Chapter 1000 — Putting Yourself in Another's Place
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
In the thirty-three heavens of Wuyou Township, everyone felt the consciousness of the Divine King Langwan surging toward them, and the voice into which her consciousness had condensed burst in their minds. That the Creators should come attacking in so vast and blatant a display, only to declare that they had come in the name of peace and meant to hold peace talks with Kaihuang, was altogether too uncanny.
These Creators advanced with overwhelming momentum; by every appearance they occupied an absolute advantage, and to crush Wuyou Township was for them the mere lifting of a hand. Under such circumstances, why would they sue for peace?
"It must be a trap—luring Kaihuang out so as to do away with him! " many conjectured. And indeed, the scene before them looked like a trap in every particular.
But from the Creators' ranks there flew out a goddess of matchless beauty.
She drew a single gentle line through the void that lay between Wuyou Township and the Creators' army, and behold, a platform took shape in the empty air, so that both the people of Wuyou and the Creators could see plainly everything that happened upon it.
The divine king's figure grew smaller and smaller, until at last she took on the stature of an ordinary mortal, and together with a man in a great scarlet robe who wore the face of a youth, she flew up onto the platform. A huge head hovered at their side, waiting in silence. At the Celestial Court of Kaihuang in Wuyou Township, Kaihuang mused for a moment, then said to Qin Hanzhen and Yan Yunxi, "You will come with me. Remember, you are not to call him by name; 'Venerable Mu' or 'the Holy Infant' will do.
" Qin Hanzhen and Yan Yunxi assented. Yan Yunxi smiled and said, "King Zhen is his natural father; he should not be too harsh. " Qin Hanzhen said nothing.
The three flew out of the Celestial Court of Kaihuang, came to that platform, and stood facing Shen Mu, the Divine King Langwan, and the Divine King Shujun. Shen Mu waved his hand, and a long table appeared, with six chairs placed two against two. Raising his hand, he smiled and said, "Venerable Shen, please take a seat.
" "Mu—" Qin Hanzhen opened his mouth to speak, but changed tack.
"Venerable Mu, after you.
" One by one they sat.
The platform stood in the central ground between the two forces, and beneath the eyes of the multitude everything upon it was observed with perfect clarity on both sides. Shen Mu and the Divine King Langwan sat down; the Divine King Shujun wedged himself into a chair as well, his great eyes rolling round and round as he sized up the three opposite.
The Divine King Langwan said, "Shen Ye, this is the Holy Infant of our Creator race. " Kaihuang inclined his head in acknowledgment.
"I have long heard of your great name.
" Shen Mu smiled and returned the greeting.
The Divine King Langwan continued, "And this is Shujun, a former Divine King of our Creator race. " Kaihuang said, "I have long heard of your great name. " The Divine King Shujun laughed.
"You have never heard my name. I have been dead for I know not how many tens of thousands of years.
" Kaihuang smiled faintly.
At his side Yan Yunxi laughed and said, "So the Holy Infant of the Creators is none other than the august Venerable Mu—how amusing.
Is Venerable Mu not of the human race?
" Shen Mu smiled without speaking. The Divine King Langwan swept her gaze about, incomparably lovely, and said, "The Holy Infant possesses the power of creation.
What does it matter whether he is human or Creator?
To make too much of the divisions of race, to let prejudice run too deep—it cannot help but reveal a narrow spirit and a petty heart. " Yan Yunxi smiled.