Chapter 241: The Next Generation Human Emperor
They followed the same path back. When they reached that empty village, Qin Mu walked into the room with the double happiness character pasted on it, picked up the infant's garment, and examined the Qin character embroidered on it.
When one's heart is troubled, judgment is clouded. The first time he had come here, his emotions had been stirred so deeply that he could not calm himself for a long time, and thus he had failed to notice any clues.
The items the Medicine Master had brought were almost identical to the Qin character on the infant's garment, as if they had been carved from the same template. Yet upon closer inspection, one could still discern slight differences.
Qin Mu had studied calligraphy and painting under the Deaf Man. If he could calm his heart and look with an ordinary mind, he could see that the Qin character on this infant's garment differed slightly from the Qin character on his jade pendant.
But at that time, his heart had been tossed between great joy and great sorrow, affecting his judgment.
Now, as he examined it carefully, the Qin character on the infant's garment appeared to have been traced from a template, then embroidered onto the fabric stitch by stitch. It was indeed different from the Qin character on his jade pendant.
The other villagers were gathered around the Village Chief and the Ancestral Master, asking about their experiences—what they had encountered on that ship. The Village Chief shook his head and said, "It was too dangerous inside. We didn't go deep, only circled the outer edges, and nearly died. Fortunately, the Mute was there, so we managed to retreat safely."
Everyone immediately turned to the Mute, asking how he had known the path to safety and how he had led the Village Chief and the Ancestral Master through and back out again.
Qin Mu walked out of the courtyard, sharing the same doubt.
Even the Heavenly Demon King Du Tian had said that even if his true body descended, it would take him one or two years to find a path into that shattered giant vessel. How had the Mute managed to break in so easily?
The crowd pressed him for a long time, but the Mute said nothing, only showing a simple, honest smile. When pressed too hard, he let out two "ah ah" sounds.
Everyone immediately looked at the Deaf Man. The Deaf Man and the Mute were closest friends, and the Deaf Man understood the Mute's intentions better than anyone. Many things that others could not understand were translated by the Deaf Man.
But this time, even the Deaf Man looked utterly bewildered, clearly having no idea what the Mute's two "ah ah" sounds meant.
"This mute—he won't say a word!" Granny Si said in frustration. "You'll choke on your silence one day!"
Everyone rested in this small village, while the dragon qilin clung to the young Ancestral Master's side. The beast had become lively again, rubbing against the Ancestral Master.
The Ancestral Master made as if to strike it, driving it away, but the next moment it came right back, raising its tail covered in reversed scales and rubbing it against the young Ancestral Master's robes until they were full of holes.
"You're too fat!" the young Ancestral Master said with great pain. "I've told you already—I'm about to die of old age, and I don't want you anymore. Stop rubbing against me... Don't think about jumping into my arms; I can't carry you now! Shoo, shoo! Get away!"
The Blind Man, meanwhile, was pestering the Heavenly Demon King Du Tian, asking questions about numerology. The Heavenly Demon King Du Tian was somewhat afraid of the villagers, so he answered diligently enough, but he only answered the Blind Man's questions and did not voluntarily teach him any deeper numerology.
The Medicine Master bustled about among the crowd, checking everyone's injuries and treating them.
Qin Mu walked into that house. Although it might not have been his parents' home, being here still gave him a sense of peace.
The Mute also walked in, looking around, his rough palm stroking the little wooden rocking horse, then picking up the garment. This burly, rough man's gaze was very gentle.
Qin Mu looked at him, and the Mute turned his head, grinning at him.
"Time to go!" Granny Si urged. "Back to the village for the New Year! Ancestral Master, that pig you've been raising is nice and fat—we'll slaughter it for the New Year feast! The Butcher is skilled with a knife, and he can cook decently too—he can put together two good tables!"
"How dare you!" the young Ancestral Master said nervously. "Don't you dare get any ideas about him! When you were little, you saw my dragon qilin and gave it shifty eyes, always wanting to eat it... Get away, stop rubbing against me, I'm not patting your head... Enforcer, drive it away!"
The Enforcer Elder drove the dragon qilin over to Qin Mu's side. The young Ancestral Master watched as the dragon qilin waddled toward Qin Mu, so fat that its two butt cheeks were round and plump, as rotund as a hippopotamus in the water. With every step, each round, lumpy butt cheek trembled continuously.
"This fellow must have been mooching food off the Sect Master, and the food was pretty good too. When I first met him, he was a little thing the size of a cat, running up to rub against my leg, tricking me into feeding him. The more I fed him, the fatter he got, and then he stuck to me and wouldn't leave..."
The young Ancestral Master sighed. Back then, the dragon qilin had been so small—he could hold it in his arms and pat its head.
"What a huge ship!"
When everyone arrived before the Moon Ship, they couldn't help but marvel. The Cripple planned to take the ship away, but Granny Si shouted, "You damned cripple! Even if you could take it, where would you put it? If you put it in the village, I'll break your other leg!"
The Cripple had no choice but to give up. He asked Qin Mu how he had managed to sail the ship here, and after hearing Qin Mu's account of the voyage, the Cripple's mind began to stir again. "Becoming a Moon Guardian grants you the might of a god?"
He dashed onto the ship and touched the great pillar, but found that nothing had changed, and had to retreat again.
The Great Ruins held too many unsolved mysteries, and the Moon Ship was only one of them.
They walked out of the invisible barrier. Outside, the sun hung high—it was noon. The weather was cold, and at some point another snow had fallen. The ground was covered in white snow, crunching underfoot, and the mountains had been painted white as well.
A few bears were hiding in a tree hollow among some ruins, a mother bear sleeping soundly with her cub in her arms. When the mother bear saw Qin Mu and the others suddenly appear, she opened her eyes in surprise, but she was too lazy to move. She only shifted her body slightly before continuing her hibernation.
Qin Mu looked back and saw that the barrier had vanished without a trace. The unimaginably huge ship sealed within the barrier, along with the Moon Ship, and the incredibly complex cube-shaped seal—all of it was gone.
In its place was the vast, boundless forest of the Great Ruins.
Presumably, only when night fell would this mysterious seal reappear.
"Let's go. Back to the village for the New Year." The Village Chief said calmly.
The group began their return journey. The distance from here to the Crippled Elder Village was still far—one or two days' travel. The New Year had already passed, but fortunately everyone was safe.
By the evening of the second day, they finally returned to the Crippled Elder Village. Qin Mu, Granny Si, Old Ma, and the others bustled about, hanging lanterns and decorations, preparing the New Year's Eve feast.
Qin Mu had brought red paper, and the Cripple was writing Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters. He called Qin Mu over and had him paste them on everyone's doors.
"Paste one on the chicken coop too. And on that ancient tree at the village entrance, paste one that says 'Opening the door brings joy.'" Granny Si instructed.
Everyone worked hard for a long time, and finally the whole village sat down together, eating and drinking warm wine, filled with laughter and joy. The young Ancestral Master and the Enforcer Elder also sat down. This belated New Year's Eve feast was warm and heartwarming.
Early the next morning, the young Ancestral Master and the Enforcer Elder took their leave, saying, "The Great Ruins still hold countless secrets. To be able to see and search for them before we die is a great pleasure. Fellow daoists, no need to see us off." With that, the old and the young walked off into the deep snow, their figures growing distant.
The Heavenly Demon King Du Tian looked at Qin Mu and said, "Demon Sect Master, it's time to fulfill your promise."
Qin Mu said solemnly, "Rest assured, Demon King. I keep my word—I will definitely release you."
The Blind Man, the Cripple, and the others crowded around. The Heavenly Demon King Du Tian grew nervous and shouted, "Demon Sect Master, don't tell me you plan to release me and then have them capture me again? How bold of you!"
Qin Mu was a bit embarrassed and shook his head at the Cripple and the Blind Man.
The Cripple muttered, "This fellow would be a good helper. If I could keep him, I could steal so much more..."
Qin Mu said with a gentle smile, "Demon King, rest assured. Once I remove these sealing runes from your body, you will be free."
He removed the sealing runes from the Heavenly Demon King Du Tian's body one by one, and only then did the Heavenly Demon King Du Tian relax. He said, "Young friend Qin, Du Tian and this place are two different worlds. After today's parting, you and I may never meet again. After all, you mortals have short lives—your lifespan is but a snap of the fingers to me, passing in an instant. Perhaps by the time I think of you again, you will have been dead for a thousand years. Speaking of it, it's a little sad..."
Qin Mu laughed and said, "Demon King, I can still contact you from time to time. I know the Hongshan Sect's talisman arts for summoning ghosts and spirits."
The Heavenly Demon King Du Tian laughed heartily. "This world of yours is too dangerous. Even if you summon me, I won't come. After I return, I will go search for another new world—a new world where my people can survive."
Qin Mu removed all the seals from his body and said, "The Demon King may return now."
The Heavenly Demon King Du Tian tested it and, finding that the seals were indeed gone, relaxed. He said, "Never contact me again!" With that, a wisp of his consciousness drilled into the void and vanished.
Qin Mu looked up at the sky and said with a smile, "Who can say what the future holds?"
That wisp of the Heavenly Demon King Du Tian's consciousness returned to the Du Tian world, merging with his true body. The majestic Heavenly Demon King Du Tian immediately absorbed the experiences of that wisp of consciousness, his mind shaken greatly. He let out a turbid breath. "A dangerous world, a place watched by the gods—indeed, not a place for my Du Tian people to dwell. It seems I must search for a new world..."
"Mu'er, come here." The Village Chief called.
Qin Mu quickly walked over. The Village Chief hesitated for a moment, then said, "I've thought it over, and there are some things I must tell you. On that ship, besides finding many Qin characters, I also found other things. Medicine Master, bring the item over."
The Medicine Master hesitated. "Is it appropriate to give it to him now?"
The Village Chief shook his head. "My lifespan is also running short. If not now, then when?"
The Medicine Master took out a mirror and handed it to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu took the mirror and looked into it, but found nothing unusual. The Village Chief said, "This mirror is a geographical map showing the route to the Land of No Worries. We found it on that ship. Don't examine it now—I've sealed the mirror. Only when you are able to break my seal will you see the route within. That place is too dangerous. I don't want you to go there yet."
Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt and bowed to the Village Chief.
The Village Chief quickly said, "Rise. There is one more thing. I suddenly realized that you already carry many burdens—the young Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the orphan of the Land of No Worries. Perhaps adding my burden to yours won't make much difference. Today, I accept you as my disciple and entrust my burden to you. From this day forward, you will be the next..."
"Human Emperor!"
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Update delayed by half an hour
Today's update will be half an hour late. Pig Zhai is working hard to finish the draft!