Chapter 149 — The Mighty Martial Emperor
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
They crossed the Duck Tongue region of the Desolate Ruins and came out beyond the frontier, and from far off they saw dust rising on every side; out of the dust several strange beasts galloped toward them, bone spurs bristling from their heads, and on the beasts' backs sat warriors of a foreign race, tall and powerfully built, who shouted at the top of their voices, "Yisuo—! " Libationer Bashan lifted a foot, stepped onto the azure ox's massive head, planted both feet upon the ox's two horns, and with a sweep flung open his sable-fur mantle.
The charging foreign warriors caught sight of the tattoo on his chest, hastily reined their strange beasts to a halt, saluted from the beasts' backs, then turned their mounts about and went off with a roar of wind. Libationer Bashan closed his garment and stepped down from the ox's head; Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu were both rather puzzled, not knowing why these barbarians should salute him on sight.
When they came to the Mandi Nation's border pass, there too stood a towering city, its defenses exceedingly strict. Libationer Bashan led the company up to the gate; the city gates opened, and many Mandi soldiers lined both sides, ushering them respectfully within the pass.
The two of them were more puzzled still.
Just then a general who garrisoned the Mandi border came walking over, laughing heartily.
"Martial Khan, peerless under heaven, king of my grasslands — it has been long since I last saw you! Since Your Excellency went to be an official of the Jingping Nation, the name of Martial Khan has stunk to high heaven! " Libationer Bashan laughed.
"I was never a man of the grasslands to begin with.
I merely defeated your warriors out on the steppe, and you honored me with the title of Martial Khan — that is all. " "Martial Khan?
" Shen Mu and the others looked at one another, and Xuehu'er asked, puzzled, "Libationer, what is tattooed on your chest? Why do they salute you the moment they see you?
" Libationer Bashan bared his chest and said with a smile, "See for yourselves. " Shen Mu looked, and saw upon his chest the mark of a strange skull bristling with bone spurs.
"This is the tattoo of the Khan of the Mandi Nation, blessed by the Shaman Sovereign of the Mandi holy land; not everyone may bear it.
" Libationer Bashan closed his garment and said, "I was the Khan of the Mandi Nation to begin with. In those years I traveled the lands with my revered teacher, and when I came to the Mandi Nation and heard that the Mandi prized martial prowess, I took up matches with the strong of the grasslands and fought a hundred battles without a single defeat; thus was I honored as Martial Khan. In the Jingping Nation, Martial Khan means Martial Emperor.
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