Chapter 184 — Driving Ghosts and Enslaving Gods

If Shen Mu and his fellow scholars were all caught in one net, then the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping's new era would be short a whole contingent of its backbone.

"This training expedition of the scholars was ordered by the emperor himself.

Apart from Pei Wujiu, only a few first-rank ministers of high rank and power knew of it in advance. " Shen Mu's eyes flickered. Among those few first-rank powerful ministers, someone had certainly turned traitor.

He would dearly have liked to keep watching how these Hongshan School disciples summoned the demon god, but once the demon god was called down by them, it would likely be the hour of their deaths. Shen Mu quietly withdrew and told Shen Wanyun and the others what he had seen. "Thirteen divine-arts practitioners, none of them weak.

If they summon the demon god, not one of us will escape. We must kill them and destroy the altar before they call it down! Who dares go with me to kill them?

" "Kill divine-arts practitioners?

" Yun Que and Yue Qinghong were both startled. "And thirteen of them?

" Shen Mu glanced at them. "You don't dare?

" Yun Que said hesitantly, "Not quite, no.

They're divine-arts practitioners, and thirteen of them at that. " Shen Mu said gravely, "If we don't kill them, then once they summon the demon god, not only will we die — every soul in Li Prefecture will likely be wiped out!

" Shen Wanyun mused a moment, then asked, "The Hongshan School is a sect of spells? " Si Yunxiang tightened the sword case on her back. "I've heard the elders speak of the Hongshan School. That sect cultivated soul-type spells to perfection, but they were never skilled in sword arts or combat arts.

When the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping destroyed the Hongshan School, he led a band of divine-arts practitioners who cultivated only the sword, stormed into Mount Hongshan, and wiped the sect out!

After the Hongshan School fell, the disciples scattered abroad would hardly have learned orthodox spells, and their attainments in combat arts and swordplay cannot be deep.

" Shen Mu said, "The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping killed them with sword arts.

We won't use sword arts; we'll use combat arts.

With sword arts we can't match their spells. But at close quarters, divine-arts practitioners who cultivate spells won't have time to cast before we cut them down!

Wanyun, Yun Que, Qinghong — I've seen all your combat arts, and none of you is weak.

Have you the guts? " Shen Wanyun said gravely, "If you dare, I dare! " Shen Mu looked at Si Yunxiang, who lowered her head and said timidly, "Yunxiang follows wherever the Grand Academy Erudite leads. " Shen Mu looked next at Yue Qinghong, whose eyes flashed with an excitement she could scarcely suppress. "I've never come across anything like this before — how could I not take part?

Wolf Slave, you get ready too! " Shen Mu's gaze came to rest on the monk Yun Que, who hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "If I don't go to hell, who will? I'm with you!

" Shen Mu said, "In a moment I'll be the first to charge out and cut my way onto the altar to open a path for you.

Follow behind me, kill at close quarters, make it quick — on no account drag it out!

The altar is three zhang six or seven across, a cramped space like that; decide now what moves you'll use, and run them through your heads a few times first! " Yue Qinghong's hands trembled with excitement, and she laughed softly.

"Seems following you isn't so bad after all. The very first fight and it's this thrilling — I can hardly wait!

" Shen Mu crept forward hunched low, Shen Wanyun and the others behind him, and when they reached the mountain hollow they saw that the runes on the demon god statue were now seven or eight parts lit; the thirteen Daoists were still driving their talisman artifacts, walking ceaselessly around the altar, chanting without pause in what seemed an ancient sacrificial tongue. Shen Mu's heart beat faster; he suppressed the urge to rush out at once and break up the rite, and said in a low voice, "Study the terrain, and when you've got it, we strike. Ling'er, take the Dragon Qilin around to the other side and make some noise to draw their attention. " Xue Hu'er hastily led the Dragon Qilin quietly around the altar toward the right.

After a moment, Yue Qinghong said in a low voice, "I've got it! " Shen Mu waved his hand, and at once Xue Hu'er sprang out of the grass, the Dragon Qilin roaring behind her in pursuit, as though it were hunting.

The thirteen Daoists on the altar were startled; when they saw the fox and the Dragon Qilin, one of them laughed. "So it's a big lion on the hunt. . .

" Before his words were out, a blade flashed, and Shen Mu was already upon the altar, twin sabers in hand — the blade rose and a head fell! Combat Art: Crosswise and Lengthwise, a Vast Sliver of Sky! Browse and read at: