Chapter 1014 — The Young Heavenly Lord's Residence

God King Langwan was deeply suspicious.

"Why does everyone say I am Jue Wuchen? " She was, after all, a God King of the Creator race. Though she had had little contact with the outside world, as the sole God King the Creators had produced in a million years—a being who had fought Kaihuang and the Worry-Free Land to a standstill—her cunning and calculation ran deep. Despite her doubts, she did not speak. The moment Consort Qiang uttered those words, she knew she had misspoken; a single short sentence could expose a great deal.

She shut her mouth at once and lapsed into silence. On the other side, Shen Mu was left gape-mouthed, his mind churning with towering waves, and he too could find no words.

Only a handful of Heavenly Alliance leaders who had taken part in the ambush of the Ancient God Heavenly Lord, and the Heavenly Lord himself, knew of Jue Wuchen.

The Heavenly Alliance of that time, needing to unite every force opposed to the Heavenly Lord, had been a motley gathering indeed: besides the several Heavenly Lords who had founded it, there were demigod leaders, the Son of the Heaven Lord, the daughter of the Earth Lord, and even the Great Emperor himself mingled among them. Yet few had reacted so strongly to the name Jue Wuchen.

Ruling out the Empress and Lady Yuanmu, the most likely candidate was the Heavenly Lord himself. If Consort Qiang was in fact the Heavenly Lord, that would make for a very interesting tale.

Shen Mu immediately recalled a possibility from the days of the Longhan Heavenly Court: to preserve his rule and guard against the Empress consort consolidating the power of the inner palace, the Heavenly Lord had split off a wisp of his soul to become Consort Qiang and enter his own inner palace, preventing the Empress's influence from growing too great. The Empress and Lady Yuanmu stirred up all manner of trouble in the inner palace, and as Consort Qiang he had seen it all. And when he descended to the mortal world and reincarnated, going to bed Jue Wuchen—the form Lady Yuanmu had assumed—Consort Qiang remained behind in the inner palace. At the time, the Heavenly Lord's physical body also presided over the Heavenly Court, but the body was hollow, empty of the Heavenly Lord's primal spirit.

Lady Yuanmu, in league with the Heavenly Alliance of the time, had done away with the Heavenly Lord's reincarnated body, scattering his soul to the winds. At that moment, Heavenly Lord Yun, Heavenly Lord Hao, and Jue Wuchen—the form assumed by Yuanmu—had all rushed to the Heavenly Court at once, seeking to seize the Heavenly Lord's physical body.

All this Shen Mu already knew.

"But what if, when those three broke into the Heavenly Court hoping to control the Heavenly Lord's body, they found that it was already under someone else's control? " Shen Mu blinked. "What if the one controlling the Heavenly Lord's body was Consort Qiang? " Who was the clam and who the crane?

Who was the fisherman? Who was the victor of that age?

Of course, this was only his conjecture. But one thing he could be certain of: if the Ancient God Heavenly Lord of old had wanted to keep his rule from being stolen by outsiders, he would surely have left some hidden measure to protect his physical body.

The simplest path would be to leave a part of himself in the inner palace. Therefore, that wisp of the Heavenly Lord's soul was most likely hidden in the inner palace.

That being so, both Consort Qiang and Consort Yan could be the Heavenly Lord—and given how startled Consort Qiang had been by God King Langwan, she seemed the more likely of the two. "But beyond that, there is one more matter. The identity of Heavenly Lord Hao's birth father. " Shen Mu's gaze remained fixed on Consort Qiang, the habitual simple smile on his face, while he thought, "The Heavenly Lord of old had taken a fancy to his sister-in-law Yuanmu, and under the pretext of siring a demigod to find a path to immortality for the demigod race, he reincarnated as a mortal.

As a mortal, he fathered the demigod Heavenly Lord Hao with Lady Yuanmu, who was an Ancient God.

Then, after Heavenly Lord Hao was born, was that incarnation of his still around? Was he hidden among the Ten Heavenly Lords?

If that person still existed, then the Heavenly Lord would not have needed to become Consort Qiang or Consort Yan—he need only have left a wisp of his soul within that incarnation.

" The identity of Heavenly Lord Hao's birth father had always been a secret.

The only one who likely knew the true identity of the Heavenly Lord's reincarnated body was Lady Yuanmu. If Lady Yuanmu exposed it, her own identity would be revealed as well. Thus a delicate balance was maintained between these two Heavenly Lords, neither exposing the other. In the Heavenly Lord's inner palace, Shen Mu, Consort Qiang, and God King Langwan faced one another in silence; the atmosphere was exceedingly delicate.

Only God King Shujun paid the scene no mind at all. He glanced about and said, "So this is the Heavenly Lord's inner palace?

No wonder it's so voluptuous. " His words startled the three of them awake.

The smile on Shen Mu's face grew ever more simple and honest.

He bowed to Consort Qiang and said politely, "Greetings, Consort Qiang. Though I hold the rank of Heavenly Lord and have been in the Heavenly Court for some time, I have been busy running about and have had no chance to pay my respects. I ask your forgiveness. " Consort Qiang returned the courtesy with a smile. "Heavenly Lord Mu is too kind. I have long secluded myself in the inner palace and have never called on you either. It is I who must ask your forgiveness. " The two exchanged pleasantries, neither voicing the suspicion in their hearts. Shen Mu said, "We stumbled in here by mistake, and it is fortunate we met you, Consort. Otherwise a reckless fellow like me might have caused a great deal of trouble. " Consort Qiang smiled.

"The paths of the inner palace crisscross in great complexity. That Heavenly Lord Mu, not knowing the way, should stumble in is only natural.

If you cannot find your way out, I will have someone escort you. " Shen Mu thanked her, and Consort Qiang smiled. "It was nothing.

I have heard that Heavenly Lord Mu went to war in the Void, seeking the Worry-Free Land. There have been many rumors these days, all saying that you had died in the Void and your army was wiped out.

I never expected you to return alive—and to appear in the inner palace, no less. These two beside you, could they be from the Worry-Free Land? " Shen Mu laughed heartily.

"Of course not.

Consort, you seem to recognize my elder sister here. Have the two of you met before? " Consort Qiang smiled faintly. "We have not met.

Heavenly Lord Mu has never been to the inner palace. " Shen Mu smiled. "Nor have I met Consort Qiang.

" Consort Qiang nodded, clapped her hands lightly, and two palace maids appeared.

She whispered a few words to them; they assented and said softly, "Honored guests, please follow us. " The two maids led Shen Mu and his companions away.

Consort Qiang watched until they were far off, then frowned and murmured, "Which of those two little sluts is she? Strange, very strange. .

. " Shen Mu looked back; Consort Qiang smiled again, and the two nodded to each other from afar, smiles on their faces. Shen Mu followed the two maids out. They clearly recognized him; they exchanged a glance but did not dare speak. Shen Mu smiled. "Little sisters, how long have you served the Consort?

" The two maids did not answer. One of them giggled.

"Heavenly Lord Mu, you shameless old thing—a few days ago you were peeping at the Consort and us as we bathed and played, and now that you've put on clothes you've forgotten all about it.

" Shen Mu's face flushed red.

He dared not ask further and stole a glance at God King Langwan. God King Langwan's expression was as usual, without the slightest ripple. God King Shujun's interest was piqued.