Chapter 63: Ten, Tai, Gui

In the air, a faint glimmer of light flew down, disappearing into the village chief's hair. The village chief, appearing unfazed, descended from the sky and returned to Disabled Elder Village.

A hundred miles downstream, the Surging River curved, winding around a mountain and through a canyon. Here, a massive ice floe had become obstructed, accumulating into a colossal ice dam that completely blocked the river channel.

"Wu Nü, stop!"

The hundred-legged bone centipede woman, carrying Qin Mu, darted through the air like a winding dragon, moving at an astonishing speed. Hearing the command, she landed on a mountain peak on the left bank of the canyon and sneered, "Brat, why should I listen to you?"

Qin Mu jumped off her back, perplexed. "I rescued you from your predicament," he said, "so to repay me, you should naturally help me break through this ice dam."

Wu Nü's body swayed, transforming back into Xian Qing'er. With chains dragging from her limbs, she hopped and skipped around Qin Mu in several circles, the chains rattling. Then she poked her head around from behind Qin Mu to face him, cackling, "You helped me, so I *have* to repay you? Have you forgotten? Last time, you made me suffer terribly! That old bald monk almost refined me to death! And you even stole my treasures that I'd hidden for years! I should eat you first!"

Qin Mu smiled, "But you wouldn't dare."

Wu Nü's neck suddenly stretched several zhang long, wrapping around Qin Mu a few times until they were almost face to face. She sneered, "I wouldn't dare? There's no old bald monk to help you now, so why wouldn't I dare?"

"I live in Disabled Elder Village," Qin Mu said. "My family has nine elders, and any one of them could easily kill you."

Qin Mu smiled faintly, "No matter how you change your appearance, no matter how far you run, they can easily find you, easily kill you, and easily make you regret ever being born into this world."

Wu Nü shivered repeatedly, and her neck shortened, transforming back into a lovely, innocent-looking girl. Hopping and skipping, jingling the golden rings and chains on her hands, she said, "I'm scared of your family's elders, but I don't necessarily have to help you. That old bald monk was right; if you release me, I'll go wreak havoc, eat people, and bring disaster to living beings! Why should I help you save people? I'm leaving—"

She turned to leave, her chains rattling.

Qin Mu suddenly said, "Wu Nü, the Buddhist saying 'Put down your butcher knife and instantly become a Buddha' is a bit too complacent; it doesn't distinguish between good and evil, so it's not entirely trustworthy. However, if you help me clear this dammed lake and save countless lives downstream, that will be your merit—a merit far greater than that bronze Buddha's."

Wu Nü stopped, twisting her head around to listen curiously.

Qin Mu continued, "Come with me to save people, and your deeds of merit will be a hundred times greater than that bronze Buddha who suppressed you! Next time you encounter that bronze Buddha, will he still have the face to suppress you?"

Wu Nü tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "You've got a point," she chuckled. "Alright, I'll help you. Hehe, that old bald monk is such a hypocrite, using my eating too many people as an excuse, then righteously suppressing me, saying he wanted the surging river to wash away my sins. I told him I don't distinguish between good and evil when I eat people; I'm just hungry and need to eat, just like you humans eat rice, chicken, and vegetables when you're hungry."

She looked at the blocked river channel below and continued, "I have no feelings for the people I eat, so I treat them as food, just as you have no feelings for vegetables and rice, so you eat them. That thieving bald monk called my reasoning fallacious and suppressed me. He did a good job, so I just ate people right there in his temple, specifically to deny him any merit! But if my merit surpasses his, how will he still have the face to suppress me? Hmm, there's too much ice in this river. If I still had my spirit weapons, I could break through, but that thieving bald monk took them all..."

*Clang—*

Qin Mu activated the Young Protector Sword, controlling it with his qi, and swung it down towards the ice floe blocking the canyon. "Wu Nü," he shouted, "help me!"

"This sword, the one that cut my chains?"

Wu Nü's eyes lit up, and she immediately revealed her true form. With all hundred legs moving simultaneously, she flipped and leaped off the cliff. Qin Mu jumped down, landing on her back. The hundred-legged bone centipede flew through the air, all her legs moving, her body coiling as she carried Qin Mu directly towards the massive ice obstruction.

"Cut!"

Qin Mu roared, and the Young Protector Sword slashed down towards the ice floe. Simultaneously, Wu Nü opened her mouth and spewed out terrifying demonic vital qi, which surged wildly into the Young Protector Sword.

The Young Protector Sword suddenly expanded, its blade stretching a hundred zhang long as it slashed down onto the ice floe!

The ice dam grew higher and higher as more floating ice was constantly pushed onto it by the surging river. If it continued to accumulate like this, it would surely become a catastrophe for the living beings along both banks of the Surging River!

The Young Protector Sword cut through the air; wherever its blade passed, the air was sliced open, forming two visible walls of qi. Then, this hundred-zhang giant sword slashed down onto the ice dam, cutting through it as easily as slicing tofu, all the way to the bottom.

"Oh no!"

Wu Nü's expression changed drastically. She was about to fly up, but it was already too late. The ice dam, impacted by the surging river, immediately collapsed, sending countless shards of ice, pushed by the tumultuous water, surging towards them!

This scene was clearly a disaster of epic proportions.

Before the collapsing ice dam even reached them, hurricane-force winds had already pushed them down from the air. Wu Nü struggled to fly, attempting to escape, but she was quickly overtaken by the collapsing ice dam and the surging river water.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*

Countless ice shards shot out in all directions. Qin Mu's cheek suddenly stung; a shard of ice had grazed his face, tearing a piece of skin.

His vital qi was abundant, and his defense was extremely strong; he could be severely beaten by an ape and remain unharmed. But the ice shards were so fast that they could actually injure him, which made him realize how incredibly dangerous it would be if the ice dam itself crushed him.

Wu Nü carried him, hurtling forward, as large and small ice chunks and surging waves roared past them. Then, the hurricane-force winds, along with the ice shards and giant waves, slammed into them, sending both the human and the monster flying!

*Thump, thump.*

Two dull thuds echoed from the opposite cliff face, and shattered rocks flew. Qin Mu and Wu Nü were plastered against the cliff, embedded in the rock; one stuck in the shape of the character "十" (cross), and the other in a string of "圭" (tablet) characters.

Then, a piercing sword cry was heard. As soon as Qin Mu heard it, he knew something was wrong; the sword cry was clearly directed at him!

He quickly spread his legs, and just then, with a *ding*, the Young Protector Sword nearly plunged into his thigh.

*Whoosh—*

Qin Mu let out a long sigh of relief. He was now stuck in the shape of the character "太" (great), with the Young Protector Sword still half a foot away from his body.

Beside him, the great demon started chuckling. Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh as well, and the laughter of the human and the monster grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the canyon.

Below them, the river water roared past, a crisis averted by their strange partnership.

Not long after, Qin Mu and Wu Nü, who had transformed back into Xian Qing'er, sat on the cliff face. Both leaned back, hands propped against the ground behind them, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling a sense of peace.

"Who was that bronze Buddha?" Qin Mu asked.

"He's from the Lesser Thunderclap Temple," Wu Nü replied. "He achieved enlightenment as an anomaly, just like me. He's a demon."

Wu Nü jingled the golden rings on her feet and said, "Legend has it that the patriarch of the Lesser Thunderclap Temple originally entered Buddhism and became a disciple of the Great Thunderclap Temple. Later, he rebelled against the Great Thunderclap Temple, founded the Lesser Thunderclap Temple, and proclaimed himself the Lesser Tathagata. I heard he was forced out by the Tathagata of the Great Thunderclap Temple, having no place to stand, so he entered the Great Ruins and moved the Lesser Thunderclap Temple there as well. Every abbot of the Lesser Thunderclap Temple since then has been a demon like me, but they all call themselves Lesser Tathagatas. The one who suppressed me in that ancient temple was the current generation's Lesser Tathagata from the Lesser Thunderclap Temple. You cut his chains and released me, hehe, you're in for it now!"

"The Lesser Thunderclap Temple? A Lesser Tathagata?" Qin Mu was stunned. "Is this Lesser Thunderclap Temple located within the Great Ruins?"

"Of course," Wu Nü replied. "Demon monks are not uncommon. The monks of the Lesser Thunderclap Temple are very petty and always seek revenge, especially their Lesser Tathagata!"

Wu Nü giggled, "Knowing that old bald thief's temper, he'll definitely come looking for you to settle the score!"

Suddenly, an angry, stern shout echoed. "As a human, to associate with a man-eating demon? It seems today, we, master and disciples, must subdue demons and defend the Dao!"

Qin Mu looked and saw several Daoists approaching—an elder, and several young men and women. The old Daoist exuded righteousness, while the younger ones showed excitement, clearly powerful individuals from the outside world who had entered the Great Ruins for training.

"Venerable Daoists," Qin Mu said, rising, "this demon and I have just averted a crisis, clearing this dammed lake and saving countless lives downstream. This demon has saved countless people; she is not..."

"Silence, outcast!" The old Daoist, appearing highly principled, sternly declared, "Colluding with a demon, acting as its accomplice—you deserve death even more! Today, we shall eliminate both of you! Disciples, form the array, subdue the demon and eliminate evil!"

"I'm hungry," the little girl beside Qin Mu said, licking her red lips.

"Some humans are worse than demons."

Qin Mu, losing interest, leaped down from the cliff, falling into the Surging River below. His voice drifted back: "Wu Nü, I release you today. You are free!"

He landed in the river and walked away across the waves.

Meanwhile, piercing screams echoed from the canyon as Wu Nü revealed her true form and began a massacre. Before long, the demon was full, dashing wildly before leaping into the air, coiling and moving through the sky, then disappearing into the clouds.

"Herdsman, we'll meet again if fate allows—" The demonic cloud caught up to Qin Mu, and Wu Nü's voice drifted from within it before the cloud sped away.