Twilight Boundary
Chapter 57: One Word Decides Fate

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: One Word Decides Fate

He had indeed thought about it.

This was the day Hu Ma had been waiting for. Earlier, in the village, he had wanted to get rid of Cui Xie’er but hadn’t asked Er Guotou for help, wanting to save this favor for a critical time.

Now, hearing Er Guotou’s voice, he felt much more at ease.

Er Guotou, upon hearing this, felt quite pleased and laughed, "It seems the path of seeking Magic wasn’t that smooth, was it?"

"In fact, it’s been quite smooth..."

Hu Ma laughed, "I did burn the green incense, and as I wished, I began working beside an old shopkeeper with exceptional skills. Now, he has even started teaching us his craft. However, I can’t help but wonder, is this how the Red Lantern Society teaches skills?"

Saying this, he recounted what had happened while learning the stances.

"That’s only to be expected..."

Er Guotou laughed upon hearing this. "Not only the Red Lantern Society, but other Blood Food Gangs also initially teach only these useless forms; otherwise, what’s to stop you from running away?"

Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "Useless forms?"

"Exactly."

Er Guotou explained to Hu Ma with a smile, "Anything unrelated to the dharma method of the Shousui men is considered a useless form."

"For you Shousui men, it’s impossible to do without Blood Food. Relying solely on your own inner fire, how could you possibly keep the furnace burning strong?"

"Unless you never lose your virginity in this lifetime. Then, not only would your inner fire be sufficient, but you’d also be immune to all poisons. However, that price is a bit too high. What about everyone else?"

"Then it’s impossible to do without Blood Food. With Blood Food to nourish you, your furnace will burn strong, and those stances can unleash incredible power to harm evil spirits and break Sorcery!"

"But this depends on you staying in the Red Lantern Lady’s Club, with Blood Food supporting you."

"If you run away and lose the Blood Food, the stances you’ve learned become useless. Using them would just consume your vitality. Once or twice might be fine, but if you use them too much, it’d be like a candle burning dry, leaving your body empty—wouldn’t that be worse than death?"

"Indeed, in a long-lived faction like this, there are many intricate Paths."

Hu Ma sighed, If I lack Blood Food and practice these stances too much, I’ll probably end up like those Red Fragrance workers.

But to be fair, it wasn’t that the Red Lantern Society was deliberately digging a trap; they were just leveraging this characteristic.

What Second Master taught him was essentially the same.

Having figured this part out, Hu Ma said, "So if that’s the case, how can I learn the true dharma method of the Shousui men?"

"That’s not easy."

Er Guotou sighed and said, "You have to know how to curry favor, how to serve others, and even be prepared to pay a great price."

"These old shopkeepers each have a trump card, but they absolutely won’t teach it lightly. After all, it’s their bread and butter, their means of survival."

"With this trump card, all Blood Food Gangs have to support them. Why would they be willing to pass on such skills for no reason?"

"What if one day you turn against them and come back to compete for their livelihood?"

This was something Hu Ma had anticipated, and now he couldn’t help but sigh.

This phenomenon wasn’t uncommon. Even in his past life, he’d heard tales of country boys going to the city to learn cooking. They’d have to wash the chef’s feet, do all the odd jobs eagerly, and win the chef’s favor. But for the chef to teach them, they had to adhere to three rules.

First, hand over their wages. Second, if the head chef wanted to curse their mother, he would, and they’d have to respond, ’Please, go ahead, I’m waiting.’

The most difficult was the third rule: every night, letting someone ’handle’ you from behind.

After all, these were skills for one’s livelihood; learning them was indeed so difficult.

And this was just learning to cook. The skills Hu Ma needed to learn now were those of the Shousui men. Wouldn’t that be even more challenging?

Hu Ma thought seriously, gaining a clearer understanding of what he was currently trying to achieve.

"Of course, you found a good place, and at a good time."

Brother Er Guotou, however, said at this point, "The manager who sent you here is a sincere person, and this Shopkeeper Wu is in a very awkward position now."

"Originally, he had trained several disciples to help him. He was quite valued and had been sent to guard a Blood Food Storage Cabinet in a certain area. However, last year, when the Blood Food was being stored, it was coveted by an evil spirit. A moment of carelessness led to a major disaster."

"Not only did his disciples end up dead or insane, but this old Shopkeeper’s family also suffered. Most critically, the Red Lantern Society’s batch of Blood Food was stolen, resulting in a significant loss."

"The incense masters above were actually very dissatisfied with his negligence. Fortunately, he managed to pull strings everywhere, and close acquaintances went all out to speak well of him. That’s how he got this chance to atone by performing meritorious service. Now, he has to rebuild this Manor to make up for last year’s loss!"

"So, he absolutely must train a few more helpers. Otherwise, he probably won’t be able to manage alone!"

"Logically, given his situation, it would be best for him to select some experienced elders from other parts of the Society to train. But he’s unwilling to teach those sent by others; he only picks from the newcomers."

"There’s this angle too?"

Hu Ma finally understood why, apart from the old shopkeeper’s family, there wasn’t a single long-term worker in the Manor.

He felt a bit sentimental, realizing that Second Master’s grand gesture back then was truly not in vain. Moustache Manager was a good man. He had asked if Hu Ma wanted to learn skills before sending him here.

Because this was where the chances of learning skills were highest.

"Of course, who he ultimately chooses to teach is another matter."

Er Guotou finished speaking and then laughed, "Among your group, he can’t possibly teach everyone. You must strive to stand out, befriend others, and catch his eye among the crowd to earn this opportunity."

"But one thing is certain..." Hu Ma silently thought, Isn’t the richly-dressed youth in the Manor doing exactly that? He, too, clearly knew the information Er Guotou shared, and he’s also aiming for that dharma method. He orders the other workers around, always trying to be the best, all to showcase his ability. He targets me because I unwittingly overshadowed him once. He’s afraid I’ll catch the old shopkeeper’s eye, so he won’t even give me a chance to prove myself. He’s certainly cautious. It’s been more than half a month since I outshone him when I first arrived, and he’s still on guard.

When Hu Ma was slow to respond, Er Guotou noticed and chuckled, "Having some trouble?"

"Standing out doesn’t seem easy." Hu Ma sighed softly and then recounted the matter of the richly-dressed youth.

Er Guotou immediately laughed. "That’s true," he said. "Brother, is this person using a red Wooden Sword?"

Hu Ma was slightly stunned. "Indeed."

"Then you certainly can’t compete with him." Er Guotou laughed, "He’s a child sponsored by the Xu Family. His father is an old Worship who prepares Blood Food Pills for the Red Lantern Society. He’s accumulated considerable wealth and is acquainted with various Shopkeepers."

"They’ve spent heavily to nurture his body from a young age and equipped him with such old artifacts. Everything was arranged and instructed before sending him to the Manor, all for him to learn some skills from the old shopkeeper."

"Perhaps his family had already arranged everything before he even went over."

"How can you, coming from a mere village, compare with someone like that?"

"This..." Hu Ma felt his heart sink a little. Truth indeed hurts. It’s starting to feel a bit hopeless.

Er Guotou laughed. "Of course, it’s not like there are no options."

Hu Ma quickly asked, "What options?"

Brother Er Guotou smiled faintly. "Since his family is well-connected, what if I take care of his father?"

"Uh..." Hu Ma agreed absently, then suddenly startled. "What the hell?"

"Take care of his father," Er Guotou laughed. "People with strong backing aren’t a problem; just remove their backing, and it’s over."

"I’ve noticed his father has embezzled quite a bit in recent years. I’ve been thinking of making an example of him. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just take care of him."

"Once his father falls, others will be too busy distancing themselves from him. Who would still dare to support him?"

"What the fuck?" Hu Ma was bewildered listening to this. My values are shaken to the core! Can it really be done like this?

"For me, it’s just a matter of saying a word." Sensing Hu Ma’s surprise, Er Guotou’s voice filled with pride. "Brother, you still haven’t dealt much with Reincarnators. For someone like me, this kind of favor is the easiest to grant. I just need to pass on a message."

"What’s actually difficult would be for me to promote you directly, or even help you find a dharma method."

Hu Ma listened carefully, noting down the experiences Brother Er Guotou shared.

He couldn’t help but be curious, What position does Brother Er Guotou hold within the Red Lantern Society?

Unfortunately, though curious, he didn’t ask.

Er Guotou had previously said that Hu Ma would see him during those few days in the city, but looking back, no one he saw seemed to be him.

Was he the incense master? Or some manager? Or perhaps just a member of the Society he had brushed past?

Truth be told, if Hu Ma really wanted to find him, he probably could. He would just need to ask around who had entered Old Yin Mountain three or four months ago, or who had disappeared for a month or two. The answer would likely be among them.

But Hu Ma didn’t genuinely intend to do so. Reincarnators are deeply secretive about their identities. It’s best not to expose them if it can be helped, just like White Wine.

Although Er Guotou had a straightforward personality and might tell him if asked, Hu Ma knew to be discreet.

It wasn’t just Er Guotou. Hu Ma’s own identity was effectively unconcealed due to his connection with White Wine and the urgency of learning the dharma method. But once things here were resolved, he also needed to find a way to hide his identity.

However... Hu Ma couldn’t help but marvel. Could a mere whispered conversation truly topple the backing of such an arrogant and overbearing young master? He would probably rack his brains and still not understand how this sudden disaster had befallen him, right? I vaguely understand why Reincarnators are seen as the most formidable evil spirits...