Elder Fu, seeing this, said: "You have guests, this old servant will not disturb you. I must go to several other houses to return the money. Two of them were robbed so badly that if I don't return the money, they will likely go hungry for the next few days..."
The Cripple and Old Ma walked over. The Cripple's face was beaming with pride, while Old Ma wore an expression of indifference to wealth or poverty.
Qin Mu invited the two inside and asked: "Where have Grandpa Cripple and Old Ma been these past few days?"
Old Ma said: "The Cripple pestered me to go to Lizhou for disaster relief."
The Cripple laughed: "Lizhou was hit by rebellion, causing both natural and man-made disasters, with the starving dead scattered everywhere. Old Ma and I recently earned some money, so we went to relieve the disaster. Don't be fooled by our fine clothes—they're all fake. This gold chain is wood painted with gold lacquer, and this jade pendant is also fake. The real ones were all pawned by Old Ma to exchange for rice and flour sent to Lizhou. Your Heavenly Demon Cult members were also there doing relief work, and we handed the money and grain over to them."
Qin Mu smiled: "Then You Taiyi did do a good deed."
He told the two elders about the demon summoning. The Cripple was surprised: "There was such a thing? You didn't lose my face and get tricked by that demon king, did you? This matter should have been left to Old Ma. The Horse King God with three eyes is best at subduing demons and vanquishing evil."
Old Ma's forehead suddenly split open, revealing a white fleshy ball. The ball rotated halfway to the side, exposing an eye. Buddhist light blazed forth, shining upon Qin Mu's forehead!
Immediately, a strange squealing sound came from Qin Mu's forehead. A voice shrilly cried: "Even if you refine me to death, you will die too!"
Qin Mu hastily said: "Old Ma, I have made an oath with him—there is the Earth Count's Covenant!"
"The Earth Count's Covenant?"
The Cripple and Old Ma both felt a shock. Old Ma quickly closed the third eye on his forehead, his expression grave: "Mu'er, you are far too reckless. The Earth Count's Nine Covenants are extremely dangerous—how could you casually enter into such an oath with someone? Moreover, the other party is not even human, but a demon god from another world!"
The Cripple shook his head: "What utter nonsense! This is gambling with your own life! Why did you need to make the Earth Count's Covenant with him? You only had to tell us, and we would have killed him!"
Qin Mu said: "I wanted to learn the Netherworld language."
"That still didn't require the Earth Count's Covenant. Hand him over to the Butcher, and I guarantee the Butcher will make him feel so comfortable that within three to five days he'll confess everything."
The Cripple shook his head: "The Butcher loves dealing with these gods and demons the most. Within three to five days, he can make them wish for the mercy of a quick blade. If you let the Butcher handle him, if he doesn't kill him, I'll teach you!"
Qin Mu blushed: "The Earth Count's Covenant has already been made and cannot be changed. Now I am preparing to summon the demon, and I need to trouble you two grandfathers for help."
Old Ma said: "Just summon them out, and we'll destroy them."
Qin Mu went to the Imperial Academy's treasury to buy some bones, took out the talisman treasures, and began the demon summoning.
The Imperial Academy taught all kinds of techniques and spells, regardless of whether they were from the righteous path, demonic path, or Buddhist path. Some of these spells required human bones to cultivate, so the treasury kept a supply.
He was now familiar with the process and quickly lit up the runes around a demon god statue. This time, there was no terrifying scene like at Heavenly Wave City, nor did Qin Mu see the Dutian situation. Clearly, the demon god summoned this time was not as powerful as the Dutian Demon King.
Above the Imperial Academy, the sky suddenly changed dramatically. A vast and majestic demonic force blasted through the heavens and descended from above, like a black pillar striking straight down toward the Scholars' Quarters!
At this moment, who knows how many Imperial Scholars and students in the Imperial Academy were startled. The Grand Libationer and other officials were also alarmed, and the powerful figures in the capital turned their attention here.
And in Qin Mu's courtyard within the Scholars' Quarters, the demon summoning continued. The wooden demon god statue crackled with explosive sounds, growing taller and larger. A voice filled with demonic nature roared: "This humble world, prepare to face the wrath of the Jiahe Demon God of Dutian!"
Just then, above the Imperial Academy, Buddhist light blazed intensely. A great Buddha sat in mid-air, extending a palm the size of several dozen acres, pressing downward. With a series of crackling explosions, the consciousness and magic power of the Jiahe Demon God had barely arrived before being crushed to dust along with the constantly expanding wooden statue!
The Imperial Scholars and students in the Academy were shocked once more. The powerful figures in the capital and the army defending the city saw this scene and felt reassured: "After all, this is the Imperial Academy, with experts gathered like clouds. Such Buddhist cultivation would be rare even at the Great Thunderclap Monastery! The Imperial Academy still has such experts—they cannot be underestimated!"
Gu Linuan led the Imperial Academy's scholars to the scene. Qin Mu poked his head out from the courtyard and laughed: "You've arrived just in time. A demon god just jumped out and was killed by my elders."
Gu Linuan's heart skipped a beat, a forced smile on his face: "Lord Qin, please be more careful not to damage the Scholars' Quarters. Alright, everyone disperse. Lord Qin's elders have arrived, and there will be no problems at the Imperial Academy."
The scholars looked at each other in bewilderment. Gu Linuan had always been at odds with Qin Mu—why was he being so agreeable now?
"This situation is clearly Lord Qin summoning a demon. Why isn't the Grand Libationer giving him a hard time?"
Everyone was puzzled: "Summoning a demon in the capital's Scholars' Quarters—this crime is enough for execution! Why is the Grand Libationer letting him do as he pleases?"
Gu Linuan left before them, cold sweat rolling down his forehead: "Their family's elders have arrived. Is it the blind man who once lifted the Yong River with a single staff, or the Cripple who stole my sword sheath? Or perhaps that ferocious half-bodied old man? No wonder His Majesty said I cannot afford to offend him—I truly cannot! These ferocious beings actually dare to leave the Great Ruins. The capital truly is not peaceful, with all sorts of monsters and demons running here..."
Qin Mu closed the door. The scholars were all terrified and hastily called the other students out of the Scholars' Quarters, saying: "This place is extremely dangerous. You must not stay here for now, lest you die without knowing how. Everyone, please go outside and hide for a couple of days. When it's safe, you can return!"
The many students in the Scholars' Quarters had been frightened out of their wits by the demon god and Buddha that just appeared. They knew the Scholars' Quarters was no longer safe and quickly distanced themselves.
"Why didn't you summon the other four demon gods?" The voice of the Dutian Demon King sounded in Qin Mu's mind, questioning.
Qin Mu shook his head: "I have already kept my promise and summoned your subject. Now it is your turn to teach me the Netherworld language."
The Dutian Demon King was stunned: "There are still four other statues..."
"Demon King, I have already fulfilled my half of the oath. Summoning one is summoning, and summoning five is also summoning."
Qin Mu said: "If you do not keep your promise, the Earth Count will immediately take you to the Netherworld!"
The Dutian Demon King laughed in anger, then suddenly burst out laughing: "What a cunning little brat, waiting for me here. Very well, very well. Fortunately, I also have a backup plan. I will teach you the Netherworld language, but only one phrase. When I swore the oath, I did not say I would teach you all of the Netherworld language."
Qin Mu widened his eyes.
The Dutian Demon King said smugly: "I will only tell you the text on this gate. As for the text on that scroll of yours, don't even think about learning it. If you want to learn the complete Netherworld language, go down to the Netherworld yourself and ask!"
These past few days, Qin Mu had been in the divine form of the Star Lord Zhen. The portal shadow behind him gradually became clearer, and the text upon it became discernible. However, the text on the scroll had not yet become clear.
Qin Mu probed: "If I summon the other four statues, will you teach me the Netherworld text on the scroll?"
"Absolutely not!" the Dutian Demon King said decisively.
Qin Mu sighed in relief and smiled: "Then just teach me the phrase on the gate."
The Dutian Demon King produced a strange tone, as if sounds made by souls, like the bizarre cries of countless twisted ghosts. Qin Mu tried to replicate it but found that a human could not possibly produce such a strange language, and was startled.
The Dutian Demon King chuckled: "Some languages cannot be learned by you lowly creatures. Your voices come from the throat, while the Netherworld language is not produced from the throat..."
Just as he said this, Qin Mu suddenly produced a sound. However, it was not from his throat—the sound came from his soul, and was very similar to the tone the Dutian Demon King had just made!
The Dutian Demon King was stunned, a sense of alarm rising in his heart: "This little brat is so clever, figuring out in an instant that it wasn't throat-produced but soul-produced. If he grows up, I may truly not be able to defeat him... Such a clever little brat is best dealt with early!"
Qin Mu repeatedly attempted to produce sound from his soul. After a long time, he finally mastered the phrase. He asked: "What does this phrase mean?"
The Dutian Demon King did not answer. As Qin Mu was about to ask again, the Dutian Demon King said: "This phrase means 'The Gate of Earth Origin.'"
Qin Mu was taken aback: "The Gate of Earth Origin? You're not lying to me?"
The Dutian Demon King laughed: "Lying to you? How could I lie to you? It means 'The Gate of Earth Origin,' that's correct."
Qin Mu was half-believing, half-doubting. The Dutian Demon King being so generous all of a sudden—this phrase "The Gate of Earth Origin" must have some problem.
Qin Mu's eyes flickered. He smiled: "Dutian Demon King, you can now leave my body. I have used Cold Iron Gold Crystal to craft an idol mechanism for you. You can enter and take control of this idol mechanism. After that, you can summon demons if you want, or do whatever you wish."
The Dutian Demon King laughed: "You want to trick me into coming out so that one-armed old monk can kill me? I'm not that stupid."
Qin Mu shook his head and said to Old Ma and the Cripple: "Two grandfathers, I will now help you reconnect your arms and legs."
Old Ma said: "When you help us reconnect our limbs, that demon king will likely seize the opportunity to escape. It would be better to refine him to death now."
Qin Mu said solemnly: "I cannot break my word. I said I would craft an idol mechanism for him and let him enter it. I cannot go back on my promise."
Old Ma said nothing more. Qin Mu cleared the bed and had Old Ma lie down. He retrieved Old Ma's arm from the medicine cauldron and reattached it.
While he was busy reattaching the arm, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed from his forehead, sizzling as it landed on the eight-armed four-faced idol at the doorway.
The Cripple raised an eyebrow and said with a smile: "This worthless demon king, I can give you an eight-hundred-li head start."
The Dutian Demon King controlled the idol and found it moved freely. He immediately sprinted outward.
He had just run out of Qin Mu's courtyard and taken a dozen or so steps when suddenly, with a crack, his knee joints locked.
Then, joints throughout his body made clicking sounds, as if locked one by one. The Dutian Demon King held all eight arms high, one foot raised unable to come down, his entire body rigid and immobile.
"You mother's egg, you ambushed me!" An exasperated voice came from within the idol, cursing angrily.
Hu Ling'er poked her head out from Qin Mu's courtyard, glanced at the demon god statue frozen there, and pouted: "Didn't the young master tell you long ago? He made an idol mechanism for you—see, you fell for the trap? By the way, do you think the young master might be a male fox spirit? I think he looks a bit like one..."