Twilight Boundary

Chapter 333 - 331: True Chaos (Second Update)

"What?"

Hu Ma's calmly spoken words left the Life Evil Altar Envoy dumbfounded. He raised his head blankly, blinking, unsure of what to say.

To an ordinary observer, this Life Evil Altar Envoy appeared unrestrained. There was only a grass rope looped around his neck, loose and seemingly easy to break with a single tug.

Yet, he remained motionless, as if bound by massive and heavy invisible shackles. Over the past day or so, he had struggled countless times and tried various methods, but he saw no hope of escape.

He initially thought the grass rope must be some formidable Magical Treasure. It wasn't until he heard the words "Chains Curse" that he was suddenly startled. The subsequent words, "Age Suppressing Book," then roared like thunder in his ears, nearly plunging his mind into chaos.

The name Chains Curse... it felt vaguely familiar, as if I'd heard the Five Evil Master mention it in passing... And the Age Suppressing Book...

As he thought, his eyes gradually widened.

Widening further, it seemed as if the fear and shock within them were about to spill out. An intangible shiver crept over his entire body. He slowly opened his mouth, at a loss for what to ask, his voice trembling, "You..."

Hu Ma smiled but did not answer, only watching him while silently chanting the Chains Curse.

The man still had countless questions he wanted to ask, but suddenly he let out a miserable scream and collapsed onto the ground, his buttocks thrust high and his head touching the earth.

It was as if an invisible cangue on his neck grew heavier and heavier, its immense weight pushing his entire body downward, almost pressing him into the muddy ground.

"Sir... Sir... Sir..."

The man didn't last more than a brief moment before he began to cry out, his voice shaky, muffled, and filled with suppressed terror.

Since returning from Anzhou, Hu Ma had spent more than half a year diligently training. He had learned many of the Shousui man's trump cards and had also begun to seriously study the abilities in the Age Suppressing Book. Now he wanted to test the power of the Chains Curse, but he felt somewhat disappointed that the other man had only held out for such a short time.

He had to stop. After all, he was worried the Chains Curse was too severe and might kill the man. And he still had use for him...

With a light sigh, he stopped chanting. He noticed that the Life Evil Altar Envoy's body was trembling uncontrollably, yet he remained kneeling on the ground and did not stand up.

He was surprised for a moment, then realized the man knelt not just due to the Chains Curse, but because he genuinely didn't dare to rise.

If others knelt before him, he would usually let them up, even allowing them to sit in his presence. But since this man was one of the Five Evil Gods' subordinates, Hu Ma didn't intervene. He just smiled and said, "Are you willing to answer now?"

The Life Evil Altar Envoy still pressed his forehead to the ground, trembling all over, not daring to look at Hu Ma. He only said, "You... you really are..."

Hu Ma smiled and said, "I'm asking you, not the other way around."

"Yes, yes..."

The Life Evil Altar Envoy replied in a trembling voice, "What you said, Sir, is absolutely correct. The Five Evil Master... no, the Five Evil Ghosts! Those Evil Ghosts don't care at all about the lives of us, their subordinates..."

"We claim to be incense-burning, but it's a sham! We're just doing their bidding. They can find seven or eight others to replace us at any moment. Truly, we were forced into this as well..."

"Stop."

Hu Ma stopped him from saying more, only calmly continuing, "He originally sent you all here to perform the setting up the altar. But now that all five Evil Altars have been destroyed, he seems unconcerned. So, what is his plan to descend upon Mingzhou now?"

So the other Evil Altars are destroyed as well?

The Life Evil Altar Envoy, who was unaware of what had happened elsewhere, heard this. It instantly confirmed his suspicions, and he nearly lost all hope. He had no intention of resisting Hu Ma. With a bitter smile, he replied, "The destruction of the Five Evil Altars is indeed no small matter."

"But... but haven't you noticed, Sir, that even though the altars are destroyed, the baleful energy remains?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing his trembling words, Hu Ma frowned slightly. He quickly mulled it over in his mind and suddenly understood where the problem lay.

It seemed all the Five Evil Altar Envoys had met with misfortune.

However, even though their altars were not successfully erected, the baleful energy they had generated was still spreading across Mingzhou.

Or rather, these were not altars at all, but clearly five massive, venomous sores planted in Mingzhou.

Moreover, the spread of these sores was exceptionally virulent.

Look at these five places where they engaged in Biebao and Evil Creation; they had already begun to undergo nightmarish transformations. The critical issue wasn't the Evil Altars themselves, but that chaos was spreading from these places.

The world contained Spiritual Treasures. Wherever these treasures resided, the land flourished with favorable weather, and the people lived prosperous, healthy lives, full of vigor. But when these treasures were stolen, a backlash of ill fortune would strike. The feng shui would deteriorate, affecting people's destinies.

Now, not only had they engaged in Biebao, but they also used the treasures for Evil Creation, rapidly turning these locations into lands of malevolent power, affecting all of Mingzhou.

When the vital essence of the land was stolen, in just two days, crops withered, water channels turned foul, and hundreds of miles of fertile land became wasteland. Even grain stored in warehouses inexplicably molded and rotted, with black water oozing from within.

What was this? This was a toll in human lives!

With crops destroyed and grain spoiled, the next year would bring famine. Countless people would starve.

How could the villagers not be afraid?

Moreover, within just two days, the blight withering the crops had already spread from one location to seven or eight nearby villages and counties.

The neighboring villagers were already in a panic. Who knows how many walking ghosts and capable individuals they had invited to investigate the situation.

Then there was the Mule and Horse Gang, who guarded the gold and silver child—a blessing accumulated over many generations. But now, the gold and silver child had been seized and refined into an evil object. What was once a wealth-bringing item had suddenly turned nefarious.

It was already an exceptionally strange treasure, even among the Paths. Gold and silver objects are most adept at clouding people's minds. He needed only to hold the gold and silver child and blow towards someone, and they would be instantly bewildered.

Their eyes would fixate only on Silver Coins, forgetting all rules and limits. Decent, kind-hearted families could instantly transform into ruthless criminals, capable of arson, murder, and plunder.

Earlier, the Red Lantern Society had gathered Martial Artists to confront them. After a few skirmishes, the Wealth Evil Envoy proved no match and slipped away.

However, the Mule and Horse Gang, influenced by the baleful energy of the gold and silver child, became consumed by greed and transformed into savage bandits. In just two days, they had already plundered several villages and towns, three or four money exchanges, and merchant caravans, becoming a considerable menace.

Under the influence of this baleful energy, there was no cure, and treatment was difficult. Besides, since they were ordinary people, even the Red Lantern Society didn't take them seriously and left them unaddressed.

The Red Lantern Society's primary target remained the pursuit of that Wealth Evil Altar Envoy. To escape, the fiend used the gold and silver child to generate baleful energy wherever he went. He influenced countless villagers, inciting them to arson, murder, and plunder, robbing people of their silver and treasures, turning them into such bandits.

As for Longevity Village, it was even more terrifying.

There, the lifespans of those not meant to die were forcibly stolen; how could the evil entities within not harbor immense resentment?

Each Longevity Ghost, hating the living, sought to claim lives in return for stolen longevity, creating utter chaos. In the long run, the village would transform into a cursed land where no one lived to an old age.

Yet now, pushed by those with ulterior motives, the village had become an Evil Land overflowing with baleful energy, affecting even more places. Even though Grass Heart Hall had brought in the Siming Path, the Evil Land was already established. How could it be reversed so quickly?

When healthy lifespans were cut short, people would face calamities—either sudden illnesses or encountering some terrible misfortune—which in turn fueled the baleful energy in other places.

The other two places were even worse.

The Land of Fate Evil that he had dealt with was one that destroyed yin virtue. A place with profound yin virtue acted like a Dingzi, influencing nearby villages, keeping them peaceful and law-abiding, and even resolving some evil influences.

But although he had captured this Life Evil Envoy, most of the villagers were already dead. The baleful energy had already taken root. The survivors were struggling merely to keep themselves alive; how could they care for others?

As for the woman carrying a child, stealing treasures everywhere—she was even more formidable. She essentially destroyed the sources of fortune in all places in the Southwest corner of Mingzhou. This, in turn, created fertile soil for this baleful energy, allowing it to flourish even more.

Together, they had managed to crush the might of these Five Evil Altar Envoys, driving them into desperate straits.

But no matter what was done to them, these were still matters of the jianghu, not involving the ordinary people affected by the baleful energy.

Yet what was truly important was precisely the chaos ignited in Mingzhou's five villages and towns after their Biebao and Evil Creation. Now, with widespread panic, it had clearly become a disaster, beginning to affect the entire situation in Mingzhou.

It's like someone starting a fire. Catching the arsonist is easy, but once the fire spreads, what can be done?

This is the power of the Five Evil Gods...

Even Hu Ma, thinking quietly to himself, couldn't help but sigh. He now understood what Er Guotou had said before.

The power of a Guest isn't seen when two sides are locked in a brawl, tearing and biting at each other.

Their true power lies in manipulating fate.

If a place has bad feng shui and its yin virtue is damaged, it becomes prone to natural disasters and man-made calamities. The people suffer, and life becomes unbearable. Over time, those who cannot survive will resort to fighting amongst themselves, abandoning their fields to become bandits, and bringing chaos to the region.

Played on a grander scale, even a great dynasty could be overthrown.

But for disaster to strike in the first year, bandits to emerge in the second, and widespread trouble in the third—this process usually required a certain amount of time to brew.

Yet the Five Evil Gods possessed such power that they could bring about these bitter fruits of calamity, which would normally take years to ripen, within a matter of days.

Heh heh, a high-level game indeed...

Once he understood these things, even Hu Ma felt a slight pressure in his heart. He focused his gaze on the Life Evil Altar Envoy kneeling on the ground and said in a low voice, "So, your Old Master went to such great lengths to throw Mingzhou Prefecture into chaos. What benefit does this bring to those like him, the Guests at the top?"

The Life Evil Altar Envoy kept his head buried, his voice muffled, as if on the verge of tears, "Sir, why must you toy with me? Surely you know... the selection of the new Emperor has already begun?"