Chapter 66 — Sacrificing to the Water God
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Those who live by the river need only burn a few sticks of incense to draw them in and offer beef, and the river-bearers will carry them upstream against the current. If a river-bearer grows hungry on the way, one must throw it more beef, or it will refuse and dump us into the water.
" Shen Mu clicked his tongue in wonder. The river-bearer beasts swam fast, and downstream besides, cleaving through the waves all the way, a strong wind in their faces, faster by far than a fine horse galloping on land.
Shen Mu reckoned that at such a speed they would reach Crimson Dragon City, a thousand li away, before nightfall!
In the Yong River the cries of the river-bearers rose and fell; the green hills on either bank rose and fell as well; sunlight shone head-on, and the river's surface glittered gold, golden snakes dancing wild. Shen Mu gazed into the distance, and suddenly felt body and mind grow measureless, as though this golden river, green hills, blue sky and gorge were all held within his breast. This was a wondrous land, a wondrous people, wondrous river beasts.
To those outside the Wasteland it was all barren hills, wicked waters, shrewish wives and unruly folk; but to Shen Mu, this was home! Toward evening, the sun sank in the west, and Shen Mu saw a small boat dock appear on the riverbank; the river-bearer beasts gradually slowed and swam toward it.
Granny Zhu rose and said with a smile, "Crimson Dragon City is close now.
Shen'er, drive the cart down; let us get into the city as soon as we can. " Shen Mu moored the raft, drove the ox cart up onto the bank, and looked back: the other river-bearers were coming ashore as well, and the people of the other villages of the Wasteland drove their ox carts and horse carts down and set off in the same direction. The ox cart went two or three li and climbed a small slope; ahead the road ran downhill, and Shen Mu jumped down to steady the big yellow oxen lest the cart run away with itself, when suddenly his heart gave a small shudder and he stood staring ahead, dumbstruck. Below the slope a broad avenue ran straight into the distance, and there stood an ancient, majestic walled city.
At the four corners of its walls rose stone pillars more than thirty zhang thick and some hundred and sixty or seventy zhang tall, each coiled about with golden divine dragons, carved, it must be, and sheathed in gold leaf, so that they shone with a blazing golden light!
The city's gate tower was likewise fashioned in the shape of a dragon's head, the city gate its dragon mouth, the flying eaves like dragon horns, ferocious and overbearing in equal measure! Crimson Dragon City.
One of the few flourishing places in all the Wasteland.
The Wasteland is poor in resources; oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar are all precious things that must be bought from the outside, and not just anyone may go to the outside world.
Only in flourishing places like Crimson Dragon City do merchants from beyond come, bringing goods from outside and buying up the Wasteland's rare and marvellous things to sell beyond.
"These divine dragon pillars are far bigger than the stone statue in our village," Shen Mu said in heartfelt admiration. "If we could carry them off and set them at our village gate, they would look magnificent!
" Granny Zhu shot him a glance. "If they could be carried off, your granny would have carried them off long ago.
Unless you can rouse all the old folk of the village to turn out, there is no chance!
Hurry, it will soon be dark. Into the city early!
" The wheels turned with a rumble and a roll, and Shen Mu drove the ox cart into the city, gazing curiously in every direction; everything in Crimson Dragon City seemed fresh to him. The city was crowded with traffic, people everywhere; never since the day he was born had he seen so many people.