Chapter 837 — Tea Offered on the River

The old dragon king hastily made his obeisance and said, "This little dragon has the undeserved honor of being the dragon king of this stretch of the Heavenly River. From the Longhan Heavenly Court down to this day, a million years, my family has guarded this place generation after generation, maintaining the Heavenly River's course. Yesterday I witnessed the High God display his mighty power, and today the High God passes this way again; therefore I have come up to offer you hospitality."

"High God?"

Shen Mu laughed heartily and shook his head. "I am no High God. I am merely one who has opened the Heavenly River Divine Treasury; I am still one step short of the Divine Realm."

The old dragon king answered meekly, "The High God must be weary from his journey. I have brought a humble gift, all of it produce of the Heavenly River."

Shen Mu leaped down from Lord Dragon Keeper's back and landed on the water's surface. The old dragon king waved his hand, and at once shrimp soldiers and crab generals, dragon sons and dragon kin came forward, using their magic power to command the waters and build a palace upon the river, inviting Shen Mu to take a seat.

The palace in the river was formed of the waters of the Heavenly River; its tables and chairs were carved of white jade. Sitting within, one felt neither wind nor sun, yet could see all the scenery outside.

Shen Mu took his seat, and the old dragon king sat with him.

The two dragon maidens hurried forward and presented the treasures and the tea.

Shen Mu drank the tea, glanced at the treasures, and said, "Lord Dragon Keeper, take them for now."

Lord Dragon Keeper was overjoyed and hastily gathered up the jewels of every kind.

Shen Mu looked deeply at the old dragon king across from him and said, "I have already conferred upon Lord Dragon Keeper the title of Dragon King of the Heavenly River. If from now on you follow him, I can guarantee that your sons and grandsons for generations will live here in peace."

The old dragon king hesitated, then said cautiously, "High God, Lord Dragon Keeper is wise and valiant, but his bloodline is impure..."

Shen Mu laughed. "If bloodline were of any use, how could I have slain Prince Qiuming with a single sword? If bloodline were of any use, why would the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign have been defeated and killed?"

The old dragon king did not dare speak.

"Since your family has guarded this place for generations, I will not make things hard for you. This stretch of the Heavenly River shall still be governed by your clan. I want favorable weather here; you are not to unleash floods at will to bring disaster on the people of both banks. You may enjoy the offerings of the people along the shore, but you may not seize or enslave them."

Shen Mu set down his teacup and walked out of the water palace, saying, "Lord Dragon Keeper will conclude a Little Earth Lord's Pact with you; rebellion will not be tolerated. The tea is drunk and the offerings accepted. Withdraw. After I cross the river, Lord Dragon Keeper will come to find you."

The old dragon king assented. The water palace suddenly collapsed with a splash, and the old dragon king vanished together with his many dragon sons and grandsons.

"A Little Earth Lord's Pact?"

Lord Dragon Keeper blinked, overjoyed beyond measure, and thought to himself, "A Little Earth Lord's Pact is even more vicious than an Earth Lord's Pact. Who knows, I may truly become the Dragon King of the Heavenly River."

Elated, he carried Shen Mu and the Dragon Qilin onward. Before they had gone far, another dragon king appeared on the river with treasures of every kind, offering fragrant tea.

Shen Mu drank the tea, said his piece in much the same way, and continued on his way.

Along the road, dragon kings of the river kept appearing to offer tea and present treasures. Last night's battle had made a tremendous commotion; dragon kings of the Heavenly River from hundreds of thousands of li upstream and downstream had all hurried over. Every stretch of the journey, another dragon king would lead his host out to welcome them, exceedingly courteous.

Shen Mu went on, stopping and starting, until his belly was full of tea. By the time he reached the far bank of the Heavenly River, it was already midday.

The Dragon Qilin said in a low voice, "Cult Master, these dragon kings have lost the Ancestor Dragon King, and with it their backbone; that is why they pretend to submit. When the Earth Mother gives the word, every one of these dragon kings will rise in rebellion! Lord Dragon Keeper's abilities are not weak, but he still cannot hold the Heavenly River in check. You must go and invite Old Man Qinghuang of Dragon Village; only he can overawe them."

Lord Dragon Keeper was greatly displeased, but what the Dragon Qilin said was true. Old Man Qinghuang was the Second Heavenly King of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court; in strength he was second only to the First Heavenly King, Emperor Yiyue, and surpassed Lord Dragon Keeper by more than could be counted.

Old Man Qinghuang was even more formidable than the Ancestor Dragon King; there was no one better suited to guard the Heavenly River.

"Even if Old Man Qinghuang came down from the mountains, he could not hold this Heavenly River in check."

Shen Mu shook his head. "The moment the Earth Mother gives the order, all these dragon kings and demigods who have submitted to us will turn traitor. Not one of them has truly surrendered to us!"

The Dragon Qilin was somewhat bewildered. "Then why does the Cult Master still accept these dragon kings' surrender? If these dragon kings rebel, they will command the great waters of the Heavenly River and flood Jingping, enough to drown Jingping entire, turn it into a watery marshland, and make countless common folk into food for the fish and shrimp!"

Shen Mu looked back at the surging waters of the Heavenly River and said unhurriedly, "I know. I am simply waiting for the Earth Mother to give the order."

The Dragon Qilin and Lord Dragon Keeper were stunned.

"If the Earth Mother gives the order and these dragon kings and demigods rebel, then so long as they rebel, they break the Little Earth Lord's Pact."

Shen Mu's face darkened. "If they do not rebel, nothing happens. But if they rebel, then overnight this Heavenly River will be covered with countless dragon corpses floating on the water! The Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign's strongest means of threatening Jingping will be undone, and the Heavenly River will never again be a threat of floods! From then on, the name of the Little Earth Lord will shake the world!"

Lord Dragon Keeper shivered again and again, not daring to imagine such a scene.

Meanwhile, on the Shen-Character Continent, the Big-Headed Doll was wildly excited, sitting by the stone table waiting for the meal to be served.

Shen Mu looked toward Hundred-Year Mountain ahead and said, "Lord Dragon Keeper, go back. Go and conclude the Little Earth Lord's Pact with them. Every demigod in the Heavenly River who has the strength of the Divine Realm must sign the Little Earth Lord's Pact! Go!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

Lord Dragon Keeper sank into the water and vanished.

The gloom on Shen Mu's face vanished. Looking at the White Rift Deity on the little mound, he smiled and said, "Reverend White Rift, I have come to see you."

The White Rift Deity hastily made his obeisance, not daring to lose his temper, though he still nursed some resentment. "My lord, was that Lord Dragon Keeper just now? He is blessed indeed, the Surging River has grown so vast? My lord, do you see how tall the mountain beside me is?"

Shen Mu looked up and saw that the mountain range beside Hundred-Year Mountain stretched nearly ten thousand li, peak after peak, tall and handsome. Shrines and temples abounded on the mountain; rare and strange beasts roamed there, and great deer flew to and fro, riding the clouds and mist.