Chapter 827 — Hard to Tell Flowers from Mist
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
Li Zheng patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Now that we have exposed Lin Xiao's identity, he will likely tell the others of this, and set us to slaughtering one another. To keep from turning to Void, the others will strike at us. If I sever my cultivation, you will scarcely escape death. You are the cleverest man in our village; only if you become the last survivor will there be any chance of unraveling this ship's uncanny divine power, any chance of freeing us from the Void. Lord Dragon-Raiser."
He turned to Lord Dragon-Raiser and said mildly, "You must remember this too: it is not so terrible to turn to Void. So long as your lord lives, he can free us both! Do not harbor any thought of betrayal, or I will be the first to take your life! If you wish to live, the simplest way is to keep your lord from dying! After I have turned to Void, it will fall to you to guard your lord's life with all your strength. Do you understand?"
Lord Dragon-Raiser grew solemn, cupped his fists and bowed. "Understood! Lord Dragon-Raiser will follow his lord unto death!"
Li Zheng walked on ahead and said gravely, "Let us continue to explore this ship, and find more clues before we turn to Void!"
They went on, passing the training grounds, until they came to the barracks — the halls great and small where the Feather Forest Army had dwelled.
The Feather Forest Army were the mightiest gods and demons of the Longhan era, and their treatment was naturally of the highest.
Li Zheng led them straight to the most magnificent of the main halls, which must have been where Wei Suifeng had lived.
Wei Suifeng, as Left General of the Feather Forest Army, held the highest rank, and he should by rights have dwelled in the most lavish of places.
On the pillars before the hall someone had inscribed several lines of verse, written in divine script, very graceful and delicate, as though from a woman's hand.
Shen Mu read them and said softly, "It is not a flower, nor yet a mist. It comes at midnight, departs at daybreak; it comes like a spring dream for but a little while, and goes like morning clouds, nowhere to be found." (1)
"Does this verse not speak precisely of the crossing through the Mist?" Shen Mu was dazed.
It comes at midnight, departs at daybreak — the Yong River crossing was the same: a crossing lasted only half a day. Cross at night and you return by day; cross by day and you return by night.
"This handwriting is... it was left by Ling Heavenly Venerable! She has been aboard this ship! The mystery of her divine power lies within this verse!"