荒墟牧神 - 第15章 一葦踏波越長江 - 雲海書庫

Shen Mu ran at tremendous speed, his vital energy growing ever stronger. No one knew how many miles he covered in this way, yet the villagers of Hidden Cripple Village continued to keep pace with him. Even the Blind Elder moved as though on level ground, following steadily at the others' side. Just as Shen Mu charged into a stretch of woodland, a dark, hulking figure suddenly rose from among the trees and roared, "You little wretch, die..." It was the Nether Ape. Seeing the "little wretch" trespass once more into its territory, one could imagine the fury that seized it. Ma Ye, the One-Armed Man, cast the enraged beast a single glance. The Nether Ape shuddered, abandoned its territory without a second thought, and turned tail. There had not been the slightest trace of feeling in Ma Ye's eyes. The colossal creature could not help but feel that death awaited it in the very next instant, and so, rather than continue its bluster, it fled at once. No one else paid the matter any mind. Shen Mu continued sprinting, his vital energy surging vigorously through him. Only when he returned to Hidden Cripple Village did he emerge from his trance, at which point he discovered that his entire body was caked in filth. At some unknown point, a thick layer of foul matter had congealed over him, though he could not tell whether it was black blood or greasy fat. Grandma Zhu instructed him, "Go wash yourself in the river, Mu'er. Blind Elder, go with him, and be careful not to let the monsters in the river drag him away." Leaning on his bamboo staff, the Blind Elder followed Shen Mu to the riverbank. Shen Mu immediately stripped naked and leapt into the water, washing the grime from his body. The Blind Elder lightly tapped the river with his staff. A great fish that had crept close to Shen Mu was startled and hurriedly sprang from the river, landing more than a hundred feet away. It was a massive green fish over twenty feet long, its whiskers like eight tentacles each a hundred feet in length. After Shen Mu had finished washing, he suddenly looked out over the rippling jade-green river. A surge of heroic spirit slowly rose from the young man's chest, burning like a raging fire. His vital energy instantly grew restless. It surged and roared upward, rushing straight into his throat, as if he had suddenly opened the treasury of celestial music. A deep, resonant howl burst from his throat. His long cry rang through the mountains and woods, sending waves across the river. Amid the echoing howl, Shen Mu vaulted from the water. Then, in an instant, he began to run wildly, his feet pounding across the surface of the river. The moment one foot struck the water, the strength contained within his sole fused with the vital energy settling downward. The two forces merged and erupted with violence, and wherever his foot landed, the river exploded in every direction. Before the water had time to fall, Shen Mu's body had already shot more than ten feet forward, and his other foot came down upon the river. Tap, tap, tap, tap. A string of crisp footfalls rang out across the water. Shen Mu ran straight over the river, soon covering more than two miles upon its surface. His howl grew ever more exultant, unrestrained and carefree, like heavenly music drifting down from above, like immortals playing a celestial melody, like dragons and phoenixes singing in harmony. His steps, too, were open and unrestrained, utterly free, as he raced across the river in wild delight. A gentle breeze skimmed the river, raising wavelets in rippling rows. The boy's steps were frighteningly swift. Before long he had run from one bank of the Yong River to the other, then turned and raced back across the water. The Blind Elder stood at the riverbank, leaning on his bamboo staff. The river wind brushed his white hair. Listening to Shen Mu's howl rising from the heart of the river, the old man nodded lightly and smiled. Then he suddenly broke into song: "The apes on either bank cry without end;