劍問蒼天 - 第130章 詭林 - 翰墨軒

The Great Shaman was silent for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Ming Li fell silent.

The Great Shaman went on slowly, "This sacred artifact bears on the lives of countless common folk of the Southern Frontier. I only ask that you lend the people of the Southern Frontier a hand."

A corner of Ming Li's eye twitched. "The five tribes of the Southern Frontier number beyond counting. Why beg help of an outsider?"

The Great Shaman shook his head, his voice bleak and desolate. "Since the five tribes split apart, our shamanic arts have dwindled day by day. Now we can no longer find a single person of any worth to take up this burden. As for your request that I summon back the soul of your friend—I agree. Only, the circumstances you describe differ from anything the Southern Frontier has known before. I cannot promise success, but I will do my utmost. Tomorrow at first light, I will go with you to the Central Plains."

Ming Li and Xiaobai both started, having expected no such urgency in the old man's heart. For Bili's sake Ming Li did not fear death itself—how could he shrink from the risk of seizing some legendary sacred artifact? Yet glad as he was, he could still see that the Great Shaman was gravely wounded, and he said at once, "Elder, last night's contest of arts... should you not rest a few days first?"

The Great Shaman sighed softly. "I have not many days left. Before they run out, let me spend what strength I have on your behalf. I only hope that, for the sake of a dying old man, you will lend a hand to the countless people of the Southern Frontier."

Ming Li was silent. In truth, had he not seen for himself how frail the Great Shaman was? Yet even so, he had not imagined it had come to this. Beside him, Xiaobai suddenly spoke. "Great Shaman, you said just now that all five sacred artifacts must return to the ancient cave together before that beast-demon can be revived—is that so?"

The Great Shaman nodded. "That is so."

Xiaobai said, "If that is the case, then even with one artifact lost from the Miao, four others remain. You need not be in such haste..."

"Two—two of them!" the Great Shaman broke in suddenly, and when he had finished speaking, a violent fit of coughing tore from his throat.

Xiaobai was taken aback. "What?"

When the coughing had at last subsided with difficulty, the Great Shaman sighed. "Set into the Black Staff, the sacred artifact of my tribe, is another artifact—the Bone Jade. Two hundred years ago, we Miao seized it from the Li."

Xiaobai gave a little "ah," his expression somewhat strange, and said no more.

The Great Shaman was silent a moment. "In truth, two hundred years ago we already sensed that something was wrong. From intelligence gathered in secret, we learned that the sacred artifacts of the Zhuang, the Tu, and the Gaoshan—all three—had over those several centuries vanished one after another, suddenly and inexplicably, in a manner most bizarre. At that time only we Miao and the Li still held artifacts in our keeping. In those days, of the five tribes, only the shamanic arts of our Miao altar retained any strength, and so we took the Bone Jade from the Li by force, to be kept within our altar for safekeeping, against every mischance. Little did we think that in the end it would still come to this..."

Ming Li and Xiaobai said nothing. The seizing of another's sacred relic was, after all, no honorable deed.

The Great Shaman knew this well himself and had no wish to dwell on it. He turned to Ming Li. "So you see how desperate matters have become. All five sacred artifacts are lost, and it may well be that beast-demon's doing. And the arts that Li sorcerer used last night were precisely the black-fire sorcery of the beast-demon of old. I—I—I fear..." Before the words were out, he was coughing again, his voice torn to a rasping whisper.

Ming Li drew a deep breath and said slowly, "I agree."

The Great Shaman was overjoyed, nodding again and again. "M-many thanks."