Chapter 1626 — Crowned as King

Shen Mu gave a muffled grunt, but said nothing in argument.

He and Shen Fengqing had once been one and the same person; only, Shen Fengqing had been born first, the consciousness begotten of Youdu's demonic nature, evil from birth, the most infamous Demon King in all of Youdu, a name that struck terror into the hearts of countless Youdu demon gods. He, by contrast, was the second consciousness, born in that same body after Shen Fengqing had been sealed away by the Earth Lord.

For as long as anyone could remember, everyone knew that Shen Fengqing was the very incarnation of Youdu's demonic qi, demonic dao, and demonic nature, gathering within himself all the negative emotions of every being who had died since life first came to be; savage and ferocious by nature, capable of any evil.

The Heaven Lord had once thought so, and the Earth Lord too. Shen Mu had thought so as well. The Heaven Lord and the Earth Lord had even meant to help Shen Mu refine Shen Fengqing away, to make of him the true divine son of Youdu.

It was only later that the Heaven Lord and the Earth Lord discovered that Shen Fengqing's wickedness and savagery were mere instinct; at the bottom of his heart he was still as pure as an infant, unstained by any impurity.

They, by contrast, the second personality they had favored — Shen Mu — proved to be the truly dangerous one: evil, cunning, treacherous, vicious, and with almost no self-restraint at all!

Once Shen Mu gained mastery over the demonic qi, the demonic dao, and the demonic nature within that body, he was nothing like Shen Fengqing, who could still keep his innocence; instead he grew more dangerous, more ungovernable, a peril many times greater than Shen Fengqing. And at that time there were many contenders for Shen Fengqing's rank as Youdu's divine son — whether the Four Marquises of Youdu, or the Yin Son of Heaven, or the gods and demons of the Heavenly Court — and in the face of Youdu's demonic nature, every one of them proved more abject than Shen Mu.

The struggle over the Youdu divine son had in truth ended long ago; from the moment the Heaven Lord and the Earth Lord saw through it all, they no longer thought of helping Shen Mu refine Shen Fengqing, but began, now deliberately, now by seeming chance, to steer Shen Mu toward discovering the goodness in Shen Fengqing. The Earth Lord and Shen Mu, too, tried by imperceptible degrees to guide Shen Fengqing toward order, to make him understand rules.

"Brother, you didn't sense the power of the Book of Life and Death? " Shen Mu asked. "What did you see in the Book of Life and Death?

" "This is the Book of Life and Death? " Shen Fengqing turned it over and over several times and said, "All I see is that it is linked to the countless living beings of the world, to their lifespans; I feel the joy and anger, sorrow and delight that rise from their souls, and the changes in their bodies. And these delicious gods and demon gods.

. . " Shen Mu coaxed him along: "Don't you want to control them, to eat them?

" The You Heavenly Venerable was chilled to the bone.

Shen Fengqing scratched his head.

"Why would I do that?

They need only sign the Little Earth Lord's Pact with me, and then, once they do wrong themselves, I can eat them.

Eating too many at once is no good. . . " Seeing that he would not take the bait, Shen Mu pressed on with temptation: "With the Book of Life and Death in your grasp, you would hold the life and death of all these beings.

Whoever you want to die, dies; whenever you want them to die, they die; however you want them to die, they die; and as many as you want to die, die.

.

. " The You Heavenly Venerable hastily jabbed him in the ribs and whispered, "Mu Heavenly Venerable, are you guiding him to master the Book of Life and Death, or luring him to fall as you have?

" Shen Mu came to his senses and hastily shut his mouth. Shen Fengqing turned the Book of Life and Death over and over once more, then tossed it aside and shook his head. "Those foolish little things will get themselves killed soon enough, dying in every manner of outlandish way, just like my bad little brother. Why would I need this thing?

This isn't the Earth Lord's wiping cloth — it's the Earth Lord's foot-washing rag. Stinks, and hard as stone.

" This time even Ling Heavenly Venerable was astonished, and he said abruptly, "The Little Earth Lord truly is the finest choice to command the Book of Life and Death.

" Shen Mu and the You Heavenly Venerable nodded again and again. Shen Fengqing was himself Youdu's demonic nature; the Book of Life and Death could neither control nor tempt him, and yet he could draw out its power to the full — and at the same time his heart was incomparably pure, surpassing Shen Mu by countless times over, and surpassing the You Heavenly Venerable by much. The You Heavenly Venerable let out a breath of turbid air, picked up the Book of Life and Death, and solemnly placed it in Shen Fengqing's hands. Bowing, he said, "We beg the Earth Lord to take his seat!

" His heart surged and swelled: this day would be carved into the annals of history, the day the old Earth Lord and the new exchanged places, and he could not help but look grave and reverent.

Shen Fengqing thrust the Book of Life and Death back at him, his face somewhat alarmed. "Little brother, I thought you brought me here for something important. If there's nothing, I'm going back! " With that he hurried toward the way out.

The You Heavenly Venerable caught hold of him in a fluster. "You cannot go!

Today is the day you are crowned Earth Lord. Only you can suppress the demonic nature of the Book of Life and Death.

If you leave, where am I to find another Earth Lord? " Shen Fengqing struggled free with all his strength and bolted for the door, straight for the little paper boat.

The You Heavenly Venerable gave chase, and saw Shen Fengqing desperately shrinking his body, trying to squeeze himself into the paper boat. The You Heavenly Venerable stepped up, lifted the Book of Life and Death, and bowed. "We beg the Earth Lord to take his seat!

" "I don't want it—" Shen Fengqing knocked the Book of Life and Death flying with a wave of his hand and looked in terror at Shen Mu.

"Little brother, come quickly, take me home!

I don't know the way!

I don't want this Book of Life and Death, take it away—" He had shrunk his body down, but he was still many times larger than the paper boat; he stood absurdly upon the little craft, yet had no idea how to drive it.

Shen Mu did not step forward to help him. The Book of Life and Death flew back, and the You Heavenly Venerable still held it up.

Shen Fengqing watched him come, terror in his eyes, and with a great cry leapt down from the boat and fled. The You Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit flew out, vast and boundless, and with a lift of his hand drove him back.

The You Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit was the foremost of the age, vast as another Earth Lord; he was called the finest primordial spirit in the world.

Though Shen Fengqing's strength was exceedingly high, he was still far inferior to him. Shen Fengqing fled this way and that, but could never escape; the terror on his face deepened.

Suddenly he turned and dashed with all his might toward the Earth Lord's third eye.

He too had three eyes, and now the butterfly-wing patterns in all three radiated outward, tears pouring from them. "Earth Lord!

" he cried aloud. "Big fellow!

Wake up! Run—" He charged toward the Earth Lord, shouting himself hoarse: "Run, big fellow!

They're going to kill you!

" The You Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit came after him and blocked his way.

Shen Fengqing lunged left and right, then of a sudden turned into a mass of demonic qi, broke through the primordial spirit's palm, and went on fleeing toward the Earth Lord's third eye, weeping loudly: "Run, big fellow, my bad little brother is coming to kill you—" Shen Mu and Ling Heavenly Venerable strode over.