Chapter 1562 — The Fourth Young Master in the Immortal Palace

Shen Mu's heart gave a jolt — the zither music of the Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace!

The Golden Ship of Salvation plunged into the mist. The chaos mist confounded all sense of direction, yet it could not confound him: he had only to observe, in the long river of chaos below, the course of the Tenth Universe's destruction, and he would find the far shore.

The Golden Ship of Salvation raced on. Shen Mu pressed a hand to his sword hilt, his eyes flickering.

Suddenly the mist ahead parted, and a Dao tree appeared before him, hung with several dao fruits. Shen Mu counted them: seven.

Beneath the Dao tree sat the Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace, still in his imperial regalia, a zither score cradled in one hand while the other tried to play, though he could never quite bring forth the melody written upon the score.

The Golden Ship of Salvation seemed to sink into deep mire, slower and slower, and when it drew alongside the Dao tree it could advance no further.

Shen Mu draped himself over the ship's rail, his right leg planted firm, his left crossed behind it on tiptoe; he swung his legs lightly, wholly at ease.

The Fourth Young Master laid down the score, his brows knit tight; he tried to adjust the strings, then plucked again, but the notes came out even more off-key than before, harsh upon the ear.

"I fear this melody cannot be played. I have tried any number of methods, and never once succeeded."

The Fourth Young Master sighed and went on trying, saying, "Young Master Mu, you have seen the Master of the Miluo Palace? Is he well?"

"Very well indeed."

Shen Mu smiled. "We talked a while, and I borrowed a ship from him as well, and so hurried back."

The Fourth Young Master nodded, tuned a string, and said, "I was one of those who followed him fairly early. That the Jade Capital City could be forged at all owes something to my merit. In those days I was won over by his foresight and his insight, and set my heart on assisting him to build a divine city that could shelter all living things. He always had about him a compassion for heaven and a pity for men, and it spurred me on without cease. Until the divine city was wholly built — and then, all at once, he lost his courage."

He raised his head, his eyes settling upon Shen Mu aboard the ship. "When the tribulation of destruction came to the Sixteenth Universe, he wearied of it, grew listless, and told us that his ideal might never succeed. He did not try to bring us into the Seventeenth Universe; instead he sent us each back to the universe of our birth, and he himself returned to the first universe."

The Fourth Young Master laughed softly. "He was the leader; his word was naturally mine to obey, and so I came back here. But I was not reconciled."

He looked at the zither score, tenderness rising in his eyes, and said quietly, "This score was left by my beloved wife, and in all this world the only one who could play the melody upon it was she. When our universe was destroyed, I had no power to save her; I watched her perish in the Great Tribulation of Destruction, everything reduced to ash, nothing left behind. The only thing I could save was this score. After I returned here, the tribulation of destruction could no longer harm me in the least, and still I could not save her."

Shen Mu listened in silence.

"I dwell in the long river of chaos, trying to save her, and failing again and again. I try to play her melody, and fail again and again."

He shook his head. "You have never heard such a wondrous tune. Once heard, you would never forget it in all your life. Perhaps, looking across universe after universe, the only one who could play this melody was she alone. I came here only to hear her play it once more — and even that slender wish is denied me. Therefore..."

Shen Mu raised an eyebrow. "Therefore?"

The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace smiled. "Therefore I will go to the future. In the future I shall grow stronger, until I am strong enough to surpass the Great Tribulation of Destruction, to surpass the Master of the Miluo Palace; and then I can return to this moment and save my wife."

His eyes brimmed with tenderness. "I have no great ambitions. I have lived seven cosmic years, I have stood at the summit of power in seven universes; every power in this world I have tasted, every worship in this world I have tasted too. I have but one aim: to return here, and hear her mend the strings and play one more melody for me. That tune, once tasted, is never forgotten."

His gaze fell upon Shen Mu once more, and he said blandly, "To achieve my aim, I must enter the Seventeenth Universe; I must stop at nothing. Whoever blocks my way, I kill. Young Master Mu, do you understand?"

Shen Mu nodded lightly. "I understand."

The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace smiled. "The Master of the Miluo Palace is dead, is he not?"

Shen Mu was astonished beyond measure, and said doubtfully, "Why does the Fourth Young Master say such a thing? He is perfectly well, only somewhat dispirited. Go there and see him yourself. Why curse him as dead?"

The Fourth Young Master's eyes had never left his face, as though to see whether he lied.

Shen Mu did not look like a man feigning.

After a long while, the Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace laughed. "I worried overmuch. I feared that, being of such tender feeling and such saintly nature, he might lose all drive and his heart might die within him. To hear that he is safe and sound sets my mind at ease."

Shen Mu asked, "Then — have you seen Tai Yi?"

The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace arched an eyebrow.

Shen Mu said, "I have been searching for his whereabouts all along. If the Fourth Young Master has seen him, you might give me a hint or two."

The Fourth Young Master lowered his eyes, studied the score, and adjusted the notes.

Shen Mu asked again. The Fourth Young Master did not even raise his head. "He and I have a grudge. You keep asking me of him — do you mean to enrage me and seek your death?"

Shen Mu laughed. "You are worthy of one who has been an emperor — capricious in your joy and your wrath. A moment ago we spoke so pleasantly, and now you fly into a rage and would kill."

The Fourth Young Master said calmly, "You use him to provoke me, to wear away my dao heart — do you think I do not know it? But how much, after all, do you know of Tai Yi?"

Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.

"What is his name? What great dao does he cultivate? How many dao fruits hang upon his Dao tree? How many lives has he lived? What did he do in former days? Were his deeds of old good or evil? Do you know?"

The Fourth Young Master's zither notes were dull and muted as he said faintly, "You know nothing. Young Master Mu, you may go."

Shen Mu was silent. At his words, he suddenly realized that he truly knew nothing at all about Tai Yi.

The Golden Ship of Salvation sailed on. Shen Mu turned back to look at the emperor beneath the tree, tuning his zither, and called loudly, "You lend your support to Hao Tianzun, but Hao Tianzun is fated to be defeated by my hand! You may support me instead — I have a greater future than he!"

The Fourth Young Master plucked a string, and the Golden Ship of Salvation shook violently. "Young Master Mu, Hao Tianzun can help me come ashore and reach the future world; you would only stir the waters. Go. For the sake of the Master of the Miluo Palace, I will not make trouble for you this time."

Shen Mu steadied his footing and laughed. "As a fellow young master of the Miluo Palace, I look forward to a game of chess with you one day! My contention with Hao Tianzun may count as our first crossing of swords in the future world, no?"

"You are not yet qualified." The Fourth Young Master's voice came to him, and the heavy chaos mist veiled him and he vanished from Shen Mu's sight.

Shen Mu laughed softly. The Golden Ship of Salvation gave a gentle lurch and came to the shore.