Chapter 244: Wreck the Country and Ruin the People
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Everyone from Disabled Elderly Village came out to congratulate Village Chief for finally having a successor and Qin Mu for succeeding Village Chief's legacy, becoming the current human emperor. However, Village Chief wasn't pleased with Mute and Qin Mu wasn't really happy with being a human emperor.
After the commotion, Qin Mu continued to learn sword skills from Village Chief.
Sword Picture was a set of sword skills founded by Village Chief and not the sword skills of Hall of Human Emperors. The first form, Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers, was the most complicated sword skill that Qin Mu had seen so far. It was even more complicated than the first form of Dao Sword, Yin Yang Come and Go Within Two Modes.
However, Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers was the simplest sword skill in the set of Sword Picture. The second form, Sword of the Founding Emperor was several times more complicated than Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers, and it was extremely difficult to master.
When Qin Mu had first learned Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers, he had spent over a dozen days to do so.
After experiencing Eternal Peace Empire, his horizons had broadened. He had also received teachings from Woodcutter's Rock and comprehended Unity Technique, which had then fused with Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique. Because of all this, his aptitude and comprehension had improved quite a bit as well.
However, learning Sword of the Founding Emperor still took him over twenty days.
Only then did he understand Village Chief's intentions. If they hadn't competed with Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers, he would have needed a much longer time to learn Sword of the Founding Emperor. He might have even taken a year and half to master this move.
Village Chief had squeezed his wisdom out so Qin Mu could learn Sword of the Founding Emperor in just over twenty days. Since he was already at half step to sword skill from sword technique, he could learn it, even if it was strenuous.
However, the third form, Calamity of the Founding Emperor reached the extremes of technique and transformation which a sword skill could reach, so it was not something Qin Mu could master. He could memorize move, but if he wanted to execute it, he would have to comprehend the marvel of it first. But at that time, no matter how much he concentrated on comprehending, he couldn't understand the marvel of Calamity of the Founding Emperor completely.
He was limited by the width of his horizons and knowledge. With narrow horizons and lack of knowledge, his foundation wasn't good enough, so even if Village Chief taught him, he wouldn't be able to learn or use the skill.
Qin Mu could only drop his thoughts about mastering it and concentrate on Sword of the Founding Emperor.
Sword of the Founding Emperor, Sea Of Blood—Qing Mu had heard the young Village Chief chanting these phrases after walking out of Deaf's painting in a small and empty village in Eternal Peace Empire. At that time, he had sensed a strange emotion hidden within the sword skill.
Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers that Village Chief had taught him had an implicit charm and mood to it. It was the feeling of heroes gathering to slay gods and devils, while Sword of the Founding Emperor had the mood of commemorating martyrs.
The two moods were different, not matching one another at all. Because of this, even though Qin Mu had learned the two sword forms, he still couldn't understand the different feelings behind them.
The vital qi needed for Sword of the Founding Emperor was astonishing since one move had depleted almost half of his cultivation. If a person wanted to execute this move, it was impossible to do so without dense vital qi.
"Village Chief, how many moves are there in Sword Picture?" Qin Mu asked.
Village Chief said calmly, "Only eight moves."
Qin Mu was astonished. "Eight moves? So few?"
"One move in each realm." Village Chief narrowed his eyes. "That's why there are only eight moves."
Qin Mu counted with his fingers—Spirit Embryo, Five Elements, Six Directions, Seven Stars, Celestial Being, Life and Death, Divine Bridge. No matter how he counted, there were only seven realms, so why were there eight moves?
'A step above Divine Bridge Realm is the level of gods! Could Village Chief's eighth move be the move of a god?' His heart thumped violently.
Other than comprehending sword skills these days, he competed with Village Chief and borrowed the pressure Village Chief exerted on him to improve himself.
He was trying to incorporate Imperial Preceptor's three basic sword forms into Sword of the Founding Emperor. With an existence like Village Chief guiding him, he naturally improved by leaps and bounds.
Village Chief's sword skills were close to the path and to him, so it didn't matter if there were fourteen or seventeen forms. However, to Qin Mu, adding Imperial Preceptor's three sword forms could increase the power of his move by quite a lot.
As the days passed, his attainments in sword skills increased rapidly.
Qin Mu seemed to have returned to the past. Training his fists with Old Ma daily, competing in knife skills with Butcher, stealing from each other with Cripple, learning to forge with Mute, cultivating his god's eyes with Blind, refining medicine with Apothecary, painting with Deaf, and tailoring with granny.
Even though he went to bed exhausted every day, it was very fulfilling.
After returning to Disabled Elderly Village from his journey away, the things that Old Ma, Butcher, and the rest taught him were much more profound. In the past, they had only taught him entry level techniques, but now that Qin Mu's horizons had broadened, they could teach him more profound abilities. Because of this, all the elders in Disabled Elderly Village were very gratified.
"Granny's heart devil is acting up again!" A commotion rose in the village, and Cripple called out in a loud voice, "Blind, come quickly! Granny Si has recovered her true appearance so I can't lay my hands on her. You can't see so you shall deal with this little demoness!"
At the time, Qin Mu was competing knife skills with Butcher. when he looked over after hearing the commotion, he saw a woman walking out from Granny Si's room. Upon seeing her, his heart throbbed uncontrollably a few times. He felt as if he had been ruthlessly struck by invisible arrows.
Granny Si had revealed her true appearance and even dressed herself up meticulously. The clothes on her body were no longer the old drabs she usually wore, but were tailored from exquisite silk. They fit her perfectly, showing off her good figure.
Her make up was also applied meticulously. With her bright eyes and white teeth, her face was lightly powdered and her astonishing beauty was on full display.
She wore a bracelet on her left wrist that was made of green jade and pearl earrings that were shaped like tears hanging from her ears. When she walked out, the winter suddenly seemed to turn into spring and summer. Even though the weather was still freezing, everyone in the village felt the warmth of summer blossoming.
She walked out like a goddess descending from paradise into the mortal world, stunning everyone in the village.
Apothecary felt inferior and covered his face in shame to walk away. Deaf dropped his brush onto the table and hurriedly took out a bronze mirror to tidy himself. Mute ran to the water cauldron in a hurry to wash his face while Old Ma chanted the names of Buddha to suppress his heart devil. Butcher used his Pig Slaughtering Knife to shave his favorite full beard while Cripple just shut his eyes and shouted for Blind to come over.
Village Chief was also a little flustered and turned his head around to shout, "Blind, Blind!"
Blind walked over towards Granny Si with his bamboo cane and asked calmly, "Are you Cult Master Li or Granny Si?"
Cripple said angrily, "Of course she's Cult Master Li, that pervert! Granny Si can't suppress him anymore! You can't see her true appearance so you shall be the one to suppress Cult Master Li!"
A rough and old voice came from Granny Si's mouth which smiled flirtatiously. "My wife is no longer a match for me, and now she's the one being suppressed. Look at me, aren't I beautiful?"
She smiled very sweetly, obsessed with her own beauty. When she spoke next, her voice was still rough, but her tone was very gentle, and her breath smelled like irises and orchids. "When I married my wife, I realized that I was no fit for such a beauty like her. And it wasn't only me like that, none of the stinky men in this world were fit to be with her! However, I still decided to marry her, and I knew that she was willing to marry me since I was her master. She couldn't resist it.
"I knew she was preparing to kill me the night we would consummate our marriage, but I was willing to let her kill me. That was because…"
She raised her wrist and examined her flawless white skin that was even whiter and more exquisite than fine white tallow jade. Even the flawless bracelet was serving merely as a prop, unfit to be on this wrist.
Cult Master Li covered the mouth and giggled. "That was because I was too envious of her. I didn't want to marry her, I wanted to become her. After she killed me and I became her, wouldn't I gain the best of both worlds?"
Blind walked over with his cane. Even though the woman before him was extremely beautiful, it didn't have any influence on Blind. He said unhurriedly, "Cult Master Li, you're too much. Have you forgotten that you once were a man?"
"What is there to miss about being a stinky man?" Cult Master Li's body was charming when it rolled its eyes at him. "Damn it, Blind. Both your eyes and heart are blind, you don't know the benefits of being a woman at all. Don't block my way, you can't block me alone. I'm leaving, I shall live another lifetime as a woman!"
Qin Mu shut his eyes tightly to not look at the beauty, but he could resist opening his eyes almost right away. "Cult Master Li, you're getting a little sick in the mind! As a fellow cult master sacred teacher of Heavenly Saint Cult, I despise you as a human!"
Blind propped himself on his bamboo cane while smiling. "Well said, Mu'er."
Cult Master Li shot a glance at Qin Mu, and Qin Mu instantly felt his mind turning blank. There were no more thoughts in his mind other than that the woman was really beautiful.
"Talk some more and I'll kill you to become sacred cult master once again." Cult Master Li laughed while pinching the orchid-shaped fingers.
Qin Mu's heart thumped violently. He felt that if such a beautiful woman wanted his life, he would be willing to give it to her.
"No, no! She's Granny Si… Eww, eww, it's Cult Master Li, a damned old man! Eww, eww, it's not okay even if it was Granny Si, she's the granny that raised me!"
Cold sweat rolled down Qin Mu's forehead as a heart devil was almost planted in his heart. He hurriedly shut his eyes.
Cult Master Li walked towards the outskirts of the village, and the devil qi around the body grew heavier and heavier, the devil nature growing stronger and stronger. On the road in front of the woman stood a blind man with a bamboo cane.
The two people made their moves almost at the same time. Among the sparks and flames, the outcome was decided in an instant.
Energy surged forth in all directions, and numerous treasures that were lying all around the village were activated by the terrifying shockwave from the clash of the two people. A brilliant light shone as terrifying throbs bursts of it scattered all the clouds in the sky!
Cult Master Li grabbed his chest and collapsed. "Blind, my wife's cultivation is too weak, or else I wouldn't be inferior to you, I'd certainly be stronger than you…"
Blind propped himself on his bamboo cane and said indifferently, "We had never exchanged blows before so how do you know you'd be stronger than me?"
Qin Mu rushed into Granny Si's room and fetched a human skin and old clothes to cover Cult Master Li. The old man turned back into an old woman and screamed, "I don't want to be like this! I'm the most beautiful woman in the world, I don't want to be so ugly! I want to wear the most beautiful clothes and be the most beautiful woman!"
Old Ma hurried over and chanted the names of Buddha to suppress the devil nature, suppressing Cult Master Li entirely. After some time, Granny Si regained her consciousness and thanked Old Ma.
Apothecary immediately came forward to check on her injuries. After treating her, he said, "Blind, you're too harsh. Mu'er, you are faster than me in refining pills so you shall refine the spirit pills."
Qin Mu acknowledged and refined spirit pills right away.
Blind sighed. "I had no choice but to be harsh. Granny Si's cultivation is improving too fast; she's almost at Life and Death Realm. Cult Master Li's primordial spirit must have fused well with her. Furthermore, Cult Master Li's Unity Technique is simply too strong."
Granny Si got up and consumed the spirit pills that Qin Mu had brought over. "I'm fine, much better now."
Village Chief floated over and shook his head. "Granny, it's lucky that you were in the village. If you were outside and Cult Master Li took over your body, I'm afraid you would have wrecked the country and ruined the people. His devil nature is extremely strong, so it's quite normal that he would bring great turmoil to this world. Even the emperor wouldn't be able to hold himself back, and the entire Eternal Peace Empire would be ruined at the hands of Cult Master Li."
Old Ma said, "Your heart devil is becoming stronger and stronger, so dragging things out isn't an option any longer. My buddhist skills aren't as profound as those of Old Rulai, so maybe he could help you suppress Cult Master Li. Why don't you take a trip to Great Thunderclap Monastery?"
Butcher touched his face and discovered blood all over his hands. He had shaved his beard too fast and cut his face with his Pig Slaughtering Knife. However, at the time he had been too infatuated with Granny Si's beauty, so he hadn't felt anything. Only when Granny Si put on her old woman's skin once again did he come to realize what had happened and said in a hurry, "There's no time to lose, it's best if granny sets off now! The longer you delay, the more danger we'll be in!"
Village Chief coughed lightly, then said, "We will be going to Great Thunderclap Monastery to ask Old Rulai to suppress granny's devil nature and not to eradicate that place, so there's no need for too many people.
"Old Ma knows the way there so he must go, and Blind can ignore granny's appearance so he needs to go as well. Mu'er is clever and has cultivated Heavenly Devil Creation Technique, so he can also help out, and he's proficient in the art of healing as well. You three shall accompany granny to Great Thunderclap Monastery." His expression was grim when he said solemnly, "Remember, never let Cult Master Li run away, or else the world will be in utter chaos!"