Chapter 401: Lame Man's Sudden Crisis

On his way back from the Great Ruins, Qin Mu returned to Crippled Village. He found the village overrun by Mother Dragons, who were loud, rowdy, and appeared fierce, as if ready to declare war on the several million Feathered People.

Qin Mu killed the most boisterous Mother Dragon. After roasting it, the other Mother Dragons quieted down and dared not act so brazenly.

No one else was in the village, and Apothecary hadn't returned either. Qin Mu had no choice but to leave a note instructing anyone returning to the village to go to Granny Si's manor for the New Year. Only then did he continue his journey.

Misty Pass.

The army guarding the formidable pass stared blankly as several million people approached. The garrison defending the city numbered only tens of thousands; they had never witnessed such a sight. Fortunately, Ling Yuxiu stepped forward and explained the newcomers' purpose. Only then did the general in charge of the city open the gates, allowing them to enter the pass.

Feeding such a large number of people was a problem. The Feathered People were vegetarians; they did not consume meat or animal products. Along the way, they had only eaten fruits, honey, and plant roots and stems, and their individual appetites were not large. Even so, the food consumed by several million people presented a significant challenge.

Qin Mu inquired with Yu Zhaoqing. He learned that in the Feathered World, the Feathered People ate the fruits of "Pill Trees." The fruits of this plant were essentially spirit pills. They were rich in moisture, transparent, and crystal-clear like quartz. At the same time, they offered the benefits of spirit pills, with one fruit sustaining a person for several days without needing to eat or drink. However, they could also fill their stomachs with ordinary fruits, though the taste was not good.

"Pill Trees... a plant that bears spirit pills," Qin Mu mused. "They don't exist in the Great Ruins, nor in Eternal Peace Empire."

Qin Mu asked about the efficacy of the Pill Tree fruits. Yu Zhaoqing described them in detail. Qin Mu then attempted to refine spirit pills a few times, but Yu Zhaoqing tasted each one and shook her head every time. Finally, Qin Mu refined a batch of Azure Emptiness Pills. The spirit pills were sky-blue and contained water vapor; this truly took considerable effort on his part.

After tasting them, Yu Zhaoqing praised, "The taste is about fifty or sixty percent accurate now." Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He passed the pill formula to Yu Zhaoqing, telling her to find the Feathered People's apothecaries and have them refine the pills themselves. This way, they wouldn't have to scavenge for wild fruits.

"These Feathered People are only suited to living in warm southern regions," Qin Mu thought. "That's where they belong." Qin Mu was vexed about how to arrange accommodations for the Feathered People. In the end, he decided to leave this headache to Emperor Yanfeng.

From Misty Pass, a large flying ship slowly ascended. It swiftly headed towards the capital, carrying Qin Mu's memorial. Inside the pass, Qin Mu summoned the Dragon Herding Sovereign. The Dragon Herding Sovereign revealed his true form. His colossal body carried several million people as they swam through the Surging River; the scene was truly magnificent. Yan Jingjing gasped in wonder. Having never seen such a massive aquatic creature as the Dragon Herding Sovereign in the Sun Well, she couldn't help but be curious.

Upon reaching southern Shuzhou, Qin Mu had the Feathered People set up camp in the mountains outside Shuzhou City. He then took a few girls directly to Granny Si's manor. Yu Zhaoqing also followed him there to await Emperor Yanfeng's decree.

When they arrived at Granny Si's manor, everyone was inexplicably astonished. They saw that it was like a sacred land on earth, with every corner resembling a fairyland. The spiritual qi and energy were so dense that they could form droplets of water. Furthermore, the place was unusually bustling. Many palace maids were busy tidying things up. Ling Yuxiu was greatly surprised and called over two palace maids: "Jian Qi, Qin Qi, aren't you supposed to be attending to the Empress Dowager? Why are you here?"

The two palace maids were the same girls who had once escorted Qin Mu to protect him from the sneak attack of the Little Poison King, Fu Yuanqing. They quickly bowed to her and Qin Mu. A dimple appeared on each of their cheeks, one on the left and one on the right, complementing each other charmingly. Jian Qi smiled and said, "Since Her Royal Highness the Empress Dowager is here, we are naturally here too."

Ling Yuxiu was astonished. "The Empress Dowager is here too? Why would she come here?" Jian Qi and Qin Qi exchanged glances, both showing a look of hesitation. Qin Qi hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "It's because the Jade Chasing Young Master came here... Princess, please don't tell anyone, or the Empress Dowager will have our heads!"

Jian Qi leaned close to Ling Yuxiu's ear and whispered, "The Jade Chasing Young Master has many women. When he revealed his true appearance — that he has no face — they were all startled, but none of them left. These women are quite fierce; many are famous figures in the martial arts world, some even sect leaders. They caused such a commotion that the Empress Dowager couldn't control them. Finally, the Empress Dowager couldn't bear it and fought a big battle with them, but she still couldn't suppress them. So, they all moved in..."

Ling Yuxiu looked at Qin Mu with a worried expression. "Is the Jade Young Master also from your village?"

"That's my Grandpa Apothecary," Qin Mu replied, "also known as the Jade-Faced Poison King."

Qin Mu was delighted. "Then Grandpa Apothecary must be here! He's trapped by these women; he can't escape!"

Yan Jingjing looked around. Besides the bustling palace maids and servants, she saw some strangely shaped beings in the manor. Some were mermaids with human heads and fish bodies but fierce expressions. Others were merfolk with human bodies and terrifying, monstrous fish heads. They were all busy preparing for the New Year. There were also tree spirits, flower sprites, and peculiar monsters all over the mountains. The tree spirits, with branches and a few leaves on their heads, had short tempers. They would often get into fights with the deer demons.

"You scoundrel, bringing so many girls home for the New Year?"

As they were looking, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted past. Everyone turned to look and was stunned. A beautiful woman was walking towards them. This woman did not seem to be of the mortal world; instead, she appeared to have stepped out of a myth. Her beauty was divine, without a single flaw. The girls were all stunned. Some felt a sense of inferiority, yet they involuntarily felt admiration and a desire to be close to her.

"Auntie!" Si Yunxiang stepped forward, exclaiming joyfully, "You're here too!"

Granny Si smiled and said, "Xiang, stay away from my Mu'er."

Si Yunxiang's face darkened, and she retorted angrily, "Auntie, we're family! Why are you always favoring outsiders?"

Granny Si cast her aside and walked directly towards the other girls. She looked them over, then smiled and said, "Mu'er is my adopted child; he's much dearer to me than you are. Xiang, I never even held you when you were little. Mu'er, that Xiang is a fox spirit; she's full of cunning tricks, so you must be careful around her."

Hu Ling'er jumped up and exclaimed, "I knew she was a fox spirit! Granny, I'm watching over Young Master very carefully; I won't let any outside fox spirits get close to him!"

Granny Si approached Qin Mu, raised her hand, wanting to pat his head. She couldn't help but say in a huff, "You've grown! Aren't you going to bend down?" Qin Mu quickly bent down. Granny Si patted his head and sighed, "You're almost as tall as Butcher, that pig-killer. How did you grow so fast? You're already attracting girls, even bringing a few young ladies back to see me..." Her eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears. "You've been away for a year or two, and you're already getting married..."

Qin Mu quickly explained, "Granny, I'm not getting married; Grandpa Blind forced me! You've met Yuxiu before. This is Yan Jingjing, the Sun Guard among the Sun Herders, who drove away the Imperial Preceptor with the Sun Boat back then! And this is Yu Zhaoqing, the chieftain of the Feathered People from the Feathered World. I said I was coming here for the New Year, and they all followed."

Granny Si broke into a smile, her tears clearing, and said, "It's good for you young ladies to meet your in-laws. Come inside and sit down quickly!"

The girls' faces all turned red. Yu Zhaoqing, being a chieftain and a powerful, top-tier existence from the Feathered World, graciously stated, "Senior Sister, you've misunderstood. I am not His Highness's concubine."

Granny Si found her appearance clear and bright, and liked her more and more. She smiled and said, "Just call me Granny; there's no need to call me Senior Sister, it's too formal." Yu Zhaoqing hesitated for a moment, unsure of the appropriate address in this world. She could only utter, "Granny."

"Oh!" Granny Si sweetly responded, her heart overflowing with joy.

Si Yunxiang leaned forward and said, "Granny..." Granny Si immediately sternly replied, "Call me Auntie!"

Si Yunxiang, deeply wronged, could only lower her head and say "Auntie." Granny Si led them to her residence, a palace. She then shooed Qin Mu out, saying, "Go find Cripple in the adjacent main hall. That old fellow suffered a loss and is wailing to the heavens."

Qin Mu quickly asked, "Which main hall?"

"The layout here is the same as in the village; it's the room Cripple usually stays in."

Qin Mu quickly went out to search. Granny Si looked at the girls, growing happier the more she looked. She said to Yan Jingjing, "Sun Guard, you're a bit thin; you should eat more. But Yuxiu is in good health, quite strong. I've met your father before, but I didn't speak with him. When will you invite your father-in-law here...?"

Qin Mu found the main hall where Cripple was. He saw Blind, Mute, Deaf, Butcher, and others all present. There were also two Village Chiefs. He then realized they weren't two Village Chiefs. One on a lounge chair was the Village Chief, who had no hands or feet. The other, in a wheelchair, was Cripple, who had lost both his legs!

Qin Mu rushed over, crying out in alarm, "Grandpa Cripple, what happened to you...?"

Cripple, with a mournful face, wailed, "Mu'er, you're back? Your Grandpa Cripple has fallen!"

Qin Mu steadied himself, looked around, and his expression showed inquiry. Blind calmly stated, "The person who gouged out my eyes has reappeared and taken Cripple's divine legs. Mute went to Great Thunderclap Temple to inform Old Master Ma, warning him to be careful. That person will most likely seek him out for his divine fists!"

Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken. He took a deep breath and gravely asked, "Village Chief, who is this person?"

Before the Village Chief could speak, the burly Apothecary walked in and said, "While I was fleeing for my life, I encountered Daoist Ling Jing. Daoist Ling Jing said that a god-like entity was pursuing him, aiming to take his divine blood, and asked me to dissolve his divine blood to save him from death. I asked Daoist Ling Jing, and he said that this person was an entity as renowned as the Village Chief in the past, claiming to be a god."

The Village Chief exhaled a puff of stale air and said, "His name is a single character: 'An'. His surname is strange: 'Star'. He is an extremely arrogant individual. Logically, his age should be similar to mine, and his lifespan should have been exhausted within the last year or two."

"However," Apothecary interjected, "Daoist Ling Jing said he looked very young, like a teenager."

Apothecary showed a worried expression and asked, "Based on what you know about him, will he seek out Old Master Ma? Old Master Ma is now a Tathagata, detached from all worldly attachments, and didn't come for the New Year. He might be in danger staying alone on Mount Sumeru!"

Qin Mu couldn't help but ask, "Is this Xing An really that powerful? Powerful enough to breach Great Thunderclap Temple?"

The Village Chief's expression was calm as he said, "I don't know how strong he is now. But I do know that if someone devotes their entire life's energy to cultivate a single part of their body to the divine realm, they can already rival a demigod. If all parts are cultivated to the divine realm, they are not far from a true god. He will definitely go for Old Man Ma."