Chapter 171 — The Tail That Can't Be Hidden
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
. . " Heavenly King Lu looked at the devastation strewn across the mountain slopes — trees Shen Mu had raced about blasting down with every kind of spell and divine power while he was comprehending; in some places the fallen trees were still burning, crackling and popping.
"Rare in this world is of course no match for once in five hundred years — after all, only one can appear in five centuries.
Our Holy Cult Master is fine in every way, except that he is far too good at making trouble. " The Cult-Protecting Heavenly King said with a sigh, "Holy Advent Mountain has only been wrecked like this when the Daoist sect and the Great Thunderpeal Temple invaded, hasn't it?
" "Say no more. He is the Cult Master chosen by the Patriarch, after all.
However good he is at making trouble, we must endure it.
Come, let us go put out the fires!
" Shen Mu sat motionless on the Sage's Stone for another half day, until hunger woke him, and he called Snow Fox to go hunt a river deer. Man and fox built a fire and roasted the river deer's meat; they ate only half of it before both Shen Mu and Snow Fox lost their appetite.
"Has the young master grown tired of the taste?
" The little fox picked her teeth listlessly and said, "I saw a few fish-dragons in the Fish-Viewing Pool. They look quite delicious — plump and well fed.
" "I saw them too.
They do whet the appetite.
" Shen Mu hesitated, then said, "I fear I cannot beat those fish. But Grandpa Dan said that when you cannot win, you drug them. " Snow Fox let out a cheer; halfway through it the little fox hastily shut her mouth, for the three Cult-Protecting Heavenly Kings were standing behind them with black faces.
Shen Mu rose and said with a smile, "When did you Heavenly Kings arrive? " "Just now, just now.
" Heavenly King Shi said amiably, "Holy Cult Master, do continue eating at your leisure; there is no hurry. By the way, those fish-dragons in the Fish-Viewing Pool were stocked by the sixteenth-generation Cult Master.
Back then the sixteenth-generation Cult Master was expounding the dharma to his disciples by the pool and released a few fish, using the transformation of fish into dragons to enlighten his disciples; it was celebrated as a fine tale, and so these fish-dragons survived.
When you have time, Holy Cult Master, go count them at the pool, lest any of the fish slip away. " Shen Mu's face reddened slightly. So these fish-dragons could not be eaten?
"Cult Master, how does the river deer taste?
" Heavenly King Lu said with a smile. "Sit down and eat with me," Shen Mu invited.
The three Cult-Protecting Heavenly Kings did not stand on ceremony; each sat down on the ground and shared out the river deer meat.
Heavenly King Yu licked the grease from his fingers and said with a smile, "It really is not bad! If I did not know these river deer were raised by the previous Holy Maiden, I would have eaten them long ago!
" "So they were raised by Granny Zhu. .
.
" Shen Mu's face darkened.
Was there anything at all on Holy Advent Mountain that could be eaten? Heavenly King Lu said, as if casually, "That grove the Cult Master destroyed was planted in the time of the founding Patriarch. Iron trees grow slowly; to reach such thickness they must have grown for several thousand years. " Shen Mu grew restless. That grove had been utterly destroyed by him, leaving only a few scorched iron trees standing starkly there.
"The Sacred Heart Flowers in the flower bed before the Sacred Heart Hall have been picked by someone, no one knows who," Heavenly King Yu said with a smile.
Shen Mu looked at Snow Fox.
Snow Fox stared down at a river deer bone, and her fluffy tail, which usually swayed to and fro, was strangely still.