountain. But when she started walking, it flowed around her, making movement easier.

Only then did she realize that in the City of the Dead, the heavier the resentment, the more she felt like a fish in water. Zhao Sanyi had given her a robe, which essentially granted her an extraordinary identity.

As she walked through the City of the Dead, occasionally, yin souls who had been hanged, buried alive, or poisoned cast sympathetic glances at her.

Hu Ma tried her best to avoid their gazes, not lingering too long on any single yin soul.

This was a taboo in the City of the Dead—or rather, in the entire underworld.

If one's gaze lingered too long on a yin soul, its memories from life would flood into one's mind with increasing intensity. One would feel its tragedy, its past, its grievances, until overwhelmed by its memories.

However, while Hu Ma was careful not to look at them, they all saw the tragic experiences of "his" past life on Hu Ma's robe.

Profoundly sympathizing with Hu Ma, they even proactively made way for this rarely seen, pitiful yin soul.

As Hu Ma delved deeper into the city, she gradually discovered that everything around her began to feel more real. The muddy path underfoot became more solid, and the houses on both sides no longer shifted constantly; they were dark, cold, and seemed truly real.

The alternating sensations of light and heavy, illusory and real, felt incredibly mystical, as if she had already returned to the mortal world.

"Purple Tai Sui?"

By now, even without Chen Abao explaining, Hu Ma understood the crux of these changes.

How could there be anything real in the City of the Dead? Only the Purple Tai Sui could transform this shadowy, ethereal place into a tangible reality.

"See, we've found it, haven't we?" Chen Abao's head, nestled in the cloak, made a snorting sound.

She said, "The Meng family is ambitious. Many of their clansmen willingly come down here to run errands for that ancestor of theirs. But their mortal lifespans haven't ended, so they are merely living ghosts. How could they truly endure the hardships of the underworld?"

"So, they borrowed the magical properties of the Purple Tai Sui to make their foothold here like the mortal world, allowing them to continue enjoying great fortune even after coming down."

"This coming and going consumes a great deal. Coupled with their ancestor who became an Immortal, among the Ten Surnames, the Meng family uses the Purple Tai Sui the most..."

"..."

Hu Ma, naturally curious about anything concerning the Meng family, carefully noted the details and asked, "Is the Meng family the one with the most Purple Tai Sui?"

"No!" Chen Abao replied. "The Meng family uses the Purple Tai Sui the most, but the one that *possesses* the most is..."

"...the Hu Family!"

"..."

"Ah?"

Hu Ma was genuinely surprised by this statement.

Chen Abao said, "Because other families have used their Purple Tai Sui, but the Hu Family hasn't..."

So they're hidden...

Hu Ma felt somewhat resigned, thinking, Hidden so well that even I, a member of the Walking Ghost Family, didn't know... But that fellow Er Guotou is truly capable; he actually managed to find them!

"..."

Amidst this casual conversation, Hu Ma had already walked through countless illusory and unpredictable streets. Faintly, she saw a massive mansion ahead, built in a grand and luxurious style, every brick and tile exceptionally real.

It looked like a miniature city within the City of the Dead itself. Surrounding it were Armored People, incense burning atop their helmets, patrolling with alert eyes under tight security.

"Living people?"

Hu Ma, being of flesh and blood, was perceptive. She immediately halted her steps, squinting her eyes slightly.

Chen Abao's voice also lowered. "Ordinarily, the living from the Meng family don't come down here. But now that they've sent this group, it seems they're planning something big. It's likely that members of the Noble Zhang Family and that evil spirit are in that mansion."

"How do we find them?" Hu Ma frowned slightly. The mansion was huge, like a small city, and the defenses were so strict that getting inside seemed almost impossible.

"HEH HEH..." Chen Abao chuckled coldly. "Do you know why I came in with you? Our Chen Family is best at dealing with the dead. I can get answers from corpses."

"..."

"Ah?" Hu Ma was puzzled. "But they're all alive..."

"Make them dead, and it'll be fine, right?" Chen Abao said.

"..."

Hu Ma was taken aback by this logic. That really makes sense...

However, as she carefully observed them, she saw those negative spirit people patrolling vigilantly in pairs. After a rough assessment using her Shousui practitioner's vision, she judged their skills to be probably only at the Entering the Mansion level.

Eliminating them wouldn't be too much trouble for her. However, if they raised an alarm, others would immediately be drawn over, and the operation could be compromised.

"The most frustrating thing about the Meng family members is that they're hard to kill and quick to send alerts," Chen Abao whispered. "But I've already planned for that. I can at least ensure they can't send alerts or summon aid for the time it takes one incense stick to burn. Is that enough time for you to kill them?"

"..."

Hu Ma nodded immediately. "Enough!"

If the negative spirit people couldn't summon aid, it meant they couldn't condense a Dharma Form while performing Shousui. Killing them then would be easy, wouldn't it?

"Alright, take out four incense sticks and light them here," Chen Abao instructed immediately.

Hu Ma didn't usually carry incense herself—most of it was in Little Hongtang's basket—but she took out four sticks as instructed, planted them in the ground. The fragrant smoke quietly rose, blending into the rolling resentment around them.

Chen Abao, though just a head, was quite agile. She rolled out of the black cloak, pouted her small lips, and blew forcefully at the four incense sticks.

Instantly, the gently wafting incense smoke turned ominous. It drifted forward like a dense fog, accompanied by the resentful, baleful wind, and enveloped the two negative spirit people.

Knowing it was time, Hu Ma immediately lunged forward. She attacked with all her might, not daring to delay for even a moment, instantly closing in on the pair.

Her lips pressed tight, she didn't utter a word, striking out with a Mountain Opening fist.

"Not good!"

The two negative spirit people had already sensed trouble when the strange smoke billowed towards them. When they saw a figure leap out from the smoke and attack, they were clearly startled. One immediately moved to intercept, while the other quickly retreated, intending to summon aid and send an alert.

However, as the second one stomped his foot to activate his ability, he discovered the incense atop his head had already been extinguished; he couldn't summon any aid.

The one who had moved to intercept Hu Ma was caught off guard by her punch, his defensive stance shattered. Hu Ma followed up with a vicious kick that caved in his chest. His five internal organs were instantly pulverized. Without even a groan, he collapsed.

The other, having failed to summon aid, opened his mouth to scream. But as he did, the surrounding smoke poured into his mouth, stifling any sound.

Hu Ma seized the opportunity, darting forward. She grabbed his neck and twisted it sharply. Then, dragging one body in each hand, she quickly returned to where Chen Abao's head lay.

"They're corpses now," Hu Ma said, concerned. "You can ask them..."

"I just realized," Hu Ma then said, a thought striking her, "if you can question corpses, why not just interrogate living people directly?"

"..."

Chen Abao rolled her eyes. "Living people are so cunning. How can they be as straightforward as corpses? Turn around!"

"..."

Hu Ma assumed Chen Abao was about to perform some Chen Family secret technique and didn't want her to watch, so she obediently turned her back.

She heard a CHOMP from behind, followed by SIZZLING sounds. After a short while, she heard a "Done!"

When Hu Ma turned back, she saw Chen Abao licking her lips, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking as if she had drunk several bowls of wine.

Looking at the two corpses, she saw that a hole had been bored into each of their heads, and the insides were empty.

"Let's go..." Chen Abao savored the taste for a moment, the aftertaste seemingly endless. After a while, she opened her eyes and said with a quiet laugh, "I've got a good grasp of the situation here now."

"WHOA..."

Hu Ma could roughly guess what had happened, and a shudder of horror ran through her heart.