Chapter 299 — Snow-White Flying Bats
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
Shen Mu nodded. "We should be within the Nether Valley's bounds now. There is still no other living thing here—it makes me uneasy.
. . " He had barely said this when he suddenly heard voices ahead: ".
.
. You always like to eat them raw. Myself, I still prefer them cooked—medium-well is best, roasted over a fire until the fat runs and the inside stays tender. Some people came these past few days, and they tasted very good.
But you had to eat yours raw.
Look, you have got yourself all dirty. " "Medium-well is no good—no freshness, no tenderness. Best to just give them a turn over the fire, singe off the hair and they are ready to eat, and they squeal while you chew.
That is the greatest delicacy of all.
. .
" "Nonsense.
Medium-well is still the best.
. .
Shh. Quiet. Someone is coming again. " Shen Mu roused the True Art of the Fire Lord of Yinghuo and took the form of the Star Lord Yinghuo—an ox's head on a man's body, both feet treading twin dragons. The Dragon Qilin bore him cautiously forward.
When they came to the place the voices had come from, Shen Mu looked around and was briefly startled. The voices had come from precisely here, yet he saw no one speaking. All he could see was a great bonfire on the cliff wall, and over the fire a Great Shaman of the Golden Palace of Loulan was being roasted.
The shaman, having after all deep cultivation, was not yet dead, but the roasting had drained his strength; he opened his eyes feebly and cast one glance at Shen Mu and the Dragon Qilin.
Whuff.
The leaves suddenly stirred. Two great white-furred bats swung down from the trees and hung head-down before Shen Mu. The two white-furred bats were powerfully built, all knotted muscle, arms folded across their chests, white light shining from their eyes as though white flames flowed there. Shen Mu's heart gave a small leap.
These two great bats were a strange breed, a very terrible breed; the demonic aura was gone from them, replaced by a breath like that of gods and demons—they must be descendants of gods and demons! "Not human. " One of the great bats drew itself back into the canopy. "What a bore. I thought it was those humans again. " The other bat also drew itself back.
Shen Mu said hurriedly, "Greetings to you both, fellow Daoists!
" The leaves rustled loudly; the two great bats swung down from the canopy again, arms still folded on their chests, and said in one voice, "Greetings! But we will not give you any to eat—we two caught it! If you have the skill, go catch a man and eat him yourself. There are more in the valley. " Shen Mu smiled hastily.
"This little brother eats only vegetables—I have been a vegetarian since the womb. " The two great bats were reassured. Shen Mu said, "This little brother is an outsider.
Fellow Daoists, is the valley safe at night?
" One of the bats laughed. "No wonder your face looked unfamiliar.
The valley is very safe. " Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the two bats.
They drew themselves back again and reappeared on the cliff, hanging head-down beside the bonfire, quietly waiting for the Great Shaman to finish roasting. "That ox just now—it seems to carry the bloodline of Yinghuo. A pity it would not taste good. Humans are the tasty ones, succulent and full of juice," one bat said, staring at the bonfire.
The other bat chuckled hoarsely.
"Then why did you do him harm? You know very well how perilous the valley is.
.
. "