"Grandpa Mute!"
Qin Mu hurried over, opening his arms to tightly embrace the cloth-clad old man, trying to lift him up. But the old man was like the heaviest mountain in the world, impossible to budge at all.
Qin Mu laughed excitedly, exerting all his strength to lift him, but still couldn't.
Grandpa Mute put down the box with two sounds, and Qin Mu finally managed to lift him up. He spun him around twice before plopping the old man on the ground. Grandpa Mute sat on his buttocks, got up and patted the dust off his rear, then gestured twice, indicating that Qin Mu was being too mischievous.
"Grandpa Mute, why did you also leave the village? How come you're here?"
Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted, asking quickly: "You were amazing just now, were those Sword Pellets in the box all forged by you? Who else came out with you?"
"Ah ah, ah ah ah!"
Grandpa Mute spoke while gesturing, his two eyebrows furrowing to show boredom, patting his palm against his cheek to mimic sleeping, then extending two fingers to show walking.
His hands moved rapidly in gestures, his facial expressions changing instantaneously, leaving Qin Mu dazzled. He quickly said: "Grandpa Mute, speak slower, I can't keep up. Where's Grandpa Blind? Why didn't he come with you?"
Grandpa Mute looked pleased with himself and gestured for a while, indicating that he had sneaked out of the village by himself without telling anyone.
Qin Mu blinked and smiled: "You don't know, I met Grandpa Tu and Grandpa Blind, as well as Granny Si. They've all already left the village."
Grandpa Mute was surprised, made two sounds, lifted the wooden box and handed it to Qin Mu, indicating for him to carry it. Qin Mu sneered and didn't take it: "Grandpa Mute, don't even think about fooling me again. That box of yours is extremely heavy—it must contain thousands of Sword Pellets, right? Your Sword Pellets are heavy, and the box is even heavier. If I help you carry it, my shoulders would definitely be dislocated and I'd be flattened on the ground! I fell for it once before, and I won't fall for it again."
Grandpa Mute grinned silently and gave Qin Mu a thumbs-up.
In Backwater Village, besides the Cripple, he was the one who best knew how to tease Qin Mu.
Suddenly, Grandpa Mute raised his eyebrows and looked behind Qin Mu. Qin Mu quickly turned around to see a middle-aged man walking toward them. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor quietly walked up to them, stopping when he was still over ten zhang away.
"Someone from the previous era?" he said softly.
Grandpa Mute grinned and gestured twice. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor frowned, unable to understand.
Qin Mu explained: "Imperial Preceptor, Grandpa Mute means that he doesn't count as someone from the previous era—he's still relatively young."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor frowned again, unable to understand Grandpa Mute's words, having Qin Mu translate on the side, which always gave him an uncomfortable feeling.
"Your skills are extraordinary, but what you cultivate is not swordsmanship."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor sighed: "I've exchanged insights with several people from the previous era and gained much understanding, thinking I had encountered all manner of divine arts and techniques. I didn't expect to see something entirely different. May I ask, could you show me your divine arts?"
Qin Mu was surprised. He had seen Grandpa Mute act just now—countless Sword Pellets rising into the air, transforming into endless flying swords, even forcing the Heavenly Demon King to defend himself, yet still wounding him with his blades.
Qin Mu had thought Grandpa Mute's abilities were all in his swordwork, but he didn't expect the Yankang Imperial Preceptor to say that Grandpa Mute didn't cultivate swordsmanship. Could it be that Grandpa Mute's true abilities were beyond the swordsmanship he had displayed?
Back in the village, what Grandpa Mute had taught him was the way of smithing and forging. Qin Mu had often carried a large iron hammer, and his hammer techniques were taught by Grandpa Mute.
"Could it be that Grandpa Mute cultivates hammer techniques?"
Grandpa Mute grinned, tightened the forge on his back, and put down the wooden box in his hand. His current appearance was like an itinerant blacksmith who would stop and rest in any village he came to, forging iron implements for the villagers.
His box looked like one carrying miscellaneous smithing supplies. What should come out of it shouldn't be Sword Pellets, but rather blacksmith hammers, anvils, strainers, iron ladles, and the like.
He opened the wooden box and gestured twice more. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor's face stiffened as he looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu said: "Grandpa Mute is saying that his craft is nearly lost. If the Imperial Preceptor wants to see it, he may, but he wants the Imperial Preceptor to help him find a successor."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor became solemn with respect: "You are willing to pass on your lifetime's ultimate skills to another—your magnificence far exceeds those sect masters, clan leaders, and patriarchs of famous schools by immeasurable bounds. If fate allows, I will certainly keep an eye out for you."
The wooden box was opened, revealing countless Sword Pellets, each only the size of a fingertip.
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor showed a look of confusion. Grandpa Mute smiled faintly and extended his palm. Those Sword Pellets suddenly ceased being individual silver pellets—instead, they liquefied, like water yet like light, giving the feeling of water made from light.
The box of Sword Pellets transformed into a box of Light Liquid. The Light Liquid rose gently from the box, climbing up Grandpa Mute's body, flowing over his entire form like a suit of silver armor.
Qin Mu and the Yankang Imperial Preceptor immediately saw various strange patterns appear on the armor's surface—peculiar runic formations that governed defense.
Then the Light Liquid flowed off Grandpa Mute's body and transformed in midair into a great bell over ten zhang tall, its walls so thin that one could seemingly see through from one side to the other.
The great bell slowly rotated, and on its walls appeared ancient text, patterns of exotic beasts, and the arrangements of celestial stars.
Swish—
The great bell transformed into flowing light, and a silver dragon appeared, circling around them, swimming about, its body covered with dragon patterns.
Suddenly the silver dragon rose into the air, transforming into a long sword that soared skyward, displaying profound sword techniques. Then the sword light abruptly contracted, and a great shield descended from the heavens.
Before the shield even touched the ground, it transformed again into a silver umbrella, gently floating down while spinning.
The Sword Pellets in Grandpa Mute's box could transform in a thousand ways—into all manner of weapons, into treasures with various functions!
The treasures in his box could even transform into the forms of divine arts!
This was the first time Qin Mu had seen Grandpa Mute display his true abilities, the first time witnessing such transcendent mastery!
Grandpa Mute had never taught him this skill. When Qin Mu was in the village, he had never even seen Grandpa Mute use this ability.
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor stared in fascination. Suddenly the Light Liquid flowed over, forming a silver boat. Grandpa Mute tossed the box onto the boat and leaped in, grinning and waving at Qin Mu. The silver boat shot through the air and vanished without a trace, its speed incredibly swift.
Qin Mu opened his mouth, wanting to call him back, but after a moment's thought, decided not to speak up.
After a moment, the Yankang Imperial Preceptor slowly exhaled a turbid breath and praised: "Excellent skills, excellent skills. There are still abilities in this world that I have never known or seen—this gentleman is remarkable. Taixue Doctor, do you know him?"
Qin Mu said: "He is my master."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor was stunned, not understanding the meaning: "Could he be an expert from the Heavenly Demon Sect? Besides the Grand Libationer, the Heavenly Demon Sect actually has such an expert—truly remarkable, worthy of being the foremost sacred ground of the demonic path."
Qin Mu shook his head: "The Imperial Preceptor guesses wrong. I come from the Great Ruins, so my home is naturally in the Great Ruins."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor felt a chill, looked at him deeply, and said meaningfully: "The Taixue Doctor actually comes from a distinguished noble family, with a deep family tradition."
Qin Mu was stunned for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor said calmly: "Then, who summoned that Demon God?"
"I don't know either."
Qin Mu said seriously: "I had just arrived here when this great chaos broke out. I've been terribly wronged—I nearly lost my life."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor nodded lightly: "Gu Linuan had you lead a team, bringing several scholars here for training. As far as I know, your destination should have been Lizhou. This is Tianbo City, and across the river is Wuding Prefecture, two hundred li from Lizhou. Why did the Taixue Doctor come here?"
"Well..."
Qin Mu pulled the Fox Spirit out from the bundle on his back and looked at the small white fox. The Fox Spirit raised her paw, gnawing on her finger, her eyes spinning rapidly. Suddenly her eyes lit up, and she said crisply: "We drifted here from the river! We encountered danger in Lizhou—the remnant forces of the Hongshan Sect summoned a Demon God, so we fled down the river. That's acceptable to say, right, Young Master?"
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor's expression didn't change: "You can say whatever you want. This time the great chaos in Tianbo City resulted in countless casualties among the city's defenders. The person who summoned the Demon God has made a great contribution. I plan to recommend him to the Emperor for a promotion. For such merit, he could at least be raised to the fourth rank."
Qin Mu opened his mouth, but the Fox Spirit quickly said: "It was our Young Master! Our Young Master summoned that Heavenly Demon What's-his-name King!"
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor ignored her and continued: "Though there is merit, the civilians in the city also suffered countless casualties—the sin is therefore great. While casualties on the battlefield are inevitable, wiping out an entire city with so many deaths is excessive. Even if I were to recommend this person for merit, there would be objections from the civil officials in court, saying this person killed countless people and coerced the Emperor into assigning blame. When the war is eventually pacified, this person will certainly face retribution and be purged—complete family execution might be too strong to say, but dismissal and exile are certain."
The Fox Spirit quickly shut her mouth, feeling that everything she said was wrong.
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor showed a slight smile: "Therefore, I plan to suppress this merit and say we don't know who did it. No merit, no fault. What does the Taixue Doctor think of this arrangement?"
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief: "The Imperial Preceptor has handled this very well."
Behind them, the Yankang army had already slaughtered all the Heavenly Demon forces in Tianbo City, and several generals walked over.
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor turned around and said calmly: "Civil officials kill with their mouths, not with swords. Even if one can escape from their mouths, one is still covered in stink."
Qin Mu said: "The Imperial Preceptor has deep feelings about this?"
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor nodded: "For the sake of reform, I've killed who knows how many civil officials, but this sort of thing—one batch killed and another batch appears, endlessly. They have no real ability, don't do practical work, but disapprove of everything and can only curse you. Do you know what would happen if my reform failed?"
Qin Mu shook his head.
"I would be infamous for ten thousand years."
The Yankang Imperial Preceptor said calmly: "Even if my reform succeeds, I will be cursed by civil officials for hundreds or thousands of years. There was once a fellow Daoist who could comfort my heart..."
His expression grew somewhat somber: "But he is gone. I miss him very much."
————Three updates again today!