Chapter 275 — Sorcery Claims a Life

"Murder!

Murder! " An attendant hurried off to report to the Grand Libationer Pei Wujiu, crying out, "Disaster, sir!

Shen Mu, Erudite of the Imperial College, has killed again! " In the hall of the Imperial College, Pei Wujiu was drinking tea, unperturbed. He laughed.

"What is there to make such a fuss over?

He is the Sect Master of the Dark Demon Cult; is it worth your panic that he killed a man?

It would be stranger if he did not kill. Who did he kill this time? " The attendant, not pausing even to catch his breath, said, "He killed two Qiankang envoys of the Mandi Kingdom!

" Crack! The teacup in Pei Wujiu's hand burst to powder, and his face changed utterly. "The Mandi Kingdom's Qiankang envoys? Two of them?

No — I have already feasted them; why would they still slip stones into my shoes? " He scrambled to his feet, meaning to rush out of the hall, then abruptly halted, pacing back and forth. "He is the Sect Master of the Dark Demon Cult, the chief of the foremost holy ground of the demonic path. If I go running over to call him to account, that is the old man of longevity hanging himself — weary of life.

This matter had better be reported to His Highness the Crown Prince first. " Libationer Bashan stood not far off, observing Ban Gongcuo and Shen Mu.

Seeing all this, he felt his brain buzz and ache, and his head truly began to swell: "Junior brother, I only told you to sound out the depths of Ban Gongcuo — who told you to kill the Mandi Kingdom's envoys as well?

" The Mandi Kingdom's Qiankang envoys were envoys sent by the Khan of Mandi, led by Ban Gongcuo, more than ten in number; this time Shen Mu had killed two of them outright in the Imperial College. There was no way this could end well!

The Mandi Kingdom's Khan Luan was a great lord of his generation on the steppe, a man of grand design and mighty talent, who had swallowed the other khanates of the steppe and forged a great steppe power to stand against Jingping. He had even studied the culture of Jingping, drawn on its strengths, developed Mandi, and reformed its internal affairs. Mandi's court was organized on the same pattern as Jingping's, and schools were established throughout the land.

As yet he had not unified the steppe, so he could not throw his full strength against Jingping; but once he unified it, he would gather all his power to deal with Jingping. And now Jingping, after two calamities, had seen its strength gravely diminished.

The chief purpose of Khan Luan's envoys, apart from study, was to see just how far Jingping had declined. He was a fierce eagle perched above the steppe, ready at any moment to strike eastward; give him an opening, and he would lead the steppe's iron cavalry like fire, whip pointed at the Central Plains. But plainly Shen Mu cared nothing for any of this.

He had simply killed two Qiankang envoys. That act might well provoke war between the two nations!

At a time when the effects of the natural disasters had not yet faded and Jingping lay weak, if Khan Luan seized the moment and marched his army in, the calamity would be terrible.

Libationer Bashan somewhat regretted asking Shen Mu to sound out Ban Gongcuo.

Plainly this junior brother who had come running out of Huangxu knew no law and feared nothing, and had grown bold besides. Having killed the envoys, he could pat his backside and return to Huangxu — but behind that backside there would surely be a heap of mess left to clean.

"It is the Crown Prince who holds the regency now; let us see how Crown Prince Yushu handles it. " Libationer Bashan could not help feeling a headache on Ling Yushu's behalf. Since becoming Crown Prince and regent, Ling Yushu had done well enough: he had issued an edict of self-reproach and begged forgiveness of Heaven at the Altar of Heaven; whether annulling treaties or reclaiming land, continuing relief for the disaster victims, all had been handled well, and won him much goodwill. But now, surely, he had met the first hard problem of his regency.

Ban Gongcuo's gaze fell upon Shen Mu, and there was little emotion in it, as though no matter how Shen Mu pressed him or goaded him, his mind could not be shaken.

Ban Gongcuo said indifferently, "The Sect Master of the Dark Demon Cult is naturally no small talent. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding between us. If the Sect Master does not mind, tomorrow I shall set a banquet at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion in the capital to make amends to the Sect Master. What does Sect Master Shen think?

" "Good.

" Shen Mu was most free and easy. He laughed: "Those two retainers of yours were reckless beyond measure, daring to raise a hand against me; as their master, you truly ought to set a banquet and apologize.

" Ban Gongcuo's eye twitched. He turned and left. Shen Mu's gaze stayed fixed on his back, killing intent thick as a flood — yet Ban Gongcuo walked very steadily, as though he sensed nothing, felt no discomfort, except that his steps were a little disordered, so that he seemed to limp as he walked.

"This fellow.

. .

" Shen Mu drew a cold breath, feeling deeply how difficult and terrible Ban Gongcuo was.

He had provoked him again and again, even slapped his face and humiliated him before his eyes, killed his retainers — and still the man showed neither joy nor anger. And now Shen Mu's killing intent was aimed straight at him, and he could still walk so steadily, limping only slightly. Truly a terrifying figure.

Of this much he was sure: if it were a strong man like the Daozi or the Fozi, locked by Shen Mu's gaze with killing intent fixed upon his back, they would not dare move a single step; one movement would expose a flaw.

And if a man's cultivation and attainment were deeper and stronger than the Daozi's or the Fozi's, then under Shen Mu's targeting he would either limp as he walked, or retreat slowly, facing Shen Mu the whole way.

The reason for the limp was that he shifted his body to evade any possible attack from Shen Mu; he could no longer walk a straight line, and must even make his body rise and fall. Hence Ban Gongcuo's gait looked strange, as though he limped — but in truth he exposed not the slightest flaw, gave Shen Mu no opportunity at all! What was most terrible was that Ban Gongcuo limped only slightly, and not badly at all, which showed how lofty his attainment and cultivation were! Libationer Bashan came over quickly to Shen Mu's side, and saw that Shen Mu was still watching Ban Gongcuo's departing figure.

"Senior brother Bashan, you have given me a thorny job. " Shen Mu let out a breath of foul air and looked at Libationer Bashan. He said in a low voice, "This Ban Gongcuo is the most formidable man of my generation I have ever met!

More formidable than Lin Xuan the Daozi! If he is not that old monster who has reincarnated eighteen times, then he must, like me, possess a Hegemon Body!

" Libationer Bashan's face was unfriendly: "So you killed two Qiankang envoys? " Shen Mu was taken aback.

He mumbled, "Did you ever say I could not kill? Besides, out beyond the frontier, did we not kill a great many of the great shamans of the Loulan Golden Palace?

This time only two — I would say I let them off cheap. " Libationer Bashan laughed in fury: "Is it the same?

Last time I took you and the princess to blockade a door, and the identity I used was Khan Wu — that had nothing to do with Jingping. This time they are Qiankang envoys, and they represent the Mandi Kingdom!

You killed two envoys of Mandi — that is a slap to Mandi's face.

How could they possibly let it go? " Shen Mu said honestly, "You did not say so either. . .

They are dead already; they cannot be brought back to life.

" Libationer Bashan's head felt ready to split. He too let out a breath of foul air and said, "Now you wait for the Crown Prince to summon you. .