Chapter 514 — Greed Befogs the Heart

Shen Mu was startled; he turned his head to look at Chi Xiu, whose neck had twisted a full turn and buried itself in its feathers, pretending to have seen nothing. "That Chi Xiu could become one of Yama's trusted intimates is no unearned reputation.

To resolutely see nothing of Yama's humiliation—that is the true art of preserving oneself. Anyone else would long ago have rushed into the ruins to rescue Yama. " Shen Mu sighed inwardly.

To rescue Yama was, to be sure, a show of loyalty, but it also meant witnessing Yama's shame and tarnishing the image of Yama as brilliant and invincible; it was merit and fault at once, and you never could tell whether, in Yama's heart, the merit outweighed the fault or the fault the merit. Better to pretend you had seen nothing at all. Besides, the collapse of the Shen King Hall could not possibly have hurt Yama; so a show of loyalty was worse than none at all. "Yama said I could enter the darkness of the Waste without being harmed by it.

Is that true or false?

" He hesitated. Entering the darkness was a matter of life and death; if the claim were false, he would go in and die on the spot, and he did not dare try.

From childhood the villagers of Yincan Village had taught him that in the darkness of the Waste dwelt a great terror, and that one must never enter it. And in the course of growing up Shen Mu had witnessed that great terror for himself, and so had never once imagined that he might enter the darkness unscathed. He had entered the darkness several times before, but always by relying on some treasure or some godlike power to shield him—Xing'an's box, the protection of the Headman, the protection of Lord Huanlong—and only so had he passed through unharmed. To truly go alone, with no protection at all, he still did not quite dare. "Let's go. " Chi Xiu urged him on.

"Once I have seen you off, I need to rest as well. " Shen Mu said, "God Chi Xiu, I still have to go to the Heavenly Sacred Cult and to the Human Emperors, to fetch back the Dragon Qilin and the box. " Chi Xiu had no choice but to bring him to the place where the Nether Demon Cult's patriarchs through the ages had dwelt.

Every door was bolted fast.

The Dragon Qilin was shut outside the young Patriarch's door, clattering its tail and sweet-talking the door to open.

The young Patriarch would not open it for dear life, and cried from within: "Life and death are different roads!

I am dead, you are alive—there can be no union between us. Go with the Cult Leader!

" The Dragon Qilin clawed at the door and wept bitterly. The young Patriarch could not help choking up as well; he wanted to open the door, yet feared the wretch would rush in and rub itself against him, so he hardened his heart and kept it shut. Shen Mu called the Dragon Qilin over and said with a laugh, "Fat Dragon, there is no need for grief.

The Patriarch lives well enough here, and we live well enough out there; in the future you may come and visit him whenever you like. " The Dragon Qilin came over. Bathed in the pure yang true fire pouring down from the sun, flesh and blood faintly surfaced upon its body; and that enormous sun in the sky had already climbed very high, growing vaster and more immense still, as though at any moment it might fall from the heavens.

Shen Mu looked up, and saw that the shrines and halls within the sun seemed cast of gold; the gods and demons before them were dimly visible, still madly beating their drums, using the pure yang true fire to refine Fengdu.

The sun hung so close to them that Shen Mu could not help wondering whether those gods and demons in the sun might attack at any moment. "They dare not attack.

" The god Chi Xiu preened its feathers at leisure. "This is Fengdu, and Fengdu is part of Youdu. It looks very near, but in truth it is very far, separated by the barriers of the world; no ordinary god or demon can cross over.

Besides, they fought many times in the past and came off the worse, so now they dare only hide in the sun, beating their drums and shouting. " Shen Mu asked, puzzled, "This sun in the sky is utterly unlike the sun over Jingping. This sun—" "It is the sun of the Waste. The real one.

" The god Chi Xiu said, "The sun of Jingping is false. " Shen Mu clicked his tongue in amazement. This sun was terrifying.

How fortunate that they lived amid the false semblance of sun, moon, and stars; otherwise, if the people of Jingping beheld so dreadful a sun, even the Emperor would likely go mad. "Patriarch, do you have money?

" Shen Mu asked through the crack in the door.

"To enter Fengdu I need Fengdu gold coins. I have only three left, and the boat costs coins. " The young Patriarch pushed a few gold coins out through the crack. "I have not been dead long, and there is not much money here. Spend it sparingly.

" Shen Mu assented, then went to knock on the other patriarchs' doors to beg for money. "Reverend Patriarchs, if you do not give money, I shall cut off your offerings and tear down your spirit tablets.

" "Wretch who cheats his masters and betrays his ancestors!

It is only money—take it!

" Door to door Shen Mu went, extorting from every household, and gathered one or two hundred Fengdu gold coins. Then he came to the place where the Human Emperors dwelt, and asked the strange beasts before the Five Yang Shrine: "Has the First Patriarch returned? " The two beasts ran into the hall and flung the Taotie out of the Five Yang Shrine, saying, "The Master has not returned.

" The Taotie landed on the ground; scorched by the sun's true fire, it gave several thuds and turned into a great box, which then followed meekly at the Dragon Qilin's heels.

"Cult Leader Shen, time to go! " Chi Xiu urged.

"A moment, God Chi Xiu. " Shen Mu went on to the Second Patriarch's house.

The Second Patriarch opened the door but did not step out of the shrine, no doubt fearing the pure yang true fire. "I am a man of clean hands and empty pockets, truly without money; I can only go and sponge off our teacher, the First Patriarch.

" Shen Mu took out several Fengdu gold coins and said with a smile, "I know you have always been a person of lofty integrity, so I have brought a few gold coins to tide you over for the time being.

When I reach the Human Emperor Hall, I shall burn paper money to provide for all the patriarchs in their old age. " The Second Patriarch was overjoyed and hastily pocketed the coins. "You are far more filial than that Su lad!

He still has not come back; when he does, we mean to give him a great surprise! " Shen Mu said, "Second Patriarch, do not forget to tell the Headman that I came here.

" "Rest assured, I will certainly tell him! " the Second Patriarch said through gritted teeth.

Shen Mu hesitated, then ventured, "Second Patriarch, could I borrow the Boundary Between Life and Death for a while?

I want to use it to do business.

. . " The Second Patriarch was baffled.

"How can one do business with the Boundary Between Life and Death? " Shen Mu smiled. "There are a great many gods and demons in Fengdu, but they cannot go to the world of the living, and many of them have wishes unfulfilled.

So I mean to use the Boundary Between Life and Death as a bridge, letting those with powers in the Kingdom of Jingping come onto the Boundary and trade with them: the gifted ones will take their gold coins, or learn the divine powers, the Daoist arts and techniques they practiced in life, and in return help them fulfill their wishes. I think this may prove a great business! I am preparing to pave a road through the Waste, and I need some money to supplement the household as well.

" The Second Patriarch was still somewhat baffled.

"Where does the money come from?

" Shen Mu explained, "The gifted ones who enter the Boundary Between Life and Death pay me money; on my side I collect money from the world of the living. Thus I can make a great profit.

" The Second Patriarch saw the light, and laughed and cursed him: "You little rascal.