Chapter 621 — Deep Hatred Hard to Dissolve

The Way of the Sage.

There are always those who hold to ideals and convictions that their peers and even their age cannot share; those who carry a passion and a will no one of their generation possesses, who speak words their peers cannot speak, who do deeds their peers cannot do.

To the eyes of their peers, their contemporaries, or those who come after, such people may look a little foolish, devoting a lifetime, devoting life itself, to a conviction that seems impossible.

And yet it is precisely these people, with their unshakable convictions and seemingly laughable ideals, who drive history forward, who drive the ages forward.

When the Imperial Teacher of Jingping bowed upon the altar to take a master, the Woodcutter Sage reached out with both hands, cupped him beneath the elbows, and raised him up, saying with a smile, "Perhaps one day your achievements will surpass mine, greater and higher still. When you look back then upon the me of today, you will be my teacher."

Shen Mu climbed onto the altar and saw the Imperial Teacher of Jingping standing beside the Woodcutter Sage, observing the rites of a disciple. He smiled and said, "Master, junior brother, I have come a step late."

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping was startled, then his face broke into a smile. "Second senior brother."

Shen Mu's expression darkened at once. "Heavenly King, just call me Sect Master Shen. 'Second senior brother' sounds rather awkward."

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping laughed heartily.

Shen Mu was taken aback, then he too broke into a smile.

He had not known the Imperial Teacher of Jingping for very long. He had first laid eyes on him only after entering the Taixue Academy, and only later had the two of them spoken.

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping of old had been a man who never smiled, a man of firm conviction and an unwavering Dao heart, who to achieve his ends would stop at nothing and use any means. His thoughts ran deep as the sea; his face was like an ancient well that knows no waves, upon which no ripple of emotion ever surfaced.

He was like a flawless god, devoid of human warmth, devoid of human breath.

But after so long in his company, Shen Mu had gradually come to discover the human warmth and breath in the Imperial Teacher of Jingping. Silently, imperceptibly, the man was transforming, from god to human.

And with this one hearty laugh, Shen Mu felt that his Dao heart had suddenly crossed into another realm, a realm he himself could not comprehend, neither god nor human, and yet both.

He stood within the seven emotions and six desires of man, and yet beyond them; within the absolute reason of the gods, and yet beyond that as well.

Such a man Shen Mu could no longer read.

"The Imperial Teacher of Jingping's natural gifts and comprehension truly surpass mine. In the mere moments since he met Master Woodcutter, his state of mind has risen to a terrifying new height. No wonder he is a sage of the kind that appears once in five hundred years."

Shen Mu consoled himself inwardly, "But fortunately, I have the Overlord Body. So long as I work hard enough, I can awaken all of its latent power, and still surpass him!"

The Woodcutter Sage said, "Shen Mu, you may return to Taihuang Heaven. I wish to speak with your junior brother at length."

Shen Mu hesitated, then said, "What of the Tiger Venerable and Granny? Have their battles with the Jade Rakshasa and Mutuluo reached any conclusion?"

The Woodcutter Sage said, "Mutuluo put on that woman's clothes, and so the Black Tiger struck him dead. The Jade Rakshasa was rescued by Furiluo. Both the woman and the Black Tiger have returned to Taihuang Heaven."

"Just as I thought." Shen Mu broke into a smile.

The Woodcutter Sage opened a passage to Taihuang Heaven for him. Shen Mu dawdled, unwilling to step through. "Master, I will listen right here at the side and not say a word. As his senior brother, if there is something junior brother does not understand, I can offer him a little guidance. Wouldn't you say so? Mas—"

The Woodcutter Sage seized him by the collar and stuffed him into the passage. Shen Mu tried to scramble back out to hear the lecture, but the passage had already sealed shut.

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping said with a smile, "Master, why not let Senior Brother Shen listen?"

"He is not suited to it."

The Woodcutter Sage said, "His temperament is, in truth, unsuited to our path. What sort of man do you take this second senior brother of yours to be?"

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping pondered a moment, then said, "Playful. Flighty. Unable to sit still. The moment his blood runs hot he charges forward, and yet he is also cunning, subtle of mind, exceedingly clever. He can conceive what others cannot, and he often has ideas that astonish even me. He is generous, too, and takes things lightly. And he is confident, almost madly so. In his heart he always believes himself the finest under heaven, though his mouth always claims he is only second. But if we speak of confidence, he truly deserves to be called first under heaven."

"A cut to the very bone."

The Woodcutter Sage clapped his hands in praise. "You see him quite thoroughly. I concur. As a sage, he is ill-suited."

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping nodded. "Second senior brother is indeed unsuited. And what of eldest senior brother?"

"Your eldest senior brother is another sort of man."

The Woodcutter Sage said, "He is a man of great perseverance, steady and composed. Once he fixes upon a goal, he will pursue it alone, and no one can pull him back. And for that very reason, his understanding of the Way of the Sage has gone somewhat astray. Upon the Way of the Sage, neither of your two senior brothers is your equal. You shall cultivate with me for a few years, and I will pass on to you all that I have learned and awakened to in my life."

He went on, unhurried, "My will is sunk in gloom. I cannot step past the threshold in my heart. I am forever falling back into memories of the Kaihuang era, and there is a knot in me concerning Kaihuang that I cannot untie. You are different. You have no such threshold. Once you have learned all that I have learned and awakened to, you will step straight over it. And then, you will be a true sage!"

His eyes shone bright as he smiled. "In the years to come, devote yourself wholly to contemplation. Think not of Taihuang Heaven, nor of Jingping; take no part in either. Concentrate only on crossing the threshold that I cannot cross."

The Imperial Teacher of Jingping assented.

The two sat facing one another upon the altar.

Taihuang Heaven. The demon race's Gu City.

Gu City had once been one of the sixty-four divine cities of Taihuang Heaven. After it fell into the hands of the demon race, it was remade on a grand scale. Countless demons lived here, fashioning all manner of demon-god statues and demon palaces.

This place lay in the heartland of demon territory, one of the earlier regions to fall to the demon race. Thus the demons were many, and the power of the human race could scarcely reach here.

Yet the demons here lived in peace and contentment. Demon gods kept watch over the city, and countless humans had been captured and enslaved, made to serve the demons. Thus the city was affluent.

When Chixi was teleported here, Gu City was in the midst of the demons' traditional Beast-Offering Festival. Countless young and able-bodied demons filled the streets, bearing beasts on their shoulders, beating gongs and drums, dancing uncanny dances to strange melodies full of exotic flavor. Demon women with four faces, four arms, and four breasts danced upon flower-decked floats, their postures sinuous and winding, drawing wave after wave of cheers.

The offering of beasts required a procession through the city.