Chapter 617 — Too Hot to Hold
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Zhe Huali gave two dry laughs, then said gravely: "Brother Shen, you'd best kill me first, then take it back."
"How could I be so rude?" Shen Mu's face was all smiles.
Qi Jiuyi was also staring at the little box in Zhe Huali's hand. Zhe Huali's gaze flickered, and he probed: "Brother Qi, your status is exalted, and your master holds an extremely high position in the heavenly court. Surely you know how to open this box. Might you tell me?"
Qi Jiuyi coughed violently, coughing up bits of broken bone. His hunched body straightened a little, and the sword-scars Shen Mu had left on his forehead were gradually shrinking — which made both Zhe Huali's and Shen Mu's hearts tighten.
This Qi Jiuyi's recovery speed was simply too strong. He was practically an undying, indestructible body; even with injuries this severe, he could recover so quickly.
The reason he spat out broken bone was likely that new ribs were growing within his chest cavity.
Shen Mu was deeply envious. This kind of undying body was truly useful; he only wondered whether it was the effect of Qi Jiuyi's Imperial Throne-tier cultivation method or the racial gift of the Nine Phoenix clan.
After coughing for a while, Qi Jiuyi felt somewhat better and said, panting: "Give me the little box. I'll open it for you." Clearly, though he could rapidly heal his wounds and regenerate broken bone, the toll on his physical body was immense — otherwise he would not look so exhausted.
Zhe Huali shook his head: "If the little box falls into your hands and you open it and reveal the God-Slaying Mystic Blade, Brother Shen and I will immediately be parted from our heads."
Shen Mu suggested: "How about this, Senior Brother Li — you and I first finish off Brother Qi, then together study how to open the little box. One man's wit is short, two men's wit is long. With our combined wisdom, we're sure to open it!"
Zhe Huali smiled faintly: "If I trust you, it won't be two men's wit being long — it'll be one man's wit being impaired."
The three were locked in stalemate.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from behind them: "You argue back and forth — have you asked me, the rightful owner? The little box should return to its original owner."
The three — Shen Mu, Qi Jiuyi, and Zhe Huali — changed expression drastically and hurriedly looked toward the voice. There was Chixi, thin as a stick, striding toward them on two legs like dry firewood, already not far away!
This execution overseer of the Chiming era had three heads like shriveled black eggplants, eye sockets sunken deep, eyeballs like sun-dried jujubes.
The necks beneath his three heads were likewise withered, as if unable to support his heads.
He was like a three-headed shrimp; three arms on his left side leaned on a cane — he must have struggled here on that cane.
Shen Mu and Qi Jiuyi's fierce battle here had made an enormous commotion; it would not have been hard for Chixi to find this place. But judging by how laboriously he leaned on his cane, one could not guess how he had made the journey — after all, Shen Mu had fled very far before encountering Qi Jiuyi.
Presumably Chixi's powers were vast; though walking was difficult, he could still employ a portion of his magic.
Veins bulged on Shen Mu's forehead, but what he thought of was something else. He murmured: "It's raining?"
"That's right, it's raining."
Chixi looked as if he might keel over at any moment. Feeble, he said: "Not long after you left, it started raining again. Heaven has pity — I finally drank a little water that wasn't poisoned."
Shen Mu blinked and stood there without moving. Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali had already been slowly backing away, and suddenly the two turned as one and fled!
Bang, bang.
The two crashed into an invisible wall and were bounced back.
Chixi said indifferently: "There is no one in this world who can escape from under my hand... mm, you are the first. You escaped — you should feel proud."
He meant Shen Mu. Shen Mu wore an honest smile.