Chapter 149 — The Mighty Martial Emperor

" Shen Mu said with a smile, "Shen is here, though I dare not accept the title of Divine Physician. General, you—" With a mighty clatter, the soldiers before him all dropped to their knees, and the old general too touched the ground with one knee, raising his clasped fists high above his head, and said, "Divine Physician Shen's gift of medicine saved the lives of countless soldiers at this border of ours. I, Bian, bound by duty to hold this pass, never managed to go to the capital to thank Divine Physician Shen; who could have thought the Divine Physician would come in person!

Pray accept this bow from me, Bian, and from all my soldiers! " Shen Mu hastily raised his hands and said, "Rise, General.

Did my Pure Yang Insect-Refining Elixir prove effective?

" The border general rose, white hair swaying, and nodded. "Effective.

However the great shamans of the Mandi Nation work their rites now, they cannot harm the soldiers in my army.

For the Divine Physician's grace, every soul at Qingmen Pass, high and low, is moved to tears with gratitude! " "You overpraise it; it was the work of a lifted hand. " Shen Mu said with a smile, "General Bian, this is Libationer Bashan of our Grand Academy, and this is the Seventh Princess.

" Bian Zhenyun smiled. "I have long heard the name of Libationer Bashan, and now that I meet him he is indeed no ordinary man.

As for the Seventh Princess—" His face darkened a little, and he sneered, "What does the Princess want in this wretched backwater of mine?

If any mishap befell her, who would answer for it?

" Libationer Bashan said with a smile, "It is I who wish to bring them out for tempering.

General Bian, do us the courtesy. " Bian Zhenyun's expression eased a little, and with poor grace he said, "Out of regard for the Divine Physician, I will do you the courtesy. Is it at my Qingmen Pass that you mean to temper yourselves, Libationer?

" Libationer Bashan shook his head.

"The Mandi Nation. " Bian Zhenyun started, and cried out despite himself, "You mean to enter the Mandi Nation?

Are you tired of living?

The two nations are at war — force your way over now and they will take your lives for certain!

And you have the Princess with you besides; if anything should happen, it would be enough to see your entire Grand Academy beheaded to the last man!

" Libationer Bashan said with a smile, "With me here, nothing will go wrong.

I have my own eyes and ears in the Mandi Nation as well.

" Bian Zhenyun said with a cold laugh, "And what concern is that of mine? This is your Grand Academy's affair; if anything goes wrong, it is your Grand Academy that bears it.

Divine Physician Shen, please enter the pass.

" Ling Yuxiu's heart quailed. Libationer Bashan had told them this outing was for tempering beyond the frontier, and she had thought they would go no farther than the border pass; she had never imagined Libationer Bashan meant to enter the Mandi Nation! Still, she had always been bold to the point of recklessness — she had once followed Shen Feiyue deep into the Desolate Ruins — and though hearing now that they were bound for the Mandi Nation left her a little uneasy, far stronger was her exhilaration.

That night a great banquet was spread in the general's residence; Bian Zhenyun led his officers and soldiers in inviting Shen Mu to the feast, and Libationer Bashan and the others were invited as well, though only as ornaments to the occasion.

At dawn the next morning Bian Zhenyun saw them out of the pass and presented a tray of gold ingots, saying, "The Mandi Nation will not honor Great Feng coinage; it honors only gold. Take this for traveling money, Divine Physician.

" Shen Mu thanked him. The company climbed onto the ox's back, and the azure ox walked out beyond the pass.

They crossed the Duck Tongue region of the Desolate Ruins and came out beyond the frontier, and from far off they saw dust rising on every side; out of the dust several strange beasts galloped toward them, bone spurs bristling from their heads, and on the beasts' backs sat warriors of a foreign race, tall and powerfully built, who shouted at the top of their voices, "Yisuo—! " Libationer Bashan lifted a foot, stepped onto the azure ox's massive head, planted both feet upon the ox's two horns, and with a sweep flung open his sable-fur mantle.

The charging foreign warriors caught sight of the tattoo on his chest, hastily reined their strange beasts to a halt, saluted from the beasts' backs, then turned their mounts about and went off with a roar of wind. Libationer Bashan closed his garment and stepped down from the ox's head; Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu were both rather puzzled, not knowing why these barbarians should salute him on sight.

When they came to the Mandi Nation's border pass, there too stood a towering city, its defenses exceedingly strict. Libationer Bashan led the company up to the gate; the city gates opened, and many Mandi soldiers lined both sides, ushering them respectfully within the pass.

The two of them were more puzzled still.

Just then a general who garrisoned the Mandi border came walking over, laughing heartily.

"Martial Khan, peerless under heaven, king of my grasslands — it has been long since I last saw you! Since Your Excellency went to be an official of the Jingping Nation, the name of Martial Khan has stunk to high heaven! " Libationer Bashan laughed.

"I was never a man of the grasslands to begin with.

I merely defeated your warriors out on the steppe, and you honored me with the title of Martial Khan — that is all. " "Martial Khan?

" Shen Mu and the others looked at one another, and Xuehu'er asked, puzzled, "Libationer, what is tattooed on your chest? Why do they salute you the moment they see you?

" Libationer Bashan bared his chest and said with a smile, "See for yourselves. " Shen Mu looked, and saw upon his chest the mark of a strange skull bristling with bone spurs.

"This is the tattoo of the Khan of the Mandi Nation, blessed by the Shaman Sovereign of the Mandi holy land; not everyone may bear it.

" Libationer Bashan closed his garment and said, "I was the Khan of the Mandi Nation to begin with. In those years I traveled the lands with my revered teacher, and when I came to the Mandi Nation and heard that the Mandi prized martial prowess, I took up matches with the strong of the grasslands and fought a hundred battles without a single defeat; thus was I honored as Martial Khan. In the Jingping Nation, Martial Khan means Martial Emperor.

"