Chapter 1223 — Seeming True, Yet False
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
Moon Venerable was delighted at heart to see how earnestly Shen Mu painted; when he finished, he even pressed a seal onto the page, as if putting his mark to a document.
"You there, fellow, this is a dream, not reality—do you really think the painted me will run away? " She snatched the painting away, rolled it up in high glee, and laughed.
To her, this painting was a brand left by the dream, and naturally could not be carried into reality.
In the future, if she truly became disfigured and ugly, she could still take it out in a dream and remember the face she had once worn.
Shen Mu smiled and continued to paint, producing a second portrait of Moon Venerable without telling her the truth.
Some things Moon Venerable would do no matter what; the killing of Earth Mother, the Primordial Sovereign, was one, and he could not stop her.
This girl had held up the Supreme Emperor's era for three hundred thousand years; she had her own thoughts and her own views. Earth Mother had done the Primal World service, but likewise she had done it immense harm.
After the three-hundred-thousand-year war between the northern and southern Supreme Emperors, all living beings had suffered; whatever the case, Earth Mother had to die.
Whether or not Fire Venerable had proposed it, she would do it anyway—that was the kind of person Moon Venerable was.
All Shen Mu could do was leave her hope for the future.
"This painting I will keep," Shen Mu said with a smile.
"One portrait is branded into your heart; the other is branded into mine.
" Moon Venerable blushed.
"Thank Heaven this is a dream," she laughed, "or I would have thought you were flirting with me.
" Shen Mu laughed loudly.
Moon Venerable said softly, "If this is a dream, then everything that happens here is a beautiful memory. " But Shen Mu seemed not to understand the meaning in her words.
"A dream is, after all, a dream—sooner or later one must wake.
Moon, look into my eyes. " Moon Venerable raised her head to look at him, her eyes like autumn water, and then slowly closed them. Yet she waited long for Shen Mu's response and it never came. She opened her eyes secretly and found herself standing beside Shen Mu.
Wei Suifeng was lecturing the Feather Forest Guard in the distance.
The Dragon Earl King, leading the seven Dragon Earls—the eight survivors of the Dragon Earl clan—had been plucked bald, eyes fixed on noses, noses fixed on hearts, with a look of utter desirelessness.
Shen Mu was still striving to activate the Taiji Primal Stone and restore his physical body; everything had only been her dream. "What a pity it was a dream.
. .
" Moon Venerable was downcast.
Suddenly she saw the scroll in her hand; startled and ashamed, she quickly unfolded it.
In the painting, she had a young girl's shyness, and the bright moon above her head was full and round.
Moon Venerable rolled the scroll up, looked at Shen Mu, and saw that he was still working to restore his body; beside him, too, lay a scroll.
Was Zhuangzi lost in his dawn dream among butterflies—was it true, or false? Did Wangdi's spring heart entrust itself to the cuckoo—was it dream, or illusion?
The world before her eyes seemed to change from black and white into dazzling, many-colored splendor. Moon Venerable left with the scroll, which was not only a seal of her countenance but also a resting-place for her feelings.
Though she was a Venerable, she was also a woman, and emotion made her a little drunk. But once she reached the outer world, she soon cast those feelings aside.
She could see the deep intention behind the dreams Shen Mu had made her experience, but no matter what, she had to remove Earth Mother; she could not endure Earth Mother continuing to prey on the people of the Primal World. "The worst outcome of this battle is that I lose both legs and ruin my face," she said, "but in exchange, Earth Mother will lose her head and bring disaster no more.