Chapter 87 — A Trap of Hidden Killing Intent
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 3
The demon god came pouncing; scarce had the cry died away when a great vortex suddenly appeared behind the Village Head, spinning at furious speed like the maw of a monster lined with serrated teeth.
Countless keen blades whirled within the vortex, and in the vortex lay a long rainbow bridge, flowing at flying speed, streaming toward the vortex's interior. The Village Head and Shen Mu were instantly seized by the vortex; the rainbow bridge dragged them toward the vortex's depths, while numberless blades came at them from every side, spinning and slicing. And the far end of the vortex seemed to be a world of utmost bliss, birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, a scene of perfect peace.
But clearly that place was the true core of the demon god's killing stroke! "Shen'er, stand upon my hair!
"
The Village Head roared, and his hair erupted: every strand like a pillar of immense thickness, piercing along the rainbow bridge out of the vortex. Shen Mu landed upon one of the strands and stood there, feeling the hair beneath his feet swell at furious speed, growing thicker and longer, about to pierce out of the vortex.
The other strands writhed like mad serpents, shearing apart with ringing clangs the blades that came cutting from around the vortex; countless fragments of blades clattered down and were ground to powder by the torrential flood of the vortex!
Shen Mu looked up, and saw the demon god's huge, hideous face appear at the vortex's entrance, cunning light flickering in her eyes, her great mouth open, waiting for the Village Head to deliver him into it. Just then the Village Head's other strands hissed and bored into the demon god's mouth, and with a mighty pull dragged the demon god bodily into the vortex. "Shen'er, go to the dock, board the ship and leave!
Go quickly! "
The strand of hair gave a light flick and sent Shen Mu out of the vortex; then the vortex closed with a thunderous roar, and the Village Head and that hideous demon god vanished.
Shen Mu's body fell through the air from a very great height; if he struck the ground directly he would surely die! He hastily opened his mouth and drew breath, blew out a breath, and at once a wild wind was blown up before him; Shen Mu touched his feet swiftly along the wind's edges, slowing his fall.
Several breaths later he reached the ground. This was still the Land of No Sorrow, thick with grey mist, yet the darkness had not invaded it; for him it was a safe place.
Suddenly, a great vortex appeared in the sky above his head; four thick, long arms reached out of the vortex, gripped the sky, and the hideous demon god thrust her head out, striving to climb out of the vortex.
As though something had seized her legs, she was yanked back into the vortex with a whoosh. "The Demon Host!
"
A furious roar came from the vortex; in the instant the demon god was dragged back, Shen Mu saw black dots spew out of the vortex.
"Shen'er, go quickly! "
The Village Head's voice came from the vortex: "You go first, I will catch up with you!
Quickly — if you rouse the demon gods in those cities, you will not be able to… "
The vortex vanished, cutting off the Village Head's voice.
In the air, those black dots fell like meteors, smashing into the earth and shaking it violently; then the grey mist surged in, ever thicker. Once the black dots landed they were shrouded in mist, and it was impossible to see what lay within.
Soon the mist spread to where Shen Mu stood and drowned the youth; out of the grey mist came a solid, heavy tread — thump, thump — like boulders pressing upon the heart.