Chapter 457 — Blossoms Dazzle the Eyes
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
He Yiyi raised her head and looked at the grave, earnest big boy beside her. "Even if you carry me out of Juncheng's killing arrays, I will not yield."
"You are second in arrays; I will not contend with you for it."
Shen Mu laughed heartily, splashing ink and wielding his brush with the unrestrained abandon of a scholar-poet, spilling out characters, and before Juncheng's annihilating arrays could destroy the picture-within-picture, he carried her through into the next painted world.
In this painting the stars shone brilliant; they seemed to have come into a dark starry sky, each star a glowing jewel adorning the darkness.
Shen Mu led her treading upon the stars, running through the starry sky, the brush in his hand never pausing, painting a river of stars across the heavens. Behind them surged Juncheng's annihilating arrays, but they leapt into the river and went rushing away into the distance.
The river of stars flowed downward; Shen Mu, holding her about the waist, was swept away by it, the brush in his hand directing and pointing; suddenly he gathered her up and sprang, leaping onto a mountain cliff.
Scarce had He Yiyi found her footing, scarce had she recovered her wits, when she saw Shen Mu sketch with brush and ink, finish with a sweep of the brush, and carry her up onto the back of a heavenly horse he had just painted.
The heavenly horse galloped out of the painting and became real, trotting with a clatter of hooves; the white horse beat its wings in flight, whistling away, leaving the killing arrays far behind.
Once more Shen Mu lifted his brush and plied it, wanton and free; a doorway appeared before them, the door opened, and light shot in from beyond it. The heavenly horse bore them rushing into the doorway. He Yiyi stared blankly, and saw that they had come to a mountain top outside Juncheng.
Shen Mu caught her up about the waist and swung down from the horse; the heavenly horse spread its wings, raised its forehooves, gave a whinny, and beside them scattered into drifting flecks of ink.
In the distance, the heads of Juncheng's many great houses hurried over, flying to their side.
An old man was about to speak when He Yiyi suddenly laughed and said softly, "I have lost. Cult Master Shen is second in arrays under heaven, and my He family and all of Juncheng will follow with all our strength!"
Doubt rose in Shen Mu's heart; he looked toward her.
In He Yiyi's eyes a thread of tender feeling was brewing, her gaze like autumn waters.