Chapter 618 — A Glimpse Inside the Opened Box
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The Woodcutter Sage mused, murmuring: "Why would that fool leave a riddle behind too? Is it some hint he means for me? He left so many geographic maps, to what end… Those maps were not left for you. They were left for me. He wants me to follow them and seek out the clues he left. That you could find his maps at all was chance and coincidence."
Shen Mu said: "Three hundred and fifty thousand years ago was the Chiming era. This Elder Chi Xi comes from three hundred and fifty thousand years ago."
The Woodcutter Sage nodded: "I know. The moment I saw his three-headed, six-armed form, I knew he came from the Chi Xi era. I once found some ruins from that age, and learned that the men of that time took the three-headed, six-armed form as the strongest of fleshly bodies, vast in divine power, able to move mountains and fill seas, to chase the stars and drive the moon. This little box, too, comes from that age; its form is much like the so-called God-Slaying Mystic Blade of the Heaven Court. Which one imitated which, no one can say."
Qi Jiuyi did not dare speak, but sneered inwardly: "It must be the Chiming Heaven Court that imitated our Heaven Court's God-Slaying Mystic Blade!"
Shen Mu thought a moment, then took out the war tally Elder Qinghuang had given him, and said: "Sage Master, Elder Senior Brother left this with Elder Qinghuang. Elder Qinghuang did not know what era's war tally it is either."
The Woodcutter Sage took the tally, examined it, and laughed: "Elder Qinghuang? You mean Qinghuang the Emperor, don't you? That old fellow has a foul temper. He gives everyone the cold shoulder, but his heart is warm, blazing warm. Did he speak ill of me behind my back?"
Shen Mu hastily shook his head and said gravely: "No! Absolutely not! Elder Qinghuang speaks most amiably, kind-faced and benevolent-eyed. He received me with diligent hospitality and saw me off with reluctance. He cursed no one!"
"No such thing, I'll be bound! He certainly did. Not only cursed me, he would have cursed Kaihuang as well. He absolutely drove you off!"
The Woodcutter Sage tossed the tally back to him and laughed: "I have long had his temper down pat. As for this tally, I cannot make out its origin either, nor know in what year and month it was left. Keep it for now."
"Wait!"
Chi Xi's gaze fell upon the tally in Shen Mu's hand, and he said in a low voice: "Let me see that tally. I may well recognize it!"
Shen Mu looked to the woodcutter; the woodcutter nodded lightly.
Shen Mu stepped forward and handed the tally to Chi Xi. Chi Xi examined it over and over, then said: "This is a war tally of the Longhan era. There are still many Longhan ruins in the Chiming era; I have seen such things. Boy, take your tally back."
Shen Mu took the tally and said, perplexed: "Elder Senior Brother left a Longhan-era war tally in Elder Qinghuang's keeping, to what purpose? Elder Qinghuang was the Lord of the East of the Kaihuang era. That Elder Senior Brother asked him to keep it shows Elder Senior Brother did not necessarily prize it greatly. Is there some secret hidden in a Longhan war tally?"
The Woodcutter Sage laughed: "Since he left so many geographic maps, then follow the maps and search. The day will come when the boy solves the secret."
Shen Mu assented.
Chi Xi said coolly: "Daoist friend, the little box is the property of my Chiming Heaven Court. Please return it to me. Since you have gifted me blood, the grievance between me and this child is wiped clean."