Chapter 1551 — Thrashing the Old Seniors
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
They were indeed tempted.
All at once Taishu's voice rang out, laughing: "They say I am the one who plays upon men's hearts; it seems Venerable Mu is a past master of the art as well. Venerable Mu, give up your scheme. They can no longer betray Venerable Hao. Venerable Huo, Venerable Gong, the Ancestral Divine King, every one of them once came to me for help; it was I who healed their wounds. If they betray us, one thought from me and their wounds will erupt and they will die on the spot!"
Her words were plainly meant for Shen Mu, but in truth they were meant for the other Venerables, so that none of them would dare stir.
Shen Mu laughed heartily: "Heavenly Consort Qiang has fallen into your hands. Will she not meet the same end?"
"Venerable Mu speaks the very truth!"
Venerable Xiao's voice came to them, loud and resonant. They all looked toward the sound and saw, upon a shriveled dao tree, several old men and old women advancing together.
Heavenly Consort Yan was a short, ancient crone, clutching the dao tree with both legs trembling; Shi Qiluo was a bald old man with a face full of white whiskers, his eye sockets sunken deep, a battered Chest of a Hundred Treasures in his hand.
Divine Emperor Langxuan and Venerable Xiao had both grown old; Venerable Xiao, though aged, still bore the uncommon bearing of a Heavenly Emperor, while Divine Emperor Langxuan had inherited the features of Taichu and Venerable Gong; old he might be, but he was still imposing.
And the two ancient Taiji gods had aged greatly as well, their serpent tails coiled about the trees lest they topple down.
— Upon the serpent skin of these two ancient gods, many scales had grown old and sloughed away, the scales mottled and patchy, no longer carrying their former sacred majesty.
Shen Mu broke into a smile; his gaze swept over the faces of these Venerables and divinities, and then he suddenly burst out laughing, pointing at the assembled Venerables and holy ones, laughing so hard he could not straighten his back.
Everyone's expression darkened; they watched him coldly. After a long while, when he could laugh no more, Venerable Xiao asked: "Venerable Mu, what do you laugh at?"
"I laugh at the Ten Venerables."
Shen Mu straightened up, wiped away the tears his laughter had wrung out, panted a few rough breaths, and said with a smile: "I laugh because you are all one family. Venerable Xiao is Taichu the Heavenly Emperor; here he has gathered his bastard sons, and his first wife and his second."
Shi Qiluo, white-haired, shot him a glare and said in feigned anger: "Venerable Mu, talk no nonsense. That one is only the brother-in-law; I am not the brother-in-law's second wife. I am the brother-in-law's wife's little sister. The brother-in-law is fond of his wife's little sister."
Heavenly Consort Yan gave a humph and said nothing.
Leaning on the prow, Shen Mu said with a smile: "And these ancient Taiji gods, like Taichu, are egg-born ancient gods, so brother and sister they may be counted. And here is Venerable Hao, the bastard son of Taichu the Heavenly Emperor, who set up his own household and gathered four Venerables about him. And among those four Venerables, Venerable Gong is Taichu's mistress, and also the mother of Divine Emperor Langxuan."
Again he burst out laughing, laughing till he staggered and could not hold his footing: "And Taishu is Taichu's own sister! Apart from the father-slaying wretch, the Ancestral Divine King, the evil-hating Venerable Huo, and Venerable Xu who tried to slay his own father, the Ten Venerables are one and all your family! From the Longhan era down to this day, the wheel of power has never once escaped the grip of your clan!"
Everyone's face was grim.
Heavenly Consort Qiang said flatly: "I am still Taichu's godfather. Taichu's power was seized from my hands."
"So it would seem that from the Primordial Age to this day, power has always been turning within your family."