Chapter 210 — No Choice But to Admit Defeat

Shen Mu reattached Old Master Huo's arm and set back the Lame Old Man's leg, laid the two old men in the medicine cauldron, boiled a full cauldron of medicinal broth, stewed the pair of them, and told Snow Fox to feed the fire at the cauldron's side. He walked out of the room and saw that the sky outside had already darkened; he came out of the courtyard and found the Scholars' Lodge empty of every soul, no doubt all run off to take shelter, leaving only the Demon King of Dutian still standing in the lane by the Lodge, unable to move. Shen Mu went up and opened the belly of the god statue.

Inside the statue's belly were several hundred fine, ingenious gears. Shen Mu reached in and gave the gears two turns, and at once the Demon King of Dutian felt his legs able to move; he scrambled off and ran, but after a few steps there came again a clack-clack from within his body, and every joint locked tight once more. "Long Da, drag him back into the courtyard," Shen Mu said to the dragon qilin at the gate. The dragon qilin wagged its tail and came waddling over with its great belly, took one of the Demon King's legs in its teeth, dragged the king down, hauled him back into Shen Mu's courtyard with a great clattering, and dumped him in the corner by the wall.

"Damn your mother's egg, if you've got the guts, fight me three hundred rounds! " the Demon King of Dutian cursed. "What kind of hero are you, to lock me up like this? " Shen Mu turned a deaf ear, and quietly, serenely, mixed his spirit medicine. Lightning suddenly flared over the god statue, which tried to fly out from it, but at once runes and sigils surfaced on the statue's surface, brightening, and trapped the lightning inside.

The Demon King of Dutian cursed foully.

The surface of the god statue was stamped with the sealing runes of the Golden Palace of Loulan, runes Shen Mu had learned from the talisman treasure in the Golden Palace's vault, and quietly imprinted upon the statue when he refined it. Shen Mu too had worried that after taking possession of the statue he might still escape, and so had added this rune seal as well. His medicine prepared, Shen Mu turned to the Demon King of Dutian in the corner and said to him in all earnestness, "Tell me all the language of Youdu that you know, and I will let you out.

" "I'd sooner trust a ghost of yours!

" the Demon King raged.

"Don't imagine I'll fall for it a second time! " Shen Mu's face was all honest goodwill as he said with utter sincerity, "We can swear the Oath of Tubo. That way you may set your heart at ease. " "Set your own arse at ease!

" "Hey, hey, and you call yourself a Demon King, cursing like that? " "Love your own arse! Don't imagine I'll ever believe another word from you. If I believe one word of it, I'm your turtle grandson!

" . .

. The Lame Old Man and Old Master Huo lay comfortably in the great cauldron, the broth bubbling with gobbling blisters that burst with little pops. "Little fox, add another log.

" The Lame Old Man squinted, watching his great gold chain float up from the water, glanced back at the Demon King of Dutian still cursing away, and laughed: "This little Shen'er, he's truly grown up.

I'd thought it would take you and me both, laying hands to it, to do away with this confounded Demon King; I never thought he'd settle it himself.

Now I'm starting to worry. Not about him, about the people who set themselves against him.

Tell me, who did the boy learn to be so wicked, so vicious from?

" Old Master Huo stared at him.

The great gold chain at his own neck too had floated up out of the water, its gold lacquer nearly boiled away. The Lame Old Man said, puzzled, "Everyone in the village is good folk.

Who did the boy learn such cunning from?

Could he have gone bad only after leaving the village? " Old Master Huo kept staring at him.

The Lame Old Man laughed.

"What are you staring at me for? Is there a flower on my face? You're making my skin crawl. Old Master Huo, were you a constable once? When you look at me, my heart always quails. " Old Master Huo turned his head away and said mildly, "I served as a constable in the Protectorate for several decades, and afterwards took a post at the Court of Judicial Review. After I broke one great case, my name shook the realm, and the Great Tingming Temple came looking for me; only then did I give it up.

" "No wonder.

Your looks give me the creeps.

The monks of the Great Tingming Temple are a meddlesome lot; you'd already returned to lay life, and still they came for you. " The two were stewed all night, and in the course of it Shen Mu changed the medicine once more.

When the sky was full light, Old Master Huo and the Lame Old Man rose, washed and dressed themselves neatly, and found that Shen Mu had already made breakfast; the whole family sat and ate a steady, peaceful meal.

Snow Fox ran off to help Shen Mu wash the dishes, and the Lame Old Man stood and said with a smile, "Shen'er, Old Master Huo and I won't be staying at your place any longer. We're off. " Shen Mu hurried to dry his hands.

"Let me see you two grandpas on your way. " Old Master Huo waved a hand. "No need. Seeing that you live well, the Lame One and I are both at ease.

We are old, and you can already protect yourself. " The Lame Old Man, still leaning on his crutch, glanced at him and laughed, "Old Master Huo's gone sentimental again.

Very well then, come and see us off. If you don't, he'll be miserable for two or three days. " Shen Mu followed them, escorting them all the way down the mountain. "Old Master Huo, Grandpa Lame, your arm and leg have only just been rejoined; you mustn't use them too hard yet. You'll need a year or two of nursing, and you should exercise hand and leg often, lest troubles be left behind. " Old Master Huo nodded.

The Lame Old Man sighed with feeling, "After twenty or thirty years used to one leg, the leg that was cut off suddenly grows back; it feels strange, and I can't get used to it.

" Old Master Huo felt the same: "Crippled half a lifetime, and the hand comes back; I keep feeling I've no use for this hand. " Shen Mu saw them to the mountain gate, and the Lame Old Man laughed, "Go back, don't see us further.

" Old Master Huo waved. "Remember to come home for the New Year. " "I'll be there for certain!

" Shen Mu nodded gravely, and watched the two go. When Old Master Huo and the Lame Old Man had walked out of the capital, the Lame Old Man said with feeling, "The little baby we picked up back then has truly grown up. We nearly gave him away, back then. " Old Master Huo nodded.

"Nearly.

Thank goodness you stole him back. " "This little fellow, we've taught him well enough that he's no longer so easy to cheat and fool.

I've always feared he'd be taken advantage of out there; now I can go back to the village with an easy heart. .

.

" Here the Lame Old Man suddenly halted, and Old Master Huo halted too.

The two old men looked at the Tu River ahead.

There, in midstream, stood a middle-aged man, the waves raging beneath his feet, while he stood without the least wavering.

"The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, your wounds healed? " The Lame Old Man arched his brows and asked with a smile. The Imperial Preceptor nodded.

"My wounds are healed.

And yours? " Old Master Huo worked his shoulder and said in a low voice, "Barely enough for one fight. " The Lame Old Man shook his leg and sighed, "Shen'er says I mustn't strain it, but if it comes to a fight, I can manage on one leg.

You have patience, Imperial Preceptor. That day you heard us in the room, and knew full well I had stolen from your house, yet still you chose to withdraw, and held yourself in check until now; that is no easy thing. " The Imperial Preceptor said calmly, "My wounds were not yet healed that day, so I had no choice but to give way. You two are both seniors of lofty attainment, and no wicked men; even your theft was only to relieve the disaster.

I have no wish to fight you.