Chapter 302 — Truly Shabby

"Fellow Daoists.

. .

" "Pah! " The two bats were full of fight.

"This poison of mine has merely seeped into your souls.

It is a soul-poison of my own new making.

This is only your first attack; after ten attacks, your souls will tear apart, in agony beyond all bearing!

" Shen Mu smiled amiably.

"This soul poison is unlike others. It breeds itself within the soul, and each attack makes it a tenth more potent. I have the antidote here, and each time I give you a tenth of it — just enough to cancel out that extra tenth of poison.

" He took out the two spirit pills he had just refined, cut a small piece from each, and stuffed them into the two bats' mouths; then, with a casual slap, he smashed the two pills to powder. He kept no antidote on his person lest the two white bats, in a sudden fit of murderous agony, kill him and seize it. He would refine the antidote afresh before each attack of the soul poison came on — that was how they would be held in check. The soul poison within the two bats was suppressed by the antidote, the agony vanished, and they rose to their feet, their faces shifting between dark and fair.

After a moment, Fu Yuchun sighed. "We admit defeat.

But we will only protect you within the Nether Valley. Once you leave the Nether Valley, we part ways! " "Done!

" Shen Mu agreed with alacrity. Then he refined another batch of pills and tossed it to the two white bats, and tossed them a bottle of dragon saliva for their external wounds.

"Dragon saliva applied outside, spirit pills taken within, and your injuries should be all but healed. " The two white bats swallowed the pills and smeared the dragon saliva on their wounds, and indeed their injuries were very nearly cured.

"Careful — there are soul-worms beneath the ground!

Fat bastard, do not let your feet touch the earth! " Fu Yuqiu's ears twitched in warning. Beneath the dragon qilin's feet fiery clouds came crowding up in haste, lifting it from the ground.

Shen Mu looked down and saw snow-white tendrils boring up out of the soil, waving gently.

These strange creatures were uncanny indeed; abruptly the white tendrils sprouted twisted faces, opening their mouths to give shrill screams that lashed at their souls. The two white bats shrieked in unison, and silent soundwaves crashed down into the ground.

The earth beneath trembled violently, then suddenly split open, and a huge bug covered in tentacles crawled up from below, half its body above the ground and half below, shaken dead by the bats' soundwaves. The bug swiftly dissolved, soon becoming a pool of water that was swallowed by the mud. As it dissolved, many tiny manikins burrowed out from within it, faces twisted, running about in all directions, and soon turning to wisps of green smoke that scattered away.

Shen Mu was stunned. What kind of outlandish life was this?

"The Nether Valley is ancient beyond reckoning. I heard from my forebears that this place once bordered the Nether Capital; the gods of old opened a passage to another world — the world of the Nether Capital. Some things from the Nether Capital slipped through, and only after great hardship did they seal it. Afterwards our White Bat God clan was charged with guarding this place, to keep the life of the Nether Capital from breaking through the world's barrier and entering here.

But by this generation, of the White Bat God clan only we two brothers remain. " The two white bats exchanged a glance, both showing bitterness, their two faces scrunched up like dried oranges. They were both male — how to continue the line was the greatest problem of all.

Shen Mu was dumbfounded.

After a moment he said, "I never thought you two were the guardians of this world. But you are brothers, and both male — when you die of old age, who will guard the Nether Valley.

. . " "Say no more! " said the two white bats in one voice. "Very well.

" Shen Mu did not bring it up again.

"Do you remember what happened sixteen years ago?

Sixteen years ago, did a fire come from beyond the sky and fall to this place? " "There was such a thing. It blasted through the seal left behind by the elders of our White Fu God clan.

" Fu Yuqiu said, "We went to look.

The place is very dangerous.

Then some people came; we ate a few of them. But some fellows got inside — only a few came out alive.

" Shen Mu's spirits soared.

He said urgently, "What exactly was it that fell from the sky? " "A ship — half of it buried in the Nether Capital, half of it left underground. "