Chapter 1071 — A Brotherhood of Glass
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
Shen Mu could not help but sigh with a thousand feelings: "Both Daoists incurred guilt for a word. You were once high and exalted, yet for one misspoken sentence you have come to such an end, so that you must flee for your lives together with me."
He sighed and sobbed, and could not help but weep again.
Gu Xiao and Great Hong hastily consoled him: "Everyone says Mu Tianzun is of boundless righteousness, warm-hearted and generous, a timely rain to the people of the world — and now we see the fame is well deserved."
"Tianzun need not fret over our fortunes; perhaps we two were fated to meet this tribulation."
Shen Mu stopped his tears and choked: "Hearing of the experiences of you two Daoists, and thinking of my own, sorrow rose unbidden in my heart — my circumstances are so like yours that I lost my composure. We three Daoists are not the same men but share the same fate, and today Heaven has been kind, letting us flee to the ends of the earth in one carriage. Why not—"
He clenched his fist, excited: "Why not swear brotherhood? Let us bind ourselves in golden orchid, become brothers of different surnames — we ask not to be born in the same year, the same month, the same day, but only to die in the same year, the same month, the same day!"
Gu Xiao and Great Hong were struck dumb, staring at each other, unable to speak.
Shen Mu grew more and more excited; he rose and paced to and fro in the carriage, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Luo Xiao, you are a Creator, a stranger stranded in a foreign land, hunted by the Heavenly Court, unwelcome to the ancient gods — you are the same as us. Let the four of us swear brotherhood together!"
Gu Xiao's and Great Hong's expressions grew stranger still, their brows knitted into a deep frown.
Shen Mu, elated, said loudly: "Let us swear to Tuba that we shall die in the same year, the same month, the same day!"
Cold sweat broke out on Great Hong's forehead; he gave two dry laughs: "Mu Tianzun, you are a Tianzun — how could we presume to climb so high?"
Gu Xiao too chuckled: "The Creators are the enemies of the ancient gods. If we swear to Tuba, would we not be delivering Brother Luo Xiao into Tuba's mouth? This matter of sworn brotherhood should be given long consideration."
Shen Mu seemed too excited to contain himself; he stepped forward, took the two men by the hand, and knelt, laughing: "Better today than a chosen day — let us kowtow and swear brotherhood, become brothers of the golden orchid! Brother Luo Xiao, come, come, swear with us!"
Luo Xiao hesitated a moment, then made up his mind, stepped forward, and knelt.
Shen Mu shot a glance at Gu Xiao and Great Hong and sneered: "Do you two Daoists look down on me and Brother Luo Xiao? I am Mu Tianzun, and I have already knelt — will you not kneel?"
Gu Xiao and Great Hong exchanged a look, then braced themselves and knelt. Gu Xiao said in a low voice: "Brother Luo Xiao is a Creator; we cannot swear to Tuba, nor can we swear by Heaven—"
Shen Mu pressed one hand on Gu Xiao's head and the other on Great Hong's head, and the four kowtowed together, laughing: "Then we shall not swear to Tuba or to Heaven."