Chapter 48 — The Sunken River's Dragon Soul Is Not Yet Extinguished

The old man coughed once. "Then I will be brief. I was traveling the Wasteland with my disciples when by chance we found this place, and saw many dried corpses; from this I knew that this dragon pearl was the culprit — that it slew all who entered, draining the blood and qi of these martial artists, sucking them into dried corpses. This dragon pearl absorbs the blood and qi of others to prolong the life of the young dragon in the ice! As a cultivator, meeting such a matter, one cannot shirk the duty; so I made ready to take the dragon pearl and suffer it no more to bring ruin upon those who came after. But alas, I was one move short: I had not foreseen that this pearl was the dragon god's own pearl, and I was sealed here in the ice by it! And of my disciples not one escaped this place; every one was drained of blood and qi by the pearl, to prolong this little dragon's life!"

Hidden in Shen Mu's bosom, Hu Ling'er quietly lifted her head and whispered, "Young Master Mu, do you believe his story?"

Shen Mu hesitated. His own guess was the very reverse of the old man's. In the old man's telling, the dragon mother, to save her child, used the dragon pearl to harm men, draining their blood and qi to prolong the little dragon's life; and the old man, upholding justice, fell victim to the pearl's treachery.

Shen Mu's guess was that the old man had been sealed in the ice by a dragon pillar, and that to prolong his own life he used evil arts to harm men, devouring the blood and qi of the martial artists who found this place.

One had to admit that both guesses were possible. But which was true?

Shen Mu looked around him; the mist was pressing in from every side. At once he shook Ximilo and struck the ground heavily.

"Thus have I heard!"

Behind him the Buddha image appeared once more, and the Sanskrit chant rang out: "All living beings, since beginningless time, have continued in birth and death, because they know not the ever-abiding true mind, the pure and luminous essence of nature, and give rise instead to all manner of false thinking. This thinking is not true; therefore there is turning in the wheel — turning — turning — turning — turn—"

"The Buddha dharma of the Great Thunder-Cry Temple does indeed have something to it," the old man in the ice said in admiration.

"How should I address you, Senior?" Shen Mu asked.

The old man in the ice said, "I am Gu Lihan, Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Yanning, an official of the first rank. If you can free me, then when you come to Yanning I will guarantee you riches and honor beyond measure!"