Chapter 608 — The Old Woman's Little Shoes

If you must rouse a technique, you must first press the golden willow leaf to your brow. " "Rest easy, Granny.

I understand! " Shen Mu strode to the steps and climbed them one by one, and before long he stood upon the altar. There the Vajra and the Woodcutter Sage each sat enthroned on high; below the Vajra sat several young people, Zhe Huali among them — and even that Young Master Qi from the Heavenly Court, Qi Jiuyi, was there! Qi Jiuyi, however, had a seat of his own — clearly his station entitled him to sit.

Shen Mu went forward and made obeisance to the Woodcutter Sage, then saluted the Vajra. The Vajra sat unmoving and gave a slight nod in return. Shen Mu saluted Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali as well; each returned the courtesy, showing not the least slight despite Shen Mu being their adversary.

Shen Mu took his place below the Woodcutter Sage.

The Vajra watched him with curiosity — Shen Mu's eyes were bound with a white silk scarf, yet a vertical eye stood open at his brow, and by it he could see. The Vajra smiled. "Young friend Shen, that eye at your brow is a curious thing. " The pupil of the eye at Shen Mu's brow lowered, refusing to look at him.

The Vajra laughed aloud.

"You dare not look at me — are you afraid of me, then? You are still young; a newborn calf fears no tiger.

If you come to dread me, I fear for your future cultivation and your Dao-heart! Come, lift your head and look at me.

" Shen Mu turned a deaf ear. Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali were also studying Shen Mu, much perplexed as to why he had bound his own eyes, and deeply curious about the third eye at his brow. The Woodcutter Sage looked at Shen Mu, who stood with head bowed, somewhat downcast, and smiled.

"Shen Mu, you came seeking me — to what end?

And why have you bound your eyes? Oh, I know. You looked the Vajra in the eye again, didn't you?

" Shen Mu nodded, thoroughly ashamed.

"Your disciple and several elders of my household laid a false array in Taihuang Heaven and held off Senior Vajra's army of several million demon gods — and so the Vajra did me harm again. Our eyes met, and he planted a divine art in my eyes: if I look in a mirror, he will carry me off.

I do not know how to break such an art, and so I came to seek you, Master. " The Woodcutter Sage smiled. "The Vajra is your senior; he is only teasing you.

He is right here — if he wanted to carry you off, why bother with such petty tricks? Untie your scarf and see how he means to take you. " Shen Mu untied the scarf and bared his eyes. The Woodcutter Sage smiled. "Hold up a mirror and see whether he can carry you off.

" Shen Mu took out a mirror and looked into it. At once the Vajra's figure surfaced in the glass again, growing larger and larger, walking out toward the mirror's edge. Shen Mu's hands trembled; he could not hold the mirror.

The Vajra in the glass was in truth the Vajra in his own eyes, and like a nightmare it was about to swallow him whole!

Suddenly the Woodcutter Sage raised his woodcutting axe and brought it down on the mirror in Shen Mu's hand!

Across from them, the Vajra gave a muffled grunt, and a line of blood suddenly opened at his brow! Shen Mu felt as though a great weight had lifted; the pressure vanished all at once, and he felt light from head to foot.

The Woodcutter Sage drew back his axe and smiled. "Did I not say the Vajra was only teasing you?

He is your senior — how could he strike at you?

Would he not fear that I might lose my temper and cut down his disciple?

" From the brow of the Vajra's front face a line of blood ran down, parting at the bridge of his nose and sliding away on either side; all three of his faces showed wrath.

"Old friend, you should know that if you keep holding Luofu Heaven, you may perhaps not die — but your twenty-four comrades will not escape death! " He turned one of his faces and said gravely, "It is not my demon race that seeks to destroy you. There is another who truly wishes you dead.

With your wisdom you should know what lies behind this — why send them to their deaths? "