Chapter 312: Town Star Lord

Qin Mu's thoughts were a tangled mess.

Qin Hanzhen, Qin Fengqing?

The family tree he found in the study recorded figures from the Kaihuang lineage. The last page of this family tree stated: "107th generation: son of Hanzhen, Fengqing."

Qin Fengqing was the son of Qin Hanzhen.

What did the strange being, swimming down from the tree, mean by her words?

Who was she calling Qin Hanzhen?

And who was the Qin Fengqing she spoke of?

Qin Mu's body trembled, his face completely drained of color. He was Qin Fengqing, and the man in the tree was Qin Hanzhen!

The last person mentioned in the Kaihuang Qin family tree was him, and this man in the tree was his father!

Was this person, integrated with the ancient tree, truly his father? The loved one he had longed for day and night?

His closest kin!

Why had he become like this?

Qin Mu repeatedly told himself to stay calm. Grandpa Ma had once told him that no matter what he faced, he must remain unfazed, as if the sky were falling. As long as he retained his rationality, even in the face of world-ending catastrophe or certain death, he could find a glimmer of hope.

Cripple also used to tell him to always maintain a smile and stay optimistic. This wasn't just to deceive enemies, but also to keep his own mind bright. Even if he lost a leg, he should show the most honest smile, only then would he have a chance to escape.

Grandma Si had also told him that even if he harbored darkness and demons within, he had to be strong. If he lost control, everything would be over.

But now, Qin Mu, even knowing the danger was imminent, could not calm himself.

His father, a beloved relative he had never met, had become like this. He couldn't do what Grandpa Ma, Grandma Si, and Cripple had told him.

Qin Mu struggled to calm his mind, trying not to think about the man in the tree or worry about him, and to suppress the trembling of his body.

Suddenly, he felt a pain in his palms. Unconsciously, he had clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh. Blood dripped down his lifelines.

Qin Mu looked up at the mysterious being swimming down the tree.

The being swimming down from the tree was half-snake, half-human, with an enormous body. Although its lower half was serpentine, it had no scales. Its upper half was that of a beautiful and enchanting woman, yet the voice it emitted was that of a man.

As it moved, mucus dripped continuously, much like when Qin Mu transformed into his Suppressing Star Lord form. However, its Suppressing Star Lord form was more primitive.

Behind its neck were fleshy membranes that opened like two unfolded fans inserted on either side of its neck, rising above its head. They constantly vibrated to produce sound.

It seemed unable to speak with its mouth, instead relying on the vibrating membranes behind its neck, resulting in a very strange and obscure sound.

The fleshy membranes must have been its vocal cords. At their tips were bone spurs over two feet long, like javelins. When opened, two black, eye-shaped patterns appeared on the membranes, looking like two eerie eyes staring at you.

To Qin Mu's knowledge, there were two types of Suppressing Star Lord forms: one was a pure Suppressing Star Lord form, without the Gate of Bearing Heaven and the scriptures in hand; the other was like Qin Mu's, with the Gate of Bearing Heaven behind him and scriptures held in his hands.

However, the form of this strange creature before him was even more primitive. It didn't seem cultivated but rather born that way.

This was a creature from Youdu, possibly even a deity!

She was not the same entity as the owner of the two eyes located two hundred and sixty-four zhang apart.

"You and I made a pact, Qin Hanzhen."

It swam down to the base of the tree, coiling beside the ancient trunk. Its charming and alluring face leaned against the man in the tree's face, rubbing intimately. The membranes behind its head vibrated, emitting sound, and it chuckled, "You and I made a pact with Earth Lord. Once you found your son named Fengqing, you would abandon everything and come with me to Youdu, revealing the location of Wuyou Township. Now, you have found your son, and your wish is fulfilled. It's time to honor your promise."

The man in the tree remained motionless, his gaze still fixed on Qin Mu. His body had turned to wood, and his eyes could no longer clearly see the person in front of him. Tears fell from those semi-petrified eyes.

The strange creature's long body coiled around the ancient tree for more than a full revolution, then moved away from the man in the tree, swimming leisurely. Its voice drifted erratically through the branches: "Years ago, you trespassed into the Youdu world, shattering the sealed barrier. You were on the verge of death and merged with this divine tree, clinging to life, all just to see your son once more. That's why you did everything to preserve your life. I came here and have been with you ever since. You promised me that once you saw your son, you would abandon everything—your life, Wuyou Township, everything. You offered to sacrifice your soul to Earth Lord and reveal Wuyou Township's location. I agreed, and I spared your life."

Its face suddenly dropped from the divine tree, coming to rest before Qin Mu. Its massive body slowly rotated, coiling around Qin Mu once. The fleshy membranes vibrated, emitting a strange laugh: "Could it be that now, after seeing your son, you wish to go back on your word? Do you want to watch your son die before your eyes? Hehehe, what delicious flesh, such a young life. He's only sixteen, isn't he? He must be tender and juicy to eat..."

Cold sweat broke out on Qin Mu's forehead. He suddenly activated the Three Elemental Spirit Body Technique and circulated the Suppressing Star Lord Earth Marquis True Scripture, transforming into his Suppressing Star Lord form. His voice hoarse, he said, "Esteemed senior, I am also..."

"You're also in Suppressing Star Lord form?"

The strange Youdu creature suddenly unfurled its serpentine body, gliding away from Qin Mu with a whoosh and settling on the ground, its long serpentine tail still coiled around the tree, not fully descended.

It looked down from its height at the tiny youth before it, a playful smile on its face: "Poor little thing, how laughable, how childish are these small tricks you play before me. Don't you know? The Suppressing Star Lord form is actually an imitation of me. I am..."

"The Suppressing Star Lord!"

It leaned down close to Qin Mu's face, wanting to see panic, unease, and the despair remaining after all beliefs shattered, reflected in the youth's expression.

Qin Mu struggled to stay calm, but it still detected the profound fear emanating from his heart.

The Suppressing Star Lord raised its head, satisfied, and chuckled, "What an interesting little person, trying so hard to act like an adult, yet appearing ignorant and adorable. Didn't you speak a phrase of Youdu language when you boarded the ship? You only know that one phrase of Youdu language, right? That phrase was 'Gate of Bearing Heaven.' You didn't truly believe that upon hearing it, I would retreat and let you board, did you?"

Qin Mu suppressed the trembling in his body. Before a deity like the Suppressing Star Lord, all his stratagems were utterly useless!

Indeed, as it said, he had always tried to act like an adult, to be an adult who could bear all responsibilities. He learned how the villagers behaved and how they did things, yet fundamentally, he was still a big boy.

Before the Suppressing Star Lord, his efforts, his learning, his maturity, seemed utterly ridiculous.

"Seeing how hard you try to act like an adult, I won't make things difficult for you."

The Suppressing Star Lord returned to the tree, its serpentine tail coiling around the divine tree like a woman embracing her beloved man. The fleshy membranes behind its head opened and vibrated, and it chuckled, "Qin Hanzhen, you and your son should rightfully be joyful at your reunion, so why do I sense such sadness from you? Ah, yes, because from now on, you two will be separated forever, one living, one dying. Hehehe, you really don't have to be like this..."

It swam to the man in the tree, looking up at him, its body twisting like a snake as it glided past him. It said leisurely, "Reveal the location of Wuyou Township, and then your child, your family, and your clansmen can all come to Youdu to keep you company. How interesting, these pitiful humans who dare to bargain with a god, thinking they can gain an advantage, unaware that they will lose everything, losing it all completely! And the stake I used in this bargain was merely your life."

It came to the man in the tree's right side and couldn't help but laugh, a very happy laugh. Its face pressed close to the man's ear, it whispered, "I traded your life for the lives of everyone in Wuyou Township, including your son's life. And all you gained was a single meeting with your son. How foolish these mortals are! Even wielding the power of gods and devils, they are still swayed by their own foolish notions and can never reach the mindset of a god. And because you have the pact with Earth Lord, you cannot break your promise."

The man in the tree regained his composure. He opened his mouth, but his tongue had turned to wood, rendering him unable to speak.

The Suppressing Star Lord chuckled, "What do you want to say?"

The man in the tree still opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Suppressing Star Lord leaned closer, trying to hear more clearly, curious: "What exactly do you want to say?"

The man in the tree still couldn't speak.

Qin Mu's mind suddenly became calm. He said, "Star Lord, father and son are connected by heart. I believe I can understand what he intends to say."

The Suppressing Star Lord glanced at him. "He can't make any sound at all. Can you hear him?"

Qin Mu replied, "Our lives, father and son, are both in your hands, Star Lord. Are you afraid we'd try any tricks?"

The Suppressing Star Lord gave him a deep look and scoffed, "You can't play any tricks. Come here, see what he wants to say."

Qin Mu walked forward, approached the man in the tree, and tilted his head to listen. After a moment, he said, "He's saying that his eyes can't see, unable to clearly see my face, and therefore, it doesn't count as seeing me. So, the Earth Lord's pact hasn't taken effect yet."

The Suppressing Star Lord was surprised, chuckling, "Interesting. I didn't expect you two to be so connected as father and son. This complicates things a bit. He used a forbidden art to merge with the divine tree; this art is called 'Withered Wood Reviving Spring,' a forbidden technique that borrows life, though with a strong backlash. It doesn't just link lives but also links physical bodies. Your father fought against those deities, certainly exhausting them to death, but also exhausting himself, forcing him to use this forbidden art to prolong his life. Now, only his face hasn't fully petrified. Reversing this process is very difficult, but it's not beyond me. After all, I am from Youdu and control life itself..."

The fleshy membranes behind its head opened, revealing eye-shaped patterns. Two rays of light shot from these eye-like patterns, one left and one right, entering the man in the tree's body. Gradually, the petrification on the man's surface began to recede. The skin on his neck now showed skin texture, no longer tree bark.