Chapter 67 + 68: Punching Through a Street

The blind man didn't know how to explain it to Qin Mu, so he let out a dry laugh and said, "This city is also called Bu Ye Long Cheng. It's lit up like day even at night, and villages from thousands of li around come here for trade. Mu'er, Granny, I'll part ways with you here. Granny, do you have any pocket money?"

He leaned on his bamboo staff, his face full of smiles, and extended a hand.

Si Po Po pretended not to see him.

The blind man reached for the beast hides on the cart and chuckled, "Mu'er, lend me two beast hides. Once I win at gambling, I'll pay you back double!"

Qin Mu laughed and said, "Xia Zi Grandpa, just take them. No need to return them."

"Don't give it to him!"

Si Po Po said angrily, "This old fool goes to the gambling house every time we're here and loses everything! Two exotic beast hides could buy us plenty of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. It's better than throwing them away—at least throwing them in water would make a splash!"

The blind man quickly draped the two hides over himself and dashed off, vanishing into the crowd.

Si Po Po stamped her foot in frustration. Qin Mu looked puzzled and asked, "Granny, what's a gambling house?"

Si Po Po fumed, "First he wants to fool around with those fallen women, and now he's off to the gambling house. Mu'er, don't you dare pick up his bad habits!"

Qin Mu was confused and said, "Granny, don't be mad. I won't play with them. By the way, Granny, is there a Qing Lou in this city? The hall master of Tian Mo Jiao's Qing Lou Hall, Fu Qing Yun, said that wherever there's a Qing Lou, I can find her."

Si Po Po glared at him and sneered, "Now you're thinking of visiting brothels? That vixen Fu Qing Yun—you'd better stay far away from her."

Qin Mu was baffled. He had clearly meant to go to the Qing Lou to find someone, but now it sounded like he was going to a kiln house. And what was a kiln house anyway?

"Coming to the city means so many rules—can't do this, can't do that," the boy grumbled to himself.

The old woman and the boy drove their ox cart to the market, where it was even more lively. All sorts of goods were on display, dazzling to the eyes, and there were people of different races in strange outfits, leaving Qin Mu overwhelmed by the sights.

Soon, Si Po Po sold the iron tools and hides from the cart, exchanging them for some oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. The merchant seemed to be from outside, with a unique accent, claiming to be from Yan Kang Guo.

Though Si Po Po was a woman, she was straightforward and not good at bargaining, so she sold the iron tools made by the mute man too cheaply. The exotic beast hides didn't fetch much either. The merchant had some conscience and, feeling he'd taken advantage of them, gave them a small bag of Long Bi, about a hundred or so coins.

Long Bi were the currency used in Bu Ye Long Cheng, imprinted with dragon patterns like the dragon pillars at the city's corners. Qin Mu sensed that these coins had a unique array formation embedded in them, likely forged with a secret technique to prevent counterfeiting.

The two then sold the ox and sheep. The animals seemed to know their fate and couldn't help but shed tears, biting onto Qin Mu's clothes and refusing to let go.

Qin Mu hesitated, and Si Po Po whispered, "They're all bad people."

Qin Mu was startled—these oxen and sheep were actually people, transformed by Si Po Po's Tian Mo Zao Hua Gong!

"They were a band of bandits," Si Po Po said softly. "Do you remember when you were little, and I took you to a neighboring village to help deliver a baby? When we got there, everyone in the village was dead. All these years, I've been tracking these bandits without success, but a few days ago, I finally found them."

Qin Mu's heart shook as he pulled his clothes free, allowing the merchant to lead the animals away. What awaited them might be slaughter or hard labor. He felt it wasn't quite right, but he couldn't say Si Po Po was wrong.

This was the way of Da Ru—the strong prey on the weak. Si Po Po's pursuit of justice was extreme, but it was better than nothing.

He even felt a bit moved. That incident had shocked him deeply back then, and he never expected that after over a decade, Granny still remembered it and was determined to avenge the innocent villagers.

The two bought some cloth and wine and took them to their inn. Suddenly, Si Po Po stopped, unable to tear herself away from a shop selling rouge and powders.

"Good stuff—only such delicate powders are worthy of my peerless beauty," the old woman thought delightedly, her eyes gleaming. She spoke with a lisp, drawing giggles from a group of young girls nearby.

Si Po Po ignored them, buying a pile of rouge and powders and nearly spending all their remaining money. Glancing at Qin Mu standing there with the boxes in his arms, she felt a bit guilty. She rummaged in her pouch and, after a while, pulled out the last Long Bi and tucked it into his pocket, saying gently, "Mu'er, treat yourself. Go buy something you like. Don't go yet—help me take these to the inn first."

Qin Mu delivered the rouge and powders to the inn, where the innkeeper was extremely respectful and said he had already prepared their rooms.

Qin Mu eyed the innkeeper suspiciously, his heart skipping a beat. The innkeeper winked at him and whispered, "This subordinate pays respects to the Young Sect Master."

Qin Mu thought to himself, "Tian Mo Jiao has three hundred and sixty halls, involved in every trade, and they've even opened an inn in Bu Ye Long Cheng."

He composed himself and entered the room. Si Po Po immediately urged him to go out, saying, "You're rarely out like this—make sure to have some fun. Oh, and be careful with that Long Bi."

Qin Mu pocketed the Long Bi and headed out. Bu Ye Long Cheng at night was even more enchanting, with lights everywhere. All sorts of vendors and people from various villages were out, selling strange items, and the streets were packed, with sleeves brushing like clouds.

"I am from Niu Jia Village with my daughter. We pass through this honorable place, seeking neither fame nor fortune. It's just that my daughter has come of age and is not yet betrothed, so we're holding a martial arts contest to find a worthy suitor..."

Qin Mu heard the voice and stopped, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation as he looked at the stage, which was crammed with people.

"The father and daughter from Niu Jia Village are at it again with their martial contest for marriage. But last time, three years ago at the Grandma Temple, they didn't find a groom. Hasn't anything changed after three years?"

"One Long Bi—what can it buy?"

Qin Mu was pondering this when he heard someone call out, "Priceless treasures, only three wen each!"

He followed the sound and saw a alley crowded with people, stalls displaying all sorts of odd items, mostly broken bricks and tiles.

"Are these broken bricks and tiles really priceless treasures? Why are they so cheap?"

Qin Mu was surprised and quietly activated his Shen Xiao Tian Yan to look. He couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. They were indeed just junk, many scavenged from Da Ru ruins, with no trace of Ling Qi. They were far inferior to spirit weapons—even if given away for free, no one would want them.

Yet, many martial artists were browsing the stalls, hoping to find a real treasure.

Qin Mu checked stall after stall and felt a stir in his heart. He did spot some good items, like fragments of weapons on certain stalls that glowed faintly to his eyes—these were pieces of spirit weapons, quite valuable.

He inquired and was shocked—the fragments cost several dozen Long Bi each.

"This has to be a scam," he thought.

Qin Mu kept looking and saw a stall with a sheepskin laid out, holding over a dozen jars. Most were damaged, missing lids or with chips.

But through his Shen Xiao Tian Yan, the jars emitted an intense glow, far stronger than the spirit weapon fragments and even surpassing the spirit weapons he had sold.

"How much for the jars?" Qin Mu stepped forward and asked.

"Three wen each," the stall owner replied.

Qin Mu took out the Long Bi from his pocket, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I only have one Long Bi. Can I buy them all?"

The stall owner was both surprised and delighted, quickly snatching the coin and wrapping up the broken jars on the sheepskin, handing them to Qin Mu. "They're all yours!"

"Fool..."

The nearby stall owners chuckled quietly. "One Long Bi is worth a thousand wen, and he doesn't even know that."

The stall owner clutched the coin tightly and said hastily, "Young man, you can't back out now!"

Only then did Qin Mu realize the value of Long Bi. He laughed heartily and said, "Since we've made the deal, I won't go back on it. These jars for one Long Bi—I think it's a great deal."

The stall owner breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave when a clear voice rang out, "Wait! Young man, how much for those jars?"

Qin Mu looked up and saw several elegantly dressed men escorting a even more lavishly attired young man. The youth had fine features, red lips, white teeth, and a bit of baby fat, making him look more delicate than Qin Mu. He was eyeing the sheepskin in Qin Mu's hands with great interest.

"A Shen Tong practitioner?" one of the stall owners exclaimed.

Qin Mu blurted out, "You're the chubby Fei Qi Gong Zi from the Yan Kang Guo ship!"

"Chubby Fei Qi Gong Zi?"

The young man froze for a moment, then recognized Qin Mu and said annoyed, "Who are you calling chubby Fei Qi Gong Zi?"

Qin Mu had little interest in the chubby Fei Qi Gong Zi and glanced at the men behind him. They all had an air of refinement, with Yuan Qi flowing around them. One had a green dragon coiling around his body, its head towering above his own, its eyes sharp and watchful.

This man clearly had a Qing Long Ling Ti and had opened his Liu He Shen Cang, allowing his Yuan Qi to manifest at all times as a Shen Tong practitioner!

Qin Mu could make his Yuan Qi visible too, but only in intense battles when it mixed with his Qi and blood. Shen Tong practitioners were different—they could do it anytime, hiding a Shen Tong within their Yuan Qi, ready to unleash it against any threat.

Qin Mu had once heard Si Po Po say that the Ling Tai realm made one a martial artist, while the Wu Xing realm turned one into a Zong Shi, mastering the changes of the five elements and evolving martial techniques into Shen Tong. Breaking through the Liu He Shen Cang made one a true Shen Tong practitioner.

Though Bu Ye Long Cheng had many Shen Tong practitioners, having them as escorts was impressive.

"Of course, I'll sell these jars."

Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "One hundred Long Bi each."

He figured he was asking a high price, but the chubby Fei Qi Gong Zi smiled warmly and nodded. "That's cheap. Deal. There are thirty-six jars in your sheepskin, totaling three thousand six hundred Long Bi. Ding Qian Hu, settle the payment with him."

One of the men behind him bowed and said, "Yes." He stepped forward to handle the transaction with Qin Mu.

The stall owners and passersby in the alley stared in stunned silence, their breathing quickened. The man who had just sold the jars to Qin Mu was twitching at the corners of his eyes, dizzy with regret, eyeing the jars as if he wanted to snatch them back but didn't dare.

Though not large, three thousand six hundred Dragon Coins were no small sum. Stacked together, they weighed over ten *jin*. Qin Mu casually slung the money bag onto the handle of the pig-slaying knife on his back, secretly praising, "This plump Young Master Qi is truly generous."

Young Master Qi's eyes brightened, settling on the pig-slaying knife on Qin Mu's back. He chuckled, "If you're willing to part with that knife, I can offer an even better price!"

Qin Mu shook his head. "This knife of mine is far superior to earthen jars. It's not for sale."

"That's true. Your knife, just in its materials, surpasses those earthen jars considerably." Young Master Qi handed the earthen jars to an attendant beside him, laughing. "These jars were refined by a divine ability practitioner of the Six Harmonies realm. They comprise thirty-six spirit weapons, known as the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Jar, capable of forming the Heavenly Gang Refine Demon Array. Although somewhat broken, their power still remains. They're of no use to me; I simply planned to sell them in the Great Ruins to princes and nobles to earn a profit. I've seen the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Jar before, which is why I recognize them. Your discernment is extraordinary; perhaps you've encountered them before as well?"

Behind him, an attendant coughed lightly, saying, "Young Master Qi, assuming a false identity carries risks."

Young Master Qi looked displeased. "You meddle too much! There's no joy in coming out to play like this!" With that, he shook his head and departed.

Qin Mu knew he followed Qin Fei Yue closely, and Qin Fei Yue treated him with great respect, indicating his extraordinary standing. It was only natural that his attendants would prevent him from taking risks.

Just as he was about to leave, the stall owner who had sold him the earthen jars suddenly grabbed the corner of his clothes, shouting, "Don't go! Those earthen jars of mine are worth over three thousand Dragon Coins! You can't just buy them all for one coin! You must compensate me!" Saying this, he reached towards the money bag on Qin Mu's back.

Qin Mu frowned. Suddenly, his hairs stood on end as he felt danger approaching. In the alley, a person flew towards him at high speed. With a flick of their sleeve, a strange weapon slid out – like two curved knives joined together, with both ends sharply curved.

That person's palm faced downwards, yet the strange weapon did not fall below the palm. Instead, it whistled and rotated, suddenly slashing towards Qin Mu's neck!

Qin Mu’s vital energy surged into his feet, and his body instantly shifted backward, flat against the ground. The stall owner was about to grab his money bag, but Qin Mu was already a *zhang* away.

Knife light flashed. That person followed like a shadow, sticking close to Qin Mu. The palm was attached to the strange knife, flying up and down. Qin Mu hurriedly looked closer, only to see a thin line connecting the strange knife to the palm. The strange knife had curved blades on both sides, with a handle in the middle. The thin line was precisely tied to the handle.

"Refining *Qi* into silk, controlling the knife with *Qi*? He's a warrior!"

This warrior's knife technique was exceedingly strange. Their footwork was slippery like an eel, weaving in and out. The knife technique focused on cutting, displaying extreme sharpness within the confines of the alley. Snow-bright knife light arced downwards from above, its power not weak.

At the same time, Qin Mu saw the other people in the alley also becoming eager, successively standing up.

Clearly, this bag of Dragon Coins had aroused their greed!

Over three thousand Dragon Coins was an absolute fortune, enough to incite avarice and murderous intent!

"A quick battle!"

Qin Mu suddenly stopped, his vital energy surging powerfully into his fists.

His feet stepped wrongly, and vital energy flowed through his arms, transporting energy to his fingertips. He clenched his fingers into fists. Just as his fist was about to collide with the warrior's strange knife, his fingers suddenly sprang out from the fist like a strong bow or powerful crossbow!

Thunder Sound Eight Styles, second style: Finger Flick Shocking Thunder Pipa Hand!

*Clang!*

His first finger flicked out, its force breaking the air with a sharp whistle, bouncing up the rapidly rotating knife blade. His second finger flicked out, breaking the warrior's *Qi* silk with a single touch.

Qin Mu's third finger flicked out, striking the warrior's palm. The warrior grunted, their palm a bloody mess, a large hole ripped open.

Each of Qin Mu's fingers contained incomparably majestic vital energy. Although his vital energy couldn't manifest power in the same way as the White Tiger's vital energy, it was incredibly dense, bringing with it astonishing physical strength. Three fingers flicked out, shattering the warrior's offense. Then, he drew his fingers back into a fist and sent one crashing into the warrior's chest.

The force of this blow caused the warrior to bend backward, their legs giving way as they fell.

Only Body East Sea Holds Spring Thunder!

Qin Mu's feet exerted force, and before the warrior could even fall, he was already in front of them. The warrior's eyes showed panic; they were mid-air and unable to resist.

At this moment, two warriors from the sides of the alley saw Qin Mu rushing towards the fallen warrior. Their eyes lit up, and they simultaneously sprang forward from both sides without a word, attacking Qin Mu!

*Bang!*

*Bang! Bang!*

Before the two warriors could even launch their first move, they saw Qin Mu's fists growing larger and larger. It was as if they had been struck in the face by a wild beast or a dragon. Their heads snapped back, burying themselves in the wall, their bodies from the neck down hanging against the wall!

The wall was struck, revealing spiderweb-like cracks.

And the warrior who had been heavily struck in the chest by Qin Mu's fist suffered another heavy blow. This fist was even fiercer than the previous one, sending them flying backward with even greater speed, their feet not touching the ground!

In the alley, shadows flickered, and immediately *bang bang bang* sounds echoed. Young Master Qi and his divine ability practitioner attendants had not yet exited the alley when they heard the sounds from behind. They stopped, turned their heads to look, and revealed expressions of shock.

The warrior was struck flying for the third time, hurtling towards Young Master Qi. The several divine ability practitioners slightly frowned, about to make a move, but Young Master Qi laughed, "No need, we'll dodge."

Several people moved aside to let them pass, yet they saw Qin Mu sticking to the warrior's back like a whirlwind, his fists and palms like madness and lightning, combining hard and soft, long and short strikes. With a final powerful fist, that warrior was sent flying out of the alley, crashing with a long *boom* and hanging on the opposite wall.

The wall was broken by the warrior's buttocks, their body lodged in the wall, their legs and hands hanging limply, stuck there unable to move.

And behind Qin Mu, more than ten warriors were all embedded headfirst in the wall, their bodies hanging on the wall's surface, hands dancing and feet kicking, momentarily unable to free themselves.

"Good skill!"

The several divine ability practitioners praised endlessly. One person among them said in a low voice, "Young Master, this person moves like surging giant waves, shattering the void with shockwaves. He uses an extremely overbearing battle skill. His fists and feet just now, if they could break through limitations, would be divine abilities!"

Young Master Qi was surprised. "He's using a battle skill?"

"A top-tier battle skill!"

Young Master Qi nodded gently. "I've heard stories before. That year, the National Teacher debated the Dao with powerful practitioners of the battle skill lineage, slaying countless giants who cultivated battle skills. From then on, battle skills could not be mentioned in the same breath as divine abilities and were listed as heresy. Many heretics escaped into the Great Ruins. Could he be a disciple of one of those remnants..."

Another attendant said in a low voice, "Xiang Long City is not Yan Kang. It's a mix of dragons and fish, many of whom are vicious and wicked individuals with nowhere else to go. Therefore, we must act cautiously. This youth likely has some of those remnants behind him. Young Master, we should go see the general as soon as possible."

Qin Mu had not been truly ruthless. When he made his move just now, he had held back more than half his power, yet hitting more than ten warriors and embedding them in the wall was still terrifying enough. Of course, this was nothing to him. In the village, he had confronted Grandpa Cripple and the others, and outside the village, he had fought with the magic ape and the fox spirit, always making full use of his strength.

"Carrying this many Dragon Coins is not safe either. I might as well buy some things and then send the remaining Dragon Coins back to the inn for Grandma."

The youth didn't take this incident to heart. On the way, he bought some silk and satin, ordering someone to send it to the inn. He planned to prepare several more sets of clothes for Grandpa Cripple, Village Chief, and the others.

Qin Mu bought some more novelty items, intending to give them to Grandpa Cripple, Blind Man, and the others. Then he returned to the inn. To his surprise, Grandma Si was not in her room, having left at some point.

Blind Man was also nowhere to be seen.

"It's rare to come here. It's still good to see the world properly."

Qin Mu took out a hundred ten Dragon Coins, hid the remaining money well, then walked out of the inn and toured around. Xiang Long City at night was extraordinarily lively, truly opening his eyes. There were martial arts comparisons, arena fights, opera performances, lion and dragon dances, and even revenge seekers.

With his eyes wide open, he unknowingly walked to the center of Xiang Long City. The buildings here were more grand and majestic, with many ancient structures that must have been left by people from before the darkness covered the Great Ruins. There were temples, halls, and shrines, all very extraordinary.

Qin Mu opened his Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye, looking at those ancient buildings. He tsk-tsked in praise. The god statues here, in the eyes of others, were just ordinary god statues, but in his eyes, they were deities radiating ten thousand rays of light!

He observed them one by one, feeling no great fear towards these deities, but also not being sacrilegious. He simply appreciated the skill of the divine beings who had carved the god statues.

Xiang Long City was built on a huge ruin. The stone statues here were from the hands of gods and demons from a distant era. From the carving technique, Qin Mu could see flowing clouds and water-like divine craftsmanship, making him feel as if he were witnessing various beautiful divine abilities in a trance.

"From these stone statues, it seems I can comprehend quite a few skills."

Qin Mu praised. Suddenly, a middle-aged man walked over, laughing, "Youth from the countryside, want to earn money? I have a way for you to earn money. The City Lord's Manor is recruiting people for arena fights. As long as you win one match, they'll give you a hundred Dragon Coins!"

Qin Mu shook his head.

The middle-aged man then went to find other people. He found a youth, who excitedly followed him into the City Lord's Manor.

"City Lord's Manor arena fights? What does this Xiang Long City Lord want to do?" Qin Mu didn't understand.

Just then, a voice let out a loud laugh. "Ever since the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader Li Tian Xing died, the Cult Leader's Madam has always been like a divine dragon, seen only by its head but not its tail, vanishing without a trace. I didn't expect the Madam to actually come to my Xiang Long City. Madam has traveled far; it makes my humble abode of Xiang Long City shine!"

This voice was extremely loud, clearly indicating profound cultivation. Qin Mu's eardrums buzzed, and many pedestrians on the street were even shaken unconscious!

Qin Mu was surprised. "Cult Leader's Madam? Could it be Grandma?"

"City Lord is too polite." An extremely pleasant voice responded, utterly enchanting.

When Qin Mu heard this voice, he felt his mouth and tongue go dry, as if countless heart demons were leaping out from the bottom of his heart, singing and dancing.

On the street, an unknown number of pedestrians suddenly behaved as if they had drunk too much wine, waving their hands and kicking their feet, laughing loudly, their faces twisted, their expressions crazed.

After a moment, these people returned to normal, looking at each other, not knowing what had happened.