Chapter 941 — The Bloodshed at Langxuan Divine Palace
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 5
"You have handled it well. Only take care not to kill him."
The Langxuan Divine Emperor frowned, and doubt crept into his voice. "That fellow actually dares to come? That is a move that gives me a headache. The Heavenly Court has been stirred by him beyond all recognition; the ten Heavenly Venerables suspect and guard against one another, and very nearly came to open war. That fellow is bold enough to run off and stir up trouble among the other Heavenly Kings and the Four Emperors — very well. But that he should dare come to my house and tweak the tiger's whiskers. And in such a perilous season as this..."
He paced to and fro, musing. "I will not go to see him. The Heaven Alliance was founded by him; he is one of the five founding elders, and his standing in the Heaven Alliance is even above the Heavenly Venerable Ling's! Of the five founding elders today, the Heavenly Venerable Yue is crippled, the Heavenly Venerable Yun and the Heavenly Venerable Ling are dead, the Heavenly Venerable Shen hides away and dares not show his face, and only he remains. He is, in name, the man of greatest authority and highest standing in the Heaven Alliance. Were I to meet him, I should have to bow my head and address him as Brother in the Way!"
Chang Xiting was secretly alarmed and dared not speak, thinking, "If I handle this matter well, I shall have earned merit before our master, and he will surely reward me handsomely."
The Langxuan Divine Emperor's gaze was deep, and he went on unhurried. "That boy has reaped every advantage. In the early years of Longhan, the Heavenly Emperor invited me to a gathering. I attended the grand gathering of the Heavenly Court; he, meanwhile, went to see the Heavenly Venerable Yu and attended the grand gathering at the Jade Pool. And what came of it? The Heaven Alliance was founded, and his standing came to outrank my own... Xiting, I shall go out and wander the four quarters. Once you have humiliated him, send him on his way; do not let him die here with me. And one thing more!"
His voice deepened. "Mount a strict guard over the Heavenly Venerable Mu. On no account may anything happen to him! If he dies here in my Langxuan Divine Palace, it is a monstrous chamber pot of filth emptied over my head, and I shall never wash it off! There have long been Heavenly Venerables in the Court who look on me with disfavor and would gladly be rid of me, lacking only the occasion. Now their occasion has come. There may well be someone who will strike, and assassinate the Heavenly Venerable Mu!"
Chang Xiting felt a chill run down his spine and hurried off.
The Langxuan Divine Emperor drifted away, laughing. "At that grand gathering of the Heavenly Court, my standing was above that of certain ancient gods. Who would have thought that the grand gathering of the Heavenly Court would have no bearing on the rankings of later ages, while that unremarkable gathering at the Jade Pool would prove the great event that fixed the order of a million years. Fortunately I joined the Heaven Alliance early as well; otherwise I should not even have had the chance of a share of the soup..."
Shen Mu was gaunt and bony, his vital blood and energy both depleted, wracked by fit upon fit of coughing. Many disciples of the Langxuan Divine Palace were pressing and needling him, saying things like, "We beg the Heavenly Venerable Mu of the Overlord Body to instruct us."
Shen Mu said nothing throughout, gave no response, only his breath and blood churned — plainly he was not calm within.
Qi Jiuyi could bear it no longer. "Senior Brothers of the Langxuan Divine Palace, what is the meaning of this?" he cried fiercely. "The Heavenly Venerable Mu has come to pay his respects to the Heavenly Venerable Lang, not to squabble and brawl with you disciples! If you want a fight, come at me!"