Chapter 842 — Who Comes Forth to Die?

They are all elders of the Daoist Palace. " The Daoist Palace was where the elders of Azure Cloud Heaven resided, while the Daoist Academy was where the Daoist arts and divine powers were studied; its members were mostly young disciples, quick of thought and swift to react.

The Daoist shot him a glance and said cautiously: "And then our Academy was robbed—by none other than Uncle-Master Tianhong, one of the Uncle-Masters you sent to inform us. He went through the whole Academy.

First one senior brother found his treasures missing, then everyone discovered they too had been robbed, their finest treasures spirited away without a soul noticing. So we all rushed out to look for those Uncle-Masters. " The Azure Cloud Sect Master frowned: "Everyone went out? " The Daoist said hastily: "The disciples of the Lords of the Zhou Tian Stars stayed behind, drawing star constellation array charts.

They were not robbed. When we got outside, we found that every palace and every court had been robbed—the twenty-four halls and the twelve courts, all plundered.

We searched everywhere, and then we found Uncle-Master Tianhong, stripped naked and thrown into the treasury of the Hall of Vast Dharma, a filthy sock and a pair of underdrawers stuffed in his mouth, his primordial spirit sealed. That thief had impersonated Uncle-Master Tianhong and robbed all of Azure Cloud Heaven.

So we sealed off Azure Cloud Heaven, meaning to hunt the thief out. Passing the Daoist Academy, we saw blood seeping from under the door. We opened it, and the senior brothers from the Heavenly Court were all lying dead inside. . . " The Azure Cloud Sect Master gritted his teeth and said coldly: "A fine trick, luring the tiger from the mountain!

The thief drew you away in order to strike at the Heavenly Court envoys!

Have you found him? " "Not yet. Just now, as we hurried here, we heard that someone had found Abbess Yuxiao, her primordial spirit sealed, her mouth stuffed with underdrawers, buried with straw covering her head. . . " The Azure Cloud Sect Master could hold his fury no longer and was about to erupt, when Shen Mu suddenly gave a cough and said, calm and mild: "Sect Master, Azure Cloud Heaven has indeed suffered a thief—we were robbed as well. But the one who killed the disciples of the Lords of the Zhou Tian Stars was not that thief. It was Lin Dao Lord and I who did it. " At these words, the Daoist Palace erupted. Thunder roared in the Azure Cloud Sect Master's head; his vision went black and he staggered.

Shen Mu sat on his throne, lightly tapping the dragon-head armrest with his forefinger, and said calmly: "I came as a guest; Dao Lord Lin came to visit kin. We should not have killed anyone in our host's house.

But our host's guests were plotting against Jingping, refining some Heavenly Diagram to destroy Jingping. Since they meant us no courtesy, we had no choice but to act.

An honest man does nothing in the dark—we killed these running dogs of the Heavenly Court, and of course we must inform the Sect Master of it. " The Azure Cloud Sect Master was thrown into confusion, and the other old Daoists had no idea what to do either; they stared blankly at him, waiting for him to speak. The young Heavenly Court Daoist sprang to his feet and sneered: "Fu Yuntian, the disciples of the Heavenly Court's Lords of the Zhou Tian Stars died in Azure Cloud Heaven. That is a guilt you cannot bear.

Now that the true murderer stands before you, what are you waiting for?

Waiting for Azure Cloud Heaven to be wiped out root and branch?

" The Azure Cloud Sect Master clenched both hands, turned, and looked at Shen Mu. Shen Mu said calmly: "The Dao Ancestor has not yet spoken. Would the Sect Master act on his own authority? Why not go and ask the Dao Ancestor? " The young Daoist turned to face Shen Mu and laughed with a cackle: "You destroyed the Dao Ancestor's statue—how are we to contact the Dao Ancestor? Shen Mu, Shen the Overlord Body, first you wreck the Dao Ancestor's statue, then the Dao Ancestor's Three Treasures, and then you kill three hundred and sixty disciples of the Lords of the Zhou Tian Stars, seeking to shift the blame onto Azure Cloud Heaven and destroy the Dao Ancestor's line of succession at one stroke. Your designs are unfathomable, and you deserve ten thousand deaths!

" Shen Mu laughed heartily and said leisurely: "The Sect Master surely has other means of contacting the Dao Ancestor? Why not go at once?

" The Azure Cloud Sect Master was utterly at a loss. He clenched his teeth, turned, and strode off, saying in a low voice: "There is a portrait of the Dao Ancestor in my meditation chamber. I will go and seek his counsel. The rest of you.

.

. " He stopped, frowned, and said quietly: "Keep watch on them.

They are not to leave Azure Cloud Heaven by even half a step! " An old Daoist said quietly: "And the Heavenly Court envoys. . . " "Including the Heavenly Court envoys!

" The Azure Cloud Sect Master hurried away. Shen Mu rose, gave a laugh, stepped down from the dais, and walked out of the Daoist Palace, saying with a smile: "A good wind to lean on, to send me up to the azure clouds.

Azure Cloud Heaven is truly a fine place. Here, can a man ascend to heaven in a single step?

" The young Daoist from the Heavenly Court rose as well and followed behind him, saying with a smile: "It may be a single step into heaven—or a single misstep into hell, never to rise again.

" Dao Lord Lin Xuan threw Daoist Cha a look, and the two of them also left the Daoist Palace.

"Your bearing is uncommon.

What is your name? " Shen Mu asked the young Daoist once outside the Daoist Palace. "Of the Heavenly Court's Daoist Order, personal disciple of the Dao Ancestor—Xiao Chunfeng.

" The young Daoist said coolly: "Though I am the Dao Ancestor's disciple, I have never met the Dao Ancestor. The reason I entered the Heavenly Court's Daoist Order was really just to put my name down, and to learn the spells and divine powers of the Daoist path.

Given my birth and standing, becoming the Dao Ancestor's disciple is rather a favor conferred upon the Dao Ancestor.

" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he asked: "Might you be the son of one of the ancient gods, brother?

" The young Daoist was surprised, and said in praise: "Shen the Overlord Body does not bear his name for nothing.

I am the son of Lady Taiyin. " "No wonder your surname is Xiao—you take your mother's name. " Shen Mu said with a smile: "Star Lord Taiyin is an ancient god of the moon, as famed as Star Lord Great Sun. But seeing how young you are, Star Lord Taiyin must have lain with someone not long ago and borne you.

" The corner of Xiao Chunfeng's eye twitched.

Shen Mu, his face all smiles, said: "Dao Lord Lin and I just now slaughtered our way through the disciples of the Star Lords Proper, but we saw none of the Four Emperors' disciples. May I ask where they are?

" "We are right here," the Heavenly Court men and women behind him said coldly.

Shen Mu turned around and said: "Which of you is the Southern Emperor's disciple? " One of them, a girl in red, said: "I am. " Shen Mu studied the girl carefully, nodded slightly, and said with a smile: "The Southern Emperor and I have old ties; I will not kill you.

Senior brothers of the Heavenly Court, the Overlord Body is here—who will come and die?

"