Qin Mu, while running on the river, suddenly halted his steps. However, instead of sinking into the water, he stood on the surface, creating ripples that spread out in all directions, forming a beautiful sight.

He was manipulating the water using Xuanwu Qi, allowing him to stand on the water without running. He had mastered the technique of controlling water with his Xuanwu Qi, making it his second nature.

The sound of a sword piercing through the air reached his ears, and Qin Mu pointed his finger towards the river, guiding the sword. The sword moved horizontally and then slashed downwards, with his body and the sword moving together. He was demonstrating the most basic sword movements he had learned during his time with the village chief. Apart from thrusting, he had also learned techniques such as slashing, lifting, hooking, clouding, pointing, breaking, intercepting, cutting, and wiping.

However, the village chief hadn't taught him any specific sword techniques. Instead, he had him practice the simplest movements day after day.

At the riverbank, the blind man stood still, leaning on his cane like a statue.

After Qin Mu returned to the village following his separation from Wu Nü in the gorge, he informed the villagers about releasing her and mentioned the existence of the Small Thunderclap Monastery. As a result, Ma Ye and others prohibited him from leaving the village. Even if he were to venture outside, he had to be accompanied by a villager.

The wind on the river grew louder, and each time Qin Mu executed a sword strike, it stirred up a gust and waves. The most basic sword movements taught to him by the village chief displayed astonishing power in his hands!

With each practice, the waves on the river grew larger and more turbulent. Every time he thrust his sword, the river split open for several dozen zhang, revealing depths of more than a zhang. Even the underwater creatures and river beasts dared not approach.

When Qin Mu lifted his sword, water surged into the sky, transforming into a downpour of splashing water that rained down. With a flick of his sword, the water turned into a slanting water dragon that shot out.

Although these were the most basic sword movements, using Qi to control the sword, their power was terrifying in his hands.

He had been practicing these fundamental movements for over two years, and they had become second nature to him. However, the village chief still didn't teach him complete sword techniques.

Suddenly, the blind man's ears twitched, and he exclaimed, "Mù'er, stop! A boat is approaching."

秦牧 sheathed his sword, placing the Shao Bao sword into the scabbard on his back. He looked up and saw a grand ship drifting downstream. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized it as the same ship that was used to chart the geography of the Yong River.

The ship was returning from upstream, indicating that they had already completed mapping the waterway of the Yong River.

Qin Mu stepped aside, avoiding the path of the ship as it passed by. The ship flowed downstream at a rapid speed and soon arrived in front of him. A voice from the ship exclaimed, "Standing on the river without moving, impressive skill and profound elemental energy."

Qin Mu followed the voice and saw General Qin standing at the bow of the ship, accompanied by a slightly chubby young man holding a folding fan, looking towards him.

"The Dragon Palace's Xuan Ice!"

Qin Mu's heart trembled as he saw a huge chunk of Xuan Ice with a Dragon Pearl hanging high within it, and a hand gripping the Dragon Pearl!

He could only see this much, as the contents beneath the ice were obscured by the ship's gangplank. Nonetheless, he knew where this Xuan Ice and the hand came from.

Apparently, when this general and his party were surveying the geography of the Yong River, they discovered the Dragon Palace at the riverbed. They went there and found Gu Li Nuan, the warm and young dragon, sealed by the Dragon Pearl!

At this moment, the young dragon should be within the Xuan Ice. The general probably hadn't killed the soul of the Dragon Mother; he must have kept it and maintained the Xuan Ice to prevent it from melting.

His objective should be the young dragon within the ice. If the Xuan Ice were to melt, the young dragon would die. He was probably planning to bring the Xuan Ice to the country of Yan Kang to seek the aid of experts in healing the young dragon. That's why he didn't rescue Gu Li Nuan.

"It's the young man who stood on the mountain with the demon ape."

The slightly chubby young man exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect his elemental energy to be so vigorous. It's even stronger than mine."

Suddenly, a voice came from within the ice. Gu Li Nuan said, "I sense my Shao Bao sword! General Qin Feiyue, stop the ship. My Shao Bao sword is nearby, and that wretched brat who deceived me is also nearby!"

The ship came to a halt, and General Qin's gaze fell upon Qin Mu. He said, "You are the one who deceived the Prince's Shao Bao sword?"

Qin Mu replied, "He wanted to eat me, so I deceived him and took his sword. If you managed to bring him out of the Dragon Palace, can you also bring out the sword sheath for me? It's a set with the sword."

Qin Feiyue's gaze flickered as he said, "Give it to you? This is a sword belonging to the court. It's impossible to give it to you. Please return the Shao Bao sword to the court."

Qin Mu shook his head, puzzled, and asked, "I obtained it through my own abilities. Why should I return it?"

The slightly chubby young man, known as the "Seventh Young Master," chuckled and said, "This young man's way of speaking is quite interesting."

Qin Feiyue coldly snorted and said calmly, "Deceiving an official appointed by the court and attempting to seize the court's treasure. Do you realize the severity of your crimes?"

"There is no court in the Great Ruins."

Qin Mu, still puzzled, said, "In a lawless place, who can hold me accountable?"

"You are fearless, it seems you have something to rely on."

Qin Feiyue looked towards the riverbank, his pupils contracting. He spoke in a deep voice, "Qin Feiyue, a disciple of the National Teacher of Yan Kang, a loyal and martial general of the fourth rank. How should I address the senior by the river?"

The blind man leaned on his bamboo cane and smiled, "Just a blind man, what else can you call me? Just an old cripple."

Qin Feiyue's expression darkened as he surveyed his surroundings. He caught sight of Cripple Village and smiled faintly. "Three years ago, Mu Beifeng, the governor of the Southern Frontier Five Miao Prefecture of Yan Kang, led many experts from the Li River Sword Sect into the Great Ruins. It was said that they sought revenge, but later, someone found his and the bodies of the Li River Sword Sect's experts downstream. I personally examined their corpses and found that they were stabbed to death, but not by a gun. It was done with a bamboo cane. Senior, do you also use a bamboo cane?"

The blind man held the bamboo cane in his hand, smilingly squinting his eyes. "A blind man needs a bamboo cane, what else can I use? This cane is used for probing the road, so I don't stumble on hard rocks if my blindness prevents me from recognizing them."

Qin Feiyue sensed there was more to his words and became increasingly certain of his speculation. He sneered and said, "Senior, Mu Beifeng should have died nearby, right? Did you happen to see anything at that time?"

The blind man, Xiao Suo, said in a desolate tone, "I am blind, what can I see? Young General, you jest. I have also heard of Mu Beifeng's name, and to think he suffered such a tragic fate. It pains my heart... The cries of apes on both riverbanks seem never-ending, causing tears to fill the hearts of heroes. It's a heart-wrenching tragedy!"

He lifted his bamboo cane and tapped the surface of the river.

The turbulent waves on the surface of the river suddenly surged violently, causing waves over ten zhang high to rise on both sides of the river. The immense waves roared through the air, even shaking the drifting ship, making many soldiers aboard sway and struggle to maintain their balance.

Beneath the river's surface, the water suddenly split apart on both sides, revealing the massive spine of a beast. It was dark green, and it appeared as if a small island had emerged in the middle of the river.

As the river surged, even the beast was shaken out of the water, soaring into the air before crashing back into the water with a resounding boom.

Qin Mu immediately saw that the beast was chained, with the other end of the chain tethered to the ship. The ship was moving at an extremely fast speed, and it seemed that the beast was responsible for propelling it.

Interestingly, while the river's surface elsewhere was violently shaking, the section of the river beneath Qin Mu's feet remained calm and undisturbed.

The Seventh Young Master quickly held onto the ship's railing to prevent himself from falling into the river. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Old senior, you have mistaken it. 'Dying before achieving victory, causing tears to fill the hearts of heroes.' You got it wrong."

Qin Mu couldn't help but interject, "Young Master, what he meant was that if you were to die here, it would be 'dying before achieving victory,' but since you're still alive and only making a lot of noise, naturally it's the cries of apes that can't be silenced. If you insist on getting to the bottom of things, then you will have to die first. Grandpa Blind here is actually quite knowledgeable."

The blind man had a smug look on his face and chuckled, "Muzi understands me. If it were those bastards, the lame and the deaf, they would probably mock my romantic sentiments."

Qin Feiyue's eye twitched. The blind man's strength was unexpectedly formidable, surpassing his expectations. When the blind man tapped the river earlier, fortunately, it was just a tap. If he had picked at it, the entire surface of the river might have been lifted!

Gu Linao, trapped within the ice, also fell silent. It was evident that she deduced the blind man's strength from his tapping, realizing that he was not someone to be provoked. If she insisted on taking the sword, she would probably meet her end in this place.

"The Shao Bao sword will remain here for now. Let's go. Set sail!" Qin Mu declared.

Under Qin Feiyue's command, a soldier immediately took out a horn and blew a deep and resounding sound. The horn's tone was heavy and astonishing. The underwater beast, upon hearing the horn, became agitated, causing the waters of the river to surge and form a towering water mountain, far surpassing the other sections of the river. The water carried the drifting ship downstream with a thunderous roar!

"General Qin, earlier you asked about Mu Beifeng, the blind man, and who was responsible for his death. Why did you leave without getting an answer?" Several palace maids surrounded the Seventh Young Master, and he squeezed his head out from among them, asking curiously.

"Young Master, I have already found out," the general replied.

Qin Feiyue sneered, "Mu Beifeng was indeed killed by that blind man just now. The esteemed Gun God has now become a blind man, hiding in this small village! What terrifying existence could be hiding with him? I can't pacify this village alone; I need to request reinforcements!"

His armor rattled as he spoke, and his eyes gleamed like blades locked in battle. "Under heaven, there is no land not ruled by the king; on the borderlands, there are no subjects not loyal to the king! This Da Xu is also territory of the court, not a lawless place! Mu Beifeng was an official of the court, how could he die by the hands of the common folk? This village must be subdued and eradicated to demonstrate the might of our nation, the might of our country's masters, and to bring the imperial majesty of His Majesty the Emperor to Da Xu!"

"What great authority," a sudden voice came, and General Qin's hair stood on end. He turned his head with difficulty and saw a lame man leaning against the ship's railing behind him, wearing a simple and honest smile on his face.

Qin Feiyue's eye twitched, and the lame man disappeared, reappearing back-to-back with him. Qin Feiyue couldn't see how the lame man had vanished and reappeared behind him—it was a blur!

Cold sweat rolled down Qin Feiyue's forehead. His palm had already gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, but he didn't dare to move even a bit.

"You speak so arrogantly, does the State Master know?" the lame man bent down and glanced at the maps of the river on the ship, laughing. "The State Master sent you to draw maps of the river, planning to use troops against our Da Xu? Tsk tsk, this little dragon is quite pitiful. Oh? Gu Linuan, why the long face? I took your sword sheath. This flag is not bad, I'll take it too... And this young lady, your jade piece is good, and the fan as well... Pah! A girl, how inauspicious!"

Qin Feiyue suddenly caught a trace of an opening and swiftly turned around to unsheathe his sword, but the lame man behind him had already disappeared without a trace!

The laughter of the lame man came from dozens of miles away, "Go back and tell the State Master to keep my leg safe, don't lose it. I will come personally to retrieve it!"