Chapter 164: The Saintess
As Qin Mu traveled along the way, he couldn't help but marvel. In Luodu alone, there were countless cultivators, which made it easy to imagine just how many cultivators there were throughout the entire nation.
Currently, the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang couldn't mobilize these forces, but once the opposing factions were eliminated or subdued, the overall strength of Yankang wouldn't be weakened in the slightest—on the contrary, it would be greatly enhanced!
Finally, he arrived in Yongzhou. Unlike Luodu, Yongzhou presented a scene of peace and prosperity. The common people lived and worked in contentment, thriving and flourishing. As Qin Mu passed by a field, he saw several martial artists casting spells, conjuring wind into blades to help farmers harvest early rice.
Qin Mu stopped to observe. The martial artists were practicing spells from the Demon Sect, manipulating the wind. After helping a few households finish harvesting, they went to collect payment from the farmers.
One of the girls said, "Don't dry the rice in the sun today; there will be rain in the evening."
The farmers repeatedly expressed their thanks.
These martial artists noticed Qin Mu standing by the field, staring in their direction. Puzzled, the girl approached, stopped at a short distance from Qin Mu, and greeted him with a bow, "Senior brother, is something the matter?"
Qin Mu smiled warmly and asked, "Are you from the Wind Hall?"
The girl was startled and dared not respond. Qin Mu chuckled, "I asked because I saw you using the spell 'Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground.' Who taught you this move? The Wind Hall Master?"
The girl hesitated for a moment before replying, "It was Hall Master Lei Zhengyin of the Wind Hall."
Qin Mu asked curiously, "Did the Wind Hall not teach you the complete version of this spell?"
The other martial artists stepped forward, and a young man shook his head, saying, "Hall Master Lei only occasionally teaches us a few moves, and he usually only demonstrates them once before stopping. We haven't learned the full version."
Qin Mu circulated his primal energy, transforming it into Azure Dragon primal energy, and smiled, "I still have some time. Let me teach you. Watch closely."
Right there by the rice field, he activated his Azure Dragon primal energy and executed "Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground." Blades of wind, like curved knives or snakes slithering through the field, weaved and darted, a hundred of them hugging the ground as they shot straight toward an imaginary enemy's ankles.
"This move isn't just about blades skimming the ground. It can also be done like this."
Suddenly, Qin Mu lightly tapped the ground with his toe, leaped up, and then landed on one of the rapidly spinning wind blades, riding it as it carried him forward.
Standing on the wind blade, he continued casting spells while attacking forward. The hundred wind blades howled, sweeping across an area of six or seven zhang, slicing through the air as they advanced!
Although "Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground" was a common spell, its power was far from negligible. On the contrary, this single technique showcased the strength of the *Great Cultivation Demon Scripture*, allowing for various adaptations and fighting styles.
Qin Mu landed and dispersed the spell.
The young boys and girls were both surprised and delighted. "Hall Master Lei never taught us how to ride a wind blade like that!"
They eagerly sought his guidance. Qin Mu sat down by the ridge of the field and explained in detail, breaking down the intricacies of mana circulation and how to finely control the flow of power.
"This move also has several variations. The wind blades don't have to stay close to the ground."
Qin Mu performed "Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground" again. Suddenly, he flicked his fingers, and the wind blades rose vertically, attacking upward. He said, "The way of spells is actually connected to sword techniques and combat arts. Although 'Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground' is a spell, it can easily transform into a sword technique or a combat skill."
He then took out a blade pellet and gave it a light shake. Curved blades flew out from the pellet, and he executed the same "Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground" with them. While the variations in technique weren't as rich as with the spell, the power was several times greater.
Qin Mu grabbed two curved blades with both hands. Suddenly, the blade light surged. His hands flew in motion, the blade light skimming the ground, and the moves he performed were also "Autumn Wind Skimming the Ground," but the power was even stronger than when using the blade pellet!
Qin Mu sheathed the blades, and the curved swords flew back, clinking as they re-entered the pellet one by one.
He turned around and saw that the young boys and girls were all dumbfounded.
Qin Mu smiled and asked, "Did you understand?"
One girl murmured, "How can a spell be turned into a blade technique or a combat skill? Hall Master Lei couldn't even do that..."
Qin Mu patiently guided them, "Who says a spell must always be used as a spell? Using it as a blade technique is perfectly fine, and using it as a combat skill is only natural. When you practice spells, don't cling to rigid rules or be bound by others' experiences."
The young boys and girls seemed lost in thought.
Qin Mu explained the essence of the move several more times until they had fully learned it. Then he asked, "Don't you go to school? You don't seem that old. Why haven't you enrolled in an elementary school?"
A young man said gloomily, "We're poor. How can we afford school? We only earn money during the busy farming season. The Holy Church teaches us spells, sword techniques, and combat skills so we can make a living and not starve."
"I see."
Qin Mu was thoughtful. Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "Well taught, and well learned."
Qin Mu quickly turned around and, upon seeing the speaker, immediately bowed. "Ancestral Master. Enforcement Elder. When did you arrive?"
The Young Ancestral Master had appeared at some point not far away, accompanied by the Enforcement Elder. The Enforcement Elder smiled and said, "We've been here for a while. We passed by and saw you teaching them spells, so we stood aside and listened without disturbing you."
The Young Ancestral Master praised, "I now feel that giving you the *Great Cultivation Demon Scripture* was an absolutely correct decision. Others who cultivate it consider it an achievement just to learn it. For a single spell, they might only develop one or two uses, but you've come up with so many. Good, very good."
Qin Mu asked, puzzled, "Isn't this how spells should be used?"
The Young Ancestral Master smiled and said, "They should. It's just that the previous sect masters were too foolish to think of these uses. Let's go."
Qin Mu acknowledged, and with Fox Ling'er following, he caught up with him as they headed toward Yongzhou City.
"Oh no, I forgot to ask who he is!" one girl exclaimed.
The young boys and girls stared blankly as Qin Mu and the others walked away. A young man murmured, "He called that other young man 'Ancestral Master' and that old man 'Enforcement Elder.' So who could he be..."
"His knowledge surpasses even Hall Master Lei's. He must be a big shot in our Holy Church!"
Along the way, Qin Mu saw more Demon Sect disciples using spells to dig canals, plow fields, and fly up to trees to pick fruit.
However, most of these disciples were not proficient in their spells, and many hadn't learned them fully.
This time, Qin Mu didn't stop to teach them the complete spells. There were too many Demon Sect disciples scattered across the land; teaching them all individually would take forever.
"In Yongzhou, there are quite a few disciples of our Holy Church."
The Young Ancestral Master smiled and asked, "Seeing this, what are your thoughts?"
"You, Ancestral Master, assisted the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang in establishing the Imperial Academy, universities, and elementary schools, yet the disciples of our Holy Church have no place to study. You thought of the world but forgot the Holy Church."
Qin Mu shook his head and said, "Ancestral Master, you should establish elementary schools, universities, and an Imperial Academy within our church, so that our disciples won't fall behind the times."
The Young Ancestral Master smiled and said, "That is the duty of the Sect Master, not the Ancestral Master. Young Sect Master, this will be your responsibility in the future."
Qin Mu was stunned and asked, "Forty years ago, why didn't Sect Master Li do it?"
"Sect Master Li was obsessed with women, captivated by the Sect Master's Wife. In his eyes, where was there room for the people of the world?"
Qin Mu clicked his tongue. This again involved Granny Si. Back then, Sect Master Li Tianxing must have been utterly infatuated with Granny Si, missing this world-renowned reform.
Comparatively, the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Monastery were not well-suited to follow the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang's reforms. Although they were sacred grounds for the orthodox path and the Buddhist path, they followed the master-apprentice model, where one master taught only a few disciples.
The Demon Sect was different. It followed the hall master jurisdiction model. Although hall masters were powerful, they weren't responsible for personally teaching disciples; they only occasionally imparted techniques and divine abilities to the congregation.
The Demon Sect could easily set up a few elementary schools and universities within its ranks. As for the Imperial Academy...
"The Imperial Academy can be handled by sending students there to study."
Qin Mu calculated, "We can select the most outstanding disciples from our church and have them take the Imperial Academy entrance exams, letting the Imperial Academy cultivate them for us. That way, it would be hard for the Heavenly Saint Church not to flourish!"
The Young Ancestral Master glanced at him and sighed, "I regret that you weren't born forty years earlier."
He led Qin Mu into the city. The streets were bustling with people, and Qin Mu was puzzled. "Is the main altar of our Heavenly Saint Church actually set up inside the city? Isn't that too conspicuous?"
The Young Ancestral Master led him toward the city lord's mansion. Without announcing themselves, they entered directly. Inside, many high-ranking members of the Demon Sect had already gathered: various hall masters, guardian elders, inspectors, dharma protectors, and town-suppressing heavenly kings.
When everyone saw the Young Ancestral Master and Qin Mu, they rose to greet them.
Qin Mu returned the greetings. The Young Ancestral Master nodded slightly and asked, "Is everyone here?"
A guardian elder replied, "The Sect Master's Wife and the Saintess have not yet arrived. Among the town-suppressing heavenly kings, Heavenly King Qian has yet to return."
The Young Ancestral Master nodded. "Then we'll wait a little longer."
After a while, a sweet, seductive voice came from outside, "Have Mu'er and the Ancestral Master arrived?"
Hearing this voice, Qin Mu felt blood rush to his head. The other hall masters and elders also blushed, looking expectant, as if hearing this voice conjured the image of their perfect lover in their dreams.
Even the Young Ancestral Master felt a flutter of distraction. His expression changed, and he shouted, "Si Youyou, be dignified!"
From outside the door, Granny Si's voice came, "How boring."
The Young Ancestral Master flew out the door and rushed outside, his voice trailing, "Who told you to show your true face? Showing your true appearance will turn this enthronement ceremony into a complete mess... Of course, make yourself as ugly as possible... He's the child you raised who's about to become the sect master. Do you want him to fall for you too... That's better. Go in."
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone in the city lord's mansion also relaxed. Several white-haired elders and town-suppressing heavenly kings wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and steadied themselves.
Outside the door, the Young Ancestral Master and Granny Si walked in. The little old woman still looked a bit dissatisfied. She glanced around, saw Qin Mu, and broke into a smile.
"Grandma!"
Qin Mu quickly stepped forward, took Granny Si's hand, and whispered with a smile, "Grandma, I know you're in the Imperial Academy. You didn't even change your surname..."
Granny Si looked puzzled and said, "I didn't go to the Imperial Academy. I only observed you from afar. Besides, with the Ancestral Master in the Imperial Academy, I never worried about your safety."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "Grandma, stop pretending. I've already seen through you. You are Si... in the Imperial Academy..."
"The Saintess has arrived!" a loud voice suddenly announced.
Just as Qin Mu was about to say the name Si Yunxiang, he saw Si Yunxiang walk in through the door. Granny Si's voice whispered in his ear, "The Saintess and the sect master are even classmates; they entered the Imperial Academy together."