Chapter 30: Seeking Revenge

Qin Mu put away the gold ingot. "Big guy," he said, "focus on your cultivation. I'll come find you again tomorrow. Under no circumstances should you enter the side hall; that demon is very cunning!"

The demon ape nodded.

Qin Mu immediately set off back to the village. Soon, he arrived outside Disabled Elderly Village. From a distance, he saw two paper boats hovering in the air at the village entrance and paper cranes resting under a tree. There were no people on the boats or cranes, indicating they had already entered the village.

He entered the village and saw the elder who had spoken from the boat sitting opposite the village chief, conversing with him. "I heard that Granny Si from your village is very skilled," the elder said, "so I came to ask her to help tailor some clothes."

The village chief asked, "What kind of clothes do you want, and what are the measurements?"

The elder replied, "We need nine burial shrouds, tailored to the sizes of your villagers. I also heard that Master Ma's carpentry is excellent, so I'd trouble Master Ma to help make nine coffins, also sized according to your villagers."

Suddenly, the elder saw Qin Mu approaching, showed surprise, and corrected himself, "My mistake, it's ten burial shrouds and ten coffins. Qianqiu, pay the deposit."

The man named Qianqiu stepped forward and waved slightly. A paper boat floated over from the village entrance and landed next to the village chief. Qin Mu immediately noticed that the boat's cargo consisted entirely of ominous items like paper money, ingots, candles, funeral sticks, and white mourning banners!

The elder told him to stop the paper boat at the village entrance and said, "This is the deposit for ten burial shrouds and ten coffins. May I ask, Granny and Master Ma, if you can finish them today? To be honest, we need them urgently."

The village's Cripple, Blacksmith, Apothecary, and others, who had been busy with their respective tasks, suddenly fell silent. Granny Si, trembling slightly, walked over and chuckled, "Ten burial shrouds, today? Guest, that's quite a rush."

Master Ma walked over and said coldly, "I'm quick; the coffins can be ready today. Can you wait, old sir?"

The elder smiled, "It is a bit of a rush, but you are all capable people; you should be able to get them done, right?"

Granny Si glanced at the ingots and candles on the boat, sneered, and said, "If you're eager to wear them, I can make them right now. Coincidentally, I bought some fabric a few days ago."

The elder bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Granny."

Granny Si returned to her house, brought out several bolts of fabric, and with a flick of her hand, they floated into the air. Then, a pair of scissors flew out of her basket on its own, snipping and cutting in mid-air. Before long, the clothing patterns took shape.

Silver needles flew out of the small basket, threading themselves and darting back and forth in the air, quickly sewing each burial shroud.

Meanwhile, Master Ma walked outside the village to a large willow tree by the river. Green energy shot from his fingertips, swirling around the willow trees. Soon, the thick tree trunks were cut into white wooden coffins.

These white wooden coffins flew through the air and landed at the village entrance.

Granny Si's clothes were also finished. The old woman gently waved her hand, and each burial shroud floated down onto a coffin.

Master Ma strode over and said coldly, "You brought a good amount of money, so we made two extra for you free of charge. Twelve custom-made coffins; I guarantee you'll fit perfectly, not an inch too long or a fraction too short! Are you satisfied, old sir?"

Granny Si smiled, "I also made two extra sets of burial shrouds for free, guaranteed to fit."

The elder chuckled, "Satisfied, very satisfied."

Qin Mu noticed the increasingly eerie atmosphere and secretly counted. The men in green and the elder combined totaled exactly twelve people!

Apothecary walked over, his face grim, but his voice was gentle. "Old sir, your accent doesn't sound local," he said. "It seems like a Southern Border accent."

The elder smiled gently, "We are indeed from the Southern Border, from the Li River region."

Cripple walked over, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "There's a Li River Sect in the Li River area, which I hear is a large sect. They live by the river and have many masters. I've heard that the sect leader of the Li River Sect is named Mu Beifeng, and his divine abilities are extraordinary; he can sever a river's flow with a mere hand gesture."

The elder hastily said, "You flatter me, you flatter me. I am indeed Mu Beifeng. My Li River Sect is actually just a small sect trying to make a living. We live off the land and the water, usually operating on the river. I have five junior brothers, who, with the respect of fellow Daoists from all paths, are known as the Five Elders of Li River."

Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, and his expression subtly changed. Weren't the Five Elders of Li River the five old men who died at Granny Si's hands?

Could it be that Mu Beifeng had brought his people here to avenge the Five Elders of Li River?

His request for ten coffins and ten burial shrouds was clearly meant for everyone in Disabled Elderly Village. After killing the villagers, he planned to dress them in shrouds, place them in coffins for immediate burial, and then burn some ingots and candles!

And these paper boats and paper cranes were also prepared for the villagers of Disabled Elderly Village after their deaths!

Mu Beifeng slowly twirled the jade thumb ring on his finger and said, "Two years ago, the imperial court issued an edict of pacification. The Imperial Preceptor himself brought the imperial decree to my Li River Sect and conversed with me. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, I was utterly convinced and accepted the decree, thanking His Majesty for his grace. My Li River Sect was esteemed by the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor, and I was appointed as the Governor of the Five Miao Prefectures in the Southern Border, a second-rank official, governing the Five Miao. The Imperial Preceptor also appointed the Five Elders of Li River as Deputy Protectors of the Miao Border Prefecture, third-rank officials. We are, after all, like free-floating clouds and wild cranes; although we have been granted official positions, we still enjoy traveling."

The village chief smiled, "Eternal Peace Empire is a sect disguised as a nation. With the Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, renowned as the foremost divine expert, assisting the Emperor, the nation's fortune has become increasingly prosperous over the years. They have subdued many sects and even allowed disciples from various sects to join the army, expanding their territory. Brother Mu, being naturally unconstrained, might find it reasonable to be somewhat unaccustomed to being bound by imperial laws now that he has become an official."

Mu Beifeng said, "Therefore, my five junior brothers, restless from inactivity, wanted to go out and travel. They brought the Five Sons of Li River into the Great Ruins. The Five Sons of Li River are disciples taken by my five junior brothers; they possess some minor abilities, and my five junior brothers intended to take them for some experience."

Blind Man walked over, leaning on his bamboo staff, and said, "The Five Elders of Li River entered the Great Ruins for experience? And they brought disciples? The Great Ruins are very dangerous; I can't help but worry for them."

Mu Beifeng sighed, "Indeed. The Great Ruins are too perilous, filled with fierce and evil individuals. They have been gone for two months, and when I didn't see them return, I knew something must have gone wrong. So, I searched along the way and, by chance, found the place where my five junior brothers met their end. My five junior brothers died tragically. Judging by the wounds on their shattered bones, their killers must have been masters from the Heavenly Devil Cult, not tall in stature, similar to Granny Si."

He shook his head and continued, "After that, I found the place where their disciples perished, a canyon where their bodies had been ravaged by wild beasts. Alas, a tragic death... From the wounds on their bones, the perpetrator must have been a young martial artist, similar to this young man here. I heard your village has a tailor and a carpenter, so I came to commission burial shrouds and coffins for the murderers of my junior brothers and nephew, waiting to place them inside."

A hint of arrogance appeared on his face. "Although I am an imperial official, I am accustomed to being a rustic countryman and not used to the elaborate formalities of the court. Therefore, I will follow the rules of the jianghu and personally come to avenge my junior brothers and nephew. Qianqiu."

The elder stopped speaking here and closed his mouth.

Behind him, a young martial artist stepped forward and looked at Qin Mu. It was the same man who had asked for directions in the air and given Qin Mu a gold ingot. "My junior brother Qu was bludgeoned to death with a wooden stick using blade techniques," he said. "Young brother, you carry a blade; would you mind demonstrating your blade techniques and sparring with me?"

Qin Mu hesitated, looking at Granny Si and the village chief.

Granny Si couldn't help but say, "Mu'er, the Southern Border people are fierce and wild; they strike hard and show no mercy. If he asks you to draw your blade, then demonstrate..."

"Silence!"

The village chief reprimanded, stopping Granny Si from continuing. He said indifferently, "They are playing by the rules and haven't used the power of the imperial court or the Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor to pressure us, so we must not break the rules either. No one is allowed to instruct Qin Mu or offer help."

His gaze turned stern as he looked at Qin Mu and said coldly, "Qin Mu, the coffins and burial shrouds are right there. If you show mercy or yield, one of those coffins will be yours! Either he dies, or you die! They've challenged you; why are you still standing there? Go!"