Chapter 1040 — Self-Willed and Deaf to Counsel

Shen Mu was shaken to the core and blurted out: "His mother was not an ancient god? Then what race was his mother?

And his father — which ancient god was he? " Since coming to the Heavenly Court, he had heard Qi Jiuyi and the Yun family matrons say as much: that Divine Emperor Langxuan was the first demigod in all the world, born of two ancient gods. He had never dreamed there was another story hidden behind it.

The Eastern Emperor glanced at him.

"Why is the Great Mage so curious about other people's private affairs? " Shen Mu's face took on a strange cast, and he ventured: "Does the Eastern Emperor refuse to speak because Divine Emperor Langxuan is your.

. . ? " The Eastern Emperor shook his head.

"Divine Emperor Langxuan is not my offspring. Were he my offspring, the identities of his parents would not be shrouded in such mystery. I am a man of loose ways by nature, and have left countless offspring behind me; there is no need to conceal whether a child is mine or not. " He pressed a hand to his brow, somewhat pained.

"Truth to tell, those who come running to me to claim kinship are beyond counting, and I am quite at my wit's end. If I deny them — well, they are indeed dragon seed; if I acknowledge them — well, there are far too many.

There was even a plume-crested fire pheasant dragon that came here to claim me as its father! " Shen Mu's eyes went wide. He recalled that flock of plume-crested fire pheasant dragons which had seized Hidden Remnant Village, and ventured: "Then the plume-crested fire pheasant dragons.

. . ? " The Eastern Emperor was caught between laughter and tears.

He shook his head.

"They are of the flood dragon line; nothing to do with me. There may be offspring of mine among the flood dragons, but the plume-crested fire pheasant dragons are absolutely not mine!

" He paused a moment, thinking it poor form to keep talking about himself, and said: "Divine Emperor Langxuan's mother was a Creator. The Great Mage has been to the Great Void, so you must know of the Creators.

When you went to the Great Void, I sent one of my crown princes along with you — alas, he did not come back alive. " Shen Mu said in astonishment: "Brother Dao sent a dragon crown prince to accompany me? " There had indeed been dragons aboard the tower ship when he went to the Great Void, but he did not know when they had died; only he and Luo Wushuang had returned alive from that ship.

Of course, of the three hundred aboard at the time, more than two hundred had been full of hostility toward him, so Shen Mu had never troubled himself to sort out who was friend and who was foe.

"Divine Emperor Langxuan's mother was a Divine King of the Creator race, named Divine King Gongyun.

In the primeval age she bestrode the world, unmatched and magnificent beyond compare. And his father — that is a matter of even greater consequence.

" The Eastern Emperor sighed, and said in a muffled voice: "It was the Heavenly Emperor. " "The Heavenly Emperor again! " Shen Mu's heart and spirit quaked, and yet he found it only natural.

Only the Heavenly Emperor could have carried on an illicit affair with a Divine King of the Creator race and begotten Divine Emperor Langxuan! The Eastern Emperor, for all his loose ways, was not a choosy man, and so his name was thoroughly mud; but the Heavenly Emperor's eye was exceedingly high.

He was a libertine, not a lecher; every woman who caught his fancy was peerless in both talent and beauty. "Gongyun. Shujun. Both share the word 'jun.

' Could that be a tradition of the Creator race? " Shen Mu mused.

The Eastern Emperor walked on ahead.

"Shu denotes the generation — the generation of the Grand Emperor's uncle. Shujun was born before the Grand Emperor; by generation, the Grand Emperor ought to call him uncle.

Gong denotes status — the status of the Grand Emperor's wife. " Shen Mu blurted out: "Wait!

You mean Divine King Gongyun was the Grand Emperor's wife? The Heavenly Emperor had an affair with the Grand Emperor's wife and begot Divine Emperor Langxuan? " The Eastern Emperor's narrow eyes blinked, and he smiled. "That is your word, not mine.

" Shen Mu's head swam. He felt he would need a moment to steady himself before he could digest this appalling news. "Divine Emperor Langxuan is Venerable Hao's elder brother — Langxuan knows it, but Venerable Hao does not.

" The Eastern Emperor said quietly: "In this world today, few ancient gods know of this matter. I am one of those in the know.

Many suspect that Divine Emperor Langxuan is my offspring, but in truth it has nothing to do with me; I have been carrying the blame for the Heavenly Emperor. " He sighed.

"I have carried blame for others too many times to care about one more. Only — Divine Emperor Langxuan means to kill this cheap old father of his. Heh heh.

. . " A green cast came over his face, and he gave a cold laugh.

"Is he not afraid I will expose the whole matter? " At Shen Mu's side, Long Qilin asked curiously: "Then why has the Eastern Emperor never exposed it?

" The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon glanced at him, saw that here too was dragon seed, and felt his head about to split. He ventured: "You are not my son, and you have not come to claim kinship — is that right? " Long Qilin hesitated, then said: "I remember only my mother. I know my mother was a qilin, but not who my father is. Two hundred years ago, did the Eastern Emperor visit the wasteland ruins of the Yuan Realm?

" At last the Eastern Emperor relaxed, and said with a chuckle: "I did not go. . .

The reason I have not exposed it is, in the end, that I fear death.

" He sighed and glanced at the divine artifact Venerable Yu in the distance.

"Tian Gong and Tu Bo have the strength to contend with the divine artifact Venerable Yu, but I have no such confidence. In truth, even without bringing out the divine artifact Venerable Yu, in a clash with the Venerable I would most likely lose more than I won; it is only that they would find it hard to kill me. " His gaze was like a torch as he looked at Shen Mu, and he said in a deep voice: "If the Great Mage did not come to me, I would have come to you. I have long had a worry, and I would ask the Great Mage to relieve it. " Shen Mu said gravely: "Pray speak, Eastern Emperor. " "After Tian Gong and Tu Bo are dead, will you still be the Great Mage?

" The Eastern Emperor's gaze met his eyes directly.

"Truth to tell, I have prepared with two hands. If you have the strength to resurrect the ancient gods, I will fight to the death, and protect you to the very end! But if, after Tian Gong and Tu Bo die, you have no strength to resurrect the ancient gods, then I will surrender to the Ten Venerables, kill you, and carry your head to the Heavenly Court to claim merit and reward! " Shen Mu's heart pounded violently. In that moment, he truly felt the Eastern Emperor's killing intent! The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon said mildly: "The crime of murdering Venerable Mu is grave indeed, but I am one of the Four Emperors among the ancient gods, enfeoffed by the ancient god Heavenly Emperor as one of the Four Sovereigns who guard the Four Extremes of Heaven.

To kill you, I would not be reckoned worthy of death — at most I would be suppressed, but my life would be preserved.

And when the Heavenly Court tries to root out Tu Bo and Tian Gong, they will need my strength as well, and so they will set me free. " Yan'er flew into a fury: "Eastern Emperor, how can you be so shameless? " The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon glanced at her, shook his head and laughed. "Little girl, all under heaven bustles for profit, and all under heaven rushes for gain; such is the way of the merchant. Venerable Mu and I deal in mutual profit; there is no friendship between us. When the profit is there, I will cooperate.

When the profit is not, whether Venerable Mu lives or dies is no concern of mine.