Chapter 98: Dense Water

His hand reached into the river, but he couldn't touch the woman's face.

"Why are you still here? Do you still want to protect me...?"

Qin Mu wept. He couldn't grasp the woman in the water. When he stopped, she also stopped, but they seemed to be separated by a world, unable to touch each other.

"Are you my family?"

"What happened?"

"Why did you bring me here, fleeing to Crippled Elder Village?"

"Did you stay here to see me?"

The woman in the water could no longer answer his questions; she could only gaze at him faintly, her eyes seemingly filled with tenderness and solace.

Feng Xiuyun, driving the barge with her magic, arrived. She was about to attack the female corpse in the water but froze when she saw Qin Mu kneeling on the surface, deciding not to act.

The female corpse in the water gazed at the young man from Crippled Elder Village. Fourteen years ago, she had drifted here. As the current slowed, she wasn't swept away but sank to the bottom of the river.

A powerful obsession kept her in the water, waiting quietly. When Qin Mu passed by on the barge, the familiar jade pendant awakened her resolve, causing her to float beneath the surface, watching the young man on the boat through his reflection.

"See, I've grown up. I survived..."

Qin Mu looked at the woman in the water, tears in his eyes, and smiled. He whispered, "You can rest easy now. I will search for my origins, find my hometown, uncover your past, and remember your name forever..."

The woman in the water seemed to offer a faint smile, then slowly sank into the depths, gradually disappearing from view.

Qin Mu knelt blankly on the river's surface for a long time before finally getting up. He felt that he had truly grown up, no longer a naive boy.

He returned to the barge as the mist gradually dispersed from the river.

As the woman beneath the river vanished, the mist also dissipated, and the river surface regained its clarity. In the distance, a formidable pass stood, spanning the surging river. This mighty fortress was astonishingly constructed from countless assembled ships, forming a massive encampment housing thousands of troops!

Iron chains crisscrossed the river, leaving a single waterway in the middle. This passage allowed ships to exit Secret Water Pass and enter the territory of the Eternal Peace Empire.

"Young Master, this is Secret Water Pass," Feng Xiuyun said.

Feng Xiuyun urged the giant beasts pulling the barge to enter the waterway. "The Eye of Scrutiny is in the center of the city, and all my people are there. You can rest assured, Young Master."

Qin Mu looked around, seeing the impressive military might of Secret Water Pass. Warhorses galloped swiftly between the ships, which were so tightly interlocked with mortise and tenon joints that there were almost no gaps. They resembled an incredibly complex structure rather than mere boats.

When the joints were disengaged, the vessels would revert to being ships, ready for immediate deployment.

"The people who built this are truly divine craftsmen!" Qin Mu exclaimed in admiration.

Feng Xiuyun chuckled. "Young Master, Secret Water Pass was designed and built by the head of our Cult's Craft Hall."

Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he admired it even more.

He finally understood why the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was so determined to subdue the Heavenly Devil Cult. While the Cult's military might might not rival that of Eternal Peace, it possessed a vast array of skilled artisans across all three hundred and sixty trades and halls, deeply rooted among the common people, giving it profound foundations.

The barge reached the city, where merchant ships were queuing in the waterway, awaiting inspection. Feng Xiuyun, however, steered their barge into a water lane, docked it, and led Qin Mu ashore.

Fox Spirit nimbly followed, leaping onto the satchel on Qin Mu's back within a few steps. She burrowed inside, leaving only her small head poking out, curiously looking around.

"Young Master, that's the Eye of Scrutiny," she said.

Qin Mu looked in the direction she pointed. A flying bridge spanned the waterway, and in its center stood a gleaming mirror facing the channel. Anyone passing through the waterway would be illuminated by this mirror.

All passing merchant ships had to pause beneath the bridge, and everyone on board had to be illuminated by the Eye of Scrutiny.

However, Qin Mu was now ashore and had bypassed the Eye of Scrutiny, so he naturally didn't need to worry about being detected by it.

Secret Water Pass had guards every three paces and defenses every ten, with very strict inspections. Fortunately, with Feng Xiuyun leading the way, they encountered no roadblocks.

Feng Xiuyun led him to the city's merchant district. "Young Master, you can stay in the city for now. Tomorrow, a caravan will be departing Secret Water Pass when the sluice gates open, and you can leave with them."

She hesitated for a moment before adding, "The Eternal Peace Empire hasn't been peaceful lately. If you travel alone, Young Master, it might not be safe. It would be best to join the caravan."

Qin Mu was surprised. "Not peaceful?"

The young woman cautiously glanced around, then leaned close to Qin Mu's ear. "Some powerful individuals in the empire heard that the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace suffered a major defeat during his invasion of the Great Ruins, so they seized the opportunity to assassinate him on the way back. It's said that the Imperial Preceptor was gravely wounded and nearly died. This news has spread, causing widespread panic. Some sects that defy the court's authority are taking advantage of the chaos; some are carving out their own territories, others are seizing land, and there are many bandits..."

Her beautiful hair brushed against the young man's collar, tickling him, and Qin Mu's ear tingled from her breath.

Seeing his earlobes turn red, Feng Xiuyun realized she had been too close and quickly moved away.

This young man was the future Holy Cult Master, a revered and important figure. How could she be so frivolous with him?

"One more thing," Feng Xiuyun said, steadying herself.

She composed herself, looked Qin Mu up and down, and smiled. "Young Master, your clothes need a change. Eternal Peace is not the Great Ruins; there's no need to wear such durable clothing here."

Qin Mu's clothes were sewn from animal hides. Grandma Si found that he wore out clothes too quickly with his daily training and fights, so she dressed him in animal hides from a young age. Although made of hide, the material was of excellent quality.

Qin Mu's garments were made from the pelts of the exotic Snowcloud Mink. The fur was removed, leaving only the inner layer, which kept him warm in winter and cool in summer. While practical, the style wasn't particularly appealing.

After Qin Mu learned to make his own clothes, he also used Snowcloud Mink. All the clothes he wore were self-made. If he wore ordinary silk or fabric, it would be ruined within a day from his daily training and sparring with the Blind Man and the Butcher.

"Do you know where I can find good fabric, Sister?" Qin Mu asked.

Feng Xiuyun led him to a cloth shop and went inside with Qin Mu to select fabrics. After looking around, Qin Mu couldn't find anything he liked, so he called the owner over. "Does your shop have this kind of fabric?"

He took out the handkerchief Ling Yuxiu had given him. The cloth shop owner was startled upon seeing it and quickly shook his head. "This is woven from Heavenly Scent Silk, a tribute item used exclusively by the imperial family. How could my humble cloth shop possibly carry such superior goods?"

Feng Xiuyun smiled. "Hall Master Qu, this is the Young Master."

The cloth shop owner was startled and immediately began to bow, but Qin Mu helped him up. "This is Secret Water Pass, with many eyes and ears. No need for such formality."

Hall Master Qu, the cloth shop owner, smiled. "Your subordinate didn't recognize you, Young Master, and was remiss. Please wait a moment."

He quickly walked to the backroom of the shop and soon returned with a bolt of fabric. "Young Master," he said, "although Heavenly Scent Silk is an imperial tribute, some fabrics are no less inferior. This bolt is our shop's treasure, called Golden Silkworm Silk. Our Holy Cult's Gu Hall is skilled at refining Gu. The Hundred Poisons Golden Silkworm Gu, when refined into a Six-Winged Golden Silkworm, becomes incredibly poisonous. After growing, these Hundred Poisons Six-Winged Golden Silkworms spin silk that is incomparably tough—impervious to blades and spears, untouched by water or fire, and resistant to all poisons. This fabric was entrusted to me by the Gu Hall Master for sale. Please have a look, Young Master."

Qin Mu gently stroked the fabric. It was as smooth as silk, slightly cool to the touch, and a pale gold with strange patterns. He tried to tear it with his hands but couldn't, so he admired it and, quite satisfied, asked, "How much does it cost?"

Hall Master Qu quickly shook his head. "How could I possibly accept payment from you, Young Master? This is a humble offering from your subordinate and the Gu Hall Master!"

Qin Mu smiled. "If you don't take it, I can't just not give it. Ling'er, find the money pouch."

Fox Spirit, who had been staying in the satchel on his back with only her small head visible, quickly burrowed inside upon hearing him. Soon after, she pulled out a money pouch. Qin Mu said, "These are dragon coins; they probably don't circulate in the Eternal Peace Empire. They're all yours."

Hall Master Qu had no choice but to accept the money pouch. "The Eternal Peace Empire uses Great Prosperity coins, which are indeed different from the currency of the Great Ruins. Young Master, this pouch contains several thousand coins. I will exchange some for Great Prosperity coins for you; you might need them on your journey."

Qin Mu thought for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you. How do you cut fabric woven from Golden Silkworm Silk?"

Hall Master Qu smiled. "Ordinary spirit weapons cannot cut this fabric at all. Our humble shop has a pair of Dragon Tooth Shears that can just about cut it. Please wait a moment, Young Master."

He went to the front of the hall, took out three incense sticks, and lit them. Before him was a small shrine, and astonishingly, enshrined within it was a pair of scissors.

Hall Master Qu bowed to the scissors, then carefully took them down and handed them to Qin Mu. "This is a small token of respect from your subordinate to you, Young Master..."

Qin Mu was torn between laughter and tears. "Hall Master, I can't accept your scissors... Oh? What fine scissors!"

He looked surprised. The scissors felt like warm jade, incredibly smooth. His vital qi flowed into them as if they were an extension of his own body, without any obstruction. Moreover, he could feel a terrifying, restless energy contained within the scissors!

This power was extremely terrifying and ferocious.

Qin Mu tried to cut a corner of the fabric. The exceptionally tough Golden Silkworm Silk fabric was actually severed with a 'snip.' Although it took some effort, the sharpness of the scissors was evident.

"Truly fine scissors," Qin Mu praised again.

Hall Master Qu brought over a needle and thread; the thread was also made from Hundred Poisons Golden Silkworm Silk.

Swoosh—

With a wave of Qin Mu's hand, vital qi surged forth, causing the entire bolt of fabric to float in the air and drape downwards. He then controlled the scissors with his qi to cut the fabric. At the same time, the needle Hall Master Qu had brought also lifted into the air, guided by his vital qi, automatically threaded itself, and began to sew the cut fabric mid-air.

This display was highly captivating, causing people who had entered the shop to buy fabric to stop and watch.

Not long after, Qin Mu put away the scissors and needlework. A set of clothes gently descended: the first piece was a deep-collared, brocade robe with a front opening and narrow sleeves, bordered along the opening. The second was a belt, the third an inner brocade shirt, and the fourth was a pair of trousers for the lower body.

Hall Master Qu raised his hand. "Young Master, please enter to change your clothes."

Qin Mu went into the inner room. Hall Master Qu and Feng Xiuyun waited outside. Feng Xiuyun frowned and muttered, "How did the Young Master learn tailoring from the Cult Master's wife? Is this something a Young Cult Master should be doing?"

Hall Master Qu replied, "The clothes the Young Master made are already master-level..."

Feng Xiuyun sneered, "Your flattery is truly shameless. This Hundred Poisons Golden Silkworm Silk fabric is extremely precious. It takes thousands of golden silkworms to weave such a bolt, and you just gave it to the Young Cult Master. The silk spun by just one Hundred Poisons Golden Silkworm Gu is worth almost as much as that entire pouch of dragon coins. The Young Master's outfit is priceless..."

The inner room's door opened, and Qin Mu emerged. Both their eyes lit up, and the people in the cloth shop also looked over, secretly admiring what a handsome young man he was.