Twilight Boundary-Chapter 699 - 690: The Resentment of the Villagers

In the village, tables and chairs were moved aside, revealing a deep ditch ten zhang long and about one zhang wide. Inside, a layer of firewood, stones, and thorns had been laid, and on both sides of the ditch, bundles of incense were already placed. Everyone stood quietly on either side.

Second Master was barefoot, with his pants rolled up. He watched the fire begin to light up inside the ditch with concentration, his old face lined like a carved knife.

Among the spectators, many wore anxious expressions, as if they still felt that the matter wasn't of much importance.

Those present, whether in terms of skill or status, were far superior to Tie Shoupeng. Taking care of this old fellow would be an easy task.

Why would the master of this Mr. Hu take such a risk over the words of such a minor figure? they thought. Although they came to observe out of respect for the younger generation in the village, they truly didn't understand the mountain's customs.

Meanwhile, the villagers and neighboring clans, although they had painstakingly tried to dissuade Second Master initially, now saw the fire pit ready, their expressions turned solemn. They stood silently on either side, looking at Second Master as if with a sacred gaze.

Walking through the fire pit was a method for the common people.

This was their last method to assert their Reason and relieve their anger after losing hope for others' aid.

"To put it plainly, this is just ordinary folks gambling their lives against God," 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

said Manager Xu, Xu Wensheng, softly beside the food-protection General, "because they have nowhere to seek Reason and cannot swallow their anger, they believe their grievances are real, so even God wouldn't watch them die."

"If even God wouldn't care, then they'd leave their lives here. After all, if God doesn't concern Himself with them, there's no point in living in this messed-up world."

"In the village, those who voluntarily walk through the fire pit, whether they live or not, the villagers will believe them."

"To speak bluntly, even if one dies in the fire pit, it lets the villagers understand their intentions, so Tie Shoupeng couldn't control his disciples."

"People of the countryside always account for life and death in their affairs."

...

Yang Gong listened, feeling conflicted, and whispered, "How could such a minor issue require gambling one's life? Shouldn't this be something for the officials to handle?"

Manager Xu smiled bitterly, "The General came from a poor background too. When has one ever been able to count on the officials?"

Yang Gong gritted his teeth and said, "When we are in charge, we'll certainly handle these matters."

"Those who don't manage, we'll chop off their heads!"

...

Upon hearing this, Manager Xu couldn't help but shrink his neck, actually catching a vivid hatred in Yang Gong's words.

As the fire in the ditch burned stronger, Second Master gradually lifted his head, his eyes looking towards the other end of the ditch, at Tie Shoupeng's face. Since Second Master proposed walking the fire pit, Tie Shoupeng seemed to have transformed into a different person.

Initially, he was aggressive and domineering, but now he appeared as if he were struck dumb. The firelight flickered across his face, alternately bright and dark, his eyes vacant.

"God..."

Second Master said hoarsely, his voice trembling, "is watching!"

Having said only these words, the entire village seemed to tremble slightly, and the old villagers' eyes welled with tears.

Looking at his own kin, he trembled and followed with a shout, "God is watching!"

The next moment, other clanspeople of the village, regardless of gender or age, all began shouting, "God is watching!"

As this cry echoed, shaking the heavens, even those guests of high skill and status quivered under the sound, feeling as if a wind had swept through the village.

From the direction of the old fire pit, something seemed to be rising, ancient and simple, emerging from the depths of the village, inspiring a sense of awe within them.

And Second Master, with this ancient and mysterious aura, clenched his teeth and stepped into the fire pit.

Everyone watched with wide eyes, noticing clearly that Second Master did not use any dharma method.

The flames spewed from the charcoal sizzled his skin and robes, as if the fire suddenly engulfed him entirely. Who knows how many people couldn't bear to look directly and lifted their robes to cover their faces.

"That..."

But in the next moment, someone suddenly screamed, and those beside them all raised their heads to look.

An instant later, everyone's eyes widened, faces filled with shock.

...

...

When the words "God is watching" rang from the village, Hu Ma, carrying the Punishment Officer's Great Saber and leading Little Hongtang, strode out of the village. He didn't turn back but instead fixed his gaze coldly on the deep mountains.

Lifting the saber, he gently blew, instantly causing the malice on the blade to surge and fill the woods.

In the dark shadows, countless stealthy things were startled and fled far away, not daring to come close.

He didn't know who had infused Tie Shoupeng with evil spirit, nor did he understand how this person, whom even the mountain lord couldn't catch, had such skills or where he was hiding now.

But Second Master had been unjustly wronged, which had been enough to enrage him. Now, since Second Master was relying on walking through the fire pit to vent his resentment, he could not allow this demon person to spoil things.

Having repelled the surrounding evil, Hu Ma slowly exhaled a breath of yang qi. As his body expelled this yang qi, it gradually grew cold, merging completely with the eerie forest, and he trudged into the depths of the woods.

The surroundings were silent, with all sorts of endless noises woven into the wind, flowing into his ears.

This was the Method of Listening to Graves; those proficient could listen to the wind directly.

At this moment, even his heart stopped beating, but all those noises carried by the wind, entered his ears, every detail distinct.

He could hear the countless tense heartbeats in Dayang Village, Second Master's determination to prove his lifelong integrity by walking the fire pit, even the bewilderment of those noble officials who couldn't understand, and the lurking ghostly roamings.

Until he suddenly heard a shocking sound arising from Dayang Village, followed by unspeakable excitement and joy.

One could even see the rising human energy above Dayang Village, surging and being tinged with divine light. In an instant, some strange thing, mixed in the wind, flew towards Dayang Village.

"Found it!"

At the same moment, Hu Ma abruptly looked up, his gaze sharp as a blade, and in an instant, his figure darted forward.

The Heaven Measuring Boots beneath his feet had not been returned since borrowing them from the underworld.

As soon as he moved, it was as if he used the Divine Skill of Shrinking Ground. In an instant, only a faint shadow passed through the deep forest, reaching a spot about three or four li to the west of Dayang Village. His gaze suddenly fixed on a shadowy flame.

Having borrowed the malice from the Punishment Officer's Great Saber, he had driven away the evil yin spirits around the village; the mountains were silent, and no human voices could be heard.

But here, there was a person in ragged sheepskin clothing, their face painted fancifully, and their body adorned with bizarre trinkets, bouncing around the bonfire, muttering as if casting a spell:

"Born without fortune to find fortune, misfortune comes from the heavens unbidden."

"Nowhere to escape from tribulation and disaster, realizing this heart has always been the seed of woe!"

...

As Hu Ma dashed to the edge of the forest, he caught this person chanting these strange lines and holding out a blackened object.

It was clearly a heart, still beating.

Hu Ma didn't know what spell this person was casting, but he couldn't allow them to act, so he rushed forward and swung his saber without hesitation.

The saber moved as he moved; within a few steps, he had covered several zhang, a glint of cold light swept through the forest.

"My, my, the walking ghost great hall officer came so quickly..."

Hearing the saber's sound, the person by the bonfire turned their head, revealing a strange smile on a face smeared with paint. They had no time to continue casting, broke into laughter, and suddenly retreated backward.

But since Hu Ma had already swung his saber, how could he let them escape? This person seemed to only take a half-step back, and the saber light had already arrived, cutting the opponent directly in half.

It would have been better to capture this unknown demon person for interrogation.

However, Hu Ma worried for Second Master and couldn't let them ruin the matter; thus, he struck with full force, intending to kill first and ask the spirit later.

Unexpectedly, although the slash was quite fierce, as it passed through the opponent's body, he immediately sensed something amiss.

Looking closely, he saw that the person he'd cut in half dissipated in the wind.

He had struck a shadow?

"Miasma?"

As the shadow vanished, Hu Ma immediately realized the reason.

The Old Yin Mountain was filled with miasma, producing illusions and sometimes mirages. It appeared that here, too, this person's magic had borrowed the miasma to create an illusion, causing him to slash at nothing.

Yet after Hu Ma's saber swung down, he didn't hesitate. His foot slammed heavily onto the ground.

He was the great Shousui, and with his full strength, the surrounding ground trembled slightly. In the next moment, Hu Ma heard an "Ouch" and saw someone in the shadows beside him stumble and fall to the ground.

This time, it was seen clearly, knowing it was not an illusion. He stepped forward with the Punishment Officer's Great Saber in hand, aiming it at the person's neck.

But just as unexpectedly, after taking only two steps forward, his foot suddenly went empty. It turned out that the spot where he stepped was a rabbit hole, merely obscured by wild grass. Such an inexplicable coincidence caused his foot to sink into the rabbit hole.

In the rush, with a slip underfoot, even an ankle could be twisted by the momentum.

The wobble sent the Punishment Officer's Great Saber in his hand swinging towards his own neck.

And that shadowy figure scrambled to its feet from the ground, not forgetting to laugh, "You're too hasty. When a person rushes, things are apt to go wrong..."