Chapter 30: Seeking Revenge
Qin Mu put away the gold ingot and said, "Big guy, focus on your cultivation. I'll come find you tomorrow. You absolutely must not enter the side hall—that demon is extremely cunning!"
The demon ape nodded.
Qin Mu immediately set off back to the village. Before long, he arrived outside Cripples' Village. From a distance, he saw two paper boats parked in the air at the village entrance, with a paper crane resting under a tree by the entrance. However, there was no one on the boats or the crane—they must have already entered the village.
He walked into the village and saw the old man who had spoken from the boat sitting across from the village chief, talking. The old man said, "I heard that Granny Si from your village has exceptional tailoring skills, so I came to ask her to help cut and sew a few garments."
The village chief asked, "May I ask what kind of garments you need and what sizes?"
The old man replied, "I need burial clothes, nine sets in total. Just tailor them to the measurements of your villagers. I also heard that Master Ma is quite skilled in carpentry, so I’d like to trouble him to make nine coffins. The length of the coffins should also match everyone’s stature."
Suddenly, the old man noticed Qin Mu approaching and showed a look of surprise. He corrected himself, "I misspoke—it’s ten sets of burial clothes and ten coffins. Qianqiu, pay the deposit."
The man named Qianqiu stepped forward and waved his hand slightly. One of the paper boats at the village entrance drifted over and landed beside the village chief. Qin Mu immediately saw that the boat’s cargo was nothing but ominous items like paper money, gold ingots, candles, funeral staffs, and white banners!
The old man had the boat parked at the village entrance and said, "This is the deposit for the ten sets of burial clothes and ten coffins. May I ask if Granny and Master Ma can finish them today? To be honest, I’m in a hurry."
The lame man, the blacksmith, the pharmacist, and the others in the village had all been busy with their own work, but suddenly they fell silent. Granny Si tottered over, smiling, "Ten sets of burial clothes, all in one day? Guest, that’s a bit rushed."
Master Ma walked over and said coldly, "I work fast. The coffins can be done today. Can you wait a bit, old sir?"
The old man chuckled, "It is a bit rushed, but since you’re all capable people, you should be able to manage, right?"
Granny Si glanced at the gold ingots and candles on the boat, sneered, and said, "If you’re in a hurry to wear them, I can make them right now. As it happens, I bought some cloth a few days ago."
The old man bowed slightly, "I’ll trouble you, Granny."
Granny Si went back into her house and brought out several bolts of cloth. With a flick of her hand, the bolts floated in midair. Then a pair of scissors flew out of her basket on its own, snipping away in the air with a clicking sound. Before long, the garment shapes were formed.
From the small basket, several silver needles flew out, threading themselves and darting back and forth in the air with a whirring sound. Soon, each burial garment was sewn properly.
Meanwhile, Master Ma walked outside the village to the large willow trees by the river. Green energy flew from his fingers, swirling around the willow trees with a sharp hiss. In no time, the thick tree trunks were cut into white wooden coffins.
These white wooden coffins flew over and landed at the village entrance.
Granny Si’s garments were also finished. The old woman waved her hand lightly, and each burial garment landed on a coffin.
Master Ma strode over and said coldly, "You brought plenty of money, so I’ve made two extra coffins for free—twelve in total, custom-made. When you lie down in them, I guarantee they won’t be an inch too long or a fraction too short! Are you satisfied, old sir?"
Granny Si smiled and said, "I’ve also made two extra sets of burial clothes for free. I guarantee they’ll fit perfectly."
The old man chuckled, "Satisfied, very satisfied."
Qin Mu noticed the atmosphere growing increasingly eerie. He secretly counted—the green-clad men and the old man together totaled exactly twelve people!
The pharmacist walked over, his face dark and grim, but his voice was gentle: "Old sir, from your accent, you don’t seem to be from around here. It sounds like a southern border accent."
The old man smiled warmly, "We are indeed from the southern border, from the Li River area."
The lame man limped over, his face full of smiles, and said, "The Li River has a Li River Sect, which I hear is a major sect. They live by the river and have many experts. I’ve heard that the leader of the Li River Sect is called Mu Beifeng, and his divine abilities are extraordinary—he can reach out and cut off the river’s flow."
The old man quickly said, "I wouldn’t dare claim that, I wouldn’t dare. I am Mu Beifeng. My Li River Sect is just a small school trying to make a living, relying on the mountains and waters, usually working on the river. I have five junior brothers, and thanks to the respect of fellow cultivators, we’re called the Five Elders of the Li River."
Qin Mu’s heart tightened, and his expression changed slightly. Weren’t the Five Elders of the Li River the five old men who died at Granny Si’s hands?
Could it be that this Mu Beifeng had brought his men to avenge the Five Elders of the Li River?
He had specified making ten coffins and ten sets of burial clothes—clearly meant for everyone in Cripples’ Village. After killing the villagers, he would dress them in burial clothes, put them in the coffins, bury them on the spot, and burn some paper money and candles!
And those paper boats and paper cranes were also prepared for the dead villagers!
Mu Beifeng twisted the jade thumb ring on his thumb and said slowly, "Two years ago, the imperial court issued a summons. The National Teacher personally brought the imperial decree to my Li River Sect and sat down with me to discuss the Way. Within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, I was convinced and accepted the decree, thanking the emperor for his grace. My Li River Sect, thanks to the emperor and the National Teacher’s regard, appointed me as the Prefect of the Five Miao Prefecture in the southern border, a second-rank official, governing the Five Miao. The National Teacher also appointed the Five Elders of the Li River as Deputy Protectors of the Miao Frontier Guard, a third-rank official. We were originally free spirits, and though we’ve been given official posts, we still like to move around."
The village chief smiled, "The Yankang Kingdom is a sect disguised as a nation. With the emperor, who is known as the number one under the gods, assisted by the Yankang National Teacher, the nation’s fortunes have been thriving in recent years. They’ve subdued many sects and even sent disciples into the military to expand the territory. Brother Mu, you were originally unrestrained. Entering the court as an official means being bound by the laws of the imperial court. It’s understandable that you might find it a bit uncomfortable."
Mu Beifeng said, "So, my five junior brothers grew restless and wanted to go out for a walk. They took the Five Disciples of the Li River into the Great Wasteland. The Five Disciples are the students of my five junior brothers, with some skills. My junior brothers planned to give them some experience."
Blind man walked over, leaning on his bamboo staff, and said, "The Five Elders of the Li River went into the Great Wasteland for training? And they brought disciples? The Great Wasteland is very dangerous. I can’t help but worry for them."
Mu Beifeng sighed, "Indeed. The Great Wasteland is too dangerous, full of vicious and ruthless people everywhere. They’ve been gone for two months, and I haven’t seen them return. I knew something must have gone wrong, so I searched along the way and luckily found the place where my five junior brothers died. They died miserably. From the wounds on their broken bones, the killer should be an expert from the Demon Sect, not very tall, about the same height as Granny Si."
He shook his head and continued, "Then I found the place where their disciples died—a canyon. The bodies had been ravaged by wild beasts. Ah, what a tragic death... From the wounds on their bones, the attacker should be a young martial artist, about the same age as this young man. I heard your village has a tailor and a carpenter, so I came to order burial clothes and coffins for the murderers of my junior brothers and disciples, waiting to put them inside."
A hint of pride appeared on his face: "Although I am an imperial official, I’m used to being a rustic countryman. I’m not accustomed to the court’s red tape, so I’ll follow the rules of the martial world and come myself to avenge my junior brothers and disciples. Qianqiu."
With that, the old man fell silent and stopped talking.
Behind him, a young martial artist stepped forward, looking at Qin Mu. It was the man who had asked for directions in the air and thrown Qin Mu a gold ingot. He said, "My junior brother Qu was killed by a wooden stick used to execute a blade technique. Little brother, you carry a blade on your back. Can you show me your blade technique and spar with me?"
Qin Mu hesitated, looking at Granny Si and the village chief.
Granny Si couldn’t help but say, "Mu’er, the southern border has a wild folk style. They strike hard and show no mercy. If he asks you to draw your blade, then you should..."
"Silence!"
The village chief shouted, stopping Granny Si from continuing. He said calmly, "They’re following the rules. They haven’t used the imperial court or the Yankang National Teacher to pressure us, so we can’t break the rules either. No one is allowed to instruct Qin Mu or help him."
His gaze turned sharp as he looked at Qin Mu and said coldly, "Qin Mu, the coffins and burial clothes are right there. If you show mercy or back down, one of those coffins will be yours! Either he dies, or you die! He’s challenging you—what are you standing there for? Go!"