Twilight Boundary

"A business deal?"

Hu Ma was taken aback. "What kind of business?"

It finally dawned on him that this old man had been so eager to show him around with ulterior motives.

"It's something bigger than the work in this village."

The old man laughed. "Since the employer hasn't agreed yet, I can't give you all the details right now. However, I can tell you that our employer has already found a few capable people for this task. There's at least a seventy percent chance of success."

"If this job is successful, it won't be just a few hundred taels of Silver. We'll earn at least this much." He then held up one finger.

Hu Ma was slightly stunned. "One thousand taels of Silver?"

The old man smiled mysteriously and nodded.

Hu Ma's expression twisted with conflict.

But this conflict was just for show; he had already made up his mind: This job is a no-go.

The jianghu is treacherous. This old man was pleasant to talk to and seemed capable, but you can never truly know a person's heart. Who knows what agenda he's hiding? Jobs that pay a thousand taels of Silver are few and far between. In fact, the task of burning the drought ba in this village initially only offered two hundred taels of Silver. I managed to ask for an extra hundred taels of Silver due to the increased difficulty of the task. That was already considered a significant job. Silver is hard to earn, even for those in the Path. Take the Old Shopkeeper, for example. He's been under the patronage of the Red Lantern Lady's Club for years, yet he has only managed to acquire a house in Mingzhou Prefecture, with only two or three hundred taels of Silver to his name. Even if my luck held, how could I earn several hundred taels of Silver right after starting out, and then immediately stumble upon an easy thousand taels of Silver?

I was definitely short on Silver right now. Whether it was for getting around once I returned to the city, purchasing the items required for the dharma methods in the Age Suppressing Book, or even buying a courtyard house in the town near the Manor, which would be convenient for storing things.

Yes, and there were also the oil lamps...

With the Old Shopkeeper gone, I was the only Shousui man left at the Manor. If something were to happen, there wouldn't even be a reliable helper around. I should at least teach Zhou Datong and the others something. But if I wanted to teach them, it wasn't just a matter of words; the first thing needed was the oil lamp. Each oil lamp is made from various secret medicines. Some ingredients are precious and require significant effort and Silver to procure and prepare. Previously, under the Old Shopkeeper's eye, I had been forced to waste the oil for the 'Two Hands, One Foot' lamps. Yet, to teach them some skills, one must start with these simple hand and foot techniques. Just the Silver needed for these oil lamps would be a considerable sum.

Thinking it all over, the financial pressure felt even heavier. Previously, without considering money, there was no sense of urgency. Now, it seemed every endeavor required funds; it felt like there were financial holes everywhere. Throwing a few hundred taels of Silver at these problems likely wouldn't even make a splash. But then again, needing Silver was one thing, but one had to be discerning about the kind of job one took...

So, despite the conflicted expression on his face, he ultimately just sighed and said, "Old Sir, I appreciate you looking out for me, thank you. But I think I'll pass on earning this Silver."

"We're the type to be content with modest gains. Before I set out, my Master told me to focus on gaining experience and warned me against being greedy. So, after I finish the business in this village, I plan to take my brothers back..."

"The jianghu is a wide world with long roads. Perhaps our paths will cross again!"

The old man, after a moment, said, "You are right; this job indeed carries some risk. Even if I said there wasn't any, you probably wouldn't believe me." He simply laughed. "Then it seems we'll have to rely on fate to see when we meet again."

With that, he didn't stay for the meal. Instead, he took out an earthen jar, tipped the plump chicken and stewed meat from the table into it, added two large steamed buns, and left with his monkey, swaggering away.

"Brother Ma Zi, what's with that mysterious old man?"

The villagers, seeing the old man conversing with Hu Ma, naturally didn't dare to stop him. Zhou Datong and the others were perceptive enough not to interrupt while the old man was present. Only after he was some distance away did they cautiously ask.

But Hu Ma truly couldn't figure him out. The old man was certainly not a Shousui man; his vitality had long since declined. Nor did he seem to be a Ghost Walker, as he lacked that distinct yin qi.

It just meant my experience was still too shallow to see through him.

He promptly sat down to eat. Afterward, he packed his belongings, finally retrieved his horse, and prepared to leave.

All the loose ends in the village had now been dealt with. Old Master Zhao had even written a letter, stamped with his seal, testifying that Hu Ma had earned this sum of Silver by helping the village deal with its affairs. It was all above board and legitimate, intended to prevent trouble from officials in various jurisdictions.

Of course, this was an old custom and not really effective.

In these chaotic times, who cared where your Silver came from? If you had the strength, you kept it; if not, it was taken from you.

Although Hu Ma was careful, Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and the others were extremely tense. After all, this was several hundred taels of heavy Silver. It felt weighty in their hands, and the bundle was so large it made them paranoid.

They just wished they could return to the Manor immediately, find an urn to store the Silver in, and bury it to feel at ease.

This is still far from enough... Hu Ma thought quietly, observing their cautious behavior.

Although I had refused the old man's invitation, I knew the financial gap was still huge. But where could one find so many jobs to earn Silver, especially stable ones?

Maybe rob a wealthy household? The thought flickered through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it with a self-deprecating chuckle. I'm a law-abiding citizen! At most, I'll find out where the money is and have Little Hongtang sneak some out... After all, Yang Gong had said that some little ghosts are skilled at incense-burning, while others can move valuables. Although my Little Hongtang already had the Flying Sword as a trump card, it wouldn't hurt to cultivate her other talents.

Pondering this, he decided not to rush back to the Manor. Instead, he found a rustic inn nearby to stay for the night. It was wet outside, making travel difficult, so it was best to wait for the rain to stop before continuing.

Not long after he lay down that night, while Hu Ma was silently cultivating his liver, he unexpectedly heard a long-missed voice:

"White Wine calling Old White. If you hear me, reply."

After a brief silence, Hu Ma, genuinely surprised, called out, "Miss White Wine?" He quickly added, "I can hear you." Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "...How did you find me?"

According to Er Guotou, Miss White Wine had been in Mingzhou City all this time. I've been on the road for days and am now hundreds of miles away. Reincarnators' calls have a limited range, a limit I've long since surpassed. That's why I couldn't contact Er Guotou to ask about the Red Lantern Lady's Club. So how can Miss White Wine call me?

"My cultivation is a bit higher than yours and Er Guotou's, so naturally, my range is greater."

Miss White Wine's voice sounded calm and natural, yet it carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of smugness.

Her cultivation is that high? Hu Ma was rather surprised. No wonder Er Guotou thought of asking her for help when we were plotting for that batch of Blood Food. But isn't cultivation generally considered to be on a similar level for everyone below the three-pillar limit? How can she be so much stronger? Could her cultivation have surpassed three pillars?

While he was pondering, Miss White Wine's voice sounded again, "Er Guotou told me you've run off to avoid trouble?"

"Yes," Hu Ma confirmed after a moment, glancing at his Life Incense connection. "If he hadn't warned me, I would have fallen into another pit."

"Isn't this the very meaning of being Reincarnators?" Miss White Wine said. "Not every situation has to be a life-or-death struggle. These casual warnings and minor tips that don't compromise our interests are enough for us to build friendships."

"However, you don't need to worry anymore. The time and number of participants for the duel between the Red Lantern Lady's Club and the green clothes gang's Evil Ghost have been set. Just so you know, it's a good thing you got out of there. From its seventeen branches, the Red Lantern Lady's Club has chosen ten Shopkeepers to participate."

"Except for a few of the oldest, most senior, or those Old Shopkeepers who had made truly great contributions, no one else was spared."

So it's really going to happen? Hu Ma thought, a wave of relief washing over him. He quickly asked, "Has the time been decided?"

"The fifth of next month," Miss White Wine stated flatly. "Whether your Red Lantern Lady can continue to dominate Mingzhou Prefecture, or even take things a step further, all depends on if she can win this duel."

The Red Lantern Lady is already the sole scourge of Mingzhou Prefecture. Could she really advance further? Hu Ma mused silently. He mentally calculated the time and realized there were only a few days left until it began.

"Of course, I didn't just call to pass on Er Guotou's message," Miss White Wine continued. "I wanted to ask you, since you're already out, if you're interested in collaborating with someone to earn a sum?"

"Hmm?"

Hu Ma was surprised. She's looking for me to introduce some business? What a coincidence! I came out this time specifically to earn Silver.

"It's another Reincarnator," Miss White Wine explained. "He has something important to do, but he doesn't trust people from the jianghu. He only feels at ease working with other Reincarnators."

"I've cooperated with him before; he's reliable. But this job of his is too small, and I don't quite fancy it. Besides, it's not close, and I'm too lazy to travel that far, so I thought of you."

Hu Ma's curiosity was stirred. "What kind of job?"

Miss White Wine said, "I didn't plan on taking the job, so I didn't ask for too many details. But he's a treasure hunter, so the job is likely related to treasure hunting."

"If you're interested, make your way to Wutong Town near Shanyin City within three days. Go to sleep at 9 p.m. and wait. He will call you then. Just say Miss White Wine sent you, and he'll trust you."

Hu Ma memorized the details, slightly tempted. "If I do this job, how much Silver can I earn?"

"It's not Blood Food, so I didn't bother asking for details," Miss White Wine mused, then chuckled. "But those treasure hunters are all rolling in it. I imagine he should be able to fork out several thousand taels of Silver, right?"

Hearing this, Hu Ma felt reassured.