Chapter 940 — The Plague God Descends
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Yun Jianli's wife even struck out at Shen Mu, intending to give this Heavenly Venerable Mu a sound beating as a warning to others. Such were the "cordial talks" and "friendly exchanges" recorded by the historian. The historian, deafened by the clamor of these women, was then invited away by Qi Jiuyi to drink; in truth he recorded very little.
Only when these fierce women heard that Shen Mu had completely lifted the Yun family's ancestral blood curse did their anger turn to joy, and they apologized to Shen Mu again and again. As for the two sides exchanging views on the Heavenly Court's prosperity, that consisted of Shen Mu inquiring of Lady Yunxiao about the great powers of the Heavenly Court, while the old and young widows of the Yun family all talked at once, spilling out every matter great and small of the Heavenly Court's various palaces and halls, airing all manner of stale old grievances.
The Heavenly Court's historian, plied drunk by Qi Jiuyi and Long Qilin, had no choice but to record it all in the oblique style of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Lady Yunxiao then led the Yun family's ancestresses and grand ancestresses back to the Yun Estate in a swarm, bringing Yun Jianli's son along as well; Shen Mu removed the blood curse from the little one, and joy filled the whole Yun household.
Only this time, that Creator hidden within the Heavenly Court did not appear. "Heavenly Venerable Mu, my husband has in truth always wished to see you once more. " Lady Yunxiao looked very young, but deliberately made herself appear old: a golden crown of phoenix feathers on her head, a dragon-headed staff in her hand, the hair at her temples dyed white, all to seem as aged as possible.
She threw a glance at the women; the Yun widows understood, and surrounded the historian so tightly he could not stir. The historian wished to step forward and hear just what Lady Yunxiao and Shen Mu were discussing, but the Yun Estate widows hemmed him in and he could not break free, secretly fretting all the while. Lady Yunxiao and Shen Mu walked and talked. "My husband spent his whole life waiting for Heavenly Venerable Mu to appear once more.
He often said he wished to set down a code for the Heavenly Alliance—one must not be too good to bad men, nor too bad to good men; one must be better to good men, and worse to bad men. Yet this, he said, he had failed to achieve. Nearing the end, he perceived that the Heavenly Alliance had already become too good to bad men, and too bad to good men. " Shen Mu looked down at the path, then raised his head.
"Those words are simple, but very hard to carry out.
The world is always too harsh with good men, and too tolerant of bad ones. " "He actually left something behind, entrusting me to pass it to you.
" Lady Yunxiao said, "Only at the time I was with child, and after great hardship I escaped the Xiaohan Heavenly Court, unable even to protect myself. Even had I survived, I could not have kept that thing safe.
So I gave it to the Dao Ancestor. The Dao Ancestor was a close friend of my husband's; in his keeping the thing would be safest. " "The Dao Ancestor? " Shen Mu halted.
"Sister-in-law gave that thing to the Dao Ancestor?
Then what was it that Heavenly Venerable Yun left behind? " Lady Yunxiao said, "A box. What exactly was inside it, I do not know; I never opened it to look.
" Shen Mu nodded slightly.
"Heavenly Venerable Yun's wisdom ran deep; I am far beneath him.
What he left must carry profound meaning. A pity that when I came to the Longhan Heavenly Court in those years, I came and went in haste, and could not speak with him at length. Who could have known that one parting would be forever? " Lady Yunxiao said, "Just now Jianli said he means to descend to the lower realm.
I will not permit it. The lower realm is too dangerous—sheer foolishness!