Chapter 776 — A Hidden Oriole Seizes the Mandate of Heaven
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
" In the heavens, the Heavenly Emperor's gaze turned toward Youdu and met the eyes of the awakened Tubo; his voice came from beyond the nine heavens, saying: "You are awake, then? Do you not think my words just now were right? You have now returned to Youdu, awakened your heart of the Dao, and come back to your true self; you must know how absurd your actions were. " Tubo, immeasurably majestic, lowered his gaze, and it fell upon Achou's shoulder.
Achou's shoulder was empty. He raised his gaze again to the heavens.
When he had been struck back into Youdu, the infant girl upon his shoulder had fallen away, and the Heavenly Emperor held her in his palm. "Mortal feelings clouded my heart of the Dao.
I thank Your Majesty for waking me," said Tubo. The Heavenly Emperor smiled: "That you have come to your senses sets my heart at ease.
There is no need to call me Your Majesty. You and I have been fellow Daoists for many years; though you were born some years after me, we have always addressed each other as fellow Daoists, and there is no need to grow distant now that I sit upon the imperial throne.
" "I would not dare. " Tubo lowered his head: "In the past I did not understand my place; now I do. There is a difference between sovereign and subject, and Your Majesty sits upon the high throne.
I cannot be presumptuous.
" The Heavenly Emperor sighed: "You are being distant again. This cauldron is returned to you.
" He cast the Life-Slaying Cauldron down, and it fell into Youdu.
Tubo did not catch it, letting it fall upon the continent at his feet, and said: "This cauldron has taken too many lives.
I dare not accept it. " "When a sovereign bestows upon a subject, how would the subject dare refuse? " The Heavenly Emperor laughed: "Still, this cauldron is indeed of no use to you. Why not let me send some gods to station themselves in Youdu and keep the cauldron for you for the time being?
" Tubo assented: "I obey Your Majesty's command.
" His gaze still rested upon the Heavenly Emperor's palm, and the Heavenly Emperor handed the infant girl to an ancient god nearby to hold, laughing: "You are growing distant again.
" Tubo closed his eyes, and Shen Mu felt everything before him slowly sink into darkness; he could see no more of that soul-stirring scene.
"The Life-Slaying Cauldron's memory has finally ended.
" Shen Mu stared blankly.
In the Life-Slaying Cauldron, the demonic qi of Youdu had poured into his body, and he had felt himself about to burst, when suddenly he became Achou Tubo and watched that half-lifetime of experience through Achou's eyes. "In truth, when Tubo awakened in his fury, Achou had already died. " He touched his own face, and found his face wet.
Achou had died then; only the Tubo of vengeance remained.
Achou's child, that infant girl, had become a hostage of the Heavenly Court, a hold over Tubo. "She will live well; the Heavenly Court will not harm her.
Tubo's bloodline can continue.
" Shen Mu thought: "I wonder whether Tubo ever saw her again.
The Heavenly Emperor's methods are truly formidable; Yun Tianzun cannot contend with him, and I fear Hao Tianzun cannot either.
Then.
. .
is the Heavenly Emperor of the court beyond the realm the same man?
" He felt somewhat lost. The demonic qi in the Life-Slaying Cauldron no longer surged; it had grown utterly still.
Around Shen Mu great faces floated in the darkness, watching him, revolving slowly about him — silent and terrible. "Achou—" Suddenly one face flew before him, opened its mouth, and gave a strange cry.
Then all the other faces at once raised a shrill, mournful cry: "Achou—" Shen Mu snorted: "I am not Achou.
Achou Tubo could only awaken the power of Youdu after death; I need not. He had too many limits, too many bonds. I have none!
" "Achou!
" cried the faces of those who had died in the Life-Slaying Cauldron.
"I am far more handsome than Achou.