Chapter 1409 — A Stab in the Back

Si Yunxiang and Xue Hu'er, one governing within and one without, worked together flawlessly; the two misers complemented each other and made Jingping's wealth grow ever greater. It was not that Shen Mu did not wish to build his own Heavenly Venerate palace in the Heavenly Court; first, he felt there was no need, and second, if he held too much wealth in the Heavenly Court he would be constrained by misgivings.

So he kept only this Heavenly Venerate residence and added no other property. Since he himself had no great estate in the Heavenly Court, the gods of Jingping naturally dared not hold estates of their own there either. The Heaven Alliance council would not convene for several days yet. Shen Mu settled into the Heavenly Venerate residence, and for two or three days running there was no stir at all; no one came to visit.

The sovereigns of the great heavens were all clever men; they knew Heavenly Venerate Mu's position was awkward, and that visiting him would most likely offend the Ten Heavenly Venerates. So behind his back they all called Shen Mu the Plague God Shen, and who would dare come and pay him respects?

Shen Mu had rare peace and quiet, and took the chance to sort out his insights into the Four Great Heavenly Gates. "Great Lord Heavenly Venerate, Heavenly Venerate Gong has come to call!

" A palace maid hurried in, somewhat flustered. Shen Mu was surprised. He rose to his feet and laughed. "I thought it would be the other Heavenly Venerates who came to visit me first.

I never expected the principal party to arrive ahead of them.

I will go out to welcome him. .

. Wait. No, I will not go out. Go and ask Heavenly Venerate Gong to meet me in the main hall.

" The palace maid's eyes went wide.

Not going out to welcome Heavenly Venerate Gong, but making Heavenly Venerate Gong come to the main hall to see him?

This Heavenly Venerate Mu's nerve grew greater by the day.

The maid hurried off, and Shen Mu went to the main hall and sat up straight and proper. After a moment Heavenly Venerate Gong arrived at the main hall.

Glimpsing Shen Mu sitting there without stirring, he could not help but give a cold snort, and waved the maid away. Shen Mu gestured with his hand, inviting Heavenly Venerate Gong to seat himself on another straw hassock, and said, "My cultivation went awry and both my legs are paralyzed; I cannot move. I must beg your pardon, my friend of the Dao.

" Heavenly Venerate Gong sat down facing him and sneered, "I am rather skilled in medicine. Let me examine the Alliance Lord. If you are not paralyzed, I can guarantee a miraculous cure, one that will leave Alliance Lord Shen truly paralyzed, the kind that cannot be cured!

" Shen Mu laughed heartily, then said gravely, "What brings the Divine King to seek me out?

" "You do not know?

" Heavenly Venerate Gong said coldly, "The whole Heavenly Court is in an uproar. Everyone says the Heaven Alliance means to fully open the far side of the Ancestral Court, to divide it into twelve parts, and to open up a beast realm besides, so that the ancient giant beasts may dwell within it and can only descend when summoned! And there are rumors abroad that this rotten scheme was Heavenly Venerate Mu's idea! "