Chapter 1295 — Brazen and Black-Hearted
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Celestial Venerable Hao said indifferently: "Perhaps in time their tracks may be uncovered. But my injuries are grave now, and I have no leisure to look into the matter."
Shen Mu suddenly set down his chopsticks and cried out in shock: "When I went to Brother Hao's rescue, I too was in the Taixu Demon Realm, and I recognized the traitors who plotted against him!"
Again every gaze swung to him.
Shen Mu's eyes came to rest on the Second Heavenly Master, Meng Yungui, whose face went pale; he hastily shrank back his head.
Shen Mu's gaze slid off him and fell on the Fourth Heavenly Master, Zhu Shaoping, whose face turned the color of earth.
Shen Mu looked smiling upon the other Heavenly Kings and Heavenly Masters, and every heart rose into its owner's throat.
God generals who could take their seats at such a grand gathering were, one and all, beings of the Lingxiao realm; yet now they fell utterly silent, and not one dared meet his eyes.
Hidden in the third eye at the center of Shen Mu's brow, the Taishi within the egg could not help but exclaim in admiration: "Turning his hand brings clouds, flipping it brings rain. Such scheming, such skill, are of the very highest order! Young as Celestial Venerable Mu is, and modest as his powers may be, he is not to be underestimated!"
Suddenly Shen Mu's gaze moved to Celestial Venerable Huo's face. Celestial Venerable Huo's eyes burned like fire; he looked at him and said nothing.
"Hahahaha!"
Shen Mu clapped his hands and laughed: "It was too dark in the Taixu Demon Realm. I could not see their faces clearly, and I dare not talk nonsense."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, each secretly turning his head aside to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
Celestial Venerable Hao shot Shen Mu a glance and said coolly: "Celestial Venerable Mu does not know who tried to assassinate me, but there are those who bite the hand that feeds them, and they cannot escape my eyes and ears."
He caught his breath and said in a heavy voice: "Yin Zhaojin!"
The Yin Son of Heaven went pale. He rose from his seat, bowed, and said: "What instruction does the Celestial Venerable have for me?"
Celestial Venerable Hao slapped the table and said coldly: "A villain pursued me six hundred thousand li while I was gravely wounded, all the way to the gates of your Nether City. Why did you not save me?"
The Yin Son of Heaven twisted his neck and retorted: "This subject could not save you! I command the armies of the Northern Heaven Nether Capital and hold Taixu Youdu, a place of supreme military importance. The rebel Shen Fengqing, King Yama, came leading a great army to attack it. Had Taixu Youdu fallen, every Celestial Court soldier throughout the Taixu lands would have been laid bare beneath the rebels' butchering blades! Were it not a celestial venerable but the Celestial Emperor himself, this subject could never have gone to the rescue!"
"Insolence!" Celestial Venerable Hao trembled with rage, slapped the table and roared; a sweetness came into his throat as though blood would come spurting up, but he swallowed it back down.
The Yin Son of Heaven, neck still stiff, said: "I was commanded to guard Taixu Youdu, and it is right that I put the greater interest first! If the Celestial Venerable is so small-minded as to hold this against me, then report it to His Majesty the Celestial Emperor and let His Majesty decide! If the Celestial Venerable means to punish me here, Zhaojin will not accept it!"
Celestial Venerable Hao's fury passed all bounds; he raised his hand and struck out a palm.
BOOM—
At the grand gathering, heaven and earth changed color, wind and clouds raged and rolled, and space itself split apart. That single palm from Celestial Venerable Hao was vast and magnificent; one hand thrust out, it carried all the grandeur of the ancient god, the Celestial Emperor, who in that year smote Tubo back into the Dark Capital with one palm and shattered Divine King Gong Yun with another!