Chapter 319 — Sorcery of Soul Sacrifice
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 5
The sun came out, and Shen Mu rose to his feet, slid the Sorrowless Sword into the scabbard he had carved the night before, kicked the Dragon Qilin, and roused the two white bats. The Dragon Qilin climbed to his feet, eyes bright and piercing.
"Cult Master, today's rations?
" Shen Mu rummaged in the Taotie pouch; the crimson-fire spirit pills were nearly gone, but he fed the beast until it was full.
The two white bats released their claws and dropped from beneath the eaves to the ground, and the three demon monks opened their eyes as well, taking clear water and flatcakes from their packs; their food was cakes pressed from insects. The monks of the Little Thunderclap Temple were all demons by origin, eating both meat and vegetables without scruple, with none of the many rules of the Great Thunder Roar Temple; these three demon monks were birds and strange beasts, and they still loved to eat insects, so for ease of carrying they pressed the insects into cakes.
Ding Jue broke off half an insect cake and gave it to Shen Mu. Shen Mu tasted it — it was unexpectedly good, fragrant and crisp.
The beast herd began to move, and the people among the ruins followed the herd out, each on his guard; Shen Mu alone was somewhat distracted.
This place was already near the western edge of the Wasteland, and he very much wanted to see where the darkness vanished. Since the darkness of the Wasteland surged in from the west, there was sure to be a place where it originated; find the origin of the darkness, and perhaps he could uncover the source of the Wasteland's catastrophe.
The herd walked out of the ruins. Shen Mu glanced back and gave a slight start: the treasure carriage was also coming this way, but the woman in the black scarf with braided hair and a small red flower, and the man with white cloth wound about his head, could no longer be seen — only a stag and a doe with plum-blossom spots drawing the carriage.
The stag's antlers were bound with white cloth; the doe's ears were tied with a black silk scarf, her chest hung with gold and silver necklaces, rings, and pendants and a small red flower, and above her two forehooves she wore a dozen or so bracelets of gold, silver, and jade. "So they were demons after all. " Shen Mu blinked.
Last night he had not seen that the young couple were transformed beasts; there was no demon aura on the two of them, and he had never expected they would turn out to be two deer that had cultivated into human form. "A technique of this kind is quite extraordinary — it should be an orthodox cultivation method. Are they visitors from the Western Lands?
" he thought to himself.
The hundred-odd alien adepts of divine power followed silently behind the carriage. Shen Mu looked over; a small head poked out of the carriage, two little braids tied on it, peering behind, and was at once pulled back inside by two fair hands, which shut the carriage door.
Shen Mu withdrew his gaze and sat on the Dragon Qilin's back, the Sorrowless Sword ready to leap from its sheath at any moment, while the flying swords in the Taotie pouch stirred and strained as well.
The two white bats rose without a sound and threaded through the herd, while the three demon monks, great sleeves billowing, trod the ground with bird claws and covered a great distance with every step. Ban Gongcuo's eyes flickered as he looked around.
They were in the midst of the herd now, and among the Wasteland's strange beasts there was no lack of abnormally fierce ones; the beasts had their own rules, and if battle broke out among the herd at this moment and angered it, he feared the herd would turn and attack them as well.
At last the herd began to disperse. Then, abruptly, the two deer raced off with the carriage at full speed, and the hundred-odd adepts behind them quickened their pace in turn and shot after them with wild whistles.