Twilight Boundary

"Young master, are we almost home?"

After entering Anzhou City, Hu Ma and Xiang, who was dressed in coarse clothes and had her hair cut short like a tomboy, finally checked into an inn, allowing themselves to relax a bit.

In public, they posed as siblings, with Xiang pretending to be Hu Ma's mute brother. After several days of travel, her small face had grown thinner and dirtier. This wasn't solely due to their disguise; the journey itself had been grueling.

Riding a horse might seem fun at first, but after an entire day, it became torture. For several consecutive days, they rode, constantly on guard against potential danger. They ate poorly and slept fitfully, an ordeal of nightmarish intensity.

Hu Ma managed to endure it, partly due to his Shousui man's constitution and the Blood Food Pills.

Yet, Xiang followed without a single complaint, silently enduring it all. Hu Ma was impressed by her determination, especially after seeing the blood-stained towel she used the next day from where the saddle had chafed her inner thighs raw.

However, after several days of hardship, they finally reached Anzhou City.

During their journey, Xiang had stuck close to Hu Ma. They had lodged in village farmhouses, found makeshift shelter in ancestral halls, or simply slept in the wilderness. When they encountered evil spirits, they relied on the incense array to evade them.

Now that they were entering the city, it meant they were nearing home.

"Of course," Hu Ma answered with a smile when she asked. "Once we reach Anzhou Prefecture City, we're only a day's journey from Lingshou Prefecture."

"Very soon, I'll be able to take you home."

"That's wonderful..." A happy smile appeared on Xiang's face, significantly lessening the gloom that had clung to her.

However, she didn't know that Hu Ma had actually taken a detour. Normally, traveling from Mingzhou, one could reach Lingzhou Prefecture first, which was actually a bit closer than Anzhou Prefecture City.

But Hu Ma had to come here first to contact the Reincarnator Organization in Anzhou. Since Xiang had rarely left home and wasn't familiar with the geography of prefectures and counties, she instinctively assumed that to reach Lingshou Prefecture, one must pass through Anzhou Prefecture City.

Still, reaching Anzhou City without incident made Hu Ma feel somewhat thankful. After the fierce battle outside Dongchang Prefecture, he had made the swift decision to travel light and fast with Xiang. If they had continued at their previous pace, who knew how many more fights they would have faced.

Even so, he had felt several alarming premonitions along the way, a chilling sense of almost being discovered.

He figured that the so-called Third Young Master must be growing anxious waiting for the steward to rendezvous with him and was likely using some method to find them.

Of course, coming to Anzhou City first not only allowed contact with the Reincarnator Organization but also served to throw off their pursuers. Just two days ago, they had passed a major crossroads. If they had intended to go directly to Lingshou Prefecture, they would have headed north. Instead, Hu Ma, seemingly focused on taking Xiang home, had veered east, taking a longer route straight to Anzhou Prefecture City.

If their pursuers had been waiting on the expected route, they would have been sorely disappointed.

But the closer they drew to Lingshou Prefecture, the more anxious their pursuers would likely become. He just didn't know when they might track them to Anzhou Prefecture City.

Their pursuers haven't cast a wide net, Hu Ma pondered. It seems not many from the Li Family dare to openly move against Xiang. Perhaps many resent her or are repelled by her association with the Ghost Cave, but most wouldn't dare truly harm her. After all, she is a young lady of noble birth!

Watching Xiang's dirty little face as she busied herself pouring tea for him, he sighed softly. What a pitiful little thing she is. Clearly a young lady, yet ostracized, and even returning home is this difficult!

"Stop bustling about," he said after a moment's thought. "I'll go downstairs and order us something to eat. You freshen up."

"We won't travel tonight. You should get a good rest. Tomorrow, we'll discuss how to get you home."

Xiang nodded vigorously. "Understood, Young Master."

"...Should I sleep on the floor tonight?"

"No need, you sleep on the bed."

With that, Hu Ma left the room and went downstairs to the common hall. He ordered a pot of wine, a plate of braised meat, and a dish of salted beans.

Throughout their journey, he and Xiang had posed as siblings in public. Given the ever-present, unknown dangers, they shared a room for safety, with one taking the bed and the other the floor, always maintaining propriety.

Xiang was a girl who valued cleanliness. One or two days were tolerable, but after seven or eight days covered in dust, she couldn't stand her own smell and would occasionally freshen up. Naturally, with her legs chafed raw, she also needed to apply medicine. Hu Ma was giving her time for that.

In terms of endurance, they couldn't compare to a Shousui man, who perspired less and could better withstand the rigors of the road.

While eating in the hall amidst the lively chatter, he didn't overhear any particularly noteworthy news. Besides listening to others' conversations, Hu Ma frequently, yet casually, glanced towards the door. Seeing no unusual activity, he relaxed slightly.

Although they hadn't faced many battles on this leg of the journey, there had been one truly perilous encounter.

The most dangerous moment had been two nights prior. While he was guarding the campfire, patiently keeping watch through the night, a sudden chill washed over him. Looking down, even the flames of the campfire had turned an eerie, spectral green.

Startled, Hu Ma quickly lit the incense array, and he and Xiang hid within it, not daring to make a sound. Vaguely, they heard the sound of dragging iron chains passing by on the road outside. It passed back and forth several times but ultimately failed to find them. The sound eventually faded, and the campfire returned to normal.

Xiang's face had turned deathly pale at the time. "That was..." she had whispered.

"Something was searching for me," Hu Ma had told her.

It was then that Hu Ma's vigilance had sharpened considerably, and he remained exceedingly cautious for the remainder of the journey. Indeed, they had two more similar encounters, both of which they carefully evaded.

Fortunately, being only two people, they were relatively easy to conceal. Coupled with their change of route, which had distanced them from their pursuers, they had experienced no further incidents in the past three days.

Slightly relieved, Hu Ma slowly finished his food. He then asked the inn attendant to prepare a large bowl of noodles topped with braised meat and took it upstairs.

By then, Xiang had finished freshening up and had even washed the towel she used, hanging it aside to dry. Earlier, Hu Ma had seen blood on the cloth she used and had asked about it out of pure concern, which had made her blush deeply.

He saw that she had made the bed neatly but was herself wrapped up tightly, huddled on a chair in the room.

Hu Ma placed the food on the table. "You're not sleeping on the bed?"

"Young Master should take the bed tonight!" Xiang whispered. "These past few days, Young Master has always let me have it, but I know you're very tired too."

"I can manage. You just rest well. I can't very well bring you home only for you to fall ill from exhaustion. How would I explain that?" Hu Ma said, trying to lighten the somber mood with a smile. "Come and eat. Eat, then sleep."

Xiang nodded obediently and came to sit at the table.

As she ate, after only a few mouthfuls, tears began to fall into her bowl. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and continued eating.

This little girl has had it rough, Hu Ma thought, noticing her tears but pretending not to. He sat quietly near the wall, circulating his energy and cultivating his Seven Apertures.

While he had been careful throughout the journey, Xiang had been constantly on edge, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

He reckoned she had been sold once, and even the steward who had cared for her since childhood had tried to harm her. Her own relatives in the Li Family didn't want her back; it was truly a heavy blow for her.

She naturally longed to return home, but she also genuinely felt that Hu Ma was more reliable than her own family.

Once Xiang finished her noodles, Hu Ma still had her lie down on the bed. He, meanwhile, silently continued his cultivation. Gradually, his body relaxed, and his consciousness entered the Lifebound Spirit Temple.

Finally, I can contact the Reincarnators... A slight thrill went through him at the thought.

The closer they got to Lingshou Prefecture, the more significant the Li Family's efforts to prevent Xiang's return would become. The invisible danger was growing increasingly severe.

However, knowing he could now contact the Reincarnators brought a measure of reassurance.

He just hoped to find someone successfully.

He slowly approached the deep darkness, where only the Divine Statues of the Five Organs and four limbs glowed. Hu Ma took a deep breath, lightly raised his hand, and pressed it against the incense burner on the incense table. Focusing his mind, he spoke softly towards the burner:

"Codename Old White calling in Anzhou Prefecture City. Can any Reincarnators hear me?"

After calling three times with no response, Hu Ma began to feel tense.

Surely not?

If he couldn't contact any Reincarnators, he would have to face the Li Family's machinations on his own...

But just as he anxiously called out for the fourth time, the fragrance from the incense burner suddenly billowed outwards.

Then, a lazy voice drawled, "Nope, nobody."

Huh? Hu Ma was bewildered. If no one heard, then what in the world are you?

As he hesitated, the voice continued, "Codename Old White? Good name. Why didn't I think of that? Wonder if it's too late to snatch it up..."

"...Brother, where are you from?"

"Just passing through Anzhou Prefecture City? Planning to settle down here? Or maybe looking to pull a big job?"

"If you're planning to settle down, forget it. If you're here for a big score, don't bother either. There's not much to go around here; we ourselves haven't eaten properly in days."

Hu Ma was confused again. What's with the style of Anzhou Prefecture City's Reincarnators?

He paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "I'm looking for someone with the codename Red Wine."

"You know them, brother?"

As soon as he said this, the other person's attitude clearly shifted. The voice vanished, and the atmosphere became quiet. After a long pause, the voice hesitantly spoke again, "Before I answer that..."

"...Brother, you're not at your wit's end, looking for her to save your life, are you?"

Hu Ma was startled. "Eh?"