Chapter 458: Turning One’s Hand to Create Clouds, Turning It Over to Create Rain
“Bastard!”
The moment Jade Ruyi died, the entire Liu family was immediately alarmed. With a series of bangs, black coffins burst open, and powerful figures soared into the sky from within!
A few coffins merely opened, yet no one emerged. Instead, terrifying tremors emanated from within, divine light churning and surging. Though the experts inside did not show themselves, the sight was truly awe-inspiring!
As one of the ten great aristocratic families of the Western Lands, the Liu family might not flaunt their power, but their strength was by no means insignificant!
This Divine Burial Valley was the Liu family’s sacred ground. Qin Mu killing Jade Ruyi here was itself a violation of the Liu family’s taboos. Moreover, the deceased was an expert from the True Heavenly Palace, which naturally incited the Liu family’s fury.
Shua shua shua—
Figures descended around Qin Mu, and instantly, a chilling wind swept through, bringing with it a mass of gloomy clouds. These figures stood indistinctly within the clouds, their faces unclear, making it impossible to tell whether they were human or ghost.
Just as these figures were about to tear apart this arrogant brat who had broken the Liu family’s rules, they suddenly caught sight of the Azure Dragon Pearl in Xiong Qi’er’s hands. They immediately halted their steps, not daring to advance.
“Everyone, stop!”
Liu Ruyin shouted in exasperation, “Don’t anyone make a move!”
She turned to look at Qin Mu, only to see him standing there nonchalantly, stuffing a jade eyeball into his Taotie pouch.
Her daughter, meanwhile, was clapping and cheering, urging Qin Mu to do it again.
Liu Ruyin’s head throbbed with pain. She glanced at the corpse of Jade Ruyi beside her, and her headache worsened.
Her original intention had been to let Qin Mu and Jade Ruyi meet—just a meeting. She didn’t care whether they could come to an agreement. If they insisted on fighting, it couldn’t be on Liu family grounds.
All she needed to guard against was Jade Ruyi. As long as Jade Ruyi didn’t kill Qin Mu within the Liu family, that was fine. As for Qin Mu, this big boy was merely a cultivator at the Six Harmonies realm, not worth worrying about.
But she never expected that this very assumption would go awry!
The moment Jade Ruyi showed her face, she was cut down by that wretched brat surnamed Qin. And that same brat even pretended to be clueless—infuriating!
Killing Jade Ruyi was one thing, but doing it in the Liu family’s Divine Burial Valley was another. It dragged the Liu family into a position of disloyalty.
If the True Heavenly Palace came to demand an accounting, could the Liu family withstand it?
“But if I hand that wretched brat surnamed Qin over to the True Heavenly Palace, I might be able to atone for the crime.”
She blinked her eyes. “However, the Azure Dragon Pearl is in the little princess’s hands. I can’t afford to offend her…”
Just then, a fragrant breeze swept by, and several women from the True Heavenly Palace drifted over. Seeing Jade Ruyi’s corpse on the ground, they flew into a rage and shouted harshly, “Liu Ruyin, what is the meaning of this?”
Liu Ruyin’s head throbbed even more. “This was done by Sect Leader Qin from the Central Lands. It has nothing to do with my Liu family…”
One of the women snapped, “Nothing to do with your Liu family? Liu Ruyin, you speak lightly, but the one who died is an elder of my True Heavenly Palace. Your Liu family can’t just wash your hands of this!”
Another woman stepped forward, her voice fierce: “Patriarch Liu, if your family wants to survive, then quickly capture this Qin fellow and hand him over to the True Heavenly Palace for judgment. The Palace Master might still consider old ties and not be too harsh on you. Otherwise, the entire Liu family will be wiped out, name and all!”
Liu Ruyin ground her teeth. Suddenly, Qin Mu’s voice came over, curious: “Sister Ruyin, didn’t you say the True Heavenly Palace’s envoy was Jade Ruyi? I thought it was only Sister Jade Ruyi. So who are these sisters?”
Liu Ruyin shot him a glare and sneered, “I did say the True Heavenly Palace’s envoy was called Jade Ruyi, but I never said she came alone. I also told you earlier that several senior sisters from the True Heavenly Palace had arrived. Isn’t that right?”
Qin Mu nodded in realization and smiled, “That was rash of me. I thought killing just one sister would be enough.”
Liu Ruyin’s anger flared, and she said coldly, “Sect Leader Qin, you’ve killed an elder of the True Heavenly Palace and tried to drive a wedge between my Liu family and them. Now, you tell me—what should I do?”
Qin Mu stood up, smiling, “Sister Ruyin, I’ve just come from the He family. Sister Yiyi is planning to gather the great aristocratic families to discuss a major matter—overthrowing this True Heavenly Palace Master, who only seized the throne through rebellion. The True Heavenly Palace Master is acting against the will of heaven, causing widespread resentment. The Yu family has grown too powerful. Your Liu family is like fish on the Yu family’s chopping block. With Jade Ruyi and these sisters here, they can make your entire family bow and scrape. The Yu family slaughtered the Xiong family until only orphans and widows remained. Aren’t you worried?”
Liu Ruyin’s heart tightened. Every word Qin Mu said made sense. With Jade Ruyi dead in the Liu family, the True Heavenly Palace would certainly not let it go. The Liu family would inevitably suffer, at the very least being skinned alive, forced to offer countless treasures as tribute.
And the Liu family’s greatest treasure was their corpses.
But this wretched brat Qin Mu was clearly up to no good, deliberately trying to drag the Liu family into the conflict against the True Heavenly Palace.
Still, his mention that He Yiyi was gathering the great families for a major discussion was quite tempting.
The Yu family was cold and heartless. Their attack on the Xiong family last time had been too ruthless, nearly wiping them out completely.
Although the Xiong family had long held the position of Palace Master, inviting the envy of other families, they had at least acted fairly.
The Yu family was different. The Xiong family had millions of members, a vast power, yet the Yu family had exterminated them root and branch, leaving only Xiong Xiyu and her daughter to flee the Western Lands. Everyone else was annihilated.
That went beyond mere ruthlessness.
“If I can use this opportunity to overthrow the Yu family…”
Liu Ruyin glanced at Qin Mu, hesitating. Other Liu family experts were seething with anger, but many were pondering Qin Mu’s proposal.
Qin Mu smiled, “Sister Ruyin, the Xiong family is left with only orphans and widows. If Xiong Xiyu reclaims the Palace Master’s seat, how can a mother and daughter alone rule the Western Lands? Won’t they have to rely on you great families? The Yu family occupies the True Heavenly Palace, and you have no influence there. But the day the Xiong family retakes the True Heavenly Palace will also be the day your families enter it.”
Liu Ruyin finally made up her mind. She looked at the little girl beside Qin Mu and asked, “Little one, what do you think?”
The little girl smiled, “Mother, since you’ve already decided, why ask me? Just make your judgment.”
Qin Mu looked at this little girl, who seemed about the same age as Xiong Qi’er, and felt a pang of suspicion. He quickly pulled Xiong Qi’er away from her, putting some distance between them.
This little girl was far from simple. Liu Ruyin hadn’t asked the Liu family elders for their opinion, nor the experts in those divine-light-emitting coffins. Instead, she asked this little girl. This suggested that the little girl was likely a cunning and treacherous strategist—the Liu family’s brain trust!
The little girl smiled sweetly at him and said, “I was having trouble deciding whether to rebel against the Yu family. Sect Leader Qin has done me a favor by making that decision for me.”
Over there, Liu Ruyin looked at the True Heavenly Palace women and chuckled, “Senior sisters, rest assured. After you die, I will perform the spirit-summoning ritual on your corpses. As for whether the ones who come back are you, I can honestly say—definitely not. Ladies, send these True Heavenly Palace senior sisters on their way!”
The True Heavenly Palace women cursed and resisted fiercely, but in the Divine Burial Valley, despite their considerable skills, they couldn’t escape death. One elder tried to unseal the sealed golden divine coffin, hoping to use the divine corpse inside to fight the Liu family experts. But the moment she removed a single talisman, divine light erupted from one of the coffins, pouring into her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Her primordial spirit dissolved instantly, leaving only a corpse.
Qin Mu shuddered.
The Liu family’s strength was terrifying. If not for Xiong Qi’er holding the Azure Dragon Pearl, it would indeed have been difficult to suppress them.
What made his hair stand on end even more was this seemingly harmless little girl beside him. Liu Ruyin had placed her next to him, seemingly casually, but it was full of ulterior motives. If this little girl suddenly struck, she might kill both Qin Mu and Xiong Qi’er.
Liu Ruyin’s rise to the position of Liu family patriarch was likely connected to this little girl.
“What’s the little one’s name?” Qin Mu asked with a smile, ignoring the battle.
The little girl looked up and smiled sweetly, “Sect Leader Qin, my name is Liu Zhenqing.”
“Liu Zhenqing.”
Qin Mu nodded. This little girl’s innocent smile rivaled his own honest one—both easily put people off guard. She was a formidable character.
“Little girls from the Western Lands can’t be underestimated.”
After a moment, the True Heavenly Palace women were killed by the combined efforts of the Liu family experts. Qin Mu watched from the sidelines with Liu Zhenqing and Xiong Qi’er. He saw an elder take a tree root and tap it on the corpses of the True Heavenly Palace experts. The bodies immediately stood up stiffly.
This was the Liu family’s spirit-summoning technique. Qin Mu’s cultivation of the Ten Thousand Spirits Natural Art included such techniques, but seeing spirits summoned from corpses was still somewhat shocking.
“Sect Leader Qin, the spirits revived from corpses are not the souls of their original owners.”
Liu Zhenqing glanced at Liu Ruyin not far away and said softly, “She is not the original Liu Ruyin, and I am not her daughter.”
Qin Mu was stunned and asked in confusion, “But you call her mother, and she calls you little one.” Note 1
“The Liu family has no familial bonds, no blood ties. Even our blood is cold.”
Liu Zhenqing said gloomily, “Calling her mother makes me feel like my corpse is a little warmer, as if I were still alive. She feels the same way.”
Qin Mu saw Liu Zhenqing approach and smiled.
These corpses, turned into spirits, had cold blood but possessed a human touch. Some people, though their blood was warm, lacked even that.
“Sect Leader Qin, are you satisfied?” Liu Ruyin looked at him with a half-smile.
Qin Mu laughed heartily and bowed deeply: “Sister Ruyin, please forgive me. In truth, by keeping Zhenqing by my side, you were also scheming against me, weren’t you?”
Liu Ruyin returned the bow and sighed, “But I am not as ruthless as you.”
“I had no choice but to do it, or else I couldn’t have allied with you, sister.”
Qin Mu surveyed the divine coffins in the Divine Burial Valley and asked curiously, “Who is in this golden coffin? Why seal him? I noticed other coffins also emitted divine light. Are they gods and demons as well?”
Liu Ruyin shook her head, “Those elders have died and been revived over a dozen times. Their bodies have been refined into divine forms, different from the god in this golden coffin. The divine corpse in this golden coffin is a true god.”
Qin Mu was startled and took a closer look.
Liu Zhenqing suddenly coughed. Liu Ruyin understood and said meaningfully, “It’s getting dark outside. Sect Leader Qin, why not stay the night and continue your journey tomorrow morning? Rest here tonight. My coffin… will leave a crack open.”
Qin Mu’s scalp tingled, and a chill ran down his spine. He quickly said seriously, “I’ve already promised Poison Master Mu Yingxue to visit her. I’ve delayed nearly a year. There’s no time to waste. Qi’er and I must hurry on our way! Farewell! No need to see us out!” With that, he took Xiong Qi’er’s hand, called for Dragon Qilin, and fled the Divine Burial Valley as if escaping. Outside, it was already dark.
Qin Mu slapped Dragon Qilin’s rump hard and fled in panic.
Liu Ruyin and her daughter saw them off at the gate, watching them disappear into the distance, feeling a sense of loss.
Liu Zhenqing said dejectedly, “Is it so hard to find a father with a human touch…”
Liu Ruyin comforted her, “Don’t worry, Mother will definitely find you a good father.”
Note 1: “Little one” (nan nan) is a colloquial term meaning little girl or daughter, used affectionately in speech.