Chapter 1000 — Putting Yourself in Another's Place

In those days I foolishly imagined Jingping to be the castoffs of the Celestial Court.

Only later did I realize I had it backward. Jingping were not the castoffs of the Court; they were the castoffs of Kaihuang.

" Qin Hanzhen frowned and could not hold back: "In the circumstances of that time, the entire Celestial Court of Kaihuang was on the verge of destruction; the only course was to preserve the main strength, the vital force. There was no way to protect those mortal commoners.

Only thus could there be any chance of counterattacking in the future! Consider it, Venerable Mu—had the positions been reversed, you would have done the same. . . " "Reversed positions? " Shen Mu said without inflection. "When catastrophe erupted in Jingping, was it not the very image of what the Celestial Court of Kaihuang had suffered that year?

The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping did not flee to Wuyou Township. Emperor Yanfeng did not flee to Wuyou Township. They both remained, remaining together with the people they were bound to protect. Nor did I leave. Could they not have left?

Could I not have left? " His gaze settled upon Kaihuang's face. "This is where Kaihuang falls short of me—falls short of Emperor Yanfeng and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping. In that year you left, taking the strongest of your people with you, and established Wuyou Township. For twenty thousand years you have toiled without effect, achieved nothing, built nothing.

Because you left, there was no longer any age of Kaihuang.

We did not leave. We stayed. And so the age of Jingping still endures. Heh—reversed positions. .

. " He said with lofty arrogance, "Had the positions been reversed, I would have done better than you. Emperor Yanfeng and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping did better than you. The ministers of Jingping did better than your ministers. " Qin Hanzhen said no more. Kaihuang nodded. "You did better than I did in that age.

Even in the Longhan age, I admired you; I thought you a hero, and myself no hero. I could never act as a hero as you do. " "Your Majesty!

" Yan Yunxi knit her brows.

"Why must you debase yourself for nothing? Even if it came to real battle, Wuyou Township would not be the least bit afraid—why bow your head to him? His so-called Creator formation, his so-called celestial palaces, his divine weapons—I see nothing in them but a hundred flaws, plainly meant to intimidate us!

" Shen Mu glanced at her and smiled.

"Heavenly Master Zixi, what you saw was what I allowed you to see. If I truly wished to wipe out Wuyou Township, you could not stop me. " Yan Yunxi blazed with fury; hatred made her teeth itch. Shen Mu said calmly, "You have hidden yourselves in Wuyou Township for far too long.

You know nothing of the world outside, which has been turned upside down; you have lost the heart to press forward and the will to fight. In one month I trained the Creators to this pitch. I do not need much time to raise the divine arts and daos of the Creators to a yet higher plane.

If I leave this time and bring an army again before Wuyou Township the next, what you will see will not be visualized celestial palaces, not visualized divine weapons and armor.

" Yan Yunxi snorted and turned her face away, grinding her teeth. "Back then we should have let Lü Zheng kick you to death with one hoof! " Shen Mu's gaze shifted back to Kaihuang. "You are too composed. You weigh too many things, looking before and behind. I weigh fewer things and act more rashly than you. It is true that I came with an army to frighten you. But the Creators and Wuyou Township do, in truth, need peace.

And so, even as I frighten you, I have also come to make peace. " Kaihuang said, "I should like to hear the details.

" Shen Mu looked to the Divine King Langwan, and she gave a slight nod. "Wuyou Township will be handed over to you, to be governed by you, and the Creators will not invade again. But in exchange, Shen Fengqing, the Divine Son of the Netherworld, will open up a Netherworld across the Other Shore and the Great Void—a new Netherworld—to gather in the wandering souls and pacify the Great Void. " Shen Mu went on, "The Great Void will belong to the Creators; Wuyou Township will not lay a hand on it. The Divine Son of the Netherworld will be the Earl of the Netherworld in the Great Void.

He must be impartial in his doings, establish the cycle of life and death, and not devour souls according to his likes and dislikes.

Should Wuyou Township be able to do all this, the two races will live in harmony and resist mighty enemies together.

" At this point he turned to the Divine King Langwan. "Elder Sister, is there anything you wish to add? " The Divine King Langwan's eyes glittered. "Wuyou Township may come into the lands of the Creators to establish academies and schools, and teach divine arts and daos.

In exchange, the Creators may likewise establish academies in Wuyou Township, and teach the way of consciousness cultivation. " Shen Mu leaned back against the backrest of his chair and smiled. "What does Venerable Shen think of that? " Kaihuang said, "Everything Venerable Mu has said is most apt; I have not made this journey in vain. Do our two races need to draw up some covenant?

" "Not at all. " Shen Mu stretched his palm out across the table.

"So long as you and I clasp hands, the covenant is sworn. " Kaihuang reached out his hand, and their two hands clasped hard together. A smile spread across Kaihuang's face as he looked Shen Mu up and down. "Venerable Mu still wears his scarlet robe—surely there is not a great red belly-band underneath it?

" Shen Mu withdrew his hand, settled back into his chair again, and raised an eyebrow.

"Believe it or not, beneath it I wear not even a pair of drawers. What—do you want to take a swing at me?

" "I do!

" Kaihuang gave a weighty nod.