Chapter 375 — The Artless Smile

Shen Mu had only just let out his breath when his heart seized again in alarm; he made haste to bring out the golden flute, and there he saw blood flood-dragons leaping down one after another from the roof, their slender four legs landing, while from elsewhere hundreds more of the blood flood-dragons came swarming, penning them inside the great hall. Shen Mu blew the golden flute, and the flood dragons coiled about the bronze pillars of the hall slid slowly down and took up guard before the doorway. Inside, everyone's heart was gripped by a nameless dread. The blood flood-dragons, transformed from the blood of a god, were far too many.

How fearsome was the power of a god's blood?

The people of Little Jade Capital had heard tell of it; heirs of Jingping's foremost holy land, after all, they knew no fewer secrets than Shen Mu. Shen Mu had seen god-demon blood more than once.

Following the village headman, he had witnessed its power in the Wasteland; he had met the root demon of Withered Ridge, nourished by god-demon blood; and he had seen the divine blood struck down when the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping crossed blades with a god of the heavens.

Yet how strong the blood flood-dragons born of Lord Dragonkeeper's blood might be, he had no way of knowing. Though through the golden flute he could sense and command the flood dragons, whether he could hold off the blood flood-dragons' siege he likewise could not reckon, and the most perilous thing of all, for them, was the uncanny energy of the divine blood hidden within those blood flood-dragons. The blood flood-dragons darted swiftly about outside the hall, leaping and springing to and fro, like a pack of starving hyenas waiting for the moment to strike.

Suddenly one blood flood-dragon threw back its head and gave two cries; in an instant countless blood flood-dragons moved as one and hurled themselves at the great hall.

Shen Mu blew a mighty blast upon the flute, and the flood dragons guarding the hall answered with dragon roar upon dragon roar and went to meet the blood flood-dragons.

The flood dragons under Shen Mu's command were incomparably strong, dragons Lord Dragonkeeper had spent untold years rearing, of exceedingly high power, and they held back the hundreds of blood flood-dragons. One after another the blood flood-dragons were shattered by the dozen-odd flood dragons into clouds of blood mist.

Compared with the flood dragons Lord Dragonkeeper had reared, the blood flood-dragons were still far too weak. Outside, the snarling gradually subsided, leaving only the rush of rain and the fine, rolling cadence of Shen Mu's flute.

The flute fell silent.

The rain seemed only the louder then. In the hall, every face was tight with dread; no one dared relax.

They watched outside, where thunder followed upon thunder, lighting the darkness, and the faces of Shen Mu and the others flickered light and dark.

One flood dragon drew slowly back, from the doorway into the hall.

Shen Mu's heart sank.

A second flood dragon withdrew, then a third, a fourth. Those dozen-odd flood dragons seemed to have met their bane, to have met something that struck terror into them; one by one they fell back slowly, retreating to the side of Shen Mu and the others.

"What is out there? " Long Yu said hoarsely.

Outside came a chirping, twittering sound, as though something slippery were rolling about; then came footsteps, heavy, solid footsteps, as though treading upon their hearts, coming step by step toward the great hall.

Shen Mu blew the golden flute, but the dozen-odd flood dragons lay prostrate on the ground, docile and motionless.

Cold sweat sprang out on Shen Mu's brow. In the doorway appeared a towering figure that blocked it whole: a Lord Dragonkeeper formed of pure divine blood stood before their eyes.

At the sight of that figure even the dragon qilin's sinews went slack; it lay down on the ground and dared not stir.

Shen Mu's eyelid twitched.

Lord Dragonkeeper held a natural dominance over the flood dragons he had reared with his own hand, and there was upon his body a strange aura that cowed even the dragon qilin, which carried dragon blood.

"That blacksmith you invited, his strength is indeed great.

" The Lord Dragonkeeper formed of divine blood grinned, baring blood-colored teeth, a pair of blood-red eyes fixed on Shen Mu, and said coldly, "But he cannot protect you, little thing. Show me that artless smile of yours once more.

" Shen Mu forced a smile and said to the others, "It is nothing but a heap of divine blood.

Let us all go at once and take him down! "