Chapter 1053: The Cat-Snatching Case
Yanxiu Emperor was speechless and couldn't help shaking her head. "Saying something like that in front of Sister Yun Chuxiu would get your head chopped off."
Although she didn't know Yun Chuxiu's true identity, she could guess that Yun Chuxiu was definitely one of the rulers of the Heavenly Court. That day, when the spiritual energy teleportation bridge connected Yankang to the Heavenly Court, the one who walked out from the bridge was Yun Chuxiu.
Being able to authorize the construction of a spiritual energy teleportation bridge in the Heavenly Court meant she was someone with immense power. This was also the reason why, when Yun Chuxiu proposed they become sworn sisters, she immediately agreed.
She was a clever person. She knew Yun Chuxiu's status in the Heavenly Court was extraordinary. Whatever Yun Chuxiu's purpose might be, she had to agree.
This was Yankang's chance for survival.
In fact, the fact that Yankang could establish a connection with the Zaofu Palace was also partly due to this relationship with Yun Chuxiu.
"Yun Chuxiu is the Empress's younger sister, Lady Yuanmu," Qin Mu said, his divine consciousness rippling as he transmitted his voice while watching Lian Huahun, Yun Chuxiu, and the others approaching. "Lian Huahun is the Empress."
Yanxiu Emperor shuddered inwardly but remained composed. "Imperial Preceptor, can we exploit the rift between the Empress and Yuanmu to maintain Yankang's safety?"
"We can, but we must be careful with the intensity. These two women will never stop until one of them dies. Keep them close but not too close, distant but not too distant."
Having said this, Qin Mu burst into laughter and strode forward to greet Yun Chuxiu and Lian Huahun, though inwardly he was groaning in distress: "I gave Yun Chuxiu to Earth Mother Primordial Lord—I wonder if she'll make a fuss about this?"
Yun Chuxiu, however, didn't mention the matter at all. She pulled him along and quickly recounted how the five girls had become sworn sisters, then laughed, "If I die, my four elder sisters will have to be buried with me, don't you think so, Qin Lang?"
Qin Mu's eyelid twitched. Yun Chuxiu was threatening him—if he made another move against her, she would kill Ling Yuxiu, Gongsun Yan, and the others.
For her, it would merely be the loss of a body created through transformation, nothing painful. But for Qin Mu, the loss would be enormous.
Ling Yuxiu was the successor of Yanfeng Emperor's reforms and the current pillar of Yankang. Unlike Yanfeng Emperor, she knew when to hold on and when to let go.
She was a woman, not guarded against or valued by the Heavenly Court. She could lower her posture and go to the Heavenly Court to negotiate business with the Zaofu Palace. She was also skilled at mediating relations between Yankang and the Heavenly Court, preventing Yankang from becoming a thorn in the Heavenly Court's side.
Yanfeng Emperor was a great ruler, but faced with Ling Yuxiu's situation, he couldn't have done better—only worse.
At the very least, Yanfeng Emperor couldn't have become sworn sisters with the Empress and Lady Yuanmu.
As for Gongsun Yan, she was the Little Earth Mother Primordial Lord protecting Yankang, with immense potential, and she absolutely couldn't be lost either.
"I'd better leave Yankang as soon as possible. The longer I stay here, the greater the danger for Yankang."
Qin Mu calmed his mind and chatted briefly with the girls. As dusk fell, he yawned, made an excuse about being tired, and returned to his room to rest.
At midnight, Yanxiu Emperor came to visit. The ruler and minister talked through the night until the roosters crowed, when Yanxiu Emperor rose and left. Starlight dotted the sky as she wrapped herself in it and returned to the palace.
Qin Mu sat quietly for a moment, then smiled, "Friend, the cold and damp outside—why not come inside and warm up? My door isn't locked."
The door creaked softly, and a white cat squeezed through the crack, sat down before Qin Mu, and spoke in human language with a male voice: "Heavenly Lord Mu, you stole the Heavenly Emperor's treasure. You might fool the ten Heavenly Lords, but you can't fool me. Hand over that half eggshell, and I'll take it and leave without harming you."
Qin Mu asked curiously, "Does Yantian Consort know you're here?"
The white cat said, "Of course she knows. I'm here to retrieve this item for Yantian Heavenly Lord. We're now less than three feet apart. At this distance, killing you would be as easy as turning my hand. I can slash your throat with my claws, destroy your primordial spirit without alarming anyone, and calmly take the treasure. Or you can hand over the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell to me, preserving our goodwill. I'll take the item and leave."
Qin Mu smiled faintly. "I've only heard Yantian Consort call you Xiao Qi. May I ask how I should address you, friend?"
The white cat flicked its tail, its cat face extremely serious. "Heavenly Lord Mu, are you trying to stall for time? I've already observed the entire Yankang capital. No one here is my match. Only that one called Yan'er could barely fight me, but she's no match either. Even if you summon friends, I can kill them all. But before that, you'll be dead."
Qin Mu said leisurely, "Did you know there are two women in this courtyard who are Heavenly Lords?"
The fur on the white cat's tail bristled. It crouched low, letting out a threatening growl.
But it wasn't threatening Qin Mu—it was terrified upon hearing that there were actually two female Heavenly Lords here.
Qin Mu smiled slightly. "You came running here right under the noses of two Heavenly Lords—truly loyal to Yantian Consort. The Primordial Realm has more than just two Heavenly Lords. Xiao Heavenly Lord is also watching eagerly. If you take the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell and leave Yankang capital, you'll die immediately. Do you believe me?"
The white cat's pupils narrowed to slits, and its voice turned hoarse. "You're lying to me!"
Qin Mu said calmly, "Yun Chuxiu is Lady Yuanmu, and Lian Huahun is the Empress. Why would I bother lying to you? The Heavenly Emperor's eggshell is right in my vertical eye on my forehead. If you don't believe me, I'll gouge out this eye and give it to you. See if you can walk out of Yankang alive."
He actually gouged out the eye from his forehead and presented it to the white cat!
The white cat stared at the eye in his palm, slowly raising its paw, hesitating. Just then, the roosters crowed again, and the sky began to lighten.
The white cat gritted its teeth, grabbed the eye, and turned to leave.
Qin Mu revealed a smile. His vertical eye was still on his forehead, not gouged out at all. What the white cat had taken was merely an eye created by his divine consciousness visualization.
The white cat slipped out of Qin Mu's room, glanced around—no one in sight—then leaped onto the wall, bounding along it toward the outskirts of the capital.
At the same time, Yun Chuxiu, with her twin ponytails, quietly slipped out of her room and followed the white cat. The cat seemed to sense something and suddenly turned its head, but Yun Chuxiu was swallowed by an abyss, and the cat didn't detect her.
Yun Chuxiu stealthily followed the white cat out of Yankang capital, but she seemed to sense someone behind her. She abruptly turned her head but saw no one following.
She rolled her eyes and continued following the cat.
A flower bloomed in the air, and Lian Huahun sat within it, quietly watching the one person and one cat leave the city.
In the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Qin Mu immediately woke everyone up, took out a dozen jade bottles, and handed them to Gongsun Yan. "Yan'er, these bottles contain Primordial Chaos Primordial Liquid. Back then, Earth Mother Primordial Lord relied on this liquid to build such profound cultivation. This liquid will be very beneficial to you, but you can't pour too much—only one drop at a time. Also, be careful that Earth Mother Primordial Lord doesn't come to snatch it from you!"
Gongsun Yan accepted the jade bottles. "I'll be careful."
Qin Mu summoned the Dutian Demon King and handed him a letter. "Dutian, I'll give you three heavenly dragons. Take my letter to the Lijiang Academy and find Yu Mozhao. Give him the letter and tell him I sent you to help him reclaim the Tianyu World."
He selected three heavenly dragons, unhitched them from the heavenly dragon carriage, and instructed, "Follow Dutian and protect his life."
The three heavenly dragons rolled on the ground, transforming into three gods at the Jade Capital realm. They clasped their fists and bowed. "We obey the Heavenly Lord's command."
Dutian Demon King's face changed drastically. "Chief, can you switch to different heavenly dragons?"
He was uneasy—these three dragon gods had all been whipped by him, and one of them had been lashed the most.
"There's no time!"
Qin Mu leaped onto the carriage and shouted, "Fat Dragon, you drive. Yan'er, you stand guard. We're leaving immediately! If we don't go now, those two little vixens will be back."
Langwan Divine King had already boarded the carriage, lowered the curtain, and sat down.
Gongsun Yan didn't know why they had to leave so hastily and felt a little disappointed. Qin Mu laughed, "In a while, I'll find you some phoenixes to build a nest!"
Gongsun Yan was delighted as she watched the heavenly dragon carriage leave the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
The morning capital wasn't very lively yet, but some shops on the street had already opened for breakfast. Some were making sesame cakes, some were pulling noodles, steam rose from steamer baskets of buns, and the aroma of congee drifted by.
The heavenly dragon carriage hurried through the streets, drawing the gazes of many shopkeepers.
Suddenly, Qin Mu's voice came from inside the carriage: "Stop."
Long Qilin quickly halted. Qin Mu laughed, "Sister Yan'er, go buy some soybean milk. I haven't had it in a long time." He handed Yan'er some Dafeng coins.
Yan'er flew up, landed on the ground as a young girl, and went to a street-side shop to buy soybean milk. She turned back and asked, "Young master, there are also steaming hot buns here. Do you want some?"
Qin Mu nodded. "Get some too. Divine King sister, you've never eaten this mortal food before, have you? Today is a good chance to try it."
Langwan Divine King was puzzled. "Just now, Saint Child was in such a hurry, afraid we wouldn't leave in time. Why are we stopping now?"
Qin Mu said, "I haven't tasted the flavors of home in five years, so I absolutely have to stop no matter what."
Langwan Divine King thought for a moment, then shook her head. She didn't understand this strange sentiment.
Yan'er bought the soybean milk and buns. "The shopkeeper practically wanted to give me his whole store. He gave me so much extra."
Qin Mu laughed. "Fat Dragon, let's go."
The heavenly dragon carriage drove toward the outskirts of the capital. Qin Mu didn't let it take off immediately but continued along the post road. He gnawed on a bun while looking out the window, nervously watching the surroundings.
Suddenly, a terrifying tremor erupted from the west. Qin Mu's hand trembled, and the bun fell. Overjoyed, he clapped his hands and laughed. "Xiao Qi from Yantian Heavenly Lord's household is probably going to die!"
In the west, near the spiritual energy teleportation bridge, the white cat was racing at full speed toward it. Suddenly, a massive hand reached out from within the bridge!
The white cat's fur stood on end. Unable to dodge, it lunged forward and rolled, transforming into a handsome white-robed divine general. He reached for his spear and thrust it at the giant hand flying out of the light bridge. The spear shook, and countless spear tips burst forth!
The next moment, his great spear shattered, and at the same time, the hand grabbed him by the back of the head.
The white-robed divine general cried out, couldn't help trembling, and reverted to his original form—a white cat—held by the soft flesh at the back of its neck, its limbs dangling, unable to move.
"Where is the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell?" The owner of the hand seemed to be in an extremely distant place, his voice coming through the spiritual energy teleportation bridge.
But in the next instant, the Divine Artifact Royal Heavenly Lord, far away in the center of the Primordial Realm, suddenly raised a hand and pointed from afar. The spiritual energy teleportation bridge exploded with a bang, and the hand holding the white cat became unstable.
At that moment, a massive vortex spun in the sky of the Primordial Realm. A majestic divine being descended from the heavens, snatching the white cat before the Divine Artifact Royal Heavenly Lord could, and carried it away!
Another vortex appeared in the sky. Another majestic divine being slashed at the back of the head of the divine being who had taken the cat: "Give my cat back!"
Almost simultaneously, the Divine Artifact Royal Heavenly Lord reached out, pulled up the World Tree, and swept it at these two divine beings.
The white cat changed hands several times, its heart filled with terror.
Now, four Heavenly Lords were fighting over him, and he could die at any moment from that terrifying tremor!
Inside the heavenly dragon carriage, Yan'er held a bowl to Qin Mu's lips. Qin Mu drank the soybean milk, watching the battle in the sky, sighing repeatedly, feeling quite disheartened.
"Why is the young master frowning?" Yan'er asked curiously.
Qin Mu took a sip of soybean milk and sighed. "I exhausted all my schemes and used every method to provoke infighting among the ten Heavenly Lords, but they still couldn't be stirred to fight. Yet now, unexpectedly, it's using a white cat that has sparked this internal conflict."