Chapter 509 — The Petty Old Thieves Fall at a Single Stroke
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 5
"The way of the sage is nothing other than the daily needs of the common people, yet you refined that fine way of the sage into a demonic way and a demonic sect. The sage established merit, established words, established a teaching—which of you has done any of that?
"I honor the sage woodcutter, who transmitted the scriptures upon the stone and gave down a dharma-gate for ten thousand generations.
"I honor the founding ancestor, who passed on the Way, taught the craft, opened the Sect, and set its words.
"I honor the three Sage Cult Masters of the Three Kings Hall, who gave up their lives for righteousness in the hour of peril and kept the inheritance alive.
"As for you?"
Shen Mu laughed coldly. "What merit have you established? What words? What teaching? You twisted the doctrine and recklessly cultivated demonic arts, and saddled the Heavenly Sage Sect with the name of a demonic cult! What face could I have to meet the ancestral masters? Is the merit you have established as great as one of my fingers? Do you deserve to be Cult Masters? Do you deserve to be Sage Masters? The ones I came to see are not you. You—idle, mediocre, talentless are you, and not worthy of my visit!"
All around was silent as a graveyard.
The number of Sage Cult Masters of the Dark Demon Sect was greater than the number of Human Sovereigns in the Hall of Human Sovereigns, but many of those Sage Cult Masters had died miserably, their cultivation at death not yet strong enough to enter Fengdu. Hence the Sage Cult Masters of the Dark Demon Sect within Fengdu were not more numerous than the Human Sovereigns. Even so, nearly thirty Cult Masters had gathered here, a force to be reckoned with in Fengdu, and few dared to provoke them.
Shen Mu's long speech had battered them all into stupefaction—but the atmosphere turned terribly cold.
Suddenly the Young Ancestor's voice came, laughing. "What is this? All of you here! I'm late, I'm late!"
Shen Mu looked over and saw the Young Ancestor hurrying toward them, cold sweat beading on his forehead, with the great skeleton Dragon Qilin trotting obsequiously behind him, all warmth and affection.
The Young Ancestor hurried over and squeezed into the crowd, sweat streaming ever more thickly from his brow, and bowed all round, chuckling. "Honored Cult Masters, how did talk turn to quarrel? This is the reigning Heavenly Sage Cult Master, a man of genius for the age, who bears the stone-transmitted Great Nurturing Dark Demon Sutra—he must not die. Cult Master Shen has come to visit me. Come, come, let us sit in my quarters. The Sect's disciples have roasted a good many fine things for me."
The Dark Demon Cult Masters around them did not stir.
Cold sweat poured down the Young Ancestor's face. He tugged at Shen Mu's robe and said through gritted teeth, "You spoke too harshly. Bow your head, own your fault to the ancestral masters—"
"Own my fault? There is no need."
Cult Master Zuyang burst into loud laughter and said lazily, "Cult Master Shen's small frame has erupted with startling words that deafen the ear and awaken the dull—we have all been shaken senseless."
The Young Ancestor's face changed slightly. Zuyang was plainly angry; the more cheerfully he laughed, the heavier his wrath.
Shen Mu smiled. "Cult Master Zuyang's words carry a hidden meaning. There is no harm in speaking plainly."
The Young Ancestor was in a panic. Zuyang smiled faintly and said, "A Heavenly Sage Cult Master is won by fighting, not by wagging the tongue. Your seat's origin is crooked. Since Fan Xuanshu is dead and you never defeated him to attain the position, let us old bones stand in his place and test you—to see whether you are worthy to be this Cult Master and Sage Master!"
The Young Ancestor hastily tugged at Shen Mu's sleeve, signaling him to refuse.
"Is it to be a contest at the same realm? To be honest, I have just fought the Hall of Human Sovereigns."