Chapter 70: Demons and Monsters
Qin Mu was led by her hand, feeling the soft and smooth touch of the girl's fingers, which stirred his heart. However, Fu Tingyue's ruthless cruelty still made him deeply uncomfortable.
He turned his head to look back. On the platform in the lake, Fu Tingyue had already severed his opponent's ten fingers and still hadn't stopped. He then proceeded to cut off the opponent's wrists, more excited than a wild beast.
"This guy's a madman! But come to think of it, this Young Master Tingyue seems to have some connection to me."
Qin Mu pondered. Back then, Granny Si had picked him up from the riverbank. Fearing he might die young, she sneaked into Xianglong City and kidnapped the city lord's wife, who had just given birth not long ago. She transformed herself into a milk cow to nurse Qin Mu, helping him survive that fragile period of infancy.
The child born to the city lord's wife at that time should be Fu Tingyue.
Qin Mu had grown up drinking his mother's milk, and that was the connection between them.
Qin Mu turned back. The young man on the lake platform was beyond saving. For the sake of a hundred dragon coins, he had entered the city lord's mansion to compete in the arena. Since he dared to come in, he naturally had some skill, but he never expected to lose his life.
Inside Zhenjiang Tower, music and dance filled the air. Qin Mu followed Ling Yuxiu into the tower, where dancing girls were performing. As the dancers swept their five fingers through the air, crisp, tinkling sounds rang out—the sound of their primal energy. Every tilt of the head, every stomp of the foot, was accompanied by rhythm.
While dancing gracefully, they could also use their primal energy to pluck out beautiful melodies, which amazed Qin Mu.
On both sides of the tower were many low tables, where people of distinguished bearing sat cross-legged, drinking and enjoying themselves. Some watched the dancers, while others looked toward the lake platform to appreciate the duels.
The scene on the platform had already turned extremely gruesome. The young man with iron bones and bronze tendons had been tortured beyond recognition, yet no one in the tower spoke up to stop it.
Ling Yuxiu pulled Qin Mu directly to a low table and sat down cross-legged, acting completely at ease as if she belonged there.
The people seated in Zhenjiang Tower were all powerful figures from various regions, imposing and extraordinary. When they saw this young man and woman arrive, they were somewhat surprised but did not ask any questions.
They assumed this pair of jade-like youths were disciples of some eminent master, here to join in the excitement and broaden their horizons at this gathering in Zhenjiang Tower.
On the low table before them were rare fruits, delicacies, and exotic meats, all cooked to perfection—colorful, fragrant, and tender. Qin Mu's mouth watered.
Granny Si had dragged him off to sell cattle and sheep and buy things, and he hadn't eaten dinner yet. He was already feeling hungry.
Qin Mu took a bite of the food in front of him. His eyes lit up, and he felt as if his tongue was melting. He couldn't help but focus entirely on the delicacies before him. Ling Yuxiu, who had said she was hungry, only took two bites before putting down her chopsticks, watching him wolf down the food with great interest.
At the low table next to Qin Mu sat the Madam Cult Leader, whose beauty captivated the entire city. She too watched Qin Mu and the girl beside him with amusement.
"Is she really Granny Si?" Qin Mu wondered.
Besides her, there was another person who kept glancing in Qin Mu's direction. Sensing the gaze, Qin Mu looked up and was slightly startled. This person was clad in full armor, not even removing it for the banquet. It was the young general Qin Feiyue, whom he had met twice on the Yong River.
"Qin Feiyue is here too? He didn't return to Yanguo?"
Qin Mu was puzzled, then buried his head back in the food. Ling Yuxiu giggled and said, "That young general keeps staring at you. Does he know you?"
Qin Mu swallowed the food in his mouth, thought for a moment, and said, "We've met twice. There was also a chubby Seventh Young Master with him, but I don't know where he went."
Ling Yuxiu pretended to be angry and pinched his arm.
Qin Mu had no idea why this girl was upset. He thought to himself, "This girl is really strange. That General Qin Feiyue is also strange. When she pinched me, he almost jumped up but held himself back. I'm the one being pinched, not him. What's he hurting for..."
Suddenly, an old man spoke up: "City Lord, is that your son outside? Truly impressive skills. I've long heard that Young Master Tingyue is the strongest martial artist among the younger generation of Xianglong City, and now I see it's indeed true."
Fu Yundi laughed and said, "You flatter me, Elder Baishan. My son has only learned some crude techniques, hardly worth mentioning."
That Elder Baishan smiled kindly and said, "Not at all. I've long heard that Young Master Tingyue is the number one martial artist within a thousand miles. Last year alone, he went through three hundred and fifty-two challenges, killing three hundred and fifty-two martial artists from various places. Not one escaped from his hands. For someone so young to possess such combat prowess is truly remarkable."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow but continued eating intently.
Fu Yundi quickly said with a smile, "The ones my son killed were all abandoned people from the Great Ruins. If they were from elsewhere, my son would still show mercy."
Elder Baishan laughed and said, "Even among the abandoned people, there are no lack of strong ones. Young Master Tingyue's skills are indeed impressive." He then praised him endlessly.
Fu Yundi chuckled and said, "My son is an honest man. He never forces anyone to compete with him. He simply goes to the streets to invite these abandoned people from the Great Ruins to come and fight in the arena, promising them money. But alas, men die for wealth, birds die for food. These abandoned people still come in droves to challenge my son, and they all end up losing their lives. My son has never once spent those hundred dragon coins. Speaking of which, my son really knows how to live frugally." He then burst into laughter.
Everyone joined in the laughter.
Just then, a dark-faced old man abruptly stopped smiling, his voice thundering, drowning out the laughter: "Madam Cult Leader, you've been studying the Great Demon Heavenly Scripture for years now. Isn't it time you let us have a look?"
This gaunt, dark-faced old man sat across from Qin Mu. He looked withered, his eyes lifeless, sitting there like a charred piece of wood, but his voice was extremely loud.
As soon as he spoke, everyone in the tower turned their attention to the captivating Madam Cult Leader sitting next to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu quickly put down his ivory chopsticks, stopped moving, and closed his mouth, but he couldn't resist sneaking a chew of the food still in his mouth.
After swallowing the food in his mouth, the boy hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help himself. He picked up the ivory chopsticks, grabbed a slice of smooth fish, and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.
The charcoal-like old man flew into a rage and glared at Qin Mu: "Stop eating!"
The Madam Cult Leader beside Qin Mu chuckled and said, "So it's Black Venerable. Why must you be so angry, Black Venerable? The City Lord invited us here to eat, so why can't we eat? City Lord, am I right?"
Fu Yundi coughed and said with a smile, "This grand gathering is also a banquet. I invite you all to taste the delicacies of my Xianglong City. Naturally, we must eat until both host and guests are satisfied."
The Madam Cult Leader laughed softly, picked up a bright red fruit, and put it in her mouth. She wiped her delicate hands slowly and deliberately, then watched Qin Mu with interest as he continued to wolf down his food.
Ling Yuxiu was also surprised. She never expected Qin Mu to still be able to eat under these circumstances.
Before long, Qin Mu was half full. He thought for a moment, then took out an oil-paper package from his bosom, unwrapped the dried rations inside, and picked some soft, delicious food from the table to place in the package, carefully wrapping it up.
The charcoal-like Black Venerable across from him couldn't help but scold, "Boy, you can't finish it, so you're taking it away?"
Qin Mu said sheepishly, "Granny and Blind Grandpa and I only arrived in the city today. We only ate some dried rations on the road and haven't had a proper meal. The food here is very fragrant. Granny and Blind Grandpa have bad teeth, so I'm picking some to take back for them." He then glanced at the Madam Cult Leader, wondering, "Is she really Granny Si? Wait, isn't that the scent of the rouge I bought with Granny Si?"
A soft light flickered in the Madam Cult Leader's eyes, as if she was deeply moved. She smiled and said, "You're a filial person. The more I look at you, the more I like you."
Everyone in the tower looked on with amusement, feeling sympathy for Qin Mu: "The Madam Cult Leader has always been a notorious enchantress. She hates these tedious rituals of filial piety the most. This kid is definitely going to die horribly!"
The charcoal-like Black Venerable waited until Qin Mu had finished wrapping up the food, then said coldly, "Are you full now?"
Qin Mu answered honestly, "Half full."
Black Venerable was choked with anger and let out a cold snort. The sound of his snort caused the hundred or so window frames of Zhenjiang Tower to rattle loudly.
Qin Mu couldn't help but admire him and praised, "Senior, your cultivation is truly profound. I can't do that."
The veins on Black Venerable's forehead twitched twice. He suppressed his anger and waited quietly for Qin Mu to finish eating. The ever-smiling Madam Cult Leader also put down her ivory chopsticks and stopped eating.
Black Venerable exhaled the stale air that had been pent up in his chest for a long time and said coldly, "Now that everyone's full, can we get down to business?"
Everyone in the tower turned their sharp gazes toward the Madam Cult Leader.
The Madam Cult Leader's smile was enchanting, brightening the room for everyone present. She laughed and said, "Black Venerable, even if I gave you the Great Demon Heavenly Scripture, do you think you could walk out of Xianglong City alive? The City Lord would probably be the first to take your life, and I doubt anyone present would allow you to leave the Great Ruins alive."
Black Venerable stood up. Behind him, his primal energy suddenly turned pitch black, coalescing in the air behind his head into a four-armed demon, ferocious and menacing!
To use primal energy to such a peak level, even manifesting it into a demon god—this was a technique no less than Fu Yundi's Eight Aspects Divine Art!
Black Venerable swept his gaze around and said coldly, "If the sacred scripture of the Demon Sect falls into my hands, it will be mine. Who dares to covet it? Aren't they afraid I'll kill them?"
Everyone in the tower smiled but said nothing.
The Madam Cult Leader giggled and said, "In this hall, we have honored guests from Yanguo and hidden masters from the Great Ruins. Which of them can you eliminate? This young general here is from Yanguo, isn't he?"
She pointed at Qin Feiyue and smiled, "I've long heard that the National Teacher is the strongest under the gods, and his disciples must be extraordinary as well."
Qin Feiyue bowed slightly and said, "I am General Qin Feiyue. My master is indeed the National Teacher of Yanguo. However, I am not here for the Madam Cult Leader or the Great Demon Heavenly Scripture. Although the Madam Cult Leader is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the Great Demon Heavenly Scripture is said to be a method for becoming a god, the National Teacher does not care."
There was a natural pride in his words. As the strongest under the gods, the National Teacher cared nothing for any technique, not even the sacred scripture of the Demon Sect that could supposedly lead to godhood!
Suddenly, a cold voice sneered, "This is the Great Ruins, not Yanguo. What the National Teacher cares about is none of our damn business!"
Qin Feiyue's eyes flashed with killing intent. He followed the voice and saw that the speaker was a burly man with a bristly beard sitting across from him. The man sat cross-legged casually, his shirt half open, grabbing food with one hand while the other hand rubbed grime from his chest. After a few rubs, he rolled a black, grimy ball between his fingers and flicked it away to who knows where.
Qin Feiyue frowned, a look of disgust on his face. "These ruffians from the Great Ruins are so crude. No point getting angry with them. When the National Teacher's army arrives, all these demons and monsters will have to submit!"
He then glanced at the girl beside Qin Mu and felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He was truly troubled. "How did the Seventh Princess end up hanging out with that boy from the Remnant Village? She even pinched him just now—that's a bit too intimate. If word of this gets out, what will happen to the royal family's dignity..."