Chapter 898 — Galloping Eighty Thousand Li

Yan Qiling's heart went cold.

A moment before, she had forgotten the blessing the Heavenly Emperor had bestowed upon the back of her head, and had nearly spoken her heart's true voice aloud. Granted, at this moment the Heavenly Emperor's second soul should be in urgent haste to return to the Heavenly Court and fuse with the soul he had left there, with no leisure to spy upon or eavesdrop on her; yet in all things there is always that one chance in ten thousand. If her heart's voice were heard by the ancient god, the Heavenly Emperor, she would not be able to save herself either.

Shen Mu drew back his finger. In those days, to undo the many ancient-god blessings upon the back of the Celestial Venerable Yu's head, he had taxed his mind to the utmost, summoning heroes and wise men from all under heaven to the capital of Jingping to break those blessings, and so the Heavenly Emperor's blessing was no stranger to him. Moreover, the Pavilion of Archives also held the great dao runes of the Heavenly Emperor, and so his understanding of that blessing had climbed to an even higher plane.

He had not undone the Heavenly Emperor's blessing on the back of Yan Qiling's head; he had merely tainted it, so that for the time being the Heavenly Emperor could not hear their conversation through her.

This was much the same trick the woodcutter in the capital of Jingping had used to undo the blessing of Mother Earth on the back of Shen Mu's own head; both were feats of cunning. "Thank you," said Yan Qiling, a smile breaking across her face.

"You are sometimes especially gentle, and sometimes especially infuriating.

" Shen Mu smiled faintly and took this as a compliment.

Yan Qiling went on, "I have come to see that my master is truly heartless.

The bond between master and disciple, I fear, weighs not the least bit in his heart.

That is why I spoke up for you in the Tianyin Realm. To help you is to help myself. " Shen Mu was silent a moment, then said, "Then your master's wife.

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" Yan Qiling's body gave a shudder. After a moment she said, "My master's wife's traveling palace is just ahead.

" Yan'er folded her wings and descended, and Yan Qiling leaped down from her back, saying, "Does the Celestial Venerable Mu wish to go in with me?

" Shen Mu hesitated, then nodded, and bade Long Qilin and Yan'er remain where they were.

This concerned the one and only chance of life for Jingping; he must see it with his own eyes and make certain that nothing went amiss. The two walked toward the traveling palace of the new Mother Earth.

This complex of palaces could not have been built long ago; many powerful demigods of various races stood guard there, and these demigods had doubtless been subdued by the new Mother Earth.

The breaking of the seal upon the Yuan Realm this time had caused tremendous repercussions. The true Mother Earth had never dared show herself.

The Heaven Alliance had hunted her until only a single heavenly soul remained to her, and her physical body, whose true form was the Yuan Tree, had been seized by the Heaven Alliance and cultivated into the new Mother Earth. Lacking a body, Mother Earth could not command the same allegiance among the demigods as the new Mother Earth; though she still had a band of fiercely loyal powerhouses at her back, in those days her momentum could not compare with that of the new Mother Earth. In the traveling palace, the demigods who saw Yan Qiling and Shen Mu approach all showed strange looks, yet asked no questions.

When they came to the hall of Mother Earth, Yan Qiling knelt and bowed to the new Mother Earth, saying, "Master's Wife.

" Though the new Mother Earth looked exactly like Mother Earth, she lacked Mother Earth's aggressive, domineering air; on the contrary she was very gentle, and she said in haste, "Get up at once.

Why do you perform such grand courtesies before me again? You keep such rules before your master, but before me there are no such rules. " She looked at Shen Mu, showed surprise, and said with a smile, "Celestial Venerable Mu? How is it that you two are walking together?

Last time I heard you say you had come off the worse at his hands and meant to settle the score. " Shen Mu bowed in greeting.

"Shen Mu pays his respects to Her Ladyship Mother Earth.

" The new Mother Earth smiled. "I dare not accept it. You are the Celestial Venerable Mu, of exceedingly high seniority; there is no need for such ceremony.

You made a fool of my husband, giving his blessing to a black wild boar; he was beside himself with rage and cursed you for a long while. " She could not help laughing aloud, then caught sight of Yan Qiling still kneeling and said, "Little Swallow, get up at once.

With the Celestial Venerable Mu here, anyone would think from such solemnity that I have been mistreating you. " Yan Qiling kept her head lowered, holding up in both hands the mirror bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor, and said, "My master has already returned to the Heavenly Court.

He said to give this treasure to Master's Wife.

" "He has gone back? " The new Mother Earth took the mirror and said with a smile, "Did the Celestial Venerable Mu remake his souls for him?

It seems the grudge between the Celestial Venerable Mu and my husband has been dissolved.

That is very good. .

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" Her gaze fell upon the mirror and could not be moved away again.

Yan Qiling threw herself to the ground, weeping bitterly, tears pouring down like rain: "My master told me to deliver the mirror to Master's Wife. I knew what would happen when Master's Wife looked into the mirror, and still I did it!

I beg Master's Wife to put me to death—" The new Mother Earth raised her head; her eyes were blank, and the light in them slowly faded.

"This is not your fault, Little Swallow, not your fault.

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" She raised a hand and gently stroked Yan Qiling's head, and her palm turned, little by little, into pale smoke.

Softly she said, "You cannot be blamed; you too had no choice. " She turned her head to look at Shen Mu and gave him a lovely smile.

"Celestial Venerable Mu, take good care of her.

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" Her body crumbled away, turning into wisps of pale smoke that were devoured by the mirror.

The mirror clanged to the ground, rolled around twice, and stopped at Shen Mu's feet.

Shen Mu picked it up.

Within the mirror was a Yuan Tree, lush and verdant. This Yuan Tree was the true body of the new Mother Earth, and the true form of Mother Earth as well.

In the last years of the Supreme Emperors, the Heaven Alliance uprooted Mother Earth and carried the Yuan Tree to the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Emperor used the Yuan Tree to cultivate another living being; that being was the new Mother Earth, and he took her as his wife.

If the Heavenly Emperor could cultivate the new Mother Earth, he could naturally destroy her as well.

And now the new Mother Earth's soul had scattered, and the Yuan Tree had returned.

"Rest easy. " Shen Mu murmured, "Rest easy.

I cannot promise you anything else, but I can promise that I will do my utmost to look after her. " Yan Qiling was still prostrate on the ground, sobbing bitterly.

Shen Mu helped her up and said, "I have proper business to attend to.

Will you come with me?

" Yan Qiling did not rise.

Shen Mu walked out; time was pressing, and he had none to waste.

He left the traveling palace and climbed onto Yan'er's back, about to depart, when he saw Yan Qiling coming. The woman had recovered her usual fortitude, and she said, "I will go with you.

" Shen Mu nodded slightly. "I need a flat expanse of land, so that it will be easier to cast my arts, and easier for Mother Earth to come from beneath the earth. " "I know such a place.

" No trace of grief showed on Yan Qiling's face. "It is the silted plain of the Heavenly River.