Chapter 647 — Utterly Convinced
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
"I truly bear no ill will — you can see that yourself. Had I exerted my full strength from the start, you would not have survived.
Your Chiming Era and my Kaihuang Era are fellow sufferers of the same ailment; you have hidden away for so long — why let a moment's contest of temper plunge us into irreconcilable strife?
" Chi Xi's three heads panted hard as he struggled to speak.
"You want the gods and devils of my Chiming Era to fall under Jingping's control.
Jingping is nothing but a tiny little state — any single god or devil of the Chiming Era could snuff out its nation! Submit to Jingping?
How could my heart be won over? And if I surrendered, how would I ever go back and answer to the Son of God?
" The First Ancestor Human Emperor's expression turned grave. "You misunderstand.
My intent is to join hands; I have no thought of making the Chiming Era submit. The strong of the Chiming Era went through hundreds of thousands of years without ever bowing to the Heavenly Court — how would they ever bow to Jingping?
I admire the moral fiber of the Chiming Era's elders beyond measure, and I would never dream of humiliating you. I ask only that Brother Daoist Chi Xi give it some thought.
" Chi Xi sat up, staunched the blood at his wounds, and sneered, "Why did you not say so sooner?
" The First Ancestor Human Emperor shook his head.
"I did say so.
You were the one bent on beating me to death and tearing out my soul.
" Chi Xi rose unsteadily to his feet and at last yielded, offering his apology: "The fault was mine.
I beg your pardon and make amends. " The First Ancestor hurried to steady him. "And I struck somewhat too hard. " Chi Xi rested a while to mend, then limped down the stairs.
"My Chiming Divine Dynasty may join hands with you, but we will not submit to any of you. And besides, the decision is not mine to make; I must contact the Son of God before it can be settled. " The First Ancestor frowned slightly.
"Am I to fight this Chiming Son of God as well? Is the whole Chiming Era full of stubborn mules? They are rather too hard to deal with, are they not? " For these twenty thousand years he had lain submerged in guilt and self-reproach over the fall of the Kaihuang Era and his own failure to take the field and fight, keeping aloof from worldly affairs; now all he wanted was to toss the Chiming Era's mess away.
"A vexing business like this," he thought, "is best left to Human Emperor Shen.
" He did not know that Shen Mu had always been a hands-off master, one who supplied the ideas and then tossed the matter of how exactly to carry them out to the Heavenly Saint Cult, or to the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, Emperor Yanfeng, and the rest of them.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor and Chi Xi walked down the Chiming Heaven-Suppressing Tower and came to the Creation God Wheel, where Shen Mu was still driving the wheel on and on, wholly absorbed in studying the changes of the runes upon it.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor smiled faintly.
"A youth after all," he thought, "still too reserved to bring himself to ask and learn my seal arts. In a moment I will give him a slope to descend, and he will take up my seal arts. " "You're finished fighting?
" Shen Mu turned back in surprise. "So soon?
I have not even managed to copy down these runes yet. " "Acting. Keep on acting.
" Cold laughter filled the First Ancestor Human Emperor's heart, but his face was all warmth and good humor as he said, "Brother Daoist Chi Xi and I have come to terms; in the end no harm was done to the harmony between our two houses. " Shen Mu looked toward the Chiming Heaven-Suppressing Tower: the treasure tower that mere moments ago had sent its radiance of pearls and jewels streaming up to pierce the sky now stood stark and bare, its light grown dim.