Chapter 1551 — Thrashing the Old Seniors

By now Venerable Hao had grown unimaginably old; he seemed scarcely able to stand steady, yet his spirit was as brisk as ever, and he had more teeth in his mouth than any of the other Venerables.

Venerable Xu had by this time become an old crone as well; the two horns atop her head seemed withered, with little of their fire still coursing through them.

As for Venerable Huo, his mask covered his face, so how old he had grown could not be seen, but from the skin bared at his palms and neck, he too was doddering with age.

"Heavenly Consort Qiang, you have come to the end of your road!"

Venerable Huo's voice carried the rasp of long ages, yet still gave off an air of lofty righteousness: "No good end will come to you for following Shen Mu. You two have sailed in the same boat for so long, and Shen Mu has preserved his own youth. But has he ever once helped you withstand the breath of the Great Calamity of Destruction? Never!"

Venerable Xu took up the thread: "He is waiting for you to grow weak, so he can take your life! We are different. All we ask is that you lead the way. We will not take your life. On the contrary, do you think Venerable Mu will let you live?"

Heavenly Consort Qiang's gaze came to rest on Venerable Hao.

Venerable Hao was ancient and doddering, yet his voice rang loud and clear, and his complexion was a shade better than the rest; plainly his cultivation was still the highest of them all.

"Heavenly Consort Qiang, we are the Ten Venerables."

Venerable Hao smiled faintly and said unhurriedly: "The Ten Venerables share one interest and one blood, limb in limb with limb. For a million years geniuses have come forth like stars beyond counting in the heavens, but only we ten found our ambitions in accord, formed an alliance, and upheld one another down to this day. You ought to be able to make your decision."

Heavenly Consort Qiang wavered, unable to decide.

At the prow, Shen Mu said in leisurely fashion: "Great Emperor, do not forget who you are. The Ten Venerables have already split into two camps. Which of those two camps do you think can find room for you? You, who in the Primordial Age galloped across the world and commanded heaven and earth for billions of years, the Great Emperor who crushed all beneath him, are you truly content to serve as a hired fist under Venerable Hao or under Taichu?"

Heavenly Consort Qiang's deeply wrinkled face shifted from gloom to light and back again.

Shen Mu went on: "Besides, Venerable Hao and his lot can scarcely protect themselves. They have grown as old as this, their own Great Dao is cracking apart, their dao patterns are dissolving, they are a pitiful pack of old men and old women. How could such old relics be a match for me?"

His gaze passed over Heavenly Consort Qiang and settled on Venerable Gong, the Ancestral Divine King and Venerable Xu. He said mildly: "You cling to Venerable Hao for no other reason than that he has the support of Lady Taishu. You are merely using one another. But now even Lady Taishu has grown old; far from shielding you, she cannot even shield herself! If I were you..."

He gave a soft laugh and said unhurriedly: "Gentlemen, if you strike now and rid yourselves of Venerable Hao, Venerable Huo and Taishu, I can give you back your youth, give you back your vigor."

On the dao tree, Venerable Hao's heart went cold; Venerable Huo quietly fell back two steps, putting distance between himself and the Ancestral Divine King, Venerable Gong and the others.

Shen Mu continued: "You have no way back now. If you turn around, you will never reach the end of the road; you will die of old age upon the Long River of Chaos. There is only one path left to you: cast your lot with me! Only by casting your lot with me can you preserve your lives! And there is only one condition!"

His gaze was bleak as it swept across the faces of Venerable Huo and Venerable Hao.

The Ancestral Divine King frowned slightly and looked toward Venerable Gong and Venerable Xu.

They were indeed tempted.

All at once Taishu's voice rang out, laughing: "They say I am the one who plays upon men's hearts; it seems Venerable Mu is a past master of the art as well. Venerable Mu, give up your scheme. They can no longer betray Venerable Hao. Venerable Huo, Venerable Gong, the Ancestral Divine King, every one of them once came to me for help; it was I who healed their wounds. If they betray us, one thought from me and their wounds will erupt and they will die on the spot!"

Her words were plainly meant for Shen Mu, but in truth they were meant for the other Venerables, so that none of them would dare stir.

Shen Mu laughed heartily: "Heavenly Consort Qiang has fallen into your hands. Will she not meet the same end?"

"Venerable Mu speaks the very truth!"

Venerable Xiao's voice came to them, loud and resonant. They all looked toward the sound and saw, upon a shriveled dao tree, several old men and old women advancing together.

Heavenly Consort Yan was a short, ancient crone, clutching the dao tree with both legs trembling; Shi Qiluo was a bald old man with a face full of white whiskers, his eye sockets sunken deep, a battered Chest of a Hundred Treasures in his hand.

Divine Emperor Langxuan and Venerable Xiao had both grown old; Venerable Xiao, though aged, still bore the uncommon bearing of a Heavenly Emperor, while Divine Emperor Langxuan had inherited the features of Taichu and Venerable Gong; old he might be, but he was still imposing.

And the two ancient Taiji gods had aged greatly as well, their serpent tails coiled about the trees lest they topple down.

— Upon the serpent skin of these two ancient gods, many scales had grown old and sloughed away, the scales mottled and patchy, no longer carrying their former sacred majesty.

Shen Mu broke into a smile; his gaze swept over the faces of these Venerables and divinities, and then he suddenly burst out laughing, pointing at the assembled Venerables and holy ones, laughing so hard he could not straighten his back.

Everyone's expression darkened; they watched him coldly. After a long while, when he could laugh no more, Venerable Xiao asked: "Venerable Mu, what do you laugh at?"

"I laugh at the Ten Venerables."

Shen Mu straightened up, wiped away the tears his laughter had wrung out, panted a few rough breaths, and said with a smile: "I laugh because you are all one family. Venerable Xiao is Taichu the Heavenly Emperor; here he has gathered his bastard sons, and his first wife and his second."

Shi Qiluo, white-haired, shot him a glare and said in feigned anger: "Venerable Mu, talk no nonsense. That one is only the brother-in-law; I am not the brother-in-law's second wife. I am the brother-in-law's wife's little sister. The brother-in-law is fond of his wife's little sister."

Heavenly Consort Yan gave a humph and said nothing.

Leaning on the prow, Shen Mu said with a smile: "And these ancient Taiji gods, like Taichu, are egg-born ancient gods, so brother and sister they may be counted. And here is Venerable Hao, the bastard son of Taichu the Heavenly Emperor, who set up his own household and gathered four Venerables about him. And among those four Venerables, Venerable Gong is Taichu's mistress, and also the mother of Divine Emperor Langxuan."

Again he burst out laughing, laughing till he staggered and could not hold his footing: "And Taishu is Taichu's own sister! Apart from the father-slaying wretch, the Ancestral Divine King, the evil-hating Venerable Huo, and Venerable Xu who tried to slay his own father, the Ten Venerables are one and all your family! From the Longhan era down to this day, the wheel of power has never once escaped the grip of your clan!"

Everyone's face was grim.

Heavenly Consort Qiang said flatly: "I am still Taichu's godfather. Taichu's power was seized from my hands."

"So it would seem that from the Primordial Age to this day, power has always been turning within your family."