Chapter 127: Draw Your Weapon
Shen Wanyun turned to look, and saw a young woman in blue arrive at the Scholars' Residence.
The young woman was dressed in form-fitting attire, her hair coiled up and held in place by a net, with a small golden sword hairpin stuck through it. She too appeared travel-worn, having just arrived from afar, likely having disembarked from a boat not long ago. Behind her followed a burly man, exceptionally tall, twice the height of an ordinary person, muscular and powerful, with a fierce, sinewy build.
This burly man carried the young woman's luggage, following closely as they entered the Scholars' Residence.
Yue Qinghong walked over with the burly man, ignoring the scholars who came to greet her, her gaze fixed directly on Shen Wanyun as she strode forward.
When they were still about ten feet apart, Yue Qinghong stopped, and the burly man behind her also halted.
"Senior Brother," Yue Qinghong greeted with a bow.
Shen Wanyun returned the bow: "Junior Sister Yue. Where have you returned from your training?"
Yue Qinghong smiled: "I just returned from the battlefield of the Wolf-JuXu Kingdom. I heard Senior Brother also went to train on a battlefield?"
Shen Wanyun nodded: "Yes, I went to the battlefield of the Man-Di Kingdom and fought a few battles with the barbarians. You've made considerable progress."
Yue Qinghong laughed: "You too. I was worried I might still not be able to beat you, but fortunately, I subdued a Wolf-Slave in the Wolf-JuXu Kingdom. Wolf-Slave, come and meet Senior Brother!"
The burly man behind her dropped the luggage with a thud and suddenly reached out a hand, grabbing toward Shen Wanyun!
His aura was fiercely blazing like fire, and as his hand shot out, the air became incredibly dry, even filled with dust, giving the sensation of a vast yellow desert, a scorching sun, rushing straight at them!
The Wolf-Slave's bare chest even revealed dragon-wolf patterns, causing many scholars to feel a chill in their hearts. These dragon-wolf patterns were actually a variant of the Azure Dragon Spiritual Body, one of the Four Great Spiritual Bodies, called the Dragon-Wolf Spiritual Body, the totem of the Wolf-JuXu Kingdom!
Shen Wanyun remained composed, raising his palm to meet the Wolf-Slave's large hand. With a thunderous boom, Shen Wanyun's clothes flapped loudly. The Wolf-Slave's towering body also swayed slightly, and he looked at Shen Wanyun with a different expression, speaking with a somewhat rolled tongue: "You're not weak."
"You too."
Shen Wanyun smiled slightly: "Junior Sister Yue's ability to subdue a Wolf-Slave shows how rapidly your strength has grown."
Suddenly, a voice full of ethereal lightness laughed: "Junior Sister Yue, Senior Brother, you two are flattering each other again. When will you learn to be as humble and composed as I am?"
Another youth walked over, bald-headed, dressed like a white-robed monk, but without any burn marks on his scalp.
"Junior Brother Yun Que," Shen Wanyun said politely.
This young monk seemed to cultivate the Buddhist path, but his temperament was clearly not that of a Buddhist—he was very competitive and eager, saying excitedly: "I went to the rebellious region of Li River. The Li River Sword Sect was wiped out, and other sects there rose in rebellion. I followed the army to suppress the revolt. These days, I've gained some insights and would like to ask Senior Brother Shen and Junior Sister Yue for their guidance."
Yue Qinghong's eyes flickered: "The three of us have been fighting since we enrolled, and we've always been a bit weaker than Senior Brother. That's why he's the Senior Brother of our Scholars' Residence. But after this training, I'm afraid there will be no Senior Brother in the Scholars' Residence—only a Senior Sister!"
Shen Wanyun said calmly: "I've killed barbarians at the border, bringing back a fierce aura. My killing intent is too strong; I fear that if I strike, there will be casualties. However, our Scholars' Residence has gained a ruthless individual, very ferocious, who has beaten most of the scholars here. If any of you can defeat him, I'll gladly hand over the position of Senior Brother!"
Yue Qinghong's eyes lit up: "You won't go back on your word?"
Shen Wanyun smiled: "When have I, Shen Wanyun, ever gone back on my word? This person is named Qin Mu, dressed in brocade clothes, with a white fox by his side—easy to recognize. I just saw him heading down the mountain; he should be back soon."
Yun Que immediately leaped away, laughing heartily: "This Qin Mu, I, the little monk, will go and convert him. Junior Sister Yue, don't compete with me! Let me first enjoy being Senior Brother!"
Yue Qinghong watched him disappear into the distance, sneering: "This fake monk usually puts on an air of a high priest, but he's the most impatient. Even Senior Brother Shen finds him troublesome, so he's certainly no easy target. Senior Sister Qu, were all of you beaten by this Qin Mu?"
Senior Sister Qu and the others looked embarrassed.
Yue Qinghong's eyes flickered as she asked: "Could you tell me what techniques this Qin Mu used?"
She was meticulous, asking everyone about the moves Qin Mu had used to defeat them. After a moment, Yue Qinghong had formed a judgment: "He used spells and palm techniques, but no sword techniques. He probably doesn't have much skill with the sword..."
Qu Ting quickly said: "Junior Sister, during the big exam, he defeated Ling Yun of the Pure Yang Hall with a wooden sword."
"Defeated Ling Yun?"
Yue Qinghong was startled: "How many moves did it take?"
"One move!"
Yue Qinghong's heart trembled slightly: "Defeating Ling Yun at the same cultivation level isn't too difficult—I could do it too. But defeating him in one move—I can't manage that. He defeated these junior brothers and sisters with just one move each, either with fists or spells. He seems proficient in three arts—could there be no weakness to exploit? No, there must be a weakness! During my time on the Wolf-JuXu Kingdom battlefield, I saw many renowned seniors, and even they had flaws, let alone a newly enrolled scholar. When Yun Que fights him, I can observe and see the truth!"
She set down her luggage and immediately left with the Wolf-Slave.
Qin Mu, with the little fox, found a decent restaurant in the capital and ordered a table full of delicacies, feasting heartily. For once, Qin Mu was generous, ordering a pot of fine wine for Fox Ling'er and having two cups himself. Both he and the fox ate until their bellies were round.
Fox Ling'er was tipsy, floating in the air on a gust of wind as she returned to the Imperial Academy with Qin Mu. After getting drunk, the little fox became very proper, sitting motionless on the demon wind, her front legs stretched straight, eyes fixed ahead without blinking, though her furry belly had expanded several sizes.
Qin Mu, having had only a couple of sips, was unaffected, enjoying the sights of the capital along the way. The city was bustling and splendid, making one reluctant to leave.
One human and one fox entered the mountain gate. Qin Mu waved his hand in front of Fox Ling'er, but her eyes remained wide open, though a snoring sound like a cat's purr came from her throat. She was asleep drunk, yet still floating forward on the demon wind.
Qin Mu found it both amusing and exasperating, pulling the white fox off the wind and hanging her around his neck. Fox Ling'er's body went limp, half-coiling around his neck, her tail hanging down from his chest. She wriggled a bit to find a comfortable spot and continued sleeping.
"Can't hold your liquor, but you still love to drink."
Qin Mu shook his head and headed up the mountain. Fox Ling'er slept heavily, finding it very comfortable to lie on Qin Mu's neck.
When they reached the cliff edge, Qin Mu's pace suddenly slowed. Fox Ling'er felt as if Qin Mu's neck had grown needles, prickling her uncomfortably. She quickly shifted to another position, but the prickling sensation persisted.
The little fox changed positions several times but still felt uneasy, as if Qin Mu had turned into a big hedgehog. Squinting her drowsy eyes, she stretched out a furry paw to touch the back of Qin Mu's neck but found no spines, though the prickling feeling was unmistakably real.
"Is the young master about to reveal his true form?"
As the white fox puzzled over this, Qin Mu stopped.
Fox Ling'er then noticed someone on the cliff—a white-robed monk, his robes fluttering in the wind, standing on the cliff edge, looking their way.
"Qin Mu?" the white-robed monk asked.
Qin Mu nodded: "Yes. And you are?"
The white-robed monk placed one palm before him, wearing a gentle smile that gave him a Buddha-like appearance, his voice ethereal, carrying a Buddhist resonance: "Your wild nature is hard to tame. I, the little monk, have come specially to convert you and subdue your savagery. Draw your weapon!"
Qin Mu was puzzled: "Senior Brother, you haven't told me your name."
The white-robed monk's face lit up with excitement, his Buddha-like demeanor vanishing instantly. He leaped down from the cliff top, attacking Qin Mu headfirst, laughing: "After I convert you, you'll naturally know my name!"
As he was midair, suddenly the roar of a dragon and the trumpeting of an elephant rang out. Qin Mu looked up and saw a great Buddha in the sky, coiled with a giant dragon, riding a white elephant, pressing down toward him!
This was the phenomenon created by the white-robed monk's Yuan Qi. His Yuan Qi was incredibly dense, surpassing other scholars, rivaling even Ling Yun of the Pure Yang Hall!
This attack seemed to be a fist technique, mixed with true words aimed at the soul, while the coiled dragon and riding elephant fist technique targeted the physical body.
Both attacks combined into one, creating the phenomenon of dragon roars, elephant trumpets, coiled dragons, and riding elephants—nearly a divine ability, showcasing the white-robed monk's exceptional skill.
Qin Mu's spirit soared, and he felt a surge of excitement.
Finally, he had met a true expert!
Ever since arriving in the capital, he had only encountered scholars like Qu Ting, and even Ling Yun of the National Academy had been humiliated by him with a single sword strike, making it hard to have a satisfying fight.
This white-robed monk, who refused to give his name, was clearly strong, igniting Qin Mu's fighting spirit.
Since stepping onto the soil of Yan-Kang, he had disguised himself as a civilized man, putting in great effort to play the part. But deep down, Qin Mu remained a forsaken child of the gods from the desolate, wild land of the Great Ruins—a forsaken one without divine favor, a fierce brute who dared to take a knife and dive into rivers to slay flood dragons, or climb mountains to battle strange beasts!