Chapter 447 — Natural Rivals
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
" Shen Mu took some fresh beef and fruit from his Taotie Bag and gave them to the other, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Elder, for giving my little sister a place to rest.
If you, Elder, don't mind, just call me Little Shen. " The old merchant could not refuse and had to accept. "I dare not be called Elder," he said.
"We men hold somewhat low status in the Western Lands; only elder women are fit to be called Elders. Young Shen, you are a man from the Waste—going to the Western Lands may not go well for you. This Flame Desert stretches tens of thousands of li, with fire burning and scorching all the way, and for you people of the Waste there are many perils. You had best turn back. " Shen Mu shook his head. "I promised to go to the Western Lands—how can I go back on my word?
Is it women who rule the household in your Western Lands? Jingping has some female generals and female officials too. Back when the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping promoted equality between men and women, he met no small resistance. I didn't expect you to be even more enlightened than Jingping.
" The old merchant's face changed drastically. "Silence! " he said hastily.
"One must not speak of equality between men and women, or else one will lose one's head!
How could men and women be equal? Women can give birth, men cannot conceive—so of course they must be a grade lower!
" Shen Mu was astonished.
The old merchant glanced around and said in a low voice, "When you reach the Western Lands, do not speak such foolish words again.
Of course, if you can live to walk there.
.
.
" Shen Mu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "When you reach the Western Lands, you must not say you are from the Waste.
" The old merchant said solemnly, "If you say you are from the Waste, you will easily be killed.
" Shen Mu frowned. "Why is that? " The old merchant was unwilling to say more. Shen Mu did not press him, and continued tempering his flying swords with his vital essence.
When his cultivation was nearly half spent, he took several spirit pills, and one flying sword after another was refined smaller and smaller. "I still cannot manage, like Grandpa Silent Craftsman, to refine a sword into something like flowing water.
" Shen Mu grasped a flying sword and rubbed it between both hands, and the flying sword turned into a tiny sword pellet, though it still had some edges and corners. He activated the Carefree Sword, and eight thousand swords clanged and collided together, transforming into a single sword pellet.
Though the sword pellet was much smaller, it was still two chi square. Only by refining the sword pellet to the size of a finger would his artifact-refining skill be considered beginner level, and he could basically refine a sword like flowing water. Shen Mu dispersed the sword pellet and grasped the Carefree Sword.
Nearly eight thousand flying swords came howling, colliding one after another with the Carefree Sword and merging into the mother sword. The Carefree Sword grew heavier and heavier. By the time the last flying sword merged into the Carefree Sword, Shen Mu's hand holding the sword trembled; the sword was too heavy, though he could just barely lift it.
He tried to swing the Carefree Sword.
Though the Carefree Sword moved very slowly, the air at once rang with crackling explosions and humming vibrations, as though a great mountain were sliding along! And that crackling sound was because the sword was too heavy and solid, pressing the very space to give off light explosions! Shen Mu swung it twice, his arm muscles aching, and hastily dispersed the child swords, no longer troubling himself. He thought, "The Jade Tablet of the Heavenly Emperor and those dragon script words in the True Dragon's Lair are indeed not bad. The Nine Dragons Sovereign Art upon them has improved my physical body at miraculous speed!