Chapter 78 — The Golden Crow Treasure Ship

Granny Zhu's brows knit fiercely; forthwith she issued her order, her voice harsh: "Martial law throughout the city! Hunt down the fiend! Drive every soul in this city to the square at its heart — I want to see who dares play tricks right under my nose!

" The adepts of the city lord's mansion took the command and went down at once, herding every person in the city, merchants from afar included, to the square at the city's center. Shen Feiyue's brows knit as well; that the fiend behind the mischief had not been found left him deeply uneasy.

"Young General Shen need not worry.

This city is my city — mine, Fu's. No fiend or monster can make trouble here!

" So said Granny Zhu, smiling, inside the skin of Fu Yundi. "Drive them all together — even if that fiend's powers are vast and he is a master of hiding, he cannot escape my palm! Do not scruple to summon the king's army. The Wasteland teems with lawless wretches, folk badly in need of discipline! Speaking of which, I have long heard the great name of the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, and admire him greatly — I itch to meet him and listen to his instruction! " Shen Feiyue pressed his unease down and smiled.

"Rest easy, City Lord. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping has always meted out reward and punishment with perfect clarity; the City Lord has rendered great service to the Kingdom of Jingping, and will surely rise in rank and title, soar to glory — no need to keep watch over this bitter, frozen land. " Granny Zhu laughed heartily, insufferably pleased with herself, then of a sudden snarled: "The fiend who stirred up this trouble has no sense of the times.

When he is caught he will be sliced to death by a thousand cuts, his head hung on the city gate as a warning to all! Ah, and one more thing — when you stand before the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, Young General Shen, put in a good word or two for me. That disturbance just now was not my doing, not Fu's, this—" Shen Feiyue understood at once, and laughed. "Be at ease, City Lord. I will surely recommend you before the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping.

" Granny Zhu let out a breath, her eyes flickering, and lowered her voice: "Truth be told, I have run things here for many years, and I have come by a few remarkable treasures. After the Imperial Preceptor enters the city, why not come with me, Young General Shen, and admire them?

If any takes your fancy, take it, by all means—" Shen Feiyue's heart stirred. The Wasteland was said to be treasure-strewn ground, and there was no lack of relics from before the Darkness swept through; Fu Yundi had managed affairs here for many years and must have gathered countless rare and wondrous things. If he could step into that vault and choose a few, it would be a fine profit indeed! Atop the dragon pillar, Shen Mu watched the Deaf Elder paint, making of painting itself a divine ability, and could not keep his eyes from swimming, his heart filled with admiration. From childhood he had studied letters and painting under the Deaf Elder and had read his fill of poetry and books, yet this was the first time he had seen the Deaf Elder display his divine ability in full.

To hold back the march of a Jingping host of more than a hundred thousand by the strength of one man — that was truly terrifying. Had there been no master in the Kingdom of Jingping able to break the Deaf Elder's divine ability, that host of a hundred thousand would likely have died beneath it. "Is that Shen-er on the pillar? " All at once the Butcher's voice rose from below.

Shen Mu craned over the edge and saw the Butcher hacking at the dragon pillar with his slaughtering knife, yet not one stroke landed upon the pillar; he was puzzled. Stroke after stroke the Butcher cut, and his figure rose slowly as he did, until before long he stood upon the pillar. "What is Grandpa Tu doing?

" Shen Mu asked, curious.

"Burying a divine ability. To destroy the dragon pillar.

" The Butcher slid his slaughtering knife into the sheath at his back, then, hands on stone, crawled up to the dragon's head and looked out at the host marching beyond the city.

"When the Jingping army enters the city, at the midnight hour of Zi, my divine ability will burst forth, and this dragon pillar will split apart, shattered to nothing by my blade-light. " The Jingping vanguard had been ambushed by the Deaf Elder and had suffered grievous losses; now a second host was marching up from the mighty Yanbian Pass, and the two armies would join and press on toward Crimson Dragon City. Mauled though they had been by the Deaf Elder, the joining of the two hosts made their array all the more imposing.

Shen Mu started, and blurted out: "Grandpa Tu means to use the Darkness to wipe out the Jingping army?

" The Butcher nodded.

"I have already buried divine abilities beneath the other three dragon pillars.

Only this one remained. " A chill ran through Shen Mu. If the four dragon pillars were destroyed at the hour of Zi, then what awaited the Jingping host would be utter annihilation! How many would be buried in the Darkness then, dying untimely deaths!

Shen Mu hesitated. "Grandpa Tu, the common folk in this city.

. .

" The Butcher laughed.

"Just now the Deaf Elder worked his art and struck the Jingping army, and Old Dame Si ordered martial law across the city, driving every last one of them to the city center. " Shen Mu's heart settled at once.

The city center held many ancient temples, enshrining stone statues of every kind, and the temples there would block the advance of the Darkness. Clearly Granny Zhu and the Deaf Elder and the rest had long since arranged matters between them and set this scheme.

Once the dragon pillars collapsed and the Darkness swept in, the city center, ringed round by temples, would become a place of safety; the city's people were all gathered there, and would surely come to no harm.

"Come nightfall, the Jingping host will be ground to ash.

Only a scant few of the strong will escape it — the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping among them — and that will be the hour of our final battle. " The Butcher laughed.

"That is why the Headman has come as well. " Shen Mu was doubtful.

The Headman had lost his hands and feet; what use could he be now that he had come? The Butcher was in high spirits. "Heh heh — tonight we shall see the strongest sword of those years meet the strongest sword of today! Damn it, I wish it were night already.

. . What's that?

" The look on his face froze of a sudden; he stared off into the distance, dumbstruck, as though he had seen a ghost, and cried out: "Damn his grandmother, what the hell is that thing?

" Shen Mu followed his gaze, and was briefly stunned.

He could see only a small black speck in the sky, and could not tell what had so startled the Butcher. Yet the direction of that speck was toward the Star Sea, two hundred li beyond Crimson Dragon City. "Damn his grandmother, damn his grandmother.

. .

" The Butcher cursed without pause, then of a sudden sprang into the air and dropped down, calling: "Stay here and do not move — I am going to find the Headman, the Pill Master, and the rest. Such a thing as this, and after living in the Wasteland so long I have never seen it.

.

.

Damn it. . .

" Shen Mu was baffled. This was the first time he had seen the Butcher so undone; even when the Butcher flew into a rage he had not cursed so much — what he cursed most was still the damned heavens.

He looked toward that black speck, and of a sudden was stunned again.

The speck had grown much larger. That black speck was growing and growing; at first it had been no more than a stitch hole in white paper, and now it was like an ink blot — and still it grew.