Chapter 29: Little Liars, Big Liars

Qin Mu respectfully said, "Senior, please don't worry. I've been practicing since I was young, and my kidneys are strong and my vital energy is abundant. My eyesight is excellent; I can see clearly in the dark, so I can definitely see everything."

The shadow on the wall flickered but made no further movement. Instead, it continued to demonstrate the mysteries of vital energy circulation.

The third form of the Great Freedom Seal was the Great Wisdom Seal, and its circulation was much more complex. The vital energy route within the black shadow became increasingly fast. Even with his Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye activated, Qin Mu couldn't fully capture the vital energy's path, which made him eager to step into the side hall.

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment. He put one foot inside the hall door while keeping the other outside, finally managing to barely follow the vital energy circulation route.

He tried desperately to memorize it, but soon the shadow on the wall completed the Great Wisdom Seal. He attempted to activate the Great Wisdom Seal, and although he managed to perform it, he still felt something was missing.

He hadn't fully memorized the circulation path of the Great Wisdom Seal.

"This is the fourth and most powerful form of the Great Freedom Seal. All the power from the previous three forms will merge into this one."

The shadow on the wall appeared increasingly weak. Its silhouette shrank, and its voice grew fainter, saying, "However, this form is even more complex. I'm afraid you won't be able to see it clearly."

"Don't worry, Senior," Qin Mu replied with a guileless smile, "I've had strong kidneys and abundant vital energy since I was young, so my eyesight is excellent. I can still make it out."

The shadow on the wall fell silent, its voice growing fainter as it sighed, "But I can't hold on much longer. Come inside. There are four long bronze nails in each of the hall's corners, driven into the ground. Pull out those four nails. These four nails are pierced into my back. If you pull them out, I'll be able to breathe again. Once I can breathe, I'll be able to teach you the complete forms."

Its voice became gentle: "You haven't fully learned the Great Wisdom Seal, have you? The Great Wisdom Seal is very complex, but its power is immense. If you don't learn it completely, you won't be able to unleash its full power. And the strongest form is the fourth one, the Great Freedom Heavenly Devil Seal! Pull out the nails..."

"Senior, I think I won't learn it after all," Qin Mu said.

Qin Mu shook his head, pulling his left foot back out of the hall, and said, "It's too much trouble. I'm very clumsy; I probably won't be able to learn it."

The shadow on the wall trembled and coaxed, "I can teach you a second time, as long as you pull out the nails..."

Qin Mu looked even more troubled and shook his head, saying, "Senior, you just said you'd only teach it once. If I ask you to teach it a second time, wouldn't that make you break your word? I would feel even more guilty. I'm so clumsy, I'd only let you down."

"No, you're very clever."

The shadow's voice grew even softer, like a kind elder instructing a junior. It whispered, "You learned the Devil God's Great Power Seal and the Heavenly Devil's Freedom Seal after only one look. You also learned about seventy to eighty percent of the Great Wisdom Seal just from one glance. Your aptitude is extremely high. If you look at it again, you'll definitely be able to learn the Great Wisdom Seal completely. I admire your intelligence, so I can break my word just this once and teach you a second time..."

The voice suddenly stopped there. Then, with an icy chill, it said coldly, "You tricked me out of my cultivation technique?"

Qin Mu was surprised, "Senior, why would you say that?"

"You tricked me out of my cultivation technique!"

The shadow on the wall suddenly erupted in fury. Its silhouette grew larger and larger, quickly engulfing the entire side hall. The shadow looked ferocious and evil as it shrieked, "How dare you trick me out of my cultivation technique! You little brat, I kindly taught you, but you deceived me!"

Qin Mu remained outside the hall. Ignoring the menacing devilish shadow before him, he shook his head and said, "Senior, you must be joking. Weren't you trying to trick me into entering and releasing you?"

The side hall's large doors were wide open. Its window lattices resembled eyes and the doors a mouth, creating a chilling and terrifying sight. It said eerily, "You knew?"

"We're not of the same race to begin with. You first lied to me, claiming we were of the same race, then you used the Great Freedom Seal to lure me, making me gradually approach you. You had two possible objectives."

Qin Mu displayed the guileless smile of a cripple. "The first was to get me into the hall, luring me closer and closer to the wall, so you could grab me and control me into pulling out the bronze nails in the four corners of the hall. The second was to exploit my desire for the complete Great Freedom Seal techniques, making me pull out the nails myself. If I pulled out the nails, Senior, it wouldn't just be about taking a breath. You would break free and eat me, just like eating a foolish roe deer. However..."

His smile became even more guileless. "I'm not a roe deer. I merely used your scheme against you and tricked you into teaching me two and a half of your seal techniques."

The entire side hall shook uncontrollably. From the doorway came an earth-shattering roar: "You son of a bitch, I'm going to kill you! Once I'm free, I'll literally kill you!"

The cowherd boy from Disabled Elderly Village pursed his lips. He turned to leave, shaking his head and saying, "Crippled Grandpa has played these little tricks countless times. He's deceived me my whole life, even tricking me out of the sugar figures Grandma bought for me more times than I can count. You still want to trick me..."

"I'm going to kill your Crippled Grandpa!" the shadow on the wall roared.

Qin Mu turned around. Seriously, he said, "Don't provoke him. He'll trick you until your pants are inside out."

The shadow on the wall suddenly became quiet, a stillness that was somewhat eerie. It whispered, "Did you just say we're not of the same race? Hehe, little brat, you're thinking too simply. How could you and I not be of the same race...? Hehehe, my young little devil..."

Qin Mu shivered. He suddenly recalled the divine sound from beyond the Nine Heavens that had reached him when he broke through the wall, and how he had used devil language to counter it. This, combined with the shadow's words, led to some unsettling associations.

He quickly shook his head, driving out the jumbled thoughts in his mind, and turned to leave.

"Hehehe, you and I are the same, exactly the same..." From behind him, the shadow on the wall laughed eerily.

Qin Mu frowned and walked out of the Imperial Palace of Suppression.

The demonic ape quickly came forward. It glanced at the side hall, saw the shadow on the wall retreat back into the side hall, and then relaxed. It solemnly said to Qin Mu, "Trust? Devil!"

Qin Mu nodded, feeling the same way. "The Great Ruins are truly too dangerous. For honest folk like us, if we don't learn to be a bit smarter, we'll definitely be tricked out of everything and eaten until there's not a single shred left."

The demonic ape cast a sidelong glance at him, pursed its lips, and said, "Believe, devil."

Qin Mu's face flushed slightly as he protested, "I'm not a trickster. I only learned to be a bit clever because I was often taken advantage of when I was little. However, I'm afraid you can't stay here anymore. The Imperial Palace of Suppression is crumbling, and no one knows when it will collapse. If it collapses and that old devil gets out, he'll definitely take his anger out on you."

The demonic ape shook its head. It looked at the wild deer and oxen in the valley and remained silent.

Basically, all habitable places in the Great Ruins were either occupied by humans or by other strange beasts. If the demonic ape moved with these animals, it probably wouldn't find a place to settle down quickly. When darkness fell, they would surely die.

Qin Mu also ran out of ideas. Disabled Elderly Village was too small to accommodate so many animals.

"Little one, come."

The demonic ape walked forward. Qin Mu followed it and saw the ape lead him to the base of the cliff. It pointed at the palm print on the cliff, showing an expectant look.

The palm print on the cliff face was made by the demonic ape itself. Its enormous palm had left a deep impression on the cliff.

This palm print signified that the demonic ape was the lord of this area. Other strange beasts, upon seeing the print, would know this was the ape's territory and would go around it.

If another strange beast intended to claim this place, it would come to challenge. If the demonic ape lost, its palm print would be erased by the new lord, who would then leave a new mark.

"You, print," the demonic ape said expectantly.

Qin Mu was surprised. He didn't understand what it meant.

The demonic ape took his hand and placed it next to its own palm print, saying, "Print."

Qin Mu understood its meaning. Deeply moved, he firmly slammed his palm next to the ape's print. Instantly, his own palm print appeared on the cliff.

The demonic ape smiled. It pointed to the valley and said in a booming voice, "Mine, yours."

Qin Mu's emotion turned into hearty laughter. The demonic ape also let out chuckles.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from mid-air, saying, "Master, there's someone below."

Qin Mu quickly looked up. He saw a paper boat flying through the air. The boat was about six or seven zhang long (roughly 20-23 meters). It had ample space, and several men and women in green robes stood on it.

Then, he saw even stranger things. Several paper cranes, flapping their wings, flew in, carrying another paper boat. On the paper cranes themselves stood several strange middle-aged men and women, each carrying a long sword on their back.

There was only one person on the second paper boat. The boat was loaded with some goods, but it was unclear what they were.

The paper boat paused, still hovering in the air. An old man sitting there said, "Qianqiu, ask for directions."

"Yes."

A young man on a paper crane looked down and asked, "Young man, do you know the way to Disabled Elderly Village?"

Qin Mu was puzzled. He pointed in the direction of Disabled Elderly Village.

The young man was very polite, bowed in thanks. Then a gold ingot fell from the paper crane. The paper cranes, carrying the boat, flew away.

Qin Mu picked up the gold ingot and wondered, "What are these people doing in our village? Are they traveling merchants passing through? But shouldn't merchants go to Xianglong City?"