Chapter 844: Qin Mu Eats Peaches

"Young Master, the Palace Mistress requests your presence. Please come with us."

The girls, carrying lanterns that cast a red glow, swayed them gently before Qin Mu, their bodies subtly dipping.

Taking a small step back, the girls placed their left fist on their waists, holding their lanterns in their right hands pressed over their left, and bowed to him.

Qin Mu returned the gesture. The lanterns then turned halfway as the girls gracefully turned around, leading the way with their lanterns.

The red candlelight from the lanterns illuminated the path ahead, which was impeccably clean, without a single withered leaf in sight.

As Qin Mu followed, he looked around, hoping to discern the owner from the architectural style. However, the buildings lacked any patterns or carvings, making it impossible for him to determine their age.

For him, dating a building by its architectural style was usually straightforward, as each era had distinct and easily identifiable characteristics.

Even within the same era, different races exhibited widely divergent architectural styles.

Yet, the palace nestled within this peach grove was unadorned. Its simple white walls, red bricks, and blue tiles possessed a unique, rustic beauty, appearing minimalist and transcendent, especially under the glow of starlight and candlelight.

"Earlier, the woman in the palace mentioned an old friend had arrived. Does she mean me, or figures like Celestial Venerable and Earth Count whom I perceive? Or perhaps someone Emperor Chi and his companions recognize?"

Qin Mu's divine sense rippled towards the Qin-character continent. "Celestial Venerable," he communicated, "I don't know who this woman in the peach forest is. Can you please check for me from above?"

Celestial Venerable's avatar shook his head. "I cannot see what's inside the palace," he replied. "There's a peculiar barrier here. When I look, all I perceive are swirling peach blossoms."

Qin Mu was surprised; the Blind Man had also previously mentioned that when he looked at the palace in the peach forest, he could only see peach blossoms.

"Celestial Venerable, you mentioned earlier that you saw me in a peculiar Heavens. What does that realm look like?"

Celestial Venerable's voice grew fainter. "The space in that Heavens is distorted, forming various folded dimensions," he explained. "A single step could carry you thousands of miles, or from one world into another. I have never encountered a Heavens like this..."

His voice then vanished, as if something had blocked it.

Qin Mu attempted to sense the Qin-character continent but discovered it had seemingly disappeared.

He then tried to sense Youdu, only to find he couldn't perceive it either!

He composed himself, thinking, "Since she's an old friend, there shouldn't be any ill intent..."

Soon, he followed the women into the palace. The interior was simply furnished, devoid of excessive decoration. A few luminous pearls hung around, casting a bright glow that made the chamber feel warm and spring-like.

A screen stood before him, behind which a woman was vaguely visible, seated and seemingly playing a zither. Her movements were slow, occasionally plucking a single string, devoid of melody, yet leaving a lingering resonance.

The woman behind the screen was positioned sideways to him, a luminous pearl behind her casting her graceful silhouette onto the screen.

The lantern-bearing girls bowed to the woman behind the screen, then turned to hang the lanterns outside the door. One girl retrieved a futon and invited Qin Mu to sit.

Qin Mu sat down, facing the woman behind the screen. His eyes blinked, and the vertical eye on his brow occasionally flickered, but he remained silent.

After a moment, a zither string was plucked, and its sound lingered softly.

"Celestial Venerable is truly meddlesome, bringing you here without cause."

The woman behind the screen had a very pleasant voice. She tilted her head slightly, and strands of hair flowed down her temples, vaguely revealing a pearl dangling from her earlobe, gently swaying.

"It has been a long time since I've had guests here. Originally, I shouldn't have met you, but Young Master Qin has shown me kindness. Since you've found your way here, I cannot refuse to see you."

The woman smiled. "It's a rare pleasure to see an old friend," she said. "I am humbled to be your host, though I confess my hospitality might be lacking. Please forgive me."

Qin Mu's gaze flickered as he tried to see through the screen. However, he didn't know what kind of treasure it was; even his Ninefold Heaven Eye Opening technique couldn't penetrate it, nor could the vertical eye on his forehead discern the woman's face behind it.

"My dear lady, since we are old acquaintances, why not come out and meet?"

Two girls carried a small jade table, setting it before Qin Mu, then poured fragrant tea before withdrawing. Qin Mu took a sip; the aroma lingered on his lips, better even than the tea from the Heavens. He smiled and said, "With the Primordial Realm's reappearance, it was quite an effort for me to find my way here. Since our meeting is so rare, why do you still hide behind the screen?"

"I am no longer as I once was," the woman replied.

The woman behind the screen sighed faintly. "My legs are broken, and I cannot stand," she explained. "Please forgive me, Young Master Qin."

Qin Mu stood up and walked towards the screen, smiling. "I am quite proficient in medicine and the art of creation," he said. "Any ailment or injury is easily remedied; even recreating your physical body would be no trouble. Since you cannot rise, then I will come to you."

He reached the screen and walked around it, only to halt abruptly, finding another screen still directly in front of him.

Qin Mu circled again, but it was still a screen before him. No matter which angle he approached, he invariably faced the front of the screen, and the woman's silhouette remained cast upon it, as if he hadn't moved at all.

Qin Mu turned around to face the grand hall's entrance and attempted to move sideways. Yet, no matter how he shifted, he consistently found himself facing the doorway.

This woman's divine ability was clearly a spatial one, exceedingly mysterious.

"Young Master Qin, please sit back down."

The woman behind the screen plucked a string and chuckled. "My appearance is now disfigured, and my body incomplete, lest I frighten you," she said. "As for my wounds, I fear Young Master Qin does not yet possess the ability to heal them. They were caused by divine abilities, and the residual power still lingers within the wounds, continuously damaging my physical body and primordial spirit. You do not yet have the means to nullify such abilities."

Qin Mu could only return to his futon, saying, "My lady..."

The woman chuckled lightly. "How many 'sisters' does Young Master Qin have?" she quipped.

Two more girls approached, carrying a fruit platter laden with clean peaches. The fruit's intoxicating aroma filled the air, making Qin Mu's mouth water.

Qin Mu's face flushed slightly. "I haven't counted either," he chuckled. "My lady, have we met before?"

"Of course, we have."

The woman began, "It was only later that I learned..."

Suddenly, faint zither music drifted from outside. The woman's expression shifted slightly. "I have guests arriving," she announced. "Yan'er, please escort Young Master Qin to the back hall to rest, and move the jade table there as well."

She added apologetically, "Please, Young Master, go to the back hall for tea and fruit."

Qin Mu could only rise. The girl named Yan'er, along with the others, carried away the jade table.

The zither music from outside drew closer. The woman behind the screen also plucked a single string, the sound ethereal.

Qin Mu sat in the back hall, listening to the zither music. The woman behind the screen only plucked a string occasionally, whereas the music from outside was a complete composition.

The zither sounds seemed to clash in the air, causing the space to become unstable, vibrating like taut strings or pulsing like musical notes.

Qin Mu's heart stirred; he instantly recognized the newcomer. "Red Emperor Qi Xiayu!" he thought. "Why is she here?"

As he pondered, the zither music reached the front of the hall and then abruptly stopped. He heard footsteps, followed by Qi Xiayu's voice. "Disciple greets Master!" she said. "Has Master been well all these years?"

"Quite well," the woman behind the screen replied.

Qin Mu was profoundly shaken. "Qi Xiayu is this woman's disciple? Wait a moment, Qi Xiayu is an Emperor-tier powerhouse, the Southern Red Emperor of the Heavenly Court, and formerly the leader of the Phoenix Clan under Earth Mother Sovereign! This woman is her Master, so who exactly is she?"

What made him even more apprehensive was Qi Xiayu's history. She had first served under Earth Mother Sovereign, then as a general for the Emperor's Heavenly Court. Later, during the calamity of the Emperor era, she was defeated, captured, and subsequently defected to the Outer Heavenly Court.

After joining the Outer Heavenly Court, Qi Xiayu then became involved with Li Youran, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Kaihuang Era, who later became Emperor Shitian Buddha.

This intricate relationship led to considerable criticism of Qi Xiayu's character.

However, what if all her experiences had been prearranged?

What if every action of Qi Xiayu's had been secretly manipulated by the woman behind the screen?

"Has Master's injury flared up again?" Qi Xiayu's voice inquired.

The woman behind the screen replied, "Since you left, it has flared up once or twice every few hundred years. I've lost count of the occurrences by now; I suppose I've simply grown accustomed to it."

"If Master were to seek out Dao Ancestor, Great Brahma King Buddha, and others, perhaps your injuries could be resolved."

"It's no use. Dao Ancestor came to examine it, and he said he was powerless."

Qin Mu listened intently. The girl named Yan'er picked up a teacup and gestured for him to drink. Qin Mu quickly took the cup, took a sip, and then set it down again, continuing to listen.

The girl sat on the floor, leaning beside him, and offered a peeled peach to his mouth. Qin Mu reached to take it, but Yan'er shook her hand, so he had to bite off a piece, swallowing it whole. "Sister Yan'er," he whispered, "I can manage by myself."

The girl named Yan'er chuckled. "You really do call everyone 'sister'," she observed.

The other girls also burst into laughter.

Qi Xiayu seemed to sense something and became alert. "Master, have you hidden a man in the hall?" she asked. "I heard a man's voice!"

The woman behind the screen chuckled. "It's an old friend of mine who came to visit," she said. "You're being overly suspicious again. Your excessive doubt is why your life isn't entirely content."

Qi Xiayu stood up and walked closer, smiling. "Since it's Master's old friend, then I certainly must pay my respects to the senior."

She swiftly moved to the back of the hall, smiling. "Senior, why hide?" she asked. "Your junior, Qi Xiayu, has come to pay her respects... Wait, why is it you?"

Her eyes widened. In the back hall, she saw a cheerful young man sitting on a futon, surrounded by several girls nestled beside him, all attempting to feed him peaches.

Qin Mu, with a peach in his mouth and juice running down his chin, looked at her awkwardly and smiled. "Red Emperor, there's no need for such formalities," he said.

Qi Xiayu became furious, stepping forward and gritting her teeth. "You philanderer, always by the side of faithless men, daring to come to my teacher's abode to flirt!" she fumed. "Today, I'll send you on your way!"

At that moment, the woman behind the screen in the front hall coughed. Her voice echoed, "Xiayu, he is my honored guest. Do not be rude!"