Twilight Boundary-Chapter 749 - 740: jianghu Person Hu Ma

"Wh-what is that ghostly thing? It's so terrifying!"

As the breeze blew, the shadow disappeared, but the haunting song lingered in everyone's ears. Everyone present possessed formidable skills; even if confronted by a Ghost King, they could easily crush it. Yet now, faced with a mere Ghost, they all turned pale.

"Vegetable People's Sorrow!"

Before Hu Ma could answer, Immortal Miaoshan said softly, "This is a poem from our former Sect Hierarch of the Not Eating Beef sect, the Great Virtuous Master. He once served as an official in Shangjing, rising to a high rank, and presented this very work to Emperor Duyi."

Hu Ma was suddenly taken aback. "He brought it?" He recalled the poem from his memory, naturally knowing its origin. In a world where Reincarnators were plentiful, stealing poetry to gain fame was practically basic practice. However, it was rare in this world, where so many had undergone reincarnation, due to the fear of being ridiculed by fellow travelers. Hu Ma couldn't understand why Lao Junmei, who had reincarnated so early, would specifically choose this poem to leave in this world, and even present it to the Emperor. No wonder he wanted to peel the Emperor's skin. If he hadn't acted, the Emperor would likely have peeled his skin instead.

"Just a kind-hearted person..." Hu Ma sighed and stepped forward. Using the Punishment Officer's Great Saber, he dug a pit in the ground and buried the few remaining dry bones. After lighting incense, he sighed again. "Even after experiencing such a tragedy, he still wanted to warn passersby not to venture ahead."

"The Corpse Guardian Soul harbored an obsession..." Old Calculation had been watching Hu Ma. When the burial was done, he said in a low voice, "To be hacked by axes and swords, turned into army provisions—he should have been consumed by resentment."

"Yet this solitary Ghost only left a wisp of desolation and utter despair, lingering here to warn passersby. It shows what horror the road ahead must hold. We must be cautious. In this Chaotic World, soldiers are like demons, and people like sheep..."

"If the way ahead is terrifying even for us, what can it be for others?" Hu Ma recognized the worry in Old Calculation's tone. "Since it's on our path, it's ours to witness. Let's go and see!"

He returned to the carriage first, and the group set off again, now in deeper silence. They watched the sides of the road, an unsettling feeling that something lurked behind the wild grass. Just before midnight, they saw a dark, indistinct town ahead.

The town only became visible in the enveloping night because of two high lanterns hanging from the archway at its entrance. Strangely, apart from these two lanterns, the entire town was shrouded in darkness.

They slowly passed through the archway and entered the town. Normally, it would be the attendants' duty to find an inn, knock, and secure lodging. But the attendants weren't foolish; they had already sensed something amiss about this town. They huddled beside the carriage, their eyes darting around nervously. Cautiously, they edged forward, inch by inch, until they reached what appeared to be an inn. However, they were too afraid to knock.

Hu Ma understood their apprehension and glanced at Little Hongtang. Little Hongtang, in turn, looked at Little Douguan, who immediately adjusted the two decorative wings on the sides of his hat. With deliberate strides, he walked to the inn's door and, using all his strength, gave a few powerful knocks. DOK! DOK! DOK! The sounds echoed clearly through the silent night, resonating throughout the entire town.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for a response. Suddenly, the clang of gongs and the beat of drums erupted from both ends of the town. Then, the thunder of galloping hooves shattered the silence. Doors were flung open, and countless flames erupted as if leaping from water, appearing everywhere—braziers and lanterns that suddenly illuminated the town, revealing ferocious faces in their glow.

The inn's door was abruptly yanked open, revealing an inner courtyard. Inside, rows of racks stood, from which human heads hung in long lines, their hair braided with rough hemp ropes. Each face was lifeless, eyes vacant and rolled upward. Beside the racks, a large pot simmered, filled with bubbling, pale human flesh. Nearby, on meticulously cleaned ground, lay rows of headless corpses. A burly woman sat on a small stool, scooping coarse salt from a large basin and vigorously rubbing it onto the corpses. She looked up, her eyes—mere slits in her plump face—darting with a wicked glint.

People swarmed in from all directions, their eyes raking over Hu Ma's group.

"Fat sheep have walked right in..."

"Good haul, good haul! This bunch will cover half the quota..."

"They don't look starved. The ones outside are sturdy and strong; those inside the carriages must be tender..."

"And those fine draft animals..."

Amidst the greedy murmurs, one man stared at the carriage horses and Old Calculation's donkey, but another slapped him. "Don't be a fool! Such fine animals should be kept alive and bred!"

"Aren't the 'sheep' enough to fill your belly?"

The attendants, witnessing such a sight, were already panicking. They quickly tried to drive the animals back the way they came, to escape the town. These attendants had been chosen by Immortal Miaoshan—or rather, by Little Douguan—from among the followers of the Not Eating Beef. Though they hadn't learned many skills, they were astute. However, just as they retreated a few paces, the sound of hooves echoed behind them as well.

It was a troop of riders on tall horses, shadowy figures in armor, dragging large wagons behind them. The men leading the charge held tall bamboo poles aloft, from which human heads dangled, swinging gruesomely.

The townsfolk roared with laughter upon seeing them.

"The Grain Searching Team is back!"

"Quite a haul tonight!"

"They deliberately lagged behind to trap this flock of fat sheep and herd them into town!"

Those blocking their retreat were indeed the Grain Searching Team. Carrying heads on bamboo poles was their custom: upon finding people outside, they would first decapitate them and hang the heads on poles as a display of their accomplishments. The more heads on a pole, the greater their merit was considered.

Amidst the chaos, the attendants glanced back, and the firelight swept over the heads on those poles. A sudden chill ran down one attendant's spine as he recognized two heads among the grisly trophies: one, white-haired, its mouth agape; the other, youthful, with a blank, frozen expression.

It was the grandfather and grandson they had encountered earlier—the ones who had braved a night journey south, desperate to escape this very Grain Searching Team. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

And yet, they hadn't escaped this fate...

Inside the carriage, Hu Ma had anticipated such a tragedy and mentally prepared himself. Yet, witnessing it firsthand still struck a heavy blow to his heart. He sighed softly, retrieved the Punishment Officer's Great Saber from beside him, and slowly stepped out of the carriage.

"Brother Hu, don't be hasty!" But at that moment, Fourth Miss Zhou suddenly stepped out from another carriage. As if anticipating Hu Ma's reaction, she grabbed his arm and whispered, "I know seeing this ignites a fire in your heart, but... But those within the Ten Families Sect usually don't involve themselves in such matters. Once we reveal our identities, no matter how fierce these people are, they won't dare provoke us. Even if some of them don't recognize us, their superiors surely will. The Stone Pavilion Alliance once decreed that the disputes of the world follow their own course; Martial Artists must not interfere."

In the distance, members of the Grain Searching Team caught sight of her. Their eyes fixed on her, and they swallowed repeatedly, their lecherous intent clear.

Hu Ma, however, looked at her curiously. "Not interfere?"

"It's beyond our capacity to interfere." Fourth Miss Zhou's face was youthful, and in terms of jianghu experience, she was far less seasoned than Immortal Miaoshan. Yet, at this moment, she offered her own insight. "I... I never imagined such things truly happened. But according to the rules set down by the Stone Pavilion, those who follow the Path should not intervene in these worldly affairs. As the sanctity of life diminishes and human tragedies abound in the human world, meddling here and there won't solve everything. If we force our intervention, it would be as if the Ten Surnames were directly trying to seize control of the world. In these times, good and evil are blurred. Grain Searching Teams besiege cities from without, and similar horrors occur within. This... this was the sternest warning my father gave me when I left home... 'Do not attempt to find good people in this Chaotic World, nor search for bad ones. They... are just people.'"

Hu Ma hadn't expected the people of the Ten Surnames to have such a rule. But he looked at Fourth Miss Zhou. As she spoke, she gazed only at him, though her eyes occasionally flickered away, sometimes even closing entirely. Her face was deathly pale, and the hand gripping his arm trembled lightly. Realizing she didn't want him to break the rules of the Ten Surnames, he smiled. "Then why don't you open your eyes and truly see?"

Fourth Miss Zhou shivered slightly, words catching in her throat.

Hu Ma spoke softly, "It's not just your Zhou Family that has such rules. The Zhensui Mansion also has a directive not to kill the living. In this Chaotic World, with its unavoidable fates and pervasive human tragedies, I understand these things well enough. But as I've journeyed this path, I've begun to grasp a fundamental difference between myself, and both of your kinds—the marauders and your sects. You and they are sworn enemies, yet in certain aspects, you are strikingly similar. One side views this human world with detachment, as if observing a mural. The other stands high above, eyes deliberately closed. My biggest problem, however, is that I am too close to this world. I find myself unable to remain detached..."

As Hu Ma spoke, he gently took Fourth Miss Zhou's hand and moved it from his arm. Then, wielding the Punishment Officer's Great Saber, he slowly advanced. His mind raced, considering his current identity.

He couldn't claim to be a Reincarnator, not since even his Lifebound Spirit Temple was sealed.

Nor could he claim to be of the Hu Family, for the Zhensui Mansion's directive was not to kill the living, meaning he couldn't even summon the Golden Armored Warriors.

So, the identity he could use at this moment was...

As he pondered, he faced the lines of intimidating soldiers, the Punishment Officer's Great Saber in his hand reflecting the firelight, its polished surface dazzlingly bright.

"A martial artist, Hu Ma, happens to be passing through. Witnessing such unyielding evil, I hereby draw my blade..."

"You all deserve to be slain!"