Refining the Mountains and Rivers

White Feifei was silent.

Qin Yu stared at her for a long while.

“My Lord, it’s true. If you don’t believe me, you can have a look for yourself.”

White Feifei extended her arm.

Qin Yu thought for a few moments before holding onto it.

Countless images instantly ran through his mind and he experienced everything that happened in the Grandeur and Millet Realm once again.

Or, more accurately, Qin Yu had remembered everything that happened.

“Rourou!”

He gritted his teeth and a bitter smile appeared on his face.

If someone were to tell him that this was not all part of Rourou’s plan, Qin Yu would not have believed a single word.

But why?

Even if it was to borrow Li Ruhua’s fate and to make her become a tool for Qin Yu to ‘accumulate’ cultivation, there was no need to use such a method, right?

Where did Rourou’s love for pranks come from?

However, looking at it from this perspective, it made sense to say that Li Ruhua was his wife, even if whatever happened between them seemed like a faraway dream to Qin Yu.

White Feifei retracted her hand and coughed lightly, “My Lord, I’m not going to interfere in your personal affairs. Solve it on your own.”

Then, her figure dissipated.

White Feifei could not be bothered with such trivial matters. What if both of them reconciled with each other? After all, when it came to relationships between men and women, it was always hard to predict. Even if their relationship seemed cold and distant now, it may transform into a fiery one at any moment. It would be best if she stayed away from this.

Whoosh –

Opposite Qin Yu, Li Ruhua opened her eyes and glared at Qin Yu coldly.

Even though she was physically unconscious just now, she was still aware of what happened. This made her embarrassed!

Qin Yu coughed lightly and said, “Sorry, I have offended you.”

He waved his sleeve and released the suppression on Li Ruhua.

“Qin Yu, I’m going to kill you!”

She charged towards him, full of murderous intent.

If he were to fight her, he would definitely be able to win, but Qin Yu felt that having a reputation of beating women up was extremely undesirable.

Yes, a real man does not fight against women!

For the next few minutes, Qin Yu did not move as Li Ruhua vented her anger on him. He even had to control his own strength in order not to hurt her.

He let her hit him over and over again, as hard as she wanted to.

Until she was panting and sweating nonstop.

As he looked at her, a few images suddenly flashed across his mind.

It was almost as if back then, when he was ‘dreaming’, Li Ruhua panted just like this before.

It was just that, they were both in bed…and her expression was much lovelier than it was right now.

Hiss –

What am I thinking of?

Qin Yu rubbed his face, feeling that he truly did become slightly perverted. However, there was one thing that he could not doubt. That memory was etched very deeply in his mind.

As if he had truly experienced it. 

“Qin Yu!”

Li Ruhua’s face reddened as she glared at him.

Startled, he jumped. He thought to himself, ‘I didn’t even say anything, I was just thinking. How could you know what I have thought?’

However, obviously, Li Ruhua seemed to really know what he was thinking.

Even though she was panting tiredly, she charged forward once more and continued to ‘beat him up’!

It was a pity that her blows were not that effective and they were completely unable to harm him at all.

Firstly, it was because Qin Yu’s current powers exceeded hers by a large margin.

Secondly, it was because Li Ruhua was only in the Half-King realm due to Qin Yu’s existence.

Just like Qin Yu said before, her cultivation was hers, but it did not completely belong to her either. 

It would be extremely difficult for Li Ruhua to hurt Qin Yu in any way at all.

Finally, she had completely exhausted herself, or perhaps it was because today’s experience created a huge toll on her heart, but she collapsed to the floor.

Qin Yu looked at her, and after hesitating for a while, he picked her up and brought her back to her room.

He took a glance at this unconscious woman who was still frowning, and he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Another muddled connection!

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

Rourou, quickly come back, I need to settle this with you!

Going back to the courtyard, Qin Yu thought for a few moments before saying, “White Feifei, come out.”

Whoosh –

White Feifei appeared. “My Lord, I was asleep just now. I did not see or hear anything.”

She looked extremely serious, and with that appearance, Qin Yu wished he could just swear at her on the spot.

The corners of his lips twitched and he snorted coldly, “I’m too lazy to argue with you, and I didn’t call you out to talk about this matter. Can you help me to figure out the reason behind why Emperor Qin was trying to kill me?”

White Feifei replied, “My Lord, you’re asking the wrong person. I’ve not been with you for a long time; I don’t know anything at all.”

Qin Yu said, “From my point of view, I’m very sure that apart from the fact that my surname is also Qin, I have never had any affiliation with the Great Qin Empire.

“If it’s really because of my surname, then this is just a complete joke. The world is huge and there are many people that are surnamed Qin. Emperor Qin can’t just kill all of us one by one!”

White Feifei could tell that Qin Yu was slightly angered now. Otherwise, he would not be saying such thoughtless words. She thought about it for a while and then said cautiously, “Emperor Qin is not that free. He must have a reason for wanting to kill you…”

“Say something useful!”

White Feifei coughed lightly, “My Lord, think about it carefully. Are you forgetting anything important?”

“‘The Qin Empire’s jinx is also surnamed Qin’. It seems that Emperor Qin really believes this prophecy to be true. If you can’t get rid of this label, Emperor Qin will definitely come after you again.”

Qin Yu rubbed his temples forcefully and said, “I’m very sure that I’m not forgetting anything…” He suddenly paused.

It seemed that he did forget some things after all.

For example, his memories of the Grandeur and Millet Realm had been blocked by Rourou and he was kept in the dark about those events until today.

Could the reason behind why Emperor Qin wanted to kill him exist in these missing memories?

He told White Feifei about what he thought.

White Feifei said, “It’s not impossible. Even though whatever happened in the Grandeur and Millet Realm seems to only be a dream, this dream does seem quite extraordinary. Otherwise, Li Ruhua wouldn’t have formed such a close connection with you, My Lord.”

Qin Yu nodded his head, but very quickly, he could feel a headache coming on.

Li Ruhua’s attitude was the key!

Given the current situation, she seemed completely unwilling to have any interaction with Qin Yu at all. It would be very difficult to find out anything about the Grandeur and Millet Realm from her.

White Feifei said, “My Lord, you don’t have to worry about this. When I was going through Li Ruhua’s memories, I found out some things about the Grandeur and Millet Realm.

“It is now in the hands of a cultivator whose name is Li Mu. As long as you find him, you can enter the Grandeur and Millet Realm again and find out the truth for yourself.”

Qin Yu’s eyes brightened and he asked, “Do you know where Li Mu is?”

White Feifei shook her head, “No, but I do know that Li Ruhua will know how to find him.”

Qin Yu nodded.

Even though the problem circled back to Li Ruhua again, it would be much easier since he was just getting a contact from her.

Whether or not she would cooperate…

Qin Yu took a long sigh. His eyes looked calm, even though he somehow felt guilty towards Li Ruhua.

What exactly happened in the Grandeur and Millet Realm? Why was Li Ruhua a part of it?

This matter did not make logical sense at all. 

Therefore, he only felt a little bit guilty.

The truth of what happened concerned his life, so Qin Yu would not give her a chance to resist. It would be best if she told him everything, but if she didn’t…there was still White Feifei who could get the job done.

Half a day later.

Li Ruhua woke up and she blinked a few times. Then, she frowned.

“This is not a dream.”

Whoosh –

She got up abruptly and glared at Qin Yu, “Why are you here? Get out!”

Qin Yu looked at her and said, “Li Ruhua, if I wanted to do anything to you, I would have done it while you were unconscious.

“Actually, I can do whatever I want to you even when you’re awake.”

Li Ruhua’s eyes widened as she looked at Qin Yu. “Get out! Get out right now!”

She was enraged!

Qin Yu frowned and pointed his finger forward. She was now rooted to the ground.

“Li Ruhua, I will ask you a question. I will leave once you give me a proper answer.”

“The Grandeur and Millet Realm is controlled by Li Mu. I want you to tell me how I can find him.

“Of course, you may choose not to answer me, but we’ve already been through it once, so I hope that you will think about this carefully.”

Qin Yu waved his sleeve, removing the suppression on her.

“Qin Yu!” Li Ruhua said through gritted teeth, her eyes full of anger.

Expressionless, Qin Yu repeated, “Give me an answer.”

Li Ruhua took a deep breath and said, “Li Mu is the oldest legitimate son of the Li Family, one of the four families. Last time, I asked for his help because he owed me a favor. Now, I no longer have any idea how to get in touch with him.

“This is all I can tell you!”

Qin Yu glanced at her, cupped his hands, and said, “Thank you.”

Then, he turned and left.

White Feifei cried out in shock, “My Lord, you’re leaving just like that?”

Qin Yu asked, “Why? You haven’t gotten enough of our theatrics?”

“No…er, I was trying to say, you believed her too easily. What if she was lying to you?” 

“She wouldn’t.”

Qin Yu pushed open the door and walked out of the courtyard. He raised a hand, and the Mountains and Rivers Sword flew to it.

True King Qiongji was already waiting outside for him. He cupped his hands and greeted Qin Yu, “Sect Master Qin, Floor Master ordered me to assist you in your future tasks.”

“True King Qiongji,” Qin Yu reciprocated the greeting and added, “I am about to leave Thirteenth Floor.”

He lifted his head and said in a low voice, “Floor Master, I’m leaving now.”

Whoosh –

The space flashed and Floor Master walked out.

“Sect Master, have you met her already?”

Qin Yu glanced at him and said, “There is indeed a deep connection between me and Li Ruhua. I hope Floor Master will take good care of her.”

Floor Master laughed slightly, “Of course. Li Ruhua is the most outstanding disciple in Thirteenth Floor. I intend to take her under my wing and guide her myself.”

Qin Yu nodded, “Floor Master, thanks for your concern.”

Floor Master waved his sleeve and gave Qin Yu authorization to leave. “Sect Master Qin, have a safe journey.”

“Goodbye!”

Qin Yu stepped out and his figure disappeared instantly.

True King Qiongji cupped his hands to greet Floor Master, and then he turned to follow Qin Yu.

Creak –

The door to the courtyard opened and Li Ruhua walked out. With an uneasy expression on her face, she said, “Floor Master…”

Floor Master said blandly, “Li Ruhua, let me ask you, are you willing to cultivate under me?”

Li Ruhua knelt to the ground and kowtowed heavily, “This disciple greets Grandmaster!”

Floor Master laughed, “Good. Then, from now onwards, you are my disciple.”

He did not sign any contract with Qin Yu about the deal that they had, but as long as Li Ruhua was his disciple, he was not afraid that Qin Yu would go back on his words.

Their auras and bodies were connected…by having Li Ruhua in his hands, it was equivalent to having a hold of Qin Yu’s life too!

On the ground, Li Ruhua clenched her fists and coldness filled her eyes.

Qin Yu!

All the humiliation that I felt today…one day, I will return it to you twofold.

……

The space fluctuated and Qin Yu and True King Qiongji walked out of it one after another.

“Did Floor Master ask you to assist me because he suspects something?”

True King Qiongji laughed bitterly, “I don’t know, but Floor Master is indeed really powerful. He is almost omniscient!”

He looked visibly shaken.

For a True King to have such an expression on his face only proved the mightiness of Thirteenth Floor’s Floor Master!

Qin Yu took a deep breath.

‘Omniscient’...

He was sure that Thirteenth Floor’s Floor Master had already found out about his relationship with Li Ruhua.

Before Qin Yu left, Floor Master told him that he wanted to take Li Ruhua under his wing.

This was a threat!

Thankfully, however, Floor Master had done all of this openly. Even though he had nefarious intent, it was always better to deal with someone who was openly villainous than someone who was a hypocrite.

Furthermore, this proved that Floor Master really wanted to make this deal with Qin Yu.

As long as the deal worked out fine, nothing would happen to Li Ruhua…or at least for a period of time, she would be safe.

Qin Yu let out a sigh and suppressed all the complicated thoughts in his mind. He could only hope that Li Ruhua quickly realized what was going on and prevented herself from unconsciously being Floor Master’s hostage.

He had to admit that he was not truly concerned about her. It was only because their auras and bodies were connected now.

If something happened to Li Ruhua, he would get into trouble too!

True King Qiongji asked, “Sect Master Qin, where are we going to go next?”

Qin Yu replied, “We are going to find someone.”

……

Countless cultivators lived in the Central Desolate Divine Area. The power hierarchy was divided into many different levels and many organizations were closely intertwined with each other. However, among them, it was the four sects and four families that undoubtedly held the most power and fame.

Of course, Thirteenth Floor was the most powerful organization of them all, but they were an Immortal Land. Ordinary people were not allowed to step into it, and they too rarely interfered in worldly matters.

Therefore, they were not included.

The four sects consisted of the Transcendent Sect, Origin Dao Sect, Black Pool Sect, and Boundless World Sect.

The four families consisted of the Zhao Family, Xu Family, Li Family, and Tian Family.  

All of these organizations represented the Central Desolate Divine Area’s power and authority!

The Li Family was one of the four major families. Within the family, there was an old ancestor who was also one of the longest-living True Kings in the world. Through marriage, accepting apprentices, and accepting offerings, the Li Family had accumulated a lot of power and their foundations were deep.

They had a total of six Half-Kings.

And countless Rulers.

That clan, which was now extinct, had been one of the four major families in the Central Desolate Divine Area a long, long time ago.

The Li Family’s power alone made them qualified enough to gain control of one of the Desolate Areas.

This was why the West Desolate King had to put up with Li Ruhua and Li Ge when they came to the West Desolate, despite his high status.

Parasol City was the foundation of the Li Family and where they originated from.

After a long period of time, the Li Family continuously expanded their territory. From a small county, it was now one of the largest cities in the eastern part of the Central Desolate. 

Within the city, there was an evergreen sycamore tree.

According to some rumors, there was a phoenix perched on the sycamore tree, and this phoenix was the Li Family’s guardian divine beast, possessing the power of a True King.

At this time, Li Mu was right under this tree. He suddenly frowned and a bitter expression formed on his face.

“Li Ruhua, you’ve truly made a terrible friend.”

He raised his hand to rub his face. It seemed that trouble was going to come knocking on his door after all.

He turned over and dropped down from the tree. Suddenly, chirping could be heard as a large bird flew out of the tree and perched on his shoulder.

Its feathers were gorgeous, as if there was light flowing through them. The crown of feathers on its head looked luxurious. Evidently, this was the phoenix that was rumored to be perched on the sycamore tree.

Li Mu reached his hand out and petted it. “Let’s go home!”

The phoenix flapped its wings, causing fluctuations to appear in space, and in an instant, both of them disappeared.