Although dragon coins were not large in size, thirty-six hundred of them was no small amount—over ten jin combined. Qin Mu casually hung the coin pouch on the hilt of his pig-slaughtering blade behind his back, silently praising: "This plump Seventh Young Master is indeed generous."
The Seventh Young Master's eyes lit up, falling on the blade behind Qin Mu's back. He smiled and said, "If you're willing to sell that blade of yours, I can offer you an even better price!"
Qin Mu shook his head. "My blade is far better than any clay jar. Not for sale."
"Fair enough. Your blade's materials alone surpass those clay jars."
The Seventh Young Master handed the clay jars to a retainer beside him and said with a smile, "These clay jars were forged by a cultivator at the Six Harmonies realm—thirty-six spirit weapons in total, called the Thirty-Six Celestial Star Jars. They can form the Celestial Marshal Demon Refining Formation. A bit worn, but still quite powerful. I have no use for them myself; I just plan to bring them out of the Great Ruins and sell them to nobles for a handsome profit. I've seen the Thirty-Six Celestial Star Jars before, so I recognized them. Your eye is remarkable—have you seen them before as well?"
Behind him, a retainer coughed and said, "Seventh Young Master, traveling in plain clothes is not safe."
The Seventh Young Master said unhappily, "You're all far too overbearing. There's no fun in coming out to play!" With that, he shook his head and left.
Qin Mu knew that he was close to Qin Feiyue, who treated him with great respect. His status must be extraordinary, and it was only natural that his retainers would prevent him from taking risks.
As Qin Mu was about to leave, the stall owner who had just sold him the jars suddenly grabbed the hem of his robe and shouted, "Don't you leave! Those jars are worth over three thousand dragon coins, and you tried to buy them for just one! You have to compensate me!" He then lunged toward the coin pouch behind Qin Mu.
Qin Mu frowned. Suddenly, every hair on his body stood on end—a sense of danger descended. A figure in the alley closed in on him at tremendous speed, flipping a sleeve to reveal a strange weapon sliding out from within. It looked like two curved blades joined together, bent at both ends and razor-sharp.
The attacker's palm faced downward, yet the strange weapon did not fall from beneath his hand. Instead, it whirled with a howling sound and slashed toward Qin Mu's neck!
Qin Mu's vital energy surged into both feet, and his body shifted backward in a flat glide. The stall owner was just reaching for the coin pouch, but Qin Mu had already retreated a full zhang away.
Blade-light flashed as the attacker shadowed Qin Mu's every move, staying close. His palm hovered over the strange blade, guiding it up and down. Qin Mu caught a quick glimpse—a thin thread connected his palm to the weapon. The weapon had curved blades on both sides with a handle in the middle, and the thread was tied to that handle.
"Condensing qi into threads, controlling a blade with energy? He's a martial artist!"
The swordsman's technique was bizarre. His footwork was slippery as an eel, weaving back and forth. His blade work centered on slashing cuts—in the narrow alley, it was devastatingly sharp. Bright blade-light swept downward in arcs, the force behind each strike no less powerful.
At the same time, Qin Mu saw the other figures in the alley rising to their feet, eager to join the fray.
Clearly, the bag of dragon coins had ignited their greed.
Over three thousand dragon coins was an enormous fortune—enough to drive men to murder.
"Quick battle, quick finish!"
Qin Mu suddenly halted. Prolific vital energy flooded both fists. His feet shifted, energy flowed through both arms and gathered at his fingertips. Clenching his fingers into fists, at the very instant his fist was about to collide with the martial artist's strange blade, his fingers suddenly shot out from the fist like arrows from a powerful bow.
The second form of the Eight Thunder Sound Strikes—Sending Thunder through the Pipa Hand!
*Clang!*
His first finger struck, its force whistling through the air and flicking the rapidly spinning blade aside. His second finger broke the qi-thread in the martial artist's hand.
Qin Mu's third finger struck the martial artist's palm. The man grunted as his palm was torn open, flesh mangled into a gaping wound.
Each of Qin Mu's fingers carried tremendous vital energy. Although his qi could not unleash the destructive power of White Tiger energy, its sheer density was extraordinary, and the physical strength it granted was staggering. Three finger strikes dismantled the martial artist's offense, then Qin Mu clenched his fingers back into a fist and drove it into the man's chest.
The martial artist's body bent from the force, his feet leaving the ground as he hurtled backward.
Carrying the Spring Thunder Alone to the Eastern Sea!
Qin Mu's feet surged with power. Before the martial artist could hit the ground, Qin Mu was already upon him. Terror filled the man's eyes, but he was midair—defenseless.
At that moment, two martial artists on either side of the alley saw Qin Mu close in and, their eyes gleaming, burst from their positions without hesitation, attacking from both flanks!
*Bam!*
*Bam! Bam!*
Before those two martial artists could even launch their first moves, Qin Mu's fists loomed larger before their eyes. They were struck as though a wild dragon had rammed their faces—their heads snapped backward, skulls embedding into the walls, bodies from the neck down hanging against the surface!
Spider-web cracks spread across the walls from the impact.
The martial artist already struck in the chest now took another devastating blow—Qin Mu's second punch was even fiercer than the first. His feet never touched the ground as he was sent flying backward at greater speed!
Shadows flickered throughout the alley, followed by a series of thunderous booms. The Seventh Young Master and his few cultivator retainers had not yet exited the alley when the sounds from behind made them stop and turn around. Shock was evident on their faces.
That martial artist was sent flying for the third time, crashing toward the Seventh Young Master. The cultivators frowned and were about to act when the Seventh Young Master laughed, "No need. We'll simply dodge."
The group sidestepped. They saw Qin Mu clinging to the martial artist's back like a whirlwind, his fists and palms alternating between hard and soft, close-range and long-range, striking like lightning. His final punch sent the martial artist out of the alley with a thunderous crash into the opposite wall.
The wall broke where the man's body struck. He was stuck in the wall, arms and legs dangling limply, unable to move.
Behind Qin Mu, over a dozen martial artists were embedded headfirst in the walls, bodies hanging against the surfaces, limbs flailing as they struggled in vain to free themselves.
"Extraordinary skill!"
The cultivators praised without restraint. One murmured, "Young Master, this one moves like surging tidal waves splitting the sky—he's using an extremely powerful combat technique. The punches and kicks he just delivered, if they could break through their limits, would be nothing short of supernatural power!"
The Seventh Young Master asked in surprise, "He uses combat techniques?"
"Top-tier combat techniques at that!"
The Seventh Young Master nodded lightly. "I've heard the old stories. When the Imperial Preceptor once debated with the strongest practitioners of the combat arts lineage, he slaughtered countless titans of martial combat. From then on, combat techniques could never stand alongside supernatural arts and were branded heresy. Many heretics fled into the Great Ruins—could he be the disciple of one of them..."
Another retainer whispered, "Xianglong City is not Yan Kang. The population here is a mix of the desperate and the dangerous—many are fugitives with nowhere left to turn. We must be cautious. Behind this youth, there are likely remnants of those old factions. Young Master, we should see the General as soon as possible."
Qin Mu had not shown lethal intent. He had restrained the majority of his strength when fighting, but beating over a dozen martial artists into the walls was terrifying enough. To him, of course, this was nothing. Back in the village, he sparred with Grandpa Ma and the others at full power. Outside the village, he fought the Demon Ape and the Fox Spirit Lass with everything he had.
"Carrying this many dragon coins is hardly safe. I might as well buy some things, then send the rest back to the inn for Grandma Si."
The youth did not dwell on the matter. Along the way, he purchased bolts of fine silk and had them delivered to the inn—he wanted to prepare new clothes for Grandpa Ma, the Village Chief, and the others.
Qin Mu also bought a few curiosities to give to Grandpa Ma and The Cripple before heading back to the inn. To his surprise, Grandma Si was not in her room, having gone out at some unknown time.
The Blind One was also nowhere to be seen.
"Since I'm here, I might as well see the sights."
Qin Mu took out around a hundred dragon coins, hid the rest securely, and left the inn to wander. The nighttime bustle of Xianglong City was truly a spectacle—martial arts duels, arena challenges, opera performances, lion and dragon dances, even vendettas being settled.
His eyes feasted on the sights. Without realizing it, he had wandered to the heart of Xianglong City, where the architecture was grander and more imposing. Many were ancient structures—likely left by the people who lived before the darkness enveloped the Great Ruins. Temples and shrines of remarkable majesty.
Qin Mu activated his Divine Sky Eye and gazed at the ancient buildings, marveling at what he saw. The divine statues that appeared ordinary to others shone with blinding radiance in his eyes—they were the images of gods themselves!
He studied them one by one, harboring neither fear nor irreverence toward these deities, simply admiring the divine craftsmanship of the sculptors.
Xianglong City was built upon a vast set of ruins. The stone statues here had been carved by the gods and demons of an age long past. In their sculpting techniques, Qin Mu could perceive a mastery as fluid as flowing clouds and running water—a work of supernatural craftsmanship that made him feel as though he were witnessing a series of breathtaking supernatural arts.
"From these stone statues, one could perhaps comprehend quite a few cultivation techniques."
Qin Mu marveled. Suddenly, a middle-aged man approached with a smile. "Country lad, want to make some coin? I've got a way for you. The City Lord's Manor is hiring fighters for arena matches—win just one bout and you'll receive a hundred dragon coins!"
Qin Mu shook his head.
The middle-aged man went to find someone else and found a youth, who followed him excitedly into the City Lord's Manor.
"Arena matches in the City Lord's Manor? What is the City Lord of Xianglong after?" Qin Mu wondered.
At that moment, a booming voice thundered with laughter: "Ever since the Heavenly Demon Cult Master Li Tianxing perished, the Cult Master's Wife has been as elusive as a dragon that shows only its head, vanishing without a trace. To think the Wife would grace our Xianglong City with her presence. Your arrival brings great honor to our city!"
The voice was incredibly powerful—clearly from someone with profound cultivation. Qin Mu's eardrums buzzed from the force, and several pedestrians on the street were knocked unconscious by the sheer volume!
Qin Mu was startled. "The Cult Master's Wife? Could it be Grandma Si?"
"The City Lord is too kind." A voice of extraordinary beauty rang out, intoxicating beyond measure.
Hearing this voice, Qin Mu felt his mouth go dry, as though countless inner demons were leaping from the depths of his heart, singing and dancing.
On the street, who knew how many pedestrians suddenly staggered as though drunk—dancing, laughing hysterically, their faces twisted in madness.
After a moment, they returned to normal, looking at one another in bewilderment, unsure of what had just happened.