As Qin Mu made his way forward, the scene that met his eyes was one of utter devastation — refugees starving and scattered, disasters springing up everywhere, plague running rampant. Compared to the relatively stable territories of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, this place was practically hell.
Fortunately, a great number of scholars from the grand and minor academies were traveling about practicing medicine, suppressing the epidemics, or else the disasters would have been far worse.
The State Preceptor of Yankang had built a great many grand and minor academies to replace the old private schools, and they proved their worth at this very time. Though each individual scholar's power was quite small, together they were formidable — like a collection of small sects.
Qin Mu saw soldiers and officers sweeping through the countryside to root out demons and monsters who had seized the opportunity to cause chaos. County magistrates personally guarded the farmlands to protect the seedlings and urged the displaced to return to their homes. The grain from the Emperor's relief efforts would soon arrive.
He also noticed disciples from Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries assisting in the disaster relief, though their efforts were somewhat haphazard. Compared to the power of the state, their capabilities were limited — they helped wherever they went. Some, however, were taking advantage of the national crisis to spread their doctrines, giving rise to a number of heretical sects, though none of them gained any real traction.
This natural disaster cannot destroy a nation like this, Qin Mu thought to himself.
New crops had already been planted. Once the harvest season arrived, the people could be settled. The timing of this disaster for the State of Yankang was exceedingly bizarre — it struck right after a nationwide upheaval. Years of warfare had consumed enormous amounts of grain and provisions, and combined with this snow calamity, it was enough to cripple the nation.
"I wonder whether the State Preceptor of Yankang has returned to court, and whether the Emperor is still overseeing the relief efforts. And where did this natural disaster come from? This is not the kind of calamity that sacred sites like the Daoist temples or the Great Thunderclap Monastery could create. It could only be the work of gods."
He raised his head and gazed at the heavens, troubled by questions. Why? Why would the heavens bring disaster upon Yankang?
Was it for the sake of the gods' dominion in the mortal world?
Before Yankang, the world had been ruled by sects one after another, forming kingdoms large and small. Some sects had ancient lineages, with legends claiming they were established by gods themselves. So was this disaster sent because the gods' mortal dominion had been destroyed by the State of Yankang, angering the divine spirits?
Or was there some deeper reason at play?
Qin Mu found some disciples of the Heavenly Demon Cult and made inquiries. The Cult had been following the government in its relief efforts — nearly all of its members had been mobilized and spread across the nation. The hall masters had even donated the funds of their respective halls, leaving the Cult penniless. But some merchants were hoarding goods and driving up prices, and certain noble families were stockpiling grain and refusing to sell.
"The Emperor was furious — he executed a batch. Then he uncovered many officials who had embezzled relief funds and executed another batch. And there were some who were selling government posts — he executed yet another batch."
A Heavenly Demon Cult disciple who had been following the Emperor on his relief tours, having witnessed a great deal, spoke with animation: "The Emperor has also survived multiple assassination attempts — mostly by existence at the Cult Master level. Fortunately, the civil and military ministers of the court were by his side, and the Emperor himself fought back with tremendous ferocity. It is truly a pity the Cult Master did not go."
Qin Mu asked: "Which powerful figures attempted to assassinate the Emperor?"
"I hear it was the Pauper Scholar, Tian Zhenjun, and those like them, along with some strong fighters from beyond the frontier."
Qin Mu's expression shifted slightly. "They have joined forces with Cult Master-level experts from beyond the frontier? Has the State Preceptor of Yankang returned?"
"I have not seen him."
Qin Mu pondered for a moment. "Where is the Emperor now?"
"Just five thousand li away in Bazhou Prefecture."
The Heavenly Demon Cult disciple continued: "The Emperor first went south and cleared out the noble families there who refused to release or sell their grain. Then he headed north, and has only just arrived at Bazhou. Bazhou is still relatively stable."
Qin Mu steadied himself and asked: "What about the capital? How many first-rank officials were left behind?"
"The Crown Prince was left to oversee the kingdom, along with officials in his faction."
Qin Mu's expression grew solemn. The Crown Prince had been left in charge of the capital, yet the Crown Prince had run off to the Great Thunderclap Monastery. The Pauper Scholar, Tian Zhenjun, and the others had nearly been killed by the State Preceptor of Yankang, only to be saved by the Old Buddha, who declared they had entered the monastic order and would no longer concern themselves with worldly affairs. Yet now the Pauper Scholar and his lot had emerged once more.
And on top of that, the Crown Prince had gone to visit the Old Buddha. The implications were enormous.
"They say the imperial court is the greatest sacred site under heaven. I wonder, if it truly clashed with the Great Thunderclap Monastery, which side would prove superior?"
Qin Mu pondered for a moment. "Can you get in touch with the hall masters?"
"Right now all the halls are scattered across the country carrying out relief work. It is very difficult to reach them. To gather all the hall masters would likely take a month or two."
Qin Mu waved his hand and departed directly, climbing onto the Dragon Qilin's back and heading for Bazhou.
Bazhou was still five thousand li away — a considerable distance. Even at the Dragon Qilin's pace without rest, it would take until the next day to arrive. With rest along the way, he estimated he would not reach Bazhou until the following evening.
"If only my treasure ship were still around, this would be much easier. Pity it was destroyed."
Qin Mu ordered the Dragon Qilin to travel at full speed, promising him a dou of rations per day. The Dragon Qilin rallied his spirits and surged forward on clouds of fire toward Bazhou.
Before he knew it, night had fallen. Qin Mu raised his head to observe the stars, determined his bearings, and ordered the Dragon Qilin to continue onward. By the time the sun rose, the Dragon Qilin could hold out no longer — exhausted to the point of foaming at the mouth, his pace slowing with every step.
Qin Mu had him stop and looked around to get his bearings. He took out the geographical map of Yankang and studied it carefully — Bazhou was now less than a thousand li away.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He fed the Dragon Qilin and continued forward at an unhurried pace, letting the creature rest its legs.
Not far ahead, a courtyard appeared in this remote and desolate place — clearly a newly built house, everything fresh and new. Qin Mu walked over and was about to knock when the door opened and a woman stepped out, meeting him face to face. Both froze in surprise.
"Mu'er?"
The woman possessed a peerless beauty. Seeing him, she was visibly startled. She glanced around in confusion. "How did you find your way here? I went to such trouble to shake off the Blind One and Old Ma, and yet you tracked me down."
Qin Mu was both shocked and delighted. "Grandmother, what are you doing here?" Then he grew wary. "Are you Grandma Si, or are you Li Tianxing?"
Grandma Si stepped aside to let him enter. "The old devil is suppressed for now. Even though the Old Buddha failed to destroy him, he left him severely weakened. I am evenly matched with him at present, so I struck an agreement — he comes out at night, and I come out during the day."
Qin Mu was suspicious. "If you really are Grandma Si, why would you deliberately avoid Old Ma and Grandpa Blind? Why are you hiding here?"
Grandma Si gave him a look. "You brat — you dare suspect even your own grandmother? If I were the old devil and wanted to harm you, would I need to bother with lies?"
Qin Mu considered this and realized it was true — compared to Grandma Si, he was pitifully weak. If she were Li Tianxing, there would be no need for such elaborate deception. He then stepped into the courtyard.
If it were Li Tianxing, that bewitching charm — a single glance would have been enough to leave him utterly mesmerized, more womanly than any woman.
The courtyard was quite simple, having just been built, with very few pieces of furniture. Qin Mu looked around and saw that the tables and chairs were all crooked and uneven, which put him at ease.
Grandma Si did not have Old Ma's dexterous hands. She could manage sewing well enough, but her carpentry was woefully poor. These tables and chairs were unmistakably her handiwork.
Qin Mu sat down in a chair to rest. The chair was uneven — one side higher than the other — which was quite uncomfortable, but this only reassured him further that it was indeed Grandma Si who had made it. Curiously, he asked: "Grandmother, why not return to the Great Ruins?"
Grandma Si shook her head and walked out of the courtyard. After a moment, several pieces of firewood drifted into the yard — she intended to make a bed.
Qin Mu abandoned his rest and hurried over to help. Grandma Si was the Holy Maiden of the Cult, and despite having lived in the Village of Broken Elders for forty years, she had never learned Old Ma's craft. Qin Mu, on the other hand, was skilled at crafting all manner of furniture.
Grandma Si could not get a word in edgewise. She went to the river to fetch some water, returned, and began polishing a bronze mirror. "I can't go back now. What would be the point? In the Great Ruins, darkness rules at night, and the old devil would slip out again to wreak havoc. How long could Village Chief and the rest withstand him with their old bones? I'm better off staying here for a while to temper the old devil's nature."
Qin Mu swiftly finished building a large bed and carried it inside. He saw that she had polished the mirror full of dents and bumps, and could not help but smile helplessly. He took it from her, channeled his qi and transformed it into White Tiger qi, then calculated carefully, using fine threads of qi to polish the bronze mirror perfectly smooth. After that, he went on to build a vanity table.
Grandma Si saw the Dragon Qilin lying on the ground snoring away, and noticed Qin Mu's bloodshot eyes and utter exhaustion. "You've been traveling all night? Go sleep for a while."
"You're not leaving?"
"No."
Qin Mu felt relieved. He lay down on the bed. There were no blankets, but he was long accustomed to sleeping under the open sky. He sank quickly into a deep sleep.
After an indeterminate time, Qin Mu woke groggily and saw Grandma Si sitting before the bronze mirror on the vanity, staring into it in a daze, a pair of scissors raised in her hand — the blades pointed at her own face.
"Grandmother!" Qin Mu cried in alarm.
Grandma Si turned her head, set down the scissors, and offered a smile, saying softly: "The Old Buddha said that there is only one way to destroy the inner demon — to make him cease entirely to be attached to this face. Mu'er, I don't want to harm you all. I especially don't want to harm you..."
When Qin Mu saw her raise the scissors again, tears rolled uncontrollably from his eyes. "Grandmother, I do not blame you... I have never blamed you..."
"I cannot do it!"
Grandma Si slumped, setting the scissors down. She smiled. "Mu'er, come help me."
Qin Mu rose from the bed, took the scissors gently from her hands, and placed them softly in her small basket.
"No one blames you. No one can blame you. You have been hiding for over forty years — more than forty years without showing your true face."
He knelt down and looked up at that face, so beautiful that no second like it could be found — the true face of the one who had raised him. Qin Mu smiled. "If it were me, I might manage a day or two, but over forty years? I couldn't have endured it. The way you look is not your fault. What beautiful woman would willingly hide her face forever, presenting a withered and aged visage to the world?"
He stood up. "Grandmother, I will deal with Li Tianxing. You stay here. I am heading to Bazhou — something may have happened there."
Grandma Si gave a gentle nod.
Qin Mu walked out of the room and turned back with a smile. "Grandmother, eat well, drink well — don't mistreat yourself."
"You brat, lecturing me again!" Grandma Si scolded in mock anger.
Qin Mu laughed heartily, kicked the Dragon Qilin awake, and shouted: "Still sleeping? Get up — we're moving out!"