Chapter 714 — The Full Moon Hangs in the Sky

The First Ancestor never once struck at the three of them, which shows he held them in great fear; and they dared not strike at the First Ancestor directly, which suggests the First Ancestor's strength was above theirs.

The strength of Lou Yunchu and his two fellow disciples most likely lies between the God-Slaying Platform realm and the Jade Pool realm. " Master Dan asked, "Stronger than Vajra?

" Shen Mu nodded. "Far stronger than Vajra.

Vajra is most likely of the Jade Pool realm, yet in actual strength he is much their inferior.

After all, they are disciples of the Dark Emperor of the Dark Capital, and what they cultivate is an Imperial Throne method. " Master Dan steadied himself and said, "We are far from being their match. Why not leave this place and return to the Barren Ruins? We cannot save everyone, but we can save ourselves. " Shen Mu's face broke into a smile. "But Grandpa Dan, since I was small you have taught me that a physician's heart is a parent's heart, and that a human life is greater than heaven. We study medicine and seek the way of healing precisely so that we may save more people.

Would Grandpa Dan go against his own first intent?

" Master Dan laughed in fury. "Now you lecture me! Then let me teach you one more thing: studying medicine cannot save Jingping! Will you listen to me?

Deaf Old Man, your strength is greater than mine. Seal him in a painting, and we will go back to the Tiansheng Academy right now and take Granny and the rest away with us! " Deaf Old Man dug at his ear.

"I cannot hear you. I am Deaf Old Man. " Master Dan was enraged and looked ready to fall out with him. Deaf Old Man said hurriedly, "Since Shen'er has come running here, he must have some rotten scheme in mind.

Why not hear him out before deciding? " Master Dan restrained himself and said, "If you cannot tell me of any chance of victory, we leave at once! I will have to drug you senseless and carry you back to Yincan Village! " Shen Mu smiled. "We may not be Lou Yunqu's match, but we have other helpers.

If I am not mistaken, at this very moment the Woodcutter Sage, the First Ancestor Human Emperor, Vajra, the Red Creek Divine Man, and the Fisherman Heavenly Master are all within the borders of Lizhou, waiting only for Lou Yunqu and the others to show themselves.

" He said calmly, "I can guess that their target is Lizhou, and they will guess it too. " Master Dan drew a sharp breath and murmured, "If they have guessed it, then why not move the people of Lizhou away of their own accord? Why let the people of Lizhou bear the danger of being killed?

" "Because Lou Yunqu and the others cannot be found, and so the common folk of Lizhou must be sacrificed. " Shen Mu said, "Besides, I have already spread the Soul-Pulling Art abroad.

There are no few in Jingping who cultivate it, and with that art one can call back those who die by the Book of Life and Death. So the risk is worth taking. Indeed, it must be taken! " Deaf Old Man asked, "And if their chosen target is not Lizhou? What if it is the capital?

" "I am here. They will come.

" Shen Mu said decisively, "I am the bait that draws them. I will make Lou Yunqu and the others abandon every other target and fix their eyes on Lizhou alone! Yuzhi Commandery has already lost several million people.

Last night they used the Book of Life and Death to cancel the registers of those lives.

I have ordered everyone who cultivates the Soul-Pulling Art to hurry to Yuzhi Commandery to save them. And tonight should be the night they strike at Lizhou! " Master Dan asked, "Then how will they know you are in Lizhou? " Shen Mu said, "One who holds the Book of Life and Death will naturally know where I am. Shine the Book of Life and Death upon the world, and every name will float to the surface.

Tonight I need high ground to work my art, so that after they cast their spell and kill, I can bring every soul in Lizhou back to life! " Deaf Old Man said hurriedly, "There is a Heaven-Watching Terrace in the Yongjiang Academy.

The ground is high; from the terrace one can take in every sight in Lizhou.

" Shen Mu clapped his hands. "Good! We will work the art there! " That night, Shen Mu brought the dragon qilin up to the Heaven-Watching Terrace. Master Dan and Deaf Old Man stood at the edge, gazing anxiously at the sky. The moon was full.

At the four corners of the Heaven-Watching Terrace stood statues of the four divine beasts, the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise, symbols of the four heavenly palaces of east, south, west, and north; at the center stood a giant armillary sphere, engraved with the stars of the whole circuit of heaven.

Shen Mu lit lanterns all around, then stood upon the armillary sphere and waited quietly. The moonlight was bright and clean, and the moon climbed slowly to the zenith. Deep in the night, all was still; by now there was no human voice in the Yongjiang Academy, only the surging river by the sea, flowing on day and night. The night air held a touch of chill.

Shen Mu warily manifested his three heads and six arms and watched all around. The moonlight was quiet as water, spilling over the earth, illuminating mountains and rivers, the lay of the land; nearby, grasses and trees gave off a drifting fragrance, and in the distance the hills lay dappled like crouching beasts.

Shen Mu waited a long while.

The moon passed the zenith, and still the Book of Life and Death did not come flying. "Can it be that they are not coming?

Unlikely. . .

Fat Dragon, Fat Dragon!

" Shen Mu called out. The dragon qilin lay at the edge of the Heaven-Watching Terrace without stirring. Alarmed and uncertain, Shen Mu looked at Master Dan and Deaf Old Man.

Deaf Old Man sat cross-legged in the lotus position, staring at him with wide eyes; Master Dan leaned against the Azure Dragon statue, his face hidden in shadow.

Shen Mu leaped down from the armillary sphere and went to the two of them, reaching out to test their breath. His mind roared. Master Dan and Deaf Old Man were nothing but empty shells.

Their souls had vanished into thin air! He flew to the dragon qilin's side.

The dragon qilin's soul had vanished too!

Shen Mu's blood ran cold. He raced down from the Heaven-Watching Terrace and sped through the Yongjiang Academy. He saw the Heavenly Records Tower blazing with light, and many scholars still in the tower borrowing and reading scrolls of arts and methods, yet every one of them was frozen, motionless! He ran through the corridors and saw young scholars on the lawns who had not yet slept, men and women nestled together, surely courting, but their bodies were hollow, their souls gone as well!

Shen Mu passed Su Yunzhi's great hall. The deity was sitting in meditation, yet her primordial spirit had vanished too!

"Impossible!

Impossible!

They could not have driven the Book of Life and Death without alerting me! Lord Dragon-Keeper! " Shen Mu shouted, "Where is Lord Dragon-Keeper? " The river rushed on; no cry of "Lord Dragon-Keeper is here" came.

In the Yongjiang, two giant dragons floated belly-up on the water, their horns caught on the dam, their bodies shuddering like waves under the river's push. On Mount Baisui, the Baixi deity seemed to have turned to stone, standing atop a grave mound without moving. All of Lizhou, every commandery and county, had fallen into dead silence.

"How did they cast their spell? There cannot be no trace at all!

" Shen Mu's whole body was ice-cold. He paced back and forth, cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

Suddenly he raised his head and looked at the bright moon in the sky.

The moon was full. "Today is the first day of the month. Yes, today is the first, so where does this moon come from?

" Shen Mu's body shook violently. He shouted, "They are hiding in the moon!

Teacher Woodcutter, First Ancestor Human Emperor, can you hear me?

" Thud.