Chapter 492: When We Make History
Luo Wushuang turned and walked away, his voice drifting back from afar: "Qin Mu, Heavenly Saint Cult Leader, and the Great Venerable of the Loulan Golden Palace. If I achieve anything in the future, I will surely repay you both handsomely for the enmity of my severed arm. Don't die too soon!"
He vanished into the thick darkness.
Qin Mu still stood motionless, the Carefree Sword continuing to circle and revolve around him.
He remained vigilant, still staring into the darkness. Only after a long moment did Qin Mu finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Ban Gongcuo's face twisted with bitterness as he complained, "Cult Leader Qin, why did you have to reveal our names? What are we going to do now?"
"If I hadn't revealed our names, he might not have retreated."
Qin Mu's aura suddenly collapsed, and he slumped to the ground. The Carefree Sword clattered as it fell. He didn't even have the strength to activate the sword anymore, his energy withered and spent. "If he had stayed to fight to the death, we might not have been able to defeat him. Only by revealing our names would he truly leave."
Ban Gongcuo struggled to his feet, staring at him with flickering eyes. A mass of blood from the Azure Blood Gourd on his back stirred restlessly, peeking out as he contemplated whether to strike at Qin Mu now. He feigned anger, saying, "You could have given a fake name!"
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. The Carefree Sword, lying at his feet, quietly lifted its tip as he said weakly, "When I, Qin, do things, I never use a false name. Besides, once we return to three or four ten-thousand years later, how would he ever find us?"
A surge of anger rose in Ban Gongcuo's heart. He gritted his teeth and said, "Cult Leader Qin, is the name Qin Mu even real? You never use a false name? And you have the nerve to say that!"
More blood plasma emerged from the gourd, forming a silent, floating mass.
He narrowed his eyes, then changed his expression to a more amiable one, saying gently, "But the Cult Leader does have a point. Who knows if that bastard Luo Wushuang, though skilled, is too arrogant to survive three or four ten-thousand years? Maybe he'll die in the war soon enough. Cult Leader Qin, do you want me to help you up?"
Qin Mu looked up, his expression sincere. "Sure. I'm completely drained right now. If you don't help me, I really can't get up."
Ban Gongcuo suddenly shivered and quickly retreated, chuckling slyly, "Men shouldn't touch each other. Better keep some distance, to avoid gossip."
Qin Mu didn't mind. Leaning on the Carefree Sword, he staggered to his feet. "Luo Wushuang has retreated, but we need to leave quickly. He might bring the Lingxiu Army. This place isn't safe."
Dragon Qilin also retracted his scales and crawled out of the box's range with difficulty. With a series of thuds, the box closed up, becoming a moderate size.
Dragon Qilin climbed onto the box, panting heavily. Qin Mu also climbed up with difficulty, turning back with a smile. "Great Venerable, come up too."
Ban Gongcuo shook his head, crawled under the box, and grabbed one of its legs. "I'm fine here."
Qin Mu nudged Dragon Qilin with his foot and chuckled. "You're too cautious. We've shared the same box, faced the same enemy, and lived through life and death together. Do you think I'd still try to harm you?"
Dragon Qilin raised a front paw, extending several razor-sharp claws. If Ban Gongcuo came up, he would be stabbed to death.
Ban Gongcuo said cautiously, "The Cult Leader's kindness is hard to refuse, but I've always been cautious and never trust anyone. Cult Leader, you can tell Fatty Dragon to retract his claws."
The box began to walk into the darkness. Qin Mu hugged his sword and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. Under the box, Ban Gongcuo stayed alert, forcing himself not to sleep. He secretly took a few spirit pills from his Taotie pouch and stuffed them into his mouth, doing his best to recover his cultivation.
After a long time, he felt his vitality had somewhat recovered. His eyes flickered as he quietly activated the Azure Blood Gourd. "This guy is heavily injured. Now's the perfect time to get rid of him..."
Suddenly, he caught a whiff of medicinal fragrance and immediately stopped his plan.
Qin Mu had one hand in his Taotie pouch, secretly refining a few batches of spirit pills. He occasionally stuffed a few into his mouth and also refined some for Dragon Qilin, who ate them quietly without making a sound.
But the drifting fragrance couldn't escape Ban Gongcuo's nose.
"Trying to ambush him... that's going to be tough," Ban Gongcuo thought to himself.
Finally, light appeared in the darkness. They had arrived in front of the relay station.
Inside the station, divine beings offered protection, and many commoners were resting there. Bai Qu'er anxiously looked around until she saw a blood-stained box carrying a young man and a fat Dragon Qilin staggering toward them.
The box picked up its pace, leaping over hills and running swiftly.
Bai Qu'er's heart stirred with a strange emotion. She hurriedly hugged Bai Qingfu's son and rushed forward. Qin Mu jumped off the box, stretched his body, and his bones cracked. He asked in confusion, "Why haven't you left yet?"
"We can't move. These commoners have little cultivation. They're burdened with families, mostly the elderly and weak."
Bai Qu'er suppressed her personal feelings and said softly, "The divine being at the station is gone, probably gone to reinforce Bailong City. We don't know if he's alive or dead. Now, only we are left in the station."
Qin Mu looked at the station. Many people were sleeping on the ground, while others were still awake. Under the flickering light of the Dragon God Pearl, their eyes glowed dimly, but none of them spoke.
Most of those who had escaped were ordinary commoners, not wealthy families. The wealthy families of Bailong City had fled faster, mostly following the divine being at the north gate. That group was likely wiped out.
Only these commoners, because of their low cultivation, had been a step too slow in fleeing, so they had followed them.
"We can't stay here long."
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "Let them enter my box. I'll take them with me and go as far as we can."
Bai Qu'er was momentarily stunned. She looked at the box and asked, "What about the other person who came with you? He..."
"I'm here."
Ban Gongcuo crawled out from under the box, chuckling slyly. "We've lived up to our mission. We survived. Thanks for your concern, Miss Bai."
Qin Mu had Dragon Qilin jump off the box and said, "Sister Qu'er, wake them up. This place really can't be stayed in any longer. Since there's no divine protection, we need to leave immediately, or the pursuers will catch up."
Bai Qu'er nodded and woke everyone up. Qin Mu spread the box open and let everyone enter. Ban Gongcuo also tried to get into the box, but Qin Mu shook his head. "If the pursuers catch up to the box and no one is there to resist, we'll all be wiped out. We'll stay outside the box."
Although Xing Han's box was very sturdy, it couldn't attack and had no combat power. If everyone hid inside, any random outer demon could kill them all without a trace.
Ban Gongcuo suppressed his anger and sneered, "Cult Leader Qin, with an attitude like that, it's hard to survive in this chaotic world! We're running for our lives, fleeing from Xing Han's pursuit, not here to save people!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and shook his head. "Great Venerable, I just want to preserve a little innocence and kindness in this filthy, chaotic world."
Ban Gongcuo snorted coldly and crawled back under the box, grumbling, "Call me when the enemy comes!"
Bai Qu'er also stayed outside. Qin Mu sat on the box with her, and Dragon Qilin jumped up, lying down quietly. Soon, he fell asleep.
"Why does the Great Venerable like being under the box?" Bai Qu'er asked, puzzled.
Qin Mu explained, "He's protecting us from attacks that come from underground."
Bai Qu'er understood and said, "The Great Venerable is thoughtful."
The box moved briskly eastward. Qin Mu looked at the girl beside him. Bai Qu'er had just gone through the devastating loss of her family. This young girl, once a bit green and immature, had overnight gained a firmness in her brows, and her eyes had become bright and clear, shedding her former fragility.
Qin Mu noticed for the first time that Bai Qu'er wasn't exactly like a human. She had some draconic traits, hidden in her hair—two small dragon horns, which she covered with two buns.
When Qin Mu first met her, he had held her face, but he hadn't noticed those little dragon horns.
There was still some lingering sorrow in her brows. She wanted someone to lean on but forced herself to be strong.
She wasn't the type of girl Qin Mu usually liked. Since childhood, the Nine Elders of the Crippled Village had instilled in him the belief that plump women were beautiful. The Village Chief, the Pharmacist, and the Butcher had all told him that girls should have round faces, thick waists, and big hips.
Bai Qu'er definitely didn't fit that description.
But now, Qin Mu found that her combination of fragility and strength touched his heart.
"Are you tired?"
Qin Mu suppressed his unusual feelings and said, "If you're tired, you can lean on me and rest for a while."
Bai Qu'er hummed softly and gently leaned on his shoulder. The sound of Dragon Qilin's light snoring reached her ears.
But she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the devastation of Bailong City—her mother and uncles fighting the celestial demons, the slaughter in the darkness, countless people dying, her brother and sister-in-law turning back to smile at her as they went to fight the demons, and the terrifying faces of monsters suddenly emerging from her nightmares.
"By the way, I haven't asked you yet. When we first met, you said you were a time traveler."
Bai Qu'er opened her eyes, still leaning on Qin Mu's shoulder, and whispered, "Is that true?"
Qin Mu nodded.
"Where are you from? The past or the future? Is it peaceful there?"
"A long time from now, about three or four ten-thousand years later. It's relatively peaceful now, but I can't say for the future."
"Three or four ten-thousand years later?"
The girl on his shoulder was silent for a moment, then murmured, "I don't know if I can live that long. Life here is too hard, too hard to endure..."
"You need to live. The people in the box need you."
Qin Mu smiled gently and said softly, "You're stronger than I thought. Many people—not just girls, but even men—would have broken down long ago in a situation like this. I know living is hard, but you carry their hopes, and the hopes of your brother and sister-in-law, and their child."
Bai Qu'er's body trembled, and she nodded gently.
"Will you walk with me?" she asked.
Qin Mu was silent for a moment.
"Dawn is coming."
He looked eastward. His voice was a bit hoarse from the night of fighting, but it still carried a unique warmth. "After dawn, I'll probably disappear. I came here through a strange opportunity, one I can't fully understand. The road ahead, you'll probably have to lead them on your own. Live..."
Bai Qu'er looked up at the sky, which was turning white in the east.
Qin Mu stood up and smiled. "Good sister, I probably can't see you any further. From here on, you'll have to walk alone."
Bai Qu'er's heart was filled with complex emotions. She stood up in confusion, still holding Bai Qingfu's son in her arms, and tears unconsciously wet her cheeks.
Qin Mu held her face and encouraged her with his purest smile. "Live! You must live!"
Bai Qu'er's heart was in turmoil. She hugged him tightly with one arm, her body trembling. "Don't go... I'm afraid I can't hold on..."
"Maybe everything I leave behind in this prehistoric world will be erased, and nothing I brought will remain. But I can leave behind one sentence that moves me."
The sky gradually brightened. The first rays of sunlight spilled from the eastern horizon, spreading over the mountains. The darkness around them rapidly receded.
Qin Mu, with one arm around the girl in his embrace, pointed at a cliff face they were passing. The Carefree Sword flew out, its blade moving like a dragon and snake, carving his words into the steep cliff.
The sword flew back. Before the sunlight arrived, Qin Mu tightly embraced the girl who was about to face the harsh world alone. Bai Qu'er held him desperately, as if that could keep a support by her side.
A ray of sunlight fell. The Qin Mu in her arms dissipated like smoke.
The box also vanished, leaving behind a crowd of bewildered people.
Bai Qu'er stood in a daze. Suddenly, she turned and looked at the cliff. On the steep face were the words left by Qin Mu's Carefree Sword.
Human life is greater than heaven!
Bai Qu'er suddenly felt the immense weight of those words. The hopes of the people below instantly pressed down on her shoulders. Their hopeful gazes turned into terrible pressure and motivation.
"Follow me!"
Holding her brother's child, she raised her arm, her voice filled with strength. "I will lead you out of this dead end and find a place where we can survive!"
Hope rekindled in the people. They followed her in a winding procession, moving into the distance.
"You come from three or four ten-thousand years in the future?"
Bai Qu'er looked back at the cliff where Qin Mu had left his words, then turned and led the people toward the rising sun. "I will live. I will come find you! Wait for me! I will be here..."
"To meet you again—"
A reunion spanning ten-thousand years. Wait for me.
When you left, I didn't say I liked you. When we meet again, I hope I won't leave any regrets.
— Three thousand eight hundred words, eight hundred more than planned, and ten minutes earlier than the scheduled update time! Is Zhai Zhu proud? Not at all! I don't even mention such a small thing. Calm and composed, noble and virtuous, radiant and pure—let me stand with my hands on my hips and be smug for a moment~~