Chapter 601 — A Seemingly Harmless Smile
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The Butcher drew his blade, the Blind Elder gripped his spear, fire blazed skyward behind the Silent Craftsman, and each stepped forward; the Lame Elder scooped up Shen Mu and retreated at speed, flickering in and out of sight, to reappear behind the Butcher and the others! Vajra and Lu Li each rescued Zhe Huali and Qi Jiuyi, but made no further move.
Lu Li laughed: "Young friend Qi, you have dwelt in the Heavenly Court too long, and know nothing of the treachery of hearts in the lower realm.
You have learned your lesson now, have you not? " Qi Jiuyi was silent a moment, then said, "Jiuyi is willing to join hands with the Military Commissioner.
" Vajra's thought stirred slightly, and the pure yin energy on Zhe Huali, ten li away, dissolved, freeing him from his frozen state.
Zhe Huali had scarcely recovered his shaken spirit when he saw the earth suddenly fold; the next moment, without taking a single step, he had come from ten li away to Vajra's side—plainly Vajra's folding of space. The Butcher and the others felt their hearts turn cold; Vajra's strength was far deeper than they had expected. Such power was likely more than that of a mere True Devil!
Vajra's left face looked at Zhe Huali and said calmly, "Victory and defeat are common matters for a soldier. True victory and true defeat are life and death; so long as one does not die, one has not wholly lost.
Do you understand? " Zhe Huali put away his demon blade, thrusting it behind his back as before, and bowed: "Your disciple understands. " Vajra was well pleased, and said, "With your Dao heart tempered thus, your future attainments will surely surpass Luo Wushuang.
" Behind the Butcher and the others, the Lame Elder was beside himself with delight.
He clapped Shen Mu heavily on the shoulder: "Little Shen, you have not shamed your crippled grandpa! That move just now was vicious indeed—a blade hidden in a smile, a secret arrow to wound a man.
Worthy of my teaching! When I saw that smile of yours, I could not help but shiver several times!
" Shen Mu hastily made a modest reply: "It is all because crippled grandpa taught me well. Without crippled grandpa, I could never have beaten them.
As for hiding a blade in a smile and wounding a man with a secret arrow, I could at best rank second; crippled grandpa is still the first man under heaven! " The Lame Elder stroked his goatee and roared with laughter, greatly pleased with himself.
The Deaf Elder sneered: "The hearts of men are not what they were.
.
. " Lu Li paid no heed to the Butcher and the others, whose faces were full of alarm. Gazing far off at the divine city the Deaf Elder had painted, she suddenly laughed: "Vajra, can you see now what is real and what is not? " Vajra turned his head left and right, his three faces each gazing at the divine city, and after a moment said, "I cannot see it.
Pray enlighten me. " Lu Li laughed: "Look at the souls of the gods and demons upon the divine city. " Vajra was startled, and asked humbly, "How does one observe souls?
" The Butcher, the Silent Craftsman, the Blind Elder and the rest knew that things boded ill, and slowly began to retreat.
The Deaf Elder's face changed slightly; he too realized at once that Lu Li had seen through his illusion, and cold sweat broke out on his brow.
His paintings could indeed pass false for true, could recreate a world within the painting, could even join the painted world to reality so that no flaw could be seen at all. But he could not recreate a soul!
This Lu Li must be a powerful figure from Youdu, deeply accomplished in the arts of the soul; she could perceive the secret of the Deaf Elder's painting. Palms slick with sweat, the crowd pressed around Shen Mu and kept retreating toward the divine city behind them, their unease growing ever stronger.
Yet Vajra and Lu Li seemed not to see, and let them retreat as they would.
Lu Li turned, raised a slender jade hand, and drew a circle in the air.