Qin Mu left Holy Ascension Mountain and returned to the Imperial Academy. Gu Linuan immediately ran over, setting up a banquet to welcome Qin Mu back.
Qin Mu widened his eyes, feeling both amused and exasperated, and laughed: "Lord Gu, why must you do this?"
Gu Linuan smiled: "We are both of the Demonic Path, naturally we should support each other. Cult Leader Qin, is the Shao Bao Sword still working well?"
"Works fine. Not returning it."
Qin Mu explained: "The rules of the Great Ruins..."
"I know!"
Gu Linuan laughed heartily: "I lived in the Great Ruins for two hundred years, I understand the rules of the Great Ruins. Anything obtained through skill, whether deceived or seized, is never returned! You're being too formal, aren't you? Look, you're being too formal again, aren't you? Hahaha! I lived in the Great Ruins for two hundred years, the Great Ruins is half my hometown, we are half fellow countrymen! When Cult Leader Qin returns from my hometown, I must at least treat you to a meal to relieve your homesickness."
Qin Mu was left speechless, sighing: "Lord Gu's insight is profound, I am impressed."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Cult Leader Qin is the one with youthful talent and heroic origins."
The two flattered each other for a while. Gu Linuan sighed with emotion: "When I first saw you in the Great Ruins, I knew you were no ordinary talent, destined for great success. I didn't expect this day would come so soon. Cult Leader Qin... sigh, calling you Cult Leader is too formal, isn't it? Cult Leader, after this upheaval, many positions of first and second rank officials in the court are vacant. Could the Cult Leader help me maneuver a bit?"
Qin Mu was both amused and exasperated: "Lord Gu, I am only a fifth-rank official..."
"If the Cult Leader doesn't find it too formal, you may call me Linuan."
Qin Mu steadied himself: "I am only a fifth-rank Attendant Grand Master, with no real power in hand. How could I have the qualifications to inquire about the promotion of first and second rank officials? Moreover, to be honest, the sword that killed the Crown Prince is precisely this Shao Bao Sword that I deceived from Lord Gu. The Emperor actually has some resentment in his heart, and has some concerns about our Heavenly Saint Cult as well. If I were to recommend the Emperor to promote you, Lord Gu, it would only harm you."
Gu Linuan smiled: "That is the principle, Cult Leader is wise. I toast to the Cult Leader."
He was a sensible man. His purpose in inviting Qin Mu to the banquet was not to have Qin Mu recommend him to the Emperor for promotion, but to establish a connection with Qin Mu and resolve their previous grievances.
Whether Qin Mu was the Emperor's favored one or not, he had to establish this connection.
The Demon Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, an existence of the same status as the Tathagata and the Dao Master. Establishing a good relationship with Qin Mu was equivalent to establishing a good relationship with the Tathagata and the Dao Master. And it could be accomplished with just a banquet—a naturally profitable deal.
After the banquet, Gu Linuan personally escorted Qin Mu back to the Scholars' Residence. On the way, Qin Mu noticed some foreigners in the Imperial Academy and couldn't help but wonder.
"After this turmoil, the new Crown Prince ordered the annulment of the treaties signed by the traitors and the reclaiming of territory. Some foreign states were frightened and sent envoys to study Yankang culture."
Gu Linuan saw his puzzlement and explained: "The Crown Prince has graciously permitted foreigners to study in Yankang, and some foreign nobles are studying at the Imperial Academy."
Qin Mu nodded, then suddenly saw a familiar face. He was slightly stunned, then smiled at the young man: "Ban Gongcuo!"
The young man was a barbarian from the grasslands. He turned to look at Qin Mu, his eyes somewhat confused. He was accompanied by many foreign retainers, including two great sorcerers from the Loulan Golden Palace.
Ban Gongcuo whispered to the person beside him. One of the sorcerers quickly whispered something. Ban Gongcuo suddenly understood and gave a perfunctory bow to Qin Mu: "So it's the Demon Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult. Does the Cult Leader have business with me?"
Qin Mu was stunned again, shaking his head: "No business."
Ban Gongcuo walked away with his entourage.
Qin Mu frowned slightly. Gu Linuan, observing, asked: "Cult Leader, you know this Ban Gongcuo?"
"He is the youngest son of the Great Khan of the barbarian Di Kingdom. I once saw him practicing boxing at the border pass. His boxing had a very unique bearing, suggesting a unique constitution."
Qin Mu looked at Ban Gongcuo's retreating figure, thinking: "He once challenged Dean Bashan, saying he would surely defeat Dean Bashan in the future. It left a deep impression on me. But why does he seem like he's seeing me for the first time..."
Gu Linuan smiled: "Youthful temperament, he probably forgot."
Qin Mu returned to the Scholars' Residence. The Dragon Qilin lay outside the room. When Qin Mu entered, he felt it was cold and lonely, somewhat unaccustomed.
"If only Hu Ling'er were here," he sighed with emotion.
If Hu Ling'er were here, she would certainly have organized the room neatly, not a thread out of place, and made everything comfortable.
Suddenly, the Dragon Qilin's voice came from outside, gruff: "Miss, who are you looking for?"
"Is your Cult Master Qin in?" A beautiful voice came from outside.
"He is."
"I'm going in."
"Okay."
Qin Mu quickly walked out of the room. He saw Ling Yuxiu pushing the door open and entering. The girl was lovely, with red lips and white teeth, wearing a red shirt—not entirely red, but with red at the collar and lapels. As she walked into the courtyard, a youthful vitality rushed toward him, making Qin Mu's heart beat a little faster.
"Oxherd!"
The girl's eyes sparkled as she walked over, smiling: "That big dog at your door is very agreeable!"
"I'll eat him at New Year's! Keeping him is useless even as a guard!" Qin Mu said fiercely.
The Dragon Qilin's voice came from outside the courtyard: "Cult Master, I heard everything."
"That's the point! All you do is eat and sleep every day!"
Qin Mu carefully examined the princess. She had grown even more radiant, though her face still held some childish innocence. Her body was still taller than Qin Mu—she was a grown woman now. Her spring garments couldn't conceal her youthful beauty, as if flowers were about to burst from the exquisite clothing, making it hard for anyone's eyes to leave her.
Recently, Qin Mu had started growing taller too, like wild grass in the barren fields growing madly in spring.
Thinking back to when they first met, the princess had been a wild girl, dressed in male attire, quite carefree.
Ling Yuxiu came to the yellow pear tree in the courtyard. She saw the pear tree budding, but the pear blossoms were about to bloom first. Little flower buds poked their heads out from the tender petals.
Ling Yuxiu reached out her slender jade hand to touch the flower, smiling: "You have such taste, planting a yellow pear on Jade Mountain. When the pear blossoms bloom, I must come to admire them..."
"Don't move!"
Qin Mu's eyes lit up: "Hold that pose! Wait for me!"
He quickly took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, mixed colors, and began to paint. Ling Yuxiu grew anxious: "Are you done yet? My hand is getting sore."
"Almost done."
Qin Mu was about to finish, but he held back the last stroke. He first took out his seal and stamped it on the painting, then picked up his brush and added the final stroke. "Done."
Ling Yuxiu walked over to look at his painting. She saw that her depiction on the canvas had a slightly shy expression. Clearly, the blush that had welled up in her heart had been captured by Qin Mu.
"It looks really accurate."
Ling Yuxiu exclaimed in admiration, then asked curiously: "Why did you stamp the seal before adding the last stroke?"
Qin Mu explained: "My painting skill is too good. If I added the last stroke first, you would step out of the painting and run away. This seal is also called a stamp. Look, the pattern on the seal isn't my name—it's a type of sealing talisman."
Ling Yuxiu leaned in to examine the seal. As they leaned close together, Qin Mu turned his gaze to the girl's face. He saw her fair complexion with a faint rosy glow, her bright eyes, and her elegant white neck as she turned sideways to examine the seal. Her earnest attitude made his heart beat faster.
"It really is a sealing talisman!"
Ling Yuxiu exclaimed in surprise, asking curiously: "If I wipe away this seal, can the me in the painting really step out?"
Qin Mu nodded: "I used the Soul-Granting Method, bestowing divine soul with a spark of spiritual connection. But I've only succeeded once, and I don't know if it will work this time. But it's best to use the seal to keep you contained, lest you run away."
Ling Yuxiu gave him a shy glance, then hurriedly rolled up the painting: "This painting is mine, you're not allowed to snatch it! Oh right, I almost forgot the main reason. Father Emperor has summoned you to the palace to diagnose your injuries. I bumped into the eunuch delivering the decree and took the job."
Qin Mu straightened his clothes: "Will you accompany me?"
"Good! We haven't seen each other for some time, and I have some things to say to you."
The young man and woman walked out of the room. The Dragon Qilin looked up: "Cult Master, I'll watch the door and absolutely won't let anyone in."
"I know."
Qin Mu said: "Perform well, and I won't put you on the table at New Year's. Also, practice more. Look at the Green Ox—all that muscle. How could you beat him?"
They walked out of the Scholars' Residence, seeing many scholars smiling and greeting them along the way. However, their eyes held some fear, clearly having heard that Qin Mu was the Demon Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, a ruthless fellow who had beheaded Ling Yuxua in front of the Emperor—the very embodiment of ferocity.
Outside the Scholars' Residence, Dean Bashan strode toward them, followed by two scholars: Wei Yong and Yue Qinghong. Both had made great progress in their cultivation, obviously having trained under Dean Bashan for some time and gained many benefits.
Behind them followed a magnificent Green Ox, walking on two legs, its body covered in muscle, nostrils steaming and snarling fiercely—yet it held a peony flower in its mouth.
Dean Bashan stopped, laughing: "Cult Leader Qin, are you two young lovebirds eloping?"
"We are not!"
Ling Yuxiu said angrily: "Dean Bashan, don't talk nonsense. Father Emperor has summoned him to the palace!"
Dean Bashan laughed heartily, then said to Qin Mu: "I just ran into that fellow Ban Gongcuo from the barbarian Di Kingdom. That fellow has become very strange. Although he recognizes me, he doesn't seem like the same Ban Gongcuo as before."
Qin Mu nodded: "I have that same feeling. Ban Gongcuo no longer recognizes me, as if he's a different person."
"His strength is formidable, not inferior to yours," Dean Bashan said.
Qin Mu's eyes flickered with doubt: "Not inferior to mine? I'm very strong."
Dean Bashan glared at him: "His Six Harmonies Divine Repository is about to break through, and I sense some terrifying power lurking within him. You may not be able to beat him! Could this barbarian have encountered some unique opportunity? It doesn't seem like an opportunity—it's more like he's been possessed... You go see the Emperor first. I'll find you later."
Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu arrived at the palace. They saw the Emperor and the State Preceptor of Yankang both present, along with an ugly man covered in warts who was diagnosing their injuries.
Qin Mu walked in. Emperor Yanfeng looked up with a smile: "The Attendant Grand Master has arrived."
The man covered in warts looked at Qin Mu. His mouth split open like a giant toad that had become a spirit, his smile like a cry: "Junior Brother, how is our Master?"
Qin Mu stopped, extending his hand to shield Ling Yuxiu: "The Little Poison King?"