Chapter 105 — The Prefect of Lizhou
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Hundreds of ribs whistled through the air, thick as rain, spinning as they flew and tracing arc after arc; and even when they missed, they returned to the skeletons' hands. Shen Mu's head ached; he had no choice but to execute the Cloud Sword Style again to fend off the rib-blades that might come from any direction, and his speed was checked once more. The Corpse Immortal Cult's means of attack were truly uncanny — flying zombies, yellow paper charms, corpse beetles, skeletons, red-haired beast corpses, and skeletons that tore out their own bones to use as throwing blades; a thousand strange and monstrous kinds.
Suddenly Shen Mu saw farmland ahead, with farmers at their plowing; it was the season of the spring harvest, and many peasants were up early in the fields reaping the grain.
"Get out of the way! " Shen Mu waved his hand and shouted, "Good people, get out of the way, quickly! " The farmers all looked up, and could not help but start with fright: skeletons and red-haired beast corpses were surging toward them like a tide, truly terrifying.
They flung down their sickles and fled in panic. But their speed was far below Shen Mu's and the red-haired beast corpses'; at this rate they were bound to be overtaken. Shen Mu hastily veered aside to avoid them — but beside the paddy fields ran the official road, and there were travelers on the road too.
At the head was a carriage, with guards riding tall horses beside it. From within the carriage came a woman's voice: "What is all this clamor outside?
" A guard bowed in the saddle and said, "Reporting to Your Honor, there is a plague of skeletons, pursuing a youth in brocade. Fearing to harm the farmers in the fields, the youth has drawn the skeletons onto the official road.
There are red-haired beast corpses as well, very strange in form, likely commanded by corpse beetles — most probably the Corpse Immortal Cult of Xiangxi. " "The realm has only just been pacified, and always there are demons and monsters leaping out to plague the common folk.
" The woman in the carriage said, "Guard Shi, go and dispose of the skeletons and the red-haired beast corpses. Do not let the common people be harmed.
" "Yes, Your Honor.
" That Guard Shi did not dismount.
Instead he took out a silver sword pellet and flicked it with his finger; the sword pellet flew up into the air and spun, and with every turn a brilliant bolt of sword-light shot out. The pellet spun with incredible speed, and bolt after bolt of sword-light fell like lines of rain. As Shen Mu ran he heard all around him a clatter and clang: skeleton after skeleton shattered into dust! And the red-haired beast corpses were parted from their heads one after another.
In less than a breath, the hundreds of skeletons and red-haired beast corpses pursuing him had been swept away. Red corpse beetles flew out of those skeletons and beast corpses, but before they could rise they were annihilated by bolt after bolt of sword-light. "Orthodox swordsmanship!
" Shen Mu hastily halted and looked toward the carriage ahead. The guard beside it was using orthodox swordsmanship; he had once seen similar swordsmanship among the Lanjiang Sword Sect — upright and honorable. This art refined many swords into a single sword pellet; in battle it was formidable, and it could also be set into a sword formation. Of course, only experts could wield a sword pellet, for a sword pellet was truly heavy; whoever could levitate it with primal essence must possess immense cultivation.
If the guard beside this carriage was so formidable, the person within must be truly remarkable.
In the distance, that Uncle-Master Qiao came flying all the way, and suddenly sensed that his corpse beetles had all died in an instant.
Startled, he did not advance, but stood atop a treetop to watch.
"The carriage of the Assistant Governor of Lizhou Prefecture! " His face changed greatly.