Chapter 745 — The Prodigies of High Antiquity
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The Daoist had meant to strike his hand away, but his gaze fell upon the compass and he could not help but start slightly, then was wild with joy.
"Yi—!
The problem in the art of numbers that has plagued me for days, and it is solved just like that! Delightful, delightful!
Brother, how did you think of such a solution?
" His eyes burned as he looked at Shen Mu, waiting eagerly for him to explain his reasoning.
Shen Mu said gravely, "It was precisely your prompting, Daoist, that let me think of this solution. My thanks! " He bowed in gratitude. The Daoist said hastily, "You solved the problem for me—why thank me? " Shen Mu smiled.
"You will know in the future. Daoist, when you meet a man named Mu, he will mention this matter to you. " The Daoist was dumbstruck.
Shen Mu smiled faintly, then left them behind and walked toward the palace complex ahead.
Kaihuang hesitated, then followed Shen Mu and said in a low voice, "You are not upright in your heart, and too calculating by far. That monk and Daoist just now—they are those two great beings of the future, are they not? You gave them a few spirit pills and flicked the compass, all so you can borrow their strength in the future.
If you would apply such thoughts to—" Shen Mu cut him off. "If you would apply such thoughts not to guessing my intentions, but to your own future, then perhaps you would not—" Kaihuang was startled.
"Would not what? " Shen Mu's face fell, and he shook his head.
"Nothing. I surmise that they are the Great Brahma and the Dao Lord of the Daoist sect in the future.
You should go befriend them. In time they will repay you this good karma. " Kaihuang fell into thought, then probed, "You know me? You know what I will encounter in the future? You come from an age after mine? " He was surpassingly clever.
Though Shen Mu had said only a sentence or two that seemed of no importance, he could infer far more useful information from those few words. Shen Mu shook his head. "I do not know which one is the true you.
I have never seen you.
Go back and seek out those two. " Kaihuang hesitated, then shook his head.
"I am not like you. I will not do it deliberately. If I go out of my way to befriend them, perhaps I will change the future. And if the future changes, perhaps even I will never be born, will cease to exist. I told you—I am only a passerby.
I have come to witness history. I very much wish to see the founders of later civilization. " Old Ox followed behind them, and hearing their conversation, he could not help but frown deeply. Just moments ago these two had looked ready to beat each other to death, and now they were speaking heart-to-heart.
"A man's heart is like the weather in the sixth month—it changes at a whim.
" Old Ox hesitated, glanced at the monk and the Daoist, and thought, "Should I go befriend them?
Perhaps I can reap some benefit in the future. . .
" Shen Mu and Kaihuang had already walked far off.
He had no time to go befriend the monk and Daoist, and hurried to catch up with Shen Mu, thinking, "There are still several months, after all. Once those two have settled their emotions, I will befriend these ancient sages and rake in the benefits! Heh heh, and then the old master will look at me with new eyes. . .
" The monk and the Daoist watched them go, shaking their heads. The Daoist said, "What strange men. But that man's mastery of the art of numbers is likely above my own.
Yet he seems to have no heart for it. Senior brother, with his prompting, I feel I am close to finding my Dao! " The monk nodded and smiled.
"I too am close to finding my Dao.
" The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. Shen Mu, Kaihuang, and Old Ox entered the palace complex of the Yaochi Secret Realm, and saw people coming and going in a bustling throng.