Chapter 723 — The Most Charismatic
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
"It's most likely that when the souls returned, they entered the wrong bodies."
Hearing these rumors, Shen Mu guessed, "Teacher's Soul-Pulling Art hasn't been cultivated to mastery, so that when he sent the souls back to their own bodies, there were some slight deviations. This is because his understanding of the language of Youdu is not quite adequate."
The Woodcutter Sage's face darkened. "Aren't you capable? Why don't you do it?"
Shen Mu said honestly, "I thought Teacher could do it. I truly never expected Teacher would be off by just a hair. If you grasped the precise meaning and subtlety of the language of Youdu, the dao-arts and divine powers within it would speak for themselves, and then there would be no mistakes."
The Woodcutter choked with fury, trembling so much he could not speak.
The Alchemist and Kui Sou were smug. Kui Sou praised, "Shen'er speaks with modesty and courtesy, truly worthy of having been raised by us through such hard work. Far too modest! He says the Sage is off by only a hair, when in fact he's off by this much!"
He spread both arms to show it.
The Alchemist, too, was immensely pleased with himself. "This is the merit of our teaching. From childhood we taught him that behind every man there is another, and beyond every heaven another heaven. We told him to be modest and cautious, and that even when he met someone inferior to himself he should not tell the truth, but say, 'You're only a tiny bit below me.' That's why Shen'er hasn't yet been beaten to death by anyone."
The two elders both wore gratified smiles.
"To settle this matter, the souls have to be swapped back."
Shen Mu said, "But there are thousands of such cases, and they live in different parts of Li Zhou. Finding them all will take a great deal of time..."
He truly dreaded trouble.
The Woodcutter Sage said, "The swapping of the souls can be left to the scholars who have cultivated the Soul-Pulling Art. We needn't do it ourselves. You've already ordered those scholars to go to Yuzhi Commandery. Just have them come over."
Shen Mu nodded, sent his primordial spirit out of his body, and made contact with Si Yunxiang.
Weariness on her face, Si Yunxiang said, "Sect Master, you had us go to Yuzhi Commandery to pull the souls of Yuzhi's people back to the world of the living. At first all went well, and then trouble came. While these scholars were pulling the souls, boats suddenly appeared, one after another, and lantern light shone out from the darkness. At a single illumination, a scholar would lose his soul and become a corpse."
Shen Mu was startled. "The Prefect of Youdu has made his move!"
Si Yunxiang went on, "The Jade Heavenly King says it's because we summoned too many souls and disturbed the rules of Youdu, so the underworld runners stepped in and took away the souls of the offenders. Yet not long ago, these scholars' souls suddenly came back. Some say it was the Divine Son of Youdu who pleaded with the runners, begging them to let the souls return. Whether that is true or not, I cannot say."
Shen Mu was bewildered. "I didn't plead for them, nor did I beg the Prefect. What is going on... Still, it's a good thing these scholars' souls have returned. It saves me a trip to Youdu. I always feel Youdu doesn't quite welcome me. Every time I go there, the Prefect and Tu Bo give me no pleasant looks, as if they can't wait to drive me out."
He explained the reasons and said, "Holy Maiden Xiang, bring a hundred or so skilled scholars to Li Zhou and send these souls that entered the wrong bodies back into their own. Don't stir up any more trouble."
Si Yunxiang agreed, and forthwith gathered scholars and hurried to Li Zhou.
Shen Mu then took his leave of the Alchemist and Kui Sou, and accompanied the Woodcutter, the First Ancestor, and Di Yiyue to the capital, to meet the Woodcutter's other disciple, the Imperial Teacher of Jingping. Shen Mu had not originally meant to go, but Di Yiyue insisted that he accompany her.