Chapter 257: It's Not Your Fault
Qin Mu walked along, looking around at the devastation. Starving refugees fled in all directions, disasters erupted everywhere, and plagues ran rampant. Compared to the relatively peaceful territory of the Great Leiyin Temple, this place was simply hell.
Fortunately, many scholars from the universities and elementary schools were traveling around practicing medicine and suppressing the epidemics; otherwise, the calamity would have been even worse.
The Imperial Preceptor of Yankang had built a large number of elementary schools and universities to replace private academies, and at this time, they proved their worth. Although each of these scholars was weak individually, together their strength was astonishing, equivalent to so many small sects.
Qin Mu saw government troops clearing out demons and monsters that had taken advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. County magistrates personally guarded the farmlands to protect the seedlings, persuading refugees to return to their hometowns. The emperor's relief grain would soon be transported here.
He also saw some disciples of the Daoist sect and Buddhist sect helping with disaster relief, but they were somewhat casual. Compared to the power of the state, their capabilities were limited—they helped wherever they went. Moreover, some took advantage of the national crisis to preach, giving rise to many heretical cults, but none of them amounted to anything.
"This natural disaster won't destroy a country like this," Qin Mu thought to himself.
New crops had already been planted. As long as the harvest season arrived, the people could be stabilized. The timing of this calamity in Yankang was extremely peculiar—it occurred right after a great upheaval that had swept across the entire nation. Years of warfare had consumed enormous amounts of grain and fodder, and this snow disaster on top of that was enough to cripple the country.
"I wonder if the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang has returned to court, and if the emperor is still overseeing disaster relief. And where did this natural disaster come from? This isn't a calamity that sacred grounds like the Daoist sect or the Great Leiyin Temple could create. It could only be a god."
He looked up at the sky, puzzled. Why?
Why did heaven send disaster upon Yankang?
For the sake of the gods' earthly doctrines?
Before Yankang, various sects ruled the world, forming large and small kingdoms. Some sects had ancient lineages, with legends claiming they were left behind by gods. So, was it because the gods' earthly doctrines were destroyed by the Yankang nation that the deities became enraged and sent down this natural disaster?
Or were there deeper reasons behind it?
Qin Mu found some disciples of the Celestial Demon Cult and inquired. The cult was assisting the government with disaster relief, with almost all its disciples mobilized and spread across the entire country. The hall masters had even donated all their hall's money, leaving them completely broke. However, some merchants were hoarding goods to drive up prices, and some great aristocratic families were stockpiling grain without selling.
"The emperor was furious. He executed a batch, then uncovered many corrupt officials embezzling relief funds and executed another batch. There were also those who sold official positions and titles—he executed another batch."
A Celestial Demon Cult disciple had followed the emperor during the relief efforts and seen quite a bit of the world. He spoke with animated excitement: "The emperor was also repeatedly assassinated, mostly by sect master-level existences. Fortunately, the civil and military ministers of the court accompanied him, and the emperor himself fought back. He was truly formidable. It's a pity that the Cult Master wasn't there to see it."
Qin Mu asked, "Which strong figures tried to assassinate the emperor?"
"I heard it was Poor Master, Tian Zhenren, and some strong figures from beyond the border."
Qin Mu's expression changed slightly. "They've allied with sect master-level experts from beyond the border? Has the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang returned?"
"Not yet seen."
Qin Mu pondered for a moment. "Where is the emperor now?"
"He's in Bazhou Prefecture, five thousand li away."
That Celestial Demon Cult disciple said, "The emperor first went south, purged the aristocratic families there that refused to release or sell grain, then headed north. He just arrived in Bazhou. Bazhou is still relatively stable."
Qin Mu steadied himself and asked, "What about the capital? Which first-rank ministers were left behind?"
"The crown prince was left to oversee the state, along with officials from the crown prince's faction."
Qin Mu's expression grew grave. The crown prince was overseeing the state in the capital, yet he had run off to the Great Leiyin Temple. Poor Master, Tian Zhenren, and the others had nearly died at the hands of the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang but were rescued by the Old Tathagata, who said they had entered the empty gate and would no longer meddle in worldly affairs. Now, however, they had come out again.
Add to that the crown prince going to see the Old Tathagata, and the implications were enormous.
"They say the imperial court is the greatest sacred ground under heaven. I wonder, if it truly clashes with the Great Leiyin Temple, who would come out on top?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment and asked, "Can you contact the hall masters?"
"Right now, all the halls are scattered across the country doing disaster relief. It's very difficult to contact them. Gathering all the halls would probably take one or two months."
Qin Mu waved his hand and left on his own, riding on the back of the Dragon Qilin as he headed for Bazhou.
Bazhou was still five thousand li away—a considerable distance. Even with the Dragon Qilin's speed, without rest, it would take until the next day to arrive. With rest along the way, it would likely be the next evening before they reached Bazhou.
"If only that treasure ship of mine were still here, it would be much easier. Too bad it was destroyed."
Qin Mu ordered the Dragon Qilin to go all out, promising him a bucket of food per day. The Dragon Qilin perked up, stepping on fiery clouds as he galloped toward Bazhou.
Unnoticed, night fell. Qin Mu looked up at the stars to determine their direction and ordered the Dragon Qilin to continue. By the time the sun rose, the Dragon Qilin couldn't take it anymore. He was exhausted, foaming at the mouth, unable to run, his pace slowing more and more.
Qin Mu had him stop, looked around to identify their location, took out the Yankang geography map, and examined it carefully. He saw that they were less than a thousand li from Bazhou.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, fed the Dragon Qilin, and walked forward at a leisurely pace to let the beast rest.
Before they had gone far, a courtyard appeared in this remote, barren area. It seemed to be a newly built house—everything was new. Qin Mu walked over and was about to knock when the door opened, and a woman came out. They met face to face, and both were startled.
"Mu'er?"
The woman had unparalleled beauty. Seeing him, she was taken aback, looked around, and said in confusion, "How did you find your way here? I finally managed to shake off Blind and Ma Ye, and yet you found me."
Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted. "Grandma, why are you here?" Then he became alert. "Are you Grandma, or Li Tianxing?"
Granny Si stepped aside to let him in. "That old demon is temporarily suppressed by me. The Old Tathagata couldn't eliminate him, but he did severely wound him. Now we're evenly matched, so I made an agreement with him. He comes out at night, and I come out during the day."
Qin Mu said suspiciously, "If you're really Grandma, why would you deliberately avoid Ma Ye and Blind Grandpa? Why hide here?"
Granny Si shot him a glare. "You brat, you dare to doubt your own grandma? If I were that old demon and wanted to harm you, would I need to make up lies to trick you?"
Qin Mu thought about it and realized she was right. Compared to Granny Si, he was indeed pathetically weak. If she were Li Tianxing, she wouldn't need to go through so much trouble. So he walked into the courtyard.
If it were Li Tianxing, with that seductive charm, a single glance would be enough to bewitch him—more feminine than any woman.
The courtyard was very simple. Since it had just been built, there were few pieces of furniture. Qin Mu looked around and saw that the tables and chairs were all crooked, which put him at ease.
Granny Si didn't have Ma Ye's skillful craftsmanship. She could make clothes well enough, but when it came to woodworking, she was pitifully bad. These tables and chairs were definitely made by Granny Si.
Qin Mu sat down on a chair to rest. The chair was uneven, one side higher than the other, which was very uncomfortable, but it made him even more certain. It was indeed a chair made by Granny Si. Curious, he asked, "Grandma, why don't you go back to the Great Ruins?"
Granny Si shook her head, walked out of the courtyard, and after a moment, a few pieces of firewood floated into the yard. She intended to make a bed.
Qin Mu didn't rest. He quickly went to help. Granny Si was a saintess of the cult. Even after living in the Cripples' Village for forty years, she hadn't learned Ma Ye's craft. Qin Mu, on the other hand, was skilled at making all kinds of furniture.
Granny Si couldn't help, so she went to the river to fetch some water, then came back to polish a bronze mirror. "I can't go back now. Even if I did, what would be the point? In the Great Ruins, darkness rules at night, and if that old demon comes out to cause trouble again, how long can Village Chief and those old bones hold out? It's better to stay here for a while and wear down that old demon's temperament."
Qin Mu quickly made a large bed and carried it into the house. When he saw that she had polished the mirror all bumpy and uneven, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He quickly took over, transformed his Yuan Qi into White Tiger Yuan Qi, calculated carefully, and used Yuan Qi threads to finely polish the mirror until it was smooth. Then he went to make a dressing table.
Granny Si saw the Dragon Qilin lying on the ground snoring loudly and noticed Qin Mu's bloodshot eyes and exhausted appearance. "You traveled all night? Go get some sleep first."
"You're not leaving?"
"I'm not leaving."
Qin Mu felt relieved and lay down on the bed. There were no blankets, but he was used to sleeping rough outdoors. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Mu woke up groggily and saw Granny Si staring blankly at the bronze mirror on the dressing table. In her hand, she held a pair of scissors, pointing them at her own face.
"Grandma!" Qin Mu said hastily.
Granny Si turned her head, put down the scissors, and forced a smile. She said softly, "The Tathagata said there's only one way to break the heart demon: make it so that it no longer longs for this face. Mu'er, I don't want to harm you all, and I certainly don't want to harm you..."
Qin Mu saw her pick up the scissors again, and tears couldn't stop flowing. "Grandma, it's not your fault... I've never blamed you..."
"I can't do it!"
Granny Si slumped, put down the scissors, and laughed. "Mu'er, you do it for me."
Qin Mu got up from the bed, took the scissors from her hand, and gently placed them in her small basket.
"It's not your fault. No one can blame you. You've already hidden for over forty years—over forty years without showing your true face to anyone."
He crouched down, looking up at that face of unparalleled beauty, the true face of the person who had raised him as family. Qin Mu smiled. "If it were me, I could hold out for a day or two, but over forty years? I couldn't do it. What you look like isn't your fault. What beautiful woman would be willing to forever cover her face and show the world an aged one instead?"
He stood up and said, "Grandma, I'll take care of Li Tianxing. You stay here. I'm going to Bazhou. Something might happen there."
Granny Si nodded gently.
Qin Mu walked out of the room, turned back, and smiled. "Grandma, eat well, drink well. Don't mistreat yourself."
"You brat, lecturing me again!" Granny Si said with feigned anger.
Qin Mu laughed heartily, kicked the Dragon Qilin awake, and shouted, "Still sleeping? Get up and move!"