Chapter 945 — Asking the Dharma Before the Toad, Seeking the Way Among Men

Dan Fenglai's hands and feet were ice-cold, and a beast-like howl rose in his throat. The Ancestral God King was the Ancestral Heavenly Venerable among the Ten Heavenly Venerables; these people were all disciples of his school. His disciples were legion, his students scattered across the world like peach and plum blossom—yet the Ancestral God King had no such energy to spare for teaching them. So it was Dan Fenglai who taught all these junior brothers and sisters!

Dan Fenglai had been their teacher and benefactor, and they in turn revered him deeply; such feelings were hard for ordinary folk to imagine.

So many junior brothers and sisters had died here in the Ancestral King Palace; his heart was cut as if by knives, yet he steeled himself, forced the howl down, and swallowed it back into his belly. The Ancestral God King's gaze fell upon him, and he said, neither lightly nor heavily, "Heavenly Venerable Mu has done much evil.

While I was away from the palace, he killed more than two hundred of my disciples. My disciple Fenglai saw it with his own eyes.

Is that so, Fenglai? " Dan Fenglai bowed and said numbly, "It is so. Your disciple saw it with his own eyes.

" The Ancestral God King nodded in satisfaction, stepped down from the Terrace Overlooking the Abyss, patted his shoulder, and said, "This business of the Reform is monstrous treason.

You too have heard something of the Heavenly River Divine Treasury, but your cultivation is already high. I trust you know benefit from harm, and will not act rashly. " Dan Fenglai assented and said woodenly, "Your disciple understands. The Reform violates the laws of our forebears and is monstrous treason.

Your disciple loathes such shameless conduct to the marrow, and longs to see it rooted out at once. " The Ancestral God King walked past him and said unhurriedly, "That wretch Heavenly Venerable Mu—after ruining Divine Emperor Langxuan, he comes to ruin me. Who is the next Heavenly Venerable he means to ruin?

When the boy came to the Heavenly Court, many thought he was certain to die, yet instead he grows ever more active. . . Fenglai, see these junior brothers and sisters properly laid to rest, and reward their families richly. " "Your disciple obeys.

" Dan Fenglai raised his head and watched him go, saying silently in his heart: 'My junior brothers and sisters died because of Heavenly Venerable Mu.

Had he not spread his doctrine and preached his way, our master would never have killed them! Heavenly Venerable Mu, my hatred for you is a blood feud—we cannot live under the same sky! ' He dared not hold a grudge against the Ancestral God King; such hatred could only be transferred onto Shen Mu.

"Heavenly Venerable Mu, Heavenly Venerable Hong is in seclusion, cultivating in silence.

My Hongtian Palace has sealed its gates and receives no outside guests.

" Yun Chuxiu brought Shen Mu and the others to the Hongtian Palace. The deity guarding the gate said apologetically, "As for the Heavenly Venerable's visit, once Heavenly Venerable Hong leaves seclusion, this humble god will report it to him, and Heavenly Venerable Hong will surely return the visit. Heavenly Venerable Mu, please go back.

" Shen Mu and the others had no choice but to leave.

Yun Chuxiu then led them to the residence of Heavenly Venerable Xiao, and the answer was the same.

They came to the heavenly palace of Heavenly Venerable Huo, and the deity guarding the gate said, "There have been strange disturbances in the Great Void. Heavenly Venerable Huo has taken his disciples wandering the Great Void to investigate the cause, and there is no telling when he will return. " When they reached Heavenly Venerable Xiao's place, a deity said, "Heavenly Venerable Xiao went with Heavenly Venerable Huo, taking his disciples to wander the Great Void.

He is not in the palace. Heavenly Venerable Mu, please go back.

" Yun Chuxiu sighed and said with suspicion, "Can it be that all the Heavenly Venerables have run off?

" Yun Jianli's eyes flickered, and he smiled: "Why not go and take a look at Heavenly Venerable Yan and Heavenly Venerable Qiang?

" Yun Chuxiu shot him a glance and smiled sweetly: "Brother, have you forgotten? Those two Heavenly Venerables are heavenly consorts who live in the rear palace. How could we ever see them?

Why not go and visit Heavenly Venerable Hao? Surely Heavenly Venerable Hao has not gone out too? " Yun Jianli smiled and said nothing, thinking: 'Which Heavenly Venerable is she, really? Among the Heavenly Court's Ten Heavenly Venerables, besides Heavenly Venerable Qiang and Heavenly Venerable Yan, there are also Heavenly Venerable Gong and Heavenly Venerable Xu, who are women. But those two also avoid us and will not be seen.

I do not know which one Yun Chuxiu truly is. Is it possible that the Empress and her sister have become men? ' Shen Mu said, "Let us not go to see Heavenly Venerable Hao.

There is bad blood between us and we do not get along; if I went, he would only drive me out.

I hear the Dao Ancestor has returned to the Heavenly Court, so let us go to the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect and pay a visit to that old Daoist. " Yun Chuxiu delighted in chaos, but when Shen Mu said they would go to see the Dao Ancestor, her interest flagged. Shen Mu's purpose had been precisely to come and see the Dao Ancestor; he had not expected so many things to happen, to turn the Langxuan Divine Palace and the Ancestral King Palace upside down, or that the other Heavenly Venerables would avoid him.

Still, his going to the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect to visit the Dao Ancestor would not seem so abrupt.

The Heavenly Court's Dao Sect.

The Dao Sect had apparently never expected Shen Mu to come visiting, so that the old Daoist guarding the mountain gate and the divine beast guarding the door stared blankly as Shen Mu and the others approached, and only when they reached the gate did they come to their senses and hurry back into the sect to report. Before long, an old Daoist led many Dao Sect disciples out to greet them, apologizing: "The Heavenly Venerable has come from afar, and we failed to welcome you. We beg your forgiveness.

" Shen Mu studied the old Daoist. He was not the Dao Ancestor he had seen in the Longhan era, but by his voice he should be the old Daoist who had entered the Repository Pavilion together with Heavenly Venerable Huo.

"Heavenly Venerable, this is the Dao Master of the Dao Sect," Yun Jianli reminded him. "Is the Dao Ancestor here? " Shen Mu asked.

The Heavenly Court's Dao Master said hurriedly, "The Dao Ancestor returned to the Dao Sect a few days ago and is in seclusion.

Perhaps the Heavenly Venerable might come another day?

" Shen Mu smiled: "No matter. I can wait for him to come out of seclusion.

" The Heavenly Court's Dao Master had no choice but to invite him into the mountain.

The Heavenly Court's Dao Sect occupied an immense tract, and was more luxurious than the Jingping Dao Sect by far; it was a heavenly palace called the Jade Purity Heavenly Palace.

As for the Dao Sect under Dao Master Lin Xuan—though the whole Kunlun Realm belonged to the Dao Sect's domain, the sect occupied only one peak within it, with a few scattered Daoist temples and little incense burning. The Heavenly Court's Dao Sect, however, was luxurious to the utmost: palaces and halls magnificent, a thousand towers and ten thousand pavilions.

Nor did its Daoists wear plain Daoist robes; their dress was lavish, with nothing of the Daoist's habit about it, and they even had servants and attendants to see to their food, drink, and daily needs. In truth, those who entered the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect were not Daoists at all.