Chapter 785 — The Youth Plows the Wasteland
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Yet they also came upon several small mountain villages that the demigods had not destroyed.
Shen Mu made inquiries, and a villager said: "The stone statues in the village suddenly came to life and slew the demons and monsters who came to make trouble. Once those demons and monsters were killed, they turned back into stone statues."
"So it seems King Yan of Fengdu has come to his senses, and has sent the gods of Fengdu back into their own bodies to guard the people of the ruins." Shen Mu let out a breath. With the protection of the Fengdu gods, the people of the ruins ought to be able to fend for themselves.
The Fengdu gods were a device left behind by Kaihuang. When the Kaihuang era fell, the gods of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court turned one and all into stone statues in the ruins, while their primordial spirits took up residence in Fengdu, waiting for the day they might rise again.
Their stone statues had become the people of the ruins' only hope against the inroads of darkness.
This awakening of the stone statues could save most of the villages — unless they met an adult demigod.
The strength of an adult demigod was too dreadful.
Ahead, the rice paddies came into view, and Shen Mu relaxed. Seeing those few mu of paddy, the village of the Martial Combat Celestial Master could not be far.
The paddies were those same few mu; beside them stood a great willow, and beneath the willow a dragon qilin sat leaning against the tree, hind legs splayed, rump on the ground, forelimbs cradling a water pipe, eyes staring blankly at the paddies; then it bowed its head, drew on the pipe with a gurgle, and blew out a great round ring.
Watching from afar, Shen Mu was doubtful: "Is this my Long Pi? It does not look much like him..."
Beneath the tree's shade the dragon qilin lifted a claw and scratched the scales on its belly with a rustling sound; beside it sat a pot of coarse tea.
The dragon qilin set down the water pipe, turned, poured himself a great bowl of strong tea, and drained it at a tilt of the head.
This dragon qilin was lean and wiry, all muscle and sinew, only his spirits seemed poor.
Deva King Buddha laughed: "If the one under the tree were not a dragon qilin but an ox, I would turn around and walk off this instant! The look on this dragon qilin's face is exactly that ox's! And if it were that ox, the one who tills the fields would be close by. That plowman is all muscle and no brains, and he is much displeased that I entered the Buddhist gate."
The dragon qilin heard the voices and turned his big head to look this way; his dull eyes had no focus, and only after a moment did he make out Shen Mu approaching, whereupon he was suddenly struck dumb.
Tears burst from his eyes; the dragon qilin made a hoarse sound in his throat, wiped his tears, and watched Shen Mu draw near.
"Sect Master..."
His voice trembled, and suddenly he burst into tears: "I am so hungry—"
The water qilin turned its head to look at the dragon qilin and showed contempt: "This fellow is of my own kind, and young and promising at that, yet he has no backbone whatever! What is there to fear in hunger? Eat people, that is all!"
Shen Mu hurriedly took out spirit pills; the dragon qilin swiftly set a great basin before him, and Shen Mu poured it full.
The dragon qilin was overjoyed. Gazing at the basin heaped to a peak with spirit pills, his drool ran down; only after a moment did he eat one pill with tears in his eyes, and the rest he put away.
"Eat, eat."
Shen Mu smiled: "Next time I will not leave you aside so long."
"Swear it!"
"I swear it. Eat, eat."
Just then a heavy voice came, coldly: "You carried off my ox, and now you mean to carry off my horse. Shen though your surname is, you cannot run wild like this!"
Shen Mu looked toward the voice and saw a great many farmers, men and women, escorting an old farmer to the edge of the field. The old farmer's face was angry as he shouted: "Shen! Where is my ox?"