Chapter 225 — Hanging the Portrait to Quell Evil
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 5
Shen Mu opened the door of the main hall, threw the Dutian Demon King on the floor, and closed his twelve eyelids. The dragon qilin squeezed its way in and split the door open; the two wooden door leaves fell to the ground.
The dragon qilin was about to speak, but Shen Mu made a gesture for silence and motioned for it to close its eyes. Xue Hu'er slipped down from Shen Mu's neck, climbed onto the dragon qilin's back, and closed her eyes.
Shen Mu opened the Taotie Bag, took out a scroll, and with his eyes closed nailed the painting to the wall of the main hall facing the door. "Grandpa Lame said this painting is a village headman that Grandpa Deaf painted in his early years, and that it can ward off evil.
Let us see whether Grandpa Lame was lying to me.
" He lay down, turned on his side facing the door, and stared wide-eyed without moving. All around was dead silent. After a moment, the sound of disordered footsteps came from outside, and a somewhat familiar voice, it seemed to be Lu Wenshu, said, "Senior Qingshan lit the lamps in the dark night and summoned us here; has he perhaps found the Nether Demon Sect Master?
" Then a woman's voice said, "To our shame, we chased and cut him off the whole way and failed to kill him. Instead, Daoist Withered Leaf fell to his venom, and was killed by the demon god he summoned.
" It sounded like Qingyu the Wanderer's voice. Then came the white-browed elder's voice: "The Nether Demon Sect Master has already lain down to sleep in the village.
" "Senior Qingshan is a man of fine means indeed!
I will go and kill him at once!
" "No hurry. Better to wait for the other comrades to arrive, and then take his life and celebrate this great victory! " .
. . After another moment, the footsteps of a dozen or more people arrived.
Hearing that the Nether Demon Sect Master was in the village, they could not help but laugh and talk, each with a weight lifted from his heart.
Outside there came again the sounds of drinking, lamps burning bright; plainly these powerful ones were celebrating.
"The Nether Demon Sect Master's abilities are not high, but his tricks are many, and truly hard to deal with.
To our shame, several of us were wounded and nearly killed by the demon god he summoned.
" "To rid the world of this beast today is to give the world back its justice. Come, let us drink this cup together! " "Senior Brother Feng Qiwu has arrived?
Come quickly, to the great gathering for the extermination of the demon!
" . . .
Outside the lamps blazed bright, casting mottled and restless shadows across the window lattice of Shen Mu's house.
The weather was very cold, very chill.
Shen Mu saw Xue Hu'er shivering and reached out to cover her little belly.
Xue Hu'er turned her head; Shen Mu hastily laid two fingers over her eyelids. Outside, one after another of the experts who had been hunting Shen Mu arrived from every direction, laughter growing louder and louder, wine cups passing back and forth in celebration. After a long while, the white-browed elder laughed and said, "My friends, it grows late.
It is time to see the Nether Demon Sect Master on his way.
" Xue Hu'er trembled and shook. She heard the courtyard gate being pushed open with a creak and a groan, but did not dare open her eyes. Lu Wenshu was first to step into the courtyard, laughing. "The Nether Demon Sect Master has actually fallen asleep, and deeply asleep.
. .
" Suddenly his head slid soundlessly from his neck, and his corpse pitched forward to the ground. A great expert of the Heaven-Man realm had thus, in utter confusion, lost his life.
"There is a master in the courtyard! Brother Lu has met foul play!
" An uproar rose from beyond the courtyard; then with a great booming crash, one powerful being after another smashed the courtyard walls and burst in, light and flame blazing about them, the phantom images of gods standing at their backs, their momentum towering to the heavens!