Chapter 30 — Old Grudges Follow a Trail into the Ruins
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
" Shen Mu found the atmosphere growing more and more sinister.
He counted on the sly: the blue-clothed men, together with the old man, came to exactly twelve. The alchemist came over.
His face was grim, but his voice was soft. "Old sir, from your accent, you're not a local—you sound like the Southern Wilderness.
" The old man smiled warmly.
"We are indeed from the Southern Wilderness, from the Lanjiang region. " The lame old man walked over, beaming, and said, "By the Lanjiang River there is a Lanjiang Sect. I hear it is a great sect, dwelling by the river and numbering many masters.
I've heard its sect master is Ling Hanchuan, with divine powers so profound that he can cut off a river's flow with a reach of his hand. " The old man said quickly, "You flatter me, you flatter me. This old man is indeed Ling Hanchuan. My Lanjiang Sect is really only a small school scraping a living—we live off the land and the water, making our livelihood on the river.
I have five junior brothers, whom fellow Daoists are kind enough to call the Five Elders of Lanjiang. " Shen Mu's heart gave a lurch, and his expression changed slightly.
Were the Five Elders of Lanjiang not the very five old men who had died at Granny Zhu's hands?
Could this Ling Hanchuan be leading his men here to avenge the Five Elders? His explicit order for ten coffins and ten burial clothes had plainly been meant for everyone in Hidden Remnant Village: after killing the villagers, he would dress them in burial clothes, lay them in coffins, bury them on the spot, and then burn paper ingots and candles! And these paper boats and paper cranes had also been prepared for the villagers' deaths.
Twirling the jade thumb ring on his thumb, Ling Hanchuan said unhurriedly, "Two years ago, the imperial court offered amnesty.
The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping came in person to my Lanjiang Sect bearing the imperial edict and sat with me in discourse on the Dao. Within the burning of one incense stick, I submitted with heartfelt sincerity, accepted the edict, and thanked His Majesty for his boundless favor. My Lanjiang Sect was honored by the emperor and the Imperial Preceptor: this old man was appointed Prefect of Qili Prefecture in the Southern Wilderness, with rank of the second grade and governance over the Five Miao. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping also appointed the Five Elders of Lanjiang as Deputy Protector-General of the Miao Frontier, with rank of the third grade. We are, after all, idle clouds and wild cranes; though we have taken office, we still like to roam. " The village head smiled. "The Jingping State is a sect disguised as a nation. With the emperor aided by the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, known as the foremost man beneath the gods, the state's fortunes have grown ever more flourishing.
It has subdued no small number of sects and brought their disciples into the army to expand its territory. Brother Mu, you were always free and unbound; once you entered officialdom, you had to be swayed by court law, so some discomfort was only natural. " Ling Hanchuan said, "And so my five junior brothers, restless after long quiet, wanted to go out for a walk. They took the Five Sons of Lanjiang into the Ruins. The Five Sons of Lanjiang are disciples my five junior brothers accepted; they have a little skill, and my brothers meant to temper them through trials.
" The blind old man came over, leaning on his bamboo staff, and said, "The Five Elders of Lanjiang went into the Ruins to train? And with disciples? The Ruins are a perilous place—I cannot help worrying for them. " Ling Hanchuan sighed.
"Yes. The Ruins are far too dangerous, filled with vicious fiends on every side.