Chapter 354 — Four Honored Guests of Heaven Above

Heaven Above had four heads; besides Star Lord Qiao and Lord Yu, there were Lady Hua and Star Lord Yan. Because of the matter of Li Zheng's departure from the Wasteland, all four heads of Heaven Above had come down. The four looked below, and wonder showed on every face.

"Last time I came to bring down calamity, I did not look closely. " Lord Yu said, musing, "At that time I glimpsed only the nine dragon veins of the capital and saw none of the others, so that Jingping very nearly came into its great destiny.

" Lady Hua was a beautiful young girl, her voice clear and sweet as an oriole's.

She said, "Those nine dragon veins are the Yellow Dragon Range.

Besides those nine, there are four river dragon veins: the Tu River, the Jin River, the Yong River, and the Lan River.

" With a light stroke of her palm, her vital qi turned in the air into a mirror and shone down into the earth beneath the Kingdom of Jingping. That mirror could pierce more than ten li into the depths, and in it appeared three great dragons, the long rivers of magma beneath the earth.

Lady Hua said, "Add these three fire dragon veins hidden in the earth, and the dragon veins within Jingping's borders already number sixteen. " Star Lord Yan shook his head. "More than that.

Look at Jingping's coast.

The coastal mountains rise and fall like two dragons coiled tail against tail; that is two more dragon veins. That place where the dragons coil their tails, I wonder what mountain it is.

Eighteen dragon veins; no wonder the Kingdom of Jingping breeds outstanding people and rises to glory. " Star Lord Qiao said in a low voice, "That the grasslands will be swallowed into Jingping is only a matter of time.

This time the Imperial Preceptor has marched into the grasslands, and by my reckoning he has already reached the Loulan Golden Palace. How many dragon veins are there on the grasslands? " The other three lords were shaken inwardly. "And the snowfields of the frozen north, the Kingdom of Langjuxu.

How many dragon veins are there? " Star Lord Qiao said, "The number of Jingping's dragon veins already exceeds our reckoning. A single dragon vein would be nothing; it could never make a destiny.

But a herd of dragons rising into heaven, that is to seize the fortune of heaven and earth!

I say that killing the old Human Emperor is a small matter.

To find the chief dragon vein of Jingping and take it away or shift it, so that the herd of dragons has no head, that is what we came down to the mortal world to do. " Lord Yu pondered, and said, "The chief vein gone, the herd headless, the fortune split asunder, the heroes of the world rising together, Jingping torn apart. It is indeed a good plan. Which vein, then, is the chief vein of Jingping? " The four looked down one after another, and searched a long while, and still could not make out the chief vein.

"We had best ask the Dragon Keeper of Heaven Above to come and find the chief vein. He raises dragons, he distinguishes every kind of them, and he is skilled at charting and reckoning the lay of the land. " Star Lord Qiao said, "Qingying, Yaohua, go back to Heaven Above and have the Dragon Keeper come down to the mortal world; ask him to survey the dragon veins of Jingping and determine the chief vein.

" Qingying and Yaohua assented, and hurried off in haste.

Lord Yu laughed. "The Sword God has still not shown himself.

How dull. I thought that once we released our aura he would come to answer the challenge; I did not think he would turn coward.

In former days he would never have been afraid.

It seems the Sword God has truly grown old. " "Such is the sorrow of a mortal body. " Lady Hua laughed.

"However mighty a man in his prime, as he nears old age his blood and qi wither and fail; once the blood and qi fail, the heart fails with them.

By reckoning of years, his death lies in the next year or the year after. To live those two years more, he has shunned the fight after all. How ironic. Xu Shenghua, have you found the new Human Emperor?

" Xu Shenghua said, "I met the man by chance, but did not recognize him, and let him slip past. Still, I gave him a packet of tea, and he invited me to drink with him in the capital of Jingping. I think that if I go to the capital I may see him again.

" Lord Yu was interested.

"How great are this new Human Emperor's powers?

" "Very great. " Xu Shenghua recalled the single blow he had traded with Shen Mu. "His dharma power then was exceedingly deep; his cultivation in vital qi was a shade deeper than mine, but his moves and divine abilities were a shade weaker than mine, and his comprehension of divine abilities poorer than mine.

" "Deeper in cultivation than you?

" The four lords of Heaven Above all showed astonishment. Xu Shenghua's cultivation crushed all others of his realm in Heaven Above; even the four lords at the same realm were no match for him. That in this world there could be one whose cultivation surpassed his!

"But since I returned from Little Yujing, I have made good that weakness in my cultivation.

" Xu Shenghua said, "If he has met with no like fortune, then my cultivation now is simply stronger than his.

" Lord Yu smiled. "Go to the capital, kill him, and return to Heaven Above before long. This mortal world is a foul place, unfit for lingering. We few will find a pleasant spot to await the Dragon Keeper and examine the chief vein.

If the Sword God dares answer battle, so much the better; if he will not, then once we have taken the chief vein we return to the mountain.

" Xu Shenghua assented.

Star Lord Qiao said, "I will have Jingyan and Yuliu follow you, lest some petty scoundrel lay hands on you. " Yuliu and Jingyan were secretly delighted; Yuliu bearing a jade vase, Jingyan cradling a pipa, they followed Xu Shenghua toward the capital.

The four lords of Heaven Above saw that the day was waning, and so lowered their cloud, coming to a secluded place, and the reed awning came down.

Here were green hills and clear waters; no village before, no inn behind; but opposite stood a house, its door open, and out came a woman of radiant beauty carrying a small wooden bucket to draw water, and the sight set all four lords of Heaven Above blushing to the ears, their hearts pounding violently. Even Lady Hua, the most beautiful goddess of Heaven Above, felt herself shamed by the comparison, and at the same time her heart was stirred and captivated by the woman. "A beauty even the gods must envy and adore! " The four lords steadied their hearts.

The woman looked at the awning that had suddenly appeared, and at them, and saluted the four, saying, "Four honored guests, the day is failing. When night comes, do not go out.

" Lord Yu's heart was moved with love, and he said with a smile, "Fairy, this is no Wasteland; why should we not go out at night?

Even in the Wasteland we might go out as we pleased. " Star Lord Yan and Star Lord Qiao too felt their hearts stirred, and wishing to draw near the woman, they said with smiles, "A fine hour, a fair scene, and a beauty for a neighbor; this is truly a holy land. " Lady Hua felt some bitterness in her heart, some jealousy; but at the sight of the woman's beauty her jealousy flew away.

The woman showed surprise, and said, "So the four of you are beings like gods and immortals, able to pass in and out of the Wasteland in the dark. I worried overmuch.

" With that she went to draw her water. When night came, three of the lords of Heaven Above craned their necks toward the house opposite; Lady Hua too felt a certain anticipation, and laughed: "Since your hearts are moved, why not invite her over to sit a while?