Chapter 585 — Dubious Origins

" "Stop buttering me up!

" The Butcher's face was dark, and the hand gripping the saber did not move a hair's width—the great blade remained against Shen Mu's neck. "You are partial!

You don't care for me! You care for those three rascals, Mute Artisan, Lame Elder, and Blind Elder, but not for me!

I just bumped you because I saw them bumping you around so merrily, and now you want to kill me!

" "Junior Brother! " Bashan leaped down from the green ox and ran over in great delight, calling, "Junior Brother, you've angered the teacher, haven't you? The teacher has agreed to accept me back as a disciple and formally enroll me in the sect, but he set one condition: that I keep my voice down and talk less.

They said we'd go looking for you, and I said our clever and mischievous little junior brother would never run into trouble—and sure enough, no trouble at all! Teacher Heavenly Saber, why are you holding that saber to Junior Brother's neck?

Put it down!

We're all family.

Anything can be settled with a few words. . .

" The Butcher swung the blade, bringing it down on Grand Academician Bashan's shoulder.

Bashan stopped speaking at once, his face turning red as he held the words in. Shen Mu asked in astonishment, "Elder Brother Bashan, Grandpa Butcher was only playing dead; he never cast you out of the sect.

Why did you reapply as a disciple? " Bashan suddenly realized the truth, pushed the saber away, and his voice became twice as loud in a single breath.

"Old man, you tricked me!

" The Butcher's ears rang from the blast, and he glared at Shen Mu in fury. Shen Mu rubbed his buttocks; they were still burning and sore. Blind Elder, Mute Artisan, and Lame Elder had truly laid it on—his rear had nearly been reduced to bloody pulp. "I should have suspected long ago why those silly roe deer only came for me.

Grandpa Mute Artisan, Grandpa Blind, and Grandpa Lame are the worst of them; they've even led Grandpa Butcher astray.

. . " Blind Elder came over with the black dragon spear on his back, looked at Shen Mu, and split into a grin. Shen Mu kept a grim face and went to meet Granny Zhu. Blind Elder scratched his head and said angrily, "Pig butcher, you sold me out! " The Butcher, somewhat guiltily, scratched his head too. "What are you talking about? Old Blind Elder, don't slander an innocent man.

" Deaf Elder came over and said, "I heard everything. You sold out Blind Elder, and you sold out Mute Artisan and Lame Elder as well.

" "What could a deaf fellow like you hear? Not a damn thing!

" the Butcher laughed despite his anger. The great hammer in Mute Artisan's hand turned into sword pills that streamed away into a box.

Carrying the box, he walked over and declared with an air of great righteousness, "Ah-ba, ah-ba!

" "Well said!

" Lame Elder clapped his hands.

"The Butcher's mouth simply has no gate on it! " The Butcher rolled his eyes, took the saber off Grand Academician Bashan's neck, and said with a placating smile, "Bashan, I can't out-talk them. Come and argue your master's case!

" Bashan clenched both fists until they cracked, strode before the crowd, and cleared his throat. Just as he was about to speak, the Venerable God Sangye said, "Venerable seniors, do you come from the Heavenly Court? " "Seniors?

Heavenly Court? " Blind Elder looked up at the deity and chuckled.

"We come from the Waste Ruins, not the Heavenly Court. And may I ask, Senior, how old you are?

" The Venerable God Sangye smiled.

"The Waste Ruins is the original Kaihuang Heavenly Court. I am twenty thousand and eighty-four years old.

" Blind Elder tucked his head down and grunted, "I am five hundred and sixty-two.

.

. " Everyone suddenly felt themselves very young indeed, and found the notion quite refreshing. Shen Mu went over to Granny Zhu.

She had suspended Tianfeng Gou upright in midair with her magic and was using the arts of the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture in an attempt to draw out Tianfeng Gou's primordial spirit, intending to interrogate it. The Alchemist was beside her refining medicines, using a narcotic aimed at the soul to weaken Tianfeng Gou's resistance. The Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture contained many extremely bizarre methods.

They looked like the demonic path, yet could also be understood from the perspective of the righteous path—an area in which Shen Mu, too, had done his research.

Not far away, the Venerable God Sangye watched them. When he saw Granny Zhu's technique, hesitancy stirred in his heart, and he thought, "These fellow cultivators from the Heavenly Court all seem of somewhat dubious origin—they are even this skilled in demonic arts.

. .

Hmm, Sect Master Shen seems rather dubious himself as well.

.

. "