Chapter 380 — The Inheritor
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Before long the divine corpse was carried up by several great masters, its divine might still spreading in all directions—but it was only a broken thing, torn apart, impossible to piece back together. The god's head, at least, was still whole, and its features could yet be made out.
"It is that god I met—the one who claimed to come from the Heavens Above.
" The Imperial Preceptor Jingping glanced at it and said, "His abilities were exceedingly high.
When I crossed blades with him, only by trading life for life did I force him back, and he crippled me. " The outcome of that battle was that the Imperial Preceptor Jingping was utterly ruined; his heart turned to ashes, and he meant to live out his days as a recluse with his wife beside the Blood Lake.
Had Shen Mu not sought him out, the Imperial Preceptor Jingping would likely have vanished from the world and never been seen again. Shen Mu studied the head and was slightly taken aback: the god's head gave him a feeling of familiarity. It seemed to be made of fine jade; though the god was dead, not a single flaw could be found in it.
He looked very young, his age impossible to guess—but gods share the lifespan of heaven and earth, and true years are hard to read from outward appearance. "This god's head.
.
. it rather resembles.
.
.
" Shen Mu's face turned strange. The god bore a certain likeness to Xu Shenghua!
Not that their features were alike, but Xu Shenghua too was a perfect being, as though carved from flawless jade, exquisitely fine.
And this head was exquisite beyond the human, exquisite as a carving in jade! "Could this god, blasted to death, be the master Xu Shenghua once spoke of—Lord Yu?
" Shen Mu's eyes went wide. Xu Shenghua's master, Lord Yu, had in all likelihood been killed by a single shot from Emperor Yanfeng's cannon!
"Lord Yu was the one who brought calamity down upon the nation of Jingping; his death is well deserved. Only, I wonder what Xu Shenghua's reaction would be if he learned of it?
" Shen Mu thought for a while and said nothing. He had no intention of letting the matter out; if Emperor Yanfeng learned that Lord Yu was Xu Shenghua's master, he would surely kill Xu Shenghua to root out future trouble. Emperors, after all, never cared for the rules of the jianghu.
Shen Mu admired Xu Shenghua greatly and did not wish to see him die.
Emperor Yanfeng said with a smile, "My dear minister Shen, in forging the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon you have labored long and rendered great service, and I have yet to reward you.
Let this god's head be my gift to you. " "I don't want it!
" Emperor Yanfeng's expression shifted slightly, and he gave a cold snort, feeling he had lost face.
Shen Mu hastily smiled and said, "In this battle to slay the god, this humble minister has not earned a single merit—how dare I take the greatest share? Your Majesty's firing of the cannon must have consumed no small store of elixirs and minerals; better that the spoils go into the national treasury. " These words were far more pleasing to the ear, and gave the emperor ample face before his assembled ministers. Emperor Yanfeng was greatly delighted, and said with a smile, "My minister understands the greater interests; then I shall not press you.
As for your merit in building the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon, I shall count it as a donation to the treasury.
" Shen Mu's face went black on the spot. Emperor Yanfeng laughed heartily; then, remembering what the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon consumed, he could not help but feel a pang of pain in the flesh.
Firing the cannon was exhilarating indeed, but the cost was terrifyingly great.