Supreme Swordsman of the Nine Heavens

Finale

“I’ve already given you a thirty percent off discount out of consideration of our relationship. Take it or leave it,” Mu Yu stated.

Daoist Yuan De, hands going epileptic, passed numerous pill vials to Mu Yu. “I don’t have that many rank eight pills because they’re too hard to make, so I only have two. I only have fifty-seven rank seven pills. This is all I have.”

“Now you’re speaking my language.” Mu Yu jubilantly stashed away the collection and then patted Daoist Yuan De on the shoulder. “Since you’re my dad’s father-in-law, I’ll grant you another decade.”

Daoist Yuan De was sulky about it. Nevertheless, he appreciated being gifted with another ten years when others his age would be fortunate to even have another year. He was just bitter that Mu Yu extorted him.

“Dad, I’ll come visit you again in the future. I need to pay Cai Lie and company visit before I return to Mount Dustfallen. See you.” Mu Yu got up and patted Daoist Yuan De on the shoulder giddily. “Fifty percent for you next time. I’m a benevolent businessman who respects his elders. See you next time.”

Watching Mu Yu speed off, Daoist Yuan De lamented, “Ku Mu, why didn’t you help me out when I’ve already owned up to my mistakes and even let him extort me? I can’t handle the stress at my age. An elder without family is pitiful, but an elder with a son-in-law and daughter, both of whom don’t care for him, is even more pitiful.”

“Quit it already. Couldn’t you tell Mu Yu was playing with you? He gave you the same lifespan as us. Old and still asinine,” Ku Mu grumbled.

As an Ascension Realm cultivator, Daoist Yuan De could not tell how Mu Yu deployed his domain. Ku Mu, on the other hand, could tell since he was an Apotheosis Realm cultivator. Besides, who would Mu Yu tease the next time he visited Pill Cauldron Sect if Daoist Yuan De was not around? As for the pills, Mu Yu did not need them, but Mu Clan could do with them.

Euphoric, Daoist Yuan De got up and dusted himself. “Ahem, I knew Mu Yu wouldn’t be as heartless as you two. Mu Yu is a kind boy unlike you two…”

***

While Archfiend Baiyuan was exercising in bed with several fiends at Willow Searching Brothel, a sixteen year old boy dragged him off the bed without a word prior.

“What are you doing, Qinglong Junior, picking a fight? I’m trying out the Stained Clothes Eighteen Falls technique Xie Bulao taught me,” Archfiend Baiyuan snapped at the dragon vine.

“Uncle Yuan, take me out to find Mu Yu.”

“No. Brother Qinglong already said you can’t leave before you reach Apotheosis Realm.”

“I already have.” Dragon Vine discharged his Ascension Realm qi that he had spent years chasing in exchange for freedom and fun.

Whenever the dragon vine requested permission to leave, Archfiend Qinglong would tell him that it was dangerous outside and that his priority should be to enjoy his life at home to succeed the throne as an excuse to keep the dragon vine. No matter how he protested or what means he tried, Archfiend Qinglong was always able to stop him. Archfiend Qinglong, in an attempt to have the dragon vine behave, promised the latter that he would be allowed to leave if he could reach Ascension Realm.

“Why me? Tell Brother Qinglong.” Archfiend Baiyuan climbed back into bed.

“He’s not here, so nobody can undo the seal on me. Only you can dismantle it, correct?”

“No.”

“Guess I’ll have to go ask Aunt Feng for help and tell her you called her a sick-in-the-head turkey. If I forget, I might also let slip that you wanted to pluck the feathers and hairs of a chicken the day before.”

Archfiend Baiyuan shooed off the fiends without another thought and got dressed as fast as he could. “Wait up, Qinglong Junior. I’ll take you. I’ll drop into Hell on Earth while I’m out. It’s better there than here. By the way, why didn’t you call Qiao Xue along?”

“She sneaked off ages ago.”

“What?! Oh my god, she must be looking for Mu Yu. Isn’t that jerk still training in seclusion? She shouldn’t go to Mount Dustfallen on her own. That’s Sword Shadow Dust Gale’s turf. Let’s go back her up!” Archfiend Baiyuan dragged the dragon vine out, bolting.

“You can’t beat Sword Shadow Dust Gale.”

“You want to meet up with the jerk?”

“I take it back.”

***

“Shifu, A-Dai blew up the loo again!” Kongkong yelled.

“A-Dai didn’t do it. A-Dai was watching the ants move houses,” A-Dai immediately cried.

“Shifu, it was Kongkong and Xiaoshuai who blew it up. I saw it with my own eyes,” Miaomiao exclaimed.

“Kongkong, I saw another beehive at the back of the mountain. Let’s go blow it up!” Xiaoshuai suggested.

“A-Dai wants to join.”

“Xiang Nan, go check the toilet. You might as well fill it up so that the four of them don’t blow it up for the thirty-ninth time,” instructed Feng Haochen.

Xiang Nan, still lying on his hammock between two trees, replied, “Shifu, there is no point. You reinforced it with a formation, yet Xiaoshuai and Kongkong still blew it apart. Xiaoshuai possesses formation knowledge from Mu Yu, while the twins are a Primordial Yin Yang, so they would also have a way with formations.”

Xiang Nan and Lie Shang stayed at Mount Dustfallen ever since Feng Haochen explained his stance to them and they learnt of his link to Perfect World. Feng Haochen then used a formation to split their thoughts off from their spirit lords so that the spirit lords could not influence them. There was nobody left in the cultivation world who could stop the two, and the two preferred the peace at home.

Feng Haochen peered into the sky and a smile came to his lips. “He’s back.”

“What’s all the clamouring about?” Mu Yu flitted onto the mountain. “Everyone’s already here, and there are even snacks. Having Shiniang here sure is a blessing,” Mu Yu commented as he went over to grab a refreshment from Miao Yuyan, who was sitting in a chair.

“Slow down. You and Tian Ran sure do everything like your house has caught fire,” Miao Yuyan urged in graceful fashion.”

“That’s why we’re a couple.”

“So, how did you go?” Feng Haochen inquired.

“I have figured it out.” Mu Yu spawned a ripple on his fingertip.

“Really?” Tian Ran shifted over to sit next to Mu Yu and hooked her arm around his as she tried touching the rippling water on his fingertips.

Mu Yu grazed Tian Ran’s nose with a finger. “Of course. We can be together forever now.”

“Lies! What took you so long? You went to visit Qiao Xue again, didn’t you?”

“Uh…” Mu Yu’s eyes wandered between Feng Haochen and Miao Yuyan. “I swear to god I’ve been in seclusion at Formation Sect for the entire year. I only just came out today. I swear on it these four fingers.”

“I don’t believe you even if you swear it on five fingers.”

“Welcome back.” Cheng Yan and Qing Mei finally came over.

“Whoa, is that Cheng Yan Junior or Qing Mei Junior?” Mu Yu reacted, referring to the infant in Cheng Yan’s arms.

Cheng Yan chuckled. “Yeah, my boy is named Cheng Xing. Ling’er is also pregnant.”

Speak of the devil. Lan Ling’er gently tapped her belly as she walked arm in arm with Lie Shang, the two having gone from fiery to warm.

“Sit.” Mu Yu pulled out a seat for Lan Ling’er and then took Cheng Xing to play with the cheerful boy. He pressed his index fingertip onto Cheng Xing’s. “He’s going to be a prodigy when he grows up.”

“Better catch up, Mu Yu,” Lan Ling’er teased.

“Xiang Nan should be first. He’s my senior.”

“No plans to get married anytime soon. I’m happy single.” Xiang Nan raised his supinated hands.

“Yeah, yeah, C-grade actor. When are you visiting her in Pine City?” Lan Ling’er questioned.

Xiang Nan started acting disconcerted. “Later.”

“Keep stalling and you’ll be late.”

Mu Yu shifted over to Xiang Nan. “How’d you two get to know each other? When did you get to know each other? How does she look? Shall I evaluate her for you? I have good judgement, you know?”

“Yeah, very good judgement.” Tian Ran kicked Mu Yu in the leg.

“Ehehe.”

“He knew her way before we even left Mount Dustfallen,” informed Cheng Yan. “Remember when we used to go to Pine City in pairs? He always sneaked off to visit her.”

“First Brother, you promised not to tell!”

“He’s your brother. Besides, I’m getting anxious for her. How many more years do you expect her to wait? I heard a matchmaker visited her parents the day before to recommend a husband candidate. You can’t make a woman in her prime wait.”

“Say what?!” Xiang Nan catapulted off the mountain.

Mu Yu looked back at Cheng Yan to see the latter trying to hide his pleased grin. “Since when did you start a matchmaking business?”

Cheng Yan sat down. “If I don’t give him the push, he’ll never confess… You want a hand?”

“Nah, nah, I’m good. I know what I’m doing.”

Mu Yu believed he had not shed his childish side entirely yet and, therefore, was not ready to be an adult in a marriage. After all, he still liked pranking people with Xiaoshuai.

Tian Ran stomped on Mu Yu’s foot, prompting Mu Yu to pass Cheng Xing back to Cheng Yan and give her the apologetic look.

“Want me to go heat up the food, Mu Yu?” Elder Xun came out of the kitchen and queried.

“Nah, I’m okay. I’m not hungry,” Mu Yu replied.

“In that case, let’s spar. I haven’t had a chance to test you yet. Whoever loses cooks,” Uncle An demanded.

“About that… Xiaoshuai just blew something up, right? I’m going to go check on him. Be right back.” Mu Yu zipped off.

***

A group of tanned men worked on opening a water channel to create a water irrigation system for the soil outside Pine City. The second family head from Wang Clan took off his hat and wiped his sweat, using his hat as a fan. He cast his gaze up to the blue firmament and bemoaned, “When will it rain? The water in the well is almost dry.”

“Nothing we can do. The season is what it is. We’ll have to find a way to protect our crops until the rainy season comes.” Village Chief Liu Gouzi sat down to have some of the soup his daughter-in-law prepared for him.

“We should have some rain in another two months. I can’t wait, I tell you.” Zhang Clan’s main man threw aside a root he pulled out of the dirt.

Qiao Xue, attired in her signature blue, politely asked Zhang Clan’s second family head by the field ridge, “Excuse me, may I ask how for directions to get to Waterstream Village?”

“That’s quite far from here, Miss. You visiting a relative there?”

“Mm… I suppose so…?”

“You’ll be there if you keep heading east for another hundred kilometres. You can hire a carriage in Pine City, Miss. This heat is ruthless.” Zhang Clan’s second family head teasingly had a puff from his pipe.

“Thank you, Elder.” Qiao Xue went toward the narrow winding path around the tall mountain obstructing her vision.

“Get back to work. She’s already gone.”

Liu Gouzi awkwardly coughed as he picked up his hoe and then glanced back in Qiao Xue’s direction. “Eh? Where’d she go?”

Suddenly, thunder clapped and rain belted down.

“It’s raining! It’s raining!” The farmers threw down their pickaxes to run around in the rain.

***

Village Chief Bu remained at Waterstream Village after bringing Mu Yu back when the latter needed to go back to the beginning of his journey to find his domain because the elder liked the village best. Mu Yu arrived to see Village Chief Bu having story time in his usual spot with the children, each of whom had a copy of “Heroic Legend of Mu Yu” and “True God’s Legend” in their hands.

I do like this lifestyle, after all, getting up at sunrise, working during the day and going home when the sun goes down. Maybe it’s mundane, but I prefer this simple life, Mu Yu inwardly said, picking up a book and quietly sitting down under a tree to listen to Village Chief Bu retell Mu Yu’s story.

“Mu Yu made it in the nick of time and engaged the immortal master in three hundred epic rounds.! It was so intense that the world was plunged into darkness! Like judges of good and evil, Mu Yu’s two flying swords emerged in a flash. With a single strike, sand and stones whipped into the air, thunder boomed and lightning flashed! With a single strike, the clouds immediately churned and the ground cracked.  Mu Yu beat the immortal master from Raindrop Village to a pulp! Like a geyser, the immortal master’s blood mystified the sky, dying the sand scarlet…”

END

Afterword in Next Chapter

Liked it? Take a second to support Wu Jizun on Patreon!