Chapter 1255 — How to Have It Both Ways

Yet in the very next instant, Yin Jiuzun came charging into the Taixu Netherworld with the Reincarnation Bell, and the tolling of the bell came straight for Shen Mu.

Shen Mu unfolded his Divine Treasury domain, and was once more shaken into a single great eyeball; sprouting legs and feet, he took to his heels, fleeing out of the Netherworld into the land of Taixu, making for the breach in the city wall. Yin Jiuzun followed hard on his heels, flung the Reincarnation Bell out with a wave of his hand; the great bell spun, and with a clang it plugged the breach in the wall.

"Hahahaha—" Laughter came from the great eyeball as it rushed straight at the bell, and swiftly grew into the whole of Shen Mu; he spread his arms to embrace the Reincarnation Bell, but a shadow flickered, and Yin Jiuzun's headless body had already alighted upon the bell's loop, his robes streaming.

"Heavenly Lord Mu, you cannot escape.

. . " The voice within the bell had barely spoken these words when a hand white as jade suddenly pressed down, and with a smack flattened Yin Jiuzun upon the bell's loop into a puddle of muck.

The jade-white hand flicked the flesh and blood from the bell's loop, then lightly lifted the Reincarnation Bell up.

Shen Mu halted, let out a breath, straightened his robes, and said with a laugh, "Bai Yuqiong, White Heavenly Master, you have finally deigned to act. " The owner of that jade-white hand was none other than Bai Yuqiong; holding the Reincarnation Bell in one hand, she gave it a light shake, and the fragment of the Yin Son of Heaven's spirit within it was wiped out by her outright; the Reincarnation Bell turned into a little bell.

Bai Yuqiong put the Reincarnation Bell away, turned her gaze upon Shen Mu, and a trace of wariness showed on her face as she said softly, "What manner of demon, so bold as to dare hunt down Heavenly Lord Mu?

It is well that the Heavenly Lord is unharmed; otherwise Yuqiong's guilt would be beyond measure.

" Shen Mu laughed heartily and strode through the broken wall into the divine city, saying leisurely, "This land of Taixu is full of traitors and rebels. Perhaps some rebel faction learned that I, Heavenly Lord Mu, had come to aid the Heavenly Court in battle, and so lay in ambush to hunt me down.

But I wonder—I came to Taixu without stirring anyone, yet these rebels knew my position. . .

" A flicker of killing intent passed through his eyes. "Just who leaked the word? " Bai Yuqiong understood, and smiled. "Fortunately the Heavenly Lord is blessed by Heaven, and came to no harm.

" Shen Mu said with a half-smile, "Heaven's protection is not so certain.

In this land of Taixu, even the Lord of Heaven and the Lord of Earth cannot reach this place—so whence comes Heaven's protection?

" Bai Yuqiong knew there was more to his words. Bai Yuqiong had long since recognized Shen Mu and the Reincarnation Bell, and knew that the one controlling the bell was the Yin Son of Heaven; but the reason she had held back from acting was that in her heart she still hoped the Yin Son of Heaven would do away with Shen Mu.

She was the reincarnation of the Vermilion Bird, the Southern Emperor, yet she did not wish to become the Southern Emperor.

She believed that once she became the Vermilion Bird, the Southern Emperor, Bai Yuqiong would be dead. And Shen Mu knew her true identity, and had the means to revive the Southern Emperor's soul within her, awakening all her past lives; and then she would die, and the Southern Emperor would be reborn.

Though she felt some admiration for Shen Mu, and was deeply grateful for the help he had given her when she was still Que Feiyin, no amount of admiration or gratitude outweighed her own life.

So she meant to use the Yin Son of Heaven's hand to rid herself of Shen Mu, and then seize the Reincarnation Bell from the Yin Son of Heaven.

But plainly Shen Mu had seen through her scheme, and so had deliberately drawn the Yin Son of Heaven to attack the divine city and break down its wall. Had Shen Mu and Yin Jiuzun, with the Reincarnation Bell, charged into the city, the heavenly soldiers and generals within, and the armies of the Xiluo Sect, would surely have suffered grievous slaughter!

And it was for this very reason that Bai Yuqiong, as one of the Heavenly Court's four great Heavenly Masters and the commander of the Xiluo Sect, had no choice but to act and subdue the Reincarnation Bell. It was a very brief contest of wits; others knew nothing of it, but Shen Mu and Bai Yuqiong understood it perfectly well.

With wits like theirs, there was no need to spell things out; each knew the other's thoughts and deeds.

Bai Yuqiong invited him into the city, and smoothed the hair at her temples. The woman still favored plain white robes, very simple, very elegant. "Is Heavenly Lord Mu not afraid of death?

You have many enemies; some are not your enemies at all, but killing you would profit them greatly, and for the sake of profit they too will strike at you. " Shen Mu gazed blankly into the distance and said with melancholy, "For the sake of home and realm, one must brave danger.

I know too that this land of Taixu is a land of barbarians, and that those rebel factions all wish to be rid of me.

.

. " Bai Yuqiong shot him a glance and said coolly, "Before me, Heavenly Lord Mu need not be so guarded. I understand your heart, and I have seen all your deeds.

Why put on such airs? " Shen Mu laughed.

"Then I will speak plainly. " He wiped the smile from his face.

"In the Heavenly Court, who dares kill me?

" Bai Yuqiong looked at him with a half-smile.

"Had I not acted just now, could you have escaped the Yin Son of Heaven's grasp?

" "Had you not acted, your Xiluo Sect and every soldier in this city would be dead.

" Shen Mu's face was calm as water as he said unhurriedly, "In any case, you had to act. Que Feiyin, I can understand that you act for your own life, but I too need the Southern Emperor, and I hope you can understand that. I can be considerate of you; I hope you can be considerate of me.

" Bai Yuqiong raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Shen Mu sensed a thread of killing intent from her, and went on, "How can one have it both ways in this world? Yet it happens that I possess a Dao art and divine power that satisfies both, and can perfectly resolve the matter of you and the Southern Emperor. I have a cultivation method that can transform the black sand of souls into the three souls and seven spirits. You need only draw the divine soul out of your spirit and give it to me; I will transform that strand of divine soul into the Southern Emperor, and then, by art, make you a new divine soul. What say you?

" Bai Yuqiong fell silent.

What Shen Mu said did indeed move her somewhat, but a great part of her attainments lay in her primordial spirit, and the strongest of the souls within the primordial spirit was none other than the divine soul among the three souls. If the divine soul were drawn off, then even if a new divine soul were born, she feared she would never cultivate to her peak state.

And in her heart, she did not trust Shen Mu.

She always felt that Shen Mu would seize the chance to kill her, send her into reincarnation, and awaken the Southern Emperor's memories.

Shen Mu said with the utmost sincerity, "Que Feiyin, you are the Southern Emperor's reincarnation; it was because the Yin Son of Heaven plotted against you that you were reborn again and again.