荒墟牧神 - 第643章 玄都天闕 - 簡牘書房

Shen Mu thought back to his inexplicable crossing between worlds. Bai Qu'er and her brother did not seem like people who would kill and forge treasures; yet from what he had encountered in the Qushan Shrine, the Qushan God must also have slain a Taotie divine beast to forge treasures and a palace.

Something stirred in his heart. He took the Taiyin Jade Eye and the Taiyang Jade Eye from his Taotie Pouch and said, "Senior Chixi, these two treasures must surely be relics of the Shanghuang era?"

Chixi glanced at them. "They should be. If they truly are treasures of the Shanghuang era, then these two eyes are not made of jade at all, but are the eyes of true gods and demons—the eyeballs of a Taotie, most likely."

Shen Mu was startled; yet when he touched the jade eyes, they felt unmistakably like jade, and showed no trace of flesh and blood. "Could the Shanghuang era have been as ferocious as the Crimson Bright era? But judging by how Bai Qu'er and the others conduct themselves, there was nothing ferocious about them at all. Then how did the Shanghuang era solve the problem of too many gods and demons?"

The tower ship passed through the Spirit-Energy Transfer Bridge and came to Taihuang Heaven. At Licheng, Shen Mu left the ship to make inquiries: the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping had not returned.

"Then the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping must have followed the Woodcutter Sage to cultivate in the demon race's Luofu Heaven."

They came again to Luofu Heaven. This world in the midst of destruction was empty of human smoke; altar after altar rose tall, and god after demon stood guard there without sleep or rest, leaning upon divine weapons.

Shen Mu came to the altar where the Woodcutter Sage was. The Primordial Human Emperor could not help but be stirred; yet the Woodcutter Sage, catching sight of him from afar, turned on the instant and would not look at him.

The Primordial Human Emperor was downcast.

Chixi looked toward the Woodcutter and sneered without cease.

Shen Mu climbed the altar and explained his purpose. The Woodcutter Sage said, "Your junior brother is still in secluded cultivation; he will not leave seclusion for the time being. If you wait a year or half a year, then he will come out."

Shen Mu shook his head. "There is no time for that. Since my junior brother is in seclusion, might I ask you, Master, to speak of what I must guard against on this journey?"

The Woodcutter Sage gave him a deep look, then smiled. "When you enter a village, follow its customs. Watch what they say and how they act, and do as others do. When you cannot win a fight, peel off that willow leaf upon your forehead."

Shen Mu said, "The people of the Crimson Bright era are fierce and wild by custom; if I follow local custom, I fear I shall have to kill."

The Woodcutter laughed. "That is why I tell you to peel off the willow leaf when you cannot win. Even if you poke a hole through the sky, is there not still Tubo?"

Shen Mu's face went black as charcoal.

With his back to the Primordial Human Emperor, the Woodcutter said calmly, "And besides, you must not trust a deserter. A deserter who runs once will run a second time."

Shen Mu turned his head, and saw the Primordial Human Emperor standing silently at the prow, not saying a word.

The Woodcutter Sage called Ling Yuxiu over and said with a smile, "Lass, you have far more promise than your father. In the future, when you ascend to the supreme throne, you must treat all living beings well, and treat my disciple well, and obey his every word."

Ling Yuxiu shot Shen Mu a glance and said, beside herself with joy, "I will."

"Good child. Your cultivation is the weakest of you all; before you set out, I shall give you a little something."

The Woodcutter smiled, then suddenly swung up his wood-chopping axe and brought it down into Ling Yuxiu's forehead.