Chapter 1045 — The Twin Emperors of Xuanwu

. . " He studied the vine, trying to make contact with it through his divine sense, but the vine gave no response at all. The old turtle Youming was still cursing without cease, foul words bursting from his mouth, altogether stripped of his earlier air of a lofty master; clearly he loathed that "filthy pair" who had swindled away the Lapis Azure-Sky Banner with all his heart. Just then a buzzing arose in the air, and many great winged insects flew in; arriving at the mountain, they sowed their eggs.

The women on the mountain were furious and frantic; they flew up one after another to drive them off, yet many eggs still fell, and meeting the wind they became great green worms that clutched the vine and gnawed at it.

The women had no choice but to go catch insects again. Shen Mu glanced at it. "Where do these insects come from?

" "Insects raised by Yin Tianzi. He got hold of a packet of insect eggs from the most ancient times from somewhere.

He came to my parents seeking gourds, and when they would not give him any, he played his dirty trick and sowed the eggs. " The old turtle Youming said, "Every time these insects are caught clean, winged insects come to sow eggs again.

They have been sowing for four or five hundred thousand years now.

That scoundrel — his perseverance is terrifying!

" Shen Mu took his leave, and from behind him the old turtle Youming called out loudly, "Heavenly Worthy Mu, your old face carries great weight — I beg you to put in a good word for me before my father and mother, that I may soon be freed from this torment of suppression! After all, we did meet once, six hundred thousand years ago! " Shen Mu turned his head in astonishment.

"You met me six hundred thousand years ago? " "Yes indeed — in the celestial river, we glimpsed one another from afar!

" Shen Mu pondered. He had assumed the old turtle knew of him because the name of Heavenly Worthy Mu was truly resounding. He had never expected that the old turtle had in truth seen him before.

"I have been to six hundred thousand years ago?

How is it that I do not know?

" Shen Mu agreed to it, and the carriage drove on. Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu had divided their house into two kingdoms, one the Kingdom of Men and one the Kingdom of Women.

Shen Mu came into the Kingdom of Men and saw that most there were men with dragon heads, human bodies, and turtle shells — strange in appearance, yet all of exceptional strength; and not one of them was a woman.

A heavenly palace floated above the Xuan Kingdom, yet it was half a palace: the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace had been cut apart, cut straight along the middle line — even the Lingxiao Hall had been sliced neatly into two!

Standing upon the carriage and gazing up, Shen Mu could even see the imperial throne, split down its center.

"What quarrel did Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu fall into, to be severed to such a degree? " He could not help shaking his head. In the Jade Pool incident, the Northern Emperor Xuanwu had also made his move — though at that time they must have been joined as one, and so immensely powerful.

No doubt these two ancient gods, though at odds in ordinary days, would still join hands against an enemy in the critical hour. The Heavenly Dragon carriage flew up to that half palace and came before the Southern Heaven Gate, of which only half remained; there the gate's guards were flirting and dallying with several women of the Wu Kingdom. Doubtless, though the two ancient gods were at odds, many men and women of the two kingdoms were of one heart.

Shen Mu sent the dragon-qilin ahead to announce him, and after a moment a great laugh came: "Heavenly Worthy Mu has indeed come!

" A middle-aged emperor came forward to meet him, dragon beard and long whiskers, majestic and uncommon, save that his back was humped high and looked rather odd — he must have worn his turtle shell concealed beneath his robes.

"Heavenly Worthy Mu, this must be our second meeting? " Emperor Xuan laughed heartily. Shen Mu made his salute and said, flat and cool, "Before the Jingping Calamity broke out, there was the Great Calamity of Celestial Phenomena, and among its workings were the Northern Emperor's divine weapons, formidable beyond measure.

I do admire Emperor Xuan's treasures greatly. " Emperor Xuan returned the salute and laughed.

"Is Heavenly Worthy Mu reproaching me over this matter?

Heavenly Worthy does not know: it was the witch who lent out those Five Thunder Pots — it has nothing to do with me. I said at the time that the witch brings ruin on herself and cannot live; before, she lent out Five Thunder Pots to destroy the Shanghuang age, and afterward she lent them out again to destroy the Kaihuang age, and now she would destroy Jingping.

Sooner or later she will offend someone who must not be offended, and die for it! " Shen Mu's expression eased somewhat.

"So it had nothing to do with Emperor Xuan; I wronged you.

The Five Thunder Pot, that rare treasure, can hold the five great cloud-thunders, and from the cloud-thunders the Fire-Bell divine weapons are refined. I admire it greatly.

" Emperor Xuan, hearing the tune and knowing its meaning, said, "Heavenly Worthy Mu and I have hit it off at first sight; I regard you as a kindred spirit. The witch and I divided the Five Thunder Pots equally — she has a dozen or so, and I have a dozen or so. When Heavenly Worthy departs, I shall give you one, by way of apology! " Shen Mu's expression eased further, and he smiled. "Just now I met your worthy nephew Youming. I heard him say that he has been sealed beneath the mountain for six hundred thousand years, and that in six hundred thousand years nearly six hundred Five Thunder Pots were formed.

Why then does Your Majesty Emperor Xuan have only a dozen or so? And from the most ancient times to this day, who knows how many hundreds of millions of years have passed — how could a dozen or so be all there is? " Emperor Xuan's face flushed red, and he cursed.

"So many were formed? The witch must have pocketed them for herself! " He sighed. "To tell you the truth, in the wars of dynasty after dynasty, who knows how many Five Thunder Pots were destroyed; I truly do not have many left.

Very well — I shall give Heavenly Worthy all sixteen of my Five Thunder Pots. " Shen Mu sighed. "Jingping is weak and frail. Without mighty divine artifacts to guard the realm, its destruction lies in a single thought of the Heavenly Court.

If Jingping is gone, I will not live on alone.

" Emperor Xuan smiled. "Heavenly Worthy must not speak so. You came from the Eastern Emperor's side?

The Eastern Emperor has always been forthright of temper — he did not make things difficult for you, I trust? " Shen Mu said, "The Eastern Emperor set two trials.

The first was to revive another without borrowing the power of the Heaven Duke and the Earth Lord; the second was to test my potential. " Emperor Xuan's eyes flickered; clearly he was waiting to see how the price would run.

"And did Heavenly Worthy pass the trials? " Shen Mu said coolly, "After I revived the man, I smashed his Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace, wounded his reincarnated body, and made him lose a little face before all the divine dragons of the Eastern Pole Heaven.

" Emperor Xuan laughed heartily and raised five fingers.

"It has just come back to me that in my long-sealed treasury there are still some stores. I can give Heavenly Worthy fifty Five Thunder Pots, enough to form a Five Thunder Army!

" Shen Mu raised one finger. Emperor Xuan shook his head. "Truthfully, in the wars of successive ages, many Five Thunder Pots were indeed destroyed.

And in the Kaihuang age I gave Kaihuang fifty Five Thunder Pots — Kaihuang is Heavenly Worthy Shen, and I cannot favor one and neglect the other.