Chapter 1197 — Reunion with Old Acquaintances

"He was wounded too, yet even four Heaven Venerables could not hold him. " Shen Mu said, "He went back to the Great Void straight away and met Fire Heaven Venerable and Void Heaven Venerable in battle, and left the Heavenly Court in a fine mess.

" Tian Shu the Heaven King laughed through his tears: "That is the man he is! Never mind four Heaven Venerables — even ten could not hold him!

No one can hold him! " Shen Mu rose, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "But he needs you. He is waiting on the battlefield for his old soldiers, his old subordinates.

" The Heaven King Tian Shu flung himself over the table and wept aloud: "I am a coward, a craven through and through. I can only drink to summon up my courage, and my drinking ruins everything besides. I even cursed him for a coward who dared only hide away in the Carefree Land.

. . when the truth is that I am the coward. .

.

" Shen Mu walked out of the wineshop and said to Chixiu the Divine, "Let us go.

" Chixiu the Divine glanced at him and led him onward. They came to the Shen King Hall.

Its doors were shut fast, and two ghost kings with blue faces and tusks stood guard outside.

Chixiu the Divine knocked on the door and said, "Yama, Heaven Venerable Mu has come to call. " Something inside was knocked over with a clatter, and then Yama's voice came: "I am not in. .

. never mind, let him in.

. .

wait, I will go and receive him myself. " The doors opened. Yama was all somber black, shrouded beneath a dark cloak, his face hidden from view.

"Heaven Venerable Mu.

. . " His face could not be seen, but the emotion in his voice was tangled indeed.

Shen Mu stepped into the Shen King Hall and looked about him, then laughed: "Yama is as poor as ever. There is not a single treasure here worth a second glance.

" Yama was silent a moment, then said, "In the Jingping Tribulation. . .

" Shen Mu cut him off: "The Jingping Tribulation is over.

I will not live in the past. The people of Jingping survived the calamity, and they live well enough now.

" Yama's voice was bitter: "You saved Jingping.

The price you paid was enormous.

" Shen Mu turned around and smiled: "I am very well now, and I have gone further than I had before the Jingping Tribulation. The calamity brought me blessing. " "You suffered a great deal. " "I am stronger than before, sturdier, and my heart of the Dao is firmer than ever, never once shaken. " Yama said, "You bore the fate of Jingping alone.

.

. " "No! " Shen Mu laughed. "Every soul of Jingping bore it together.

I could not have carried it alone; with all of them bearing it with me, it was carried, and the crisis of survival was passed at last. So it was in the Kaihuang Era too.

The remnants of Kaihuang should not be scattered and divided any longer. " Yama fell silent.

Shen Mu made a circuit of the Shen King Hall and laughed: "It is too quiet here, too bleak — like a neglected wife banished to the cold palace.

Even you have grown gloomy.

This place does not suit me. I will go and see the others. " He strode out, saying in an unhurried voice, "Youth turns white, great ambitions burn in vain; what use, before the old steed at the manger, to sigh and whistle his grief?

" Yama watched him leave the Shen King Hall, then bowed his head and threw the cloak back from his shoulders, revealing a head of silver hair — though his face was still that of a youth. His gaze was cold and dark, yet flames danced in his pupils. "The Fisherman Heavenly Master should be fishing over by the River of Forgetfulness.

" Chixiu the Divine led Shen Mu onward, saying, "The ravines there are steep. A pity there are no fish; beneath the River of Forgetfulness only lonely ghosts and wild spirits drift through the water. " Before long Shen Mu saw the Fisherman Heavenly Master — an old man seated on a little folding stool, a fish basket beside him. Two small red fish had their fins propped on the rim of the basket, looking this way and that.

At the sight of Shen Mu they hastily shrank back into the basket, and the little male fish even pulled down the lid and carefully shut it, so as not to disturb Shen Mu, whispering, "The old master is going to get half beaten to death.

.

. " "Not likely!

I say it will be all the way dead — dead through and through!

" "Hush, keep your voice down. " Shen Mu came up behind the Fisherman Heavenly Master. The old man's body went stiff and his rod wobbled.

Shen Mu laughed: "Celestial Master, your heart of the Dao is unsteady.

Mind the fish don't get away. " The Fisherman Heavenly Master gave a snort, stood, reeled in his rod, took off his bamboo hat and turned around: "A blade is a blade whether you duck or not. Have you come to hit me or to scold me? " Shen Mu said in surprise, "Why would you say that?

" The Fisherman Heavenly Master sighed: "In the Jingping Tribulation, when you needed us most, we ran. I failed you. Hit me or scold me, I will not raise a hand or talk back.

" From the fish basket the two little red fish peered out through the gaps, and the small female fish whispered, "If a fight starts, should we try to talk them out of it?

" "No.

" "Will we turn into braised fish?

" . . . Shen Mu raised his fist and thumped the Fisherman Heavenly Master on the chest: "Let that matter be over and done with. The Jingping Tribulation is a scar upon my heart of the Dao, and here in Fengdu every one of you must tear it open again.

My heart is flesh too, and it hurts.

Do not speak of it again. " The Fisherman Heavenly Master stared at him blankly: "You. . .

very well, I will not speak of it. " Shen Mu broke into a smile: "I came this time for two reasons: to see you all, and to seek out Di Yiyue the Heaven King, to borrow her Nether Capital Heaven Gate against Yin Tianzi's divine arts. Do you know where she is?

" The Fisherman Heavenly Master ventured, "Will you not go and see the others?

Old Man Qinghuang, for instance, or Heaven King Dishi, or the woodcutter? " Shen Mu hesitated, then nodded: "I will go and see them. " He took his leave, and Chixiu the Divine led him on to the village where the Martial Combat Heavenly Master dwelt, with the Douniu Realm close beside it; the Martial Combat Heavenly Master had even moved his paddy fields and the great willow tree into Fengdu.

Under the willow, Niu Sanduo was puffing at his water pipe with a gurgle; at the sight of Shen Mu he scrambled to his feet, quite at a loss. Shen Mu went up to him and said smiling, "Senior Brother Sanduo, I trust you have been well?

" "Well, well!

" Niu Sanduo said in a fluster, "In the Jingping Tribulation.

.

.

" Shen Mu raised a hand and smiled: "No need to speak of it. " Niu Sanduo had no choice but to swallow his words.

"The old master does not yet know you are here. If he knew, he would be too ashamed to show his face anywhere. " Shen Mu smiled faintly: "The Martial Combat Heavenly Master's martial Dao reaches the divine; his powers are vast indeed. How could he not know that I have come to Fengdu?

He may hide for a while, but once hidden he will think it through, and come out to see me. " Just then the sound of the Martial Combat Heavenly Master steeping tea came from behind him: "When I heard you had come here, I did hide. But on reflection, I must come out and see you. I have wronged you; if I hid from you besides, that would be still more unseemly of me. " Shen Mu turned around and smiled: "Celestial Master.

.

. " Suddenly the Martial Combat Heavenly Master dropped to his knees and knocked his head several times upon the ground with a bang, smashing a great pit in the floor!