Chapter 220 — Thieves' Shadows Never Cease
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
" The Daoist Lord's tone softened: "Go down the mountain, all of you. The punishment provoked by the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping should not be borne by the people of this world. Go and help the common people mired in suffering — save as many as you can. Travel and save lives, and seek out youths with good foundations, to carry on the incense of my Daoist Sect.
" "As your holiness commands. " One by one, the masters of the Daoist Sect went down the mountain. The Daoist Lord looked at the cloud vapor spreading over the Kingdom of Jingping and sighed: "This should not be borne by these common people. .
.
If the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping and the Emperor remain obstinate in their delusion, my Daoist Sect will have no choice but to enter the world.
" Shen Mu contacted the Left and Right Dharma Protectors and transmitted the Cult Master's decree: "You are to help the Emperor with disaster relief, gather up the dark clouds in the sky, and then have our sect's disciples go south to help the farming folk clear away the frozen crops and plant new ones. This snow disaster will kill many people. Do your utmost — save as many as you can.
And have the disciples be careful: in a year of calamity there will surely be chaos, and the world will not be peaceful. " "We obey the decree. " The Left Dharma Protector, Ning Daochi, hesitated a moment and said: "Holy Cult Master, in what capacity do we help the Emperor? If the Emperor grants official posts, do we accept them or not? " Shen Mu pondered a while, then said: "In personal capacities, with the full strength of the Holy Cult, do your utmost.
If the Emperor grants official posts, you will accept them.
The Emperor can tolerate the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, and he can also tolerate us. The Kingdom of Jingping is the Heavenly Holy Cult — do not doubt it.
" He paused, then continued: "The world is not peaceful now, and those with divine powers are accustomed to standing high above. To make them serve mortals, work for ordinary people as my Heavenly Holy Cult does — they would not be willing. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping once said that he had killed a batch of the pure-stream critics, but that they could not be killed to the last — after one batch was slain there would always be another.
I thought the Imperial Preceptor was joking; now I see it was true. " Shen Mu raised his head to look at the dark clouds in the sky and said with an enigmatic smile: "This snow disaster and this cloud have produced a calamity that could destroy the nation, and still they are thinking about whether it is demonic or not, not thinking of doing anything for the people. I suppose they are used to standing high above as they always have, and consider it an insult to work for ordinary people lower than themselves — and therefore demonic. " He shook his head. "There are many such people, and some are extremists.
I fear they will seize the opportunity to rebel or make trouble, or else target my Heavenly Holy Cult. You must be careful! " "Rest assured, Cult Master. The Holy Cult has stood until this day without being crushed by the so-called righteous path — we have not earned our name in vain! " The two Dharma Protectors bowed and each went his way.
Shen Mu steadied himself, looked up again at the dark cloud shrouding the Kingdom of Jingping, shook his head, and returned to the Grand Academy. Snow Fox, Dragon Qilin, and the All-Heaven Demon King were already waiting on board the boat.
Shen Mu said: "On our way back to the village this time, we'll buy some New Year provisions along the road. Crimson Dragon City likely has none left.
The Kingdom of Jingping's situation is deeply worrying this year; I expect many merchants will have left Crimson Dragon City.
" The All-Heaven Demon King tilted his head back to survey the sky and snickered: "Your world is in for disaster. This great snow and this cloud must be covering the whole of your Kingdom of Jingping, aren't they?