Chapter 30 Seeking Revenge

Qin Mu put away the gold ingot and said, "Big Guy, focus on your cultivation. I will come back to you tomorrow. Do not enter the side hall; that demon is very cunning!"

The Demon Ape nodded.

Qin Mu immediately headed back to the village. It didn't take long for him to reach the outskirts of Canglao Village, where he saw two paper boats floating in the air near the village entrance. A paper crane perched on a tree at the village entrance, but there were no people on the boats or the crane. They must have already entered the village.

As he entered the village, he saw the old man who had spoken on the boat sitting across from the village chief, engaged in conversation. The old man said, "I've heard that your village's seamstress, Sister Po, is highly skilled. That's why I've come, hoping to ask her to help tailor a few clothes."

The village chief asked, "May I ask what kind of clothes and what sizes?"

The old man replied, "We need mourning clothes, a total of nine pieces. Please tailor them according to the measurements of the people in your village. I also heard that Mr. Ma, the carpenter, is very good. I would like to trouble him to make nine coffins, the length of which should also correspond to the sizes of your people."

Suddenly, the old man saw Qin Mu approaching and showed surprise on his face. He corrected himself, saying, "I misspoke; it's actually ten mourning clothes and ten coffins. Qianqiu, pay the deposit."

Qianqiu, the young man, stepped forward and waved his hand slightly. A paper boat drifted over to the village entrance and landed next to the village chief. Qin Mu immediately noticed that the cargo on the boat consisted of ominous items such as paper money, ingots, candles, mourning sticks, and white mourning banners!

The old man asked him to keep the paper boat at the village entrance and said, "This is the deposit for ten mourning clothes and ten coffins. I wonder if the seamstress and Mr. Ma can finish them today. I'm in a hurry, to be honest."

The lame man, blacksmith, and pharmacist in the village, who were originally busy with their respective tasks, suddenly fell silent. Sister Po, the seamstress, tremblingly walked over and smiled, saying, "Ten mourning clothes today? Sir, it's a bit rushed."

Mr. Ma approached and said coldly, "I'm quick with my hands. The coffins can be finished today. Can the old sir wait a bit?"

The old man smiled and said, "I am in a hurry, but all of you are talented people. I believe you can manage to finish them on time, right?"

Sister Po glanced at the ingots and candles on the boat, coldly chuckled, and said, "If you're in a hurry to wear them, I can make them right away. Luckily, I bought some fabric a few days ago."

The old man bowed and said, "I appreciate your help."

Sister Po walked back to her house and brought out several batches of fabric. With a flick of her hand, the batches of fabric floated in the air. Then a pair of scissors flew out of her basket and started cutting the fabric in mid-air. Before long, the clothes took shape.

The small basket also produced silver needles, which flew out and threaded through the air, swiftly sewing each mourning garment flawlessly.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ma went outside the village to a large willow tree by the river. Green qi flew out from between his fingers, swirling around each willow tree. Before long, the thick tree trunks were cut into white wooden coffins.

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

Sister Po finished sewing the clothes, and the old woman gently waved her hand, causing each mourning garment to land on its respective coffin.

Mr. Ma walked forward and said coldly, "You've brought quite a bit of money, so I've made two extra coffins for you free of charge. Twelve coffins in total, tailor-made. Once you lie down in them, I guarantee you won't grow a single inch or lose a single hair! Are you satisfied, old sir?"

Sister Po smiled and said, "I've also made two extra sets of mourning clothes for free, ensuring a perfect fit."

The old man chuckled, "Satisfied, very satisfied."

Qin Mu sensed an increasingly eerie atmosphere and secretly counted the number of people. The green-robed individuals and the old man together made exactly twelve!

The pharmacist approached with a gloomy expression but spoke softly, "Old sir, your accent doesn't sound like a local. It seems to be from Southern Border."

The old man smiled warmly, "Indeed, we are from Southern Border, from the generation of the Li River."

The lame man walked over, his face full of smiles, and said, "The Li River has a Li River Sect, rumored to be a powerful sect residing by the river, with many experts. I've heard that the sect's sect master is called Mu Beifeng, with extraordinary abilities, able to cut off the flow of the river with a wave of his hand."

The old man quickly said, "I don't dare to claim such fame. I am precisely Mu Beifeng, the Li River Sect is just a small sect we rely on to make a living, living off the mountain and relying on the water. I have five younger martial brothers, and thanks to the recognition from fellow cultivators, we are known as the Five Elders of the Li River."

Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, and his face changed slightly. Were the Five Elders of the Li River not the five old men who died at the hands of Sister Po?

Could it be that this Mu Beifeng had come with his group intending to seek revenge for the Five Elders of the Li River?

He explicitly mentioned making ten coffins and ten mourning garments, clearly preparing them for all the villagers in Canglao Village. After killing the villagers, they would dress them in the mourning clothes, place them in the coffins, bury them on the spot, and then burn some paper money and candles!

And these paper boats and paper cranes were all prepared for the deceased villagers of Canglao Village!

Mo Beifeng twirled the jade ring on his thumb and spoke slowly, "Two years ago, the imperial court issued a decree, and the national teacher personally brought the imperial edict to our Lijiang Sect. We had a discussion on the Dao. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I was delighted and grateful, so I accepted the imperial edict and thanked the emperor for his grace. The Lijiang Sect has been favored by the emperor and the national teacher. I was appointed as the governor of the Wumiao Prefecture in the southern region, with a rank of second grade, responsible for governing the five tribes. The national teacher also appointed the five elders of the Lijiang Sect as the deputy commanders of the Miao Frontier Guards in charge of the Miao region, with a rank of third grade. We are, after all, free spirits, and although we have been bestowed official positions, we still enjoy roaming."

The village chief chuckled, "Yankang Kingdom is a sect disguised as a nation. With the assistance of the renowned Yankang national teacher, who is hailed as the number one expert under heaven, the kingdom's fortunes have prospered in recent years. They have subdued many sects and even allowed disciples from various sects to enter the military and expand their territory. Brother Mu, you were originally free and unconstrained, but entering the court as an official means being bound by the regulations of the imperial court, which may not be suitable for you."

Mu Beifeng said, "That's why my five disciples were eager for some action and wanted to go out for a stroll. They took the Lijiang Five Disciples and entered the Great Market. The Lijiang Five Disciples are my disciples with some skills, and my five disciples intended to let them gain experience."

The blind man approached, leaning on his bamboo staff, and said, "The Lijiang Five Elders entered the Great Market for experience? And they took their disciples with them? The Great Market is very dangerous, and I can't help but worry for them."

Mu Beifeng sighed, "Yes. The Great Market is too dangerous, filled with wicked and evil characters. They have been gone for two months, and I haven't seen them return. I knew something must have gone wrong, so I searched along the way and fortunately found the place where my five disciples met their demise. They died a terrible death. From the wounds on their broken bones, it seems that the person who killed them was a master from the Tianmo Sect, not tall, similar to Sister Po."

He shook his head and continued, "Then, I found the place where their disciples met their end, a gorge where the bodies were mutilated by wild beasts. Alas, they died a terrible death... From the wounds on their bones, it seems that the one who attacked them was a young warrior, similar to this young man here. I heard that your village has tailors and carpenters, so I came here to order mourning clothes and coffins for the killer of my disciples and nephews. I'm waiting to put them in there."

A touch of arrogance appeared on his face, "Although I am an appointed official of the imperial court, I have always been a simple village man, not accustomed to the court's formalities. So I came here following the rules of the martial world to avenge my disciples and nephews. Qianqiu."

The old man stopped talking and closed his mouth.

Behind him, a young warrior stepped forward and looked at Qin Mu. It was the man who had asked for directions in the air and tossed a gold ingot to Qin Mu. He said, "I, Qu, was beaten to death with a wooden stick using knife techniques. Young man, you carry a knife on your back. Can you demonstrate your knife skills and spar with me?"

Qin Mu hesitated and looked at Sister Po and the village chief.

Sister Po couldn't help but say, "Mu, the people in the southern region are fierce, and when they strike, they strike ruthlessly without mercy. If he asks you to use your knife, then demonstrate..."

"Shut up!"

The village chief shouted, stopping Sister Po from speaking further. He calmly said, "He came here following the rules, without relying on the power of the imperial court and the Yankang national teacher to oppress us. We must not break the rules. No one is allowed to instruct Qin Mu, and no one is allowed to help."

His gaze was cold as he looked at Qin Mu and said, "Qin Mu, the coffins and mourning clothes are right there. If you are kind and tolerant, one of the coffins will be yours! Either he dies, or you die! He has challenged you, why are you still standing there? Why don't you go?"