Chapter 428: Coercion and Bribery
The Beast Hall Master’s heart tightened. Just as he was about to notify the Prefect, Qin Mu suddenly stopped and tilted his head. “Wait. There’s no need to evacuate everyone.”
The Beast Hall Master was momentarily stunned. Hu Ling’er and Si Yunxiang immediately understood Qin Mu’s intent. Si Yunxiang said, “Evacuating them is useless. Once a celestial phenomenon weapon unleashes its power, no one can escape. Even if they flee to the capital, they likely won’t evade the weapon’s strike. Such a weapon can reach hundreds of thousands of miles in an instant. If its full power is unleashed, it could probably blanket the entire Yan Kingdom.”
The Beast Hall Master felt a chill run down his spine.
Here, they were still tens of thousands of miles from the capital. Couldn’t they escape even by fleeing tens of thousands of miles?
What kind of weapon was that giant gourd at the Fragrant Well?
Qin Mu straightened his clothes and strode toward the Fragrant Well, his pace unhurried. Earlier, he had been frantic, but now he had relaxed his demeanor. He murmured, “We can’t let the city’s people leave.”
Si Yunxiang was taken aback.
“The city’s people are this god’s hostages. If we let them go, he’ll lose his leverage and immediately trigger that giant gourd, bringing down the calamity!” Qin Mu whispered.
Si Yunxiang shuddered and glanced at him.
The power of celestial phenomenon weapons was immense. During the test at Granny Si’s manor, the Earthquake Cauldron hadn’t even unleashed one percent of its might, yet it had injured the Yan Kingdom National Teacher, the Village Chief, and other experts, shaking the ground for hundreds of miles around!
It would be better for the city’s people to remain at the epicenter of the weapon’s blast. At least their deaths would be quicker and less painful.
“Cough, cough!”
He coughed twice, not out of pretense but because his body was genuinely weak. At that moment, coughing also came from near the Fragrant Well, accompanied by a voice that sneered between coughs, “You little brat, chasing me here—aren’t you afraid I’ll activate this Five Thunder Gourd?”
“Five Thunder Gourd?”
Qin Mu walked toward the Fragrant Well, ascending the steps, with the Dragon King God and others flanking him. He smiled, “Is this treasure called the Five Thunder Gourd? May I ask what the five thunders in this gourd refer to?”
The Dragon King God glanced at the courtyard ahead, frowned, and shook his body. His form shrank, transforming into a young man in a sapphire-blue robe. Though his face was somewhat fierce, his features weren’t bad.
Dragon Qilin also shook, but only managed to shrink his belly, which then popped back out with a *boing*. Hu Ling’er quickly covered her face, mortified, and said, “Fat Dragon, don’t call me Sister Ling’er anymore. It’s too embarrassing…”
The other dragons brandished their claws and roared “Maha! Maha!” as they shook, but none transformed into human form. Like Dragon Qilin, they only shrank their bellies, which then bounced back.
“These guys have gotten so fat since following the young master! Their little bellies are sticking out!”
Hu Ling’er scrutinized the dragons with a serious expression, thinking, “I should tell the young master to cut back on their food!”
None of these dragons had learned transformation techniques. The Dragon Tamer Lord had only raised them for battle, never treating them as disciples, so he hadn’t taught them to speak human language.
Qin Mu led the group up the steps and into the courtyard. The courtyard was vast, like a large estate, and at its center stood the famous Fragrant Well of the Purple Thorn City.
The Fragrant Well was a renowned historical site in Purple Thorn City. Legend had it that this area was once a barren wasteland. Long ago, a group of refugees fleeing pursuers arrived here, dying of thirst. They prayed to the heavens, and a miracle occurred: the earth split open with a roar, revealing a massive deep well. The water in the well even emitted a fragrance, earning it the name Fragrant Well.
The well was enclosed by a large courtyard, heavily guarded by soldiers and cultivators, layer upon layer. Now, all those cultivators lay unconscious on the ground, not one awake—clearly the work of that god.
“The five thunders are classified by direction: east, south, west, north, and center—the five cloud thunders.”
Qin Mu entered the courtyard and saw that the Fragrant Well had vanished. The great well had been pried open, and from it emerged a massive gourd. It didn’t quite look like a gourd; it seemed more like it was forged from green jade, over five zhang tall. Various runes and marks on its surface resembled clouds, dragons, and lightning, but none were exact.
Beneath the gourd stood a horned man, looking quite battered. He was injured, with several broken bones piercing through his skin, stark white and unsettling. His leg was also broken, the flesh mangled, most of his foot crushed.
Qin Mu felt a pang of sympathy and asked with concern, “Brother, how are your injuries?”
“You caused them. What do you think?”
The horned man shot him a glare, clearly annoyed. His injuries were from Qin Mu’s Crescent Moon attack, which had crippled him. Qin Mu had pursued him relentlessly, and now he was feigning concern.
Qin Mu blushed and offered an apologetic smile. “A doctor’s heart is like a parent’s. To be honest, I’m a physician, hailed as a divine healer, most compassionate, often treating the sick and saving lives. I can’t bear to see others hurt, so seeing your injuries stirs my pity. If you trust me…”
“I don’t trust you!”
The horned god sneered, “Enough talk. Inside this Five Thunder Gourd are five thunderclouds. They’re not large—at most, they’ll cover the entire Yan Kingdom. Within the clouds are Fire Bell Divine Soldiers. When the bells ring, the whole nation will be buried in thunder! You’ve chased me here—aren’t you afraid I’ll activate the Five Thunder Gourd?”
Qin Mu stepped forward, leaning against the Five Thunder Gourd to rest, and chuckled, “How could I not be afraid? But if I hadn’t chased you, wouldn’t you still activate it? You’d not only trigger the Five Thunder Gourd but likely other celestial phenomenon weapons too. The Five Thunder Gourd alone might not kill all Yan Kingdom’s people, but if you set off the others, that would be a true catastrophe. What should I call you, brother?”
The horned god glanced at the Dragon King God, who had transformed into a youth. The Dragon King God said, “Master, he is White Gap, a Zero God from the Upper Firmament.”
“Brother White Gap.”
Qin Mu’s expression turned solemn. “You haven’t activated the Five Thunder Gourd immediately, which suggests there’s room for negotiation. Since that’s the case, why not discuss it?”
White Gap’s eyes were set far apart, small but round. “What do you propose?”
Qin Mu smiled faintly. “Go to the Great Ruins, turn into a stone statue, and you live.”
White Gap burst into laughter, his voice booming like a bell, and sneered, “You little brat, you want me to willingly become a stone statue? I am a lofty god of the Upper Firmament! If I agreed to such a deal, wouldn’t I be mocked by the world?”
Qin Mu refined a furnace of elixirs to treat himself and replenish his vitality. “Brother, what do you propose?”
“I activate the Five Thunder Gourd, and you let me go. I won’t touch the other celestial phenomenon weapons!”
Qin Mu took the elixir, looking frail, and said, “No deal.”
White Gap’s small eyes narrowed. “Don’t push me to the brink! If I can’t complete the mission given by the High God, I can’t survive either. Either let me activate the Five Thunder Gourd and go free, or I’ll trigger it and we fight to the death! Even if I die, I’ll take you all with me!”
Qin Mu shook his head. “You can’t take any of us.”
White Gap laughed loudly. Qin Mu took out the True Dragon Nest and retrieved the divine limbs he had taken from Star Madman. He assembled them into a four-headed, multi-armed demonic figure and said, “Brother White Gap, I have plenty of ways to protect myself. I’m skilled in teleportation and summoning. This body is prepared for an old friend of mine. If you don’t make a deal with me, I’ll summon him from the Capital Heaven World. Not only can I protect myself, but killing you would be easy.”
White Gap’s gaze fell on the assembled body, and his eyes grew even smaller. “You’re bluffing me? What god could you possibly know?”
Qin Mu smiled and took out a bone altar and a wooden demon statue. He activated the Ghost Summoning and Demon Commanding Talisman technique, performing rites on the altar. After a moment, eerie winds blew, demonic energy churned, and runes on the wooden statue lit up one after another.
White Gap’s expression shifted. He quickly said, “Stop! No need to summon. I believe you!”
Qin Mu immediately halted, secretly relieved. If he had continued the summoning, even if he contacted the Capital Heaven Demon King, the demon king might not have responded.
The Capital Heaven Demon King bore heavy responsibilities and was timid. Since his last departure, he had never contacted Qin Mu, vowing never to return to this world.
If the demon king knew that over a hundred divine statues had appeared in the Yan Kingdom, along with numerous unpredictable celestial phenomenon weapons, he would be even less willing to show himself.
Qin Mu took down the wooden demon statue and placed the assembled demonic body on the altar. He smiled, “Can we negotiate now?”
White Gap’s face darkened as he pondered for a moment. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “I have family in the Upper Firmament—old and young. If I fail my mission, my race will be exterminated! I must return to the Upper Firmament to bring them out!”
“Master, don’t trust him.”
The Dragon King God whispered, “He does have a race in the Upper Firmament, but the Upper Firmament isn’t a place one can come and go freely. There are Reception Divine Officers. Without their permission, no one can enter or leave!”
Qin Mu smiled faintly.
White Gap’s face changed drastically, and he sneered, “How did the Dragon Tamer Lord raise such a traitor?”
The Dragon King God retorted coldly, “If the Dragon Lord hadn’t been subdued by my master, would I have become a traitor?”
White Gap was stunned. “The Dragon Tamer Lord was subdued by him?”
“The Dragon Tamer Lord was like you—severely wounded by me and forced to submit.”
Qin Mu said warmly, “I gave him excellent terms: command the Surging River and become its Dragon King! Every year, those who jump into the river to die or drown in shipwrecks become his food—great provisions. Moreover, there are over a hundred Dragon King temples along the river, all worshipping him. The Dragon Tamer Lord enjoys incense offerings and lives a comfortable life.”
White Gap laughed angrily. “But you want me to turn into a stone statue! You’re utterly despicable! Am I worse than that dragon-raising bastard?”
Qin Mu said earnestly, “Brother White Gap, what are your demands? Speak freely. If I can fulfill them, I won’t be stingy. But activating the Five Thunder Gourd is off the table. If you trigger it, I’ll fight to the bitter end!”
White Gap hesitated, unable to decide.
Qin Mu’s eyes flickered as he glanced at the Five Thunder Gourd, deeply wary of the giant gourd. He tested the waters, “How about this: wait a few days. If the Upper Firmament gods win and activate other celestial phenomenon weapons, I’ll turn and leave, letting you activate the Five Thunder Gourd. I’ll return to the Great Ruins, ignore worldly affairs, and let the True Gods descend to destroy the world. If, in these few days, you don’t see the Upper Firmament gods activate other weapons, we’ll talk again. What do you think?”
White Gap gritted his teeth and said decisively, “Fine!”
Qin Mu laughed heartily, then coughed a few times, panting, “Brother, I’m not in good health. I’ll take my leave now.”
White Gap was surprised, thinking, “This kid is actually willing to leave me here… If the other Upper Firmament brothers can activate the other weapons, whether I activate the Five Thunder Gourd or not won’t matter. If they don’t, it means they’re all dead. Surrendering wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Qin Mu walked out of the courtyard, his expression suddenly darkening, startling Si Yunxiang and the others. The shift was too fast.
“Saintess Si, inform the Emperor. Have him bring the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon here!”
Qin Mu said fiercely, “Also, I’ll write down some prescriptions. Help me gather the ingredients—I need to refine a potent poison. Furthermore, summon all the experts in the sect skilled in the Five Ghosts Moving Technique. Move the Five Thunder Gourd as far away as possible!”
Si Yunxiang hesitated, testing, “Sect Leader, isn’t this a bit underhanded?”
“Better safe than sorry! If negotiations fail, move the gourd and kill him immediately!”
—Everyone can follow my public account “Zhaizhu” for wonderful reviews, character art, and plot discussions! This chapter is over 3,500 words, and there’s a third update coming later, between 9 and 10 PM.