Chapter 64 — One Staff Stirs Rivers and Mountains

The spring river had slowly warmed. More than ten days had passed since Shen Mu and Sang'e last broke open the ice dam, and now green willows cast shade along the banks, birds sang and flowers bloomed with fragrance—the ice tide was gone.

At the river's heart, Shen Mu halted abruptly in mid-run, yet his body did not sink; instead he stood upon the water's surface, ripples bursting forth from beneath his feet one after another, spreading outward in all directions, a fine sight to behold. He was using his Xuanwu vital essence to command the water's flow, so that he need not run to stand upon the surface, as steady as on flat ground. The art of controlling water with Xuanwu vital essence—he had already grasped its knack and wielded it with ease.

Shh—the sound of a sharp sword cleaving the air. At the river's center Shen Mu pointed two fingers to direct his sword; the Chubao sword flicked upward, swept level, chopped down.

His body moved and the sword moved with it, every motion he performed the simplest of techniques.

In recent days he had been learning from the village head the most basic skills of wielding a sword.

Beyond the thrust, he had also mastered the chop, the upward flick, the hang, the cloud, the point, the burst, the intercept, the scissor, and the sweep, among other sword techniques. But the village head had taught him no sword form at all—only made him practice the simplest motions over and over, day after day. And by the riverbank, the blind old man stood motionless on his staff, like a statue.

After Shen Mu had parted from Sang'e at the canyon and returned to the village, he had told the villagers of releasing Sang'e and mentioned Little Leiyin Temple; Old Master Huo and the others had then forbidden him to leave the village, and even if he went out, a villager had to accompany him. On the river's surface the wind grew louder and louder. Each time Shen Mu struck out with his sword it stirred up a gust and a wave.

The most basic sword motions the village head had taught him erupted with terrifying power in his hands! As he practiced again and again, the wind and waves on the river grew ever greater and more urgent.

With a single thrust of his sword, the river's surface split open for more than a dozen zhang, reaching a depth of over a zhang; the great fish and river beasts below dared not approach.

Shen Mu directed his sword in an upward flick, and the river water shot skyward, scattering down as a torrential spray. Then he directed it in an upward sweep, and the water transformed into a water dragon that shot out at a slant. Though it was the simplest qi-guided flying sword, its power in his hands was frighteningly strong. He had practiced these most basic motions for over two years and knew them by heart, yet the village head still would not teach him the complete techniques.

Suddenly the blind old man's ears twitched, and he called out loudly, "Shen-er, stop. A boat is coming. " Shen Mu sheathed his sword, sliding the Chubao sword into the sword bag on his back, and looked up.

A tower ship was drifting down from upstream. His heart skipped—this was the very ship that had been charting the geography of the Yong River. The tower ship was returning from upstream; it must have already charted the entire waterway of the Yong River.

He shifted his steps, moving out of the channel the tower ship would pass through. The tower ship sped downstream with the current and soon arrived before him.

A voice of admiration came from the ship: "Standing motionless on the river—fine skill, deep vital essence.

" Shen Mu looked toward the voice and saw General Shen standing at the bow, accompanied by a youth with a somewhat babyish plumpness, holding a folding fan and gazing at him. "Dragon Palace black ice!

" Shen Mu's heart turned cold.

He saw a massive block of black ice, within which a Black Water Dragon Pearl hung suspended, and a hand was gripping the pearl! That was all he could see; what lay below the ice was blocked by the ship's hull. Even so, he knew where the black ice and that hand had come from.

Clearly, the general and his party, while charting the Yong River, had discovered the Dragon Palace at the river's bottom, found their way there, and then discovered Pei Wujiu and the young Black Dragon sealed by the Black Water Dragon Pearl!

At this moment, the young Black Dragon was likely also within the black ice.

The general had probably not slain the Black Dragon Mother's soul—rather, he had collected it, keeping the black ice from melting. His purpose must be the young Black Dragon within the ice—if the black ice melted, the young dragon would die.

He likely intended to bring the ice to Jingping Kingdom and seek a master to heal the young Black Dragon, which was why he had not freed Pei Wujiu. "It's that youth who stood on the mountain top with the Xuanliao Demon Ape.

" The plump youth said in surprise, "I never expected his vital essence to be so vigorous—even a bit stronger than mine.

" Suddenly, Pei Wujiu's voice came from within the ice: "I can sense my Chubao sword! General Shen Feiyue, stop the ship—my Chubao sword is nearby, and that brat who tricked me is nearby too!

" The tower ship halted. General Shen's gaze fell upon Shen Mu.

"You tricked the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian out of his Chubao sword? " Shen Mu said, "He wanted to eat me, so I tricked him out of his sword. You got him out of the Dragon Palace—could you get the scabbard out for me too?

With the scabbard it's a complete set. " Shen Feiyue's eyes flickered. "Give it to you?

This is the court's sword—impossible. Please return the Chubao sword to the court. " Shen Mu shook his head, puzzled.

"I tricked it away with my own skill—why should I return it?

" The plump youth was none other than the "Seventh Young Master. " Hearing this, he burst out laughing.

"This youth speaks quite amusingly. " Shen Feiyue gave a cold snort and said calmly, "Do you know how great a crime it is to deceive a court official and scheme to seize his treasure? " "There is no court in the Wasteland.

" Shen Mu said, perplexed, "In a lawless place, who can convict me? " "You are so fearless—it seems you have something to rely on.

" Shen Feiyue looked toward the riverbank, his pupils contracting sharply. He said in a low voice, "This junior is Shen Feiyue, disciple of the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, Loyal and Martial General of the fourth rank of Jingping Kingdom. How should this senior by the river be addressed?

" The blind old man leaned on his bamboo staff and chuckled. "Just a blind old man—how else would you address me?

A crippled old fool, nothing more.

" Shen Feiyue's expression darkened. He glanced around and caught sight of the Hidden Remnant Village.

He smiled. "Three years ago, Ling Hanchuan, prefect of the Seven Li Prefecture of the Southern Wasteland in our Jingping Kingdom, led many experts of the Lanjiang Sword Sect into the Wasteland, said to be seeking revenge.

Later, someone found his body and those of the Lanjiang Sword Sect experts beneath the river.

I personally examined the corpses of Ling Hanchuan and the others—they were killed by spear thrusts, but the killer did not use a spear.

He used a bamboo staff.

Senior, you also use a bamboo staff? " The blind old man held his bamboo staff and said with a smile, "If a blind old man doesn't use a bamboo staff, what else would he use? This staff is for feeling the road, lest these blind eyes fail to recognize the way and I kick a hard stone—that would not be good.

" Shen Feiyue heard the implication in his words and grew all the more certain of his guess. He sneered, "Senior, Ling Hanchuan must have died nearby, yes?

Did you see anything at the time? " The blind old man said bleakly, "I am a blind old man—what could I see? Young general, you jest. I have heard the name Ling Hanchuan before. To think he met such a cruel end? It pains my heart. .