Chapter 290 — It Dwells in a Single Thought
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
On the fifth day after Fan Yunxiao's departure, a great many strangely dressed people appeared on the little island, men and women, old and young alike. One came first and planted a large banner on the island; then, with a shua-shua-shua, streak after streak of light flashed past, and many more banners sprouted upon the island.
The banners furled, and several hundred people appeared, seating themselves upright in a ring around the island. Each sat in a different place, scattered like stars in the sky, utterly motionless.
Yet every four hours these people would rise and shift their positions; that rule never changed.
In the shade of the trees, Long Jiaonan shivered again and again, and hastily dragged herself inward, toward the middle of the island.
Si Yunxiang, by contrast, was quite cheerful, cooking for the crowd so that they should not go hungry.
Ling Yuxiu's face was grave as she looked about her. She too could see that this was a grand formation, one that penned them all upon the island and gave them no chance to leave. Force their way through, and the formation would stir to life, evolve into a killing array, and turn this island into a Shura field!
When that grand formation came alive, it would be terrible beyond measure!
And more: she saw that some of these strange folk still wore court robes, great officials of the reigning dynasty; others were meat-sellers from the vegetable market, headsmen who did the beheading, and even a Director of the Grand Academy—a truly grotesque assortment!
Strangest of all, their shifting every four hours changed the formation itself, surely a precaution against the Dao Lord's seeing through its mutations.
"The Nether Demon Cult deserves its name as the foremost sect of the demonic path; they have taken the measure of it precisely."
Before anyone knew it, the fourteenth day had come. Shen Mu closed his eyes; after a while he opened them, rose from beneath the stone stele, and saluted the Dao Lord. "Many thanks, Senior Brother, for permitting me to comprehend the Dao Sword."
The Dao Lord rose and returned the salute. "You are too kind. The Human Emperor is by right qualified to comprehend the Dao Sword. I gave you the Dao Sword to look upon, just as the Tathagata would show you the Thunderpeal Mahayana Sutra. The Human Emperor is worthy of it."
Shen Mu said, "I have already read the Thunderpeal Mahayana Sutra."
The Dao Lord was taken aback. After a long moment he shook his head and laughed. "That old fellow is as sly as ever—a step ahead of me. Disciple, return the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra to the Human Emperor."
Lin Xuan the Daoist Heir woke from his contemplation and hastily rolled up the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra, which shrank into a ball of thread; he presented it back to Shen Mu with both hands.
Shen Mu smiled. "You and I are of an age; there is no need for such ceremony."
Lin Xuan the Daoist Heir shook his head. "No one takes offense at too much courtesy. Since I have not become the Dao Lord, I remain your junior."
Shen Mu was helpless before this. "Though the Dao Lord has never read the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra, that line of his—preserve evil, preserve good—has grasped its true essence. In your comprehension of the Sutra, how much good and how much evil did you find in it?"
Lin Xuan the Daoist Heir hesitated. The Dao Lord laughed. "Cult Master Shen is a great authority in such matters; speak freely."
Lin Xuan the Daoist Heir said, "It may be that first impressions rule me. When I first read the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra, every line seemed a word for harming others. Only in the middle chapters did I begin to taste something in it, and then in my heart there was no more talk of orthodox and demonic. By the closing chapters I felt that what I had taken in before might be a misunderstanding, so I began again from the beginning, and my feelings were different once more."
Shen Mu asked with a smile, "How much of it is still demonic?"