Chapter 107 — One Palm Against Ten

Here were for rent or sale land-boats, flying carriages, immortal cranes, earth dragons, and several tower ships preparing to depart, billowing smoke shot through with firelight.

"Brother Shen, over here!

"

Wei Yong stood beneath a tower ship, waving to him. A gangplank had been lowered, and scholars were boarding. Shen Mu walked over and looked up at the tower ship, surprise on his face.

Wei Yong, who was familiar with everyone, smiled and said, "Land-boats are bumpy, flying carriages too expensive, and immortal cranes and earth dragons leave you exposed to wind and sun.

A tower ship is the most comfortable—just a bit slower.

But the Grand Academy selection is still a ways off, so let us take a ship to the capital. "

Shen Mu agreed and asked, "What is the fare? "

Wei Yong produced a jug of wine and said with a smile, "You dress better than I do—and you still care about the price? Fox girl, I bought you a jug of wine.

"

Snow Fox was both startled and delighted.

She stood up on her hind legs and thanked him with great solemnity, then took the wine jug. Shen Mu went to the boat captain to pay the fare.

From Jiangling to the capital cost ten Dafeng coins, which was not expensive.

After all, Shen Mu had grown used to spending freely these past five days and had no idea of the true value of a Dafeng coin—he only knew that when he gave one coin for food and lodging, the recipient was delighted beyond measure. The two men and the fox boarded. Before long the tower ship was full. An alchemist and his boy attendant started the ship's alchemical furnace; the medicinal power was transformed into magical power and supplied to the bronze beast sculpture at the stern.

The bronze beast's great mouth immediately spewed thick firelight, and the tower ship slowly rose into the air, gradually turning in midair, spreading its sails and departing Jiangling, heading north. Aboard the tower ship, each passenger had their own room, and food and drink were provided. The next few days could simply be spent on board. Shen Mu stood on the ship looking down.

The tower ship rose higher and higher, its speed gradually increasing.

Below, the city of Jiangling grew smaller and smaller, though he could still see flying carriages, flying birds, and flying ships emerging from the city from time to time, heading toward other cities, while on the river boats came and went in great bustle. "Jingping truly is a wondrous place. "

Shen Mu marveled inwardly: "Ling Yuxiu said the Daoist arts and divine powers of Jingping advance with each passing day. Now I see it is indeed so.

"

He could see that Jingping was applying Daoist arts and divine powers to every corner of life.

The clothing, food, housing, and transportation of ordinary people were gradually being transformed—much like what the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture called the way of the sages.

The way of the sages lies in the daily use of the common people. Jingping was doing quite well. A strange thought suddenly occurred to him: "Could the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping also be one of my Dark Demon Sect?

"

Some scholars on board were practicing martial arts, and their cultivation and strength were quite outstanding.

What surprised Shen Mu was that they all tended to practice the same martial techniques, spells, and swordsmanship.

Shen Mu was puzzled: "Practicing the same spells and swordsmanship—would that not make it easy for others to find your weaknesses? "

In his view, though the martial artist stage was one of laying foundations, broad learning was also foundational.

Most scholars practiced the same martial art, the same spell, the same swordsmanship—which made it easy for others to find their weaknesses.

"Such martial artists—I could fight ten with one hand. " Shen Mu shook his head inwardly and continued studying the Classic of Calculation. The edition printed in Jingping had ten volumes; he had already finished reading them, and he had organized quite a few Yuanjie equations on paper.

At night, Shen Mu came from his room to the deck, looked up to observe the stars, then used Yuanjie equations to deduce, recording his calculations on paper. The tower ship sailed on for four days, drawing gradually closer to the capital. Most of the scholars aboard were going to the capital for the first time and could not hide their excitement, leaning over the ship's rail to look out.

Suddenly a violent tremor came; the tower ship tilted in the air, and several scholars, unable to hold on, fell from the ship. These few had not cultivated the divine power of flight.

They let out long, miserable screams that lingered endlessly—the tower ship flew too high, and some time would pass before they hit the ground. Shen Mu frowned, his legs planted on the deck like two spears. With one hand he held the drunken Snow Fox, with the other he grabbed the equally drunken Wei Yong, lest they be thrown from the ship.

Just then, loud laughter came from outside the ship. An unimaginably huge python opened its mouth full of barbs and bit into the stern, tearing at it with all its strength!

Everyone aboard was startled. The stern had already been bitten off by the python.

The scholars standing near the stern fell from the ship one after another, and several were swallowed by the python! On the python's flat head stood a person in a flowered robe, rouged and powdered, most alluring—but it was a seductive man, watching the panicked crowd on the ship with excitement.