Twilight's Threshold Chapter 245: Old Lady Cui - Novel Cool - Best online light novel reading website

Chapter 245: Old Lady Cui

Chapter 245: Old Lady Cui

Pant, pant...

With so many people rushing in, Hu Ma showed no mercy and swiftly took down two or three of them.

As Hu Ma was cutting down the intruders, Zhou Datong was just a step behind and quickly joined in to help. At first, he was startled to see Hu Ma killing people, but then he hurriedly came to assist.

Zhou Datong held a handful of silver needles and moved with incredible speed, pulling them out one by one and stabbing the remaining stunned intruders.

Some of the intruders were just beginning to regain their senses, some were still dazed, and others, who had just snapped out of it, were shocked by Hu Ma's ferocity. Regardless, once they were hit by Zhou Datong's silver needles, they immediately collapsed, their eyes darting around in fear.

"This is quite a skillful technique..."

Hu Ma praised, shaking the blood off his knife and turning to Zhou Datong. "What's this special move? Can you teach me?"

"Silver needle acupuncture."

Zhou Datong had just subdued a few of the intruders and was feeling somewhat proud. However, seeing Hu Ma's ruthless efficiency, he felt a chill and forced a smile. "It's just a little trick from the performance world. You Year-Guardians might not think much of it."

"But this technique is specifically for dealing with those who are less skilled or unable to move. If you encounter someone more formidable, it won't be as effective."

"I had a special set of silver needles, but unfortunately, I lost them all. The ones I'm using now were bought with your silver in Mingzhou City. I'm just making do with sewing needles."

"..."

Hu Ma praised again, "I think it's quite effective..."

Zhou Datong was taken aback, realizing that this young shopkeeper, who had just thoroughly searched the ghost aunt, was now setting his sights on his own silver needles.

He looked at the blood on Hu Ma's knife and the bodies on the ground, and said awkwardly, "You need to learn this?"

"Isn't your method more thorough?"

"..."

"Is there such a thing as too many skills?"

Hu Ma laughed, then turned and scanned the group, recognizing the leader, Ma Laoda. He placed his serrated knife against Ma Laoda's neck.

Ma Laoda, now immobilized by Zhou Datong, couldn't move or speak, but he could still hear and see. Seeing Hu Ma kill several people and now with the knife at his throat, he closed his eyes, waiting for death.

But Hu Ma didn't cut his throat. Instead, he signaled Zhou Datong to remove the silver needles and whispered, "Answer my questions, or you're dead."

"If you don't believe me, I'll start by cutting off your arm to show my respect for your 'hard bones'..."

"..."

"Speak, speak, answer my questions..."

The silver needles were removed, and Ma Laoda's voice broke with tears. "My bones aren't hard, not at all."

"Then tell the truth. Why did you come here?"

Hu Ma pressed the knife to his neck again. "Why did you block the bridge?"

"It... it's not our doing..."

Ma Laoda, his voice breaking, said, "We were just following orders from our dry mother. She told us to guard the bridge and carefully check everyone coming from the south, looking for a girl around fifteen or sixteen who is unconscious."

"An unconscious girl?"

Hu Ma sighed softly, exchanging a glance with Zhou Datong, thinking it must be true.

He pressed the knife to Ma Laoda's neck and demanded, "Now, tell me about this dry mother of yours. Who is she?"

"It's... it's Old Lady Cui..."

Ma Laoda trembled. "Everyone who travels the Pingnan Ancient Road knows Old Lady Cui."

"She... she has great powers. She can raise ghosts, cast spells, and... and kill without showing her face. Everyone on the road knows that if she's involved, it's a big job."

"She... she gave the order, and we had no choice but to follow it. Otherwise, we'd lose our livelihood and even the brothels wouldn't take us in..."

"..."

Hu Ma looked up at Zhou Datong, who had a dark expression. He whispered, "Do you know her?"

Zhou Datong shook his head, saying softly, "I've heard of her."

Seeing that Hu Ma wasn't asking him more, Ma Laoda immediately pleaded, "Hero, spare my life..."

"Let me ask you one more question."

Hu Ma glanced at him and said, "Do you think someone with soft bones can survive, or someone with hard bones?"

"..."

Ma Laoda immediately answered, "Soft bones."

Hu Ma replied, "I don't like hard bones."

With that, he cut Ma Laoda down and swiftly dispatched the remaining intruders. He then sheathed his knife and turned to Zhou Datong. "The incense girl mentioned that the person who took her was called 'dry mother.' The nail in her head was also driven in by this 'dry mother.'"

"Is this killing or slaughtering chickens?"

Zhou Datong was also startled by Hu Ma's ruthlessness, thinking that the Hybrid Food Gang members were indeed efficient.

In his younger days, Zhou Datong himself was no stranger to ruthless actions. However, seeing Hu Ma cut down one person after another without a single frown, he was genuinely shocked.

Of course, he didn't fully understand the principles of the reincarnators.

If they were asked to kill innocent people, they would feel a shadow over their hearts, hesitate, and be unable to act.

But if they were already determined to protect themselves, they would kill without any hesitation.

Some reincarnators even deliberately provoke their opponents into showing hostility, using it as an excuse to kill entire families. Hu Ma, in this case, was already being relatively lenient, just to maintain secrecy.

The tension in the air was palpable as Hu Ma and Zhou Datong pondered the situation.

"If they had used sweet potato burn, perhaps even the ghosts wouldn’t have been able to do their work," Zhou Datong mused, his voice tinged with unease. "But now, with this added sense of reverence, I’m starting to piece things together. Listening to Hu Ma, I’m beginning to understand many things that were once unclear. I can’t help but sigh, 'Anyone who could kidnap the young lady right under my nose couldn’t have been an ordinary person, that’s for sure…"

"Initially, I thought it might just be my eyesight failing me with age. But now I’m certain. This so-called Old Lady Cui is no ordinary person; she has a reputation."

"She can command so many fierce bandits to risk their lives for her, even to guard the bridge and the ferry crossing. She must have considerable skills."

"..."

Hu Ma also understood and began to piece together the puzzle.

Or rather, this was what he had been worried about all along. He had feared it might come to this, and now, halfway through their journey, his fears were realized.

When Hu Ma had sent that letter to the Li family, he hadn’t expected anyone to come and take the young lady. Instead, something had gone wrong.

At that time, they had already suspected that something more complex was at play. It was possible that someone from the Li family had orchestrated the entire situation. If the Li family truly didn’t want the young lady to be safe, it might have been a deliberate setup from the start.

In that case, the goal was likely to separate her spirit from her body.

Otherwise, they might have immediately sent someone to Mingzhou to eliminate any threat permanently.

But he had acted quickly, taking the young lady and heading straight for Lingzhou before the others could catch up.

If they guessed his plan, they wouldn’t let him travel in peace.

However, they had anticipated this and taken precautions, even changing their names and using a spirit escort as a cover. It wouldn’t be easy for the others to find them.

Could it be that the other side also anticipated this and decided not to chase them, but instead set up watchmen along the inevitable route, waiting for them to pass?

"..."

As he thought, his expression grew more doubtful. "But with such considerable skills, why go to the trouble of kidnapping the young lady from the Li family? Why not just take her when they first had the chance?"

"Even more puzzling, why didn’t they just..."

He made a quick gesture at his neck.

Zhou Datong, listening, felt a chill and quickly shook his head. "Perhaps it has to do with the young lady’s yin decree."

"Our young lady’s life isn’t something just anyone can take. The more they know about the Li family of Ghost Cave, the more they fear."

"Now that the young lady has been kidnapped, so many things have happened. If they had truly intended to kill her, the master would have taken care of it himself long ago."

"..."

"Yin decree?"

Zhou Datong didn’t hide anything from him. Hu Ma understood the importance of not prying into others’ secrets, but from Zhou Datong’s words, he could guess some of the truth. For now, he wouldn’t press further.

Time was of the essence, and they needed to move quickly.

From the moment they were being watched, their location was at risk of being exposed, whether they killed the bandits or not. The only difference was that killing them might buy them a bit more time.

"Head for Anzhou."

The old steward gritted his teeth. "The more they act like this, the more it shows they fear the young lady’s return."

"Whether it’s a dry mother or a dry grandson, once we reach Anzhou, I don’t believe she can cause any more trouble!"

"..."

As he spoke, he pulled out silver needles and began to puncture the yin and yang points of the dead bodies on the ground, ensuring their spirits wouldn’t coalesce and become ghosts too quickly.

Seeing Hu Ma’s curiosity, he explained, "This will prevent their spirits from gathering, making it harder for them to become ghosts and reveal our location."

"This isn’t a trick from our Play Sect, but a technique from the Li family of Ghost Cave."

"..."

"Good heavens, they’re ruthless..."

Hu Ma sighed, "In this world, I still have much to learn..."

"Zhou Datong, would it be too much to ask you to teach me this technique?"

"..."

The two continued their discussion as they extinguished the lanterns, cleaned the blood off their knives, and hurriedly continued on their journey.

After about seven miles, they found Little Red Apricot and the headless imp waiting by the roadside. Guided by them, they reached Zhang Agu and the donkey cart resting at the bottom of a slope.

Seeing the murderous aura on Hu Ma and Zhou Datong, Zhang Agu understood what had happened. She didn’t pry into their affairs and, seeing Hu Ma’s determination to leave, quickly set up an incense array on the cart. They then took advantage of the night to hurry forward.

Seventy miles away, at the ferry crossing, an old lady with a head full of flowers and dressed in a blue wide-sleeved shirt and large cotton pants had just finished another night of vigil and fallen asleep. Suddenly, a spark from the lamp beside her startled her awake.

She froze, staring at the lamp, then suddenly sprang to action, slamming the table and shouting:

"Oh no, they slipped past us..."

"Jin-er, Yin-er, quickly get the sedan chair, and follow me to catch them..."

(End of Chapter)

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