Chapter 150 — The Heavenly Lord of the Northern Desert
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
"The Martial Emperor?
So Senior Brother Bashan's fame in the Man-Di Kingdom is that great!
" Shen Mu clicked his tongue in secret amazement. Ling Yuxiu said hurriedly, "Teacher, you are a master of the school of combat technique? " Libationer Bashan nodded and smiled. "In those years I followed my honored master and cultivated the blade.
Later my master vanished, and my blade-art made no progress for a long while. Then came the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping and his reforms, so I came to Jingping to study the arts of magic and of the sword, hoping to borrow stones from another mountain to break through my bottleneck. But come to think of it, what I am strongest in is not combat technique, but battle-arts.
" Ling Yuxiu was shaken inwardly.
All along the road, Libationer Bashan had taught them Daoist arts and divine powers and expounded scroll after scroll of the classics, so that she had thought his greatest mastery lay in magic and swordsmanship.
That he should prove to be an heir of the school of combat technique was truly a surprise! More surprising still was that Libationer Bashan should hold in the Man-Di Kingdom the title of Martial Emperor, and be held in such esteem. That could be called the highest honor an outsider could win in the Man-Di Kingdom!
The barbarian general led them through the frontier pass and said, "What does the Martial Khan come to our land to do? Ever since you threw in your lot with Jingping, the brave men of our grasslands have held you in contempt, and mean to take back the title of Martial Khan.
" Libationer Bashan laughed.
"The scholars of my Grand Academy wish to walk the road I walked in those years, and to try their strength against the young heroes of the Shaman Cult. " The barbarian general's body gave a slight shudder.
He looked at Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu and sneered, "These two? " Ling Yuxiu was elated. She threw Shen Mu a glance and said with a low laugh, "So we are going to try our strength against the young heroes of the Shaman Cult.
" "These two," said Libationer Bashan. "This time I mean to go to the holy place of the grasslands, the Loulan Golden Palace, and sit before its gates to block them.
In those years it was by blocking the gates of the Loulan Golden Palace that I won the name of Martial Khan.
" The muscles at the corners of the barbarian general's eyes twitched. He sneered, "In those years you succeeded in blocking the gates only because the Heavenly Khan was with you.
And now, how does your strength compare with the Heavenly Khan's? " "I am inferior, but not by much.
" The barbarian general's face darkened.
He barked at one of his soldiers, "Loose the eagle-vulture wolves!
Tell the Loulan Golden Palace that the Martial Khan has come to block their gates!
" The barbarian soldier shouted in haste, and after a moment winged giant wolves rose into the air one after another, beating their wings toward the depths of the grasslands.
The barbarian general looked at Libationer Bashan and bowed. "Martial Khan, the road ahead is rough and full of hardship.
After you!
" Libationer Bashan laughed heartily and led Shen Mu and the others into the grasslands. Ling Yuxiu asked, "Teacher Bashan, who is this Heavenly Khan the barbarian spoke of? " "My honored master.
The Heavenly Blade.
" Libationer Bashan raised his head to the sky and said calmly, "In those years he took me to block the gates of the Loulan Golden Palace, and was honored as the Heavenly Emperor Beyond the Frontier.
" "So Grandpa Zaifu was once so magnificent.
" Shen Mu was startled.
That hot-tempered Zaifu, who found fault with everyone he laid eyes on, had gone to the Granny Temple to sell meat, cleavers in both hands and a face full of slab-like muscle, fierce as a demon, and had frightened many a little girl of the Wasteland into tears. And he had once borne the title of Heavenly Khan?