Chapter 151 — Craft Lacking Purity

Light blazed from General Tuolimu's eyes; he suddenly rose from the elephant's back, the sword-light in his hand surging, sword qi splitting the air as he thrust at Libationer Bashan — and in an instant the sky was full of sword-light! Libationer Bashan reached out, drew his saber, and cut once.

The sword-light vanished in an instant, leaving only a single saber sweeping across heaven and earth; with a tremendous boom the saber-light was gone, and General Tuolimu on the elephant's back had vanished into thin air. Other barbarian generals still stood on the white elephant, stunned, when from behind came a long-drawn "Aaaah"; they whirled to look, and saw General Tuolimu flying farther and farther away, struck off to who knew where by that one saber.

"His skill is not bad. Only his eye for judgment is poor. " Libationer Bashan put away his saber.

After a moment General Tuolimu returned, his armor split clean in two; when he looked at Libationer Bashan again there was a measure of awe in his eyes.

"Wu Khagan, your fame still runs through the grasslands to this day. " Tuolimu touched one knee to the ground, palm to chest: "Is the Wu Khagan bound for the Golden Palace?

The Shaman Sovereign has already sent out his order that we treat the Wu Khagan well.

" Libationer Bashan nodded: "I understand.

Rise.

In those years the Shaman Sovereign granted me the name of Wu Khagan; now it seems that what he gave with his own hand, he means to take back with his own hand.

There must be new heroes and champions on your grasslands — otherwise why would the Shaman Sovereign so look forward to my going to the Golden Palace at Loulan?

" Tuolimu rose: "The champions of my grasslands are as many as the stars in the sky.

There is surely one who can defeat the Wu Khagan. " Xue Hu'er said with a grin: "General, I do like the way you boast.

" "Boast?

Who would dare blow at me? " The azure ox gave a cold laugh, then suddenly caught sight of the white elephant; he hurried over at a trot, rubbed against the elephant's body, and chuckled: "White elephant, are you male or female?

" The white elephant swung its trunk across his face and left the azure ox's nose streaming blood. "It's female," Xue Hu'er whispered, leaning to the azure ox's ear.

The azure ox rallied his spirits and said to the white elephant with a chuckle: "Your skin is so white. I like you.

Do you eat peonies?

I have some here, tender enough to squeeze water from. .

.

" Tuolimu led his army to escort them to the Golden Palace at Loulan, and Shen Mu studied the troops again and again, curious at heart. The way this army had put down the rebels was very strange, and much like the tactics of the Jingping Kingdom's armies; he could not tell whether Jingping had learned from the barbarians, or the barbarians from Jingping.

After the one battle, Tuolimu treated them with great respect, offering food and drink along the road, deferential in every way. Libationer Bashan did not avoid him when teaching Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu the art of merging battle tactics, only passing on the crucial points by voice transmission. Six or seven days later they came to the deepest part of the grasslands, not far now from the Golden Palace at Loulan; Tuolimu escorted them no further, but led his army away with a great cry, back to his own tribe.

Libationer Bashan frowned, let out a breath of turbid air, and said in a low voice: "It seems the Shaman Sovereign is much concerned with my coming.

This time he means to take back the name of Wu Khagan for certain.

I fear that once we reach the Golden Palace, I am the one who will be challenged — and if so, I will have no leisure to steal back the lower half of our revered master's body.

. .

" Shen Mu, eager, said: "Senior Brother, I once learned the methods of thieving.

" Libationer Bashan glanced at him and shook his head: "The Golden Palace at Loulan is a holy place of the grasslands, the equal of such holy places as the Daoist sects and the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Within, traps are layered and seals are dense, seals of every kind. The thieving methods you learned are of no use at all; you cannot break the seals and traps there.

" "The man who taught me thieving was very formidable.

" Shen Mu said earnestly: "He is Grandpa Cripple from our village. He may be missing a leg, but.

.

.

" Libationer Bashan waved a hand and roused himself: "If a man's leg has been cut off, one can only say his craft lacked purity. You need not think about how to steal back our master's lower half; I will settle this matter.

You two, just set your minds at ease and block the mountain gate of the Golden Palace! Leave the rest to me. "