荒墟牧神 - 第58章 聖教少主 - 錦書坊

, his tread heavy as stone, and dragged himself toward the next. "Young Master Mu, I can wait until you have rested..." Bang! "Is it over?" Shen Mu froze for a moment, then suddenly felt all strength drain from him; his legs gave way and he collapsed with a thud. He heard the clucking cry of the plume-crested fire pheasant dragon of Hidden Remnant Village — the sound they made after laying their eggs. But the youth was far too tired, and soon sank into deep sleep. Then his spirit embryo began madly drawing in the golden light from the divine treasury of his primal embryo, and afterward fell silent as well. Shen Mu slept no one knew how long, and woke in a daze to what seemed the sight of the village head and the Pill Master, their voices distant and high, as though coming from very far away: "Nothing serious, he is only exhausted..." Then he sank back into deep sleep. He woke several times: sometimes he saw Granny Zhu, sometimes that young patriarch of the Demon Cult; many faces swayed to and fro around him. He wanted to speak but had no strength, and sank once more into sleep. When Shen Mu woke again, every muscle in his body ached, yet his spirit was good, and the wounds on his body had scabbed over and begun to peel — no doubt the Pill Master had come and dressed them anew. "My spirit embryo has fallen asleep again." Shen Mu examined himself and found nothing seriously wrong apart from the silence of his spirit embryo. Enduring the ache, he stood, and holding to the stairs, made his way slowly down; every step he took felt like his muscles were being torn apart. When at last he managed to drag himself to the ground floor and stepped out of the wooden tower, he raised his eyes and suddenly froze. They were sitting or standing, waiting quietly, making no sound at all. When they saw Shen Mu come out of the tower, one after another they rose to their feet, every gaze falling at once upon him, their expressions grave. The young patriarch of the Demon Cult stood at the village entrance, and there too were the village head, the Pill Master, Elder Huo, and the others; Granny Zhu stood there as well, her gaze on Shen Mu, her expression somewhat complicated. Suddenly four elders bowed, their voices loud and clear, ringing to the heavens: "The Four Great Cult-Guarding Heavenly Kings of the Holy Cult pay their respects to the Young Cult Leader!" Shen Mu was stunned, at a loss what to do, when several more voices rang out in unison: "The Left and Right Protector Envoys of the Holy Cult pay their respects to the Young Cult Leader!" "The Eight Great Inspectors of the Holy Cult pay their respects to the Young Cult Leader!" "The Twelve Guardian Elders of the Holy Cult pay their respects to the Young Cult Leader!" What had Shen Mu ever seen of such a scene? His heart fell into confusion, and he looked imploringly toward the village head, Granny Zhu, and the rest — but they did not come forward; they stood far off and watched. The cowherd boy of Hidden Remnant Village steadied himself, and with a composure that was almost unhurried, slowly raised both hands and said, neither fast nor slow: "You — rise." "We thank the Young Cult Leader!"