Chapter 939 — Song and Dance to Celebrate the Peace
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
For the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor's death was too great a matter; had the Yun family passed it down, the Yun family would long ago have been extinguished, and would never have become one of the Heavenly Court's great clans. Sometimes only ignorance permits survival; this was an unwritten rule in the Heavenly Court. Suddenly a voice broke the deadlock over Yaohai.
"The Sacred Emperor has a decree!
Heavenly Venerable Mu has toiled mightily, coming up from the lower realm without sparing himself; the Sacred Emperor grants fine wine and beautiful women, in reward for Heavenly Venerable Mu! " Yun Chuxiu glanced sidelong at Shen Mu, and Shen Mu smiled.
Yun Chuxiu gave a snort. Over at Yaochi, a Heavenly Venerable also snorted coldly, withdrew into the darkness and vanished without trace; the ten-thousand-li peach grove was vanishing at speed as well, and at last the grove, together with the palaces within it, faded away, leaving only a single peach blossom drifting in the air, whirling as it departed.
The other Heavenly Venerables withdrew one after another; Tiangong became a streak of flowing light and shot up into the sky, Tubo sank into the darkness, Heavenly Venerable You's paper boat sailed into Youdu; soon the place was empty, leaving only the battered Yaohai, its turbulent space unable to settle for a time.
Many divine soldiers and generals, in neat ranks, escorted a divine official through the broken torrents of space, descending with great difficulty onto the island; holding the sacred edict in both hands, he cried in a loud voice, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, receive the decree! " Behind him followed palace maids of considerable beauty, bearing in their hands the various treasures the Heavenly Emperor had bestowed: fine wines, rare delicacies, all manner of rare and precious things; and they themselves were likewise treasures granted to Shen Mu by the Heavenly Emperor.
Shen Mu bowed and said in a clear voice, "Your servant receives the decree.
" The divine official placed the edict in his hands and hastily said, "Heavenly Venerable, rise quickly. You are a Heavenly Venerable; a token gesture will do.
No one can bear your courtesy.
Attendants, tidy up the Heavenly Venerable's resting place!
" Many divine soldiers and generals brought out all manner of treasures, seizing the broken fragments of space one by one and refining them together to repair Yaochi; others brought out treasures of creation, making land and fashioning islands, bustling about yet making no sound at all. Others recovered many corpses from the shattered Yaochi, had them loaded onto boats and carried away for burial.
Plainly the Heavenly Court had met with such things before and was long prepared, and so went about it in orderly fashion. In the sky heavenly maidens danced gracefully, drums and music sweet and pleasing, their movements lovely and bewitching, a scene of song and dance celebrating the peace. The divine official was courteous and polite to Shen Mu, and said with a smile, "Heavenly Venerable Mu has not returned to the Heavenly Court for a long while; are you comfortable here now?
The Sacred Emperor feared the Heavenly Venerable might not eat his fill nor sleep well, and so has sent some women for the Heavenly Venerable's enjoyment. Should the Heavenly Venerable have any other need, only tell your humble servant; though your humble servant cannot decide matters, he can report to the Sacred Emperor, and the Sacred Emperor will surely not neglect you.
" Shen Mu looked at the palace maids and smiled. "Yaochi already has maids enough; why add to them?
" The divine official seemed not to understand, and said doubtfully, "Yaochi's maids?
Where does Yaochi have maids? It is precisely because Yaochi is all empty, with no one to serve, that the Sacred Emperor commanded your humble servant to bring some people for the Heavenly Venerable's use.