Chapter 435 — An Eerie Affair at the Door
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 5
" Lord Yan said hurriedly, "Before Your Majesty's heavenly majesty, how would he dare give offense? Surrender was the only road open to him; otherwise he would have found no burial ground even in death! " The assembled ministers offered congratulations one after another. Emperor Yanfeng's face shone with glory, and he smiled: "You who accompanied Us on this personal campaign have merit as well.
Each of you shall have a reward. " All the ministers were greatly delighted.
After the clamor had passed, the platform of the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon halted, preparing to return to the capital. Emperor Yanfeng summoned Si Yunxiang alone.
His face at once darkened, and he said with a cold smile, "Little holy maiden of the Si family, did your Sect Master teach you to say such things?
Why does he not dare come and face Us? " Si Yunxiang said cautiously, "The Sect Master used the Human Emperor's Seal to summon heroes from the five lakes and four seas, to withstand the invasion of Heaven Above, to block the foe beyond the Divine Severance Mountains, to keep the invaders from crossing in, and to guard the safety of Jingping. . .
" "Enough, enough — no need for official cant! " Emperor Yanfeng sighed. "I know he has toiled and earned high merit.
This time we owe him much; otherwise, Jingping being wiped from the map would be one thing, but the common folk would have died in countless numbers.
I bear him not the slightest blame — and moreover, by sending you, he has left Us a great deal of face. How did he subdue White Gap of Heaven Above? " "By threat and by bribe, by showing weakness to the foe — a hundred devices. " Si Yunxiang recounted the whole affair of how Shen Mu had subdued the White Gap Deity. Emperor Yanfeng was dazed for a long while, then said, "Our dear minister Shen, at such a young age, has subdued two deities for Jingping and set them to guard the rivers and mountains.
Such skill — We are not his equal.
We too have been anxious about the fighting at the Divine Severance Mountains. We sent men to investigate, and word has already come back. " Si Yunxiang's heart tightened. Emperor Yanfeng said, "The General Who Guards the Frontier says the Divine Severance Mountains run on for twenty thousand li, that the earth quakes without cease, and that the whole range has sunk. Out of the quakes a fog has risen, and a darkness besides has invaded the Divine Severance Mountains.
In the mist, ghosts and gods have been seen, but no trace of the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping and his company has been found. We wished to go and see for Ourselves, but the court cannot be thrown into disorder, nor the realm. . . The General Who Guards the Frontier says there are signs that the place is turning into the Waste. The Waste is invading Jingping. .
. " A hidden worry rose in Si Yunxiang.
She looked west. "The Sect Master is hurrying there now! What on earth has happened there, that the Waste should invade? " Shen Mu came riding the dragon, and toward evening he at last drew near the Divine Severance Mountains.
He raised his head to look, and his heart gave a lurch: layer upon layer of grey fog shrouded what had been the Divine Severance Mountains, while in the west the setting sun sank, about to vanish.
"Something is not quite right. . . " The Divine Severance Mountains ran long and their mass was broad; this range cut off the Waste from Jingping, a hundred li and more in thickness.
Now the whole range had utterly sunk, and in its place stood a heavy grey fog, from which came, now and again, a muffled and terrifying trembling.