Chapter 621 — Deep Hatred Hard to Dissolve
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The Woodcutter Sage opened a passage to Taihuang Heaven for him. Shen Mu dawdled, unwilling to step through. "Master, I will listen right here at the side and not say a word. As his senior brother, if there is something junior brother does not understand, I can offer him a little guidance. Wouldn't you say so? Mas—"
The Woodcutter Sage seized him by the collar and stuffed him into the passage. Shen Mu tried to scramble back out to hear the lecture, but the passage had already sealed shut.
The Imperial Teacher of Jingping said with a smile, "Master, why not let Senior Brother Shen listen?"
"He is not suited to it."
The Woodcutter Sage said, "His temperament is, in truth, unsuited to our path. What sort of man do you take this second senior brother of yours to be?"
The Imperial Teacher of Jingping pondered a moment, then said, "Playful. Flighty. Unable to sit still. The moment his blood runs hot he charges forward, and yet he is also cunning, subtle of mind, exceedingly clever. He can conceive what others cannot, and he often has ideas that astonish even me. He is generous, too, and takes things lightly. And he is confident, almost madly so. In his heart he always believes himself the finest under heaven, though his mouth always claims he is only second. But if we speak of confidence, he truly deserves to be called first under heaven."
"A cut to the very bone."
The Woodcutter Sage clapped his hands in praise. "You see him quite thoroughly. I concur. As a sage, he is ill-suited."
The Imperial Teacher of Jingping nodded. "Second senior brother is indeed unsuited. And what of eldest senior brother?"
"Your eldest senior brother is another sort of man."
The Woodcutter Sage said, "He is a man of great perseverance, steady and composed. Once he fixes upon a goal, he will pursue it alone, and no one can pull him back. And for that very reason, his understanding of the Way of the Sage has gone somewhat astray. Upon the Way of the Sage, neither of your two senior brothers is your equal. You shall cultivate with me for a few years, and I will pass on to you all that I have learned and awakened to in my life."
He went on, unhurried, "My will is sunk in gloom. I cannot step past the threshold in my heart. I am forever falling back into memories of the Kaihuang era, and there is a knot in me concerning Kaihuang that I cannot untie. You are different. You have no such threshold. Once you have learned all that I have learned and awakened to, you will step straight over it. And then, you will be a true sage!"
His eyes shone bright as he smiled. "In the years to come, devote yourself wholly to contemplation. Think not of Taihuang Heaven, nor of Jingping; take no part in either. Concentrate only on crossing the threshold that I cannot cross."
The Imperial Teacher of Jingping assented.
The two sat facing one another upon the altar.
Taihuang Heaven. The demon race's Gu City.
Gu City had once been one of the sixty-four divine cities of Taihuang Heaven. After it fell into the hands of the demon race, it was remade on a grand scale. Countless demons lived here, fashioning all manner of demon-god statues and demon palaces.
This place lay in the heartland of demon territory, one of the earlier regions to fall to the demon race. Thus the demons were many, and the power of the human race could scarcely reach here.
Yet the demons here lived in peace and contentment. Demon gods kept watch over the city, and countless humans had been captured and enslaved, made to serve the demons. Thus the city was affluent.