Chapter 284 — The Changing World
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The yellow spirit soldiers guarding the gate stared blankly at the three giants, Shen Mu and his companions, too shocked to speak, much less fight back. "There must be tens of thousands of yellow spirits here! " Si Yunxiang was deeply shaken.
She lowered her voice. "Cult Leader, if we could capture these yellow spirits and sell them, we'd be rich enough to rival a nation!
" Shen Mu halted outside the city and did not enter. He shook his head. "Why would we do that?
" Si Yunxiang said, puzzled, "The strong prey on the weak.
Isn't that the way of the Wilderness? " "Saintess, the Wilderness's law of the strong preying on the weak is a little different from what you imagine.
" Shen Mu explained, "The exotic beasts of the Wilderness do hunt and eat the weak, yes, but once they are full they do not slaughter wantonly. That is the strong preying on the weak—it does not mean that everything weaker than you must be killed and eaten.
These yellow spirits are living beings possessed of wisdom; they have even built their own civilization and kingdom.
When we come to their territory, it is an exchange between civilized beings and civilized beings.
How could anyone, upon arriving, set about exterminating their nation and their kind? " Si Yunxiang fell into thought. Before long, a great many yellow spirits came escorting a carriage out from a resplendent mansion in the city, arriving before the city gate. On the carriage sat an old woman with white hair and a hoary head. Trembling, she rose from the carriage and made her salutations. "It has been a long time since we have seen outsiders. The little ones are somewhat flustered. This old body pays her respects.
" "You are too kind, Elder.
" Shen Mu returned the salute with the utmost respect. "My sister and I—three of us—were passing through your esteemed land and disturbed your people. I beg your forgiveness. " Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang, seeing that this yellow spirit old woman was only about a chi tall—pitifully small—yet Shen Mu observed every courtesy without the slightest negligence, could not help but stifle their laughter. But the two women also made their salutations according to propriety. The yellow spirit old woman said, "My humble abode is too small to accommodate the bodies of three giants.
I cannot invite the three of you inside—forgive me.
Are the three of you passing through this place? " Shen Mu smiled.
"The three of us are passing through and meant to rest our feet. Because we saw something peculiar about your kingdom, we intruded. Might I ask, Elder—why are there so many yellow spirits here?
" The old woman smiled.
"It must be a matter of the soil and water. When this old body awoke, I was beside a spring. All at once I gained sentience, and I multiplied and spread, until the little ones grew more and more numerous.
" "A spring? " Shen Mu was surprised. "Elder, could you lead us to see it?
" The yellow spirit old woman smiled. "Why, certainly. " With that, she ordered the other yellow spirits to drive the carriage out of the city, leading them to a spirit spring in the island's interior.
The spring was not large—a deep pool only six or seven zhang across—but it was bottomless.
Many yellow spirits were drawing water there, and no matter how much was taken, the water in the pool never seemed to diminish.
Shen Mu took a little of the spring water and opened his Azure Heaven Eye to look. His expression grew grave. He saw that the spring water contained a strange power, most extraordinary. The yellow spirits of the island must have drunk this water year after year, and so become spirits—and moreover, there was no demonic aura about them. "This spring is no small matter. " Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang also perceived what was strange about it, and thought to themselves.
Shen Mu rose. "I see that your weapons are somewhat peculiar. Might I ask where you obtained them?