Chapter 504 — The Little Overlord of the Ghost Capital

It was as though they all detested their masters and absolutely refused to walk their masters' old roads, stubbornly insisting on carving out paths of their own. Shen Mu blinked and looked around. In the space of a few breaths, these brawling Human Emperors had leveled several streets, smashed several shrines, and demolished who knew how many houses before they finally stopped. The gods and demons in the city were as silent as cicadas in winter; not one dared make a sound.

All stopped their work to watch. Some whose shrines had been smashed said nothing either, only wearing aggrieved expressions.

Many little imps came forward to help repair the shrines. "Divine Chixiu said we of the Hall of Human Emperors are the local tyrants of Fengdu. It seems he was not wrong," Shen Mu thought.

"The Human Emperors of past generations demolished several streets and not a soul dared question it. The Village Chief must be very happy here—he can walk sideways, a veritable little overlord of Fengdu.

But where has the Village Chief gone? " Human Emperor Qikang, beaten black and blue, crawled out from under Human Emperor Yishan's foot, wiped away his nosebleed, and laughed. "The Hall of Human Emperors must be visited. Every Human Emperor of past generations left his own secret arts there, hoping later generations could break through and walk their own roads.

And you must tend the graves—on festivals and New Year, you must burn some good things for us. " Yishan chuckled. "You can burn us some worn-out enemies to play with. Everything in Fengdu is fine except there is nothing to play with. Ahead is the First Ancestor's Five Yang Divine Hall—let us go there! " "The First Ancestor?

" Shen Mu's heart stirred. The First Ancestor was the first generation of Human Emperor, a true god who had founded the lineage of the Hall of Human Emperors, possessed of vast divine powers. He very much wanted to meet this ancient worthy! In Little Yujing, Shen Mu had seen the stone statue of the first generation of Human Emperor.

The Mountain Hermit Qingyou had said that the First Ancestor Human Emperor, in utter despair, had turned himself into a stone statue.

He had never expected to see him here. Qikang said, "The First Ancestor left Fengdu some time ago. He said he had a very important matter to attend to.

Your master went to seek him and has not returned. Your master is a strange one—it seems he has not fully breathed his last, so he can leave Fengdu. We, on the other hand, have breathed our last completely.

" The crowd poured in, startling the two giant beasts guarding the Five Yang Divine Hall. The one on the left, a giant beast with a human face and a bird's body, said hurriedly, "My lords Human Emperors, have you come to mooch food and drink at the old master's house again? The old master's house is nearly eaten bare by you. Why not go to the Second Ancestor's house? " "Shut up!

" The Human Emperors of past generations shouted in unison. "The Second Ancestor's house was eaten bare long ago, and the Third Ancestor's house too! Of all us Human Emperors of past generations, only your house still has some property left! " The human-faced bird-bodied giant beast hastily shut its mouth, pretended to see nothing, and let them charge in. Shen Mu left the Dragon Qilin and the Taotie to guard outside the hall.

"You stay here.

I will talk with the ancestral masters for a while. " The Dragon Qilin stayed outside, studied the two giant beasts, and suddenly said, "Have you ever seen the patriarch of the Heavenly Sage Sect? He looks like a youth, very handsome.

" The human-faced bird-bodied giant beast was the more talkative of the two. "The patriarch of the Heavenly Sage Sect?

You should go to the Heavenly Sage Sect's lair. The sect leaders of past generations of the Heavenly Sage Sect live there.

But most of them are demons, fierce and malevolent—not to be trifled with. " The Dragon Qilin was overjoyed and said hurriedly, "May I ask you two brothers to point out the way? " Inside the Five Yang Divine Hall, Shen Mu could not help but sigh inwardly.

These Human Emperors were like bandits descending on a village; they never once considered themselves outsiders. Before they had even taken their seats, Human Emperor Lanpo summoned some little imps and ordered, "Human Emperor Shen from the world of the living has come. Hurry and prepare some fine dishes to entertain him! " One of the green-skinned imps, plucking up courage, said, "My lords, the living cannot eat the food of Fengdu.

Look, Human Emperor Shen is a skeleton—he has no flesh, no stomach, no way to eat.

" The Second Ancestor Human Emperor shouted, "Nonsense! Of course it is not for him to eat—it is for us to eat! I am the First Ancestor's disciple; can I not eat? Hurry and prepare it! " The many green-skinned imps with their blue faces and fangs fled helter-skelter to prepare the meal.

Shen Mu studied those green-skinned imps, doubt rising in his heart. These green-skinned imps resembled the Ghost King of the Shenwang Hall—none of them looked like creatures of the world of the living. Could they be beings from Youdu? "We have had no one to make offerings to us all these years—we are nearly starved into ghosts!

Take your seats! " The Second Ancestor cast seal after seal, and at once lotus flowers grew out of the void within the Five Yang Divine Hall, growing higher and larger, lifting them up. The little imps finished the dishes and carried them up.

The Human Emperors of past generations, heedless of appearances, gorged and guzzled, sweeping the food away like wind scattering clouds, and only then were they satisfied. Shen Mu watched, dumbstruck. These Human Emperors looked as though they had been starving for several hundred years—where was the lofty bearing of Human Emperors? The food before him had not been touched, for he was only a skeleton and could not eat such things at all. "If Human Emperor Shen had not come, we would never have gotten a full meal.

Your master must bear a grudge against me—that is why he never tends the graves.

He has starved me for several hundred years. " Human Emperor Qikang sighed with feeling, then looked at Shen Mu. "That little brat Su praised you to the skies, saying his disciple had more promise than mine.

Since you have come today, let me see how his disciple has more promise than mine. " Shen Mu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Human Emperor Qikang, your disciple—is that not the Village Chief?

" The other Human Emperors immediately perked up. "The old rule—a fight first!

" Shen Mu rose and bowed in all directions. "My ancestral masters, my masters' masters, this boy is only at the Seven Stars realm.

There is no need to compete, is there? " Qikang laughed. "Do not worry, we will not bully you.

Of course we will fight you at the same realm. And we will not hurt you—we only want to see how far your cultivation has advanced and give you some guidance. " Shen Mu looked troubled. "Then there is still no need to compete.

I do not want to bully my ancestral masters and masters' masters.

It would not be good to injure you. To tell the truth, most of your techniques and divine abilities are out of date.

. .

" Dead silence fell all around. "I suddenly feel like beating this brat to death. . .

" Human Emperor Yishan muttered under his breath.