Chapter 148: Drugged
After a while, Qin Mu selected a second scripture. This one was called the Soul-Pulling Incantation, which could draw the souls of the dead out of the underworld or allow the caster to enter the underworld themselves.
The reason he chose the Soul-Pulling Incantation was mainly because there were far too few spells related to this aspect in the Heavenly Record Tower.
Qin Mu wondered: if he developed this further, could he perhaps pull back the soul of someone who had just died and revive them?
Then he also selected the Hongshan Sect’s Ghost-Commanding and Deity-Summoning Talisman Incantations. The Hongshan Sect’s techniques were also quite peculiar, using talismans to borrow the power of ghosts and deities, which he felt had some overlap with the Dao of Painting.
He only chose three scriptures; picking more would be pointless. He already had quite a few cultivation techniques to practice, and the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Scripture alone contained countless methods and techniques that required his time to comprehend. There was no need to select too many.
Qin Mu took the three scriptures to see the Imperial Secretary, who registered the scriptures and his book token before allowing him to leave the Heavenly Record Tower.
Two days later, the emperor’s appointment decree came down, appointing Qin Mu as an Imperial Academy Erudite, a sixth-rank official, granting him access to the third floor of the Heavenly Record Tower, and placing him outside the control of the Imperial Academy.
At the mountain gate of the Imperial Academy, Sacrificial Official Ba Shan stood waiting. After a while, Second Prince Ling Yushu arrived, dragging a somewhat reluctant Ling Yuxiu along.
“Seventh Sister, training under Sacrificial Official Ba Shan will certainly be better than staying in the Imperial Academy.”
Ling Yushu said with a smile, “Sacrificial Official Ba Shan is on the level of a sect master, far surpassing any other Imperial Academy instructor. I’m so envious I could die—I wish I could become his disciple. Don’t hesitate! You’re my own sister, born from the same mother. How could I harm you?”
Beside the mountain gate, a sturdy green ox stood upright like a human, teasing the dragon-qilin guarding the gate. Occasionally, he would pull out a whisker or touch the qilin’s tail.
“Hey there, little lady, when are you coming out to play with me?”
The green ox leaned against the mountain gate, a peony in his mouth, chuckling, “Little lady, what fun is there in standing guard here all day? Let me take you out into the world—I guarantee you’ll have a great time! See this flower? Pretty, isn’t it? Here, have a bite…”
The dragon-qilin suppressed its rage, glancing at the nearby Sacrificial Official Ba Shan, and held back the urge to immediately devour this ox.
“Teacher Ba Shan, when do you set off?” Ling Yushu asked.
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan looked up the mountain and said, “We’re waiting for one more person. He should be coming down soon.”
Ling Yushu glanced at his sister, feeling somewhat smug. “Good thing I was clever. Otherwise, Seventh Sister staying on the mountain would inevitably cause some trouble with that outcast from the Great Ruins. Now that I’ve separated them far apart, he won’t have that chance.”
Ling Yuxiu was his full-blooded sister, born of the same mother and father, so he naturally cared for her deeply. To him, the other princes and princesses were merely rivals, but Ling Yuxiu was his dearest sister, and he couldn’t let any scoundrel get near her.
As Ling Yushu was thinking this, he looked up and saw a young man walking down the mountain, carrying a clattering load of things on his back—an axe, a butcher’s knife, a bamboo staff—along with a large bundle, on top of which sat a white fox.
“This kid looks like he’s fleeing a famine. Is he planning to run away from the mountain?” Ling Yushu thought to himself.
When Sacrificial Official Ba Shan saw Qin Mu, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Everyone’s here!”
Ling Yushu shuddered, looking at Sacrificial Official Ba Shan, stammering, “The person Teacher was waiting for… is him?”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan nodded, shattering the last shred of hope in his heart.
Ling Yuxiu, on the other hand, was overjoyed, looking smugly at her dumbfounded brother. His little schemes were, of course, not hidden from her.
Ling Yushu hesitated, wanting to ask Sacrificial Official Ba Shan if he could withdraw, but found it hard to speak up.
“Teacher Ba Shan, can I also train with you?” Ling Yushu asked, still unwilling to give up.
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan shook his head. “Second Prince, your cultivation is already too high—you’ve reached the Seven Stars Realm, and you’re older, with your path already set. I cannot teach you. Rest assured, Seventh Princess will not suffer any harm under my care. Go back now.”
Ling Yushu was reluctant to leave, standing there glaring fiercely at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu was puzzled, wondering what he had done to offend this prince.
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan said solemnly, “Since everyone’s here, let’s set off!”
Qin Mu quickly said, “Teacher, wait a moment!”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan stopped and turned around. Qin Mu walked over to the dragon-qilin. The sturdy green ox quickly backed away, watching him warily.
Ignoring the ox, Qin Mu held his breath, took out a small jade bottle, unscrewed the cap, and placed it under the dragon-qilin’s nose. The dragon-qilin was instantly drugged and collapsed to the ground.
The green ox leaped far away, staring at him in terror.
Qin Mu tightened the cap, and the little fox summoned a gust of wind to disperse the strange fragrance that had escaped from the bottle. Only then did Qin Mu take a breath. Fox Ling’er took out another bottle from the bundle and handed it to Qin Mu. He opened it, releasing a pungent sour smell, and poured the liquid into the dragon-qilin’s mouth.
It was lemon juice. Although the dragon-qilin was drugged and couldn’t move, its tongue instinctively secreted saliva at the sour taste.
Fox Ling’er hurriedly took out several jade bottles from the bundle. Qin Mu took them and placed them at the corner of the dragon-qilin’s mouth to collect the saliva. After collecting about ten bottles, the dragon-qilin’s drool had almost run dry, and it finally stopped.
Qin Mu stood up and said with a smile, “Teacher, Sister Xiu, we can go now.”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan glanced at the drugged dragon-qilin and asked curiously, “What are you collecting dragon saliva for?”
Qin Mu explained, “This is a miraculous remedy for external injuries. If you encounter cuts or sword wounds, applying it to the wound can regenerate flesh and shed dead skin. Since we’re going on an expedition, there’s bound to be some injuries, so it’s good to prepare more just in case.”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan’s heart stirred. Qin Mu’s actions were likely not just for dealing with injuries along the way, but to retrieve the Butcher’s lower half and restore his body to wholeness.
Qin Mu added, “Teacher, could I borrow your green ox?”
The green ox said warily, “Don’t you dare mess with me! I’ve already sworn brotherhood with your Ling’er—she’s my sworn sister. If you try to eat me, my sister will fight you to the death! Right, Sister Ling’er?”
Fox Ling’er said smugly, “He got drunk and swore brotherhood with me, becoming my little brother.”
Qin Mu said with a smile, “I just wanted you to carry our luggage. No need to be so nervous. Oh, by the way, I just noticed that dragon-qilin is male.”
The green ox stood frozen, as if struck by a thunderbolt thirty times over, utterly devastated. Suddenly, he burst into loud sobs. Fox Ling’er quickly went over to comfort him. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Male or female, it doesn’t matter—she never liked you anyway. Besides, if he did like you, that would be even worse.”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan shook his head and led them out of the Imperial Academy, leaving the capital.
Suddenly, the green ox crouched down, letting out a deep roar from his throat. Then, under his hide, his bones began to grow rapidly, muscles expanded outward, and fur grew wildly. When he stood upright, his body was already as tall as two or three men. Now, revealing his true form, he was even larger, his body over ten times bigger. His hands turned into hooves, smoke billowed from his nostrils, and wind swirled beneath his feet.
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan had Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu climb onto the ox’s back, and they loaded their luggage onto it.
“Second Prince, no need to see us off any further. Go back!”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan looked at Ling Yushu, who had followed them all the way out of the capital, and said with a smile, “Nothing will go wrong. Go back!”
Ling Yushu forced a bitter smile and waved at Ling Yuxiu. Ling Yuxiu was talking with Qin Mu, and the clueless young man said something that made her burst into laughter, playfully punching him in the chest.
Ling Yushu felt as if he himself had been punched hard in the chest, a surge of frustration welling up inside him.
The green ox took off, wind howling beneath his hooves as he galloped into the distance, leaving Ling Yushu far behind.
Fox Ling’er sat curled up in one of the ox’s curved horns, her pure white fur blown backward by the rushing wind. The two horns curved into circles, allowing her to sit comfortably without being blown away.
The little fox asked curiously, “Ox Two, you actually know how to control the wind?”
The green ox laughed. “What’s so hard about controlling the wind? I’m a dragon descendant by nature—commanding wind and thunder is an innate talent. Just look at my hide—this green fur of mine, doesn’t it look a lot like a green dragon’s? My ancestor was a green dragon, not something a little demon like you can compare to!”
He was very proud; this bloodline set him apart from other beasts. If he encountered other creatures, just the pressure of his dragon might was enough to make them submit.
Fox Ling’er stroked his scalp. The ox’s hide was glossy and tough, with incredible defensive power, and the dragon scales on his neck shone dazzlingly. She praised, “Ox Two, this hide of yours must be worth a lot of money.”
The green ox stumbled, quickly shutting his mouth. He thought to himself, “This sworn sister of mine is also a ruthless one. Her master wants to eat me, and she wants to skin me for money. Savage, truly savage! I, Ox Ox, am simple and kind—better to stay away from these villains. But she got me drunk and made me her sworn brother… I’ve fallen into a trap…”
Ling Yuxiu turned to Sacrificial Official Ba Shan and asked, “Teacher, where are we going for our training?”
“Beyond the border.”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan was reading the scriptures they had submitted, studying them one by one, and said without looking up, “The Man Di Kingdom.”
Ling Yuxiu was startled. “The Man Di Kingdom?”
She had long heard of the brutal battles on the Man Di battlefield, far beyond imagination.
Qin Mu’s heart stirred. He looked at Sacrificial Official Ba Shan and asked in a low voice, “Senior Brother, have you found out where Grandpa Butcher’s lower half is?”
Sacrificial Official Ba Shan nodded. “Master’s lower half was taken by a small sect, which was then destroyed by the Loulan Golden Palace of the Man Di Kingdom’s shamanic cult. Master’s lower half should now be in the hands of the Loulan Golden Palace.”
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder Sacrificial Official Ba Shan had chosen to go to the Man Di Kingdom.
He was still a bit puzzled—why would the Loulan Golden Palace destroy that small sect and take the Butcher’s lower half?
The green ox headed westward, soon reaching the Tu River. He walked across the water, galloping upstream.
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