Twilight's Threshold Chapter 132: Year-Taming Technique - Novel Cool

Chapter 132: Year-Taming Technique

Chapter 132: Year-Taming Technique

When dawn broke, the apprentices all woke up. Seeing the Inner Courtyard empty, they exchanged puzzled glances, feeling somewhat surprised.

Only when Hu Ma appeared and continued to assign tasks, sweeping and cleaning, did they finally understand. They quickly lowered their heads and got to work.

The world in this village had truly changed...

...Sometimes, a change of the world isn't marked by thunder and lightning, but rather by a quiet, almost imperceptible shift.

But now, the lives of everyone in this village were firmly in Hu Ma's hands.

Not only did Zhou Datong and the others feel elated, walking with a spring in their step, but the two apprentices who had entered the village with Xu Ji were also deeply anxious, secretly calculating:

"Before, we did offend Mr. Hu, but after that Xu guy died, we became obedient. Our knives were taken by Brother Datong, and we didn't say a word. We even secretly brought him wine and meat to eat... So, he won't make things difficult for us, right?"

Hu Ma indeed had no intention of making things difficult for them, but it would take some time for them to put their minds at ease.

From this moment on, Hu Ma adjusted his mindset and resumed his role as the laid-back manager.

With the Old Shopkeeper gone, he no longer needed to be so cautious in many matters.

For instance, cultivation.

His cultivation had always been faster than others, but in the past, he had to hide it, which made it difficult to practice diligently.

Until now, the Red Lantern Association still thought he was just a novice who hadn't completed the cultivation of his limbs, having ascended to the Second Rank but not fully.

What they didn't know was that he had already completed the Second Rank cultivation and had begun to refine his internal organs, which belonged to the Third Rank.

The events in Niujia Bay also made Hu Ma realize the wonders of the Lung Cultivation Technique. Now that he had the opportunity, he naturally sped up his progress.

Not only did he have more free time to practice quietly, but he also had to eat a large bowl of Green Food every day, which was a must. Additionally, he would regularly take Blood Food Pills to replenish the energy he lost during refinement, and he even considered pushing his Daoist Power to above the Three Pillars.

However, this was challenging.

When a person's Daoist Power reached the Three Pillars, they would touch upon the limit, unable to advance further.

This was because, theoretically, the Three Pillars of Daoist Power equaled the pure Yang power of a single jiazi cycle, which was the limit for mortals.

Despite the Old Shopkeeper's formidable combat skills, he was only at the Two Pillars level, slightly inferior to Hu Ma, who was supported by Blood Tai Sui.

Of course, it was said that some people could break through the Three Pillars.

But they all did so through secret techniques or some kind of divine intervention.

Since this was the case, Hu Ma did not force it. Instead, he maintained his Three Pillars of Daoist Power while accelerating the refinement of his internal organs.

Now that he had the freedom to do so without deliberately slowing down, he made more progress in seven days than he had in a month of clandestine practice. Soon, he felt that his lung refinement was nearing completion, or rather:

It was complete.

A strange feeling, in that moment, Hu Ma felt his chest expand, his breath deep and long, as if he could swallow the entire world. Of course, this was just an imagination, but in reality, his breathing capacity had indeed increased significantly.

With the lack of water around, he hadn't tested how long he could hold his breath, but he estimated it would be at least the time it took for a stick of incense to burn.

Additionally, he could now convert his lungs to Yin and exhale a breath of Yin Qi.

This was somewhat similar to the Evil Spirits often encountered on night roads. They would often take advantage of people's unawareness and suddenly exhale a breath of Yin Qi onto their faces, causing them to become dazed or even lose their souls. Even those with Daoist Power could lose a third of their abilities.

Hu Ma could now exhale a breath of Yin Qi, but he wasn't sure if it could kill an ordinary person...

...He hadn't thought about testing it on Li Wa Zi, but in the end, he decided against it.

Brother Wa Zi had it tough, working hard in the kitchen and maintaining a clear and simple lifestyle, unlike others who only thought about alleyways.

"Refining the lungs means I have surpassed ordinary Second Rank Age Keepers. Of course, I can't yet call myself a Third Rank, which requires refining all five organs, at least most of them, before I can claim that title..."

This sense of accomplishment was something he couldn't share with anyone, so Hu Ma could only look at Little Red Apricot, feeling a mix of joy and pride.

"Oh."

Little Red Apricot responded, continuing to hug her Red Wooden Sword and sleep.

"?"

Hu Ma was speechless. He didn't want a sidekick who couldn't even play along...

Of course, with his lungs refined and the process not yet complete, he also wanted to quickly refine the other organs.

He didn't feel bad about using the Blood Food, after all, these were "stolen goods" that could be a ticking time bomb at any moment. It was better to consume them quickly and turn them into his own abilities.

Moreover, he understood that his need for Blood Tai Sui was constantly changing.

When he first came back to life, he couldn't go a day without Blood Tai Sui.

But as he entered the path of an Age Keeper, his need for Blood Tai Sui gradually decreased.

The more parts of his body he refined, the less he needed Blood Tai Sui, but during the refinement process, he would consume a significant amount of it.

While it was unlikely that he could break through his Three Pillars of Daoist Power, Hu Ma wanted to maintain it, keeping his Daoist Power at its peak of the Three Pillars. After all, he had relied on this power several times in dangerous situations.

So now, he is maintaining his Three Pillars of Daoist Power while consuming a large amount of Blood Food Pills to cultivate.

The key here is to grasp the right measure. He needs to know the maximum amount of Blood Food he can consume each day and convert that into life energy to cultivate his Five Viscera.

Too much is no good, as the life energy will be wasted. Too little is also no good, as it would waste time.

Fortunately, there is now enough Blood Food to last for a while.

Additionally, while cultivating the Age-Guarding Sect techniques, he dares not slack off in studying the contents of the Book of Year-Taming.

Although he is diligent in cultivating the Five Viscera, he still has some free time each day due to the limitations of Blood Food. This time is perfect for understanding and comprehending the techniques in the Book of Year-Taming.

In simple terms, when he gets tired of studying mathematics, he can switch to studying literature, giving his brain a rest.

After chatting with Second Pot about the Ghost Walker’s techniques, he vaguely confirmed that the techniques recorded in the Book of Year-Taming are indeed those of the Ghost Walker.

However, although they are essentially the same, their manifestations are quite different.

For example, while others use techniques like Spirit Summoning, Spirit Inquiry, and Spirit Descent, the Book of Year-Taming uses techniques like Spirit Attraction, Spirit Command, and Spirit Binding. It’s as domineering as a thug collecting protection fees!

… If one can be a thug in this world, it confirms that the techniques recorded in the Book of Year-Taming are definitely good and genuine. This gave Hu Ma even more motivation.

During the trial in Niujia Bay, Hu Ma witnessed the domineering nature of the Book of Year-Taming and conducted a thorough self-reflection afterward, identifying several shortcomings.

First, the preparation time was insufficient.

The Book of Year-Taming is not the same as the Age-Guarding Sect techniques, which emphasize thorough preparation and leaving nothing to chance. One cannot rush into it.

Another point is that when studying the Book of Year-Taming, one must be mentally prepared for a different approach compared to the Age-Guarding Sect. The book describes “techniques,” not just skills.

The same techniques, when executed differently, can have vastly different effects.

For example, when he summoned the river creature, he used the most ordinary items recorded in the Book of Year-Taming: rice, a basin, incense, and straw as offerings. These items are too common and lack inherent power. It was the “incantations” in the Book of Year-Taming that imbued them with power.

Although his technique was successful, its power was weak, which is why the river creature became suspicious and caused unnecessary trouble.

However, if he had used better materials for these items, the outcome might have been different.

For example, instead of ordinary rice, he could have used rice that had been offered to powerful Evil Spirits for a long time, imbued with Yin Qi, or even rice grown in a “cursed land.”

For the basin, he could have used one that once held human bones.

For the incense, he could have used incense mixed with Ta Sui blood or cinnabar.

Instead of straw, he could have used paper effigies, and prepared all the offerings meticulously.

The technique would be the same, but using different materials could result in completely different outcomes.

These items, in the Book of Year-Taming, are collectively referred to as “objects,” essentially the same as the Red Wooden Sword he is accustomed to using.

However, the difference between the Age-Guarding Sect and the Book of Year-Taming is that while the Red Wooden Sword is sufficient for the Age-Guarding Sect, it is far from enough for the Ghost Walker’s techniques.

So, Second Pot Elder Brother was right…

… One point about the techniques in the Book of Year-Taming is that they are completely consistent with the Ghost Walker’s techniques: they require a lot of money!

…

…

With a clear goal in mind, his life in the manor became more relaxed and fulfilling.

The only thing he couldn’t understand was that the Innkeeper had been gone for some time, and the appointment and the reward of Blood Food had not yet arrived.

Hu Ma was a bit puzzled. Could it be that the higher-ups were waiting for him to send a gift?

Now, he couldn’t send a gift. With a major enemy approaching, drawing too much attention to himself would not be a good thing.

While Hu Ma was pondering this, one day, an apprentice suddenly arrived and told him to prepare the food in advance. An envoy from the city would arrive at noon to announce important news.

Upon hearing this, the apprentices quickly became excited and busily prepared the best food and wine, like it was New Year’s, waiting for the city envoy to come and bestow rewards.

They waited until after noon, when they faintly heard the sound of gongs and drums. The apprentices hurriedly went out to welcome the envoy, seeing several tall horses and a carriage approaching. On the horses sat two managers and several Red Fragrance disciples, and in front was an envoy with colorful decorations.

Upon reaching the manor, seeing the apprentices already waiting, the envoy smiled and looked at them, saying:

“Who is Hu Ma?”

“…”

Hu Ma quickly stepped forward and bowed to the envoy.

The man on the horse also bowed to Hu Ma and then smiled, saying, “We are here to reward you on the orders of the Red Lantern Lady.”

“Previously, you assisted the Three Incense Envoys, Yang Gong, in securing that batch of Blood Food, which was a great achievement. The Lady has issued an order to reward you. Here are three bolts of silk, ten jars of Blood Wine, thirty pounds of Green Food, and most importantly… three Secret Blood Food Pills.”

“Are you satisfied?”

“…”

Just three pills, who do they think they are?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

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