Twilight's Threshold Chapter 528: The Ritual of the Mountain - Novel Cool

Chapter 528: The Ritual of the Mountain

Chapter 528: The Ritual of the Mountain

"Command Decree, Execution and Punishment..."

"Twilight is the boundary, dividing Yin and Yang. Living malevolent spirits, each shall go its own way..."

Hu Ma held the bronze mace, his body stiff as if frozen in place. The weight was immense, and even his body, trained in the art of longevity, struggled to bear it. Yet, he felt the weight of the mace continually increasing.

Until this moment, he had been unaware of the mace's origin, only knowing it as a Hu Family relic. But as he lifted it, he felt the surging wrathful Qi within it.

Amongst it, there were traces of the most ancient and powerful forces, pointing directly to the deepest secrets and logic of this world.

The cause and effect imbued in this mace were far greater than he had imagined, even surpassing what a family of the Ten Surnames like the Zhen sui Hu Clan should possess. Moreover, many other things seemed eager to assert themselves, rushing to press down on his shoulders as soon as he raised the mace.

From the moment he lifted the mace, something deep within the world seemed to be affected, with layers of cause and effect intertwining.

In a remote village, Zhang A-gu, as usual, had helped send off an elderly villager. She declined the funeral feast and returned home to feed the lackluster chickens in her courtyard.

As she wondered why the chickens she had been feeding since returning from Bright State Prefecture were becoming less energetic and not laying eggs, she suddenly heard faint sounds coming from the house.

She quickly put down the winnowing basket and entered the house, only to find the token she had brought back from Bright State Prefecture and placed on the table gently swaying. The three incense pillars in front of the token had already burned to the bottom.

She hurriedly lit the incense again and recited the incantation for a while before the token finally settled down. However, she also seemed to have something on her mind: "Perhaps I should make another trip to Bright State Prefecture?"

Near Green Stone Town, because this large family had not had a new baby in a long time, Seventh Aunt was still the only aunt in the family. She was currently huddled in her nest, happily drinking wine and playing with the gold and silver babies she kept by her side.

Seventh Aunt, who usually had good teeth, suddenly paused while gnawing on a chicken bone, her shoulders jerking uncomfortably.

"What's wrong, Auntie?" asked the two younger brothers, Little Sanzi and Little Si, who were sitting nearby, sensing something amiss.

Seventh Aunt stared blankly for a moment, feeling that something was off, but it seemed like nothing was wrong. She shook her head and said, "It's nothing, nothing. Keep eating chicken and drinking wine."

The two gold and silver babies she kept, originally spiritual treasures, seemed to have sensed something. They shivered and huddled together, crying out: "Auntie, there's an official aura..."

"..."

In a more distant place, a square-faced bearded man was hiding in a grave, diligently cultivating on a ritual altar. Suddenly, he felt a surge of inspiration and opened his eyes. His face paled as he saw the oil lamp on the altar had shrunk to the size of a fly's eye. He hurriedly reached out to protect it, frantically trying to add oil: "I'm just borrowing something to cross the bridge, why is the reaction so strong?"

But unexpectedly, the oil lamp suddenly flared up, singeing his eyebrows. He jumped in surprise, his face turning ashen, and his voice trembling: "This is wrong, why did it give so much all at once?"

"I'm just borrowing your things, and you want to give me your house?"

"I'm a thief, not your son..."

"..."

"..."

"Senior, the Hu Family's relic is now in my hands..."

Hu Ma had no time to pay attention to the changes occurring elsewhere. He gritted his teeth, and after confirming the ownership of the mace, he suddenly gathered all his strength and loosened his grip, slowly placing the mace back into the stone chest.

It was as if only then that his stiff body began to relax slightly. The bones in his body felt as if they had been struck and re-fused, and he rarely felt such severe exhaustion after entering the Netherworld.

"No rush, no rush..."

He looked at the mace in the chest and couldn't help but whisper to himself: "I've only taken the mace, it's not time to enter the hall yet. There's no need to give it all to me so quickly..."

After calming down for a while, he took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and looked at his surroundings. It had only been a moment since he lifted the mace, but he felt as if he had been reborn.

After a long time, he steadied himself and bowed slightly to the chest. Then, he turned around.

At this moment, a change occurred within him, and as he turned, he could clearly see the Mountain Lord's face—refined, gentle, and ethereal. The Mountain Lord was not an ordinary mortal, but now, Hu Ma could see him as clearly as any other person.

Moreover, he felt that holding this mace might grant him powers beyond his imagination. Perhaps, with this mace, the Mountain Lord...

"Even if it's just in your heart, can't you show me some more respect?"

The Mountain Lord, facing Hu Ma as he turned around with the mace, frowned slightly. His body slowly retreated, not out of caution, but as if to better assess Hu Ma. He sighed softly and said:

"The Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace..."

"Forged from seventy-two copper ingots, eighty-one mountain irons, and firewood from three hundred and seventy states, it is a formidable artifact. Although I've longed to see you wield it, now that I finally witness it, I can't help but feel a sense of regret..."

"And you?"

"He sighed, then suddenly turned to Hu Ma with a serious expression, "If this artifact remains hidden, it's fine, but once it appears, it will undoubtedly cause tremors across the four directions. You've obtained this mace, but..."

"Where will you strike first?"

"..."

Even Hu Ma paused at the question, then couldn't help but glance outside.

In Mingzhou, there were already signs of chaos. The Hu family's distant relatives, the cannibalistic Heaven's Will General, and the Shadow Bridge Meng family, lurking in the shadows with their ambitious plans...

Numerous figures flashed through Hu Ma's mind, but he didn't answer right away. It wasn't until a significant thought arose in his heart that he slowly raised his head to look at the Mountain Lord and spoke in a low voice, "The first strike of the Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace is indeed crucial..."

"Perhaps we should strike the most ruthless, or perhaps, the most precise..."

"..."

The Mountain Lord, listening to his words, couldn't help but feel curious. He looked at Hu Ma and asked, "So, how do you plan to strike?"

Hu Ma heaved a low sigh, and a smile appeared on his face, "I think the first strike should be the loudest."

"So, I also need to see whose head is hard enough!"

Hearing his words, the Mountain Lord suddenly laughed, as if he had already seen something amusing, and his laughter was filled with anticipation.

"..."

"..."

"What? Are you going to collect official taxes?"

"What are official taxes?"

"Taxes are rent. You farm on the landlord's land; shouldn't you pay rent?"

"But we've already paid rent to the landlord. Why do we have to pay taxes again?"

"If the landlord doesn't pay, then you have to."

"..."

As Hu Ma entered the Extinct Village and obtained the Plague-Suppressing Bronze Mace, and as his actions began to influence many things in the depths of the netherworld, changes were also quietly taking place within Mingzhou Prefecture.

The long-lost prefecture tax official, who had disappeared for many years without a trace, began to appear in the villages, fields, and in front of the landlords' granaries. He bowed, spoke politely, and held an account book and an abacus in his hands, but his attitude was firm, insisting on collecting taxes.

Due to the sudden tax collection, disputes arose, and soon, even the prefectural law enforcement officers from the Mingzhou Prefecture city appeared. Village elders from various places were summoned, and the vigorous young men were selected to receive the prefectural grain and collect taxes from the common people.

It was as if the Mingzhou Prefecture Hall, which had been absent for nearly twenty years and almost forgotten, had come back to life overnight, revealing its lofty and unattainable presence.

In addition to the prefectural officials who entered the villages and fields, even in front of Old Yin Mountain, there were some officials who had stayed in Mingzhou City for many years and were rarely seen. They, along with a group of high-ranking officials who governed punishment and governance affairs and some noble lords, also made an appearance.

They set up an incense altar in front of Old Yin Mountain, placed three sacrificial animals and six domestic animals as offerings, burned incense, and prayed, holding the prayer scroll and beseeching the gods, "With Heaven and Earth as witness, we are granted the Imperial Mandate to collect taxes and govern the laws. We inform the spirits, and may our dynasty enjoy harmony and prosperity..."

This was a public display of authority and responsibility, more like a declaration than a ritual.

The Living Prefectural Lord was exercising his authority, and even the Netherworld Prefectural Lord could do nothing about it and could not interfere.

However, since this had not happened in Mingzhou for twenty years, even the prayer person was worried. The members of the Truth Sect who came to observe were wide-eyed, holding their breath as they watched.

After the prayer, there was a long silence.

Although this grand ritual was unprecedented, and all the prefectural officials were reverent, they waited for a long time, only to see the incense on the altar burning quietly without any abnormalities.

The offerings on the altar were untouched, and after a while, flies even landed on them.

"They won't accept our offerings?"

The person who had burned incense and prayed waited for a long time, seeing no response, and his heart was filled with anxiety, unsure of what to do.

Some began to suppress the worry in their hearts and looked at the Heaven's Will General beside them, wanting to persuade him, but they hesitated.

The Heaven's Will General hesitated slightly, then turned to look at the palanquin behind him. It was surrounded by attendants, and the curtains were drawn, but there seemed to be someone inside who was a bit irritated by the silence.

So, he frowned, stood up from the ground, brushed off the dirt from his knees, and slowly walked to the incense altar.

He took a fruit from the offering platform, wiped it on his robe, and began to eat, saying coldly, "Whether they accept our offerings or not, we've shown respect. Why should we be polite to them?"

"Let's go to the villages tomorrow. My men will accompany you!"

(End of Chapter)

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