Chapter 380 — The Inheritor

Before long, several great masters carried up the divine corpse. Divine might rolled off it in waves, though it was only a fragment, shattered and broken, impossible to piece together whole.

The god's head, however, was still intact—its features could yet be seen.

"It is the god I encountered, the one who claimed to come from the heavens above."

State Preceptor Xuankang glanced at it and said, "His power was exceedingly high. When I crossed blades with him, it was only by trading my life for his that I forced him back—and he crippled me."

The result of that battle had left State Preceptor Xuankang utterly ruined, his spirit broken, resolved to live out his days as a recluse beside the Lake of Blood with his lady wife. Had Shen Mu not sought him out, State Preceptor Xuankang would likely have vanished from the mortal world forever.

Shen Mu studied the head and was slightly taken aback—it struck him with a sense of familiarity.

The head seemed carved from fine jade; though the god was dead, not a single flaw could be found upon it.

He appeared very young; no age could be discerned. But gods share the lifespan of heaven and earth, and their true years are hard to read from appearances.

"This god's head bears some resemblance to..."

Shen Mu's expression turned strange—this god resembled Xu Shenghua!

Not in features, but in that Xu Shenghua too was a perfect being, as though carved from flawless jade, exquisitely refined.

This head was likewise too refined to be human—it looked like a jade carving!

"Could this god, blasted to death, be the very master Xu Shenghua once spoke of—Lord Yu?"

Shen Mu's eyes widened. Xu Shenghua's master, Lord Yu, had most likely been killed by a single shot from Emperor Yanfeng's cannon!

"Lord Yu was the one who brought calamity upon Yankang—his death is well deserved. I only wonder how Xu Shenghua will react when he learns of it."

Shen Mu thought it over and said nothing. He did not intend to spread the matter. If Emperor Yanfeng learned that Lord Yu was Xu Shenghua's master, he would certainly kill Xu Shenghua to eliminate future trouble.

Emperors had never cared for the rules of the martial world.

Shen Mu greatly admired Xu Shenghua and did not wish to see him die.

Emperor Yanfeng smiled and said, "My dear Minister Qin, in forging the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon you have toiled mightily, and I have not yet rewarded you. This god's head shall be your reward."

"I must decline!"

Emperor Yanfeng's expression shifted slightly. He gave a cold snort, feeling he had lost face. Shen Mu hastily smiled and said, "In this battle to slay the god, your humble servant has earned not the slightest merit—how dare I take the greatest share? Your Majesty fired the cannon this time, and it must have consumed no small amount of materials. Best that this spoil be entered into the national treasury."

These words were far more pleasing to the ear, giving the emperor ample face before his assembled ministers.

Emperor Yanfeng was greatly delighted and laughed, saying, "My minister understands the greater interest. I shall not force you then—your merit in building the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon, I shall count as a donation to the treasury."

Shen Mu's face immediately darkened.

Emperor Yanfeng laughed heartily, then recalled the materials the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon had consumed and could not help but ache with stinginess. Firing the cannon was satisfying, but the consumption was terrifyingly vast.

In this war between gods and demons, Emperor Yanfeng had led the court's masters, piloting the cannon platform from the capital all the way here. The entire journey, the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon had to be kept in flight—consuming far more materials than a single shot!

Though State Preceptor Xuankang and Ling Yushu had brought back vast treasures from the Mandi Kingdom and the Langjuxu Kingdom, the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon was a bottomless pit that could never be filled, a gold-devouring beast that could never be sated. Play with it a while longer, and it would bankrupt the nation.

"This is the first god our Yankang has slain!"

Emperor Yanfeng raised his head to the sky and sneered, "In the future there may well be a second, a third! My subjects are not fish flesh to be carved at will, nor am I a coward to be kneaded however these gods please! The army returns to court!"

The Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon slowly rotated. Shen Mu hesitated, then said, "Your Majesty, your humble servant has a few small matters and must remain here a while longer..."

Emperor Yanfeng looked at him and said, "My minister, could it be that you know the experts who fought those gods? You wish to stay and meet them?"

Shen Mu nodded and said, "They are several elders of my household."

Emperor Yanfeng smiled ambiguously and said, "Your household has quite a few elders. Might you introduce them to me? The nation is in dire need of talent—these peerless experts, I would very much like to meet."

Shen Mu hastily pointed at Wang Muran and said, "Several more should be elders of their household. My family's elders do not much care to meet outsiders. Your Majesty had best ask about their family's elders instead."

Wang Muran shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, our family's elders also do not care to meet outsiders."

Emperor Yanfeng's face turned ashen.

State Preceptor Xuankang coughed, stood at his side, and leaned in as though nothing were amiss, whispering into Emperor Yanfeng's ear, "The elders of both their houses are truly extraordinary. On one side are the Old Man Emperor, the Heavenly Blade, and other mysterious masters hidden away in the Desolate Ruins; on the other is Little Yujing. Your Majesty will not be able to recruit them."

Emperor Yanfeng was startled, and awe filled his heart. Little Yujing he knew of—though reclusive and withdrawn from the world, its standing surpassed even the Three Great Holy Lands, and within it dwelt ancient immortals of unfathomable mystery. And the State Preceptor ranked Shen Mu's household even above Little Yujing—could it be a holy land hidden in the Desolate Ruins?

"State Preceptor, since there is an Old Man Emperor, then this generation's Human Emperor..."

State Preceptor Xuankang shook his head and said, "The near pavilion catches the first moonlight. This generation's Human Emperor cannot be Your Majesty."

Emperor Yanfeng was shaken inwardly. He looked at Shen Mu, his mind growing somewhat muddled.

Shen Mu took his leave once more. Emperor Yanfeng hesitated, and State Preceptor Xuankang, knowing the thoughts of a sovereign, understood that he had clearly grown wary of Shen Mu, this new Human Emperor.

"Your Majesty?" State Preceptor Xuankang coughed.

Emperor Yanfeng came to himself, waved his hand, and said, "My dear Minister Qin had best attend to his own affairs. You may withdraw."

Shen Mu leaped down from the cannon platform, and Wang Muran and the others hastily followed.

Emperor Yanfeng watched their departing figures. State Preceptor Xuankang stood silently behind him, then suddenly said, "Your Majesty has felt the urge to kill?"

"For a moment."

Emperor Yanfeng concealed nothing from him, admitting it readily, and said, "He is the Hierarch of the Youmo Cult—a man I have always been wary of. Though the Youmo Cult bears the word 'demon,' it is the foremost sect, nominally a martial faction but in truth a nation—a nation within my Yankang. Employing him, I have never been able to rest easy. And now that he has become this generation's Human Emperor, I am all the more uneasy."

He sighed deeply and said, "The Hierarch of the Youmo Cult is so outstanding, so preeminent—such a man is hard to control. My sons and daughters cannot match him. When my lifespan is exhausted—heh heh—this Yankang will likely fall into his pocket. So yes, I did entertain the thought of killing him for a moment."

He stood there, watching Shen Mu and the others recede, his expression calm, and said, "But not anymore."