Chapter 75 — The Youth's Properties
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
The divine being who had carved the pillar had had no intention of incorporating his own arts into the work, yet the movement of the chisel had involuntarily carried the stamp of his techniques and divine powers. To other people, the dragon pillar was nothing but sculpture in relief; but Shen Mu had studied calligraphy and painting under the Deaf Elder and knew this principle well. "In the Geography of the Wasteland, beside the Celestial Dragon Star Palace lies the Star Sea, less than two hundred li from here.
Judging from the name, the Celestial Dragon Star Palace must be a place where celestial dragons dwell. A place this colossal — could it be a gathering ground of the dragon race? The invading darkness turned even the dragon race into ruins. " As he examined the pillar and sighed inwardly, a startled voice suddenly came down from above: "Cowherd, why are you still in Crimson Dragon City?
" The voice sounded familiar; following it, Shen Mu raised his head and looked up, and saw a small head poking out over the top of the dragon pillar — it was none other than the girl who had taken him into the City Lord's mansion to freeload. Ling Yuxiu waved at him, her voice drifting down: "Can you get up here? " Shen Mu measured the height and hesitated. The pillar was too tall; there was no wind at this moment, and no way to borrow leverage.
To get up, it seemed, he could only run. He could run up a cliff face, to be sure, but cliffs were usually thirty or fifty zhang high.
To run vertically up a dragon pillar of a hundred and sixty or seventy zhang — that he had never attempted. Shen Mu retreated a dozen or so paces, abruptly poured power into his feet, and dashed at the pillar.
In a few strides his speed reached its extreme — a fleeting shadow, a blur of light — as he charged at the pillar; then his feet trod upon it and, his body parallel to the ground, he raced straight up!
His speed was appalling, and his momentum appalling too; in a single unbroken breath he surged up more than a hundred zhang and hurtled toward the top! "Damn it — I can't make it.
. .
" Shen Mu felt his momentum reach its limit and his speed begin to flag, while he was still three or five zhang short of the pillar's summit. He drove upward another three zhang and more, until at last his strength gave out and his body began to fall. At that very moment a silk ribbon dropped down from the pillar, curled around his wrist, and with a gentle flick tossed him upward.
Twisting in midair, Shen Mu landed on the top of the pillar.
Looking around, he saw that the top was actually quite level — a great stone terrace; the southern side was carved into a dragon's head, and one could crawl across the terrace and stand upon it.
Ling Yuxiu came up, untied the ribbon from his wrist, and said with a laugh: "So you really did run up. Didn't you know?
There are stairs inside the pillar — you could have come up by the stairs. " Shen Mu looked at her ribbon and said in surprise: "That ribbon of yours is made of excellent material.
" "Naturally. " Ling Yuxiu said, not without pride: "It is woven from Heavenly Fragrance Silk — tribute offered to the Emperor, so of course it is of the finest quality. Smell it; it is very fragrant.
This is a natural fragrance that will never fade. " Shen Mu lowered his head and sniffed; there was indeed a delicate, clear fragrance.
He smiled: "I also have a kerchief woven from Heavenly Fragrance Silk, just as fragrant as yours.
" With that, he drew the "kerchief" from inside his robe.