Chapter 510: Blinded by Greed for Money
Qin Mu was startled. He turned his head to look at Chi Xiu, whose neck was twisted around, buried in her feathers as if she hadn't seen anything.
"Chi Xiu becoming the Yan King's trusted aide is no empty reputation. Resolutely not seeing the Yan King's disgraceful state—that's the true way to preserve oneself. If it were anyone else, they would have long rushed into the ruins to rescue the Yan King."
Qin Mu sighed inwardly. Rescuing the Yan King would indeed show loyalty, but it would also mean witnessing the Yan King's shameful appearance, damaging his image of wisdom and might. There were merits and faults, but you never knew whether the Yan King would consider the merits greater or the faults greater. It was better to simply pretend not to have seen anything.
Besides, the collapse of the Yan King's Hall couldn't harm the Yan King at all, so showing loyalty was worse than not showing it.
"The Yan King said I can enter the darkness of the Great Ruins without being harmed by it. Is that true or false?"
He hesitated. Entering the darkness concerned his life. If it were false, he would die the moment he stepped in, and he dared not try. Since childhood, the villagers of the Crippled Village had taught him that the darkness of the Great Ruins held great terror, and he must never enter it. Moreover, during his growth, he had witnessed the horrors within the darkness, so he had never considered whether he could enter the darkness unscathed.
He had entered the darkness several times before, but always relied on treasures or god-like experts to protect him from the darkness—such as Xing Han's box, the Village Chief's protection, or Huan Long Jun's protection. Only then could he pass through unharmed.
If he were truly alone, without any protection, he still dared not.
"Let's go."
Chi Xiu urged, "After I send you off, I need to rest too."
Qin Mu said, "Divine Chi Xiu, I still need to go to the Celestial Sage Sect and the Human Sovereign's place to retrieve the Dragon Qilin and the box."
Chi Xiu had no choice but to take him to the place where the successive sect masters of the Demon Sect resided. There, every household had its doors tightly locked. The Dragon Qilin was shut outside the Young Ancestor's door, wagging its tail with a rustling sound, sweet-talking and calling out.
The Young Ancestor refused to open the door no matter what, shouting from inside, "The living and the dead are on different paths. I'm already dead, and you're still alive. We can't be together anymore. Go with the Sect Master!"
The Dragon Qilin scratched at the door, wailing loudly.
The Young Ancestor couldn't help but choke up a little. He wanted to open the door but feared this fellow would rush in and rub against him, so he hardened his heart and didn't open it.
Qin Mu called the Dragon Qilin over and said with a smile, "Fat Dragon, no need to be sad. The Ancestor is living well here, and we're living well outside. We can come to see him anytime in the future."
The Dragon Qilin walked over. Bathed in the pure Yang true fire surging from the sun, faint traces of flesh and blood appeared on its body. The enormous sun in the sky had risen very high, looking even more massive, as if it might fall from the sky at any moment.
Qin Mu looked up and saw that the temples within the sun seemed to be made of gold. The gods and demons before the temples were faintly visible, still frantically beating drums, using the pure Yang true fire to refine Fengdu.
The sun was so close to them that Qin Mu couldn't help but wonder if these gods and demons in the sun might attack at any moment.
"They wouldn't dare attack."
Divine Chi Xiu leisurely preened her feathers and said, "This is Fengdu, also part of the Netherworld. It looks very close, but in reality, it's very far, separated by the barriers of the world. Ordinary gods and demons can't cross over. Besides, we've fought many times before. They've suffered losses and only dare to hide in the sun, beating drums and shouting."
Qin Mu asked in confusion, "This sun in the sky is very different from the sun in Yan Kang. This sun..."
"Is the real sun of the Great Ruins."
Divine Chi Xiu said, "The sun of Yan Kang is fake."
Qin Mu clicked his tongue in amazement. This sun was too terrifying. Fortunately, they lived under the illusion of the sun, moon, and stars. Otherwise, if the people of Yan Kang saw such a terrifying sun, even the emperor would probably go mad.
"Ancestor, do you have any money?"
Qin Mu asked through the crack in the door, "Entering Fengdu requires Fengdu gold coins. I only have three coins left, and I need coins to take the boat."
The Young Ancestor slipped a few gold coins through the crack and said, "I haven't been dead long, so I don't have much money here. Spend it sparingly."
Qin Mu agreed and went to knock on the doors of other sect masters to beg for money, saying, "Esteemed sect masters, if you don't give me money, I'll stop your offerings and dismantle your spirit tablets."
"You despicable disciple who betrays the sect and destroys the ancestors! It's just money, isn't it? Take it!"
Qin Mu went door to door, extorting money, and obtained one or two hundred Fengdu gold coins. Then he went to the place where the Human Sovereigns resided and asked the strange beasts in front of the Five Yang Temple, "Has the First Ancestor returned?"
The two strange beasts ran into the temple, threw Taotie out of the Five Yang Temple, and said, "The master hasn't returned."
Taotie landed, and as soon as it was hit by the sun's true fire, it went bang bang a few times and turned into a large box, obediently following behind the Dragon Qilin.
"Sect Master Qin, it's time to go!" Chi Xiu urged.
"Divine Chi Xiu, please wait a moment."
Qin Mu went to the Second Ancestor's house. The Second Ancestor opened the door but didn't step out of the temple, probably afraid of being burned by the pure Yang true fire. He said, "I have nothing but clean hands and empty sleeves. I really have no money. I can only mooch off my teacher, the First Ancestor."
Qin Mu took out a few Fengdu gold coins and said with a smile, "I know you've always been noble and upright, so I've brought you a few gold coins to help you get by for now. When I go to the Human Sovereign Hall, I'll burn paper money for the successive ancestors to support them in their old age."
The Second Ancestor was overjoyed and quickly accepted the coins, saying, "You're much more filial than that kid Su! He hasn't come back yet, but when he does, we plan to give him a big surprise!"
Qin Mu said, "Second Ancestor, don't forget to tell the Village Chief that I was here."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely tell him!" the Second Ancestor said through gritted teeth.
Qin Mu hesitated for a moment and then tentatively asked, "Second Ancestor, could I borrow the First Ancestor's 'Between Life and Death'? I want to use it for business..."
The Second Ancestor was puzzled and asked, "How can you do business with 'Between Life and Death'?"
Qin Mu smiled and said, "There are many gods and demons in Fengdu, but they can't go to the mortal world. Many of them have unfulfilled wishes. So I want to borrow 'Between Life and Death' to build a bridge, allowing cultivators from Yan Kang to come to 'Between Life and Death' and trade with them. The cultivators can collect their gold coins or learn their divine techniques, Dao methods, and techniques from their lifetimes, helping them fulfill their wishes. I think this could be a huge business! I also need some money to subsidize my family while I pave the way in the Great Ruins."
The Second Ancestor was still confused and asked, "Where does the money come from?"
Qin Mu explained, "The cultivators who enter 'Between Life and Death' pay me money. I collect money from the mortal world, and I can make a huge profit."
The Second Ancestor suddenly understood and laughed, cursing, "You little thief."
Qin Mu laughed and said, "'Between Life and Death' connects Fengdu and the mortal world. On your end, Second Ancestor, you can also collect money—toll fees from the gods and demons who enter 'Between Life and Death.' You can also make a huge profit. Even if I don't burn incense or paper money for you, you can all live comfortably. In just a few years, all the ancestors will be the richest landlords in Fengdu City!"
The Second Ancestor was dumbfounded and exclaimed, "Collecting money from both sides? Such a good deal? Won't people curse us behind our backs?"
Qin Mu said, "'Between Life and Death' is in our hands. This is the only path connecting the Netherworld and the mortal world. They can curse all they want, but they still have to take this path and pay us."
The Second Ancestor hurried out, braving the pure Yang true fire, and rushed straight to the First Ancestor's Five Yang Temple. Ignoring the raging flames on his body, he burst into the temple and took out 'Between Life and Death.'
The two guardian beasts at the door curled their lips and said, "Second Master, the master's family only has this little bit of savings left. You'll empty it all sooner or later!"
The Second Ancestor laughed and said, "Would my master be so distant with me? When I get rich, you'll get your share too."
Qin Mu took 'Between Life and Death.' It was a small river, about ten feet long, with a boat and a bridge.
The Second Ancestor instructed, "First, refine this 'Between Life and Death.' When you activate it, I'll be able to sense it on my end. Remember, activate it at night. If you activate it during the day, with the current scene, the gods in the sun will come to burn us, and we won't be able to do business."
Qin Mu agreed, hung the river on his body, and said, "Second Ancestor, just wait for my news."
The Second Ancestor suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Business is a trivial matter. Don't spend too much energy on it. Focus on your cultivation. Leave the money collection to others."
Qin Mu nodded and said, "I understand." Then he took out some more Fengdu gold coins and handed them to him, saying, "Please give these to the other ancestors and grand-ancestors to get by for a few more days."
"Human Sovereign Qin, you're very thoughtful."
Qin Mu took his leave. Divine Chi Xiu escorted him to the boundary marker of the Land of the Living Dead and said, "Once you cross the boundary marker, there will be no pure Yang true fire. You can take the boat back."
Qin Mu thanked her and walked out of the Land of the Living Dead. His body completely returned to normal. He waved to Divine Chi Xiu, who suddenly spread her wings and flew away.
Qin Mu arrived at the dock, summoned the lone boat in the misty sea, and the skeleton-like Ling Jing Daoist poled the boat over, carrying him, the Dragon Qilin, and the box toward the opposite shore of the misty sea.
When they reached the shore, Qin Mu got off the boat, took out three gold coins, and paid the fare. Ling Jing Daoist was startled and quickly said, "They're not human; they don't take money."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "Daoist, just take it."
Ling Jing Daoist quickly accepted the coins and tentatively asked, "Has Human Sovereign Qin come into money?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and said, "I'm about to get rich! Daoist, farewell."
Ling Jing Daoist watched him walk away, carefully hid the gold coins, and thought to himself, "In a few hundred more years, I'll be able to buy a house in Fengdu..."
Divine Chi Xiu returned to the Yan King's Hall. The collapsed hall had been restored to its original state. She cautiously walked inside and saw the Yan King standing at the back of the hall, looking at the flames outside the door.
"A visitor from Carefree Village is very interesting."
The Yan King suddenly laughed and said, "Although he wasn't born in Carefree Village, his bloodline is still that of the Kai Huang's descendants, and he's quite extraordinary. In this short time together, I've developed great expectations for him. If it were his father who came, my expectations would be great, but I would eventually be disappointed. However, with his arrival, although I was initially disappointed, my expectations are now growing."
Divine Chi Xiu didn't understand his meaning and said, "This Sect Master Qin, Human Sovereign Qin, is an extremely unruly character. Why do you have expectations for him? He spent most of the day in our Fengdu, beating up successive Human Sovereigns, smashing the palace of the Ancestral Yang Sect Master, and beating up successive Demon Sect Masters. Just now, he went around extorting the successive sect masters and then asked for 'Between Life and Death,' planning to connect the Netherworld and the mortal world to do business! Isn't this just nonsense?"
The Yan King turned around and smiled, "Fengdu is too quiet. Let him stir things up; maybe it will bring unexpected changes. I've never seen such an interesting and imaginative person. Perhaps he can accomplish what others cannot. Moreover, the secrets he carries are not as simple as he imagines, which makes me even more expectant..."
Divine Chi Xiu was startled and said, "Is the Yan King really going to allow him to connect Fengdu with the mortal world and let him do business?"
The Yan King waved his hand and said no more.
In the pitch-black Netherworld, although the sun had risen, it was still completely dark—no sky, no land, no sun, moon, or stars.
Xing Han drifted in the darkness. Then a faint voice sounded, waking him.
"Xing Han, wake up..."