Chapter 293 — Why Must We Have Met Before We Meet?
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Above the altar on the sacred mountain of the Western Land, flowing radiance surged and rippled. After a moment, Jing Yan's and Yu Liu's eyes lit up: a youth crowned with jade stepped out from the streaming light. His face was somewhat cold, but when his gaze turned and settled on the two girls, their young hearts secretly fluttered with shy sweetness. "Young Master Xu, Lord Qiao of the Stars commanded us four sisters to assist you in doing away with the new Human Emperor. Yaohua and Qingying have already gone ahead to the Golden Palace of Loulan to gather news of him.
" Yu Liu said softly, "Young Master, shall we go now and join them. . .
" Xu Shenghua nodded slightly.
"Let this matter be finished quickly. I still must return to the Upper Heaven. This mortal world, with all its red dust and its clamor, is no place to linger.
" Jing Yan laughed. "Young Master, there are still extraordinary men and strange talents in this mortal world, not to be made light of. And the Human Emperor is an enemy of the Upper Heaven; he has stood against us for so many years. He will not be so easily removed.
" Xu Shenghua, in robes of white that took no stain of dust, walked down the mountain. "The mortal world has its wonders. Little Jade Capital, Great Leiyin, the Daoist Sect, the Heavenly Sage Sect, even these so-called holy places of the Central Plains have masters among them, no weaker than the Western Land. I make light of none of them, nor of the Human Emperor. I would like to see the places in this world that make those beings wary. It is only that the red dust does not suit my nature. So: go swiftly, and return swiftly. " The two girls hurried after him.
"Since we have come down, we should pay our respects at each of the Central Plains' holy places.
" Xu Shenghua said, "I want to see how far their divine powers and dharma arts have come. And the reforms of the Kingdom of Jingping are in full blaze; that too is worth a look.
My master, Lord Yu, was ordered to bring down calamity upon Jingping, yet he was wounded by that so-called sage who appears once in five hundred years. I would very much like to see what this once-in-five-hundred-years sage looks like. " The two girls exchanged a glance, and there was worry in it. In Hezhou city, an official said hurriedly, "When His Highness the Crown Prince learned that Sect Master Shen was in no danger, he went on ahead to deal with affairs in the other prefectures and commanderies. " Ling Yuxiu asked, "Which prefecture did he go to? " The official said, "His Highness was bound for Sizhou at first, but he left some days ago now; which prefecture he has reached exactly, this humble official does not know.
" Shen Mu nodded.
"I will have the sect's disciples make inquiries. We should know soon enough where they have gone. " They rested briefly in Hezhou and ate a little to fill their stomachs.
Before long, a disciple of the Nether Demon Cult came to report: "His Highness has reached Quzhou.
" Shen Mu unrolled a map of Jingping and glanced over it. "Then the Crown Prince's next destination will be Ningzhou, beside Quzhou. He moves quickly indeed.
" Ling Yushu had first gone south to Jiangling, then followed the Jin River westward, most likely to see to the waterworks along the way. Though Ling Yushu lacked Emperor Yanfeng's bold, sweeping spirit, he was a fine hand at water conservancy and roads; with men of the Ministry of Works to assist him, he moved fast.
And unlike the former Crown Prince Ling Yuxia, he did not grasp at power, a fact that put Emperor Yanfeng very much at ease. With Fan Yunxiao's help, Ling Yushu moved faster still. By the time Shen Mu caught up with them, bringing the two girls, more than half a month had passed; Ling Yushu had long since left Ningzhou and reached Fangzhou in the west.