Chapter 819 — The Star River Ghost Ship
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
"The Dragon Lord of the Star River?"
A faint stir passed through Lord Huanlong's heart, and he probed, "And what treatment does the Dragon Lord of the Star River receive?"
Shen Mu said, "The treatment is the same as before, save that the aquatic produce of the Star River will not be yours."
Cautiously, Lord Huanlong probed further: "This so-called Star River—how wide is it, and how long? My lord, it is not that I do not trust you, but there is the precedent of the White Rift God's Hundred Year Mountain. This little dragon's humble frame is rather large; an ordinary river of three or five li cannot hold me."
Shen Mu laughed. "The Star River is, of course, vast beyond measure—not a whit smaller than the present Surging River. And it teems with fish and shrimp. Your rations need never be a worry."
Lord Huanlong was overjoyed, yet still uneasy. "If I could be the Dragon Lord of the Star River, that would of course be good. But I keep fearing you mean to trick me. The White Rift God's Hundred Year Mountain..."
Shen Mu said, displeased, "Will you do it or not?"
"I will! I will!"
Lord Huanlong decided on the instant, and laughed: "To stay here and be bullied day after day by the demigods of the Surging River—better by far to go and be the Dragon Lord of the Star River, where at least I can throw my weight about! Only, my lord, how is the pact with the Earth Lord to be erased?"
"There is no need to erase the Earth Lord's pact. You need only sign a supplementary Lesser Earth Lord's pact."
Shen Mu taught him how to make the pact, and Lord Huanlong did as he was told and concluded the Lesser Earth Lord's pact. Then Shen Mu paid him no further mind, and set the Human Emperor Qikang and the Human Emperor Yishan to sensing the power of the Star River and reshaping the seventh Divine Treasury.
Lord Huanlong's great head stood upright above the Surging River. He waited a while, and saw only Shen Mu hurrying to and fro, never telling him where the Star River lay. At last his patience gave out, and he laughed, "My lord, where is the Star River?"
Still Shen Mu ignored him. The dragon qilin, being kind at heart after all, said, "Lord Dragon, the Surging River is the Star River. You are at this very moment within the Star River."
Lord Huanlong was dumbstruck, and still did not understand.
The dragon qilin shook his head and sighed. "You—you are, after all, the founder of the Huanlong Classic, a master hand at raising dragons; but toward people you are as pure as a blank sheet of paper. The Surging River is the Star River; the Star River is the Surging River unsealed. When the Sect Master saw the Surging River turn into the Star River, he felt it a loss to have enfeoffed you as Dragon Emperor of the Surging River. All the aquatic produce of the Star River belongs to you; the river holds countless treasures, dragon palaces and dragon mansions of every kind, demigods of the water beyond counting, and the treasures that dynasty after dynasty have sunk into its waters. The Sect Master has been aching over it for more than a year now; only the Earth Lord's pact kept him from taking it back."
Lord Huanlong was dazed, his mind a blank.
Beside him the water qilin too wore a face full of sympathy, and said to this dragon lord, "How crafty... how wise and mighty is Brother Pi's master? The reason he did not cancel the Earth Lord's pact with you is that the Surging River is the Star River, and there was no need to cancel it. As for the supplementary Lesser Earth Lord's pact, that is what he will use to take back the treasures of the Star River. Heh heh, that Lesser Earth Lord, now, he is what you would call ferocious..."
Lord Huanlong still wore a face of blankness.
Shen Mu, meanwhile, was busy checking the progress of the two Human Emperors, seeing whether they could sense the power of the Star River. This point was of the utmost importance.