Chapter 75 — The Youth's Properties
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Before long he brought back a middle-aged man in flowered silks and sable furs, every finger crowded with jade thumb rings; the man paid his respects to Shen Mu, and the innkeeper said: "This is the owner of the gambling den, Incense Master Han of our Holy Cult. " A troubled look came over Incense Master Han's face: "Young Master, it is not that this subordinate is unwilling to let that blind elder win. The trouble is that the blind elder cheats in public, and by low and contemptible means at that.
If he were not so blatant about it, it would amount to nothing. " Shen Mu asked, puzzled: "How does he cheat? " Incense Master Han said: "When he draws dominoes, if he draws a bad hand, he points out the window and says there is a divine bird outside, and then, right before everyone's eyes, he brazenly fumbles about and switches his tiles.
What is more, our dominoes are black, while the tile he fishes out of his pocket is dark green.
This subordinate is incompetent — I beg the Young Master to assign me some simpler task. " Shen Mu did not know whether to laugh or cry. After a moment of silence, he said: "Let him win a few rounds. If he is caught cheating, then strike him lightly.
" "This subordinate obeys. " Incense Master Han turned and left.
Shen Mu steadied himself.
More than half of all Crimson Dragon City was actually his property? More than half of the city's power was his?
When had he become a great magnate whose wealth overshadowed the world?
"This title of Young Cult Master of the Nether Demon Cult truly is imposing. In comparison, the thousand dragon coins I earned last night really count for nothing.
" He felt a strange wonder — was the City Lord of Crimson Dragon City Fu Yundi, or was it himself?
And with Granny Zhu having slain Fu Yundi and now wearing Fu Yundi's skin, did that not mean that all of Crimson Dragon City belonged to him? He had a sense of the absurd; he shook his head, left the inn, and wandered about the city.
Last night he had only looked at the ancient temple near the City Lord's mansion; this time he planned to go and view the dragon pillars of Crimson Dragon City. The city was so vast and towering; if these dragon pillars could actually hold fast this territory and keep the darkness from invading, they must be something truly extraordinary.
Shen Mu opened his Sky-Soaring Celestial Eye and studied the dragon pillar before him in detail, exclaiming in admiration without end. Carved upon the pillar was a Dragon God, colossal beyond measure — almost as colossal as the skeletal remains of the Dragon King he had seen in the Surging River Dragon Palace.
These Dragon Gods coiled about stone pillars more than thirty zhang in girth, carved with lifelike fidelity; the pillars stood a hundred and sixty or seventy zhang high, from which one could well imagine how colossal the Dragon Gods must be. Shen Mu looked up. The Dragon God upon the pillar seemed almost to have come alive, exuding every ferocity and malevolence, yet at the same time profoundly sacred, majestic and vast.
"According to the Geography of the Wasteland, this city is not Crimson Dragon City at all, but the Celestial Dragon Star Palace. This is the handiwork of a divine being.
If I could study the flow and texture of the carving, it would be of great benefit to my own way of calligraphy and painting — who knows, I might even gain some insight into the divine being's cultivation arts! " Shen Mu, brimming with interest, examined the grain and structure of the pillar little by little.