Chapter 460: When Will the Locust Blossoms Bloom?
"Sister Mu's mastery of poison arts has reached a level of profound subtlety, entering a realm that is unfathomable and divine."
Qin Mu couldn't help but admire. Mu Yingxue's attainments in the Way of Poison had surpassed his own. She truly possessed extraordinary insight in this field, studying the Way of Poison with unique ingenuity.
After that contest with him, she must have absorbed some of the concepts from the Medicine Master and forged her own path. That was why she could defeat Yu Qingchan so effortlessly.
The Medicine Master's accomplishments in the Way of Poison were no small matter. However, Qin Mu primarily focused on healing and saving lives, with little research into poison techniques. It was only natural that Mu Yingxue had surpassed him.
If he had been the one to face Yu Qingchan on the platform, relying on the poisons available there, Qin Mu would have needed to use the Creation Art from the Great Nurturing Demon Scripture to alter the toxins. Although his approach shared the same principle as Mu Yingxue's, he was not as skilled as her in the concept of "all things have spirit," so it would have taken him much more time.
He could have defeated Yu Qingchan, but it would never have been as effortless as Mu Yingxue's victory.
Of course, Qin Mu cultivated both medicine and poison, using medical arts to compensate for poison techniques with unexpected effects. If it came to a life-or-death struggle, it would be hard to say who would emerge victorious between him and Mu Yingxue.
Mu Yingxue jumped down from the platform, but her feet never touched the ground. A green vine sprouted from the earth on its own, and a large leaf supported her body.
This young girl reached out her hand to Qin Mu. He took it and was pulled onto the leaf by her.
The green vine beneath them grew higher and higher, lifting them high into the air. Mu Yingxue waved to the crowd below, her heart full of joy and pride. "See? We poison cultivators can also find our ideal partners. My little man is the Demon Lord of the Central Lands, the leader of the Demon Sect—quite impressive!"
Cheers erupted from below.
A girl shouted with a laugh, "Poison Master, you went to the Central Lands and found your true love. When will you take us there too?"
Mu Yingxue replied excitedly, "Once my little man's business is done, I'll take you all to the Central Lands to cause trouble for the men of the Central Plains women!"
Another girl below chimed in, "I heard the Central Lands are male-dominated—truly a backward region. Let's go and correct them!"
"Yes! Correct them!"
Another girl laughed, "The Poison Master has finally found her beloved. We must celebrate!"
Laughter from many girls rang out. Suddenly, a group of young women rushed out from somewhere, beating waist drums, their feet keeping time as they sang and danced.
Thunder Mountain City instantly became lively. Countless young men and women held hands, shoulder to shoulder, singing the folk songs of the Western Lands.
Cultivators activated their Western Land techniques, causing green vines and poisonous flowers and weeds to grow wildly throughout the city. Men and women who practiced poison arts wandered among the flora, singing mountain songs to each other, while others stood on rising vine leaves, dancing with their admirers across the way.
Drums and gongs clamored below, and a clear, bright voice pierced the sky. Qin Mu stood on the vine leaf and looked down. He saw a huge green toad with a white belly walking from the end of the street, occupying the entire road. A group of large-eared opossums followed behind the giant toad, raising metallic scales on their bodies, accompanied by many toad spirits who provided accompaniment with "gu ha gu ha" sounds.
The toad spirits rapidly extended their tongues, striking the opossums' scales, producing crisp "dang dang" sounds.
Many other toad spirits danced wildly, beating drums and gongs. Some played short flutes with four fingers, while several large centipedes twisted their bodies, tapping their legs on the ground in a rhythmic "tick-tick" motion.
Occasionally, a centipede would kick a toad spirit's bulging cheek, causing the toad spirit to let out a "gua" cry.
On the head of the green-skinned giant toad, a vibrant young girl slowly stood up. Her black skirt swirled as she sang loudly: "On the high mountain, oh, a locust tree blooms, oh hey. Holding the railing, I watch for my love to come, oh hey. Mother asks her daughter, ah, what are you looking at, oh hey? I'm watching the locust blossoms, to see when they will bloom, oh hey—
...
The ground light falls like rain, no warmth, the world dotted with stars and hearts. The locust blossoms wake early. Daughter asks her mother, ah, what are you asking, oh hey? Shy like the locust blossoms, my mouth won't open, oh hey—" Note ①
Qin Mu listened, entranced. Although the green vine had risen very high, the magnificent scene of the entire city celebrating still filled his eyes. The wonderful melody and soaring singing voice still rushed into his ears.
The enthusiasm of the Western Land girls surged like a wave of heat, enveloping him tightly and flooding into his heart.
Suddenly, the green vine swooped down with him and Mu Yingxue, weaving through the streets. Around them were dancing people, strange spirits and poisonous creatures. Their wild postures, chaotic steps, and raised hands touched the outstretched hands of him and Mu Yingxue.
The music filling all of Thunder Mountain City suddenly became high-pitched and passionate, bright and lively. He felt as if he had arrived in a mythical kingdom. The huge green vine carried him and the girl beside him through the streets and alleys of this western border city, while celebrating people flashed by.
The green vine carried them back, spinning their bodies as it rose slowly. Girls on the trees hung flower garlands around their necks from the green leaves.
Other girls lay on the treetops, their slender calves playfully raised and swaying, watching them rise from below. They supported their cheeks with both hands and sang heart-stirring love songs, while a group of locusts stood on their hind legs, beating small gongs in accompaniment beside them.
The green vine extended toward the city, soaring over the lively street scenes, flying over the streets and round houses, until it reached Mu Yingxue's palace.
A window in the palace tower opened, and the green vine sent the young man and woman on its leaf into the room.
Qin Mu and Mu Yingxue stood by the window, looking down at the bustling crowd below, still singing and dancing, with songs and drums clamoring.
They were still celebrating the great joy of Thunder Mountain City, celebrating that the city's Poison Master, Mu Yingxue, had finally found her beloved.
"So embarrassing," Mu Yingxue said, covering her face with a spat. "They're celebrating like I couldn't find a partner on my own, like they can't wait to send me off for a walking marriage!"
Qin Mu looked at her. This girl, the foremost poison cultivator of the Western Lands, showed no sign of shyness at all. Instead, she was bold and fiery. The little shyness in her heart was diluted by her fiery passion.
The enthusiasm of the Western Land girls was a bit overwhelming for him. This intoxicating morning in Thunder Mountain City left him slightly dazed.
His mind was clouded with passion.
The celebration didn't stop until the afternoon. Mu Yingxue still couldn't hide her excitement, leaning on Qin Mu's shoulder, looking very happy.
Dragon Qilin carefully walked through the streets covered with poisonous flowers and leaves, looking up at the young man and woman still standing by the window. He muttered quietly, "This is how the founder fell in the Western Lands back then. That old scoundrel abandons me every year to come here..."
Qin Mu finally woke up from the land of tenderness. "Sister Mu, we still have important matters to attend to."
Mu Yingxue's face flushed slightly, and she twisted the corner of her clothes. "The walking marriage is at night. Why are you so impatient? Can't you wait a little? But if you're really in a hurry... no, even if you're in a hurry, I can't give in! Here, women are superior to men. Men have to accommodate women!"
Qin Mu blinked, patiently waiting for her to finish. "Sister, my purpose in coming to the Western Lands this time is to help Xiong Xiyu and her daughter Xiong Qier reclaim the position of True Heaven Palace Lord. That's why I've caused such a stir. This should be your Western Lands' internal affair, and I shouldn't interfere. But back then, when Xiong Xiyu was overthrown by the Yu family, and so many of the Xiong family died, you were deeply involved."
Mu Yingxue nodded and ordered someone to invite Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qier up. She continued to cling to him. "Indeed, I played a significant role when the Yu family moved against the Xiong family. The Yu family has a 'Ba Gou,' a terrifying background. I had no choice but to agree to poison the Xiong family for them. But the poison I used wasn't lethal, as you know."
Qin Mu nodded. The poison Mu Yingxue used was the Entangling Silk Poison, which crippled one's cultivation but didn't take lives. When Qin Mu met Xiong Xiyu, she was afflicted with this poison, her cultivation severely damaged, and she was being hunted by Yu Bochuan and his men, in a miserable state.
Mu Yingxue's face darkened. "I didn't expect the Yu family to be so ruthless, to uproot the entire Xiong family and eliminate them completely... But even if I had known the Yu family would go that far, I would still have had to poison the Xiong family."
Qin Mu showed a puzzled expression.
Mu Yingxue sighed. "The lives of our Mu family and Thunder Mountain City rest on my shoulders. If I didn't comply, the Yu family would have struck against my Mu family and Thunder Mountain City. As a Poison Master, I have to consider my family. Nai Kui hates me, doesn't she?"
A look of guilt appeared on her face, but she quickly concealed it, returning to her usual indifferent expression. "It doesn't matter if she hates me. I can't gamble my entire family's safety for her sake."
Qin Mu said, "You should know the purpose of my visit, sister, right?"
Mu Yingxue, as the clan leader of the Mu family, had access to information. She nodded. "I know. From the moment you set foot in the Western Lands and True Heaven Palace put a bounty on your head, I knew your intentions. The Demon Lord of the Central Lands has lofty ambitions. He wouldn't risk danger just for personal romance to come all the way to the Western Lands. You didn't come for me, nor for a walking marriage, but to accomplish a great deed."
Her demeanor suddenly changed, becoming sharp. "You want to turn the Western Lands upside down and change its sky! Your ambition is to bring the Western Lands under the rule of the Yan Kang Kingdom! And the fastest shortcut to achieve that goal is to support Xiong Xiyu as the Lord of True Heaven Palace! Xiong Xiyu has nothing left and bears a blood feud. She has no choice but to agree to your terms and those of your Yan Kang Emperor. Once she becomes the Palace Lord again, True Heaven Palace will declare its merger with Yan Kang."
Qin Mu couldn't help but feel emotional. Since arriving in the Western Lands, he had met many remarkable women: the graceful but cunning He Yiyi, the sly mother-daughter pair of the Liu family—all outstanding, with extraordinary insight and experience.
And the Mu Yingxue before him was equally remarkable.
Mu Yingxue continued, "I do owe the Xiong family a great deal, but I absolutely cannot risk my Mu family's safety to repay that debt! You haven't seen Ba Gou. You don't know how terrifying he is. But I do. I know how horrifying he is, and I also know that True Heaven Palace has living gods. No matter how powerful you are or how many experts you gather from the Western Lands, you cannot win. It would be suicide!"
Qin Mu stood up, his expression gloomy. "I shouldn't have come here."
Mu Yingxue's heart trembled. She stood up as well. "I want you to stay and not go to your death. But if you insist on leaving, I won't stop you. We women of the Western Lands don't cling to a man who is determined to go!"
Qin Mu bowed. "Sister Mu, farewell." With that, he turned and walked downstairs.
"You!"
Mu Yingxue gritted her teeth and shouted, "You'll die, do you understand?"
Qin Mu turned back with a smile. "When I saved them, mother and daughter, I knew that acting rashly might get me killed, but I still did it. Sister, I won't force you or ask you to do anything for me."
Mu Yingxue was frantic and stamped her foot. "Even if you die, I won't miss you!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily as he met Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qier coming up the stairs.
"I've been to this land of tenderness. Fatty Dragon, let's go!"
Dragon Qilin was puzzled but still ran downstairs, carrying them out of the city.
"Brother-in-law?" A girl on the street looked up, dazedly watching Qin Mu's retreating figure.
Qin Mu tossed a sachet to the girl and recited loudly: "Three thousand merits must reach all things; when the elixir returns nine times, it rises. Time in busy days is spent in busy ways; I am foolish by nature, my resolve unchanged!" Note ②
Mu Yingxue stared blankly as he walked out of Thunder Mountain City until his figure disappeared.
She walked downstairs. Thunder Mountain City was in a mess, covered with traces of the morning's celebration. Some toad spirits were cleaning up the debris on the streets, dragging away drunk residents.
At a street corner, a few girls looked at her. One young girl gathered her courage and said, "Sister, brother-in-law, he..."
"He's gone."
Mu Yingxue heard herself say in an unfamiliar tone, "He probably won't come back..."
She touched her face, not knowing when her cheeks had become wet.
"Brother-in-law gave me this just now. It should be your thing, sister." The girl Qin Mu had met walked over, holding a sachet embroidered with mandarin ducks in gold thread.
Mu Yingxue opened the sachet. Inside was a handful of red love beans, bright red.
Note ①: A Sichuan love song, "When Will the Locust Blossoms Bloom," passed down from the Qing Dynasty, hailed as a divine song from southern Sichuan, the first divine melody, with extremely beautiful rhythm. Zhai Zhu searched for a long time to find this song, hence no update at noon.
Note ②: A poem by Emperor Taizong of Song, "Yuan Shi," a poem about the mind and will. "I am foolish by nature, my resolve unchanged" is the finishing touch.
Ps: Previously, the photo reveal was disliked by everyone, too many complaints. A few days ago at the annual meeting, I only sent everyone a seating chart, which caused even more resentment! Fine, I'll reveal the most handsome photo I took this year. Follow the WeChat public account "Zhai Zhu," check the history messages or reply "most handsome" to see it!