Chapter 0: 18. Master Has Broken Through
Mu Man’er, who had fallen into a deep sleep during her meditation, suddenly heard a nightmarish, ancient, and majestic voice in her ear, as if it had crossed through time.
The voice did not sound human, nor did it seem like a sound that a living creature could produce, but rather like a demon’s whisper.
“The eternal palace, R’lyeh, the long-sleeping Old Ones await your dream.”
The next moment, Mu Man’er found herself in a magnificent golden palace. She immediately became extremely vigilant and filled with surprise and uncertainty.
In the great hall, a man wearing a luxurious black and gold robe sat steadily on a dark, dragon-carved throne. His face was obscured by a swirling gray mist, making it impossible to see clearly, giving him a very mysterious aura.
Mu Man’er cautiously cupped her fists towards him and said softly, “May I know senior’s esteemed name? Why have you gone to such great lengths to summon this humble girl to this sacred place?”
“Guess,” Qin Gou ground his teeth behind the gray mist. His voice, altered by the mist, sounded powerful and majestic.
A cold sweat trickled down the corner of Mu Man’er’s forehead. The most terrifying beings in the Cultivation World were those vague and all-powerful figures. It meant the other party didn’t take you seriously at all and just wanted to play a cruel game of cat and mouse.
“Please, senior, don’t joke. This humble girl is a disciple of the Master of Arc-Moon Mountain. You must be familiar with the name of your respected master, Qin Gou,” Mu Man’er quickly invoked her strongest backing, her heart anxiously chanting ‘Master, save me’ a hundred times.
“You dead wench, you still know you are my disciple? How could I have been so blind back then to take in such an ignorant, disobedient girl?” As he spoke, Qin Gou dispersed the gray mist before him, his face returning to its original appearance before he had used the Perfect Disguise Talisman.
Mu Man’er’s expression startled for a moment. She then said with a wry smile, “Why must senior toy with this humble girl like this, even deliberately transforming into Master’s appearance? Master’s temper is not good. If he knew about this, he would definitely not let it go.”
“You good-for-nothing Mu Man’er, you’ve even learned to curse me indirectly? How did I instruct you in Guyue City a few days ago? I told you to cherish this time and not cause any more trouble!” Qin Gou was furious. “And you? You took the opportunity to join a Demonic Sect! Truly worthy of being called my ‘proud disciple’!”
“Ah? It really is Master! You scared Man’er to death!” Mu Man’er’s small mouth parted slightly, and she let out a surprised cry. She immediately knelt on the ground, seemingly relieved at last.
“Don’t change the subject. Answer Master’s question.” Qin Gou stared intently into the girl’s clear, beautiful eyes, which were like autumn water, and questioned, “Why are you now inside the Seed Demon Sacred Cult? And why have you become their ‘adopted daughter’ or whatever nonsense? You’ve utterly disgraced me!” Qin Gou said this, despite being only a step away from becoming the Seed Demon Sacred Cult’s biggest troublemaker himself.
“Master… You weren’t already back at Arc-Moon Mountain? How did you know about this?” Mu Man’er asked, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief.
Qin Gou smiled enigmatically, “Can your understanding fathom my cultivation level?”
“Could it be that Master has been secretly following Man’er all along?”
Veins bulged on Qin Gou’s forehead. “My patience has its limits.”
“Master, don’t, don’t be angry.” Mu Man’er’s little face immediately flushed red. She quickly stood up and retreated a few steps in a hurry, her small hands hidden behind her, protectively guarding her behind. “Man’er can explain!”
Seeing her innocently shy demeanor, Qin Gou couldn’t help but find it amusing. “You tell me.”
Mu Man’er, covering her little behind, said timidly, “Master told Man’er to behave and not cause trouble. But as a member of the Cultivation World, Man’er cannot always hide at home and cultivate! Master also said that for a cultivator, talent and opportunity are equally important. Man’er heard that the Seed Demon Sacred Cult once had an ancestor who reached the Dharma Aspect Realm! There must be many secrets hidden there, so I went undercover to explore. Once I achieved my goal, I naturally wouldn’t stay in that Demonic Sect.”
Hearing this, Qin Gou was both exasperated and amused. “You have quite the guts, seeking opportunities even among the demonic path scoundrels? Aren’t you afraid of exposing your identity and being attacked by everyone?”
“Hehe, Master, don’t think Man’er is some ignorant foolish girl. Master, don’t you already know? Man’er has successfully become the adopted daughter of the Sacred Cult Master, and I’ve even become good sisters with Eldest Senior Sister Gu Feiyan! Gu Feiyan is also the Cult Master’s biological daughter.” Mu Man’er blinked her pure and innocent big eyes. In fact, there was one thing she didn’t dare to say.
That is, even if her identity were truly exposed, the people of the Seed Demon Sacred Cult would absolutely not dare to do anything to her. They might even enthusiastically treat her as an honored guest! After all, Miss Mu had a Master who was the ultimate Demon King, ranked third on the Heavenly Devil Ranking.
Qin Gou’s gaze flickered slightly, and he asked, “Tell me carefully about the Sacred Cult Master and that woman, Gu Feiyan.”
“Uh, when did Master become so concerned about such a small sect?” Mu Man’er was confused.
“Just tell me!” Qin Gou pretended to be angry.
Mu Man’er flinched in fear, her small lips pouting aggrievedly. “Yes!”
…
After a long while, Qin Gou nodded slightly, revealing a playful smile.
From Qin Gou’s smile, Mu Man’er sensed that someone was about to have terrible luck.
“Very good. I’ll note down this matter for now. I’ll decide whether to punish you based on your future performance.”
Mu Man’er breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest. “Don’t worry, Master. Man’er will definitely help Master gather more useful information. I never expected that this small Seed Demon Sacred Cult would have such a great secret that would even interest Master!”
“Secret? I’m not interested in secrets. I’m much more interested in ‘people’,” Qin Gou said meaningfully.
“People? Who?” Mu Man’er scratched her cute little head, completely bewildered.
Qin Gou waved his sleeve. “Alright, I’ll send you out of here. Remember, even if you are in a Demonic Sect, you must keep your heart pure and not be corrupted by the filth around you. I will always be watching you.”
“Ah, wait, Man’er still has one thing she doesn’t understand…” Before Mu Man’er could finish speaking, her graceful and slender body shattered like a mirror.
In her fragrant boudoir, Mu Man’er suddenly woke up on her bed, her beautiful eyes wide open as she looked around frantically.
“Was it just a dream? No, that’s impossible.” Mu Man’er shook her head, completely stunned. “Master’s strength is truly terrifying. How many more terrible Spirit Arts, beyond what Man’er could ever imagine, is he hiding?”
Mu Man’er realized she was covered in cold sweat, and even the bedsheet beneath her perky buttocks was slightly damp. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Where exactly did Master summon Man’er to just now? Could it be… Master has successfully broken through the final layer of the Dharma Aspect Realm and possesses his own small world… Oh my heavens.”
“Hehe, since Master has broken through again, Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister will definitely be scared stiff! He’s truly Man’er’s most beloved and admired Master!”
