Twilight's Threshold Chapter 771: The Ten Surnames' Young Master - Novel Cool

Chapter 771: The Ten Surnames' Young Master

Chapter 771: The Ten Surnames' Young Master

Unfathomable depths.

The intricacies of the Imperial Capital were terrifying, and even with his newly acquired skills, he felt it was still beyond his comprehension.

Led by Old Abacus, they arrived at a quaint and elegant location in the city. On the way, he learned that it was a property of the Immortal King Wang Family.

Of course, the term "Immortal King" was used by those in the know, but in the Imperial Capital, the Lifespan Pavilion was merely an old medical clinic. The Wang family descendants had done well, establishing a solid foundation in the capital.

Although it was nominally a hospital, upon entering, he discovered that it was surprisingly spacious. Streams, bamboo groves, and a stone path intertwined, creating a maze-like garden. Without a guide, one could easily get lost in this seemingly boundless garden.

After walking for a while, they reached a place filled with incense smoke, where a small Taoist temple stood within the garden.

Hu Ma examined it carefully and confirmed that it was indeed a Taoist temple, which piqued his curiosity.

However, remembering that the Daoist Sage Hongxuan had a close relationship with the Reincarnates, it didn't seem so strange after all.

Old Abacus hurried to the front of the temple and inquired on Hu Ma's behalf. After a while, he returned with some embarrassment and spoke in a low voice, "It's unfortunate timing. The master is in seclusion preparing for a ritual."

"In seclusion?"

Hu Ma furrowed his brows slightly at this news. He had only come to visit the Lifespan Pavilion under the pretense of seeking medical treatment, so he wasn't too concerned. However, the timing of the State Preceptor's seclusion seemed peculiar.

Just as he was pondering where to find the White Wine Miss, he heard a laugh from the side, "Young Master Hu, you're here too?"

Turning around, he saw Zhao Sanyi and Chen Abao walking towards him from a nearby path.

Zhao Sanyi approached Hu Ma, scrutinizing him up and down, before lowering his voice, "Brother Hu, you truly possess remarkable skills. Our Zhao family specializes in transforming the living, but your Hu family is no less impressive!"

"Who would've thought that after all this time, the Ghost Communicator and Swordmaster, who we've been dealing with, is actually the master of the Ghost Communicators himself? You've really made me lose face!"

"When the State Preceptor mentioned this, I even argued back..."

"And then my father slapped me and scolded me for my poor eyesight, and as punishment, I had to keep watch over the incense for three days."

"..."

"I never said those words; it was all your doing, wasn't it?"

Hu Ma had a favorable impression of him and smiled, "Then take a look now, do I resemble a Ghost Communicator?"

"Not at all," Zhao Sanyi replied.

"Whose Ghost Communicator ancestor would learn the skills of a Year Guardian? But I can't deny it either!"

Chen Abao, standing beside Zhao Sanyi, also examined Hu Ma and suddenly asked, "If you're the master, then who was pretending to be the young master of the Hu family back then?"

Hu Ma only glanced at her indifferently and said, "What do you think?"

Chen Abao rolled her eyes at him in displeasure.

Zhao Sanyi quickly smiled and said, "Let's not talk here. Are you looking for the State Preceptor?"

"He entered the Netherworld last night, along with several elders. We are here to serve them. Since we've arrived, why don't you stay and meet a few friends I'll introduce you to?"

Lowering his voice, he chuckled, "Your timing is perfect. There are some novel things to see."

Hu Ma wasn't particularly interested, but when he turned his head, he noticed several figures on the stone path ahead. Among them, a woman stood out, holding a cat in her arms with a serene and composed demeanor.

Unintentionally, his gaze fell upon a woman in a white dress, holding a cat in her arms, her eyes calm and serene.

He slowly averted his gaze and said, "Alright."

The Hu family's whereabouts and activities had been shrouded in mystery for the past two decades, and their experiences were enigmatic. Zhao Sanyi, having been entrusted by a friend, invited Hu Ma over, initially concerned that he might refuse. Upon his agreement, Zhao Sanyi was overjoyed.

He led Hu Ma to another area of the garden, where a jade-green lake was surrounded by elegant and leisurely pear wood pavilions.

A young master, with a fair complexion and dressed in a light white silk shirt, appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. He lightly patted the young master, and immediately, teams of servants arrived with various forms of entertainment, including chess, painting, calligraphy, fine wines, and exquisite dishes, as well as several exquisite incense burners.

Purple mist emanated from the incense burners, and the aroma refreshed everyone's spirits.

Hu Ma furrowed his brows slightly, and a sense of awe filled him. The Ten Surnames' craftsmanship was indeed extraordinary, as the incense burners contained purple Celestial Guardians.

"This is the young master of the Lifespan Pavilion, Wang Zisheng."

"This is Zhu Youqin from the Mountain Watching Zhu Family, and these two are Li Qingbai and Li Zhongmo from the Li family."

"..."

On their way there, Zhao Sanyi had already enthusiastically introduced everyone to Hu Ma. Most of them were from the Ten Surnames, and he had even met some of them when he returned to the capital. They had traveled a hundred li outside the city to welcome him.

Apart from the Ten Surnames, the others were also individuals with remarkable backgrounds. Outside this circle, they would be considered extraordinary, but among the Ten Surnames, they were just part of the crowd.

...For example, the White Wine Miss.

She maintained her indifferent demeanor, holding a cat and sitting quietly to the side, showing no intention of conversing with anyone.

Several people nearby, slightly inferior in status, mostly followed her lead, not daring to speak casually.

Of course, she truly possessed an exceptional aura, a cold detachment that set her apart from the crowd.

Zhao Sanyi only spoke up when Hu Ma glanced in his direction, asking casually, "Who is this...what was her name again?"

The young master of the Lifespan Pavilion, sitting next to him, politely explained, "This is the young mistress of Heart Grass Hall, Zeng Shengbai, the famous Fatekeeper of our school."

"But a few years ago, she didn't want to stay in the capital. She preferred to travel and broaden her horizons, so she rarely interacted with others. She only recently returned."

"..."

Hearing this, everyone understood her background.

Each school has a few outstanding legacies they can proudly present. Even the grandest sects, as the main branches, should show respect. Heart Grass Hall is considered one of them in the Fatekeeper School.

They sat down together, and after the tea was served, everyone conversed politely, but many eyes remained fixed on Hu Ma's face.

Seeing the glances exchanged among the crowd, Zhao Sanyi couldn't help but speak up first, putting on a smile and addressing Hu Ma, "Brother, the Hu Family's actions are truly unique, unlike anyone else. I've always been curious about those legends..."

He paused briefly before lowering his voice slightly, "About the Malevolent Spirits. I've heard so much about their deeds, yet I've never encountered them in my travels."

"You've seen a lot in your life. Why don't you tell us if those Malevolent Spirits truly have three heads and six arms?"

"..."

"Malevolent Spirits?"

Hu Ma understood as everyone's eyes flickered with curiosity.

It seemed that the State Preceptor not only revealed his identity but also spoke about the Hu Family's affairs.

Now, in the eyes of these people, they probably knew that the Hu Family had endured humiliation and infiltrated the Malevolent Spirits.

Lifting her eyes slightly, she smiled and said, "Why ask me?"

"You have Trickery School members among you, and you must have seen them, but you just don't realize it."

"..."

"Hmm?"

Zhao Sanyi became slightly cautious.

Hu Ma continued slowly, "When you were giving orders and acting like the young master of the Zhao Family, they might have already put arsenic in your tea."

Zhao Sanyi, holding his teacup, looked slightly embarrassed and slowly put it down.

"I was just joking."

Hu Ma looked at him and said, "They would only take advantage of you when you're asleep to cut off your head."

"Or, they might beat drums and dig up your ancestral graves..."

"..."

Zhao Sanyi understood that Hu Ma was joking, but members of the Trickery School were accustomed to taking responsibility for keeping the atmosphere lively. So, he laughed along, and the others found it amusing and joined in.

However, the twin sisters in white and black skirts, standing in the crowd, suddenly had a slight change in their expressions, looking somewhat annoyed.

One of them said, "They're capable of doing that."

The other sister added, "And if they don't succeed in burning the grave, they'll keep lingering, looking for another opportunity."

Hearing this, everyone suddenly remembered something and quietly lowered their heads.

Recently, there was a rumor spreading, whether true or not, that the Transience Li Family had encountered some trouble, which even angered White Wuchang to take action. Although the disturbance was significant, they didn't seem to catch anyone in the end, and the Li Family was still upset about it.

"These Malevolent Spirits are lawless and a real menace."

At that moment, someone spoke up—it was Zhu Youqin from the Mountain Watching Zhu Family. With most of his hair loose and held back by a wooden hairpin, he appeared to be the oldest among them. He spoke calmly, "Some time ago, my family noticed these Malevolent Spirits resurfacing, and we wanted to eradicate them. But now, we realize the Hu Family's foresight and early preparations. Perhaps they can eliminate them in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, everyone clapped and laughed, agreeing, "Exactly!"

"Earlier, we all thought the Hu Family had been hiding in seclusion for the past twenty years. But after hearing the State Preceptor's words, we realized the Hu Family had been working tirelessly. Twenty years ago, they made a significant contribution, causing the Malevolent Spirits to disappear. Now, they've taken the lead again."

Everyone flattered and smiled, creating a pleasant atmosphere, but Hu Ma remained quiet, glancing at White Wine Miss.

She still showed no reaction, holding the white cat in her arms as if she hadn't heard a word.

As for the thing she wanted him to see, he couldn't find a chance to ask about it for the moment.

Just then, laughter and voices rose again. Looking over, he saw Thursday Miss from the Zhou Family, and further away, a silent, emaciated man in tattered clothes followed her.

He realized that Thursday Miss had been invited back by the Zhou Family and had received an invitation from the Lifespan Pavilion. It was unexpected to see Hu Ma again, having parted ways just that morning.

After they sat down, someone addressed the young master of the Lifespan Pavilion, "You mentioned some novel curiosities to show us. Now that we've all gathered, including Brother Hu, when will you present them?"

(End of Chapter)

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