Chapter 109 — Dark Plumes and Crimson Crests
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
On the birds' backs stood five or six soldiers, quivers at their waists, longbows in hand, drawing and loosing again and again at the Dragon-Driving Sect disciples flung through the air. Each disciple thrown from a serpent's head was in the next instant shot into a pincushion. Their quivers hung at their waists, so they had no need to reach behind for arrows; a dip of the hand drew a shaft, nocked it, and loosed—and so they shot with extraordinary speed.
The flock of great birds charged headlong and scattered the snakes. Their huge claws came down and seized the serpents, talons sinking deep into their bodies, tearing the red-crested snakes open, skin and flesh alike.
The birds chased the snakes straight toward them, and Wei Yong said joyfully, "It's the archer cavalry of the capital guard!"
The birds soon came abreast of them, racing past; and several of the archers, catching sight of Shen Mu and Wei Yong, started in surprise and hastily hauled on the reins, making their black-feathered, vermilion-crested birds swing wide around them, crying out, "There are scholars alive ahead! Everyone take care—do not run down the scholars!"
Whish, whish, whish—banners, poles and all, were shot down from the birds' backs and planted before Shen Mu.
"Fine skill!"
Several soldiers on the birds' backs, seeing Shen Mu's palm arts and Wei Yong's swordplay, shouted their applause: "Any scholar who can live through a swarm-attack of the Dragon-Driving Sect's serpents has some skill about him, sure enough!"
The birds charging up from behind saw those banners and at once sheered off to either side, giving Shen Mu and the rest a wide berth.
After a while the birds and the snakes passed into the distance, and Shen Mu let out his breath. Behind him Wei Yong returned his flying swords to the case and dropped onto the ground, puffing and blowing. Shen Mu looked back and saw monstrous beasts battling in the mountain forest, a vast serpent like a dragon churning among the woods, a terrible sight. It must be Long Jiaonan, the young sect master of the Dragon-Driving Sect, having met the archer cavalry and fallen to fighting in earnest.
A moment later the capital's follow-up forces came killing in—this time the sword guards. Sword pellets rose into the air, blazing with light, and thousands upon thousands of flying swords rained down, leaving the Dragon-Driving Sect grievously dead and wounded. Long Jiaonan withdrew with his great serpent; countless smaller snakes swam over and onto that serpent's body, and the Dragon-Driving Sect's many disciples took to the air and likewise alighted upon it. The great serpent spat out a demon cloud and rose into the sky, riding that cloud away into the distance, the cloud thick with thunder and lightning. The sword guards gave chase, drawing farther and farther from Shen Mu and Wei Yong.
"Are there any scholars still alive?" a voice called loudly from the mountain forest.
"Yes—we just saw two scholars!"
"Only two scholars?"
The voice fell silent.
"Where did the ship sail from?"
"Jiangling Commandery, I think—the homeland of Imperial Preceptor Jingping..."
"Damnation! The Dragon-Driving Sect attacking the scholars' ship from Jiangling Commandery—plainly they meant to strike at Imperial Preceptor Jingping's prestige. And the fault is ours, for guarding so poorly... You, come with me. We'll go see those two scholars."
...
After a while several great birds came racing up before Shen Mu and the others, and a general in full armor leaped down from one of them. He looked at Shen Mu and Wei Yong and said, in a voice like a great bell, "You two scholars—do you know how many were aboard that ship?"
Shen Mu had not counted carefully. He hesitated: "Somewhere between three and five hundred."
The general's eye twitched. "Three to five hundred scholars..."
Wei Yong said hastily, "General, many of those scholars were adepts with the art of flight. I saw a great many fly off the ship—they should have survived."