Chapter 30 — Old Grudges Follow the Trail into the Wasteland Ruins
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 3
perilous place; I cannot help but fear for them." Mu Beilan sighed. "Indeed. The Wasteland Ruins are too perilous; wicked monsters and murderous villains are everywhere. They had been gone two months and still did not return; I knew in my heart that something must have gone wrong, so I searched along their road, and by good fortune found the place where my five junior brothers met their deaths. My five junior brothers died miserably. From the wounds on their shattered bones, the one who killed them must have been a master of the Dark Demon Cult, not tall of stature — about Granny Zhu's size." He shook his head. "Afterward I found where their disciples met their deaths as well — a gorge, where the corpses had all been mangled by wild beasts. Ah, they died miserably... From the wounds on their bones, the one who struck the blow must have been a young martial artist, about the age of this young fellow here. I heard that your village has a seamstress and a carpenter, so I came to order burial clothes and coffins for the killers of my junior brothers and my junior nephews, and wait to lay them inside." A touch of pride showed on his face. "Though I am an official of the court, I have after all spent my life as a rustic of the hills and fields, and I am unused to the court's tiresome formalities; so I shall do this by the rules of the jianghu, and come myself to avenge my junior brothers and junior nephews. Qianxun." With this the old man closed his mouth and said no more. From behind him a young and vigorous martial artist stepped forward and looked at Shen Mu — it was the very man who had asked him the way in the air and tossed him a gold ingot. He said, "My junior brother Qu was beaten to death with a saber technique performed with a wooden club. Young brother, you carry a saber on your back — will you use your saber art and exchange a few moves with me?" Shen Mu hesitated and looked at Granny Zhu and the village headman and the others. Granny Zhu could not hold back. "Mu'er, the people of the southern frontier are fierce and wild; when they strike, they strike ruthlessly and never show mercy. If he tells you to draw your saber, then you use it..." "Hold your tongue!" The village headman barked the rebuke, cutting Granny Zhu off, and said flatly, "They have come by the rules; they have not used the power of the court and the Yanning State Preceptor to press us down, and we must not break the rules either. No one is to speak a word of guidance to Shen Mu, and no one is to help him." His gaze was chilling as he looked at Shen Mu and said coldly, "Shen Mu, the coffins and the burial clothes are right there. If you are merciful and yield, one of those coffins is yours! Either he dies or you die! He has challenged you — what are you still standing there for? Go!"