荒墟牧神 - 第508章 幽冥神裔 - 簡牘書房

"King Yama wants to bring you up for interrogation? What have you done?"

Inside Wenyuan Hall, the sect masters of every past generation were frowning deeply. "Is it a grave offense or a trifling one?" asked Sect Master Zuyang. "If it's grave, we may as well rebel!"

The other sect masters grew excited at once and fell to scheming — how to rebel, how to rouse the other dead of Fengdu — and they even came up with several dozen rebel slogans on the spot.

Shen Mu said hurriedly, "It's nothing grave, only a trifling matter. Not worth rebelling over. During the battle in the Shenduan Mountains, when we blocked the gods of the High Heavens, I merely snatched the primordial spirits of a few slain men out of Fengdu and brought them back to life."

The sect masters of all past generations fell silent in unison. After a moment, Sect Master Hujun slapped his thigh with a sudden crack and said, "Now — where were we? Yes, yes, the banners for the rebellion! I say we use the Martial God banner..."

Shen Mu laughed. "A trifling matter..."

"A trifling matter? Snatching people out of Fengdu is a trifling matter?"

The many sect masters turned their heads as one, glaring, and sneered, "Snatching people from the Bridge of Helplessness — even we were frightened witless, thinking Fengdu had come to slaughter us! This is no trifling matter. King Yama will surely have your head!"

Si Yuanwei said, "If it were trifling, we wouldn't bother with you. We'd let King Yama haul you off, give you a couple of swats on the backside, and let you go. But this is a matter that shakes all of Fengdu. Rebellion is the only road left!"

From outside the hall came the voice of the god Chi Xiu, sounding somewhat impatient: "Sect Master Shen, if you don't come out soon, I'll come in!"

The young Patriarch said abruptly, "Sect Master Shen, why has King Yama not brought you up for interrogation directly, but instead let you wander the city at will? If your crime were truly grave, should you not be locked in the heavenly prison under heavy guard?"

His question woke everyone. Shen Mu bore no resemblance whatsoever to a prisoner; on the contrary, he had gone roaming through Fengdu visiting kin and friends — and had even given them a beating.

The young Patriarch asked again: "Before he interrogated you, did King Yama interrogate anyone else?"

Shen Mu nodded. "He interrogated Xing An and Kui the Shaman God. Xing An he released. Kui, because he commands the arts and powers of Youdu, was surrounded by a host of ghost kings studying him. King Yama wishes to study Kui's powers as well, so he had me leave first."

"Then your crime is a trifling one."

The young Patriarch smiled. "I know of Xing An. His crimes were great, and yet King Yama released him. Kui is a god of Youdu; his crimes can only be greater. That they were interrogated first means their guilt ranks above yours — your offense is far smaller than theirs. Go with the god Chi Xiu. King Yama will not trouble you."

The sect masters nodded one after another. "Just go. If King Yama means to kill you, we'll raid the execution ground and storm the Wheel of Reincarnation Passage!"

Reassured, Shen Mu walked out of Wenyuan Hall. The god Chi Xiu stood on one leg atop the stone lion's head before the gate, head tilted, preening his feathers. Seeing Shen Mu emerge, he drew his beak from his plumage and said, "Come with me."

Shen Mu followed him. "Senior Chi Xiu, this summons by King Yama..."

"Don't talk. You smell of the living."

Chi Xiu said, "I dislike anything that still breathes. If you had stopped breathing, your words would be sweet to the ear. And King Yama is not summoning you — he is bringing you up for interrogation."

They came before Shenwang Hall. Shen Mu looked toward it and saw a ball of flesh still writhing and struggling. Xing An had still not cut loose the bodies of the others — plainly he could not bear to abandon his own path.