Chapter 82: The Qin of Qin Mu

Early the next morning, Lin Yuxiu came to the inn to find Qin Mu and bid him farewell.

She was still as before, using the hair by her temples to make her face appear slimmer. She sat across from him, ordered a pot of clear tea, her eyes bright, and said: "The Great Ruins is a poor and desolate place, not a place for long-term stay. The world you see here is just a remote and barren corner. Only by leaving the Great Ruins can you see the vastness of the world outside. Out there, spells and divine powers are changing with each passing day. The State Preceptor of Yankang and the Emperor have the ambition and ability to open up a new era. The spells and techniques of Yankang are currently undergoing a great transformation! You have courage and potential. I don't want you to waste your life in this remote backwater. Although I am a woman, I also want to accomplish something. If you are willing to leave with me, we can set out today."

Qin Mu was stunned for a moment. Follow this girl to Yankang?

He did want to leave the Great Ruins and gain experience outside. The Great Ruins was too dangerous. As he was now, he had no strength to explore it. Even someone like the Village Chief had never traveled the entire Great Ruins.

Right now, he needed experience.

People outside the Great Ruins came into it to train, but he wanted to go out and train beyond it. Lin Yuxiu's invitation made his heart stir.

Although the State Preceptor of Yankang wanted to rule the Great Ruins and occupy it, Qin Mu did not feel any ill will toward him. On the contrary, he admired the State Preceptor greatly.

The State Preceptor had made such great reforms, bringing other sects under his banner, creating supreme arts together, and advancing the progress of spells and divine powers. Such breadth of mind and talent were admirable.

He wanted to go out and witness the new era and new supreme arts created by such a remarkable figure.

"Where do you live?" Qin Mu asked.

"The capital," Lin Yuxiu said.

The young man thought for a moment, then smiled: "The capital of Yankang, I will definitely go. You return to the capital first. When I arrive, I will find you."

Lin Yuxiu frowned: "You won't come with me?"

Qin Mu said with a headache: "My family's elders have strict rules. I must pass their trials before I can leave home. My family has nine elders. I must pass nine trials before they allow me to go out and train."

Lin Yuxiu said in surprise: "Even with your skills, you can't pass the trials?"

She found it somewhat unbelievable. Qin Mu had drawn his blade and killed Fu Tingyue in one stroke, which was truly stunning. Fu Tingyue was the number one martial artist of Xianglong City. Although being number one in Xianglong City meant little in Yankang, Qin Mu's strength could already be said to be outstanding at the Spiritual Fetus realm. In her view, he would definitely rank in the top ten.

Yet with such skill, he still couldn't pass his family's trials?

"My family's rules are quite strict."

Qin Mu said with shame: "I need to pass nine trials to be considered an adult, but so far I haven't passed a single one."

"Then I'll wait for you in the capital. By the way, there are vision guardians at Yanbian. If you pass through Yanbian, you must be careful."

Lin Yuxiu stood up and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and said with a half-smile: "I gave you a scented handkerchief. Won't you give me something in return?"

Qin Mu quickly searched himself but found nothing worth giving. After thinking for a moment, he took the great iron hammer from his back and handed it over.

Lin Yuxiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, biting her red lips: "You give a girl a great iron hammer?"

Qin Mu scratched his head, took down the butcher knife, then took out the bamboo staff, brush and ink, and a pouch of dragon coins, stammering: "Pick whichever you like..."

"Forget it, forget it. I'll take the great iron hammer then."

Lin Yuxiu's head ached. She carried the great iron hammer and walked out of the inn. Outside the inn, many divine power practitioners stood guard on both sides of the door. Qin Feiyue was holding the reins of a fine horse. Seeing Lin Yuxiu come out, he looked curiously at the iron hammer in her hand, puzzled, but didn't dare ask, and quickly said: "The tower ship is ready. Please mount, Seventh Lord... Seventh Princess!"

Lin Yuxiu mounted the horse in one leap, blinked at the dumbfounded Qin Mu in the inn, and stuck out her tongue.

Qin Mu was stunned, stammering: "You, you..."

"I'm the chubby Seventh Lord you mentioned! Cowherd, see you in the capital!"

Lin Yuxiu laughed merrily, her voice like ringing bells. With one hand carrying the great iron hammer and the other flicking her horsewhip, she galloped away.

Qin Mu was dumbfounded, clutching the scented handkerchief in his hand, unable to speak. Qin Feiyue waved his hand, signaling the many Yankang divine power practitioners to quickly catch up with Lin Yuxiu. He himself glanced into the inn, then walked in, sat down before Qin Mu, looked straight at him with sharp eyes, and said: "Your surname is Qin?"

Qin Mu steadied himself, suppressing the shock of learning that Lin Yuxiu was the "chubby Seventh Lord," and nodded: "The General's surname is also Qin. I heard others call you Young General Qin."

"The world is vast, and there are many surnamed Qin."

Qin Feiyue poured himself some tea and said calmly: "Some people are born lowly, born into poverty. Some are born noble, born into wealth. Having the surname Qin doesn't mean anything. Although your surname is Qin, you are an abandoned people, a lowly citizen of the Great Ruins. Young friend, don't have too many delusions. You can't reach that high." With that, he drank his tea in one gulp, left a gold ingot, turned, and walked out of the inn.

"Young General Qin, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Qin Mu stood up and also walked out of the inn. The innkeeper quickly came out and bowed respectfully: "Is the Young Lord returning?"

Qin Feiyue was slightly startled. He thought the innkeeper was addressing him, but the innkeeper was actually bowing to Qin Mu.

"No need for formalities before outsiders."

Qin Mu waved his hand and looked around. The vast Xianglong City, with its towering buildings, prosperous and thriving.

This was his city!

He walked toward the city lord's mansion. At the door of the gambling house, a group of burly men bowed: "Young Lord!"

He passed the pleasure house. The madam brought her girls out and bowed, saying in unison: "Young Lord!"

He passed the bookshop, flower market, vegetable market, butcher shop, wine house, antique shop, utensil shop, medicine shop, blacksmith shop, and weapon shop. Figures came out one by one, bowing to him.

"Young Lord!"

...

Qin Feiyue frowned, watching Qin Mu walk all the way to the city lord's mansion of Xianglong City. The gates of the mansion opened, and the city lord Fu Yundi laughed heartily, striding out to greet him, and instructed his attendants: "You blind fools, why haven't you called him Young Lord yet?"

The divine power practitioners guarding the gate all bowed, their voices booming: "Young Lord!"

"From now on, this entire city belongs to our family!" Fu Yundi laughed heartily as he walked into the city lord's mansion with Qin Mu.

Qin Feiyue frowned deeply, not understanding what was going on. Why was Fu Yundi so jovial and friendly with the killer of his son, as if Fu Tingyue wasn't his son, but Qin Mu was?

He also didn't know how Qin Mu had latched onto such a powerful thigh as Fu Yundi.

"A rustic mountain man, only fit to be king in the marketplace, never able to ascend to the halls of power."

He turned and left. When he reached the city gate, his body suddenly trembled slightly as he figured out the key. He turned back and looked incredulously at the city lord's mansion at the end of the main street.

"Creation Demon Heavenly Art! The Cult Master's Wife!"

He steadied himself and turned away: "Fu Yundi is already dead, skinned. The Fu Yundi in the city is the Cult Master's Wife of the Demon Cult! Xianglong City has already changed hands. The divine power practitioners under Fu Yundi have probably all been replaced with those of the Demon Cult. The entire city is full of Demon Cult people! Fortunately, the State Preceptor was stopped by that great ship, otherwise..."

He couldn't help but shiver. The Cult Master's Wife was wearing Fu Yundi's skin. If the great army of Yankang had all entered the city, and this Cult Master's Wife and her accomplices caused trouble, they would only need to destroy the dragon pillars of Xianglong City to wipe out the Yankang army in one stroke, severely damaging Yankang's strength, perhaps even crippling it!

He looked back at Xianglong City. The master here had changed. This was no longer a place where he or Yankang could dominate.

This city now bore the surname Qin. But it was the Qin of Qin Mu, not his Qin.