Twilight Boundary

"You see!"

"Didn't I tell you!"

Hu Ma had been worried even before arriving that sending someone back to the Dongzi Li Family might lead them to look at him as a prospective son-in-law. Because of this worry, he wanted to connect with the Reincarnators here as soon as he arrived in Anzhou. Sure enough, the very thing he feared the most had happened.

As he stood there somewhat dumbfounded, Xiang turned bright red with embarrassment and gave Old Master Li a little shove.

Old Master Li laughed and said to Hu Ma, "Just a joke, young man, no need to take it seriously. I don't get to talk to many people, as I stay here all day. Besides, since Yu'er has returned, it means I lost that gamble. Even though she is from the eighth generation, she still must continue to repay the debt for the Li Family's ancestors. Trying to leave is not a part of her fate."

"This..."

Although he said it in jest, a deeply hidden regret flickered in his eyes.

Hu Ma remained silent for a moment before rising and giving a respectful bow. He said, "Honorable elder, I only felt it was my duty to escort the young lady back. Seeing injustice, I felt it was my duty to intervene. There are many poor souls in this world. As a minor Shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, I can't handle much, but she and I share a connection. So do my brothers in the Manor. Having the chance to bring her back to reunite with you, I did. It's just..." He hesitated slightly and then wryly smiled, "Why do I feel like I've done something unnecessary, harming the young lady?"

"Huh?"

Xiang was already flustered upon hearing this and hurriedly wanted to explain.

Old Master Li patted her hand to calm her down, sighed softly, and said to Hu Ma, "Young man, don't say that. Fate and human affairs are separate matters. I understand that. The Ghost Cave refuses to let the eighth generation of the Li Family go—that's a matter of fate and the Li Family's debt. Yet it was you who performed a righteous act, which is a grace to the Li Family."

"..."

"Fate and human affairs?"

Hu Ma felt a slight tension in his heart, recalling his previous conversation with Housekeeper Zhou. In his view, everything was a mere coincidence. If he'd thought differently for a moment, Xiang's fate would have changed. Yet Housekeeper Zhou believed some invisible force was propelling these events, and if Housekeeper Zhou's beliefs were somewhat simple, Old Master Li seemed to believe even more than him. Even Hu Ma found himself vaguely starting to believe too.

"Ghostly gods should not be deceived!"

Old Master Li glanced at Xiang, his eyes filled with deep helplessness, "She was fortunate enough to be rescued by you and enjoyed a few peaceful months at your Manor. That was the rare ease in her fate. The laborious effort you put in to escort her back is the yin virtue accumulated by the Dongzi Li Family in guarding the Ghost Cave for generations. Indeed, although I had this thought then, I regretted it greatly later. The Emperor's decree is undeniable, and ghostly gods cannot be deceived. I feared because of me, she couldn't escape, and instead, she suffered even more pain and torment..."

"..."

Saying this, it was as if he let something go, sighing lightly, "The Li Family people are ultimately inseparable from this cave. This debt cannot be repaid in just seven generations."

"..."

"Debt?"

Hu Ma had heard Xiang mention this before, but he didn't fully understand. Looking up, he could see inside the cave, a deep and dark place, as if a giant well. Looking from outside, he could see a large round stone perched on a mountain, now clearer from within. The giant stone pressed down on this well, and the cave that connected with the outside world became the only crevice to the outside after the stone pressed down. Why did the Li Family guard here, exactly? What debt were they repaying? Old Master Li had said the Emperor's will could not be defied, but wasn't that Emperor already flayed alive? Now that the government was only nominally in power, how could the Li Family, descendants of Prisoners, still continue to repay such debts?

Old Master Li noticed Hu Ma's gaze turning inward and sensed his confusion. He hesitated, contemplating whether to share the truth. Finally, he looked at Hu Ma and said slowly, "The Dongzi Li Family stays here for a reason. Young man, have you heard that evil ghosts crawl out of hell and hide in the human world, doing evil?"

"Evil ghosts hiding in the human world?"

Hu Ma was taken aback, his heart suddenly jumping. Could he be talking about us Reincarnators?

He felt a sudden chill creep over him, yet controlled his expression, adopting a slightly surprised look. "Indeed, there are," he said. "Mingzhou is full of evil spirits. There were even green-clothed evil ghosts wreaking havoc, causing the people great suffering. We of the Blood Food Gang make a living by gathering Blood Food, but we also bear the responsibility of restraining these evil spirits to prevent them from wreaking havoc."

"..."

Old Master Li didn't seem suspicious. He chuckled lightly and said, "Heh, I'm not referring to those. What you speak of are merely some evil energies formed in the world, influenced by the Tai Sui and changing. Some are indeed harmful, but they're ultimately known and can be restrained. The evil ghosts I'm talking about are the hardest to comprehend and the most terrifying. They're everywhere, hiding among humanity. Even if they're standing right in front of you, you wouldn't see their true form, nor understand their true purpose..."

"..."

Saying this, he paused, sighed lightly, "Of course, not knowing about these things can be beneficial to you. These evil ghosts are incredibly vigilant, and anyone aware of their existence must be silenced."

"..."

Could he really be referring to us? Hu Ma's heart was pounding with shock, his mind filled with endless doubts and a sense of foreboding as he gazed toward the deep well hidden in darkness. Were Reincarnators truly emerging from this place? Was the Li Family's duty to guard the Ghost Cave explicitly to prevent more Reincarnators from arriving in this world? If so, what lay at the other end of the Ghost Cave? Could it be the origin of Reincarnators, their past lives?

Despite his astonishment, he tried to maintain his composure, appearing to ponder as he slowly said to Old Master Li, "What is the connection between these evil ghosts and the Li Family's debt?"

"The appearance of the Ghost Cave is directly related to the Li Family's ancestors, making it our debt to repay." Old Master Li sighed deeply. "Back in those days, with the Tai Sui emerging, evil spirits proliferated. The State Preceptor invited various strange people to the Capital for a grand ritual. Thirty-six Great Altars were established across the land to honor the earth and sky and inquire from ghostly gods about the source of the Tai Sui Blood and Flesh. Unexpectedly, there was no answer about the Tai Sui's origin, but it incited chaos across the realm. Yin and yang were disturbed, evil spirits proliferated, and the world turned into its current brutal state. Our Li Family ancestors were among those who took part in that grand ritual. For causing such calamity, they should have been beheaded. However, someone needed to guard these places, providing a slim chance for us—being exiled here and guarding it for generations. The State Preceptor once mentioned that this debt could be repaid in seven generations. But I think the State Preceptor may have miscalculated because it seems to be an eternal debt, spanning countless generations..."

"..."

"The Capital grand ritual?" Hu Ma had never heard of this term before, becoming curious. Could this Ghost Cave have once been one of those Great Altars of the grand ritual? Was it truly that grand ritual that led to the Reincarnators' arrival in this world, struggling to survive? His curiosity peaked. He hardly knew where to begin asking his numerous questions.

Yet Old Master Li, with a helpless smile, unexpectedly asked, "Young man, do you really not wish to marry Yu'er? You seem curious. Marry Yu'er, and you'll learn all about these things."

"..."

"Huh?"

Hu Ma was dumbfounded for a moment, wondering why this man made another joke. But then he remembered from the amusement in the old man's eyes what Xiang had told him earlier: the matters of the Ghost Cave were not to be inquired about too much. Asking too many questions would result in being taken away by the things inside the cave. As he was currently within the Ghost Cave, he hoped that wouldn't mean being left here permanently just because he asked too much. Secrets mattered, but his life was even more important.

"WHEW..."

Thinking this, he became slightly more alert, feeling chills as if a cold winter wind had blown from the deep well.

Sensing the cold seeping into his body, he hurriedly checked his candle and found it burnt low but with a steady flame, not appearing concerning. However, upon checking the candle and instinctively glancing at the strings tied to his left arm, he felt a sudden shock. Three red strings, all slack—had they all snapped? Damn... This realization sent a shiver through Hu Ma, leaving him momentarily frozen.

Old Master Li, noticing the red strings on Hu Ma's arm, gave a broad, almost silent laugh and said, "HAHA... Young man, your altruism is commendable, but not many in the Li Family appreciate this sentiment..."

"..."

Despite his initial worry, seeing Old Master Li's relaxed demeanor and Xiang's calmness, Hu Ma became less anxious. He only wryly commented, "It seems that the rules in the Old Master's household aren't very strict."

"That's on me." Old Master Li chuckled. "For generations, only those who enter the Ghost Cave become the Family Head of the Dongzi Li Family. Those outside are considered the outer mansion, but the longer people stay in this place, the less they care about external affairs. And so, many matters end up being handled by outsiders, gradually diminishing the authority, and the household rules aren't as strict as they once were. They don't enter the Ghost Cave, but even life in these mountains is enough—trying to dodge the debt. Though they don't realize this debt can't be escaped..."

"..."

He sighed as he looked at Hu Ma, nodding gently. "Though I may not want to involve myself in outside affairs, it's not because I'm incapable. Yu'er, go accompany your savior out. Formalities still need to be observed."