Chapter 143 — The Venerable Who Bestrides the Peak
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
"I snore. " The Bashan Libationer went on. "Plenty of men in the Directorate of Education snore too, especially that old nun, Abbess Yiqiu. Her snoring shakes the heavens. Tsk, tsk, it could kill an ox dead ten li away.
Lucky for you, she doesn't sleep often, only sits in meditation; if she ever slept, none of you scholars would get a wink.
.
. " Shen Mu grew somewhat restive. This Bashan Libationer seemed even more talkative than Wei Yong. The Libationer talked on for a full hour, and in that span Shen Mu essentially took measure of the temperaments, conduct, and family means of every master in the Academy's Sword, Fist, Law, Three Yang, Imperial Physician, and Painting Sage halls; even the directors of the Heavenly Records Tower had their secrets dredged up by the Libationer—bastard children, old nuns stealing off to meet lovers, true or false, out it all came. The green ox and Snow Fox returned from the town, both thoroughly drunk, the ox and the fox on such affectionate terms, calling each other elder brother and younger sister, as close as if they had come from the same womb.
The green ox had no memory at all that it was Shen Mu who, with this very fox in tow, had dosed him with the drug.
The Bashan Libationer hurriedly received the wine jug and gulped down several mouthfuls, his head growing clouded. "A few days ago I came back from outside and seemed to see my master. You would never guess it—though I am a Libationer, I did not come up through the Academy. I am of the Combat Arts lineage; I have a master. Imperial Preceptor Jingping invited me here to teach the scholars combat arts. I had thought him dead, but it turns out the old man is still alive.
" He took a drink and stared blankly. "His legs are gone, yet he ran faster than the wind. I gave chase with all I had and still could not catch up. Then I ran into a blind old man, who gave me a beating and demanded to know why I was following him—utterly unreasonable.
Then he wanted to match verses with me, and I lost, and by then my master had vanished. . . " Shen Mu was slightly startled. A legless master of the Combat Arts, and a blind old man fond of poetry duels? "Could they be Grandpa Tu and Grandpa Blind?
When did they leave the Desolate Ruins? " The Bashan Libationer was thoroughly drunk, babbling nonsense. Shen Mu hesitated; to ask out of the blue would certainly be rash. "Green Ox, did you get a clear look at that blind old man? " Shen Mu asked the ox beside him.
The green ox eyed Shen Mu with some timidity, clearly still mindful of having been drugged by him. Shen Mu laughed.
"Still holding a grudge?
You gave me a beating, and I only drugged you; I didn't even hit you. What is there to resent?
Have you ever met such a magnanimous good man as me?
" The Bashan Libationer let out a wine burp, his expression turning odd.
This youth from the Desolate Ruins clearly had some misunderstanding about the word "good man. " He said, "Scholar Shen, you drugged him and meant to eat him besides; it is only natural he is on his guard. " "He wanted to eat me?
" The green ox shrieked. "Master, you never told me that! You only said he drugged me, not that he wanted to eat me! " Snow Fox stood on the ox's horn, clutching a wine bottle, and said crisply, "Big Bull, haven't you heard that 'no acquaintance without a fight'?
" The green ox fumed, "I have heard of 'no acquaintance without a fight,' but never of 'no acquaintance without being eaten'!
" The Bashan Libationer's face grew stranger still. This fox spirit from the Desolate Ruins plainly had a twisted understanding of that saying as well.
"Who raised this young man? Something of a scoundrel.
" Shen Mu had no idea what thoughts were passing through his mind. The Bashan Libationer, the little fox, and the green ox were all drinking; Shen Mu did not care for wine, so he could only practice his cultivation by the side.