Chapter 76 Part 1

She pulled out the Sword Spike, its tip still dripping blood. Mu Qian Tan looked at her coldly and took out the antidote vial for the Hundred-Eyed Lice Crawl from her Storage Pouch, crushing it. Black medicinal liquid overflowed from between her fingers. She pressed her palm, flowing with the antidote, against the back of her neck, and the mind-numbing agony finally began to subside.

The assailant finally stopped. You Lianmeng hissed a few times and lifted her hand to look. Her abdomen was a mess of minced flesh, with fragments of torn clothing embedded inside. Blood flowed endlessly, utterly gruesome, like the scene of a horrific crime. She couldn’t help but say, “Yao’e, you went way too ruthless.”

Mu Qian Tan stabbed the Sword Spike back in without pulling it out and stood up. “I feel like you’re not that easy to kill.”

You Lianmeng let out a muffled grunt and lay down. A bloody hole gaped in her abdomen, making her voice weaker and softer. “The older you get, the less you listen.”

“More pleasant than your dog barking.”

Mu Qian Tan wiped the blood from her face. Suddenly, she heard the sound of flesh flapping against the ground. She looked down and saw the right hand that You Lianmeng had personally severed and tossed aside earlier twitching its fingers, trying to return to its owner’s body.

The arm was severed clean at the root, but its end showed no blood, which was slightly odd. Mu Qian Tan turned her head to the side and looked down from the tattered sleeve cuff. She discovered that the place where flesh and blood should have been mangled was instead smooth. The edges even bore traces of stitching, like a rag doll’s arm torn off, stuffed with cotton, and sewn back onto the trunk.

She had just personally experienced the power of the Hundred-Eyed Lice Crawl. The pain was like someone reaching into her organs and twisting them—utterly unbearable. Yet You Lianmeng had clearly been hit too, showing hardly any reaction. Even after being stabbed seven or eight times, she could still chat and laugh casually. Either her pain sensation was off, or she didn’t fear pain—or even took pleasure in it.

In any case, she was a freak.

The right hand crawled back to You Lianmeng’s side and reconnected to her shoulder. She flexed the joint, propped herself up off the ground into a sitting position, clutched her belly, and blood overflowed from the corner of her mouth. Helplessly, she said, “Yao’e, after that bout of amnesia, your personality really changed.”

Shang Shan overheard and asked in confusion, “Who’s got amnesia?”

Mu Qian Tan said, “Everyone says it’s amnesia—doesn’t it make sense to change?”

Shang Shan was shocked. “Master has amnesia?”

You Lianmeng said, “It’s reasonable, and fitting. At the very least, now you won’t get bullied.”

Shang Shan grew anxious. “What’s going on?”

After saying that, You Lianmeng let her gaze drift emptily, her face showing a reminiscing expression—as if she were recalling the original host’s past deeds. Mu Qian Tan smiled sarcastically. If this woman knew that the person she was reminiscing about was left with only a remnant soul residing in a rusty sword, while the one standing before her was a complete stranger from another world, what would she think?

She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from between her fingers clean. Mu Qian Tan looked down at the woman trying to stand.

She had originally wanted to teach her a lesson, torment her until she begged for the antidote, achieving her revenge. Though the process wasn’t quite right, it had still worked—even more miserably than planned.

Mu Qian Tan vented her anger and knew when to stop while ahead. After all, she clearly understood deep down that You Lianmeng had held back out of guilt and hadn’t fought back, which was why she had succeeded in those stabs. If she made another move, she wasn’t sure how the woman would respond.

She tossed aside the bloodstained handkerchief and prepared to return to the Narrow Sea. Expecting her to live in a place like this for a month was truly too much.

Before leaving, something on her back poked her. She turned and saw the Painting Scroll strapped there. With a thought, she took it down. “I’ve got a priceless masterpiece painting by a famous artist here. How about trading it for a few magical artifacts?”

You Lianmeng was still sitting on the ground, probably unable to stand for the moment. She took out needle and thread from her Storage Pouch and sewed up her wound. “A famous artist’s painting?”

Mu Qian Tan: “Yeah.”

“What kind of magical artifacts do you want?”

” Ones for self-defense.”

Her abdominal skin was almost entirely ruined. You Lianmeng fiddled with the wound, smearing away clumps of blood, her face extremely calm—even smiling faintly. She unfastened the Storage Pouch from her waist and tossed it at Mu Qian Tan’s feet.

“Take whatever you want. Pick yourself.”

She had only wanted to see if she could scam something before leaving, but You Lianmeng agreed so readily. Mu Qian Tan raised a brow lightly, rolled the Painting Scroll to her side, bent down, and opened the pouch. Piles of magical artifacts gleamed with golden light, dazzling the eyes and stirring greed—she even wanted to take them all.

That thought was quickly dismissed as her scant conscience revived. One couldn’t push one’s luck.

After calming down a bit, she carefully selected a few traps, shields, and the like. Once done, she tossed the pouch back. “Consider this compensation for mental anguish.”

The needle and thread pierced through flesh and blood. You Lianmeng nodded. “Sure.”

Having beaten her and taken the artifacts, she profited quite a bit. Mu Qian Tan was quite satisfied. “No need to talk about the training anymore. I have my own plans. I’m heading back now. Immortal Wen Xiu shouldn’t mention this in front of the sect master, right?”

You Lianmeng said, “Of course not. How could your big sister betray you like that?”

Mu Qian Tan stowed the artifacts, gave her one last look, and turned to leave.

Shang Shan hurried to catch up, still holding something in her hand—a half palm with uneven tooth marks, which she had gnawed on earlier to ease the awkwardness.

With the victim standing right there, eating her arm in front of her was really improper. Shang Shan said apologetically, “Sorry, I ate your arm.”

The masters had ceased fighting, so naturally, they stopped too. The one-armed Lotus Root Person bowed awkwardly, waving her remaining hand. “No problem, no problem. Eat up, eat up. Make yourself at home.”

Another Lotus Root Person snapped off her left hand and offered it. “Want to switch flavors?”

Shang Shan accepted with a mumbled thanks, tucked the arm under her elbow, and followed the woman away.

The two Lotus Root People crawled back onto the lotus leaves to rest and fell into deep slumber again. You Lianmeng lifted her gaze and stared as the pair’s backs vanished into the mist. She sighed. After sewing the final stitch, she bit off the thread, knotted it, and put it away.

She picked up the Painting Scroll nearby, unrolled it, and looked. It depicted a skeletal frame in the Red Sea, with organs clearly visible—detailed and lifelike. You Lianmeng smiled. “A famous artist’s painting.”

After a long while, she added, “Immortal Master Shen’s handiwork is indeed masterful.”

Meanwhile, Mu Qian Tan avoided the crowds and quietly returned to the Narrow Sea. She sat down in front of the stone chair and let out a long breath.

After more than two months outside, she had finally returned to familiar ground.

The stone chair’s perfect firmness relaxed her muscles under the pressure. Mu Qian Tan shifted into a more comfortable position and sank into the chair like a block of soft, flowing ice.

Before her stretched an endless blue sky and sea—far brighter than the Luminous Temple, Bone Mountain, or Misty Smoke Above the Pool. At the very least, one glance showed it was the human world, soothing the heart.

Shang Shan went to the stove, sliced the lotus root into pieces, put them on a plate, sprinkled white sugar over them, and brought it over. She squatted by the chair and looked up. “Master, did you lose your memory? When did it happen? Why? How come I never knew?”

This trip had avenged her grudge and netted a few artifacts. With fine scenery to boot, Mu Qian Tan was in a good mood and replied, “Before I came to find you.”

Shang Shan held the plate higher. “What caused it?”

She asked cautiously, as if guessing it wasn’t a happy answer. Mu Qian Tan glanced at the lotus root slices, slowly wiped her fingers, then pinched one to taste. “Qi Deviation. My heart shattered with a pop, memories gone. That’s it. Don’t ask.”

She said it casually, as if it weren’t about herself and she didn’t care. But Shang Shan widened her eyes and nearly jumped up, plate and all. “Your heart shattered?!”

“Yeah.”

“Like, actually shattered? The heart? The one that beats?”

“Don’t freak out.” Mu Qian Tan ate the slice—crisp and refreshing—and took a few more. “Yeah, that one.”

Shang Shan held her breath. “A-a-and you’re okay?”

Mu Qian Tan said, “Aren’t I sitting here fine?”

She was right. The tension pent up in Shang Shan’s lungs finally eased, and she squatted down again. “Your frequent nightmares—are they from the Qi Deviation?”

“Probably…” Mu Qian Tan replied offhandedly, hooked on the lotus root and reaching for more from the half-empty plate. Suddenly, a flash struck her mind. She realized the possible source of the lotus root and couldn’t help asking, “Where’d you get this?”

Shang Shan said, “Oh, this? A friend of the Old Smoky Ghost Hall Master sent it.”

Whose friend sends their own edible arm?!

Like swallowing a fly, Mu Qian Tan’s expression shifted unpredictably, turning ugly. She clutched her stomach—wanting to vomit but unable—and waved weakly. “Get lost.”

Thinking she had eaten her fill, Shang Shan tilted the plate and dumped the rest into her mouth, holding the empty plate with both hands. “So what now? Are you just gonna stay shattered?”