Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 1603: The Qin Family From Niu Village

Two months later, a young female immortal walked out of the hidden mountain door of Ghost Valley. She frowned as she turned back to look. The light from the fire shot to the heavens and numerous figures were struggling in it. They very soon lost energy and turned into ash.

“Don’t blame me. You all asked for it. The evils we bring on ourselves are the hardest. This is very true.” Li Ruhua smiled. Her expression was calm. Though she could not take action herself, after entering this realm, Li Mu had given her some restrictions, and within the restrictions, she made the rules.

The people from Ghost Valley all wanted to break rules and would naturally suffer the backlash. Today, the Heaven Fire descended and burned every living thing. These people would not die for nothing, they would be sacrificed by Li Ruhua to make a bargain with the greater rules that governed this Grandeur and Millet Realm.

For example, erasing all traces of her in this world. Of course, this process would slowly take place over the next ten years. But it would be able to do it in a way that no one would notice.

Even if they were extremely strong cultivators, they would still be limited and would not be able to sense her presence. Although the Grandeur and Millet Nations could be seen as a part of the world, they were not the same.

Li Ruhua withdrew her gaze and walked outwards. She thought as she walked. So much time has passed. Was it about time? All she needed to do now was to patiently wait for the response. Once she was sure that Marquis Chongwu Ning Qin had been killed, she would leave right away.

……

Cloud Mist Valley.

Two months had passed, yet there was no news about his master nor his junior sister. This made Ning Changgeng worried. But what worried him even more was that his junior brother seemed to have changed. Though he was still silent, his junior brother’s gaze on his back made his hair stand.

He felt as if there were many things hidden behind his junior brother’s gaze. Ning Changgeng had tried to ask but he was always met with rejection and silence. Later on, Ning Changgeng found out that his junior brother had written many things on his own carved bamboo scrolls. It was not that he wanted to peek but his junior brother placed things carelessly and one had landed on his desk.

Occasionally glancing at it, Ning Changgeng found out that what his junior brother carved on the bamboo scroll was actually about a person’s life. It was similar to a biography, and after looking at a few chapters, he found it interesting and brought it up to his junior brother.

“Senior brother, if you want to read, you can just take it.” Stone Mouth said calmly.

Ning Changgeng felt that something was off but he did not know why he was so attracted to the biography that was written on the bamboo scroll. After hesitating, he eventually still nodded. He said that he would take a look, as if to help his junior brother point out any mistakes.

The story was very long and spoke about a nation called the West Desolate. On one fine day, someone named Ning Qin arrived…Ning Changgeng was completely absorbed in it. He would occasionally look up after reading for a long time and he would appear confused.

Every time that happened, Stone Mouth would quietly look at Ning Changgeng. Under the tree, by the window, by the lake, through the mist…he read in every place possible.

The bamboo scrolls piled up. Ning Changgeng was addicted to it. He read until one night when the sky was completely dark and there was not a single star in sight. He placed down the last scroll, which told of how when Marquis Chongwu Ning Qin led troops back to the border, he had gotten an opportunity and his soul entered a mystic realm and began a new life.

“Senior brother, you have finished reading it,” Stone Mouth said calmly.

Across from him, Ning Changgeng seemed to be in a trance. He paused for a while before nodding, his gaze fluctuated between being in a daze and being alert, “Junior brother, I feel like we know the person in this story. It feels like I am him and he is me.”

Stone Mouth was silent for a while before he spoke, “Senior brother, you are right. You are Marquis Chongwu Ning Qin from the story. When he returned to the border, the opportunity he got was the descent of the Grandeur stone and the Millet tree…that’s right, it refers to Grandeur Nation and Millet Nation. Where we are now.”

Ning Changgeng’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Very soon, there was a pained look on his face and he could not help but hold his head and mutter to himself, “I am Ning Qin…I am Marquis Chongwu…no, I am Ning Changgeng. I am the Millet Nation’s Ning Family’s grandson…but who is Ning Qin? Why does it sound so familiar…who am I…who am I…”

The pain worsened and Ning Changgeng started to pant heavily.

Stone Mouth suddenly said, “Senior brother, being woken from a dream is an extremely uncomfortable thing. But please believe me, what you are experiencing now is already much better than what I experienced.” He reached out and patted Ning Changgeng’s shoulder, “Go to sleep. Once you sleep, everything will be over.”

Ning Changgeng struggled to keep his eyes open. His eyes were filled with anxiety and fear. However, he was not able to control his body and could only nod off and fall into sleep. He remained frowning and his body repeatedly tensed and relaxed. It was obvious that he could not relax even in his sleep.

After waiting for a while, Stone Mouth took out a sword and looked at Ning Changgeng who was sleeping. He placed the sword on his neck, “Senior brother, farewell.” He slashed and blood spurted out. He had used a lot of strength and the sword was very sharp. Ning Changgeng’s head was separated from his body.

Looking at the decapitated body in front of him, Stone Mouth frowned. He never thought that it would be so easy to accomplish. Checking that Ning Chenggeng had truly died, Stone Mouth turned the sword and pierced it into his own chest. His face paled instantly but there was relief all over his face. He eventually stopped breathing and died.

Stone Mouth (the pinyin of Stone Mouth, 石口 is shikou) was shikou (十口 is another term that has the same pinyin). If you flip it around, it’s the word ‘ye’ (叶). He was Ye Gui. He was someone who had been expelled from the Ye Family a long time ago and was wandering the world by himself. It was many many years ago, when he found out that he was from the Barbarian Clan. Ye Gui died then and all that lived on was an empty shell.

In Millet Nation and Grandeur Mountain, there was a saying related to the foundation of Great Dao. The truth was false and what was false was the truth…this world looked the same as the outside world but it was just a mystic realm created by two treasures. In this mystic realm, if one regained their conscience and they were killed, they would really die. This was how ‘what was false became the truth’.

So when Ye Gui committed suicide, he really killed himself. The shell that he left in the outside world was now dead. So Marquis Chongwu, who was in a groggy, half-awakened state was actually ‘awakened’. Hence, when Stone Mouth killed him, he really died too.

……

A hundred miles away from Ghost Valley, there was a deep mountain forest. Li Ruhua sat on a delicate branch and floated as if she weighed nothing. Her eyes lit up as she smiled brilliantly. She looked as if spring had arrived and the world was shining beautifully.

“Dead, he died just like that.” She closed her eyes and focused on sensing. After she confirmed that Marquis Chongwu’s aura had completely vanished, she opened her eyes and waved her fists, “Great, just great. This is awesome.”

She stood on the branch and as a gust of wind blew, she swayed in the air. Li Ruhua paced on the branch for a while before hopping off delicately. Her arms spread outwards like a delicate fairy. In the next moment, she landed on the ground with a ‘bam’.

She would not fall. Although she could not use her cultivation, her foundation was still present. Li Ruhua opened her eyes and looked around. She looked at her feet and frowned. She said impatiently, “Li Mu, stop playing. Hurry and let me out.”

There was no response.

Li Ruhua frowned harder as she sneered, “I am warning you, don’t go overboard or I will really get angry!”

As she finished speaking, she retrieved something and crushed it.

Pak!

The air twisted. But in the next moment, an invisible hand seemed to reach out and pull hard at something. The twisted space returned to normal and Li Ruhua was left on the ground in a disheveled manner. She did not get up but her eyes were icy. She looked around.

She did not know what had gone wrong, but something must have happened.

Li Mu was someone who knew his boundaries. Even if he was joking, he would not go overboard. This meant that this had nothing to do with Li Mu. But he was the master of the Grandeur stone and Millet tree. Other than him, who else dared to interfere in this world? Moreover, where did Li Mu go?

“Little brat, if you promise something, you should keep to it. You have not accomplished it and can’t leave yet.” The voice was calm and could be heard from all around. She could not identify where the sound was coming from.

Li Ruhua was expressionless, “Stop playing tricks! Are you sure you want to be enemies with the Central Desolate Li Family?”

“Wah! The Central Desolate Li Family. I am so scared. But these are all things for the future. You should worry about yourself first.”

There was a pause before the voice spoke again, “Don’t worry, I promised someone that I would not kill you. I will let you go once you complete what you promised. Don’t even think about eating the grilled fish; I am hungry and will take whatever.”

Li Ruhua’s pupils shrunk. Li Mu was in trouble!

She was about to release her aura and try her best to escape. But right at this moment, a heavy fatigue rolled over her like a wave. It was very strong and destroyed her ability to resist. She fell into a deep sleep.

The air twisted and a page from the bamboo scroll appeared above Li Ruhua. There was a cold chuckle, “This is going easy on you!”

The bamboo scroll grew bigger and like a mat, it pulled Li Ruhua into the air. She disappeared.

……

On the Grandeur stone, below the Millet tree, Li Mu chuckled bitterly as his face paled, “Your Excellency, doing this will kill me.”

The tablet above his head jumped as if it was hitting his head, “You can choose whether to die in my hands now or later on.”

Li Mu smiled even more bitterly. He never had any doubt that the being hidden behind the tablet was now feeling murderous.

If he dared to resist or rebel, he would really die.

The being’s mood seemed to have worsened drastically. It felt as if the whole world was going to collapse.

But you were the one who created this, so why are you getting so angry? Li Mu could not understand.

Pak –

The tablet jumped once more, “If you don’t understand then don’t think about it. I am really hungry now, is the grilled fish done? If it is still not done, I will consider eating you.”

Li Mu sucked in a cold breath of air and rapidly nodded, “It is almost done. Almost done.”

Every man for himself. Although we had a pretty good relationship, Li Ruhua, you were the one who played tricks first and caused me to end up like this. So this is the trouble you created; don’t blame me for not being loyal.

Turning to tend to the fire, Li Mu focused on grilling the fish. He did not forget to stop his sensing of the Grandeur and Millet Realm.

If he continued to see what was going on, he may really be killed by Li Ruhua in her anger.

The tablet fell on his head and there was a fog around it. At times it behaved urgently, and at times it was peaceful. There was an immense pressure from it.

Stupid woman, I really wish I could just eat you!

……

Upstream of a blue-green river in Grandeur Nation, there was a regular village at the foot of the mountains. Because more than half of the people in the village had the surname ‘Niu’, after several rounds of arguments, the village was named ‘Niu Village’. Those that had different surnames in the village were extremely unhappy with this name. However, fists were more effective than words. After they got a few beatings, they could only curse in their hearts.

Simply put, those in the village that did not have the surname Niu lived very miserably. But it was not to the point that they stopped wanting to live there. Especially the Qin Family in the west of the village. The man of the family self-studied and became the village doctor. Although he was not officially recognized, anyone with any illness in the surrounding ten kilometers was able to see him and be cured by him.

The people there ate whole grains and had all sorts of illnesses. No one dared to say that they lived without problems. Eventually, the Qin Family’s position in the village grew. On the east side of the village, the Niu Family had many descendants and even the young men of the house were respectful towards the three members of the Qin Family.

Three years ago, the little fool from the Qin Family got cheated out of a big cow. He had been laughed at by several brats from the Niu Family. After Elder Niu found out, all of the little brats had been beaten until they cried. There was someone smart enough to rush over to tell the man from the Qin Family. He quickly came over to stop the angered elder. According to the elder, if it had not been for Mister Qin, they would have been dead. The little brats were unfilial and ungrateful!

After that happened, the Qin Family’s position in the village rose even more. However, towards the young lad from the Qin Family, they all appeared polite on the surface but could not help but secretly shake their heads. The lad seemed alright but was actually a stubborn fool.

After he got cheated out of the cow, not only did he not admit it, he was adamant in saying that it had been a gift to his future bride and he was waiting for her to come back and marry him.

Because of this, over the years, several matchmakers had tried but were turned away. After they were rejected by the Qin Family, they would add more stories to his reputation, causing the young lad’s image to become extremely pathetic in the village. Eventually, no family wanted to offer their daughters to marry him. They were afraid that if their daughter were to marry the young lad, she would be embarrassed for life.