Chapter 447: A Fine-Looking Bunch
Although these girls had cultivated some Western Earth spells and knew of a place called the True Heaven Palace, they had no idea where the True Heaven Palace was actually located.
The Western Earth was vast and expansive, no smaller than Yan’an or the Great Ruins. Most people living in the Great Ruins knew of the Dao Sect, but most didn’t know where the Dao Sect was.
The same was true for the people of the Western Earth.
Qin Mu somewhat regretted killing that female disciple of the True Heaven Palace.
Ahead, a magnificent city came into view. The girls on the crate had come to this city for a market. The city was called Fragrant Beauty City. The entire city was in full bloom with flowers, green vines climbing up the city walls, large blossoms opening on the battlements, and the city towers also hung with flowers, a riot of purple and red, very eye-catching.
As they drew closer, they saw that those flowers were like spirits. From within the blossoms emerged delicate young maidens, softly singing incomprehensible ballads. These were the spirits within the flowers, awakened by the city’s inhabitants using spells, becoming part of the scenery that adorned Fragrant Beauty City.
There were also green-ivy girls in green dresses, and begonia girls with bright red flowers, flitting between the tall buildings and wide mansions.
Stone giants beat drums, and unknown flowers floated in the air. Flower spirits stood within the blossoms, playing flute melodies and plucking pipas, flying around the stone giants as an accompaniment.
When Qin Mu arrived in this city, it was like a country bumpkin entering a city. He saw colossal beings walking on the streets—these were house giants that had grown legs and feet. Boys and girls stood by the windowsills, looking around at the surrounding scenery, their laughter crisp and clear. Long ribbons fluttered, flying out from the windowsill of one house giant and drifting into the window of another, forming a bridge. Girls in colorful finery stepped onto the ribbons, walking from one house to another to meet their lovers.
“It’s the Flower Mountain Festival!”
Xiong Qier said excitedly, “My mother took me to play there! The True Heaven Palace’s Flower Mountain Festival is even livelier than this!”
Qin Mu picked up Xiong Qier and parted ways with the girls on the crate. The Dragon Qilin carried them as they walked through this magnificent and wondrous street. The prosperous and splendid scene of the Western Earth was hard to imagine, vastly different from Yan’an, possessing an extraordinary charm.
As he walked through this city full of exotic allure, many girls threw sachets at him. One bold girl even stepped onto a ribbon, came over, took his hand, and tried to fly back into a building giant for a tryst.
Qin Mu let go of the flying girl’s hand. The girl, like a fairy walking on ripples, flew back into the building, going off to find another handsome man.
When he first arrived in the Western Earth and encountered the female disciples of the True Heaven Palace, they were truly vicious. He had initially formed a bad impression of Western Earth women. However, upon arriving in Fragrant Beauty City, he was captivated by the local customs and culture.
The annual Flower Mountain Festival was extraordinarily lively.
Qin Mu made his way through the crowd, past the building giants and house giants, and finally reached the city center. Here, it was relatively quiet, not as bustling as the front.
“The people living here should be the local gentry of Fragrant Beauty City. They should be able to give me information about the True Heaven Palace.”
Just then, a green vine grew rapidly, drifting in front of Qin Mu. At the tip of the vine was a large flower. The flower bloomed leisurely, and from within emerged a girl in a pink dress, smiling sweetly. “Are you Young Master Qin?”
Qin Mu nodded.
The girl stepped out of the flower, with a stamen still connecting her to it, and laughed. “Young Master, my master invites you. Please follow me.”
“Someone here recognizes me?”
Qin Mu was surprised. He jumped down from the Dragon Qilin’s back and said, “Please, young lady, lead the way.”
The girl also landed on the ground and led him to a large mansion. This residence was like a manor, very imposing. Two stone lions at the gate stood up, turned their heads to look at Qin Mu and the Dragon Qilin, then crouched back down on their stone pedestals.
Qin Mu followed the flower girl into the courtyard. He saw many young men and women bustling about, also very lively. However, most of them were transformed from flowers, plants, trees, and jade, and some were transformed from black gold and bronze.
“This manor isn’t in the Western Earth style; it looks more like the Yan’an style… Wait a minute, this black gold and bronze…”
Qin Mu was slightly startled, his gaze falling on a large tripod that was walking around. The tripod was filled with food, and it ran over to the head of a fire-man, cooking the food itself.
“This tripod is a spirit weapon! Can spirit weapons also become spirits?”
Qin Mu suddenly had a feeling of epiphany. He slowed his pace, lost in thought.
He had sensed another path for reforming the techniques!
That was to bring the concept of ‘all things have spirits, all things have gods’ into Yan’an, sparking another wave of reform!
If the spirit weapons of Yan’an’s cultivators could also possess spirits, everyone’s strength could be greatly enhanced!
Not only that, but the combination of the two systems would give rise to even more spells and divine abilities, making them even more versatile!
Previously, what Yan’an cultivators called ‘spirit weapons’ weren’t true spirit weapons; they were merely born from the divine treasures. But if they absorbed the Western Earth’s philosophy, they could achieve true spirit weapons!
“Yan’an’s spells focus on attack power, with all sorts of strange and marvelous techniques. The Western Earth’s spells are slightly inferior in attack power and lack variety in attack methods. However, the method of ‘all things have spirits’ can turn spirit weapons into true spirit weapons! The two systems can complement each other! The current challenge is how to fuse the Western Earth’s ‘all things have spirits’ spells with Yan’an’s cultivation methods, allowing Yan’an’s cultivators to sense the spirit and activate the spirit within their spirit weapons.”
He was deeply calculating how to merge ‘all things have spirits’ with Yan’an’s cultivation system when suddenly a voice laughed heartily, “The Yan’an Cult Leader Qin has come from afar, and I failed to welcome you. Please forgive my negligence!”
“A man!”
Qin Mu was quite puzzled. This Fragrant Beauty City was clearly a very prosperous city in the Western Earth. Logically, women should be in charge here. How could a man hold a high position?
He followed the sound and saw a handsome young man leading a group to welcome him. The young man gave him a familiar feeling, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he hadn’t.
The Dragon Qilin suddenly became excited and whispered, “Cult Leader, look, doesn’t he resemble the Patriarch a bit?”
Qin Mu was taken aback. He did indeed find some resemblance and unconsciously felt a bit of goodwill. He bowed in greeting, “Qin Mu, the Heavenly Saint Cult Leader, greets the master of this place.”
The young man returned the greeting, using the Yan’an etiquette, and said, “Cult Leader Qin, Ge Ke greets you. Not long ago, your portrait was plastered all over the Western Earth. Your reputation has soared, causing quite a stir. Many young talents plan to test Cult Leader Qin. This way, please, Cult Leader Qin.”
Qin Mu’s face darkened. He had brought Xiong Qier this time, originally intending for the Yan’an National Teacher and Xiong Yuxi to take the lead. They were more famous—one was the prestigious National Teacher of Yan’an, and the other was the former Palace Master of the True Heaven Palace. Naturally, they would attract the attention of the Western Earth. This way, he and Xiong Qier would go unnoticed and be safer.
His purpose in coming was to familiarize himself with the geography and customs of the Western Earth. In the future, Yan’an would inevitably wage war on the Western Earth and incorporate it into Yan’an’s borders.
The Yan’an National Teacher’s goal was to proceed from the top down: first, get control of the True Heaven Palace, let the True Heaven Palace rule the Western Earth, and then have the True Heaven Palace submit to Yan’an, minimizing casualties.
He never expected that Ban Gongcuo, that bastard, would meddle and make Qin Mu’s arrival in the Western Earth known to everyone, even posting wanted posters all over the Western Earth’s cities and towns.
“Brother Ge Ke is too kind.”
Qin Mu followed him, noticing that the men and women around Ge Ke all had considerable cultivation and should be quite skilled. However, their looks at him were rather unfriendly, eager to try something, but with Ge Ke as the host, they didn’t act directly.
Qin Mu looked at Ge Ke, feeling a bit suspicious. This young man’s appearance bore a certain resemblance to the young Patriarch. Moreover, this manor was also in the Yan’an style, not the Western Earth’s circular architecture. Ge Ke’s etiquette was also Yan’an’s. Could he really be the result of the young Patriarch’s ‘walking marriage’ in the Western Earth?
“No! He doesn’t look old, probably only sixteen or seventeen. Although the Patriarch was quite dashing and romantic, sixteen or seventeen years ago he was already an old man. Could he have come to the Western Earth for a walking marriage? But then again, the Patriarch also looks like a young man. This Ge Ke must have cultivated the Creation Skill from the Great Cultivation Demon Scripture to maintain his youthful appearance.”
Ge Ke led the group to a tall building. Around them were various vehicles that had arrived. The people who came here should be of high status. Qin Mu saw someone who had even come riding on a cloud, the cloud tied to an ancient tree. There were also all kinds of rare and exotic beasts, and even a small mountain peak!
It seemed that those who could enter this manor were all prominent figures. They looked young and should all be attending the Flower Mountain Festival, as no one would choose an old man or woman as a partner at such a festival.
Ge Ke invited them all to take their seats. Qin Mu suppressed his doubts and sat down. Ge Ke clapped his hands, and a servant brought a scroll.
Ge Ke unrolled the scroll, which depicted Qin Mu. He laughed, “The True Heaven Palace sent Cult Leader Qin’s portrait, saying he was a wanted criminal from the Great Ruins. I was wondering if this Cult Leader Qin was bold enough to enter my Fragrant Beauty City. I didn’t expect him to actually come. Cult Leader, with your high skill and great courage, you’ve come to meet the heroes of our Western Earth. This young lady is Yu Jinfang of my Fragrant Beauty City, from a prestigious family. Miss Yu’s surname is ‘Yu’ because her ancestors were a branch of the Western Earth’s Yu family. Cult Leader Qin should know the Yu family, right?”
Qin Mu nodded. “The current Palace Master of the True Heaven Palace is from the Yu family.”
Ge Ke laughed. “Miss Yu has vast lands, eighteen mountain ranges, and is the heir of the Yu family. Her cultivation is at the Seven Stars realm.”
Qin Mu smiled and nodded to Yu Jinfang.
Yu Jinfang smiled slightly in return.
Ge Ke continued, “The Western Earth also has men in charge. This is the young master of the Western Earth’s Heavenly Gate Sect, Yue Qingshan. The Heavenly Gate Sect is led by men, and their cultivation path is somewhat similar to Yan’an’s. They are quite famous in the Western Earth. Brother Yue Qingshan is at the Six Harmonies realm.”
Qin Mu greeted him.
Yue Qingshan was quite arrogant. “Although I am at the Six Harmonies realm, my Heavenly Gate Sect’s spells and divine abilities have ancient origins, passed down by a deity.”
Qin Mu became interested and smiled. “I have seen many divine techniques. They are indeed not bad.”
Ge Ke added, “And this young lady is extraordinary. She is not from my Fragrant Beauty City but from the True Heaven Palace. Senior Sister Tingfang.”
Qin Mu looked at the woman. She was dressed in full regalia, with an extraordinary bearing. He praised, “Flowers fill the courtyard with fragrance. Senior Sister Tingfang has a beautiful name.”
Tingfang smiled. “Cult Leader Qin, the elders of the palace want to arrest you. It’s not that I want to oppose you, please forgive me.”
Ge Ke introduced the others, each with a notable background.
Qin Mu responded to each with a smile. Their cultivation levels varied, but they were all quite impressive among the younger generation.
After the introductions were complete, Qin Mu smiled. “Brother Ge Ke has introduced so many people. Why not introduce yourself?”
Ge Ke laughed heartily. “I am merely the host here. This Fragrant Beauty City is an inheritance left by my parents, not worth mentioning. Cult Leader Qin, the heroes have come to capture you. How do you plan to deal with this?”
Qin Mu looked around the room, his expression extremely sincere. “All of you, brothers and sisters, are a fine-looking bunch. Why must you seek death?”
— I’m saying that all of you present are… a fine-looking bunch, and you speak so well. So, could you cast a monthly vote? Looking up at you great ones with starry eyes at a forty-five-degree angle~~