Chapter 194 — No Common Ground
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
"Could it be that from herding cattle since childhood I've formed the habit, always fond of whipping an ox's rump? " wondered the cowherd boy who had walked out of Yincan Village. Ahead lay a mighty mountain, a waterfall plunging from the sky like a silver river hung upside down; the white cataract, the black cliffs, the verdant peak and the blazing sun overhead together composed a landscape of ink-washed green hills.
The roar of the water was deafening, and a rich dampness came from far off; the air was full of fine mist, which settled upon them until before long their garments grew somewhat damp. The place was delightful, refreshing to the heart.
Imperial Teacher Jingping was taking them to the Southern Wastes, avoiding the official roads, fixing on a direction and walking straight on; by now he had led them into the mountains.
The waterfall's scouring had formed a deep pool, its water clear. At the pool's edge stood a great stag whose head was covered in branching, pointed antlers; it swung its short tail and grazed on the spirit herbs growing by the pool, plum-blossom patterns of white dappling its hide.
Catching sight of them, the stag hastily raised its head, cocked it to one side to study them, and shifted a couple of steps. Everyone inwardly exclaimed at its magnificence.
This stag was the equal of a dragon qilin in size, and very majestic. The stag snorted through its nostrils and went to the water's edge.
There by the pool sat an old man in a straw rain cape, his fishing rod planted at the bank, angling.
Beside the old man was a half-grown child, bored, picking up stones and flinging them at the spot where the old man fished. And not one or two stones — the child threw them ceaselessly.
With a waterfall so vast and a current so swift, even if there were fish they would not take the bait; and with this half-grown child constantly flinging stones, the old man might as well give up all hope of catching anything today. Yue Qinghong shook her head: "That child is his own flesh and blood. If he were not, he would have been beaten to death long ago.
Who could stand it?
" Shen Mu wore a look of bewilderment and glanced about.
This was no place for fishing, yet here sat an old man fishing, and a child who would not let up throwing stones into the fishing spot — by no stretch of the eye was this serious angling. In these desolate mountains and wild ridges, where human tracks were rare, if he was not fishing, then he could only be barring the road!
And with this plum-blossom stag no less majestic than a dragon qilin, this old man's identity was likely that of an existence contemporary with the young patriarch and the others! Shen Wanyun and Si Yunxiang had also glimpsed the signs, and each looked toward Imperial Teacher Jingping.
Monk Yunque, however, thought no such thing; he stepped forward to inquire, and said with a smile, "Elder, how could there be fish here? This is your grandson, isn't it?
And your grandson keeps flinging stones — even if there were fish, they would have been scared off.
" The old man tilted up his head, revealing a face covered in wrinkles, and smiled: "How could there be no fish? Aren't the fish coming right now? " Yunque looked toward where he was fishing, and saw no fish, saw only the brat throwing stones.
Imperial Teacher Jingping came forward and said flatly, "This pool is not large, but the fish in it is not small.
It will be rather difficult to land. I wonder, Elder, whether you have the strength for it?
" The wrinkles on the old man's face piled up. He smiled: "The world's affairs are a pool of clear water, but a great fish has come, and it wants to muddy the water. This great fish ought to leap the Dragon Gate and become a true dragon; yet not only does it muddy the water, it also wants to eat the small fish — to eat up every other small fish.
Tell me, Imperial Teacher Jingping, ought I to fish this great fish that muddies the water out of the pool?