Chapter 1049 — Thrashing the Underworld Son of Heaven

Crown Prince Youming took up the Eight Trigrams Mirror, tucked the snake-skin bag securely away, and walked out of the Palace of the Dark Heaven.

He was just about to turn for one last look when Emperor Xuan's voice came to him: "Do not look back, not until you have entered the Yuan World. Walk on ahead, and do not take the Numinous Transfer Bridge — the Numinous Transfer Bridge would require you to pass through the Heavenly Court. Make your way from the Heavenly River to the Yuan Capital. You are my son; the water route is slower than the Numinous Transfer Bridge, but it will cost you only a year or so more. " Crown Prince Youming walked on in silence.

When he came to the Numinous Transfer Bridge, it so happened that Shen Mu's Heavenly Dragon palanquin was just about to enter it. The crown prince made haste to bow his thanks and said, "My thanks to the Heavenly Worthy for speaking well of me before my father and mother, and delivering me from my plight.

" Shen Mu stepped down from the palanquin, raised him up, and said with a smile, "A trifling effort, hardly worth mentioning. And where is the crown prince bound?

" Crown Prince Youming said, "Father and Mother have sent me to the Yuan World to see something of the world. " So saying, he recounted how Emperor Xuan had warned him that he must not look back.

Shen Mu pondered for a moment, then smiled. "I know why you are forbidden to look back, and I know whom you will meet upon the road.

Set your heart at ease — I will grant you a divine art, and even should you meet that man, you will still escape him. " Crown Prince Youming was astonished. "My father is skilled in divine reckoning — is the Heavenly Worthy also a master of that art?

" Shen Mu laughed aloud.

"Emperor Xuan never taught me his divine reckoning. I merely thought of a thing or two from what you said.

" He worked his art, his ten fingers shifting through a thousand transformations, then lightly touched the crown prince's brow and said with a smile, "Look at the eye upon my brow. " Crown Prince Youming gazed at the vertical eye in the center of his forehead.

"Heavenly Worthy, what divine art is this?

" The vertical eye at Shen Mu's brow blazed with light. "In time you will know," he said with a smile.

"Now you may go.

" He returned to his palanquin, and six heavenly dragons drew it into the Numinous Transfer Bridge. Crown Prince Youming shook his head and went on his way. Before long he reached the deep waters of the Heavenly River; he leapt in, transformed into a colossal dragon-turtle, swept his dragon tail, and vanished into the waters.

Truly he was the son of Xuanwu: he moved through the water with surpassing speed, and as his vast body swam, the waters of the Heavenly River surged and rose. In the days before the Numinous Transfer Bridge, the river route had been thronged with boats, mostly merchant vessels plying between the various heavens; but once the bridge was built, the ships grew far fewer.

The crown prince swam on joyously, feeling a lightness he had never known. He had been imprisoned for six hundred thousand years, and now that his bonds were gone, he felt lighter than words could tell. Yet it struck him as strange that he had met so few vessels along the way.

After more than two months of travel, the road grew unbearably dull, and that earlier joy had long since vanished without a trace. To be sure, there were many aquatic gods and demons in the water, and Dragon Kings as well, but none knew him for the crown prince of the Northern Pole Heaven, and he was so swift that they never had time to see him clearly before he was gone.

That day, as Crown Prince Youming swam beneath the surface, he saw several exceedingly magnificent tower ships upon the water.

Doubt stirred in his heart, but remembering Emperor Xuan's instructions, he paid them no mind and swam on.

Aboard the ships were many divine generals and many lovely, enchanting goddesses, singing and dancing to sweet strains of drum and pipe. A Great Emperor was enjoying the song and dance when he saw the waters of the Heavenly River suddenly swell; looking down, he beheld a colossal dragon-turtle passing beneath his ship. The Great Emperor laughed aloud and called out, "Brother Youming, stay your steps!

" Hearing that voice, the crown prince's heart lurched. "That sounds like Yin Chaojin, the Underworld Son of Heaven — what is he doing on the Heavenly River? The last time he came to the Northern Pole Heaven, he bragged to me that he had become the Black Emperor of the Nether Capital.

And when he failed to coax the Five Thunders Gourd out of me, he loosed a swarm of insects to gnaw the gourd vine. . . " The Underworld Son of Heaven was an old acquaintance, and he was tempted to stop; but remembering Emperor Xuan's words, he pretended not to hear and swam on.

The Underworld Son of Heaven, his power surging, wrapped the tower ship in it and lifted it into the air, giving chase.

"Brother Youming, do you not remember your little brother? These six hundred thousand years, I have missed you so bitterly! " Still the crown prince pretended not to hear and pressed on. The Underworld Son of Heaven could not match his speed and could not catch him, so he cried out loudly: "Brother, have you no thought for old friendships?

We played together once, and I even called you elder brother! " Crown Prince Youming thought back on the past and slowed his pace.

He said to himself: "It is true that we few were once close. . .

Pah, pah!

Back then, the Underworld Son of Heaven and Heavenly Worthy Hao and the rest sought my company only to plot for my family's wealth — they knew my father and mother had many treasures, and they were forever wheedling things out of us! " He quickened his pace again. The Underworld Son of Heaven shouted, "Turtle that hides its head!

" Crown Prince Youming flew into a fury, stopped at once, and turned over; the Heavenly River broke off in its course. "Yin, you little wretch, who are you calling a turtle? " he roared. The tower ship flew up and came crashing down upon the water with a boom.

The Underworld Son of Heaven went to his knees on the deck with a thud and said with a smile, "Brother, had I not goaded you, would you have turned back?

Let me make my apology. All these years without seeing you, I have missed you to death, and so I stooped to this poor trick.

" Seeing him actually kneel, Crown Prince Youming felt a pang of guilt; his anger vanished into thin air, and he hastily took human form and raised him up. "My father said that this time, having won free, I must not look back — if I look back, I will be lost beyond all redemption. That is why I paid you no heed; it was not that I meant to slight you. " The Underworld Son of Heaven took his hand and invited him aboard.

"All these years without seeing my brother, my heart has been full of longing. I even advised your honored father and mother to release you, but my words carried little weight. Now that you are out, brother, you must truly enjoy yourself, and make up for all the good things you missed in those six hundred thousand years! " Crown Prince Youming said, "I still have a road to travel. .

. " "A little time makes no difference! " The Underworld Son of Heaven laughed heartily and ordered music and dancing, and delicacies such as even the Heavenly Emperor seldom tasted were brought up in endless streams. He invited the crown prince to be seated and said, "Worthy brother, you can see for yourself that I have prospered these years. " Crown Prince Youming ate and drank and said, "The last time you came to see me, you said you had become the Black Emperor of the Nether Capital, and that sooner or later you would be another Earth Lord.

Are you the Earth Lord now?

" The Underworld Son of Heaven shook his head.