Chapter 344 — Little Jade Capital's Hidden Mystery
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Among the Human Emperors of past generations there had been women, but Xiong Xiyu was clearly a foreigner of the Western Lands, which struck him as somewhat odd. Still, the foreigners of the Western Lands were human too, so she might well be the Human Emperor.
Qingyou the Hermit and the assembled old immortals of Little Jade Capital were about to pay their respects to Xiong Xiyu when she hastily smiled and said, "I am not the Human Emperor. Please do not frighten me, seniors. I could not bear such a title!"
Qingyou the Hermit looked at Xiong Qi'er, his face showing dismay.
Xiong Xiyu at once understood that they had mistaken her meaning, and said with a smile, "The Human Emperor is behind me."
Qingyou the Hermit and the other old immortals of Little Jade Capital looked toward the Water Mirror Sky and saw a youth "playing with water," and their faces all darkened.
"This youth as Human Emperor, he is not even as good as that little girl..."
Shen Mu examined it again and again, and still could not make out the structure of the Water Mirror Sky. At once he took out a small jade bottle, secretly filled it with a bit of the water, stoppered it, and tucked it into his Taotie Pouch, meaning to study it properly when he had time. This method of refining treasures was not as simple as forging iron; it was somewhat like the Silent Craftsman's method of refining the Formless Treasure, and well worth studying.
The Silent Craftsman's Formless Treasure could refine mystic gold and mystic iron to the point of formlessness and statelessness, changing at will. Shen Mu was still far from such a realm.
"A little water missing, surely no one will notice..."
The youth raised his head and saw a crowd of elders with the bones of Dao and the bearing of immortals staring at him, dumbstruck. Shen Mu's expression stiffened; then, all spring breeze, he laughed heartily and came over, bowing low to the ground in greeting. "I, Shen Mu, the present Human Emperor, greet you, senior brothers and sisters. I have disturbed your purity and quiet, and my heart is full of unease."
The old immortals returned his greeting one after another.
Qingyou the Hermit rose and said, "Please, Human Emperor, take back the precious seal. By the way, our Little Jade Capital's Water Mirror Sky, I must ask the Human Emperor..."
"The old Daoist Master, Old Tathagata, so you two senior brothers are here as well!"
Shen Mu seized the Human Emperor's Seal, casually stuffed it into his Taotie Pouch, and went laughing to meet the old Daoist Master and Old Tathagata. "So you two senior brothers have come to be immortals too? Good, good. It spares you a whole body's worth of troubles."
The old Daoist Master and Old Tathagata hastily returned his greeting. Old Tathagata said with a smile, "The old Daoist and I have nothing to burden us now, and not much lifespan left, so we might as well come to this pure and quiet place to nurse our remaining years, and have somewhere to belong."
The old Daoist Master said with a smile, "Does Human Emperor Shen perhaps also wish to be an immortal who pays no heed to worldly affairs? If you were willing to retire to the mountains, it would be a blessing for the whole world."
Shen Mu shook his head. "Duty admits no shirking. How dare I push it aside?"
The old Daoist Master and Old Tathagata paid their respects to Li Zheng, saying with a smile, "Senior brother, you have resigned the Human Emperor's throne and now left the Desolate Ruins. Do you perhaps also wish to come to Little Jade Capital and be a carefree immortal?"
Li Zheng shook his head and said bleakly, "Shen'er was afraid I would be lonely alone in the village, so wherever he goes, he takes me with him."
Qingyou the Hermit came forward and said with a smile, "Old Human Emperor, new Human Emperor, and these three fellow Daoists, this way, please."