Chapter 399 — Watertight
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
" Yu Zhaoqing sent out a pulse of spirit, and soon all the Heavenfeathers boarded the Dawn Ark. Shen Mu activated the Ark once more and walked into the space enveloped by Dawnspring. On the ship, millions of Heavenfeathers looked about curiously, taking in this strange little world, their garments ceaselessly changing color. These Heavenfeathers were somewhat taller and leaner than ordinary folk; both the men and the women were striking in appearance, and their clothing changed color with their mood—when they felt happy, their garments would turn brilliant and multicolored.
Shen Mu released the Sun Pillar once more, somewhat afraid to touch those pillars again.
He had smashed the sun in two, and without the sun to temper it, the Dawn Ark's terrible power had begun to devour his own vitality. Just a short while ago, his feet had been swallowed up to the instep by the Ark; it was only by taking advantage of his shrinking body that he had managed to jump free, yet his legs still felt limp and sore.
"When Your Highness meets the chieftain of the Heavenfeathers, it must be done with due ceremony—she must not be slighted. " The old chieftain invited Shen Mu into the Sun Temple, and only then summoned Yu Zhaoqing to meet him.
"Your Highness. " In the Sun Temple, Yu Zhaoqing stepped forward, cradled Shen Mu's cheeks in her hands, and gently touched her forehead to his.
"What are you doing? !
" Xue Hu'er came running into the Sun Temple with Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang, happened to see the scene, and cried out indignantly: "You can't just go kissing people right and left. .
. " Yu Zhaoqing looked curiously at the little girl, who was only a bit taller than her own calf, bent down, cupped Xue Hu'er's cheeks, and gently touched her forehead to the girl's.
Xue Hu'er felt something new enter her mind—the language of the Heavenfeathers. At the same time, she sensed Yu Zhaoqing exchanging the Heavenfeather language for the language of this world.
Xue Hu'er suddenly understood: "It's not a kiss! I thought you were taking liberties with our young master. . .
" Yu Zhaoqing smiled, bent down, and pecked her once on the lips.
Xue Hu'er's face flushed crimson, her heart thumped like a startled fawn, and she swayed as if drunk, murmuring shyly: "Well.
.
.
one little kiss doesn't matter.
. .
" Yu Zhaoqing turned to Ling Yuxiu. Ling Yuxiu's heart battered against her ribs, and she lowered her head to stare at her own chest, but Yu Zhaoqing only touched foreheads with her—no kiss—and only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
Si Yunxiang also received a touch on the forehead and laughed: "So this is how you exchange languages! Is it an inborn gift of your Heavenfeather race, or a divine art? " "It is inborn.
" Yu Zhaoqing opened her mouth, and the human speech of this world issued forth—still a little halting, but growing more fluent with every word: "Your Highness slew the many-bodied demon god and saved my Heavenfeather people from fire and water.
The entire Heavenfeather clan is profoundly grateful. " Shen Mu shook his head. "I didn't intend to save you; I was protecting myself.
No need to thank me. Do you Heavenfeathers also dwell in the Ruin?
" "Not here—another world. " Yu Zhaoqing said: "The world we came from was seized by the many-bodied demon god, and all of our clansmen were devoured by him, mindless and benighted.
Thanks to Your Highness's rescue, we escaped extinction.
Your Highness may not hold your favor over us expecting repayment, but the Heavenfeather clan cannot fail to repay it. " Shen Mu asked, curious: "The world you came from—that should be the world behind the demon god's corpse, shouldn't it? Why has your world come to border the Ruin?
" "About twenty thousand years ago, our world collided with another, and the spaces of the two worlds overlapped. The people of the Heavenfeather world discovered that whenever night fell, another world would appear above their heads—a truly wondrous thing.