Chapter 1660 — Hidden Killing Intent
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The next day, Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu rose early. After washing and dressing, Ling Yuxiu coiled her hair into a married woman's bun, and Shen Mu pinned a hairpin into it for her. Once the couple had finished breakfast, the attendants in the manor had already sorted the various congratulatory gifts and catalogued them into a ledger, which they presented to Shen Mu. Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu drank tea, heads bent together over the ledger, reading through it entry by entry.
Apart from treasures, many of the guests' gifts were strange and curious things.
Lan Yutian, for instance, had sent the insights he had comprehended beneath the World Tree over the years; Xu Shenghua had sent a jar of tea leaves and a pot of fragrant orchids; Zhe Huali had sent a Hundred Sons Jade Scene he had carved himself with a blade. Dao Master Lin Xuan had copied out a set of the mathematical equations of divination he had studied over the years and sent it along; War Void Tathagata had sent a single prayer bead; Wang Muran had sent a letter of challenge, inviting Shen Mu to the Lesser Jade Capital for a duel at the same cultivation realm. Emperor Yanfeng had given them a thick stack of small booklets, on which Shen Mu's name was written at the top, and below it row after row of tally marks. Jiang Baigui, Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, had sent a section of tree branch, within which his sword dao was concealed.
Whether it was a challenge to Shen Mu or a hope that he might comprehend his own sword dao from it and advance further, none could say. Sage Woodcutter had sent a volume compiling three hundred and sixty kinds of acquired dao, signifying that he was passing his mantle to Shen Mu. Yan Yunxi had sent a carrot with a bite taken out of it, which was most likely because the donkey Lu Zheng had been unable to resist nibbling it when he came to deliver the gift.
Di Yiyue had given Ling Yuxiu a hairpin, which would probably still be of use. Tian Shu had sent a jar of wine he had treasured for many years and could never bear to drink.
Li Youran, Emperor Shitian, had personally copied out a volume of the Record of a Hundred Heavenly Creations that he had comprehended. Zhuo Cha the Old Farmer had sent a picul of rice he had grown himself, and Niu Sanduo had sent along another picul of rice as well. Hantang the Fisherman Celestial Master had sent them two small red kun, still juveniles, most likely the remaining offspring of his red fish.
Ling Yuxiu hurriedly dug them out from the pile of gifts, and saw in a small fishbowl two little red fish, each with a pacifier in its mouth, swimming to and fro. "Don't touch them. " Shen Mu hastily stopped her. "Those are kun.
They eat people. " The two little red kun, pacifiers in their mouths, looked back at them innocently.
The two continued browsing. Ling Yuxiu laughed. "Ling Tianzun sent you a knot of eternal friendship. What a Zun sends is indeed unlike anything else. " Shen Mu fished out the knot Ling Tianzun had sent, and saw that it was a knot tied with the seal method of red cord, employing all manner of exquisite subtleties of the Mira Palace's dao patterns, and before he knew it he was absorbed in studying it.
"Yue Tianzun sent you a Lamp of Shared Hearts! " Ling Yuxiu found a lantern embroidered with two hearts, and said with a half-smile, "What a Zun sends is truly in a class of its own.
" "It's for both of us.
It means wishing us hearts joined as one forever.
" Shen Mu said without changing expression, "This lantern would be quite remarkable for traveling.
" Ling Yuxiu dug out Langwan the Divine King's gift next. "Sister Langwan sent you a flower.
" Shen Mu looked, and his heart gave a small leap. This was the flower from back when he had been in the Void of the Other Shore, when Langwan had been instructing him. In their contest, at the final strike, Shen Mu had not counterattacked, but instead visualized a vivid, dewy flower and given it to Langwan.