Chapter 5: The Five Elders of Li River
This voice suddenly came, full of vigor. Although it clearly came from a distance, it sounded as if it were ringing right in their ears, shaking Qin Mu’s ears, which had become those of a moose, until they buzzed.
He followed the sound and saw several figures standing on a distant cliff. From the foot of the mountain to the cliff, it was about six or seven li away. Qin Mu could no longer see their faces clearly, but being able to transmit their voices so far and with such clarity meant they were likely no ordinary people.
Granny Si carried a basket and laughed, “Demon? What demon? I’m just an ordinary old woman by the river, and this little deer is also an ordinary deer, raised by me…”
“Mu’er, run!”
Hearing Granny Si’s voice, Qin Mu was startled. He wanted to speak but couldn’t make a sound. He didn’t want to leave, worried that Granny Si might be in danger.
“An ordinary person by the river? With such a full voice, able to transmit it clearly to our ears, an ordinary old woman couldn’t do that.”
On the cliff, an old but resonant voice sneered, “Moreover, the Five Elders of Li River would never mistake the Demon Heavenly Creation Art. Skinning to make clothes, transforming in a thousand ways—we’ve seen such vicious techniques with our own eyes, and you still try to deny it?”
Another old man on the cliff said in a deep voice, “Turning people into cattle and sheep with the Demon Heavenly Creation Art, then taking them to market to slaughter and sell—haven’t you done such things plenty of times? Many of our righteous predecessors have been turned into cattle and sheep by you demons, plowing fields and eating grass for a lifetime! Your tricks can’t fool us!”
Yet another old man spoke with a tone of pity, “A deer is also a life. You’ve refined its skin and soul into evil artifacts. If we don’t kill you, how many more lives will you destroy? Who else should we kill but you?”
Granny Si pinched the brow of Qin Mu, who had been turned into a deer, and pulled out a silver needle. She whispered, “These old bastards can’t do anything to your granny, but with you here, I’ll have to split my attention to protect you. Run fast, run back to the village!”
Qin Mu didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned and sprinted. Having been turned into a deer, he thought he’d be clumsy, but once he ran, he realized he was wrong. Not only did he feel no discomfort from the transformation, but he also ran incredibly fast, as if he had been a deer all along.
“Little demon spawn, trying to escape? Letting you get away would only bring disaster to the world! Disciples of Li River, this time we brought you out for training. That deer is your target. Cut it down and bring its head to us!”
“Yes!” Five clear voices, male and female, mixed together and replied in unison.
The figures on the cliff flickered, leaped down from the precipice, and ran down the cliff face, faster than galloping horses. At the bottom of the cliff, a deep pool had formed from the mountain waterfall and stream. The five people actually walked across the water, their feet skimming the surface as they ran straight toward the moose that Qin Mu had become.
Granny Si’s heart sank. “Spirit bodies! Their Spirit Embryo Divine Treasures are quite advanced. Mu’er isn’t fast enough; he’ll definitely be caught!”
Just as she was about to intervene, four figures from the cliff stepped through the air and landed around her in an instant. One more person remained standing on the cliff, proud and aloof, not coming down.
“The Five Elders of Li River are famous figures in the Southern Wastelands. What are you doing in the Great Wasteland?”
Granny Si’s eyes darted around as she saw the four old men surrounding her. She chuckled, “This Great Wasteland is very dangerous. Aren’t you afraid of dying here?”
One of the five elders, a man with a black beard, said coldly, “We heard that the Great Wasteland harbors filth and evil, a refuge for demons and monsters who can’t survive elsewhere. So we five elders brought our disciples here to vanquish demons and eliminate evil.”
“Who is demon and who is evil, who vanquishes whom, and who eliminates whom—that’s not certain yet.”
Granny Si carried her basket with one hand and pulled out a pair of scissors from it with the other, looking as if her eyes were dim with age. She smiled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve stretched my old bones, but luckily I haven’t completely forgotten my old skills. You five old ghosts, do you also want to be made into clothes by me?”
“Evil creature, you dare to be arrogant in front of us? Do you even deserve to be arrogant?”
The four elders of Li River shouted, their figures moving as they crossed paths and charged at Granny Si.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu was running with all his might toward Cripple Village when he heard thunderous rumbling from behind. The thunder was accompanied by lightning, and white electric flashes illuminated the wilderness, many times brighter than sunlight!
He looked back and saw a surging wave of air erupting from where Granny Si stood, lifting the grass, scattering rocks, and even hurling several large boulders weighing hundreds or thousands of jin into the air, swept up by the sudden storm and flying outward at tremendous speed!
“Will Granny be okay…”
Qin Mu’s heart sank. Suddenly, he heard the sound of splashing water from the river. He saw a young man and a young woman running across the surface of the water!
The pair stepped on the river, their bodies not sinking. Their feet rose and fell so quickly—even faster than his own running speed—that the river didn’t have time to cover their insteps before they had already sped away!
“These two have achieved what Cripple Grandpa called ‘walking on waves.’ I can’t do that yet. They’re stronger than me!”
The young man and woman crossed the river at the center, quickly overtaking Qin Mu and heading toward the riverbank from the water, clearly planning to cut him off ahead.
Qin Mu looked back. One more person was chasing him from behind, while the other two were swiftly weaving through the mountain ridges to his left. Their figures occasionally leaped up from the dense forest, running across the treetops with a whoosh. But they couldn’t sustain it for long and soon had to land to catch their breath.
Even so, they would soon overtake Qin Mu and get ahead of him.
“I can’t let them cut me off! I need to get back to the village faster than them and get Cripple Grandpa and Horse Grandpa to save Granny!”
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, veered away from the riverbank, and charged diagonally into the forest.
If he kept running along the river, he’d definitely be blocked. The two in the river were too fast, while the two in the forest were slightly slower, so charging into the woods was his only escape route.
“Little demon spawn, you and that demon killed a deer and refined evil artifacts—don’t think you can escape!”
As soon as Qin Mu entered the forest, one of the two intercepting him, a young man, suddenly accelerated, surpassing the other, but he was still a step too late. Qin Mu, in his deer form, rushed past him.
“No need to worry, he won’t get away!”
Ahead, the young man and woman looked calm. The woman let out a light laugh, her sleeves fluttering as she suddenly sped up, leaping nimbly among the treetops to chase the deer in the forest. The other man took his time, directing the other three to encircle and head toward Qin Mu.
Qin Mu ran frantically, but he couldn’t shake off the five. Not only that, but they were forcing him farther and farther from Cripple Village, gradually deeper into the Great Wasteland.
He had lived in Cripple Village for fourteen or fifteen years, and the farthest he’d ever been from the village was about ten li. Now, he had gone too far. The paths around him grew increasingly unfamiliar and desolate, until there were no paths at all.
Suddenly, Qin Mu saw a valley ahead filled with peach blossoms, with a herd of deer living in the peach forest. He rushed over and blended into the herd.
Whoosh—
A fragrant breeze swept by. The woman, her clothes fluttering, landed on the ground, looked at the deer herd ahead, and frowned.
“Senior Sister, where’s that little demon spawn?” Several figures landed, and a young man about Qin Mu’s age asked.
The woman pursed her lips and said, “He’s mixed in with the deer herd.”
“Kill all these deer!”
Several young men and women charged into the herd, drawing swords and knives, and mercilessly slaughtered the moose. Though the moose were fast, they couldn’t outrun these well-trained spirit bodies.
These five youths were all spirit bodies and had already become martial artists, with no small strength. Even as the deer herd scattered in all directions, they couldn’t escape the pursuit. Soon, one moose after another was cut down.
“Didn’t you say that moose are also lives?”
Suddenly, a human voice came from the chaotic herd: “Granny only killed one deer, but you’ve killed the whole herd. Why do you still call us the demonic path?”
“There!”
The woman’s eyes lit up. She gathered her qi and channeled it into her sword. White tiger energy infused the blade, radiating golden light. The sword flew from her hand, slicing toward Qin Mu as he fled among the deer!
Qin Mu veered sharply, and the sword also suddenly turned, continuing to stab at him!
“What kind of martial art is this?”
Qin Mu’s mind went blank. “Is it a divine ability? Doesn’t seem like it. Butcher Grandpa said divine abilities are the pinnacle of martial arts. This woman’s martial arts are far inferior to Butcher Grandpa and the others…”
The sword came from behind. The moose Qin Mu had become barely dodged by turning almost flat against the ground. In that fleeting moment, he caught a glimpse of a thin thread at the sword’s hilt. One end of the thread was connected to the sword, and the other end was in the woman’s hand.
This thread was as fine as silk, nearly impossible to detect.
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