荒墟牧神 - 第19章 玄軀初醒震荒村 - 雲海書庫

"An oasis a hundred li downstream?" When Shen Mu returned to Barren Ruins Village, the sky was drawing down toward dusk, and the youth unloaded the treasures from the bamboo raft and carried them back into the village, where the villagers, inevitably taken aback, crowded round and plied him with questions. Shen Mu gave them an account of his adventures, and the Blind Elder's face changed a little; he cried out involuntarily: "What lies sealed in the temple at that oasis is a Lord-rank exotic beast — a demoness adept at shifting her form, a most formidable creature by the name of Wu Nü. You went into that temple? And you actually made off with every one of her darling treasures?" Granny Zhu cried out as well: "That Wu Nü? Once, passing that ruined temple, I saw that she had devoured far too many people, and I gave her a beating. In the end she hid herself behind that Buddha statue; the statue struck me as uncanny, as if it meant to subdue me, and so I did not beat her to death. That Buddha statue is a very strange thing —" "I have seen her too. She is a most formidable one, a great demon the peer of any Seven-Star Realm expert." The Lame Elder asked: "Mu'er, how did you steal Wu Nü's belongings and escape alive from her grasp?" Shen Mu, seeing that concealment was no longer possible, told them about the demonic tongue he had learned in the canyon ruins, and gave them, from start to finish, a full account of how he had stirred up the three tones — the divine, the demonic, and the Buddhist — and refined Wu Nü with them. The villagers listened round-eyed and slack-jawed; after a long while Grandpa Ma let out a murky breath and said: "Young, and already so accomplished! Young, and already so accomplished!" The Lame Elder, the Hard-of-Hearing Elder, and the others nodded one after another and raised their thumbs in unending praise. A great demon like Wu Nü, with strength to rank beside the mighty of the Seven-Star Realm, had actually been extorted and robbed by Shen Mu — truly he was young and already so accomplished; he had not disappointed the teachings they had given him, and they basked in the reflected honor! The Mute picked up several of the weapons, hefted them and made passes this way and that, then shook his head and went "Ah, ah," miming with his hands to say that the workmanship of these primordial-infused spirit weapons was poor, and they were of little use. "Come tomorrow, I'll carry them to Crimson Dragon City, sell off these primordial-infused spirit weapons, and along the way buy some oil, salt, soy, and vinegar, and lay in some lengths of cloth and good wine besides." Granny Zhu said: "It's time I sold my few head of livestock as well." Shen Mu's spirits leaped up. Go to Crimson Dragon City? He had grown up in the Barren Ruins since he was small, and only recently had he been allowed out of the village; he had heard of Crimson Dragon City, but never once set foot in it! "We can't take you along — you're still too young." Granny Zhu shook her head. Dismay settled over Shen Mu; after a brief hesitation he plucked up his courage and said: "Granny, Grandpa Ma, there is one more thing. My Overlord Body — it has awakened." At once the whole circle fell silent. After a moment Grandpa Ma, the Lame Elder, the Blind Elder, Granny Zhu, and all the rest broke into cheers, and the Mute too went "Ah, ah" without cease; only the Hard-of-Hearing Elder, whose eyes had not caught what Shen Mu said, could not think why these old fellows had suddenly run mad — until he saw Shen Mu say it over again, whereupon he understood and burst into laughter! The Blind Elder raised a great clamor, bawling: "Village Head! Master Alchemist! Come quickly! The Overlord Body has awakened!" The Butcher, beside himself with excitement, threw back his head and sent up a long cry to heaven: "Village Head, Master Alchemist — at last the Overlord Body has awakened!" When Shen Mu had come back to the village, the Village Head had been standing before his