Chapter 727 — The Old Stubborn Bull

More likely than not, that outfit is a beggar's rig Lord Shen has cut in his own inventive fashion this year. . .

" Shen Mu returned to the foundry and saw the Dragon Qilin lying sprawled on the ground, its chin flat and its four legs spread straight; he could not help shaking his head. The disciples of the Hall of Heavenly Works in the foundry hastily brought out clothes. "Sect Master," they said, "we have nothing handsome here, only ordinary coarse cloth.

Please make do, Sect Master. " "Explosive treasure-refining!

" At last, even the Empress and the Crown Prince, Ling Yushu, could no longer sit still and hurried over to the foundry.

When they entered the workshops, they saw many adepts of supernatural powers flying about a colossal alchemical furnace more than ten zhang high, branding all kinds of runes into it. That furnace was unlike ordinary ones: it had no vents, and its exterior was covered with Vermilion Bird patterns and all manner of mysterious flame markings; its structure was extremely complex. "Your Majesty! Your Highness!

" The Empress smiled. "I saw you lot going boom-boom-boom in here day after day, keeping the common folk from their sleep, so I came to take a look.

Where is Lord Shen? What is he getting you all to cook up now? " "The Sect Master has gone to the Southern Wastes.

He said he was going to ask the Skyfeather chieftain to forge him a few sets of clothes.

" Ling Yushu and the Empress were greatly shaken and blurted out, "Can divine weapons be forged this quickly? " Shan Youxin smiled. "Quenching divine metal is extremely difficult.

The Tujiang Foundry is one of the few places able to quench divine metal, and even here, the amount quenched each day is very small. The gods of our Jingping who want divine weapons forged are all queued up to the year after next — even the year after that!

But with this furnace, the divine metal the gods need can be produced in two months!

" Ling Yushu recalled Emperor Yanfeng's instruction and asked hastily, "Does starting up the furnace consume many alchemical materials? The Sect Master has always been a lavish spender. Of the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon he built, my father said it consumed far too many alchemical materials.

When my father fired it once before, his heart ached for three months and he could not sleep well.

" Shan Youxin hesitated for a moment.

"It does not consume too much. Mm — not too much. . . " At the Lanjiang Academy, Shen Mu found Yu Zhaoqing and asked her to help forge him some clothes.

Yu Zhaoqing hastily summoned the masters of the Skyfeather Clan and said with a smile, "Your Highness, I have been raising silkworms at the academy and have come by some fine materials. Rest assured, Your Highness — I will make them well. Would Your Highness like a dragon robe? " Shen Mu hastily shook his head.

"Don't be silly.

I am not planning to rebel. " Yu Zhaoqing sounded rather regretful. "We could make two sets first, to keep them on hand. " Shen Mu shook his head and went to find Chancellor Bashan.

The two fellow disciples drank wine in the hall.

Little Snow Fox was also in the Southern Wastes, cultivating under the Fox Immortal, one of the five immortals of the Monster Clans.

When she heard the news, she hurried over clamoring for wine — only to see the Dragon Qilin outside the hall beating the Green Ox, thrashing that ox until it howled in agony. "Big Sister! I'm your sworn brother, the Green Ox — come and save me! " the ox cried.

Little Snow Fox shook her head, paid him no mind, and slipped into the hall to drink with Shen Mu and Bashan.

A few days later, Yu Zhaoqing finished several sets of clothes.

Shen Mu tried them on, found them perfectly to his liking, and embroidered Heavenly Fire patterns and Youdu script on them with gold and silver thread as ornaments. These two kinds of runes would ensure that, even if he met again with an explosion of that force, his clothes would not be blown to pieces.

"Your Highness, these days the people of the Skyfeather Clan are consumed with longing for home; they are always wanting to return to the Skyfeather World.

" Yu Zhaoqing cautiously probed Shen Mu's intentions, smiling.

"Now that Jingping no longer faces the threat of heavenly calamities, should we not begin to give thought to the worlds of the heavens? " Shen Mu knew very well what she meant, and smiled.

"Jingping has only just become stable, and a hundred things await restoration. The emperor does not have enough troops to pacify the Skyfeather World. The Skyfeather World is like the Desolate Waste: by day it is passably normal, but at night the darkness invades. Since the darkness has not yet been quelled, elder sister had better wait a few days more. When the Celestial-Yin Goddess has thoroughly put down the remaining troubles of the Celestial-Yin Realm, you will be able to return to the Skyfeather World. " Yu Zhaoqing could only say, "This humble woman will await Your Highness's word.

" Shen Mu drew a map and said, "Chieftain, you may take some of the clan's young men and women and make a trip to the Celestial-Yin Realm first.

The Celestial-Yin Goddess is short of hands there. When you arrive, she will give you important posts — the benefits will be many. Once the other clans enter the Celestial-Yin Realm, those benefits will no longer be so abundant. I also have to go to Fengdu, and I fear I will not have the leisure to escort you there. " Yu Zhaoqing was overjoyed and hurriedly set about making arrangements.

Shen Mu bade farewell to Chancellor Bashan and Little Snow Fox, and set out immediately for the Desolate Waste.

When he reached the Desolate Waste and entered Fengdu, he left the Dragon Qilin waiting outside, but he did not see Di Yiyue or Tian Shu.

Fengdu was exactly as it had always been, with no sign of renovation. "Can elder sister Di Yiyue still be searching for Heavenly King Tian Shu? " Shen Mu was puzzled.

He left Fengdu on the little boat of the Daoist Lingjing, only to see the Dragon Qilin with a black-and-blue face, thoroughly battered and bedraggled.

Shen Mu asked hastily what had happened. The Dragon Qilin said, "I ran into an old ox plowing the fields.

It looked somewhat like the Green Ox, so I thought I would pick on it a bit — but I ended up getting beaten. " Shen Mu was startled.

"Where is this old ox?

" The Dragon Qilin led him to settle the score, and they came near a few mu of paddy fields. From afar, Shen Mu saw an old ox sitting in the shade of a tree with its hindquarters on the ground, its two hind legs braced against the earth like a person's, while a front hoof leisurely held a water pipe. The ox was puffing out clouds of smoke, eyes narrowed, gazing at the rice paddies. Beside it was a small stone table, with tea steeping upon it.

Shen Mu stepped forward, made a formal bow, and said, "Daoist brother.

"