Chapter 1072 — Glass Is Fragile After All

Gu Xiao and Hong felt their hearts ease a little, thinking, "This Mu Tianzun is unfathomable.

How domineering and resolute he was when he rampaged through the Jade Pool, and how quick-witted and roguish he is now. " Shen Mu beamed with delight and raised his clasped hands high, his right palm pressed over the back of his left, his voice like thunder, "Today I, Mu Qing!

" Luo Xiao said with a solemn face, "Today I, Luo Xiao!

" Gu Xiao had no choice but to say, "Today I, Gu Xiao!

" Hong said through gritted teeth, "Today I, Hong!

" The four spoke as one, "With my three brothers I swear brotherhood, loyal to the liver and gallant to the gut, to follow one another through hardship, to share life and death, and never to part!

We ask not to be born in the same year and month and day, but we ask to die in the same year and month and day! " Their words had barely fallen when, under the working of their essence, qi and spirit, the vows turned in each man's hand into a stick of incense, burning slowly with curling fragrance.

Their essence, qi and spirit were immensely powerful, and once the oath was uttered their words became law, so that though they had sworn to neither Tu Bo nor the Heavenly Duke, the words took solid form. Shen Mu thought to himself, "Mu Qing is my false name, so this oath has not the least binding force on me.

" Gu Xiao's eyes flickered, "Heh, it is only playacting. My name is not Gu Xiao anyway, so this brotherhood means nothing much.

" Hong glowed red in the face and thought, "No one knows my roots, so swearing an oath is no more than drinking a mouthful of water.

" Only Luo Xiao was sincere and wholehearted, filled with joy. Shen Mu called out of the carriage, "Pi, invite the little brother in your ear to come out as witness!

" Outside, Dragon Qilin, seated on the carriage shaft, heard him and was a hundred times unwilling, yet he did as Shen Mu said and fished a tiny Tu Bo out of his ear.

This little Tu Bo was a tiny living creature Shen Mu had created by visualization with a Stone of Creation he had gotten in the Bloodrust Grounds.

After visualizing the little Tu Bo, Shen Mu had paid him no more mind, but Dragon Qilin had kept him ever since and cherished him, sharing spirit pills with him on ordinary days.

Yan'er fed him now and then, and now the little Tu Bo had grown round and plump, with none of the true Tu Bo's martial majesty. "Be careful.

" Dragon Qilin took out the little Tu Bo and whispered, "The ones in the carriage are none of them good men. They eat men without spitting out the bones.

" The little Tu Bo landed and said very gravely, "Moo! " "When you get there, do not speak.

If you speak you will be caught," Dragon Qilin warned him.

"Xia?

" The little Tu Bo blinked, a little timid.

Inside the carriage Shen Mu urged again, and Dragon Qilin had to let him go.

With short arms and short legs, tail swishing and bovine hooves striding, the little Tu Bo walked toward the carriage.

The step beneath the bead curtain was rather high, so he braced it with both hands and clambered up with effort, then jumped down the step into the carriage.

Inside, Gu Xiao, Hong and Luo Xiao stared in astonishment as the tiny runt toddled between them. The witness come in from outside for their sworn brotherhood was actually a little monster fed into a round ball! And this little monster bore a certain likeness to the Tu Bo of Youdu!

"The Tu Bo whose body is vast and boundless is most dreadful. Who would have thought that shrunk to this size he could be rather lovable," Hong could not help laughing. The little Tu Bo came to their side and opened his mouth.

Shen Mu stuck the incense formed from his vow into his mouth, and the little Tu Bo swallowed it in one gulp, then toddled on short legs to Luo Xiao.

Luo Xiao looked him over closely and exclaimed in surprise, "A creation visualized by divine consciousness? " With that, he too thrust the incense formed from his vow into the little Tu Bo's mouth.

The little Tu Bo swallowed his vow and came before Hong. Hong hesitated, sizing the little thing up over and over, and only when he was sure it had nothing to do with the Tu Bo of Youdu and was neither his split body nor his incarnation did he feel at ease and hand the incense formed from his vow to the little thing.

The little Tu Bo swallowed that incense and came before Gu Xiao, and Gu Xiao likewise examined him repeatedly before handing his incense to him. Having swallowed the four sticks of incense formed from the four men's vows, the little Tu Bo toddled toward the high seat ahead, came beneath it, and tried to bounce up.

The four watched him with wide eyes as he leapt five or six inches high yet failed to mount the White Tiger throne, still a foot short of the seat.

The little Tu Bo landed, crouched, and bounced again. This time he jumped a little higher, yet still six or seven inches short of the seat. The little thing bounced several times in a row and never reached it, so he began to climb up the leg of the seat.

Before all eyes, the little thing climbed with utmost effort to the top of the leg, threw one bovine leg over, hooked the seat with his tail, and at last got onto the throne, panting twice.

The four looked at him, and there on the White Tiger throne the little Tu Bo caught his breath, sat down on his haunches, and spat out. Fragrance curled forth, for the four sticks of incense formed from the four men's vows had burned out in his belly.

The fragrance condensed before the four men and actually formed a scroll, a Book of Covenant. The little Tu Bo opened the Book of Covenant with a solemn face, and the Youdu demonic tongue rang from his mouth.

Though the voice was not loud, it was grave and stately. Luo Xiao, Gu Xiao and Hong were all amazed, and Gu Xiao laughed, "This little thing actually knows the Youdu demonic tongue and can结 a Book of Covenant.

How strange and quickened.

Mu Tianzun, where did this little thing come from? " Shen Mu was also rather surprised.

The little Tu Bo was visualized by him, but after visualizing him he had never minded him, and he had no idea what Dragon Qilin had taught him. The little Tu Bo read the Book of Covenant through once, then opened his mouth and swallowed it back into his belly, stood up, turned around, and stretched one leg out past the seat and kicked, but did not reach the ground.

Cold sweat broke out on the little thing's brow.

He let the other leg down too and kicked, but still did not reach the ground.

He twisted his head to look down, grew dizzy, and broke out in nervous sweat, crying "Xia, xia" without stop. The seat was too high for him, and a fall would surely leave him dazed and senseless. Shen Mu held his palm beneath his feet.

The little Tu Bo dropped onto his palm and hastily hugged one of his fingers, not daring to let go. Shen Mu set his hand on the ground, and only then did he grow a little bolder, carefully stepping out one leg while still not daring to release Shen Mu's finger.

When both legs stood on the ground, he tested it twice before letting go of Shen Mu's finger, then toddled outward again on short legs. None of the four men in the carriage spoke.

Together they turned to watch him as the little Tu Bo, wiggling his round bovine rump, came to the step, propped himself up with both hands, climbed the step, passed through the bead curtain, and jumped down off the step.

The four in the carriage withdrew their gazes.

Outside, the little Tu Bo came beside Dragon Qilin, and Dragon Qilin whispered, "The villains in the carriage did nothing to you, did they?

" The little Tu Bo shook his head, "Xia. " Dragon Qilin breathed relief and tucked him into his ear, saying, "I fear not one of those four is a good man.

They are all sly as ghosts. Do not mix with them.

" Inside, the four took their seats. Shen Mu smiled broadly and thought, "The little Tu Bo's Book of Covenant is of great use.