Chapter 97: Song in the Water
The River-Burdening Beast traveled downstream along the river for seven or eight hundred li. Qin Mu saw a village beside a temple on the riverbank and was momentarily startled. Sitting on the plaque of the dilapidated temple was a little girl with three braids.
Qin Mu immediately had the River-Burdening Beast stop by the riverbank. He left the White Fox behind and walked ashore.
Arriving at the village, he saw that the villagers lived prosperous and peaceful lives. A few elderly women were heading to the temple to offer incense, their offering being half a pig.
Qin Mu reached the temple. When the little girl saw him, she quickly jumped down and hid inside.
"Wu Girl, I see you. Why hide from me?" Qin Mu said with a smile.
The little girl emerged from the temple, grinning. "I wasn't hiding from you! I was waiting for you to come in and burn incense, then say something like 'I've been weak and kidney-deficient since childhood,' so I could mock you!"
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked around and saw that the temple was spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust. Only the incense burner in the courtyard still emitted fragrant smoke. He walked to the statue enshrined in the temple and saw that it depicted a little girl, looking exactly like the form Wu Girl had taken as Fairy Qing.
Qin Mu circled behind the statue. Finding no white bones, he relaxed and walked out of the temple, asking curiously, "Why are you living here?"
Wu Girl puffed up with pride. "I'm earning merit here! This village is under my protection. The villagers make offerings to me, and I help them drive away wild beasts. Occasionally, I carry river water to irrigate their fields or make it rain. When there's too much rain, I disperse the clouds. When there's no wind, I create it. When storms come, I drive them away. Before, I wandered everywhere, catching people and beasts to eat, until that old bald thief caught and suppressed me. Now I've made myself a Buddha in this temple. People make offerings, and I earn merit!"
Qin Mu laughed. "Weren't you heading upstream? How did you end up here?"
"That day, after you and I broke the ice dam, I wandered around and ran into some monks from Little Thunderclap Temple. I fought them but couldn't win, so I fled. Then I escaped here and hid in this temple. Just then, bandits attacked, so I ate them. The villagers saw me and thought the temple's deity had manifested. They offered cattle and sheep and burned incense for me. I felt a bit embarrassed after accepting their gifts, so I started helping them with things."
Wu Girl jumped back onto the plaque, swinging her feet. "They treated me even better after that, and I felt even more embarrassed, so I just settled here."
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "Unintentional kindness is true virtue. You're on your way to becoming a Buddha." With that, he turned and left.
Wu Girl watched him go, muttering softly, "I don't want to become a monk. Eating vegetarian every day is no fun..."
Qin Mu returned to the River-Burdening Beast's back. The green-backed giant beast slowly swam out of the shallows, gradually picking up speed as it headed downstream. Qin Mu looked back at the ancient temple. The little girl's braids swayed as she accepted the villagers' incense and offerings.
The Surging River roared, waves churning.
When they reached the dock of Inlaid Dragon City, Qin Mu and Fox Ling'er disembarked and entered the city.
This city had already fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Although Granny Si hadn't appeared as Fu Yundi in recent days, nothing unusual had happened. After all, Fu Yundi was known to often go into seclusion for cultivation.
Qin Mu went to the inn and called the innkeeper. "Captain, is there a way to bypass the Vision Mirrors and enter Yan Kingdom?"
The innkeeper replied, "There are two passes nearby that lead into Yan Kingdom: Yanbian Pass and Mishui Pass. Both are heavily garrisoned, with Vision Mirrors hanging on the city towers. Anyone from the Great Wasteland will be exposed, either shot dead or taken as slaves to the mines. Climbing over the mountains is even more dangerous. The Great Wasteland and Yan Kingdom are connected by the Divine Severance Mountains, which are extremely treacherous and perilous—even birds struggle to cross. To guard against raiders from the Great Wasteland, Yan Kingdom has planted Profound Trigger Crossbows on those mountains. Trying to cross would only get you killed by those crossbows."
Qin Mu frowned. "So there's no way into Yan Kingdom?"
The innkeeper smiled. "Others might not, but our Sacred Sect has plenty of ways. Before trade was opened, our sect used to smuggle goods. We secretly disabled two Profound Trigger Crossbows on the Divine Severance Mountains, crossed through the Withered Ridge Gorge, and entered the Great Wasteland. Now that trade is open between the Great Wasteland and Yan Kingdom, that route has been abandoned since entering Yan Kingdom is easier. If you want to enter Yan Kingdom, sir, you can go through Mishui Pass. Many of the garrison commanders at Mishui Pass are members of our sect."
Qin Mu's expression shifted. The Heavenly Demon Sect's influence was truly immense—no wonder it was the number one sect of the demonic path!
After thinking it over, he said, "Prepare a map of Yan Kingdom's geography. I'll study it on the way and familiarize myself with the mountains and rivers of Yan Kingdom."
"Yes, sir."
The innkeeper withdrew. Qin Mu and Fox Ling'er had dinner, bathed, and went to bed.
The next day, the innkeeper brought a thick stack of documents, including both a general map of Yan Kingdom and detailed maps of its counties and prefectures. Qin Mu packed these maps into his bundle. "Who will take me to Mishui Pass?"
The innkeeper smiled. "Rest assured, sir. Breakfast is ready. Please eat. When you reach the riverbank, a brother from the Sacred Sect will guide you."
After breakfast, Qin Mu and Fox Ling'er went to the Surging River. A multi-story ship was moored at the shore. A young woman in green stood on the deck, bowing gracefully. "This humble one greets you, young master. Please, come aboard."
"No need for formalities."
Qin Mu boarded the ship with Fox Ling'er and asked the young woman, "Sister, can you take me into the city and bypass the Vision Mirrors?"
The young woman in green smiled. "I cannot bypass the Vision Mirrors myself. However, I am Feng Xiuyun, a thousand-household commander at Mishui Pass, responsible for inspecting those entering and leaving the pass. Naturally, I can take you into the city and out again."
Qin Mu was astonished. This young woman, seemingly not very old, was already a thousand-household commander guarding the border pass. He said, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Feng."
Beneath the ship, a giant beast surfaced and began pulling them downstream. After traveling an unknown distance, the river grew wider and mist began to rise.
As soon as the ship entered the mist, the beast pulling it grew restless, slowing down as if something in the water terrified it.
Feng Xiuyun was puzzled. "Why is this creature suddenly throwing a tantrum and refusing to pull the ship?"
Fox Ling'er also tensed up, whispering, "Young master, I sense a presence approaching us—a very cold aura..."
At that moment, Qin Mu vaguely felt something watching him. The Fish-Dragon on his back leaped out, spitting out half of the Young Guardian Sword.
Feng Xiuyun's expression turned serious as she stepped in front of Qin Mu. Suddenly, bubbles rose from the water, increasing in number, and the mist thickened.
But aside from that, nothing else happened.
Qin Mu steadied himself. The river was too wide, and the white mist grew denser, making them lose their bearings. The little white fox tried to summon demonic wind, but it was completely useless—the wind couldn't move the mist at all.
Feng Xiuyun took out a fan and shook it open. The fan suddenly grew to the height of a person. The young woman swung it forward, creating a gale stronger than demonic wind, but even she couldn't stir the white mist in the slightest.
The river current carried the ship smoothly downstream. The beast that had been pulling the ship was now hiding beneath the hull, trembling and refusing to come out, leaving the ship to drift with the flow.
Feng Xiuyun was extremely tense. Just then, a song came from the water—soft and gentle, like a mother soothing her baby to sleep. It had only a melody, no lyrics.
Qin Mu was startled. In the haze, he felt the song was somehow familiar.
"I've heard this tune before!"
He looked down and saw a woman in white with long hair floating beneath the water, drifting downstream alongside the ship.
The ship moved forward, and the woman in the water followed like a shadow. The song seemed to come from her mouth.
"I really have heard this tune before, but it's not the one Granny Si used to sing when she put me to sleep..."
Hearing the song from the water, Qin Mu felt a mix of warmth and unease in his heart, as if some buried memory was trying to surface from his mind.
Suddenly, he leaped off the ship and landed on the water's surface. Feng Xiuyun reached out but couldn't grab him. Fox Ling'er also jumped out and saw the woman in the water. A chill ran down her spine. She quickly hopped and bounded after him, the little fox running across the water, leaving ripples in her wake.
"Young master, slow down! I'm scared..."
The song continued, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't catch up to the woman in the water.
Qin Mu's heart grew more and more chaotic. Just as he was about to return to the ship, he suddenly noticed the jade pendant on his chest gently floating upward.
Qin Mu froze, stopping in his tracks, staring at the face of the woman in the water.
The woman in the water also stopped, as if it wasn't Qin Mu chasing her, but her chasing him.
Splash.
The young man from Cripple's Village knelt on the water's surface, his hand trembling as he reached out, wanting to touch the woman's face in the water. Tears slipped from his eyes, falling onto the calm river.
"Is it you? Was it you who sent me to Cripple's Village..."