Chapter 850 — A Single Line of Sword Mark
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 5
The white dragon rode the clouds and mist, flying toward the Dao Sect.
Under Dao Master Lin Xuan's attentive care, Xiao Chunfeng finally came to his senses. Dao Master Lin Xuan smiled and said, "It is good that you are unharmed, Brother Xiao. I spent no small sum on spirit pills and elixirs to heal you — two thousand Dafeng coins in all."
Xiao Chunfeng was somewhat downcast. "Two thousand Dafeng coins? I will not owe you, rest assured. I have no lack of skill; once I earn the money, I will repay you."
Dao Master Lin Xuan laughed. "If you have no money, Brother Xiao, you may teach at my Dao Sect and pay it back in installments."
Xiao Chunfeng stretched his limbs and probed, "Teaching at the Dao Sect — what is the monthly stipend?"
"Thirty Dafeng coins a month."
Dao Master Lin Xuan said kindly, "That is already the rate of a senior academy. An ordinary Dao Sect academy pays only fifteen Dafeng coins a month. Your skills are high enough to be worth thirty."
Xiao Chunfeng was startled and stared at him fixedly, his voice hoarse: "Only thirty a month? If I neither ate nor drank nor spent a single coin, I would still have to work for you five and a half years to pay off this debt?"
Dao Master Lin Xuan felt a little guilty, thinking, "Back then, when Cult Master Shen gravely wounded Xu Shenghua and then healed him, how did he fleece the man without so much as a change of expression? This poor daoist's hide is about to give out — I can hardly keep from raising Brother Xiao's stipend."
At Qingyun Heaven, once Yuchenzi had made his arrangements, the Qingyun Hierarch immediately reported to the Heavenly Court, telling of the case of the Heavenly Court envoy's ambush, and quietly awaited the Heavenly Court to send someone.
One day, the sky above Qingyun Heaven split open, and a tower ship sailed in from beyond the heavens.
The connection between the Heavenly Court and Qingyun Heaven had never been severed. Even when the Yuan Realm was sealed in those years and space itself was folded, leaving only the Wilds, Jingping, the Western Lands and the like, Qingyun Heaven could still communicate with the Heavenly Court.
To Qingyun Heaven and the other heavens, what had been sealed was not the heavens of the Yuan Realm, but Jingping, the Wilds, and other such places.
The Qingyun Hierarch hurriedly led his people out to welcome them. Several demigods of the Heavenly Court stood at the prow, watching them with half-smiles, and behind them stood demigod after demigod with wolf heads and human bodies, spears in hand, making no sound at all.
The Qingyun Hierarch and the assembled Daoists bowed their heads and did not look up.
"Raise your heads."
The leading demigod smiled. "Fu Yuntian, you are the Hierarch of the Dao Sect's Qingyun Heaven; your station is far above that of a mere constable of my Divine Arrest Camp. There is no need for such courtesy."
The Qingyun Hierarch said hastily, "Your Excellency jests. Your Excellency is a censor of the Heavenly Court, a great official, while I am but a rustic god of the lower realm — how would I dare take liberties? Your Excellency, this ambush of the envoy was the fault of Qingyun Heaven. Everyone here, high and low, is in fear and trembling, dreading the wrath of Heaven and its punishment. I beg Your Excellency, when you return, to put in a good word for Qingyun Heaven. This humble god has prepared a small gift—"
That demigod laughed heartily and came down from the ship with the others behind him, shaking his head. "The laws of the Heavenly Court are strict — who would dare accept your gift? It is a capital crime! But if you slip it onto my ship while I am not looking, then there is nothing I can do about it, is there?"
The Qingyun Hierarch hurriedly smiled apologetically and shot a look at the assembled Daoists, who hastily carried all manner of treasures aboard the ship.