Chapter 282 — The Dragon Lord's Invitation

Those who should be arrested, arrest; those who should be killed, kill. In extraordinary times there must be harsh laws and severe punishments! " The Prefect's face turned earthen. Shen Mu summoned Shen Wanyun and the others. "Your job is here.

In a little while you are to go with the constables and make the arrests.

" Shen Wanyun stammered, "Sect Leader, didn't you say there was no danger?

The people who could annex land in these chaotic times are local magnates, and these clans of the interior are extremely powerful!

" Shen Mu smiled.

"You are masters of the Imperial College, elites of the realm by any reckoning. How can you be afraid of local magnates? " Wei Yong, Yue Qinghong and the others were eager to have a try. Before long, the Crown Prince and the Prefect issued the order to arrest, and Wei Yong and the others went with the soldiers.

They did not return until noon, drenched in blood—plainly they had been through several fierce battles.

Ling Yushu took two days to finish the business of Jiazhou, then continued east, managing the Tu River along the way. That day he arrived at Hezhou.

Hezhou borders the sea on the east, far from the capital, with a network of waterways and a great harbor. Merchant ships from this port not only connected with every harbor in the nation but did business with other kingdoms, and even with realms overseas. The party was already used to the way of things, and as soon as they came to Hezhou, they dispersed on their own investigations without waiting for the Vice Minister's instructions.

When the business of Hezhou was settled, Ling Yushu, seeing that everyone was thoroughly worn out, said, "You have all worked hard. Why not rest a few days in Hezhou before we set out?

" Everyone cheered.

Ling Yuxiu dragged Shen Mu out to go shopping. "Hezhou is a great trading city, and there are all sorts of novel foreign goods.

Let us have a look in the market! " "I'll come too! " Si Yunxiang followed along. Ling Yuxiu glanced at her and thought, 'Fox spirit! ' 'Little hussy.

. . ' Si Yunxiang thought with a sweet smile.

Their gazes slid past each other; Shen Mu seemed not to notice.

There were indeed many strange and wonderful things in the Hezhou market, but what drew his eye was not the exotic merchandise but the foreigners. He saw many foreigners in outlandish dress, people unlike the Jingping natives.

Some were one-eyed, not with two symmetrical eyes but a single vertical eye set in the brow's center.

There were four-armed men and two-faced men.

He also saw several sea-folk girls, all decked out in bright colors, but with eight octopus-like limbs, moving nimbly along; on closer inspection, they had gills beside their ears.

"They come up out of the sea," Si Yunxiang murmured in Shen Mu's ear, "merchants of the sea-folk. People say they have built cities and nations on the seabed. " Shen Mu was startled.

The sea-folk were selling strange wares too. He stopped in front of a blue coral tree. The coral tree exuded a mist of water, wrapping itself in a watery sphere; inside the mist, a girl three inches tall rode a sea-horse to and fro, singing a song in some unknown tongue.

Then more girls on sea-horses came down from the tree, together with some men, and in the water they danced and sang in a ring around the coral tree.

The tree housed a small tribe! Si Yunxiang and Ling Yuxiu were both bewitched by the sight.

At that moment, a tall girl in a dark green dress stepped up, looked at the blue coral tree, and remarked, "What a strange creature.

Don't you think so, Little Red? " Shen Mu turned his head.

On her earlobes, as white as mutton-fat jade, hung red jade earrings. One of the earrings suddenly spread open—it was a little red snake that opened its mouth and flirted its forked tongue at Shen Mu with a hiss. "Long Jiaonan! " Shen Mu gave a start and moved to draw his sword.

Long Jiaonan laughed. "Sect Leader Shen, you had better not move.

My Little Red is at the Seven-Star stage; with one open mouth she can gobble up all three of you.

Sect Leader, my father would like to see you. " Shen Mu's scalp prickled. "The old Dragon King is here as well?

" Long Jiaonan gave a brittle laugh. "My father is known as the Dragon King; how could he fail to have power in Hezhou? It is all thanks to you, Sect Leader, that my Dragon-Riding Sect was wiped out and my father and I were forced to take refuge in the Eastern Sea!

" Si Yunxiang blinked and said joyfully, "Congratulations, Sister Long, on seizing the Dark Demon Sect Leader and the Sixth Princess of Jingping.

There is nothing for me to do here, so I will be on my way! " Long Jiaonan laughed coldly. In a flash, the little red snake slithered to Si Yunxiang's neck, its forked tongue flicking out to lick her skin.

"The eldest young lady of the Si family, the Holy Maiden of the Dark Demon Sect—your value is not a whit less than the Sixth Princess's.

Did you think I had not looked into you? "