Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 623 Wave Mother
The Great Wilderness, the Western Regions, Zhongshan Mountain, and the Palace of the Candle God.

"I'll ask you one last time, do you submit or not?"

Qin Huai (Taowu) glanced at the Charter Stick, which had forked at the end and was no different from a tree branch, and put it away. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhu Gu Zhi, who was covered in wounds, with murderous intent.

"no no."

The lips of the battered and bruised Zhugu opened and closed weakly, his words coming out in broken, indistinct sounds.

"Still not convinced? Then die!"

Qin Huai swiftly extended his large hand, a palpable ferocity emanating from the corner of his eye, clearly determined to kill the Seven Palaces Demon King.

"Stop fighting! The drums have been beaten! The drums have been beaten!"

Sensing a deadly threat, Zhu Guzhi quickly took a deep breath and knelt down to beg for mercy before Qin Huai could unleash his power.

"Bleed out until this Heaven-Turning Divine Seal recognizes you as its master."

Seeing the barely passing loyalty rating in the Candle Drum's status bar, Qin Huai didn't bother with it. He directly took out jars of Qi Spring Wine from the Imprint Space, swept it with Qi energy, and the blood marrow poison on the five-colored boulder was completely wiped away. The heavy pressure field of the Heaven-Turning Divine Seal burst out again, slamming into the Qi shield that Qin Huai had erected.

"quick!"

Zhugu's emerald eyes flickered as he weighed his options, wavering between seizing the opportunity and obeying orders. Ultimately, he was intimidated by Taotie's ferocious power and could only drink large gulps of Qi Spring Liquor to rapidly heal his injuries.

After an unknown period of time, the gushing blood flowing from the body of the Candle Drum finally covered all the surfaces of the five-colored boulder, intertwining and forming hundreds of ancient seal script snake characters. Then, they lit up one by one, the heavy pressure field suddenly disappeared, and the five-colored dazzling light directly enveloped the Heaven-Turning Divine Seal and the Candle Drum.

"My Lord, your species [Drum] has become the master of the [Heaven-Turning Divine Seal]! You have obtained a divine artifact left behind by the goddess Nuwa!!!"

"My Lord, you have slain eight powerful and ferocious beasts that wreaked havoc in the Great Wilderness. Progress (8/20)"

"The Ice-Armored Horned Dragon and the Frost-Desolate Taotie, two of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts of the Great Wilderness, are dead. Progress (2/5)"

As Yanfu's prompt dissipated, the five-colored radiance before Qin Huai's eyes gradually receded, all merging into the body of the Candle Drum. The five-colored boulder, about ten feet in diameter, also shrank continuously, transforming into a palm-sized stone seal, which landed in the Candle Drum's hand.

"Keep this Nuwa artifact safe. From now on, you will be my disciple and attendant."

Qin Huai looked at Zhu Gu Zhi, whose fierce aura had been greatly reduced, and nodded in satisfaction. With a sweep of his left hand, Lu Nu, who had been watching the whole thing, was blasted against the rock wall, her fate unknown.

Upon hearing that Qin Huai had bestowed a title upon him, Zhu Guzhi, who had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something flattering, saw that the West Sea Deer Maiden, who had shared his bed with him these past few days, had been cruelly tortured and was on the verge of death.

"Stop looking, take me to Pingqiu."

Qin Huai glanced at the Deer Girl of the Western Sea, then immediately rolled up the Candle Drum and rushed out of Zhongshan towards the North Sea.

Unbeknownst to the candle and drum, a trace of returning to the true qi was protecting the demoness's heart meridian, enough to sustain her to drink the remaining qi spring wine in the hall after the two left, thus saving her life.

"Your Excellency, Pingqiu is a legendary, extremely secretive prison in the North Sea. Apart from the Black Emperor and a handful of others, no one knows its location. Do you perhaps know where it is?"

After leaving Zhongshan, Zhuguzhi looked at Qinhuai and said cautiously.

"You are the son of the True God of Xuan Shui, Zhulong, yet you don't know where it is?"

Qin Huai frowned slightly, his imposing gaze immediately focusing on Zhu Gu's face.

"My father has been living in Zhangwei Mountain for many years and I haven't seen him for a long time. Besides, the location of Pingqiu is extremely secret and not very important information among the aquatic tribes. I really have no interest in knowing it!"

Knowing that the darkness of the candle and drum was bad, he quickly spoke up to explain.

"Then let's attack Zhangwei Mountain! I refuse to believe that someone of Xuan Shui Zhen Shen's strength and status wouldn't know the location of Pingqiu!"

Qin Huai snorted coldly, and the chilling aura he exuded immediately made Zhu Gu Zhi tremble with fear.

“Wait, Your Majesty, I remember now. Among the aquatic tribes, besides the Black Emperor and the Witch God, there is another person who must know the location of Pingqiu.”

Hearing that this fierce god was going to settle scores with his father without saying a word, Zhu Guzhi's heart sank. Although he had great confidence in Zhulong's supernatural powers, since this Taotie could forcibly move the Heaven-Turning Seal, its cultivation level must be quite high. Moreover, he had Shuibo Tianwudang as an inside agent. What if a war really broke out at the foot of Zhangwei Mountain?
Zhu Gu dared not think any further. As a servant, he had only endured humiliation and hardship. As long as he had the divine artifact of Nuwa, he believed that one day he would be given an important position.

But the ambitious Xuan Shui Zhen Shen Zhu Long is different. As the leader of the water demons, he must not have any accidents happen to him!

Just as Zhugu was lost in thought, Qin Huai's cold shout immediately pulled him out of his myriad thoughts.

"Who?"

“Nine Phoenix Fairy, Holy Maiden of the Water Tribe. This journey to Zhangwei Mountain is too far and will surely take a long time. Moreover, Father is a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail, and we do not know where he is now. I am afraid that we will delay your important matters and make a wasted trip. I think we should go to Tiangui Mountain in the North Sea and go to find the Nine Phoenix Fairy for a chat.”

Zhu Gu clasped his hands in a fist and offered his sincere advice.

"You're very thoughtful. Let's go check out Tiangui Mountain in the Arctic first."

Thinking of the Taotie Mountain, which wasn't far from the Arctic Heavenly Cabin when this fruit was born, Qin Huai nodded and continued northward without stopping.

At the same time, the memories of the barbarian priest Chu Ning flowed through Qin Huai's mind. Perhaps because the Cold Wilderness and the North Sea were both located in the far north, he knew a lot about the Far North Heavenly Cabinet.

Tiangui Mountain in the far north, located north of Beihai, is one of the three sacred mountains of the Shui people. The Jisheng Palace on the mountain is the place where the Shui people's holy maidens have practiced asceticism and meditation throughout the ages.

Qiangliang and Jiufeng are known as the "Two Venerable Ones of the North Pole". They are two top experts of the Water Tribe who can be called "Minor Gods (Seven Palaces)". They have been cultivating in the North Pole for many years. Jiufeng is also ordered to guard Tiangui Mountain and assist the Holy Maiden in disciplining the thirty-six reserve Holy Maidens in the "Extreme Holy Palace".

Since Emperor Tuoba died suddenly at the Kunlun Peach Banquet, the previous Holy Maiden, Wusima, has disappeared. Zhulong stripped her of her position as Holy Maiden for dereliction of duty and replaced her with Fairy Jiufeng, who will take over the position temporarily. The position will be filled by selecting the best among the thirty-six female disciples in the future.

Zhongshan is 7,800 li away from Beiji Tiangui, and even with the Kunlun Armed Forces' top speed, it would take a full hour to fly there.

The full moon shone brightly, its clear light shimmering. The Arctic Ocean surged with towering waves, layer upon layer of white waves crashing and churning against the greyish-white snowfields. Qin Huai, accompanied by Zhu Guzhi, stopped before a towering mountain that stretched for dozens of miles and was perpetually covered in ice and snow. Just as he was about to call out to open the mountain gate, two figures flew out from the magnificent and wondrous ice palace atop the mountain, riding the wind and snow, and quickly arrived before Qin Huai.

Qin Huai looked closely and saw that the tiger-headed human-bodied creature on the left had hooves-like hands and feet, two red snakes coiled around its arms, hissing and flicking their tongues. Its emerald green triangular eyes gleamed fiercely, and its tiger mouth grinned, with another red snake coiled inside. It looked quite bizarre.

The woman on the right has slanted, high-set phoenix eyes and an icy expression. She wears a nine-headed phoenix crown and a long, purplish-black robe embroidered with nine phoenixes; she must be the current Holy Maiden of the Water Tribe, the Nine-Phoenix Fairy, personally appointed by Zhulong.

"Seventh Brother? Why aren't you in charge of the Candle God Palace at Zhongshan? What are you doing here at my Arctic Heavenly Cabinet?"

Fairy Nine Phoenixes naturally recognized Zhulong's son, Zhugu, but was quite unfamiliar with Qin Huai, whom she had never met before, and immediately asked him a question.

"Please look, Your Excellencies, what is this?"

Seeing that Qin Huai remained silent, Zhu Guzhi had no choice but to make the decision himself. He carried the Heaven-Turning Divine Seal and flew to Jiu Feng and Qiang Liang, letting them examine it closely.

"This is... the Heaven-Turning Divine Seal atop the Frosty Wilderness Mountain? When did Qilang subdue such a divine artifact?"

Qiang Liang's tiger-like eyes flickered as he carefully examined the area before asking with some surprise.

"It was all thanks to my master's help that Gu Zhi was able to subdue this serpent artifact left behind by the goddess Nuwa. However, although this artifact has recognized its master, there is no way to control it. So I thought I would go to Pingqiu to see if those disgraced officials have the incantation to control Nuwa's artifact."

Zhu Gu paused for a moment, then continued, "The Black Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time, and Father's whereabouts are unknown. Among the entire Water Tribe, only the two Venerables know the location of Pingqiu. That is why I have come to bother you two. Please lead the way."

'Master? Where did this kid find a peerless expert whose strength rivals that of the Old Demon Candle?'

Hearing Zhugu's explanation and sensing Qin Huai's profound and boundless cultivation, Fairy Jiufeng and Qiangliang exchanged a glance, their various schemes immediately fizzling out, and they dared not entertain any further thoughts.

"I see. Please come to my Jisheng Palace with me, senior, for a while. I will gather all the criminals to be sent to Pingqiu in the past six months, and then we will set off to escort you there."

Qiang Liang Shen laughed heartily and, pulling Zhu Gu Zhi along, headed towards the Ice Palace on the mountaintop.

"Please, senior."

Fairy Nine Phoenixes also extended her jade hand, beckoning from afar, and bowed in invitation.

Qin Huai nodded slightly and landed in the magnificent hall covered in ice pillars and snow walls. Inside the hall, which was as white as ice and snow, hundreds of aquatic warriors stood solemnly. In front of the high platform, there were more than thirty girls in black, who were presumably the Holy Guards and reserve Holy Maidens of the Supreme Holy Palace.

On that high platform stood a tall woman dressed in a black and purple silk robe. Her ten fingers were long and slender, with black nails. Her bare feet were as white as snow, and her toes were also black. A long ribbon was tied around her waist, trailing on the ground. Although her attire was simple, her noble air was overwhelming.

Hearing someone approaching, she turned around. Her black hair was piled high, her eyes were as blue as autumn water, and she looked around with a lively spirit. Her light purple lips held a calm and composed smile. She was truly a beautiful woman.

【Usma】: The former Holy Maiden of the Water Tribe, and because she possesses counter-item items, you cannot see the specific details in your fleeting glance.

"Huh? Usma, what are you doing here?!"

Upon closer inspection of the woman's appearance, Zhu Gu's voice was chilling. After Emperor Tuoba's death, Wusima had turned against Zhulong because she firmly sided with the Dragon Consort Yushi and supported the Goddess Mu Zisu. She was the most hated traitor among the water tribes. How could she appear so calmly in the Supreme Palace of Tiangui Mountain? And why were these Holy Guards and Holy Maidens still so respectful to her, treating her as an honored guest?
On the platform next to her sat a woman with snow-white hair, exquisite beauty, and skin so white it was almost transparent, which looked rather eerie in the sunlight.

【Bo Mu Zhi Xuan Qing】: The younger sister of the Black Emperor and the mother of Gongsun Yinghou, with 3,700 years of cultivation, powerful magic, and Gu techniques that reach the heavens, even surpassing the Serpent Elder Er Fu.

"Son of Zhulong! I was just wondering where to settle scores with the old demon Zhu. Fine, today I'll take your head as a sacrifice to my elder brother's soul in the afterlife!"

Upon seeing the Candle Drum that had come to him of its own accord, Zhi Xuanqing was overjoyed. With a flick of his sleeve, countless colorful dots attacked and bit towards the Candle Drum.

"Huh? What kind of terrible conspiracy have we stumbled upon?"

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow and glanced deeply at Wusima on the high platform. Before he could make a move, the Heaven-Turning Divine Seal spontaneously protected its master. Five-colored dazzling light filled the hall, and the bursting pressure field instantly blasted all kinds of Gu insects into dust. Only a few brilliant golden lights remained unaffected and were about to bite into the vital points of Zhugu.

"receive."

The Returning True Qi surged wildly, taking the dozen or so Golden Cicada Gu into its grasp. Qin Huai stood in front of Zhu Gu and coldly shouted, "Mother Bo, you just mentioned your elder brother's ghost? Wasn't the Black Emperor in seclusion? What happened to him?"

"Who are you? Why are you protecting this petty thief?"

Upon seeing Qin Huai make a move, his true energy far surpassing that of the Black Emperor, Zhi Xuanqing's pupils contracted, and he asked in a rapid voice.

"The master of Taotie Mountain, Taotie. Speaking of which, Fairy Nine Phoenix is ​​my neighbor."

Qin Huai pressed down on the candle drum, which was about to be used to smash someone, and calmly replied.

"Taowu? Very well, with your cultivation level, you are unlikely to be an unreasonable and wicked person like that Candle Demon."

Zhi Xuanqing looked at Fairy Jiufeng and, seeing that she nodded, said, "It was Sister Wusima who told me about my elder brother being harmed by the Candle Demon after I escaped from Pimu Hill. Back then, the Candle Demon had the Nine-Tailed Fox Queen Yan Liya of Qingqiu Kingdom disguise herself as my niece and trick my elder brother into taking the [Thousand Corpse Gu Egg Pill]. This caused my elder brother to lose his mind and become a walking corpse. Not only were his meridians severed, but his primordial spirit was also corrupted. He could only fall into the Ghost Realm, barely surviving, and had no chance to ascend to immortality and be reincarnated."

"Wait, the Thousand Corpse Gu Egg Pill?"

Qin Huai, interpreting the text literally, almost instantly connected it to the tragic state of Emperor Tuoba at the Peach Banquet that day, and began to speculate.

"Indeed, the [Thousand Corpse Gu Egg Pill] is that fox demon's unique Gu. Once ingested, in no time, thousands of Gu worm eggs will hatch from the limbs and bones, biting through tendons and veins, devouring flesh and drinking blood, breaking through the body surface, like ten thousand Gu devouring the heart. The miserable appearance is far beyond words."

Usma looked at Qin Huai, her eyes sparkling, and added with a smile.

"So, does that mean Emperor Tuoba was not only afflicted by the Yin-Yang Divine Gu that day, but also mistakenly ingested this [Thousand Corpse Gu Egg Pill]?"

Looking back at the former Holy Maiden of the Water Tribe, Qin Huai suddenly changed the subject, bringing up the matter of the God Emperor's death.

"Indeed, that is why I insist that the death of the God Emperor was orchestrated by the Candle Demon and had nothing to do with the Goddess. Fairy Nine Phoenix and God Qiangliang were also full of doubts before, but after hearing my speculation, coupled with their loyalty to the Black Emperor, they decided to follow Mother Bo and defeat the Candle Demon at all costs, restore peace to the world, and ensure that all people will never suffer from the ravages of war again."

(End of this chapter)