Chapter 5: The Five Elders of the Li River

A man and a woman were walking across the river, quickly surpassing Qin Mu, rushing from the river surface towards the riverbank, seemingly intending to intercept him ahead.

There!

He lived in the village of the elderly for eleven years, and the farthest he had ever been from the village was merely over ten miles. Now, however, he has traveled too far; the paths around him have become increasingly unfamiliar and desolate, to the point where there is no longer a road.

Qin Mu no longer hesitated, immediately turned around and ran. He had been transformed into a deer and initially thought he would be hindered in his movements. However, upon running, he realized he had overthought it. Not only did he feel no discomfort from his transformation from a human to a deer, but he also ran swiftly, as if he were born to be a deer

Do not worry, he cannot escape!

Qin Mu suddenly veered and ran wildly, and that sword unexpectedly changed direction as well, continuing to thrust towards him

I cannot let them intercept me! I need to return to the village faster than them, so that Grandpa Que and Grandpa Ma can go rescue Grandma!

"Senior Sister, where is that little demon?" A figure descended, and a boy who seemed to be of similar age to Qin Mu asked.

Suddenly, a voice emerged from the chaotic herd of deer: "The old woman merely killed one deer, yet you have slaughtered the entire herd. Why do you still call us practitioners of the demonic path?"

Ahead, a man and a woman appeared with calm expressions. The woman let out a light laugh, her garments fluttering as she suddenly accelerated, leaping gracefully among the treetops in pursuit of the deer in the forest. Meanwhile, the other man moved leisurely, directing the other three to encircle and head towards Qin Mu.

Qin Mu gritted his teeth, avoided the riverbank, and dashed diagonally into the woods.

Suddenly, Qin Mu saw that the valley ahead was filled with peach blossoms, and a herd of deer lived among the peach trees. He hurriedly rushed over and blended into the herd of deer

The woman pursed her lips and said, "He has mingled with the herd of deer"

"Do you still want to escape, little demon? Allowing you to escape would only bring disaster to the world. Lijiang Five, this time I have brought you out for training. That deer over there is your target for this training. Slay it and bring its head to me!"

Old Lady Si pinched the center of Qin Mumei's brow, who had been transformed into a deer, took out a silver needle, and said softly: "These old rascals cannot do anything to me, but with you by my side, I still have to be distracted to take care of you. Hurry, run back to the village!"

As Qin Mu rushed into the woods, suddenly one of the two men intercepting him accelerated sharply, surpassing the other. However, he was still a step too late, as the elk transformed by Qin Mu charged past him.

Did you not say that moose are also life

Qin Mu ran frantically, yet he was unable to shake off the five individuals. Not only could he not rid himself of them, but he was also being forced further away from the village of the elderly, gradually delving deeper into the great market.

"Shepherd, run!"

What kind of martial arts is this

On the cliff, an elderly yet resonant voice coldly laughed and said: "Moreover, the Heavenly Demon Transformation Technique is something that we, the Five Elders of Lijiang, will certainly not mistake. Skinning and making clothes, with such a vicious method that changes endlessly, we have seen it all with our own eyes. Do you still wish to argue?"

Little demon spawn, you and that fiend are slaughtering deer to refine evil objects, do not think of escaping

Old Lady Si held a basket in one hand and took out a pair of scissors from it with the other, appearing somewhat dim-sighted. She smiled and said, "I haven't exercised my muscles and bones for a long time, but fortunately, my old skills have not all gone to waste. You five old ghosts, do you also wish to be made into garments by me?"

Qin Mu felt a heaviness in his heart as he suddenly heard the sound of splashing water coming from the river. He saw two young men and women running wildly across the water's surface

Old Lady Si, carrying a basket, smiled and said: "Heavenly Demon? What Heavenly Demon? I am merely an ordinary person by the river, and this little deer is just an ordinary deer, which I have raised..."

This sound suddenly emerged, full of vigor; although it came from a distance, it seemed to resonate right beside them, causing Qin Mu, who had already transformed into a deer, to experience a buzzing in his ears.

Will there be any issues with the grandmother

One of the Five Elders, the old man with a black beard, said coldly: "I have heard that the Great Market harbors filth and corruption, where some demons and monsters that cannot survive have taken refuge. Therefore, we, the Five Elders, have brought our disciples here specifically to subdue demons and eliminate evil."

Demon, do you dare to be arrogant in front of us? Do you even deserve to be arrogant?

Even so, they will soon surpass Qin Mu and rush ahead of him

The four masters of the Li River moved swiftly, their figures intertwining as they advanced towards Granny Si.

This fine line is like silk, difficult to perceive

At this moment, Qin Mu, who was rushing towards the village of the elderly and disabled, heard a rumbling thunder from behind. The thunder was accompanied by lightning, and the bright white flashes illuminated the mountains and fields, much brighter than sunlight!

Continuing to run along the riverbank will surely lead to a blockage, as the two individuals in the middle of the river are moving too quickly, while the two running through the woods are moving at a slightly slower pace. Therefore, rushing into the woods is the only path for escape

Who is the demon and who is the monster, who brings down whom and who eliminates whom, it is still uncertain

These two individuals have achieved what the lame grandfather referred to as walking on waves, a feat I am currently unable to accomplish, as their strength surpasses mine

An ordinary person by the river? With such strong lung capacity, they can clearly transmit their voice to our ears, which an ordinary old woman cannot achieve

Several figures flickered on the cliff, leaping down from the precipice and running down the cliff face at a speed faster than galloping horses. Upon reaching the bottom of the cliff, they encountered a deep pool formed by the rushing waters of a waterfall in the mountains. Remarkably, the five individuals ran across the water, their feet skimming the surface as they hurried towards the elk transformed by Qin Mu.

Old Granny's eyes darted around as she saw the four elders surrounding her from all sides, chuckling, "This great market is very dangerous; are you not afraid of losing your lives here"

Qin Mu turned around, and another person was chasing him from behind. The other two were swiftly darting between the mountains on his left side, their figures occasionally leaping up from the dense forest, their feet landing on the treetops as they rushed forward with a whoosh. However, they could not sustain this for long and soon had to land to catch their breath

A fragrant breeze swept by, and the woman, with her garments fluttering, landed on the ground. She glanced at the herd of deer ahead and furrowed her brow.

Hoo.

Qin Mu was taken aback: "Could it be a divine ability? It doesn't seem like it. Grandpa Tu said that divine abilities are the pinnacle of martial arts cultivation, but this woman's martial arts are far inferior to that of Grandpa Tu and the others"

A man and a woman stepped onto the river water, and their bodies surprisingly did not sink into the river. The speed at which they lifted and lowered their feet was incredibly fast, even much faster than their running speed. Before the river water could submerge their insteps, the two had already vanished from sight!

The heart of Granny Si sank: "Spirit! The mastery of the spiritual body and the divine womb is not weak. Mu'er cannot match their speed and will definitely be caught up!"

Several young boys and girls rushed into the herd of deer, drawing their swords and ruthlessly attacking the group of elk. Although the elk were fast, they could not match the speed of these well-trained spiritual beings

Another elder on the cliff said in a deep voice: "The Heavenly Demon Transformation Technique turns people into cattle and sheep, which are then taken to the market for slaughter and sale. You have certainly done this many times, haven't you? Many of our esteemed predecessors have even been transformed into cattle and sheep by you demons, spending their entire lives plowing the fields and grazing! Your methods cannot deceive us!"

It is! The clear and crisp voices of both men and women blend together, speaking in unison.

He turned his gaze towards the sound, where several figures stood on the distant cliff. The distance from the foot of the mountain to the cliff was approximately six or seven miles. Qin Mu could no longer see their faces clearly, but the fact that the sound could travel such a distance and remain so clear indicated that they were not ordinary people

An elderly man spoke with a voice full of compassion: "The deer is also a life, and you have turned its skin and soul into a wicked object. If you are not punished, how many more lives will be sacrificed at your hands? If not you, then who should be punished?"

The sword came slicing from behind, and the elk transformed by Qin Mu barely managed to turn close to the ground, just managing to evade it. In that fleeting moment of escape, a startling glimpse revealed a thin line attached to the hilt of the sword, one end connected to the sword and the other end held in the hand of that woman

She was about to intervene when four figures descended from the cliff, landing beside her in an instant, while another person remained standing on the cliff, proud and unmoving, not coming forward

These five young men and women are all spiritual entities, and they have already become martial artists with considerable strength. Even though the herd of elk scattered in flight, they could not escape their pursuit, and soon one elk after another was slain by them

Kill all these deer

Upon hearing the voice of Granny Si, Qin Mu was taken aback, wanting to speak but unable to utter a sound. He did not wish to leave, fearing that Granny Si might encounter danger

He turned back to look, only to see the surging air waves erupting from the place where Granny Si stood, lifting the grass, loose stones, and even several massive boulders weighing thousands of pounds being swept up by the sudden storm, howling as they were hurled outward at an extremely fast speed

"What brings the famous figure of the Five Elders of the Li River to the great market in the southern frontier?"

The woman's eyes brightened as she focused her energy to wield the sword. The essence of the White Tiger infused into the long sword, radiating golden energy. The sword slipped from her hand and flew towards Qin Mu, who was fleeing among the herd of deer.