Chapter 54 — Three Hundred and Sixty Rooms
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
" The Elder of Punishments smiled. "If he cannot walk through the three hundred and sixty rooms, then we must ask the Cult Leader's widow to come back with us.
" Granny Zhu ground her teeth.
"May he rest?
" "Rest as much as he likes. The rooms have food and drink, beds and bedding, wound salves, spirit elixirs — everything he could want.
" Granny Zhu looked at Shen Mu, ground her teeth again, and said, "Shen'er, go into the three hundred and sixty rooms and pay your respects to them. Remember, call them senior brother and senior sister — not elder.
" Shen Mu nodded and walked toward the first room of the first wooden house, smiling. "Three hundred and sixty rooms.
Who knows how long these calls will take.
Granny, I am going in. " Granny Zhu watched his back and suddenly said, "Shen'er, do you know what you will face once you go in?
" Shen Mu turned his head and smiled. "I know. I won't let them take you away.
" Warmth filled Granny Zhu's heart, and she turned and left.
She had picked this child up by the river all those years ago and never imagined that the infant of that day would one day share her burdens. Shen Mu entered the first room of the first house. The room was spacious, and in it sat a sallow man, his face as yellow as if he had swallowed gall, a goatee gathered under his chin, an abacus in his hand — for all the world like a clerk reckoning accounts.
"Senior brother. " Shen Mu came to a halt, greeted him first, then took down one by one the Slaughtering Knife, the bamboo staff, the Ximila, the Sword Concealing Satchel, the Chubao Sword, and the rest of what he carried on his back, set them at the doorway, and said, "After you, senior brother.
" The clerk stared in astonishment at the boy of eleven or twelve before him, then said with interest, "You know what you came here for? Did the Cult Leader's widow tell you?
" Shen Mu worked his limbs, a whole body of vital essence surging fierce and glorious, and laughed. "I need no word from Granny.
Of course I know!
" His step suddenly exploded with power; a single stride brought him before the clerk. With a thunderous boom a peal of thunder burst from his palm — the boy's vital essence was fierce as fire! "Is it not simply a matter of fighting my way from the first room to the three hundred and sixtieth?
" The clerk flung up an arm to block and felt a vast force crash into him; he was flung backward, unable to stop himself, and with a splintering crash he burst through the wooden wall behind him and tumbled into the courtyard, his feet skidding over a hundred feet before he steadied himself. Shocked and furious, he looked up through the hole in the wall and saw Shen Mu walk to the doorway, shoulder the Slaughtering Knife, the bamboo staff, and the rest again, and head for the next room.
"Why am I quarreling with a child?
" The clerk's rage flared, then all at once he laughed at himself and called out loudly to the other wooden houses, "Be careful, all of you! This little brat is shrewd. His vital essence at the Spirit Fetus realm is monstrous — twice what mine was at the Spirit Fetus realm!
Mind you don't capsize in a ditch!
" "Twice as deep as yours? " A woman's voice came, silvery as a little bell, astonished.
"Such cultivation — worthy of the young master indeed. I wonder how his spells are.
" Shen Mu walked to the next room and pushed the door open with a creak.
Inside sat a scholar, a scroll in his hands, reading with such absorption that his head swayed to and fro. "Senior brother.
" Shen Mu greeted him.
The scholar showed alarm, then smiled.
"You mean to ambush me while I return your salute? I won't give you the chance.
" "Chikodo! " Boom!
Thunder pealed; a violent tremor ran through the room; splintered wood flew everywhere, and the scholar was hurled backward through the debris and smashed into a towering tree.