Chapter 318 — Yet Not a Single Righteous Soul
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The second group numbered only two, a man and a woman, both very young, like a little married couple; there was nothing about them that bespoke danger. The two were dressed in foreign fashion as well.
The man had white cloth wound about his head, black hair showing at the crown; the woman was adorned in gold and silver, hung with trinkets of gold, silver, and jade. Her hair was bound with a black scarf that fell, together with her tresses, to her gently swelling breast, and a small red flower was pinned among the strands. Her hands were very fair, and her sleeves were short, baring most of her forearms. Her arms were slender, yet at her wrists she wore a dozen or more bracelets of gold, silver, and jade, of varying thickness. They were guarding a treasure carriage, a fragrant chariot of very strange shape.
Shen Mu had seen such carriages before; most were squarely built, some with domed round roofs, others with octagonal square roofs. A domed round roof stood for the round heaven and square earth; an octagonal roof stood for the eight directions — both symbols of rank. This chariot, however, was round — a round base, a round top — and the ornaments hanging about it had a distinctly foreign feel.
The third group was a hundred or so divine-power wielders, foreign in look and dress, with blue pupils; but Shen Mu could not tell what nation they came from.
These wielders wore killing intent in their eyes, glancing from time to time at the young couple and the chariot. "Cult Master, the mood is wrong. " The Dragon Qilin stealthily opened its eyes and said to Shen Mu, "That woman is carrying far too many yuan weapons, and those divine-power wielders are all very strong! " Shen Mu raised his brows.
The Dragon Qilin's eye was indeed keen: the gold and silver necklaces, ornaments, and jade the woman wore were all yuan weapons. Just now Shen Mu had swept them with his Azure Heaven Eye, and the spiritual light each yuan weapon gave off was dazzling — plainly no small power.
To carry so many yuan weapons on her person, her own strength was likely considerable. On the other side, Ban Gongcuo had noticed these people too, and gave two great shamans a few low instructions. One of them rose at once, went to the young couple, saluted, and made inquiry; then he returned and reported, "They say they come from the True Heaven Palace of the Western Lands.
They ask whether we can help them. " "The True Heaven Palace of the Western Lands?
" Ban Gongcuo said, "If they are qi-refiners of the True Heaven Palace in the Western Lands, then they have no quarrel with us; there is no need to guard against them.
As for their business — we do not help. " Another great shaman returned from his own inquiries and said, "Those divine-power wielders are from the True Heaven Palace as well. They hope we will stand aside and help neither side.
" "All from the True Heaven Palace? " Ban Gongcuo was surprised, then laughed.
"An internal feud, most likely. Pay it no mind.
Those three demon monks are from Little Leiyin Temple and have old scores with our Golden Palace; we had best be on our guard against them.
" The Loulan Golden Palace often captured humans and demons for its cultivation, and had clashed with Little Leiyin Temple many times; the Golden Palace had seized no few demon monks of Little Leiyin Temple and used their souls to refine its arts. The three monks had also recognized the origins of Ban Gongcuo and his party; they exchanged glances but did not act. Ban Gongcuo gave low orders: "Meeting people from Little Leiyin Temple and the Western Lands here means this is the western Wasteland. We must be close to Little Leiyin Temple. These three monks cannot be left alive — the moment the sun rises, do away with them!
" The others assented in low voices.
"As for Cult Master Shen. . .