Chapter 546 — The Peerless Art of Face-Changing

Of the demon masters, nine had died: Shen Mu alone had killed four, and Sang Wan had killed one — more than half, truly. And Yu He and Shu You had each killed one demon master, and joining hands had finished off another; which meant that the other six human adepts who died in battle had reaped only a single kill between them, and all six of them had perished. The demon race's fighting power was indeed a notch above the human race's. Had Shen Mu, this unforeseen factor, not thrown himself into the fray, nothing but utter annihilation would have been waiting for these human adepts! Yu He and Shu You let out a breath of foul air and came before Shen Mu — whose face was still shifting between light and gloom, his spirit seemingly gone from him — and bowed their thanks.

Shen Mu hastily returned the courtesy, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Just now I was absorbed in tempering my flying swords to raise my battle power, and never introduced myself to Senior Sister and Senior Brother.

This one is Shen Mu — Shen as in two hands below holding a pestle to hull the grain, Mu as in herding cattle.

Greetings to Senior Sister Yu He and Senior Brother Shu You. " Seeing him sullen one moment and radiant the next, the Black Tiger God could not help snorting coldly. "And my Lord simply cannot see how fast this brat's face changes!

" Yu He and Shu You hurriedly returned the salute, and Shu You said apologetically, "Just now I mocked Senior Brother Shen again and again, calling you a grain-huller and a blacksmith. I hope Senior Brother will not take it to heart. " Shen Mu's expression turned grave, and he said with great solemnity, "The seal-script form of the character Shen is two people below holding a pestle to pound rice — it was no jest.

To speak frankly, from childhood I read all manner of classics thoroughly under my teacher, and I have learned the demon tongue, the dragon tongue, the Buddha's syllables, the Youdu tongue, and other scripts and languages besides; of the divine tongue I have some slight command as well. At times I am fond of picking at words, and it is not all showing off.

" "The brat's face has changed again! " The Black Tiger God ground his teeth. "And yet my Lord simply cannot see it!

" "Senior Sister Yu He, Senior Brother Shu You. " The gravity vanished from Shen Mu's face; his smile was warm as a spring breeze, his brows dancing, his whole face alight with animation.

"Have the two of you ever heard of the Heavenly Sage Sect? To speak frankly, I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sage Sect.

The Heavenly Sage Sect was founded by my master, this very Sage Master. You have met the Sage Master too — wise, divinely martial, a man of few words — but the doctrines of my Heavenly Sage Sect are truly fine, truly wondrous. As the saying goes, the Way of the Sage is nothing other than the daily use of the common folk. . .

" Bored, the Black Tiger God flicked his two ears this way and that.

"My Lord cannot see it.

.

. " Shen Mu hurried eagerly toward Sang Ye and his daughter Sang Wan, only to be blocked by the throng of deities; the deities praised him without pause, and Shen Mu could only be endlessly modest, whereupon the deities praised him the more, and Shen Mu's confidence burst its bounds and his heart blossomed. "My Lord still cannot see it. . . " thought the Black Tiger God, one ear folded forward and the other folded back.

Shen Mu was held up by the crowd of deities; when the clamor dispersed, those deities of Taihuang Heaven went off to busy themselves moving troops and dispatching generals, lest Li City be left empty and be seized again by the demon race.

Sang Wan too was led away by the Venerable Deity Sang Ye, which drew from Shen Mu a silent murmur of regret. The Woodcutter Sage said, "Come with me. There are things I must ask you.

" Shen Mu hurried after him. The Black Tiger God made to follow as well; the Woodcutter Sage glanced back once, and the Black Tiger God hastily halted and turned his head to look elsewhere.

"Are you of the demon race, or the human race? " Shen Mu followed the Woodcutter Sage to a quiet place, and the Sage suddenly asked, "Though you have learned my arts and received my inheritance, there is a strange power within your body — the power of the demon race. You appeared abruptly on the battlefield, in the very midst of the demon race; your conduct is suspicious.

Speak: where do you truly come from?

" Shen Mu hesitated a moment. "Carefree Land.

" The Woodcutter Sage turned around all at once and looked straight at him, as if to see whether he was speaking the truth or lying.

Shen Mu's face was calm. "I was not born in Carefree Land. When my parents walked out of Carefree Land, my mother was carrying me; they met with an enemy ambush on the road, and in the end I was born in Youdu. The Yama of Fengdu said that because I was born in Youdu, and because something unforeseen may have occurred at my birth, the demonic nature of Youdu entered my body.

" "My Lord, his face has gone calm again, and still you stare at his face and cannot see it!

" In the distance, the Black Tiger God burned with grievance.

"You say you come from Carefree Land — have you any token? " asked the Woodcutter Sage. Shen Mu hastily drew a jade pendant from around his neck.