"Murder! Murder!"
A steward hurried off to report to Grand Sacrificial Wine Gu Linuan, shouting in panic, "Something terrible has happened! The Imperial Academy's professor Qin Mu has killed someone again!"
Inside the Imperial Academy hall, Gu Linuan was sipping tea, unperturbed. He chuckled and said, "What's there to be so alarmed about? He's the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult — is killing one person worth all this panic? It would be strange if he didn't kill anyone. Who did he kill this time?"
The steward gasped for breath and replied, "He killed two envoys of the Barbarian Di State!"
*Crack!*
The teacup in Gu Linuan's hand shattered to pieces. His face drained of color as he exclaimed, "Envoys of the Barbarian Di State? And two of them? No — I already hosted a banquet for them, so why is he still giving me a hard time?"
He scrambled to his feet, ready to rush out of the hall, then suddenly stopped and began pacing. "He's the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the supreme leader of the most powerful demonic sect. If I go confront him, that's just asking for an early death. I should report this to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince first."
Sacrificial Wine Bashan stood not far away, observing Ban Gongcuo and Qin Mu. Seeing this scene, he felt a throbbing ache in his skull and shook his head in distress. "Junior Brother, I only asked you to probe Ban Gongcuo's strength — who told you to go and kill the Barbarian Di State's envoys as well?"
The envoys of the Barbarian Di State had been sent by the Khan himself, led by Ban Gongcuo, numbering more than a dozen. This time, Qin Mu had killed two of them right inside the Imperial Academy.
This matter could absolutely not be resolved peacefully.
Luan Qian Khan of the Barbarian Di State was a mighty ruler of the grasslands, possessing both brilliant ambition and grand strategy. He had swallowed up the other khanates on the steppe, forging a great grassland nation to rival the State of Yankang.
He had even studied the culture of Yankang, absorbing its strengths to develop the Barbarian Di State. He reformed the state's internal governance, modeled its court system after Yankang's, and established schools throughout the land.
At present, he had not yet unified the grasslands, so he could not devote his full strength to confronting Yankang. But once the steppe was united under his banner, he would marshal every ounce of power against Yankang.
Meanwhile, Yankang had suffered devastating losses from two calamities, its national strength severely weakened. The primary purpose of Luan Qian Khan sending envoys was not only to learn, but also to gauge just how much Yankang had deteriorated.
He was a great eagle perched above the grasslands, ready to swoop east at any moment. Given the chance, he would lead the iron cavalry of the steppe in a blazing campaign, his whip pointing toward the Central Plains.
But clearly Qin Mu didn't care about any of that. He had simply killed the two envoys outright.
This act was highly likely to ignite war between the two nations!
With the effects of the natural disasters still lingering and Yankang at its weakest, if Luan Qian Khan seized this moment to march his armies in, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Sacrificial Wine Bashan regretted asking Qin Mu to test Ban Gongcuo. His junior brother, who had emerged from the Great Ruins, was clearly lawless and fearfully bold. After killing the envoys, he could simply slap the dust off his backside and return to the Great Ruins — but the mess left behind would be immense.
"Now it's the Crown Prince who's governing the state. Let's see how Crown Prince Ling Yuxiu handles this."
Sacrificial Wine Bashan couldn't help but feel a headache on behalf of Ling Yuxiu. Since becoming Crown Prince and assuming the regency, Ling Yuxiu had actually managed quite well. He had issued a self-blame edict, prayed for forgiveness at the Altar of Heaven, and handled matters well — from renouncing treaties to reclaiming land, continuing disaster relief. Everything had earned him great popular support.
But now he was about to face his greatest challenge since taking office.
Ban Gongcuo's gaze settled on Qin Mu, devoid of much emotion. No matter how Qin Mu provoked or goaded him, it seemed his heart could not be shaken.
Ban Gongcuo spoke with cold detachment, "The Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult is naturally not without skill. Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding between us. If the Cult Master does not mind, I shall host a banquet tomorrow at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion in the capital to offer my apologies. What does Cult Master Qin think?"
"Very well."
Qin Mu answered with a carefree smile. "Those two attendants of yours were truly audacious, daring to make a move against me. As their master, you really should host a banquet to make amends."
The corner of Ban Gongcuo's eye twitched slightly. He turned and walked away.
Qin Mu's gaze remained fixed on his back, brimming with killing intent. Yet Ban Gongcuo walked with perfect steadiness, as though utterly unaware, utterly unaffected — though his steps were slightly uneven, giving him the appearance of a limp.
"That man..."
Qin Mu drew a sharp breath, keenly feeling how formidable and terrifying Ban Gongcuo truly was.
He had provoked the man repeatedly, even slapping him in the face with his words, humiliated him, killed his attendants right before his eyes — yet this person still showed nothing of his emotions. And now, with Qin Mu's killing intent bearing down directly on him, he could still walk with such composure. The slight limp was all that betrayed anything at all. He was a truly terrifying figure.
Not to mention anyone else — if it were someone like the Dao Child or the Buddha Child, once locked in Qin Mu's gaze and targeted by that killing intent, neither would dare take a single step. Any movement would expose an opening.
If someone's cultivation surpassed that of the Dao Child and the Buddha Child, when targeted by Qin Mu like this, they would either walk with a pronounced limp or face him directly while slowly retreating.
The reason for the limping was to shift one's body to evade any possible attack from Qin Mu. One could no longer walk in a straight line — one even had to vary the height of one's steps.
That was why Ban Gongcuo's gait looked somewhat strange, as though he was limping. But in truth, he had not exposed a single opening, not given Qin Mu the slightest opportunity.
What was most terrifying was that Ban Gongcuo's limp was only slight — not severe at all — indicating that his attainment and cultivation were extraordinarily high.
Sacrificial Wine Bashan hurried over to Qin Mu, only to find him still gazing at the retreating figure of Ban Gongcuo.
"Sacrificial Wine Bashan, you gave me a thorny assignment."
Qin Mu exhaled a long, turbid breath and looked at Sacrificial Wine Bashan, speaking in a grave tone. "This Ban Gongcuo is the most formidable person I've ever encountered among our generation! Even more formidable than Dao Child Lin Xuan! If he isn't that old monster who has reincarnated eighteen times, then he must be an Overlord Body, just like me!"
Sacrificial Wine Bashan's expression turned sour. "And so you killed two of his envoys?"
Qin Mu was taken aback, stammering, "You never said I couldn't kill anyone. Besides, didn't we kill a bunch of great shamans of the Loulan Golden Palace when we were beyond the frontier? This time I only killed two — that's getting off easy."
Sacrificial Wine Bashan was so angry he laughed. "How can that be the same? Last time I took you and the princess to blockade the gate, I used the identity of the Martial Khan — it had nothing to do with the State of Yankang. This time they were envoys representing the Barbarian Di State! Killing two of the Barbarian Di State's envoys is slapping them across the face — how do you expect them to let it go?"
Qin Mu replied honestly, "You didn't say... They're dead now, and there's no bringing them back."
Sacrificial Wine Bashan's head was about to split. He too exhaled a long breath. "Now you just wait for the Crown Prince to summon you... He's most likely already heard about this by now, and he's definitely in more pain than I am. You're the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult, and you're a man of great merit — he owes his position as Crown Prince to you. He can't beat you, can't scold you... And one more thing!"
His expression grew solemn. "If Ban Gongcuo is truly that old monster, then you need to be careful tonight. That old monster can kill someone through sorcery if he knows their true name! After you've seen the Crown Prince, tonight I'll stay in your room!"
Qin Mu nodded. If a figure even the Butcher had hidden his true name from was now involved, caution was absolutely warranted.
Just as Sacrificial Wine Bashan had predicted, Crown Prince Ling Yuxiu sought out Qin Mu that afternoon. But contrary to Bashan's guess, Ling Yuxiu did not summon Qin Mu to an audience. Instead, he came personally to the Imperial Academy to see Qin Mu.
"Your Highness visits in person — this humble official is deeply honored and humbled." Qin Mu greeted him with a bow.
Ling Yuxiu looked at him and sighed. "I don't see any trace of humility in you. You look perfectly calm, if anything. Cult Master, today's affair has given me a terrible headache — I've thought about it all noon and still can't figure out how to explain it. You always have ideas. Tell me how to handle this."
Qin Mu smiled. "Simple. Your Highness, write a letter to Luan Qian Khan. In it, say that the two envoys of the Barbarian Di State refused to abide by civilized conduct and remained wild and untamed. In the Imperial Academy, this sacred hall of learning, they even dared to draw weapons and attempt to murder the Counselor-at-Large. This Counselor-at-Large is none other than Cult Master Qin of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the foremost demonic sect in Yankang. Cult Master Qin was furious and has already executed those two envoys. Then Your Highness should add that Cult Master Qin's fury is far from appeased, and demand that Luan Qian Khan offer a formal apology — or else the consequences will be dire!"
Ling Yuxiu stared at him, dumbfounded.
After a long moment, he exhaled and sighed. "Fine. Let's write it that way. But if Luan Qian Khan flies into a rage and sends his armies to invade, you'd better be the one leading the charge — with your head held out in front."
Qin Mu's face darkened.
Ling Yuxiu chuckled. "So even the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult has something to fear? Alright, enough about that. Cult Master, I think there's no point in you staying here at the Imperial Academy. There are three to five hundred foreign envoys in the academy — what if you get the urge and kill a few more someday? Do you expect me, as the regent, to keep functioning? Writing letters of apology to every foreign monarch would keep me busy all day."
Qin Mu said sourly, "It's not like I kill people all the time. Besides, there were reasons."
Ling Yuxiu smiled. "You're a Divine Ability practitioner now, and your skills are formidable. Father previously appointed you as Counselor-at-Large — it was only an empty title, a name on a roster with no real power. How about this: I'll give you a proper post. Father and the Imperial Preceptor have awakened. In a few days, I won't need to manage state affairs anymore and will certainly head out to oversee disaster relief. You'll come with me. This trip will require some officials from the Ministry of Works and several scholars from the Imperial Academy."
He truly didn't trust Qin Mu. Leaving him here would likely cause nothing but more trouble. Better to keep him close at hand.
Qin Mu considered it. There was indeed nothing for him to do at the Imperial Academy — he couldn't fight, couldn't kill, the restrictions were endless. He might as well travel with the Crown Prince.
Ling Yuxiu walked alongside him, then suddenly asked, "I heard my sister slept here last night?"
Qin Mu shuddered and replied gravely, "Your Highness, that is absolutely untrue! Do not listen to slanderous tongues — it would ruin both the princess's and my reputation!"
Ling Yuxiu studied his face, and seeing that his expression didn't appear to be an act, relaxed slightly. He let out a breath and said, "I believe you. Fine — the matter of the envoys, I'll smooth it over for you. I'll swallow my pride and write a letter to Luan Qian Khan. Prepare yourself. In a few days, you'll leave the capital with me."
Qin Mu watched him depart. Sacrificial Wine Bashan sidled up and whispered, "I just overheard the Crown Prince say that the Sixth Princess Ling Yuxiu slept here last night! By the way, I did see the Sixth Princess walking down the hill with two maids carrying lanterns this morning. Did you two actually...?"
Qin Mu's head began to ache. He replied flatly, "Absolutely not! Senior Brother, the reason Grandpa Butcher runs away every time he sees you is because your mouth is too big — you're afraid of a proper reunion between master and disciple. Rein yourself in and stop believing every rumor you hear!"
Sacrificial Wine Bashan stammered, "I was just curious, that's all. Don't worry, my lips are sealed. I'm not like the Duke of Wei, that shameless loudmouth who blabs to everyone... If Ban Gongcuo really is that old monster, you'll be in danger tonight. Let's share a room — I can keep watch. When you sleep tonight, stay sharp. Don't sleep too deeply."
That night.
Sacrificial Wine Bashan snored like thunder from the floor mat while Qin Mu lay in bed. The vibrations from the snoring rattled the bed frame and left Qin Mu's whole body numb. He didn't sleep a wink.
Nothing unusual happened throughout the night. Not until the fourth watch of the night, when a sudden gust of cold yin wind blew through and flung open both window shutters.