Chapter 492: When We Make History

Luo Wushuang turned and left, his voice echoing from afar: "Heavenly Saint Cult Master Qin Mu, Great Venerable of Loulan Golden Palace, if I achieve anything in the future, I will certainly repay you both generously to avenge my severed arm. Don't die too soon!"

He vanished into the dense darkness.

Qin Mu remained standing, the Carefree Sword still circling him.

He still hadn't relaxed, his gaze fixed on the darkness. After a moment, Qin Mu finally exhaled.

Ban Gongcuo's face grew bitter as he complained, "Cult Master Qin, why did you reveal our names? What good does that do?"

"If I hadn't revealed our names, he might not have retreated."

Qin Mu's powerful aura suddenly receded, and he slumped to the ground, the Carefree Sword clattering as it fell. He didn't even have the strength to wield it, his breath weak. "If he had stayed to fight to the death, we might not have been able to defeat him. Only by revealing our names would he truly leave."

Ban Gongcuo struggled to his feet, watching Qin Mu with flickering eyes. A cluster of fresh blood from the Jade Blood Gourd behind him twitched, as if contemplating whether to attack Qin Mu now. He feigned anger and said, "You could have given a false name!"

Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. The Carefree Sword, lying at his feet, subtly lifted its tip. He said weakly, "I never use false names. Besides, once we return to our time, thirty or forty thousand years from now, how could he possibly find us?"

A surge of anger rose in Ban Gongcuo's heart. He gritted his teeth and said, "Cult Master Qin, is the name Qin Mu real? You never use false names? You have the nerve to say that!"

More blood plasma oozed from the gourd, and silent blood clots floated up.

He narrowed his eyes, then adopted a pleasant expression. "However, the Cult Master has a point. Who knows, that scoundrel Luo Wushuang, despite his abilities, is incredibly arrogant; he's certainly not living for another thirty or forty thousand years. He might even die in a war soon. Cult Master Qin, would you like me to help you up?"

Qin Mu looked up, his expression sincere. "Yes, please. My body is depleted right now; I truly can't get up without help."

Ban Gongcuo suddenly shivered and quickly backed away, chuckling. "It's better for men to keep their distance from other men to avoid gossip."

Qin Mu didn't mind. Leaning on the Carefree Sword, he shakily stood up. "Luo Wushuang has retreated, so we must leave as soon as possible. He might return with the entire Spirit Grace Army. This place is not safe to linger."

The Dragon Qilin also retracted his dragon scales and clumsily crawled out of the box's range. With several thuds, the box closed, becoming neither big nor small.

The Dragon Qilin climbed onto the box, panting heavily from exhaustion. Qin Mu also struggled to get on, then looked back and chuckled, "Great Venerable, you come up too."

Ban Gongcuo shook his head, crawled under the box, and clung to one of its legs. "I'll be fine here."

Qin Mu nudged the Dragon Qilin and chuckled, "You're too cautious! We're in the same box, united against a common enemy, sharing life and death. How could I possibly harm you?"

The Dragon Qilin raised a front paw, extending several razor-sharp claws. If Ban Gongcuo were to get on, he would be stabbed to death.

Ban Gongcuo said cautiously, "Cult Master's kindness is hard to refuse, but I've always been cautious and never trust anyone. Cult Master can ask Fatty Dragon to retract his claws now."

The box began to move, heading into the darkness. Qin Mu, holding his sword, feigned sleep with half-closed eyes. Underneath the box, Ban Gongcuo was wide awake, trying his best not to sleep, and secretly took out several spirit pills from his Taotie Pouch, putting them into his mouth, doing his utmost to restore his cultivation.

After a long while, he felt some of his vitality restored. His eyes flickered, and he quietly activated the Jade Blood Gourd. "This fellow is severely injured; it's the perfect time to get rid of him..."

Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a medicinal scent and quickly halted his intention to act.

Qin Mu's hand was secretly in his Taotie Pouch, stealthily refining several batches of spirit pills, popping a few into his mouth now and then. He also refined several batches for the Dragon Qilin, who ate them quietly without making a sound.

However, the drifting medicinal scent couldn't escape Ban Gongcuo's nose.

"It will be difficult to scheme against him," Ban Gongcuo thought.

Finally, light appeared in the darkness, and they arrived in front of the inn.

The inn was protected by a divine being, and many common folk were resting inside. Bai Qiong'er anxiously peered out and finally saw a bloodstained box wobbling towards them, carrying a young man and a plump Dragon Qilin.

The box moved swiftly, traversing mountains and valleys.

Bai Qiong'er's heart stirred with a unique emotion. She quickly embraced Bai Qingfu's son and rushed forward to meet them. Qin Mu jumped off the box, stretching his body as his bones popped, and asked in confusion, "Why haven't you left yet?"

"We couldn't move on. These common folk have little cultivation, and most of them are elderly, weak, and with families."

Bai Qiong'er suppressed her personal feelings and whispered, "The deity at the inn is gone, likely gone to aid Bailong City. We don't know if they're alive or dead. Now, only we remain at the inn."

Qin Mu looked around the inn. Many people were sleeping on the ground, and some were still awake, their eyes flickering in the uncertain light of the Dragon God Pearl, but none of them made a sound.

Many of those who escaped were common folk, not wealthy families. The wealthy families of Bailong City fled more quickly, most of them following the deity at the North Gate. It was likely they were all annihilated.

Only these common people, with their low cultivation, were a step late in fleeing, and thus ended up following them.

"We cannot stay here long."

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then said, "Why don't we let them enter my box? I'll carry them, and we'll go as far as we can."

Bai Qiong'er paused, looked at the box, and asked, "What about the other person who came with you? He..."

"I'm here."

Ban Gongcuo crawled out from under the box, chuckling. "Thankfully, we fulfilled our mission and survived. My apologies for worrying Miss Bai."

Qin Mu told the Dragon Qilin to jump off the box and said, "Sister Qiong'er, wake them up. We really can't stay here any longer. Since there's no deity's protection, we should leave immediately to avoid being caught by pursuers."

Bai Qiong'er nodded and woke everyone up. Qin Mu unfolded the box for the people to enter. Ban Gongcuo also wanted to enter, but Qin Mu shook his head and said, "If pursuers catch up to the box and there's no one to resist, we'll all be annihilated. We'll stay outside the box."

Although Xing An's box was sturdy, it couldn't attack and had no combat capability. If everyone hid inside the box, any random fiend from beyond the realms could easily wipe them out.

Ban Gongcuo suppressed his anger and sneered, "Cult Master Qin, if you act like this, it'll be difficult to survive in these chaotic times! We are fleeing for our lives, escaping Xing An's pursuit, not here to save people!"

Qin Mu laughed heartily and shook his head. "Great Venerable, I merely wish to preserve a little innocence and kindness in this corrupt and chaotic world."

Ban Gongcuo snorted, crawled back under the box, and grumbled, "Call me if the enemy comes!"

Bai Qiong'er also stayed outside. Qin Mu and she sat on the box, and the Dragon Qilin jumped up as well, lying down quietly and falling asleep after a while.

"Why does the Great Venerable prefer to be under the box?" Bai Qiong'er asked, puzzled.

Qin Mu explained, "He protects us from underground divine attacks."

Bai Qiong'er understood and said, "The Great Venerable is truly considerate."

The box moved lightly, heading east. Qin Mu looked at the girl beside him. Bai Qiong'er had just experienced the devastating upheaval of losing her family. This young woman, originally somewhat naive and tender, had, overnight, gained a resolute spirit. Her gaze became bright and clear, shedding her former fragility.

Only then did Qin Mu notice that Bai Qiong'er was not entirely human. She possessed certain Draconic traits; two tiny dragon horns were hidden in her hair, concealed by her elegant twin buns.

The first time Qin Mu saw her, he had held her face, but he hadn't noticed these small dragon horns.

A lingering sadness still shadowed her brows; she longed for someone to lean on, yet forced herself to be strong.

She was not the type of girl Qin Mu typically favored. Since childhood, the nine elders of Crippled Elder Village had instilled in him the belief that plumpness in women was beautiful. The Village Chief, Apothecary, and Butcher had all told him that girls should have round faces, thick waists, and large hips.

Bai Qiong'er certainly did not fit this description.

However, Qin Mu now found Bai Qiong'er's combination of fragility and strength deeply moving.

"Are you tired?"

Qin Mu suppressed his unusual thoughts and said, "If you're tired, you can lean on me and rest for a while."

Bai Qiong'er hummed softly and leaned gently against his shoulder, the faint snore of the Dragon Qilin audible in her ear.

Yet, she couldn't sleep. The moment she closed her eyes, the horrific devastation of Bailong City appeared: her mother and the uncles and granduncles of her family fighting extraterrestrial fiends, the slaughter in the darkness, countless people dying tragically, and the smile her elder brother and sister-in-law shared when they turned back to face the fiends. From time to time, grotesque faces of monsters in the darkness would suddenly emerge from her nightmares.

"Oh, I haven't asked you yet. When we first met, you said you traveled through time."

Bai Qiong'er opened her eyes, leaning on Qin Mu's shoulder, and whispered, "Is that true?"

Qin Mu nodded.

"Where are you from? The past, or the future? Is it peaceful there?"

"Long after now, perhaps thirty or forty thousand years later. It's relatively peaceful where I come from, but it's hard to say about the future."

"Thirty or forty thousand years later?"

The girl on his shoulder was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I don't know if I can live until then. Life here is too hard, so hard that it's unbearable..."

"You need to live. The people in the box still need you."

Qin Mu smiled and said softly, "You're stronger than I imagined. Many people, not just girls, but even men, would have collapsed in such a situation. I know living is hard, but you carry their hopes, the hopes of your brother and sister-in-law, and their child."

Bai Qiong'er's body trembled, and she nodded gently.

"Will you walk with me?" she asked.

Qin Mu was silent for a moment.

"Daybreak is coming."

He looked towards the east, his voice hoarse from a night of fighting, yet carrying a unique magnetism. "After daybreak, I will likely disappear. I came here due to a mysterious destiny, one I cannot fully comprehend. You may have to lead them on the path ahead by yourself. Live..."

Bai Qiong'er looked up at the whitening eastern sky.

Qin Mu stood up and smiled. "My dear sister, I likely can't escort you any further. You'll have to go the rest of the way alone."

Bai Qiong'er's heart was filled with complex emotions. She stood up, dazed, still cradling Bai Qingfu's son, her cheeks unknowingly wet with tears.

Qin Mu cupped her cheeks, encouraging her with his most sincere smile: "Live, you must live!"

Bai Qiong'er's heart was torn. She held him tightly with one hand, her body trembling. "Don't go! I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it..."

"Perhaps all traces of me will be erased from this prehistoric world, and nothing I brought will remain. But I can leave behind a phrase that moves me."

The sky gradually brightened. The first ray of sunlight spilled from the eastern horizon, falling upon the mountains and rivers. The darkness around them rapidly receded.

Qin Mu held the girl in his arms with one hand, and with the other, pointed towards a passing cliff face. The Carefree Sword flew out, its movements like a dragon and snake, carving his words into the sheer rock.

The sword flew back. Before the sunlight fully reached them, Qin Mu tightly embraced the girl who was about to face dangers alone. Bai Qiong'er clung to him desperately, as if this embrace could give her something to lean on.

As a ray of sunlight shone upon them, Qin Mu in her arms dissipated like a wisp of smoke.

The box also vanished, leaving behind people bewildered and scattered on the ground.

Bai Qiong'er stood dazed, then abruptly turned to look at the cliff. Carved on the sheer rock were words left by Qin Mu's Carefree Sword.

Human life is paramount!

Bai Qiong'er suddenly felt the immense weight of this sentence. The hopes of the people below instantly pressed onto her shoulders. Their expectant gazes transformed into a formidable pressure and motivation.

"Follow me!"

Cradling her brother's child, she raised her arm, her voice filled with strength: "I will lead you out of this desperate situation and find a place where we can survive!"

People rekindled their hope and followed her, winding their way forward into the distance.

"Are you from thirty or forty thousand years in the future?"

Bai Qiong'er looked back at the cliff where Qin Mu had left his words, then turned her head again, leading the people towards the rising sun. "I will live! I will find you! You must wait for me! I will be here..."

"...to reunite with you—"

A reunion across eons, wait for me.

When you left, I didn't confess my feelings. When we reunite, I hope there will be no more regrets.