Chapter 1188: A Rare Moment of Tenderness (Second Update)
No sooner had Tai Su left than Qin Mu departed from Gong Tianzun’s territory. He smiled at a female emperor who was seeing him off with great courtesy and said, “Sihua, no need to see me further.”
That female emperor was a disciple of Gong Tianzun, named Nian Sihua. She replied, “Mu Tianzun, my master has commanded that I treat you with the utmost respect. Even if you were to lead the Human Sovereigns of the Human Sovereign Hall to block our gates, I would still welcome you warmly and see you off with equal courtesy.”
Qin Mu laughed heartily. “Thank you for your hospitality. Please, stay here.” With that, he drifted away.
Nian Sihua watched him go, frowning slightly, and murmured softly, “I truly don’t understand what my master is thinking, giving him a tenth of the divine stone we worked so hard to excavate. This Mu Tianzun talks a big game but has no real substance. He seems frivolous at first glance, the same type as the Dark Heavenly King. Master, don’t let him swindle you out of your wealth and virtue…”
Having obtained eight pieces of Tai Su divine stone from Nian Sihua, Qin Mu was thoroughly satisfied. “Refining these eight pieces of divine stone should allow me to refine that mouthful of egg fluid I drank. At most, a little will remain, but it won’t be a concern.”
He took out a piece of Tai Su divine stone, gently clenched his palm, and the stone vanished, appearing in his abdomen, where it resonated with the stubborn, unrefined egg fluid.
Qin Mu savored the Dao resonance of Tai Su’s principles, feeling his cultivation base rise as he gained insight into various Tai Su Dao runes. A sense of comfort washed over him. “I studied the Tai Shi egg for so long before I managed to decipher the Tai Shi runes, but there must be deeper layers of runic Dao within them. Yet, merely refining the egg fluid has allowed me to understand this many Tai Su Dao runes. If I could crack open the Tai Shi egg, extract the Tai Shi divine stone, and refine the Tai Shi egg fluid, my cultivation would surely be twice as efficient!”
He entertained the thought for a moment, then shook his head.
The Tai Shi egg was incredibly hard. Even Wei Suifeng, a peak Great Emperor-level existence, couldn’t split it and instead shattered three of his fingers.
Naturally, Qin Mu couldn’t do it either.
As for the Tai Su egg, it had only been shattered by the terrifying power of the previous universe’s destruction—a horrifying scenario Qin Mu had no desire to experience again!
Carrying the lantern of the Moon Heavenly Venerable, he walked toward the rift in the sky above the Ancestral Court, passing through the seal he had left behind.
Qin Mu examined the spiritual energy bridge he had built outside the Ancestral Court, inspecting it carefully. He sneered, “This bridge has been destroyed eight times. Hong Tianzun, Xiao Tianzun, and Gong Tianzun probably wouldn’t destroy my bridge, so the culprit must be another Heavenly Venerable. And the eighth time was likely that little wench Yun Chu Xiu!”
Thinking of Yun Chu Xiu brought to mind the master of the Zao Fu Heavenly Palace, Shi Qiluo, that burly man with a full beard.
Qin Mu shook his head and boarded the spiritual energy bridge.
This bridge connected to the Eternal Peace Empire. By the time he stepped off it, he was near the capital of Eternal Peace. Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and entered the Upper Capital City, where he met Ling Yuxiu and recounted his experiences in the Ancestral Court.
Ling Yuxiu said, “Stay in the palace for a few days. It won’t hurt to wait until you’ve refined that strange egg fluid before leaving.”
Qin Mu agreed and took up temporary residence in the palace. Ling Yuxiu finished handling state affairs and came to find him, only to see Qin Mu sitting in the imperial garden’s pavilion, staring blankly into space.
Ling Yuxiu sat down beside him and waved away the palace maids. She smiled and said, “Imperial Preceptor, what are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about the war in the Tai Xu region.”
Qin Mu mused, “Although the Tai Xu region is treacherous, it can’t hold back the Heavenly Court’s assault for long. Their strength is too great; conquering the Tai Xu region is only a matter of time. Now that the Void Beast is under Long Qilin’s control, should I have Long Qilin take the Void Beast to fight in the Tai Xu?”
Ling Yuxiu thought for a moment and asked, “If the Tai Emperor appears in the Tai Xu, can Long Qilin protect the mother beast?”
“That’s the very problem I’m wrestling with.”
The two sat in the pavilion, admiring the scenery, neither speaking, cherishing this rare moment of tranquility.
Qin Mu stood up, took off his shoes, and sat on the edge of the pavilion, dangling his feet in the water.
Ling Yuxiu laughed. “You’re still acting like a child. Be careful not to stink up the water and kill my fish.”
Qin Mu patted the empty space beside him and smiled. “Come, sit with me.”
Ling Yuxiu shook her head. “I’m the emperor now. How would it look if I did that with you?”
“There’s no one around.”
Ling Yuxiu hesitated, glanced around, then took off her boots and sat beside him, carefully lowering her feet into the water. She let out a sigh of relief. “Freedom. It’s been years since I took off my shoes in front of anyone.”
Qin Mu laughed heartily.
Suddenly, Ling Yuxiu leaned her head on his shoulder. The two of them, four feet, splashed the water.
After a while, Ling Yuxiu fell asleep against his shoulder. Qin Mu didn’t move, watching her sleep soundly.
When Ling Yuxiu woke up, the lanterns were already lit. She jumped up in a panic and scolded, “Why didn’t you wake me?”
Qin Mu smiled. “You were so tired, I didn’t want to disturb you. Some palace maids came by earlier, but I sent them away.”
Ling Yuxiu quickly put on her shoes and said, “They must have come to summon me to the Imperial Study. I still haven’t reviewed the memorials. I need to go handle them.”
Qin Mu stood up and put on his shoes. “I’ll go with you.”
Ling Yuxiu shook her head. “If those upright officials see you helping me review memorials, they’ll petition the court, accusing you of meddling in state affairs and demanding your head.”
Qin Mu chuckled. “There are still upright officials?”
“Plenty.”
“I’ll go with you. It’s been over a decade since I last dealt with state affairs as Imperial Preceptor. Let those upright officials talk all they want. At worst, you can have their heads cut off and secretly exile them to the provinces. Do you have a little notebook?”
“Of course! The Ling family tradition can’t be lost!”
The two of them reviewed memorials in the Imperial Study. Before they knew it, dawn broke. A chicken-dragon crowed, and others followed, crying out toward the east.
Ling Yuxiu yawned and hurriedly said, “I need to wash my face and eat something. I have to attend court soon. If I’m late, there’ll be another uproar.”
Qin Mu stood up as well, wanting to hug her, but saw palace maids entering with washing supplies. He held back and said, “Your Majesty, I’ve refined the divine stone and egg fluid. It’s time for me to attend to my own matters.”
Ling Yuxiu washed her face and hands in the basin, looked up, and smiled. “Go ahead and handle your business. I’ll take care of things here.”
Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart and said softly, “Your Majesty, take care of yourself.”
Ling Yuxiu’s heart also warmed, and she replied gently, “Imperial Preceptor, you too. Don’t overwork yourself.”
Qin Mu bowed and withdrew from the Imperial Study. Looking up, he saw the east glowing white.
He straightened his robes, which hung neatly on him, and as the sky was not yet fully bright, he carried the Moon Heavenly Venerable’s lantern and headed toward the Surging River.
“Senior Brother, the soldiers on the ghost ship—I promised you I would free you from the Unchanging divine ability. Now, I can finally do it!”
By the time the sun rose, he had arrived at the Surging River.
Qin Mu stood on the river’s surface. In the east, a red sun leaped above the river, its light rippling across the water, making it look like thousands of large red fish leaping on the surface.
He put away the lantern, took out Ling Tianzun’s peachwood hairpin, and lightly drew it across the river. A ghost ship appeared beneath the surface, its mast breaking through the water as it glided swiftly underwater!
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