Chapter 431 — Carrot and Stick
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Hence it was called the Fragrant Well. Around the well stood a great walled courtyard, and beyond the walls guards were stationed in force, with no small number of awakened masters ringed layer upon layer within and without. Now every one of those awakened masters lay sound asleep on the ground, not a single one conscious - plainly the handiwork of that deity.
"The five thunders are actually divided by direction: east, south, west, north, and center - the five great cloud-thunders. " Shen Mu walked into the courtyard and saw that the Fragrant Well itself had disappeared.
The great shaft had been pried apart, and from within rose a colossal gourd. To call it a gourd was not quite right, for it more resembled something cast from green jade, standing over five zhang in height, its surface covered with runes and marks that were like clouds yet not clouds, like dragons yet not dragons, like thunder yet not thunder. Beneath the gourd stood a one-horned man in a sorry state, wounded, with several broken bones piercing through his skin and jutting out, gleaming bone-white, deeply unnerving. One of his legs was broken as well - a blur of blood and mangled flesh, the bones smashed, most of the foot rotted away. Shen Mu could not help a stir of compassion and asked with concern, "Brother, how are your wounds?
" "You're the one who made them. What do you think they're like? " The one-horned man shot him a sour glance.
His injuries had been smashed into him by Shen Mu's Crescent Moon, beaten into complete crippledom, pursued without cease the whole way here - and now the man came feigning concern to ask after his wounds.
Shen Mu flushed and smiled apologetically. "A physician's heart is a parent's heart. To be frank, I once studied medicine and am known as a divine healer, most compassionate, forever treating the sick and saving the wounded. I cannot bear to see others hurt. That is why, seeing your wounds, brother, I could not help but be moved to pity.
If you could but trust me. .
.
" "I cannot!
" The one-horned deity sneered.
"Say no more. Hidden within this Five Thunder Gourd are five thunderclouds. Small as clouds go, they can at most cover the entire territory of Jingping.
Within the clouds lurk the Fire-Bell Divine Soldiers; at the sound of their bells, the whole nation is buried in thunder! You hunted me down all this way - do you not fear I will trigger the Five Thunder Gourd? " Shen Mu stepped forward, leaned against the Five Thunder Gourd to rest, and laughed. "How could I not fear?
But if I had not come after you, would you not have triggered it all the same?
You would not have stopped at the Five Thunder Gourd. I suspect you would trigger every other weather weapon as well. The Five Thunder Gourd alone might not send every subject of Jingping to their deaths, but if you activated the others, that would be a true heaven-sent catastrophe. What shall I call you, brother?
" The one-horned deity glanced at Jiao Wangshen in his youthful form. Jiao Wangshen said, "My lord, he is Bai Xi, a Zero God of the Upper Heaven. " "Senior Brother Bai Xi. " Shen Mu grew solemn. "You did not trigger the Five Thunder Gourd at once, which suggests there is room for discussion. Since that is so, why not discuss?
" Bai Xi's two eyes were set far apart, and though small, they were perfectly round. "What discussion do you want?
" Shen Mu smiled.
"Go to the Wasteland Ruins, turn into a stone statue, and you live. " Bai Xi roared with laughter, his voice resounding like a great bell, and sneered: "You, a mere brat, would have me willingly turn into stone?
I am, after all, a lofty deity of the Upper Heaven. If I struck such a bargain with you, would I not be a laughingstock to all the world?
" Shen Mu refined a furnace of spirit pills to heal himself and replenish his vitality, then said, "What terms does Senior Brother propose?