Chapter 720 — The Sage's Disciple

But he is not trembling with excitement, he is trembling with the fear that comes after.

When I am alive again and find him, I will help you rebuild Fengdu together with him. " Fengdu sailed into the darkness and vanished. Fengdu and the Dark Capital were both forged from the Earth Lord's Horn, both part of Youdu; therefore no world-barrier existed between them. "Great Heavenly Master, just now I heard you say that a second calamity is coming. Does that mean the Kaihuang Era was not destroyed?

" Di Yiyue seated herself in the second divine city of Fengdu, with King Yan, the First Ancestor, the Woodcutter and the others attending her. This woman, a legend of the Kaihuang Era, asked, "Does the Heavenly Court beyond the realms mean to destroy the Kaihuang Era a second time? " The Woodcutter's face darkened, and he shook his head.

"The Kaihuang Era has already been extinguished. The age we live in now is the Jingping Era, built upon the ruins of our age. This calamity is aimed at Jingping.

In those years the Heavenly King followed the Four Emperors of the Four Quarters in cultivation, was it not to meet the heavenly calamity?

So now that the Jingping calamity is about to break, I set my mind to it and thought to ask you to come forward. To meet a heavenly calamity, there is no one but you.

" Di Yiyue's face turned cold. She said indifferently, "Why should I help Jingping meet its calamity?

I failed Kaihuang. I was sunk in love and passion, and could not help the Kaihuang Heavenly Court hold off the calamity. But what is Jingping to me?

" The Woodcutter Sage was silent a while, then said, "The mainstay of this Jingping reform is my two disciples. My third disciple, Jiang Baigui of Jiangling, is the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping. " Di Yiyue shook her head. "Your face is not so great as that, and your disciple's face is even less. " The Woodcutter Sage said, "My second disciple is surnamed Shen. He is the one hundred and seventh generation descendant of Kaihuang, and he too is a mainstay of this Jingping reform.

" Only then did Di Yiyue's pretty face soften, and she nodded slowly. "A descendant of Kaihuang. Then to hold off this calamity for him may count as repaying Kaihuang a kindness.

Is he the Emperor of Jingping? " The Woodcutter Sage hesitated, then shook his head. "No.

He is a Palace Counsellor to the Emperor of Jingping, and the Grand Libationer of the Heavenly Sage Academy. " Di Yiyue's face turned cold again, and she said mockingly, "A descendant of Kaihuang, how could he be another man's subject?

Your second disciple may decline to be emperor, but what of Kaihuang's other descendants? Where are they?

Where is Kaihuang? We are Kaihuang's subjects; we will never make another man's wedding dress! " "Kaihuang.

. .

" The Woodcutter Sage's face darkened, and he shook his head. "Kaihuang hides in the Land of No Sorrow. For twenty thousand years he has not shown his face. " Di Yiyue flew into a rage and struck the table.

"I said long ago: if that good-for-nothing man surnamed Shen cannot be Kaihuang, then let him vacate the seat and let me take it!

That fellow runs off to the Land of No Sorrow to enjoy himself, tosses the mess to others, and lets others fight to the death for him, what shamelessness! That said, I still will not help the Emperor of Jingping hold off the calamity!

" "The one who becomes emperor is not the man of greatest ability and strength, but the man of the greatest and broadest spirit and heart. " The Woodcutter said, "The Emperor of Jingping is such a man. He has a breadth of heart and a vision that even Kaihuang did not have. In strength, you are not inferior to Kaihuang, but do you think that if you were Kaihuang, you would do better than Kaihuang did? " Di Yiyue was silent a while, then shook her head.

"At the most critical moment of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court I was sunk in love and passion; I ran off to marry an enemy, and was ambushed for it. I am not fit to be Kaihuang.

Very well. I owe you much, so I will stretch a point. I must see your disciple and the Emperor of Jingping before I decide.

If they please my eye, I will help; if they do not, I will turn and go, and sooner hide in Fengdu and be a female ghost. At the worst, I can go and idle under the Earth Lord's command. " The Woodcutter Sage broke into a smile, very pleased. "If you meet my second disciple, you will surely be greatly comforted, and glad that Kaihuang has so outstanding a descendant! " Fengdu returned to the Wasteland and overlapped with it. The sky grew bright. The Woodcutter Sage, Fu Riluo, the First Ancestor and the others took their leave of the King Yan of Fengdu, and then returned, each to his own body.

Di Yiyue followed their primal spirits to the Yongjiang Academy in Li Prefecture of Jingping. The Woodcutter Sage's body woke from death, rolled over and stood up, and laughed. "My disciple of the Shen family is nearby.

I will take you to see him!

You will like him at first sight!

" The First Ancestor, Chi Xi, Fu Riluo and the others woke as well. Even as they spoke, from the direction of the Yongjiang came a tremendous crash of thunder, and the lightning struck without cease.

They all looked toward the sound, and saw five great cloud-thunders massed into a dense thundercloud, circling the Yongjiang and hammering down madly upon one spot. Di Yiyue looked closely, and saw a calamity god beneath the thundercloud attacking wildly in every direction, while a youth clung to his back, mouth wide open, gnawing at the back of his skull, and though the five cloud-thunders struck madly, they could not strike him loose. Di Yiyue was doubtful. She glanced at the Woodcutter and asked, "Is that the descendant of Kaihuang, your second disciple?

" The Woodcutter Sage's expression did not change. He shook his head.

"No. I do not know this talented youth.

Heavenly King, let us go on to the capital of Jingping, and first pay a visit to Emperor Yanfeng. " — Happy birthday to Yueye Huakai!