Twilight Boundary

""This little girl is certainly something..."

Both Hu Ma and Lady Han were taken aback when they heard Xiang suddenly step forward and say these words.

Hu Ma had previously discussed matters with Burning Blade at length. Their goal was to find a logical, real-world justification, adhering to the rules of this world, that would give Miss Red Wine a reasonable rationale to help him.

According to Burning Blade, the reason Miss Red Wine didn't personally discuss this with Hu Ma was her impatience; she disliked going over the same discussion again as if it were a rehearsal.

Simply put, she didn't like rehearsals.

Therefore, after Burning Blade and Hu Ma had devised a plan, Hu Ma was to approach her openly, in his capacity as a Martial Artist, and straightforwardly request her assistance.

Of course, precisely because of this, when he presented the reasons and opportunities he had prepared, Lady Han suddenly went off-script. Her additional, unexpected request caught him completely off guard.

Should I agree to her condition or not?

He hadn't expected Xiang to be so considerate. Worried that he might be taken advantage of while trying to save others, she had stepped forward. Her revealing her identity had an unexpectedly potent effect, immediately changing the nature of the situation.

Even Miss Red Wine, or rather Lady Han, showed a slight change in attitude. She nodded and said,

"So, you're a young lady from the Dongzi Li Family. Your family seldom interacts with people within the Anzhou Path, but since we're both in Anzhou, we're practically neighbors. Now that you've come to my door, I should address you as 'sister.'

"But being from the Li Family, how did you end up in such a state? Lingshou Prefecture isn't far from here. Who would be so blind as to dare provoke your Li Family within Anzhou's territory?"

Xiang looked a bit aggrieved. She hesitated, then said softly, "I... I was harmed by a villain and was nearly unable to return home.

"It was all thanks to this gallant Young Master that I was brought back.

"But now that I'm at my own doorstep, those people still refuse to give up; they're still trying to stop me from returning home."

She trailed off, looking troubled.

She seemed somewhat conflicted. Even knowing the steward had deceived her, she was reluctant to speak ill of him. Yet, in this situation, she couldn't remain entirely silent.

After a few words, her emotions were stirred. Her eyes reddened slightly as she said to Lady Han, "Senior, they're taking advantage of the fact that my father must guard the Ghost Cave and cannot easily leave. They're stopping me from returning home. I want to ask for your help, Senior."

Her initial sentences followed the conventions of the jianghu, but her latter words sounded more like those of a little girl.

But now that Xiang had revealed her identity, Lady Han's demeanor towards her changed.

Stepping aside slightly, she said, "That goes without saying. Not to mention, I myself have sought assistance from the Dongzi Li Family in the past. Even if that weren't the case, with Miss Li in distress, I am honor-bound as a fellow member of the jianghu to help. You two shouldn't just stand here. Come inside and talk!"

Hu Ma and Xiang followed her into the main hall of the manor. They found the furnishings simple and unadorned.

It resembled an ordinary farmhouse, yet the lamp, tables, chairs, and bed all possessed a subtle, peculiar craftsmanship.

They sat down at the table. Before long, an eerie, cold gust of wind drifted in from outside the door.

Looking up, they saw a figure floating in. It was pierced with various swords and spears, an arrow embedded in its forehead. Though its appearance was horrifyingly wretched, it was clad in armor and resembled a general from a battlefield.

Its face was deathly pale, its eyes hollow, and its body covered in gore. Yet, it held a tray bearing two porcelain cups. It placed the tray on the table and then floated away.

Lady Han glanced at the peculiar expressions on Hu Ma and Xiang's faces and said nonchalantly, "I have many strange things here; ordinary people can't endure it. It's difficult to even hire someone to cook and boil water, so I can only have ghosts help with the tasks. You'll just have to make do."

"Ghosts can do household chores?" Hu Ma exclaimed internally.

He couldn't help but think, Little Hongtang has another skill to potentially develop.

Lady Han didn't drink her tea. She simply said, "Now, tell me, what trouble have you encountered?"

Xiang put down her teacup. "It's... it's some things from the cave..." she stammered. "I've seen them before but never had any contact with them. They've come looking for me, and I don't know how to protect myself. Besides, if I want to go home..."

"That's not clear enough," Lady Han interjected, frowning as she turned her gaze to Hu Ma.

"It's a type of yin spirit," Hu Ma began, explaining in detail. "They wear tall hats and are bound by iron chains. They don't resemble wandering spirits, nor do they look like ordinary evil spirits.

"Wherever they pass, oil lamps change color, the cold becomes bone-chilling, and the living fall silent."

"A servant ghost?" Lady Han's expression changed. "How many days has it been?"

Hu Ma, having been asked this question before, quickly replied, "By my count, this is the seventh day."

"Good heavens..." Lady Han exclaimed, abruptly standing up. "I don't know if you two are incredibly lucky or terribly unlucky. Unlucky, to have been targeted by such a thing. Lucky, to have found me precisely on this seventh day."

"However..." she continued, glancing at Xiang with a smile, "since you are a young lady of the Dongzi Li Family, for them to employ such a creature to find you... Have they gone mad?"

Xiang's expression was also somewhat subdued, and she seemed to find it difficult to speak. After a long pause, she said softly, "I haven't formally entered the Ghost Cave yet... Those things... they don't recognize me yet..."

Hu Ma was rather taken aback and quickly asked, "Senior, what exactly is this creature?"

"It's something that doesn't belong to the world of the living."

Lady Han glanced at Hu Ma. "It's neither a wandering spirit nor an evil spirit, and certainly not one of those vengeful entities appeased with incense in a shrine. I've encountered them once or twice during my time in Anzhou. They seem to bear marks of artificial refinement, but I don't fully understand them.

"I only know that once targeted by this... thing, death is certain within seven days. There have been no exceptions."

Hu Ma immediately grew worried. "Then..."

Lady Han waved her hand dismissively. "Otherwise, why would I say you're lucky?

"The young lady of the Dongzi Li Family is in trouble; it's natural to seek help from fellow members of the jianghu. But you were fortunate to find me. If you had gone to someone else, they might have wanted to help but would likely have lacked the means.

"Only I have a chance of protecting you on this seventh day, preventing that ghostly thing from finding you."

"Ah?" Hope dawned on the faces of Hu Ma and Xiang.

One of them, however, already knew this and was merely acting, while the other genuinely looked relieved.

"You two arrived treating this as a major crisis, which made me tense as well," Lady Han said, waving her hand dismissively. "Now that I hear it, it doesn't seem like such a huge problem.

"Tonight, I will protect you. Tomorrow morning, I'll send a message to the Li Family."

"But..." Hu Ma looked troubled. "Senior, I've already sent messages to the Li Family before."

"And no one came for you, leading to more trouble instead?" Lady Han looked at Hu Ma with a knowing smile. "You're a kind-hearted young man, but your experience in the jianghu is still a bit shallow.

"A young lady from such a prominent family either doesn't go missing, or if she does, it's never a simple matter.

"But don't worry. Your sending a message and my sending a message are two different things. Your message is screened by the gatekeeper first. When I send a message, they wouldn't dare conceal it; it will definitely be delivered directly into the Ghost Cave."

Hu Ma thought to himself, There's something familiar about that subtle air of pride... Outwardly, however, he looked greatly relieved, thinking that things were finally going smoothly.

"Yes, it's all thanks to you, Senior..." Xiang said quickly, then hesitated. "But... but those people who don't want me to return home..."

Seeing her struggle to continue, Hu Ma spoke up for her: "The people obstructing us have set numerous traps along our journey. Now that we're just a step away from her home, they're even less likely to give up easily."

"If I wasn't confident about handling that, I wouldn't have dared to promise my help," Lady Han replied with a slight nod. "Both of you, come with me."

The two quickly got up and followed her into an adjacent room. It turned out to be a thatched hut with wooden walls and a mud roof; it was somewhat drafty and not at all sturdy.

Inside were various strange items: dark boxes and pouches, metal gloves, interlocking iron rings, and the like.

Many of them looked like props one would use for performing illusions or stage magic.

"Tonight, little girl, you will stay in this room."

As Lady Han spoke, she took out a talisman. On it was scrawled some name, along with birth characters she seemed to concoct on the spot while making calculations with her fingers. She then affixed this talisman, now a Bazi Tie, to Xiang's forehead.

Next, she placed a pair of shoes beside a small bed in the room, arranging them meticulously: one pointing inward, the other outward.

Finally, she went to a wooden cabinet against the wall and spent a long time writing and drawing on it.

Only then did she turn to Xiang and instruct her carefully: "Tonight, you will wear this Bazi Tie on your forehead. Sit on the bed with a bowl of clear water in front of you. Place a pair of chopsticks on the bowl, pointing southwest. If anything happens and the chopsticks change direction, you must immediately reset them to point southwest again.

"When midnight arrives, if a thin layer of ice forms on the water and freezes the chopsticks, quickly cover the bowl with a quilt, arrange both shoes pointing forward, and hide inside the cabinet.

"Once you are in the cabinet, remember this: keep your eyes tightly closed. No matter what sounds you hear or what happens around you, do not open your eyes and do not make a sound.

"The moment you open your eyes, the Magic will be broken, and that thing will find you. But as long as you keep your eyes closed, I can ensure your safety."

Hearing these instructions, both Hu Ma and Xiang wore grave expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy, and carefully committed everything to memory. Finally, a little puzzled, Xiang asked, "Is that all?"

"Of course," Lady Han replied. "Any further trouble will naturally be handled by me personally."

"Heh, let me enlighten you two youngsters," Lady Han said. "When a Chain Ghost comes to hold a soul, even great cultivation offers no escape. Only those from our Trick Door know how to deal with them. The Trick Door is divided into three schools: Deception, Cleverness, and Subterfuge.

"Those who master the arts of Deception learn to deceive Heaven, Earth, and even ghostly gods. When their skills are profound enough, they can fool Heaven and Earth itself—let alone a mere servant ghost!"

Both Hu Ma and Xiang looked as though their horizons had been broadened. Hu Ma asked curiously, "Then, Senior, are you from the School of Deception?"

"No, I belong to the School of Cleverness," Lady Han said, glancing at him coolly. "But I am proficient in all three schools."