Chapter 105: Lizhou Prefect

A master from the Corpse Immortal Cult! They’re stronger than He Yin, that divine abilities practitioner from earlier, at least one realm above him. Qin Mu was deeply shaken. These corpse beetles must be raised by a master from the Corpse Immortal Cult. Their ability to remotely control so many beetles at once, using them to command countless skeletons from the mass graves and various wild beasts, showed an incredibly profound cultivation. This was far more challenging than manipulating flying zombies.

The corpse beetles entered the skeletons and wild beasts, causing strange transformations. The bones of the skeletons glowed red, and the wild beasts became red-furred beast corpses, all pursuing Qin Mu relentlessly. This technique far surpassed anything He Yin could do.

"He’s manipulating these skeletons and beasts with the corpse beetles, not to kill me, but to delay me!" Qin Mu channeled his vital qi to control his sword. The Young Protector Sword shot out, performing the Cloud Sword Style. The sword spun continuously around him, creating one ring after another. As he sprinted forward, the Young Protector Sword sliced relentlessly, pulverizing the skeletons and red-furred beast corpses that attacked him from all sides.

However, each time a skeleton shattered or a red-furred beast corpse was sliced apart, red corpse beetles flew out of their remains, either burrowing into the ground or flying towards the distant forest. More skeletons continued to emerge from the earth, and more red-furred beast corpses charged from the woods.

Qin Mu's scalp tingled. The beast corpses and skeletons continued to impede his progress, and the master tracking him would undoubtedly catch up soon.

Just then, Fox Spirit awoke. Seeing the situation, she quickly cast a spell, summoning a demonic wind. The wind intensified, transforming into a tornado that swept the red-furred beast corpses and skeletons blocking their path into its vortex.

Qin Mu's pressure eased considerably, and his speed surged as he sprinted forward.

At that moment, a red corpse beetle flew over, landed on Qin Mu's satchel, and attempted to burrow into Fox Spirit's mouth and nose. Fox Spirit shrieked, quickly leaping from the satchel to Qin Mu's shoulder. More beetles buzzed towards them; clearly, the Corpse Immortal Cult master tracking them had noticed Fox Spirit's wind manipulation and was now targeting her with corpse beetles, intending to turn her into a red-furred beast corpse.

"Sunlight Refining Yang Soul in the Air!" Qin Mu's vital qi transformed, burning fiercely. He pressed a seal into the air, and his Vermillion Bird vital qi manifested as a blazing sun, radiating brilliant light. The corpse beetles shrieked, wisps of green smoke rose from their bodies, and they fell motionless to the ground.

"The Eight Forms of Thunder Sound are effective; they can destroy the souls within the corpse beetles!" Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted. As he ran, he continuously performed Sunlight Refining Yang Soul in the Air. The charging beast corpses and skeletons, illuminated by the blazing sun, began to emit wisps of green smoke from within. The skeletons clattered to the ground, and the beast corpses collapsed.

However, the skeletons and beast corpses didn't block his path anymore. Instead, they ran alongside him. As they sprinted, several skeletons suddenly reached out, tore off their own ribs, and hurled them at Qin Mu like curved blades!

Hundreds of ribs whistled through the air, a dense, spinning swarm, tracing arcs. Even if they missed, they returned to the skeletons' hands. Qin Mu groaned in frustration. He had no choice but to use the Cloud Sword Style again to parry the rib-blades that could strike from any direction, and his speed was once more curtailed.

The Corpse Immortal Cult's attack methods were truly bizarre: flying corpses, yellow paper talismans, corpse beetles, skeletons, red-furred beast corpses, and even skeletons disassembling their own bones to use as throwing knives. Their tactics were endlessly strange.

Suddenly, Qin Mu spotted farmland ahead, where farmers were tilling. It was the spring harvest season, and many had risen early to harvest their crops.

"Quick, get out of the way!" Qin Mu waved his hand, shouting loudly, "Everyone, quickly get out of the way!" The farmers looked up, startled. Skeletons and red-furred beast corpses surged towards them like a tide, a truly terrifying sight. They quickly dropped their sickles and fled in a panic. However, their speed was far inferior to Qin Mu's and the red-furred beast corpses; at this rate, they would surely be caught.

Qin Mu quickly changed direction to avoid them, but the rice paddies bordered a main road, which also had travelers. Leading the group was a carriage, flanked by guards on tall horses. A woman's voice drifted from within the carriage, asking, "What is all that commotion outside?"

A guard on horseback bowed. "Reporting, Milady," he said, "there's a swarm of skeletons chasing a young man in fine clothes. The young man, concerned about the farmers in the fields, led the skeletons onto the main road. There are also some red-furred beast corpses, very strange in appearance; they seem to be controlled by corpse beetles, likely from the Corpse Immortal Cult of Xiangxi."

"Now that the world is newly settled, it seems there are always some demons and monsters causing trouble for the common folk."

The woman in the carriage instructed, "Guard Shi, go eliminate the skeletons and red-furred beast corpses. Ensure they don't harm the common people."

"Yes, Milady."

Guard Shi did not dismount. Instead, he produced a silver sword pellet and flicked it. The pellet flew into the air, spinning rapidly, and with each rotation, a dazzling beam of sword light shot forth. The sword pellet spun incredibly fast, and beams of sword light rained down. As Qin Mu ran, he heard rattling sounds all around him as the running skeletons shattered one after another, turning into dust.

The red-furred beast corpses were also decapitated. In less than a single breath, the hundreds of skeletons and red-furred beast corpses that had been chasing him were completely eradicated. Red corpse beetles flew out from the skeletons and beast corpses, but they were annihilated by the sword light before they could even take flight.

"An orthodox sword technique!" Qin Mu quickly stopped and looked at the carriage. The guard by the carriage was wielding an orthodox sword technique, a dignified and upright style he had seen before from the Lijiang Sword Sect.

This sword technique involves refining many swords into a single sword pellet, which is incredibly powerful in combat and can even form a sword array. Naturally, only true masters can wield sword pellets, as they are incredibly heavy; anyone capable of making one levitate with vital qi must possess immense cultivation. Given the prowess of this guard, the person inside the carriage must be truly remarkable.

In the distance, Uncle Qiao, who had been rushing, suddenly felt all his corpse beetles perish instantly. Startled, he didn't approach, but instead stood on a treetop to observe. "The Lizhou Prefecture Vice-Magistrate's carriage!" His face paled, and he quickly turned to leave. "The Lizhou Prefecture Vice-Magistrate is a formidable opponent," he muttered. "I'm no match for her. I'll retreat first and regroup!" He instantly vanished, disappearing without a trace.

Guard Shi, still on horseback, reported to the carriage, "Milady, the Corpse Immortal Cult has retreated."

The woman in the carriage instructed, "Summon that young man over."

"Yes."

Guard Shi dismounted and bowed. "Young master," he said, "my lady requests your presence." Qin Mu approached the carriage. The curtain was drawn back, revealing the profile of a beautiful woman with powdered makeup and red lips. The woman turned to face him, observing his fine clothing and assuming he was from a prominent family. "Young master," she asked, "where are you from?"

Qin Mu responded calmly, neither humble nor arrogant, "I am from Dijiang County Town."

The woman asked, "Has Dijiang County Town fallen, occupied by the Corpse Immortal Cult?"

Qin Mu nodded and praised, "Sister, you're so smart."

"Sister? I've been the Vice-Magistrate of Lizhou Prefecture for so many years, and this is the first time anyone has called me that."

The woman gave a wry smile, then called Guard Shi. "Go," she instructed, "and order Huyang, Yukang, and the other counties to prepare troops for Dijiang." Guard Shi acknowledged and departed at once.

The woman looked at Qin Mu. "The Xiangxi Corpse Immortal Cult has occupied Dijiang County Town," she said. "I fear most of its residents have met a terrible fate, so your escape is truly exceptional. Your luxurious clothing suggests you come from a prominent family. What are your plans?" Her gaze was filled with pity, as she clearly assumed that with Dijiang County Town under the Corpse Immortal Cult's control, no one could have survived. Since Qin Mu hailed from there, his family, too, must have perished, never to emerge alive. This was why she inquired about Qin Mu's intentions.

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I plan to travel to the capital."

The woman nodded. "Going to the capital is a good idea," she said. "My Lizhou Prefecture is about to dispatch troops to Dijiang County, and with the ensuing chaos, bandits are sure to emerge. This is no place to settle down. Do you have a travel permit for your journey to the capital?"

Qin Mu looked bewildered and shook his head.

The woman mused for a moment. "I am Yu Yuan Chuyu, the Vice-Magistrate of Lizhou Prefecture," she said. "The rebellion in Dijiang County, under my jurisdiction, is my responsibility. It's understandable that you fled Dijiang County Town in a hurry without a travel permit. It's likely the Dijiang County Magistrate also perished in the rebellion. Guard Qu, prepare pen and ink for a document."

A guard beside her acknowledged, quickly retrieved writing implements, and presented them in the carriage. The woman picked up the brush and wrote a few lines on the document in elegant script. Then she asked, "What is your name?"

Qin Mu quickly stated his name.

Vice-Magistrate Yu Yuan Chuyu wrote "Qin Mu, citizen of Lizhou Prefecture" and other details, then affixed her official seal. Once the ink dried, she had the document delivered from the carriage to Qin Mu.

"This is your travel permit, a clearance document for your journey. With this, you can enter any major city you pass through, and no one will trouble you." Vice-Magistrate Yu Yuan Chuyu lowered the carriage curtain, her voice drifting from within: "You needn't cling to your home. There's nothing left in Dijiang County worth lingering over. Go to the capital immediately. My elder brother, Yu Yuan Chuyun, holds office there. When you arrive, tell him I recommended you. I hope we will meet again in the future."

"Thank you, Sister!" Qin Mu bowed and quickly made his way along the main road.

Yu Yuan Chuyu sighed. "Poor child," she murmured, "to have lost his family and home at such a young age. I fear he is the only one who survived in Dijiang County..."

"This Sister Chuyu is truly kind." Qin Mu carefully tucked away the travel permit, thinking, "If I'm questioned on my way to the capital, I can now say I'm from Lizhou Prefecture and won't be recognized as being from the Great Ruins. I haven't slept all night; perhaps I should rest in Huyang County."