Twilight's Threshold Chapter 41: The Year-Guardian - Novel Cool

Chapter 41: The Year-Guardian

Chapter 41: The Year-Guardian

Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "Year-Guardian?"

"Exactly, not the Year-Guardian who gives out New Year’s money, but one who belongs to a specific lineage."

Ergoutou smiled and explained, "Year-Guardians, wandering spirits, malevolent souls... this world is full of strange and evil things, and there are many who deal with them. Due to different methods and customs, they are divided into various lineages."

"The Year-Guardian is one of them."

"..."

Hu Ma's mind cleared up. No wonder Second Master’s abilities were so different from Granny’s.

They belonged to different lineages.

With a bit of excitement, he quickly asked, "Then, how can one enter this lineage?"

"That’s a bit more complicated."

Ergoutou laughed and said, "Brother, how many incense sticks of Dao do you have now?"

"..."

"How many?"

Hu Ma hesitated for a moment, remembering that Granny had also asked him this question before. He replied, "Are you referring to our life incense or the way this world measures Dao?"

"Both."

While Hu Ma was worried, Ergoutou laughed and patiently explained, "In this world, everyone’s Dao is measured by the number of incense sticks based on their life force."

"A person who lives to twenty without any illness or misfortune reaches the peak of their life force. At this stage, they can drive away evil spirits and ghosts, and malevolent beings find it hard to approach them."

"In the eyes of the initiated, this is called one incense stick of Dao."

"Three incense sticks are known as a full cycle of Dao."

"However, for us reincarnated souls, it’s simpler. Our innate spirit temple reflects everything, and each incense stick represents one incense stick of Dao."

"If you have less than one incense stick, it’s just called potential, not Dao."

"To enter the Year-Guardian lineage, you need at least one incense stick of Dao."

"..."

So that’s how it works, Hu Ma thought to himself.

He had already accumulated more than one and a half incense sticks of Dao by eating the blood of the evil deity daily, nearly reaching two incense sticks.

In theory, this was too fast and unreasonable.

Moreover, Ergoutou said one incense stick of Dao was enough to enter the Year-Guardian lineage, but Granny had told him to wait until he had three incense sticks.

Clearly, she had considered his unique physical condition.

Understanding this, Hu Ma sighed, "I don’t even have half an incense stick!"

"I seem to be different from you. I remembered my past life relatively early, but I was always weak and sickly as a child. I nearly died a few times."

"Granny, who was a wandering spirit, couldn’t teach me her skills because of my frail health. I ended up learning to tend a furnace from an old miner, but due to my poor constitution, the fire never burned well."

"Only a few months ago, I accidentally ate the evil deity’s flesh and opened my spirit temple. You are the first reincarnated soul I’ve met..."

"..."

"Brother, you’re so honest. Don’t reveal so much about yourself to others next time."

Ergoutou laughed, not suspecting anything.

Hu Ma’s situation of being summoned to this world was quite explosive, even among the already explosive group of reincarnated souls.

"Hmm?"

Following Ergoutou’s advice, Hu Ma asked, "Why?"

"Better safe than sorry!"

Ergoutou sighed and said, "I’m different from Miss White Wine. She is extremely cautious and never meets reincarnated souls, even though she saved my life, I don’t even know what she looks like."

"I, on the other hand, am cautious but not paranoid. Just be more careful in general..."

"Of course, I’m not telling you to be like me."

He continued, more seriously, "People in this world are very hostile towards us, and some of them are quite powerful. They are always looking for us, and it wouldn’t be good if they found us."

"So, while reincarnated souls should help each other, we should also try to follow the principle of not meeting each other in person. If there’s something you need to communicate, let the spirits deliver the message."

"This is something I should have told you the first time we met, but I was too anxious then."

"..."

"Not meeting other reincarnated souls?"

Hu Ma’s heart stirred as he listened.

There was a strange feeling that many people in this world came from the same place and time as him.

They knew about each other and could communicate, but they never met...

"Yes."

Ergoutou said, "It’s just a principle. In times of dire need, it’s ignored."

"Among the reincarnated souls I know, many have met each other, including me."

"I’m just telling you this principle."

"..."

"If so, I’ll be more careful..."

Hu Ma silently noted this down and then heard Ergoutou continue, "The situation you described is not uncommon. Reincarnated souls come from the same world and era, but their lives in this world can be vastly different."

"Some are born into luxury, eating the evil deity’s flesh as a meal, with powerful people protecting them..."

Hu Ma listened and found this description somewhat familiar.

Second Pot sighed, then changed the subject. "But there are also those like you, who are born with a deficiency, without any means to nourish yourself, and in a remote, evil place like the Old Yin Mountain. Just understanding your own situation is a daunting task, let alone anything else."

"It's no wonder that the first thing you encountered was the methods of the Year-Guardians."

"But I think those flesh-cutters, who rely solely on their own Yang energy to fight against evil spirits, while earning a few coins from the earth, are on the right path but have taken a wrong turn."

"They are more like 'Human Candles' rather than Year-Guardians..."

"..."

Hu Ma knew that what he was saying was important and took note of it. He was slightly stunned. "Human Candles?"

"Exactly."

Second Pot explained, "Using one's Yang energy to combat evil spirits weakens it each time. If they learn some Yin techniques, it's like feeding their own life force to those evil spirits."

"Like a candle burning, with each moment of burning, their lifespan diminishes, hence the term 'Human Candles'!"

"These people are not rare, and they are all pitiable souls..."

"..."

Hu Ma listened intently and asked, "You said this is the wrong path. What is the right path then?"

"To advance in cultivation and become a true Year-Guardian."

Second Pot continued, "In the city, those blood food gangs, whether it's the Red Lantern Society, the Blue Robe Gang, or the Basket Door, all worship some Year-Guardians."

"These people, who live alongside the Flesh of the Evil Deity, remain healthy and live long lives because they have mastered special life-nourishing techniques."

"Of course, I don't know if it's true, but it's said that some powerful Year-Guardians can even bring the dead back to life..."

"..."

Hu Ma listened, feeling a strange excitement.

This must be why Grandma insisted on continuing to learn these techniques, right?

He lowered his voice. "This is indeed what I want to learn, but how can I...?"

Second Pot said, "If you really want to learn, you first need to join a blood food gang to get the opportunity."

Hu Ma quickly asked, "How can I join?"

He had heard of the blood food gangs, but the people in his village both revered and feared them, as if they were some great figures. He had never heard of anyone's child joining such a gang.

Second Pot pondered for a moment and said, "I can help you with that, but..."

"..."

"Did you forget that I saved your life? Are you hesitating?"

Hu Ma felt a bit annoyed but kept his tone normal, smiling. "What's the catch?"

Second Pot sighed. "This is such a small favor, it's not enough to repay your life-saving deed..."

This guy is really a good person, he thought. Helping me is already great, and he's even considering the size of the favor?

"Don't underestimate the value of 'favors'."

Hu Ma was genuinely surprised. Second Pot smiled and explained, "Among us reincarnated souls, the most precious currency is favors!"

"You need to understand that there are no constraints among us reincarnated souls, and we dare not have real-world friendships. Even helping each other is just a group of pitiful souls huddling for warmth."

"But everyone is struggling to survive and can't focus all their energy on others. Yet, there will always be times when you need someone else to save your life. So, over the years, we've realized that the most valuable thing is favors."

"For me, you saved my life, which is a tremendous favor."

"Whether I arrange for you to join the Red Lantern Society or help you with a minor problem, it's not even a small effort. If I really want to repay your favor, I should give you this technique directly..."

"...And add two pounds of Flesh of the Evil Deity!"

"..."

Hu Ma was suddenly surprised by this.

At first, he thought the idea of using favors as currency was a bit far-fetched, but then he realized it made sense.

This also explained why that Miss White Wine insisted on repaying him with three pieces of information.

She was afraid of unintentionally owing him a favor?

"For you, it's just passing on a message that saved my life, but for me, it's a tremendous favor."

Second Pot became serious and said to Hu Ma, "If I dodge this favor from you, it might devalue my favors with other reincarnated souls in the future."

"So, brother, don't be polite with me. If you want to learn the techniques of the Year-Guardians, I'll help you find an opportunity..."

"Besides, if you have any other questions, just come to me on the zeroth day."

"..."

Hu Ma finally understood and thanked him.

Since the connection burned their life essence, they didn't linger in idle chat. After their conversation, they both disconnected.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

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