**Chapter 97: Song Beneath the Waters**
The River-Bearing Beast drifted downstream for another seven or eight hundred miles. Qin Mu spotted a village built beside a temple on the riverbank and paused, noticing a small girl with three braids sitting atop the temple's plaque.
He immediately had the beast halt near the shore, leaving the white fox behind as he stepped onto land.
The village appeared prosperous, its people living contented lives. Several old women were heading to the temple to burn incense, offerings of half a pig in their hands. Qin Mu approached the temple entrance. The little girl spotted him and quickly jumped down, darting inside.
"Wu Nu, I see you. There's no need to hide from me," Qin Mu called with a smile.
The girl emerged from the temple, grinning. "I wasn't hiding from you! I was waiting for you to enter and burn incense, then say something about being weak since childhood or having kidney deficiency, so I could mock you!"
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked around. The temple was spotlessly clean, not a speck of dust, with only the incense burner in the courtyard still releasing fragrant smoke. He walked to the statue inside and found it depicted a small girl, resembling the immortal form Wu Nu had taken.
Qin Mu circled behind the statue, and finding no bones, felt relieved. He stepped back outside. "Why do you live here?"
Wu Nu replied proudly, "I'm earning merit! This village is under my protection. The villagers offer me worship, and I drive away beasts for them. Sometimes I move river water to irrigate their fields or make it rain. When there's too much rain, I disperse the clouds. When there's no wind, I create a breeze. When storms come, I drive them away. I used to wander around catching people and beasts to eat, until the old bald monk caught and suppressed me. Now I'm a deity in my own temple, with worshippers and merit to earn!"
Qin Mu laughed. "Weren't you heading upstream? How did you end up here?"
"That day when we broke the ice dam together, I wandered about and encountered monks from the Small Thunderclap Monastery. We fought, but I couldn't beat them and fled. I ended up here, hiding in this temple. Just then, mountain bandits invaded, and I ate them. The villagers saw me and assumed the temple deity had manifested, so they brought cattle and sheep and burned incense for me. I felt awkward accepting their offerings without doing anything, so I started helping them."
Wu Nu hopped back onto the plaque, swinging her feet. "They treated me even better, and I felt even more obligated, so I stayed."
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "Good deeds done without intention are the truest kindness. You're becoming a Buddha!" With that, he turned to leave.
Wu Nu watched him go, murmuring softly, "I don't want to become a monk. Eating nothing but vegetables every day would be so boring..."
Qin Mu returned to the River-Bearing Beast's back. The great blue-backed creature glided out of the shallows, its speed gradually increasing as it headed downstream. Qin Mu glanced back at the ancient temple where the small girl's braids swayed gently as she received the villagers' incense and offerings.
The Yong River churned onward, waves rolling.
Upon reaching the docks of Xianglong City, Qin Mu and Hu Ling'er disembarked and entered the city. The city had already fallen under the Heavenly Devil Cult's control. Even though Grandma Si hadn't appeared as Fu Yundi these past days, nothing unusual had occurred. After all, Fu Yundi was known for his frequent secluded cultivation.
Qin Mu went to the inn and summoned the innkeeper. "Fragrance Master, is there a way to bypass the Viewing Mirrors and enter the State of Yankang?"
The innkeeper replied, "There are two passes near here leading into Yankang: Yanbian Pass and Mishui Pass. Both are heavily garrisoned with Viewing Mirrors mounted on their towers. Any abandoned citizens of the Great Ruins will be detected and either shot or sent to the mines as slaves. Crossing the mountains is even more dangerous. The Great Ruins and Yankang are connected by the Divine Severance Mountains, which are naturally treacherous and difficult even for birds to cross. To prevent uprisings from the Ruins, Yankang has stationed Mystic Crossbows along those peaks. Anyone attempting to cross will be killed."
Qin Mu frowned. "Is there no way to enter Yankang?"
The innkeeper smiled. "For others, perhaps not, but our Holy Cult has its methods. Before trade opened, our cult secretly disabled some of the Mystic Crossbows on the Divine Severance Mountains to smuggle goods through the Desolate Ridge Gorge into the Great Ruins. Now that trade is open, that route has been abandoned since entering Yankang has become easier. If Young Master wishes to enter Yankang, you can take Mishui Pass. Many of its guards are our people."
Qin Mu felt a stir of surprise. The Heavenly Devil Cult's influence was truly vast, worthy of being the foremost demonic sect.
He considered for a moment. "Prepare geographical maps of Yankang for me to study on the road. I want to familiarize myself with Yankang's terrain."
"Yes, sir."
The innkeeper withdrew. After dinner, Qin Mu and Hu Ling'er bathed and retired for the night. The next morning, the innkeeper returned with thick documents—maps of the entire State of Yankang and detailed charts of its prefectures and counties. Qin Mu packed them into his bundle. "Who will guide me to Mishui Pass?"
The innkeeper smiled reassuringly. "Young Master, rest easy. Meals are prepared. Please eat, and when you reach the riverbank, our brothers will guide you."
After breakfast, Qin Mu and Hu Ling'er arrived at the Yong River to find a tower ship docked. A young woman in blue robes stood aboard and bowed gracefully. "This humble one greets Young Master. Please board."
"No need for such formality."
Qin Mu brought Hu Ling'er aboard and addressed the young woman. "Sister, can you help me enter the city and bypass the Viewing Mirrors?"
She laughed lightly. "This one cannot fool the Viewing Mirrors herself. However, I am Feng Xiuyun, Thousand-Household Commander of Mishui Pass, responsible for inspecting all who enter or exit. I can naturally escort Young Master in and out of the city."
Qin Mu was surprised. The girl looked quite young, yet she already held such a significant border command. "Thank you, Sister Feng."
Below the tower ship, a massive beast surfaced and pulled them downstream. After traveling an unknown distance, the river widened and fog began to gather.
As the tower ship entered the mist, the beast pulling it grew restless, slowing down as if something beneath the water frightened it.
Feng Xiuyun frowned. "Why is this creature suddenly being temperamental? It doesn't want to pull the ship anymore."
Hu Ling'er also tensed suddenly. "Young Master, I sense something approaching. A very cold presence..."
At that moment, Qin Mu felt as if something was watching him. The fish dragon behind his back leaped up, spitting out half of the Shao Bao Sword.
Feng Xiuyun's expression grew grave. She moved to shield Qin Mu. Suddenly, bubbles rose from the water below, growing more numerous as the fog thickened.
Yet apart from this, nothing else seemed amiss.
Qin Mu steadied himself. The river was so vast that the thickening white fog obscured their direction. The little fox attempted to use her magic to command the demon wind, but it proved useless—the fog wouldn't budge.
Feng Xiuyun drew a fan and shook it open. It instantly grew to over six feet tall. The young woman swung it forward, summoning a gale far stronger than the demon wind. Yet even this couldn't move the white fog.
The placid current carried the tower ship downstream. The great beast had hidden beneath the vessel, trembling and refusing to emerge, leaving them at the mercy of the flowing water.
Feng Xiuyun grew increasingly tense. Just then, a song drifted from the water—gentle and melodious, like a mother's lullaby, possessing only melody without words.
Qin Mu froze. The tune seemed strangely familiar.
"I've heard this melody before!"
He stood and looked down, seeing a woman in white with long hair drifting alongside the tower ship beneath the surface.
As the ship moved forward, the woman in the water followed like a shadow. The song seemed to emanate from her lips.
"I've definitely heard this before, but the song Grandma Si used to sing wasn't this one..."
The melody stirred something in Qin Mu's heart—a mix of warmth and confusion, as if buried memories were struggling to surface.
He suddenly leaped from the tower ship, landing on the water's surface. Feng Xiuyun reached for him but missed. Hu Ling'er jumped after him, and upon seeing the woman in the water, her fur stood on end. She scrambled after him across the surface, her small paws sending ripples across the water.
"Young Master, slow down! I'm scared..."
The song continued, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't catch the woman.
Qin Mu's thoughts grew more chaotic. Just as he was about to return to the ship, he felt the jade pendant at his chest lift gently.
He stopped, staring at the woman's face in the water.
She also stopped, as if it wasn't Qin Mu pursuing her, but her pursuing him.
Splash.
The youth from the Village of Broken Elders knelt upon the water, his trembling hand reaching out to touch her face. Tears slid from his eyes, dropping onto the calm river surface.
"Is it you? Did you send me to the Village of Broken Elders?"