Chapter 979 — Sanctimonious
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Of course, it was also possible that the Void Heavenly Venerable simply had no wish to reveal her identity and had never brought her true strength to bear. Lian Huahun came up, flicked a glance at Luo Wushuang, then looked away to the Void Heavenly Venerable trapped upon the bridge and said with a cold smile, "Hypocrisy.
" Shen Mu was briefly taken aback.
"Dear little sister," he said to the woman, "why do you call the Void Heavenly Venerable a hypocrite?
" "Dear little sister?
" Lian Huahun gave a cold hum and said indifferently, "You dare call this palace your little sister?
If this palace decides to take your head, no one in the world can save you. " She paused, then went on: "The Void Heavenly Venerable's strength does not end here, yet she has never once used it all, for fear someone will see through her true abilities.
To hold her strength in reserve even at the risk of her own neck — is that not hypocrisy?
" Shen Mu laughed aloud.
"And is Your Majesty any different?
If Your Majesty truly meant to deal with me, you need only use your own true abilities, and I would surely stretch out my neck and take my punishment. Yet Your Majesty must needs enter Heavenly Venerable Hao's tutelage to study the arts of slaying the Shepherd — which shows Your Majesty to be a hypocrite as well.
You so-called Ten Heavenly Venerables, every one of you is a hypocrite; there is not an upright man among you. " "In the Heavenly Court, upright men died out long ago. " Rarely, Lian Huahun showed a smile, and said with keen interest, "Then is the Shepherd Heavenly Venerable an upright man? " Shen Mu moved his eyes off her breasts and said gravely, "I am precisely one of the few upright men left in the Heavenly Court.
" No sooner had he spoken than he could not keep himself from stealing one more glance.
Lian Huahun drew her collar a little tighter, that he might not steal the spring sights beneath it, and said, "The Shepherd Heavenly Venerable's arts and divine powers are riddled with flaws.
From Heavenly Venerable Hao I learned the Eighteen Shepherd-Slaying Arts, and every one of them is aimed at a flaw in your arts and powers. It will be very hard for you to escape death.
Hand over the corpse of that wench, my sister, and I may spare your life. " Softly she added, "Your being alive is of great use to this palace. But this palace means to gouge out your eyes — they are sly, thieving eyes. " Shen Mu's thought stirred, and Lady Yuanmu's crystal coffin flew out from between his brows and struck the ground with a thud.
"It is nothing precious," he said.
"If Your Majesty wants it, take it. As for my eyes, gouge them out by all means — my Mystic Art of Creation can remake even a physical body. " Lian Huahun was stunned for a moment.
All the way here she had turned over countless possibilities in her mind, including every manner of killing Shen Mu, the look of disbelief on his face as he died, and the last words he would leave behind — yet never had she imagined that he would bring out Lady Yuanmu's crystal coffin so readily.
She walked forward and stretched out a hand toward the coffin, yet she was on strict guard against a sneak attack from him. Shen Mu, wholly at ease, stepped back a few paces. Lian Huahun's hand crept slowly toward the coffin, her eyes never once leaving him.
Shen Mu smiled.
"Careful, Your Majesty.
" Before the words had left his mouth, the void behind Lian Huahun split open and an abyss appeared.
From it reached a slender white arm, the fingers long and fine as white-jade scallions, forming a strange hand seal, stabbing without a whisper of sound at the back of Lian Huahun's head.
Lian Huahun seemed utterly unaware of it; and in the very instant that soft white hand came to the back of her head, her figure vanished. The pale hand struck empty air and at once withdrew, but it was too late. Lian Huahun was already beside the abyss, and with a wave of her hand she drove a seal thundering into it.