Twilight Boundary

Chapter 28 White Wine Call

 “Are you going to follow?”

 Hearing what Hu Ma said, both the clan leader and the second master were obviously shocked.

Everyone in the village had heard about Hu Ma's situation before. It turned out that the last time it happened was in the woods. Later, the mother-in-law came over again and wanted to ask the ancestors in Lao Huotang to recognize Hu Ma, but in the end they didn't. Nor can they receive the blessings of their ancestors.

He said he was going to the second master to learn his skills, but he only went there for a few days.

What is the difference between going into the woods now and sending yourself to death?

“Don’t follow me, or I’ll delay your second master’s business!”

As soon as the old patriarch came to his senses, he immediately told Hu Ma seriously: "Let's find a solution in the village to find something to do with my mother-in-law."

“It can’t be delayed, and the place where these city people are going is the same direction that my mother-in-law went before she disappeared, isn’t it?”

Hu Ma had already figured it out and insisted on speaking.

Mother-in-law must have encountered some troubles, otherwise she would not have even forgotten to burn the incense for Xiao Hongtang.

 The troubles that the mother-in-law encounters can either be solved without help from the village, or only the second master can help, so she must go with the second master.

 As for the danger of going into the woods...

Huma had already figured it out. Now that he had gained a certain level of enthusiasm in his practice, he would not be able to get close to him.

And those who dare to get close to themselves can still kill themselves even if they stay in the village.

Instead of staying in the village without the protection of the second master and waiting in fear for the unknown fate, it is better to follow these people into the forest, where you can not only get the protection of the second master, but also try to find the mother-in-law.

Even if it was really a false alarm, when the mother-in-law returned to the village and called Xiao Hongtang back, both parties would feel relieved.

“Ah...yes, let’s ask Xiao Huma to follow.”

 The second master originally wanted to persuade Hu Ma to stay, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly understood.

This is the truth. It is best for Hu Ma to follow him out now.

He also figured it out, but his reaction was a little slower.

"I asked, why is it so difficult to find a guide for a village as big as ours?"

At this time, the old man in a long gown not far away who was looking at the scenery with his hands behind his back came over with a smile and said: "We are in a hurry to enter the mountain. If no one in your Dayangzhai is familiar with this old forest, let's go to another place." It’s still too late to find the village.”

  “Yes, there is.”

When the patriarch heard this, he hurriedly smiled and said: "Isn't this called here? I'll tell him the rules and don't offend the noble."

"I will take you into the mountains. I am familiar with the Laoyin Mountains, which are eight hundred miles around Dayazhai."

The second master also turned to the old man in a long gown and said, "But I have to take this kid with me to fight."

“You’re leading the way but you still have to fight?”

The old man in a long gown glanced at Hu Ma with a smile and said, "You can go as long as you want, but it won't be counted as his wages."

 “It’s not considered wages in the first place…”

The second master said in a low voice and walked towards the village: "I'm going to prepare some dry food."

“No need, we have them all here. We can’t miss you for food and drink. Don’t waste your time and go into the mountains as soon as possible!”

The old man in a long gown raised his hand to stop him and waved to the people behind him: "Unload the things!"

It seemed that the bearers and guards were very capable. After hearing the words, they immediately opened the large carriage, which was filled with boxes and luggage.

They moved all the large and small bags, picked out a few that they would need, tied them up with thick ropes, and carried them on everyone's back one by one.

The biggest one among them was thrown to the second master without hesitation.

Even Hu Ma, the other party was not polite and threw a bag over: "Wild boy, you should also do some work."

Hu Ma took it silently and did not resist.

The current self, with short hair, a coarse cloth coat, and cloth shoes on his feet, does look like a wild boy.

In addition to finding his mother-in-law, these people also aroused his curiosity. Perhaps he can learn about the appearance of the world through these people.

 “It’s almost noon.”

The old man in a long gown took the straw rope given by the person next to him and tied the front and back ends around his waist. Wearing silk trousers, her legs were also carefully put into leggings. Then she respectfully said to the sedan with the black curtain, "Are we going to set off now?"

"Can."

 Inside the sedan, a cool voice sounded faintly.

　　Two strong men, one behind the other, came to the sedan and put the ropes on their shoulders.

“They actually want to carry a sedan into the mountain?”

Hu Ma watched from the side, feeling a little surprised.

The roads in the forest were difficult and the carriage could not enter at all, so all the luggage on the carriage was unloaded and had to be carried on people's backs.

But the person in the sedan needs to be carried into the forest by bearers?

Of course, everything they do has been discussed in advance, and no one has any objections. Once they are ready, they set off.

Hu Ma withdrew her gaze and silently followed the second master. After the group of people left the village, they walked straight to the west. That was the direction where the forests were thickest, densest and most desolate in Laoyin Mountain.

Hu Ma has been in this world for a short time now, and has gradually understood the basic situation here.

I know that this mysterious area where mountains and forests intersect is the 800-mile Laoyin Mountain, with deep forests and dangerous mountains. It is the most dangerous, but at the same time, it is also the place where Tai Sui grows and has endless treasures.

　　Although I am always lazy when running in the mountains, now the flax stove has a strong fire and amazing physical strength. It is not a big problem to walk in the forest carrying such a bag.

It's just that the silence in this forest is oppressive, but it's hard to avoid making people feel the slightest bit of desolation.

After walking a few steps, a red shadow flashed beside her. Xiao Hongtang came over and held the corner of her clothes, following her carefully.

Hu Ma noticed for a moment that the group of people didn't notice any trace of Xiao Hongtang's existence, so they kept silent and took her on their way silently.

I don’t know whether it was because the second master was following me, or because the last time I left the village was because my mother-in-law was a ghost, which attracted many evil spirits, but this time the trip went extremely smoothly.

Except for the occasional difficult roads that require a sickle to be split, or encountering some snakes and insects, the rest of the time it is just peaceful and dull, gradually going deep into the forest.

 “It’s foggy ahead, so we can’t walk.”

 The second master acted as a guide for this group of city people, so he didn't talk as much as he did in Zhuangzi.

He just walked forward silently carrying the big bag, saying nothing all the way, but stopped when he reached an invisible branching path that was almost buried by weeds.

He said to the old man in a long coat: "We have to go around the river, it will be farther."

 “What happens if it gets foggy?”

The old man in a long gown stopped and raised his head to look ahead, where the night mist was slowly flowing.

“That fog is not normal. I think it’s the old toad in the river that came ashore.”

The second master said: "If we break in by mistake and have a conflict for no reason, even if we can deal with it, it will be a waste of time."

Hearing this, the old shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Twilight is the boundary, and yin and yang are divided into two parts. People are evil and go their own way. Looking at the scene now, it's still early before dark..."

"Different."

The second master said honestly: "The forest in Laoyin Mountain is different from other places. The yin energy is heavy. No matter day or night, it is considered dusk."

 “When a stranger enters the forest, he is considered to have crossed the boundary.”

　　　…”

 The old shopkeeper seemed to be very interested when he listened, and there was no fear on his face, but he still looked at the sedan behind him.

 Inside the sedan, a faint voice rang out after a while: "Listen to the guide."

The group of people stopped talking and just followed the second master on the detour. The second master was relieved when he saw this and whispered to Hu Ma quietly.

When leading people from the city, we are most afraid of those who are self-reliant on their ability and knowledge and refuse to listen to advice.

This forest has never seen the light of day all year round, and it is so close to Mr. Tai Sui. No one knows what kind of evil spirits and wandering spirits are hiding there. No matter how powerful you are, you have to be in awe of this forest to stay safe.

 If you are not careful, you may die without knowing how.

Hu Ma wrote down what the second master said and paid attention to his every move.

Now that I am in full swing, and with Er Ye as my experienced guide, I can control the danger to a certain level even if I go deep into the forest.

 It's just that this old forest is deep and dark, without any sign of human beings.

With this constant collision, can you really find your mother-in-law?

“Perhaps we can only rely on Xiao Hongtang. She is my mother-in-law’s little messenger. She can sense it when she is close to her.”

Thinking in his mind, he turned his head and glanced at Xiao Hongtang, only to see that she was also listless and just held the lapel of her clothes to follow.

 It seems that I have lost my mother-in-law, and I am even more afraid that I will lose her too.

Going so deep into the forest, when the sky was about to get dark, the second master immediately stopped and found an open place to rest near the stream.

He brought flax and picked up some branches. Not just for the fire, but also inserted them one by one around to serve as a courtyard wall. He also picked up a thick branch and placed it across the left door. He called it a threshold. .

A living person spending the night in the woods is tantamount to entering the realm of evil spirits.

But by building a courtyard wall and erecting a threshold, you have built yourself a balcony.

People who live in Yangzhai are not allowed to enter unless invited. If evil spirits break in, even if they are killed directly, they will not offend the public in this remote mountain and old forest.

This group of nobles from the city felt something new, so they followed suit. They parked their sedan chair inside the "courtyard wall", cleared away the weeds, and lit a fire to roast dry food.

They were generous and gave Hu Ma and Er Ye a portion of dry food and bacon. However, after Hu Ma tasted it, it was indeed just bacon, not Tai Sui.

Hu Ma noticed that the people in the sedan still hadn't gotten off the sedan.

Even if she had to eat, no one gave her any food. I don’t know if there was food in the sedan, or if she had simply given up on the world.

But now he was also full of worries, but he couldn't care about others. He ate the dry food handed over by those people, hugged Xiao Hongtang, and slept with his clothes on next to the second master.

　Not long after, I drifted into sleep. In the haze, I suddenly heard a hoarse voice:

“White wine is calling in Laoyin Mountain, is there anyone reincarnated who can hear it?”

 (End of this chapter)