Chapter 528 — Seeking the Way at Little Jade Capital

Two days later Ling Yuxiu returned to the capital to await the emperor's arrangements. She kept Shen Mu company as far as the Heavenly Sage Academy, and only then went back to the city.

The court now held many people of the Heavenly Sage Sect — from the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping and the Duke of Wei at the top, down to yamen runners and petty constables in the provinces — so Shen Mu had no need to fight his own battles; others would fight them for him.

When Shen Mu arrived at the Heavenly Sage Academy, classes were in session. Not a soul was to be seen about the grounds; only a shoal of flood dragons disported themselves in the lake. Catching sight of Shen Mu, the dragons gaped a moment, then scrambled up the bank in a great splashing clatter.

Sensing trouble, Shen Mu turned and ran for all he was worth: "These flood dragons — were they not taken to Mount Shenglin by the Holy Maiden Xiang to be raised there? How did they come to the Heavenly Sage Academy?"

"Maha! Maha! Maha!"

The pack of flood dragons rushed in jubilant delight past the Dragon Qilin and Chest. A moment later Shen Mu was captured, his body festooned with dragons, and he came trudging up with a weary gait, a dozen or more of the creatures clinging to him, their heads rubbing against his body, their horns scoring line after line of blood across his neck.

"Maha..." The little flood dragons clung to him, eyes narrowed, looking half asleep.

Shen Mu was soaked through, as though he had been fished out of the water.

The Dragon Qilin let out a long breath. All at once, every dragon on Shen Mu lifted its head and looked at him. The Qilin knew at once that this boded ill, and bolted.

"Maha! Maha! Maha!"

The pack of dragons ran cheerfully past Chest. A moment later Shen Mu and Chest saw the Dragon Qilin crawling along in utter agony, neck and body and limbs swathed in flood dragons.

"Maha." The dragons rubbed against the Qilin, rubbing the fat fellow bloody.

"Maha?" The pack of dragons raised their heads and looked at Chest with curiosity.

Chest stumped along on its legs behind Shen Mu. Now, too, it sensed trouble, and made haste to scurry away.

The dragons slid off the Dragon Qilin and came leaping and bounding at Chest, crying joyfully: "Maha! Maha! Maha!"

The Dragon Qilin heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed limp on the ground. A moment later Chest came clattering back on its legs, and the Dragon Qilin and Shen Mu stared wide-eyed — there was not a single flood dragon on it.

"Maha—" Chest opened, and a dozen-odd dragon heads popped out, crying in unison, delighted.

The sight was rather like a box of narcissus of every color thrusting up their heads.

Chest looked rather pleased with itself as it followed them; it seemed not to feel at all how heavy these dragons were.

"Shen'er has come back?"

The bell for the end of class rang. Granny Zhu came out of one of the great teaching halls, and catching sight of Shen Mu hurried to meet him, laughing: "It has been many a day since I saw you. A fine Grand Libationer you are — a hands-off proprietor! You drop all these scholars here, slip away yourself, and leave us to mind them for you..."

Shen Mu hugged her tightly, tears flowing before he knew it: "Granny!"

Granny Zhu was taken aback, then laughed: "Have you been wronged? What kind of Great Hierarch weeps like a child? You are the Grand Libationer of the Heavenly Sage Academy, no less. Don't cry — it won't do for the scholars to see. Tell Granny all about it; Granny will settle it for you."

Shen Mu felt his heart settle. He released her and shook his head: "What is the meaning of these flood dragons? Were they not sent to Mount Shenglin?"

"Xiang girl did send them to Mount Shenglin at first. Later she took a dislike to them — they eat spirit elixirs every day, and they want the dishes varied, which costs far too much — so she sent them back."

Granny Zhu said: "That Xiang girl is a great miser, and she keeps a very close eye on the Heavenly Sage Sect's purse. But it is just as well they are here at the Academy. The scholars learn alchemy from your Grandpa Alchemist, and the spirit elixirs they refine go to feed these dragons. Besides, with dragons about, the Academy's fame spreads; the scholars come to paint dragons, to forge dragon-form yuan weapons, or to cultivate dragon-form divine abilities — and for all of that they need these creatures. What is the matter with you? Who has wronged you? Old Man Lame! Alchemist! Blind Elder! Come here, all of you — someone has bullied our Shen'er!"

Bang.

The air boomed, and Old Man Lame appeared abruptly at Shen Mu's side, astonished: "Who dares bully my Shen'er? Tired of living?"

Shen Mu said: "It is the First Ancestor Human Emperor. A true god. Grandpa Lame..."

Old Man Lame shuddered, turned on his heel and walked off. The Blind Elder caught hold of him, laughing: "Old Man Lame, are you afraid?"

"Not afraid? Of course I am afraid!"

Old Man Lame muttered: "Xing An, that bastard, is not even a true god, and he beat us black and blue. The First Ancestor Human Emperor is a true god in truth. To rouse him is to throw your life away, is it not?"

The Alchemist came over, musing: "The First Ancestor Human Emperor? A true god? Could poison settle him?"

Shen Mu shook his head: "I want to defeat him fair and square, at the same cultivation realm, and best of all I want to beat him to death with my own hands."

The Alchemist shuddered, shrugged: "Then my skills are of no use."

Old Man Lame sighed: "Nor have I the skill for it. Where is the Silent Artisan?"

"The Silent Artisan ran off a few days ago."

The Butcher came over, gathering the clothes about his shoulders, his voice rumbling: "That fellow slips away every so often, and no one knows where he goes. Shen'er, what is a true god's power like?"

"In every way he is stronger than I am. He runs faster than I do, his strength outmatches mine, his divine body and his flesh are one, and his Sacred Pupil surpasses my Sacred Pupil. His fists are terrifying, and his Dao arts, his divine abilities and his flesh are fused as one."

Shen Mu's face darkened: "In every aspect he has already entered the Dao. The one thing in which I surpass him is magic power."

The Blind Elder frowned: "Stronger than my Sacred Pupil?"

Shen Mu nodded slightly.

Even the Butcher, who feared neither heaven nor earth, knitted his brows tightly now. After a moment he said: "My blade technique..."

"He broke it with ease."

The Deaf Elder came over: "And the Dao of painting?"

"There was no chance to use it."

"And the Heavenly Sage Sect's divine abilities?" Granny Zhu asked.

Shen Mu shook his head. The others looked deeply troubled.

Old Man Lame asked in a fluster: "Did you run?"

"He caught up with me."

"Poison... never mind, never mind."

The Alchemist waved a hand: "To poison a god to death, that I could manage. But to poison a true god who has no weakness at all — that I cannot."

Shen Mu smiled: "You need not fret over my affairs. These past days I have been thinking quietly, and it seems to me that though he looks invincible, back then he fled for his life from the battlefield, which shows there are those stronger than he. He is not invincible. I will surely find a way to surpass him."

Granny Zhu said with a smile: "You have hardly come back. Stay at the Academy a while, and we will help you think of something."

Shen Mu nodded and went to put away his luggage.

Granny Zhu, the Butcher, the Blind Elder and the rest gathered together and watched his receding back. The Butcher frowned: "This is the first time I have seen Shen'er look so utterly without confidence. He was never like this before. In the past he was always full of confidence, and now..." He shook his head.

The Blind Elder narrowed his eyes: "A true god — is one really so fearsome? Able to surpass my Sacred Pupil? I do not quite believe it."

"For the next few days, we drill him!"