Chapter 82: Qin Mu's Qin

Early the next morning, Ling Yuxiu arrived at the inn to find Qin Mu and bid him farewell.

She was still as before, using the hair at her temples to make her face appear thinner. She sat opposite Qin Mu, ordered a pot of clear tea, and with bright eyes, said, "The Great Ruins is a poor and desolate place, not somewhere to stay for long. The world you see here is just a remote and barren corner. Only by leaving the Great Ruins can you see the vastness of the world outside. Out there, techniques and divine abilities are advancing with each passing day. The Imperial Preceptor of Yan Kingdom and the Emperor have the ambition and ability to create a new era. Right now, the techniques and divine abilities of Yan Kingdom are undergoing a great revolution! You have courage and potential. I don't want you to waste your life in this backwater. Although I am a woman, I also want to accomplish something. If you are willing to leave with me, we can set out today."

Qin Mu was stunned. Follow this girl to Yan Kingdom?

He did want to leave the Great Ruins and gain some experience outside. The Great Ruins was too dangerous; he currently lacked the strength to explore it. Even someone like the Village Chief had never traveled the entire Great Ruins.

He needed training now.

People from outside the Great Ruins came here to train, but he wanted to go outside the Great Ruins to gain experience. Ling Yuxiu's invitation was very tempting.

Although the Imperial Preceptor of Yan Kingdom wanted to conquer the Great Ruins and occupy it, Qin Mu didn't dislike him. On the contrary, he admired the Imperial Preceptor.

The Imperial Preceptor had made such great reforms, bringing other sects under his control, jointly creating ultimate techniques, and advancing the progress of techniques and divine abilities. Such breadth of vision and talent were admirable.

He wanted to go out and see the new era and the new ultimate techniques created by such an extraordinary person.

"Where do you live?" Qin Mu asked.

"The capital," Ling Yuxiu said.

The young man thought for a moment and smiled, "I will definitely go to the capital of Yan Kingdom. You go back to the capital first. When I arrive, I'll find you."

Ling Yuxiu frowned. "You won't come with me?"

Qin Mu rubbed his head, troubled. "My family's rules are strict. I have to pass their tests before I can leave home. I have nine family elders, and I have to pass nine trials before I'm allowed to go out and train."

Ling Yuxiu was surprised. "With your skills, you can't pass the tests?"

She found it hard to believe. Qin Mu had drawn his knife and killed Fu Tingyue in one strike, which was truly stunning. Fu Tingyue was the number one martial artist in Xianglong City. Although being number one in Xianglong City wasn't much in Yan Kingdom, Qin Mu's strength was already outstanding in the Spirit Embryo realm. In her opinion, he could definitely rank in the top ten.

Yet with such skill, he still couldn't pass his family's tests?

"My family's rules are quite strict."

Qin Mu said sheepishly, "I have to pass nine trials to be considered an adult, but so far, I haven't passed a single one."

"Then I'll wait for you in the capital. Oh, and there are Mirror Guardians at the Yan border. If you pass through there, you need to be careful."

Ling Yuxiu stood up and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and said with a half-smile, "I gave you a handkerchief. Won't you give me something in return?"

Qin Mu quickly searched himself but couldn't find anything worth giving. After thinking for a moment, he took the large iron hammer from his back and handed it over.

Ling Yuxiu was caught between laughter and tears. She bit her red lip. "You're giving a girl a large iron hammer?"

Qin Mu scratched his head, then took out the butcher knife, the bamboo staff, the ink and paper, and a bag of dragon coins, stammering, "Pick whichever you like..."

"Forget it, forget it. I'll take the large iron hammer."

Ling Yuxiu shook her head, picked up the large iron hammer, and walked out of the inn. Outside, many cultivators were standing guard on both sides of the door. Qin Feiyue was holding a fine horse. When he saw Ling Yuxiu come out, he glanced curiously at the iron hammer in her hand but didn't ask, quickly saying, "The tower ship is ready. Please mount your horse, Seventh Prince... Seventh Princess!"

Ling Yuxiu swung onto the horse, winked at the stunned Qin Mu in the inn, and stuck out her tongue.

Qin Mu was dumbfounded. "You, you..."

"I'm the chubby Seventh Prince you were talking about! Cowherd, see you in the capital!"

Ling Yuxiu let out a crisp laugh, her voice like tinkling bells. Holding the large iron hammer in one hand and a horsewhip in the other, she galloped away.

Qin Mu was stunned, clutching the handkerchief in his hand, speechless. Qin Feiyue waved his hand, signaling the many Yan Kingdom cultivators to quickly follow Ling Yuxiu. He glanced into the inn, then walked in, sat down opposite Qin Mu, and looked straight at him with sharp eyes. "Your surname is Qin?"

Qin Mu steadied himself, suppressing the shock of learning that Ling Yuxiu was the "chubby Seventh Prince," and nodded. "General, your surname is also Qin. I've heard others call you Young General Qin."

"There are many people with the surname Qin in the world."

Qin Feiyue poured himself some tea and said calmly, "Some people are born lowly, from poverty. Some are born noble, from wealth. Having the surname Qin doesn't mean anything. Although your surname is Qin, you are an abandoned person, a lowly citizen of the Great Ruins. Little brother, don't have too many delusions. You can't reach that high." He finished his tea in one gulp, left a gold ingot, and turned to walk out of the inn.

"Young General Qin, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Qin Mu stood up and also walked out of the inn. The innkeeper quickly came out and bowed respectfully. "Young master, are you returning?"

Qin Feiyue was momentarily surprised, thinking the innkeeper was addressing him, but realized the innkeeper was bowing to Qin Mu.

"No need for formalities in front of outsiders."

Qin Mu waved his hand and looked around. The vast Xianglong City, with its towering buildings, was prosperous and thriving.

This was his city!

He walked toward the city lord's mansion. In front of the gambling house, a group of burly men bowed. "Young master!"

He passed the brothel, and the madam led the girls out, bowing in unison. "Young master!"

He passed the bookshop, flower market, vegetable market, butcher shop, tavern, antique shop, utensil shop, pharmacy, blacksmith's shop, and weapon shop. One figure after another came out and bowed to him.

"Young master!"

...

Qin Feiyue frowned as he watched Qin Mu walk all the way to the city lord's mansion of Xianglong City. The gates of the mansion opened, and Xianglong City Lord Fu Yundi laughed heartily as he strode out to greet him. He ordered his attendants, "Have you no eyes? Hurry up and call him young master!"

The cultivators guarding the gate all bowed, their voices booming, "Young master!"

"From now on, this entire city is ours!" Fu Yundi laughed heartily as he walked into the city lord's mansion with Qin Mu.

Qin Feiyue frowned deeply, unsure of what was happening. He didn't know why Fu Yundi was so cheerful and friendly with the man who killed his son, as if Fu Tingyue wasn't his son, but Qin Mu was.

He also didn't know how Qin Mu had managed to latch onto such a powerful figure as Fu Yundi.

"A rustic barbarian is only fit to be king in the marketplace, never to ascend to the halls of power."

He turned and left. When he reached the city gate, he suddenly stopped, his body trembling slightly as he understood the key point. He turned back and looked incredulously at the city lord's mansion at the end of the main street.

"Creation Demon Art! The Demon Sect Leader's Wife!"

He steadied himself and turned away. "Fu Yundi is already dead, skinned. The Fu Yundi in the city is the Demon Sect Leader's wife! Xianglong City has changed hands. The cultivators under Fu Yundi have probably all been replaced by Demon Sect cultivators. The entire city is full of Demon Sect people! Fortunately, the Imperial Preceptor was stopped by that large ship, otherwise..."

He couldn't help but shiver. The Demon Sect Leader's wife was wearing Fu Yundi's skin. If the entire Yan Kingdom army had entered the city, this Demon Sect Leader's wife and her accomplices could have caused chaos. By simply destroying Xianglong City's dragon pillars, they could have wiped out the Yan Kingdom army, severely damaging Yan Kingdom's strength, or even crippling it!

He looked back at Xianglong City. This place had changed hands. It was no longer a place where he or Yan Kingdom could dominate.

This city now bore the surname Qin. But it was Qin Mu's Qin, not his.