Chapter 1445 — The People's Heart as Blade

Shen Mu walked out of the Sparrow-Grasping Terrace and looked back. Wei Yong stood dumbly on the terrace, staring at that iron shard.

Zaifu strode over and walked shoulder to shoulder with him, praising, "Your cultivation in the Dao realm is too high; it makes your blade skill seem greater than it is. You can make even a shard of iron display the might of a divine weapon. " Shen Mu stared blankly, then shook his head.

This was nothing to boast about.

Compared with these ordinary divine-ability users, he surpassed them far too much in vision, insight, Dao heart, and foundation. Even given a small wooden stick, he could sever a divine weapon. Zaifu laughed. "Your enlightenment this time, comprehending the Blade of Law, was plainly meant to cut down my prestige, to say that I merely flaunt a common man's courage.

But I walk with my blade, joyous in the martial world, free of all your rules and restrictions. Your Blade of Law is not necessarily better than my blade Dao. " Shen Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Grandpa Tu must have known about Wei Qinghe long ago. Why not remove him with a common man's blade, instead of leaving him for me to deal with personally? " "If I did it, it would always be a common man's courage; if you do it, it represents the wind of Jingping.

" Zaifu smiled freely. "These years you were in the Heavenly Court and I was in Jingping. I have seen too many things like this and killed quite a few in a common man's courage, but what does it avail?

A common man's blade cannot solve these matters. Jingping is so vast; a common man's strength cannot investigate the right and wrong, black and white of all Jingping.

The Heavenly Venerate Mu is needed to establish the law. I have been waiting for you to return. " "In this world, there are always places the Blade of Law of Jingping cannot reach; perhaps a common man's wrath, blood splattering five paces, is still needed. " Shen Mu thought for a moment. "The court needs to display the Blade of Law, to rectify officialdom. But no matter how it is rectified, there will still be people like Wei Qinghe. Grandpa Tu, you are right.

I am too close to heaven and too far from earth; it is time for self-reflection. All my abilities originally arose from the mundane world. Only after reaching the Heavenly Court did I begin to study the innate Dao, attempting to catch up with the Ten Heavenly Venerates in a short time and give Jingping a chance to breathe and develop.

These years, I have forgotten where my abilities came from. " The Dao of the sage lies in the daily use of the common people. He had always thought he was still on this path; suddenly looking back, he found he had strayed. But returning now was not too late. "If the original heart is unchanged, you are still a good youth. " Zaifu patted his shoulder and led him to a blacksmith's shop in the new city. This was a place for forging farm tools, not for forging primordial weapons. Hoes, iron plows, kitchen knives, and such hung in the shop. "Forge a good blade.

" Zaifu sat down and said to the blacksmith, "I want a crucible-steel blade. Two catties of iron, for this youngster. " He pointed at Shen Mu, who also sat on the long bench.

The blacksmith brought coarse tea and said, "No crucible steel, but coarse iron we have.

" "No crucible steel is even better. This youngster can shatter a divine weapon with a shard of iron. Bring two catties of coarse iron, not a tael more, lest he cut people too smoothly. Let this youngster forge it himself.

" Zaifu drank the tea.

The coarse tea was bland, yet he drank it with relish, saying, "You work the bellows for him and assist. " The blacksmith looked at Shen Mu doubtfully.

Seeing his extraordinary clothes, he laughed. "This is a noble young master; how could he do such coarse work?

" Shen Mu drank tea and smiled. "I was a blacksmith once too. Why does your shop still have these farm tools?

Aren't there daily-use primordial weapons? " "After eating abalone and mountain delicacies all year round, one still needs some coarse tea and plain rice.

" The blacksmith laughed. "Besides, the common people are not very rich. In recent years grain prices have been too low.

Hiring divine-ability users to help with the harvest, or hiring daily-use primordial weapons to harvest, costs too much. Not everyone can afford it. These years, those divine-ability users have money; what money do ordinary folk have in their hands?

Using these farm tools to do the work saves some expense.

" Shen Mu drank his tea in silence. He took a long time over one bowl of tea and still did not finish it. Suddenly he tipped his head back and drained it. Putting down the large bowl, he rose. "Come, you work the bellows, I will forge. " The blacksmith selected several pieces of coarse iron and assisted him.

Shen Mu wielded the hammer and forged.

Watching his technique, the blacksmith could not help praising, "A true master smith! If you opened a shop, this old man's business would be crushed by you!

" Shen Mu finished forging a coarse iron blade.

The two catties of coarse iron had been forged by him until it seemed cast of dark iron, gleaming with cold light, the chill striking the senses. Zaifu paid and said, "Keep the change. Shen'er, let us go.

Now that the original heart is found, your blade needs the next stage of training. " But Shen Mu did not follow him.

"I still have some matters that urgently need handling. " Zaifu's heart stirred slightly.

He stopped and looked up at the sky.

The blacksmith, seeing the two spend so freely, was delighted.

He suddenly raised his head, and abruptly saw that stars had appeared in the sky. It was broad daylight, yet there was starlight, and the starlight was dazzling.

Truly absurd! Those points of starlight were moving.

Around one great star, a hundred or so small stars revolved. As the starlight drew nearer, those stars became clearer and more visible. Whoosh.

Streams of starlight descended from the sky, falling upon this new city of Jiangling.

They were none other than the civil official cohort of the Jingping court, the Ministry of Personnel officials responsible for officialdom. "Ministry of Personnel officials, pay respects to the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping! " The hundred or so officials, surrounding the Minister of Personnel, bowed in unison, speaking as one.

"No need for excessive courtesy. " Shen Mu raised his hand and released the seal on his cultivation.

To the blacksmith, who was staring dumbfounded, he said, "Lend me your shop for a while; you will be repaid.

" The blacksmith hurriedly retreated to the inner room. Shen Mu took out divine gold and divine materials from the Ancestral Court and smelted and forged them in public. The Minister of Personnel and the various gods of the Ministry of Personnel looked up and saw lines of legal text floating in the air, spreading from this small blacksmith's shop to the entire new city of Jiangling.

The legal text was accompanied by a grand Dao sound, rumbling and shaking ceaselessly, as if an impartial judge were reciting stanza after stanza of the iron laws of Jingping! In the new city of Jiangling, countless commoners walked out into the streets, listening to the sound of the laws being recited, unwittingly entranced. Wei Yong and the several gods of Jiangling had not left either. They watched the legal text descending from the sky, staring blankly. Along with Shen Mu's forging, amid the recitation, those legal texts were hammered and forged by him into a divine blade, becoming iron law, becoming the might of the divine blade. After a long while, Shen Mu dispersed the divine fire, threw down the hammer, and held a Blade of Law in his hands. His voice resounded through the whole city as he said solemnly, "Officials of the Ministry of Personnel, come forward and receive the blade.

" The various officials of the Ministry of Personnel came forward. The Minister of Personnel bowed and raised both hands high.