Chapter 1038 — The Hidden Other Side
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
He knew not how long had passed when the palanquin gave a gentle jolt and at last arrived in the Eastern Pole Heaven, emerging from a sacrificial altar. The six heavenly dragons were greatly excited, and one after another they transformed into divinities with dragon heads and human bodies. Shen Mu hesitated a moment, then ordered Dragon Qilin and Yan'er to unhitch the harness, and invited the six dragon gods aboard.
"Yan'er, hitch Long Pang to the carriage and drive for the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace. " Dragon Qilin howled in protest, but Yan'er hitched him up all the same, and he had no choice but to pull the carriage onward.
Shen Mu looked out at the scenery.
This Eastern Pole Heaven was unlike any other: stars wrought of countless thunderbolts hung in the sky, dazzling bright. More than that, lightning a full ten thousand li long hung in the heavens—yet it gave no roll of thunder, and all was profoundly still.
The land of the Eastern Pole Heaven teemed with dragon-shaped creatures, as though it were a haunt of the dragon race—surely the descendants of the Eastern Emperor, the Azure Dragon. Here and there a giant dragon could be seen sprawled among the towering peaks and ridges, a thousand li long, sunk in slumber, snoring like thunder. Swarms of little dragons clambered over the giant's body, tumbling and tussling with squeals of glee; some spat fire, some spat water, and some rode thunderbolts down to strike at their fellows.
Many more little dragons climbed onto the giant's whiskers. When the giant breathed, its whiskers were swept up by wild currents of air, and the little dragons upon them shook violently in the gusts, thrilled to the bone.
Some were blown clean off and landed black and blue, whereupon they sat on the ground and wailed. Woken by the noise, the giant would open its huge eyes, yawn, and the little dragons would scramble down in a panic and hide every which way.
Yet the giant was gentle too: it would curl its whiskers around the bawling little ones, coax them a while, then sink back into deep sleep. With Dragon Qilin drawing the Heavenly Dragon palanquin, their pace slowed a good deal; fortunately the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace was vast, and its distance from here not too great—a few days would bring them there.
Even so, the palanquin was stopped by certain dragon gods, who demanded to know how the descendants of divine dragons could be made to serve as a man's coachman.
These dragon gods were much displeased, and Shen Mu had no choice but to halt Dragon Qilin. "Let me pull the carriage!
" Yan'er said eagerly. Shen Mu shook his head, thinking: "You are the daughter of the Eastern Emperor, the Azure Dragon.
If you pulled this carriage, I fear the Eastern Emperor would want my life. "