荒墟牧神 - 雷音古剎驚塵世 - 雲海書庫

"My boy Mu, a temple fair is truly a fine place to see the world." Old Man Ma set a finished pair of crutches in front of his wares and said to Shen Mu with deep earnestness, "The Desolate City has many villages, and not a few masters who could not make a living in the outside world were forced to come here. They settled in this place and took disciples. Only during the temple fair can these people and their disciples be gathered together. Here you can see nearly every school's cultivation methods and crafts under heaven!" Shen Mu, half-understanding, mused, "I have not been tempered by real combat, so my cultivation can hardly become true strength. That is why Old Man Ma wants me to seize this chance—to cross blows with martial artists of every school during the temple fair?" Old Man Ma showed a look of expectation. "That's the idea." "But what about selling crutches?" Shen Mu asked, puzzled. "Why did Blind Grandpa set up a betting game too? And the exotic beast Grandpa Tu sells is clearly no flood dragon—why does he hawk it as flood dragon precious blood? Why did Grandpa Alchemist have wound medicine ready beforehand?" Old Man Ma coughed dryly a couple of times. "Adults' business. Children shouldn't ask too much. Get on up there." Shen Mu had no choice but to climb the fighting platform and paste the scroll the Hard-of-Hearing Old Man had written onto the platform's pillar. Before long, more and more villagers from all around gathered beneath the platform, the din of voices seething like a boiling cauldron. Shen Mu himself felt that the Hard-of-Hearing Old Man's words were somewhat improper, yet the way they had drawn such a crowd in the space of a few moments stunned him all the same. "His feet kick the Surging River with no rival, his sweep levels eight hundred villages of the Desolate City! What a mouth on him! Lad, you look no more than eleven or twelve. Even if you had begun cultivating in your mother's womb, your cultivation would be nothing to speak of!" A voice proclaimed with great righteousness: "Hanging up such an arrogant scroll—are you challenging the villages of our Desolate City? Who gave you such gall?" Shen Mu's face flushed slightly and he felt ashamed; then he came to his senses and glared at the Blind Old Man. That voice was very familiar—was it not coming from the Blind Old Man's own mouth? The Blind Old Man grew even more righteous, his voice full of cunning allure: "Is there no true man in our Desolate City to let this brat swagger up there? A snot-nosed child of eleven or twelve—can you bear it? Where is the mettle of our Desolate City's sons?" No sooner had these words been spoken than a dozen or more strapping young men leaped onto the platform, and Shen Mu's face went green. "But neither should the gallant men of our Desolate City be slighted by him." The Blind Old Man's voice rang out like a great bronze bell, making everyone's eardrums buzz: "Since he has set up a platform, we must abide by the rules. He came to challenge, not to brawl, so we go up one at a time. This youth is at the Spirit Embryo stage. Those who go up to challenge must also be at the Spirit Embryo stage, so as not to disgrace their own villages." The instant he fell silent, the dozen-odd young men each stepped down, leaving only one young man on the platform. Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief. "How should I address this senior brother—" "Fight if you want to fight! Who's here to get chummy with you?" The young man abruptly crouched low. Vital essence burst from within him, forming streaks of tiger stripes on his skin, making him look like a fierce tiger with brilliant stripes! On his palms and soles, sharp vital essence as keen as blades coalesced into claws. With a sudden bound, swift as a fleeting shadow, he pounced at Shen Mu! With that pounce, Shen Mu felt as if he had been locked onto by a ferocious exotic beast. A vicious wind rushed at his face, like a tiger's roar rolling across a mountain ridge. This was a presence She