Chapter 401: The Lame Man's Shocking Turn
On the way back from the Great Ruins, Qin Mu returned to the Crippled Elder Village. He found the village had become a domain of the chicken-dragons, noisy and fierce, looking as if they were about to start a war with the millions of Tianyu tribespeople.
Qin Mu killed one of the most troublesome chickens and roasted it. Only then did the chicken-dragons calm down and dare not act recklessly.
There was no one else in the village, and the Medicine Master had not returned either. Qin Mu had no choice but to leave a note telling anyone who returned to the village to go to Granny Si's estate for the New Year, then continued on his way.
Mishui Pass.
The army guarding this mighty pass stared dumbfounded as millions of people approached. The defending soldiers numbered only a few tens of thousands—when had they ever seen such a scene?
Fortunately, Ling Yuxiu stepped forward and explained the intentions of these people, allowing the defending general to open the city gates and let them enter the pass.
Feeding so many people was a problem. The Tianyu tribespeople only ate vegetarian food, not meat or fish. Along the way, they had only eaten fruits, honey, and the roots and stems of flowers and plants, and their appetites were not large.
Even so, the food consumed by millions of people was a huge problem.
Qin Mu asked Yu Zhaoging about this. These Tianyu tribespeople in the Tianyu World ate the fruits of alchemy trees. The fruit of this plant was a spiritual pill, but it was rich in moisture, as clear and crystalline as crystal, while also having the benefits of a spiritual pill. Eating one could keep a person from eating or drinking for several days.
However, they could also fill their stomachs with ordinary fruits, though the taste was not good.
"Alchemy tree... this plant that can bear spiritual pills—the Great Ruins doesn't have it, and neither does Yankang."
Qin Mu asked about the effects contained within the fruits of the alchemy tree. Yu Zhaoging explained in detail. Qin Mu tried refining several spiritual pills, and Yu Zhaoging tasted each one, shaking her head every time.
Finally, Qin Mu refined a furnace of Kongqing Pills. The spiritual pills were the color of the sky, containing water vapor within. It had truly taken him considerable effort.
After Yu Zhaoging tasted them, she praised, "The flavor is already five or six parts there."
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and passed the pill formula to Yu Zhaoging, telling her to find a medicine master among the Tianyu tribe to refine them herself. That way, they wouldn't have to forage for wild fruits everywhere.
"These Tianyu tribespeople are only suited to living in the warm south. That place suits them."
Qin Mu had a headache over how to arrange for these Tianyu tribespeople. In the end, he decided to leave the headache to Emperor Yanfeng and let him worry about it.
At Mishui Pass, a tower ship rose into the air, carrying Qin Mu's memorial at full speed toward the capital.
Qin Mu, meanwhile, summoned Huan Longjun within the pass. Huan Longjun revealed his true form, and his massive body carried millions of people on a leisurely journey down the Yong River. The scene was extremely spectacular.
Yan Jingjing exclaimed in wonder. She had never seen a water behemoth like Huan Longjun at the Sun Well, so she was naturally curious.
When they arrived south of Shuzhou, Qin Mu had the Tianyu tribespeople camp in the forests outside Shuzhou City. He himself brought the few girls straight to Granny Si's estate. Yu Zhaoging also followed him there, waiting for Emperor Yanfeng's decree.
When everyone arrived at Granny Si's estate, they couldn't help but be astonished. It was like a holy land on earth, every place like a fairyland, with spiritual energy so dense it could condense into water droplets. Moreover, the place was unusually lively. Many palace maids were bustling about, tidying this and that. Ling Yuxiu was surprised and called over two maids: "Jian Qi, Qin Qi, aren't you supposed to be attending the Empress Dowager? Why are you here?"
The two maids were precisely the ones who had once protected Qin Mu from being ambushed by the Little Poison King Fu Yuanqing. They hurriedly greeted her and Qin Mu, each revealing a dimple on their cheeks, one on the left and one on the right, complementing each other charmingly.
Jian Qi smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager is here, so naturally we are here too."
Ling Yuxiu was surprised and said, "The Empress Dowager is here too? Why would she come here?"
Jian Qi and Qin Qi exchanged a glance, both showing troubled expressions. Qin Qi hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "She chased the Jade-faced Gentleman here... Princess, don't tell anyone. If the Empress Dowager finds out, heads will roll!"
Jian Qi leaned close to Ling Yuxiu's ear and whispered, "There are too many women chasing the Jade-faced Gentleman. When the gentleman revealed his true face—no face at all—they were all startled, but none of them left. These women are fierce, all famous figures in the martial world. Some are even sect masters. They made a huge racket that even the Empress Dowager couldn't suppress. Finally, the Empress Dowager couldn't take it anymore and had a big fight with these women, but she still couldn't suppress them, so they all moved in..."
Ling Yuxiu looked worried and glanced at Qin Mu: "Is the Jade-faced Gentleman also someone from the village?"
"My Medicine Master grandfather, also known as the Jade-faced Poison King."
Qin Mu was overjoyed: "Then the Medicine Master grandfather must be here too! He's been cornered by these women and can't escape!"
Yan Jingjing looked around. Besides the palace maids and servant girls coming and going, there were also some strange-looking creatures. Some were mermaids with human heads and fish bodies but fierce faces, and others were terrifying mermaids with human bodies and fish heads, bustling about the estate preparing for the New Year.
There were also tree spirits, flower demons, and all sorts of strange monsters covering the mountains. The tree spirits had heads full of branches with a few leaves, and they had violent tempers, often getting into fights with deer demons.
"Brat, you brought so many girls home for the New Year?"
Just as she was looking, suddenly a fragrant breeze blew over. Everyone followed the scent and was stunned. A beautiful woman walked toward them. This woman didn't seem like a person of this world, but rather someone who had stepped out of myth and legend. She had a godlike beauty, without a single flaw to be found.
The girls were all stunned, feeling somewhat inferior, but they also involuntarily felt admiration and closeness.
"Auntie!"
Si Yunxiang walked forward, hopping with joy: "You're here too!"
Granny Si said with a smile, "Xiang girl, stay away from my Mu'er."
Si Yunxiang's face darkened, and she said angrily, "Auntie, we're family after all. Why are you siding with outsiders?"
Granny Si set her aside and walked straight toward the girls, sizing them up. She smiled and said, "Mu'er was raised by me, so he's much closer to me than you. Xiang girl, I never held you when you were little. Mu'er, Xiang girl is a fox spirit with many little schemes. You must be careful of her."
Fox Ling'er jumped up and shouted, "I knew she was a fox spirit! Granny, I've been watching over the young master very well, not giving any outside fox spirits a chance to get close to him!"
Granny Si came to Qin Mu's side and raised her hand to touch his head, then said with annoyance, "You've grown taller! Won't you bend down?"
Qin Mu quickly bent down. Granny Si touched his head and sighed, "You're almost as tall as the Butcher with his pig-killing knife. How did you grow so fast? You've already learned to pick flowers and attract butterflies, bringing a few little girls back to see me..."
Her eyes reddened, and she was about to cry again: "You've been away for a year or two, and now you're about to start a family..."
Qin Mu quickly said, "Granny, I'm not starting a family—it was Blind Grandpa who forced it! You've met Yuxiu before. This is the Sun Guardian among the Sun Herders, the one who drove away the National Teacher while piloting the Sun Ship back then—her name is Yan Jingjing! And this is the clan leader of the Tianyu tribe from the Tianyu World, Yu Zhaoging. I said I was coming here for the New Year, so they all followed along."
Granny Si's tears turned to laughter, and she said, "It's good for the girls to meet their in-laws. Come, sit inside!"
The girls' faces all turned red. Yu Zhaoging, after all, was a clan leader with powerful cultivation, one of the top existences in the Tianyu World. She said gracefully, "Senior sister misunderstands. I am not the prince's concubine."
Granny Si looked at her—she was so fresh and pretty, and the more she looked, the more she liked her. She smiled and said, "Just call me Granny. No need to call me senior sister—that's too formal."
Yu Zhaoging hesitated for a moment, not knowing the customs of this world, so she could only call out, "Granny."
"Ah!" Granny Si responded sweetly, her heart blooming with joy.
Si Yunxiang stepped forward and said, "Granny..."
Granny Si immediately put on a stern face: "Call me Auntie!"
Si Yunxiang felt extremely wronged and could only lower her head and call out, "Auntie." Granny Si brought them to the palace where she lived, shooed Qin Mu out, and said, "Go to the side hall to find the Lame Man. That old fellow got the short end of the stick and is crying and wailing."
Qin Mu quickly asked, "Which hall?"
"The layout here is the same as the village. It's the room the Lame Man usually stays in."
Qin Mu hurried out to look. Granny Si looked at the girls, growing happier the more she looked, and said to Yan Jingjing, "The Sun Guardian is a bit thin. You need to eat more. But Yuxiu's body is quite good, very sturdy. I've seen your father before, but never spoke to him. When can we invite your father-in-law..."
Qin Mu found the hall where the Lame Man was. He saw Blind Man, Mute, Deaf Man, Butcher, and others all there, along with two village chiefs. Then he noticed it wasn't two village chiefs—one lying on a recliner was the village chief without hands and feet, and the other in a wheelchair was the Lame Man, who had lost both legs!
Qin Mu hurried over and cried out in shock, "Lame Grandpa, what happened to you..."
The Lame Man wore a mournful expression and sobbed, "Mu'er, you're back? Your Lame Grandpa got taken down!"
Qin Mu steadied himself and looked around, showing a questioning expression. Blind Man said calmly, "The one who gouged out my eyes has appeared again. He took the Lame Man's divine legs. Mute went to the Great Thunderclap Temple to notify Old Horse Master and tell him to be careful. That person will most likely go after him, for his divine fists!"
Qin Mu's heart shook violently. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Village Chief, who is this person?"
Before the village chief could speak, the burly Medicine Master walked in and said, "While fleeing for my life, I encountered Daoist Lingjing. Daoist Lingjing said a godlike existence was pursuing him, wanting to take all his divine blood. He begged me to dissolve his divine blood to avoid death. I asked Daoist Lingjing, and he said that person was once an existence on par with the village chief, calling himself a god."
The village chief let out a turbid breath and said, "His name is only one character—Han. His surname is very strange—Xing. A very arrogant person. But by all accounts, his age should be about the same as mine. His lifespan should have run out within the last year or two."
"However, Daoist Lingjing said he looks very young, like a youth."
The Medicine Master showed a worried expression and asked, "Based on your understanding of him, will he go after Old Horse Master? Old Horse Master is now a Tathagata, empty of all four aspects. He didn't come for the New Year. If he's left alone on Mount Sumeru, there might be danger!"
Qin Mu couldn't help but ask, "Is this Xing Han really that strong? Strong enough to break into the Great Thunderclap Temple?"
The village chief said calmly, "How strong he is now, I don't know. But I do know that if a person devotes their entire life's effort to training one part of the human body to the divine realm, they can already match a false god. If they train every part to the divine realm, they're not far from a true god. He will definitely go after Horse Master."