Chapter 1417 — The Banners Change Atop the City Wall

Shen Mu was about to speak; Kaihuang cut him off and went on, "I founded the method of the Dao Realm and taught the world how to cultivate the Dao Realm — may I not sit among the Heavenly Venerables? The innate Great Dao is limited in number, held fast in the hands of the ancient gods. The postnatal Great Dao is endless and without limit; I have transmitted to the world the method by which the postnatal overcomes the innate — may I not sit among the Heavenly Venerables? Heavenly Venerable Mu, you green-horned brat, you say I do not deserve to sit among the Heavenly Venerables: are my merit, my deeds, my Dao, my virtue enough to sit among the Heavenly Venerables? Enough to make me one of the five founding elders of the Heaven Alliance?"

Shen Mu's expression shifted a little; cold sweat rolled down his forehead, and he hurried to his feet to yield his seat, his manner full of reverence and dread, praising him, "I never knew Heavenly Venerable Shen possessed such a Dao, such virtue, such merit, such deeds; I took you for a seeker of empty fame, and so I slighted you. My own merit and virtue, great though they are, are still a notch below yours. You stand among the five elders of the Heaven Alliance, one of its leaders: I yield to you in heart and in word. Please, take the seat of honor; I shall sit below you."

Everyone present had not yet caught up with the turn of events; they sat dumbstruck.

A moment ago the two had been fierce in voice and countenance, Shen Mu raging at Heavenly Venerable Shen as though he would tear him apart with his own hands and cast him into a place of eternal damnation; and in the blink of an eye he was utterly convinced, prostrate in admiration.

The shift was dazzling beyond words.

Kaihuang came striding over with his sword in hand and said with a smile, "Heavenly Venerable Mu is broad of heart, established the Dao through divine ability, founded the Heaven Alliance, and holds the world in his breast; he is a holy king who transmits the Dao, an open and upright gentleman, and his deeds are in no way inferior to mine. I may have merit and virtue, but after all it was you who founded the Heaven Alliance; that you be the first leader I accept in heart and in word, and I can only take the second seat."

Shen Mu hurried into a round of courtesies, urging him toward the seat of honor; Kaihuang declined again and again; the two of them above were so earnestly yielding precedence to one another that the gods, sages, Great Emperors, and Celestial Masters of the second and first tiers of the Heavenly Court below all sat like so many wooden chickens.

The nine Heavenly Venerables frowned deeply as well, exchanging glances.

The two worked together flawlessly, as though they had rehearsed it beyond counting: Kaihuang Shen Ye had come in towering fury, looking for all the world as if he meant to wreck the Alliance council and fight to the death.

Shen Mu's words were ferocious, as though he would beat Kaihuang to death with his own hands, punish the wicked and rid the world of evil, ready to break the net and die with the fish.

And yet, as they talked on, it became mutual flattery — this rebel Kaihuang had turned into a great sage who had done service to the living beings of the world and service to the heavens and the altars of state.

What was more, in an instant Kaihuang had gone from rebel to one of the five elders of the Heaven Alliance, worthy of the name of Heavenly Venerable beyond all doubt, ascending in the blink of an eye to the seat of power in the Heaven Alliance with his title fully earned — was this not grotesque and inconceivable beyond all measure?

Shen Mu could not decline; he had no choice but to take the seat of honor, his face shining with glory: "I shall force myself, and with a thick hide, sit in the first seat. How shameful, how shameful! Hahahaha —"

Kaihuang took his seat, and the nine Heavenly Venerables, their faces cold and dark, all looked over at once.

Shen Mu, radiant and smug as a spring breeze, said to Kaihuang with a smile, "I once misunderstood you in many ways, Brother Dao; now that the misunderstanding is cleared away, I suddenly find Heavenly Venerable Shen to be a fine man indeed. To share a seat with you is the fortune of three lifetimes..."

Kaihuang was about to speak when Heavenly Venerable Hao, his face blank, glanced toward Heavenly Venerable Huo; Huo took the hint and rose, saying, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, this is hardly proper, is it?"

Shen Mu said, "Oh?" He leaned forward, right elbow propped on his right knee, and asked with curiosity, turned sideways, "Heavenly Venerable Huo, what is hardly proper?"

Heavenly Venerable Huo said coldly, "Kaihuang Shen Ye may bear the name of Heavenly Venerable Shen, but the path he walks is a path against heaven: he established the Kaihuang Heavenly Court, colluded with the Lord of Heaven, plotted to overthrow the Heavenly Court, plotted to make himself the orthodox order of heaven and earth. Where does that leave His Majesty? Where does it leave the demigods? Where does it leave the Heavenly Venerables seated here?"

He stepped forward and said coldly, "Kaihuang means to restore the age when the ancient gods ruled; he means to make the Lord of Heaven, Tubo, the sovereign over every race! The Lord of Heaven is a cruel one; he indulged the Earth Mother Yuanjun in her havoc, slaughtering the Heavenly Court's soldiers and generals and the lords of the various regions — a million and more! The Lord of Heaven has exhausted every shred of conscience, and his crimes admit no pardon; Kaihuang stands with him, and his crime deserves death!"

A smile appeared on Shen Mu's face. What Heavenly Venerable Huo had said was precisely the content of the proclamation to punish the Lord of Heaven; by saying it himself, Huo spared Shen Mu the infamy of condemning the Lord of Heaven.

Heavenly Venerable Huo knew it was unfitting as well, but Kaihuang had come to seize momentum, to seize power, to seize hearts, and he could not afford not to fling filth upon Kaihuang.

If he did not, then Kaihuang would steal the authority of a Heavenly Venerable, steal the hearts of the people, steal the tide of events, and slip into the Heaven Alliance, adding countless variables and upheavals to what was to come.

The Ten Heavenly Venerables could by no means tolerate that.

Heavenly Venerable Hong rose, his voice loud as a bell: "The Lord of Heaven's crimes deserve death; Kaihuang, who sets the great righteousness of the world at naught, deserves death as well. What is more, Kaihuang has carved out his own domain in the Great Void and joined hands with the prehistoric Creators. How cruel are the Creators? Kaihuang's crime is beyond measure, and he cannot be whitewashed!"

Shen Mu's expression changed; he rose and said sternly, "Shen Ye, you have committed such monstrous crimes! I valued you so, and you have failed me, failed the people of the world! I am ashamed to stand in the same rank as you! But then again, your merit, your deeds, your Dao, your virtue are all great; merit and fault cancel each other out — so long as you bow your head and admit your fault and cut your ties with the Lord of Heaven, you are not beyond forgiveness..."

His voice and countenance were fierce, yet as he spoke a smile spread over his face again, and he said to the nine Heavenly Venerables, "Why not have this fellow Shen Ye offer you all a toast and apologize, and everyone have a good laugh —"

"Hahahaha!"

The Ancestral God King sprang to his feet, laughed at the heavens, and said sternly, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, the Earth Mother Yuanjun did not kill your people, so you play the kindly old man with an easy hand; your skin does not itch and your flesh does not ache — but mine do! The Earth Mother killed the elite troops beneath my command; the Earth Mother was indulged by the Lord of Heaven, and Heavenly Venerable Shen is the Lord of Heaven's running dog. You can tolerate him; I cannot!"