In the sky, a thin strand of light flew and hid among the village chief's hair. The village chief casually stepped down from the air and returned to the village of the elderly.
Meanwhile, a hundred miles away, the river bent here, winding around a mountain, flowing through a canyon. The ice tide was blocked here, accumulating more and more, eventually blocking the river channel.
"Wu Nü, stop!"
The hundred-legged white bone centipede woman, carrying Qin Mu, swiftly flew in mid-air, like a winding dragon. However, her speed was extremely fast. Upon hearing the command, she landed on the peak of the mountain on the left bank of the canyon and sneered, "Brat, why should I listen to you?"
Qin Mu jumped down from her back and wondered, "I saved you from being trapped, and in return, you should help me break through the ice dam."
Wu Nü's body swayed and transformed back into Xianqing'er. With chains dragging on her limbs, she bounced and jumped around Qin Mu, circling him a few times. The iron chains clattered and then she leaned forward from behind him, laughing, "You think I should repay you just because you helped me? Have you forgotten? You caused me so much misery last time, nearly getting me killed by the old bald donkey! You even took away the treasures I had hidden for years. I should devour you first!"
Qin Mu chuckled, "But you dare not."
Wu Nü's neck suddenly stretched to several zhang in length, winding around Qin Mu a few times until they were face to face. Wu Nü sneered, "I dare not? There is no old bald donkey to help you now, why would I not dare?"
"I live in the Village of the Elderly, and my family has nine grown-ups. Each one of them can easily kill you."
Qin Mu smiled faintly, "No matter how you change your appearance or how far you run, they can easily find you, easily kill you, and easily make you regret being born in this world."
Wu Nü shivered, her neck shrinking back, and she returned to her adorable girl-like appearance made of ice and snow. She shook the golden rings and chains in her hands, bouncing and hopping, saying, "I'm afraid of your family's grown-ups, but that doesn't mean I have to help you. The old bald donkey was right. If you save me, I will go on doing evil, devouring people, causing calamities! Why should I help you save people? I'm leaving."
Turning around, she started to leave, and the chains clattered.
Suddenly, Qin Mu said, "Wu Nü, the Buddhist teachings say that laying down the butcher's knife leads to enlightenment. This statement is somewhat flawed as it doesn't distinguish between good and evil, making it unreliable. However, if you help me clear the blocked lake, saving countless lives downstream, that will be your merit, a far greater merit than that copper Buddha."
Wu Nü stopped in her tracks, her head twisted backward, listening curiously.
Qin Mu continued, "By saving lives with me, your merits will be greater than that copper Buddha that suppresses you. It will surpass it a hundredfold! Next time you encounter that copper Buddha, will he still have the face to suppress you?"
Wu Nü turned her head, pondered for a moment, and chuckled, "You make a valid point. I will help you then. Heh heh, that old bald donkey pretends to be kind and righteous, using my act of devouring people as an excuse, self-righteously suppressing me, saying that the surging river water will wash away my sins. I told him that when I devour people, I don't differentiate between good and evil. I'm just hungry and need to eat, just like you humans eat rice, chicken, and vegetables. When you're hungry, you eat."
She looked at the blocked river below and said, "I have no emotional attachment to those I've devoured, so I treat them as food. Just as you have no emotional attachment to vegetables and rice, so you eat them. That bald thief accused me of talking nonsense and suppressed me. Well done by him! So, I devoured people in his temple, but he ended up gaining no merit from it! However, if my merits surpass his, let's see how he will have the face to suppress me! Hmm, there's too much ice in this river. If my spiritual weapon were still with me, I could break through it. But my spiritual weapon was taken away by that bald thief..."
Qin Mu activated the Shao Bao Sword, controlling it with his Qi, and slashed down towards the blocked ice tide below, shouting, "Wu Nü, help me!"
"This sword that can cut off chains?" Wu Nü's eyes lit up. She immediately revealed her true form, all hundred legs moving. With a flip of her body, she leaped off the cliff, and Qin Mu jumped down, landing on her back. The hundred-legged white bone centipede flew in the air, its legs wriggling, carrying Qin Mu straight towards the congested ice tide.
"Slash!"
Qin Mu shouted loudly, and the Shao Bao Sword descended against the ice tide. At the same time, Wu Nü opened her mouth and released a terrifying demonic elemental energy, pouring madly into the Shao Bao Sword.
The Shao Bao Sword suddenly expanded, its length reaching a hundred zhang, and it cleaved down towards the ice tide!
The ice tide grew higher and higher, with floating ice constantly being brought by the surging river water onto the ice dam, making it even higher. If this accumulation continued, it would inevitably become a catastrophe for the living beings on both sides of the river!
The Shao Bao Sword traversed through the air, cutting open the space and forming two visible walls of air. Then, this hundred-zhang giant sword fell onto the ice dam, slicing through it like cutting tofu, going straight to the bottom.
"Oh no!"
Wu Nü's face changed dramatically. She was about to fly up, but it was already too late. The ice dam was impacted by the surging river water and immediately collapsed. Countless fragments of ice were squeezed and rushed towards them!
This scene was clearly a disaster.
Just as the collapsing ice dam hadn't yet crushed them, a hurricane had already pressed them down from the air. Wu Nü struggled to fly, trying to escape, but she was already caught up by the collapsing ice dam and the rushing river water.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
Countless ice fragments shot in all directions. Qin Mu suddenly felt a stinging sensation on his cheek as a piece of ice grazed it, leaving a cut.
His vital energy was vigorous, and his defense was incredibly strong. He could withstand the fierce blows of a violent ape without getting injured. But the ice fragments were too fast, and they managed to hurt him. It was imaginable how dangerous it would be if he were to be pinned down by the ice dam.
Wu Nü carried him as they dashed forward. Ice blocks of various sizes and surging waves whistled past them. Then the hurricane, along with the ice fragments and giant waves, ruthlessly pounded them, sending the man and the monster flying!
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled sounds came from the opposite cliff as rocks shattered and flew. Qin Mu and Wu Nü pressed against the cliff, embedded in the rock face, forming a "十" shape and a string of "圭" characters.
Then, a piercing sword whistle sounded. Qin Mu knew something was wrong when he heard the sword whistle. It was clearly aimed at him!
He quickly spread his legs apart, and with a metallic clang, the Shao Bao Sword narrowly missed piercing his thigh.
Qin Mu let out a long breath of relief. Now he looked like the character "太," with the Shao Bao Sword still half a chi away from his body.
Beside him, the giant monster chuckled and laughed. Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh as well. The laughter of the man and the monster grew louder, echoing throughout the canyon.
Below them, the river water roared and surged, and the crisis was resolved by this strange pair.
After a while, Qin Mu and Wu Nü, who had transformed into Xian Qing'er, sat on the steep cliff. They leaned back, supporting themselves with their hands on the ground, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds above, feeling a sense of tranquility in their hearts.
"Who is that copper Buddha?" Qin Mu asked.
"He's from the Little Thunder Sound Temple, an extraordinary being who has achieved enlightenment. Like me, he is a monster."
Wu Nü shook the golden ring on her foot and said, "It is said that the founder of the Little Thunder Sound Temple originally entered the Buddhist sect and became a disciple of the Great Thunder Sound Temple. Later, he rebelled against the Great Thunder Sound Temple and established the Little Thunder Sound Temple, proclaiming himself as the Little Tathagata. It is said that he was forced out of the Great Thunder Sound Temple by the Tathagata there and had no place to stand, so he entered the Great Burial and moved the Little Thunder Sound Temple there. The successive abbots of the Little Thunder Sound Temple, like me, are monsters, but they call themselves the Little Tathagata. The one who suppressed me in the ancient temple is the current Little Tathagata of the Little Thunder Sound Temple. By breaking his chains and setting me free, hehe, you've done me a great favor!"
"The Little Thunder Sound Temple? Little Tathagata?" Qin Mu was stunned. "This Little Thunder Sound Temple is in the Great Burial?"
"Naturally. Monster monks are not uncommon. The monks of the Little Thunder Sound Temple are quite petty. They seek revenge for even the smallest grudges, let alone their Little Tathagata?" Wu Nü chuckled. "With the temperament of that old baldy, he will definitely come to settle accounts with you!"
Suddenly, a furious shout rang out, and a stern voice said, "As a human, you dare to associate with a man-eating monster? Today, our master and disciples seem to be here to eradicate evil and uphold righteousness!"
Qin Mu looked over and saw several Taoists approaching, both men and women. There was an elderly man and several young men and women. The old Taoist exuded righteousness, while the young men and women displayed excitement, indicating that they were powerful individuals who had entered the Great Burial for training.
"Elders, just now, this monster and I resolved a crisis and saved countless lives downstream."
Qin Mu stood up and solemnly said, "This monster has saved numerous people and is not..."
"Silence, renegade!"
The old Taoist spoke with righteousness, his voice stern. "Colluding with monsters and becoming their accomplice, you deserve to die as well! Disciples, set up the formation, vanquish the monster and demon!"
"I'm hungry," the little girl beside Qin Mu licked her lips and said to him.
"Some people are worse than monsters."
Qin Mu's interest waned, and he leaped down from the river, plunging into the surging water below. His voice echoed, "Wu Nü, today I will set you free. You are now free!"
He landed in the river and treaded the waves as he departed.
As screams of despair echoed through the canyon, Wu Nü revealed her true form and went on a killing spree. It didn't take long for the monster to satiate her hunger and sprint away with full force. Then, she leaped into the air, gracefully maneuvering through the clouds and disappearing within them.
"Fang Niúwá, we'll meet again if fate allows," the voice of Wu Nü came from the cloud as it caught up with Qin Mu. Then, the cloud drifted away into the distance.
