Chapter 1642 — The Loving Mother and the Filial Son

Heavenly Venerable Hao reached out both hands and raised him up, smiling. "You, you are too easily moved to true feeling. If I told you I meant to confer on you the title of Heavenly Venerable of Yin, there would be no stopping your weeping! " The Yin Son of Heaven did indeed burst into loud weeping, crying until he could scarcely breathe, and only after a good while did he catch his breath, saying through his tears, "Your Majesty's grace in recognizing and favoring me, even if this subject's brains were dashed out and his liver smeared on the ground, I could never repay it!

Only, I have heard that when Your Majesty last proposed to confer the title of Heavenly Venerable upon me, it was suppressed by the Heavenly Venerable of Fire.

This time, the Heavenly Venerable of Fire. . . " "I proposed conferring the title of Heavenly Venerable on you not once but twice, and both times he suppressed it. " Heavenly Venerable Hao sighed. "I do not hold much real power either.

I must still be checked and constrained by the Heavenly Venerable of Fire, this foremost warrior of mine.

He has many little calculations, and I know them all. I can tolerate him. But now that the world is about to be unified, he has become my greatest worry. .

. " The Yin Son of Heaven did not dare say more. Suddenly Lady Yuanmu broke into a fit of coughing, but she burst out laughing: "Hao'er is worried that the Heavenly Venerable of Fire is holding out for a better price, is he not? If the price you offer is not high enough, he might go over to Taichu. He might even go over to the Heavenly Venerable of Mu!

" "The Heavenly Venerable of Mu is no longer worth worrying about. His greatest weakness is held in the palm of my hand: the human race.

" Heavenly Venerable Hao said, "So long as Youdu is in my hands, with a single order the human race can be exterminated in the space of a finger-snap. The Heavenly Venerable of Mu has a weakness, and with that one weakness in my grip, I have him pinned at his vital point, and he dares not stir. And indeed he has the strength to fight me to mutual ruin. I cannot press him too hard, but must work on him slowly.

But my dear minister Fire has no weakness.

. . " A worried look came over his face. "He can sacrifice the humans of the South in blood to the demigods at will, to curry favor with the demigod races, to curry favor with Langxuan, the Ancestral God King, and the Heavenly Venerable Xu.

The demigods of the South can be said to live better than any in the myriad heavens and worlds, free and merry. The lives of humans cannot be used to control the Heavenly Venerable of Fire; the lives of his disciples cannot control him either.

I can find no weakness in him at all. He has shown me only one flaw, a weak soul, and even of that flaw I cannot be certain it is real. . . " He sighed. "My dear minister Fire, he does not set the heart at ease.

Zhaojin, your loyalty I trust. Keep a close watch on him for me. If there is any strange movement. . . " His expression turned grim and cold. The Yin Son of Heaven bowed and assented. "And the Heavenly Venerable of Mu. .

. ? " "The Heavenly Venerable of Mu is destined to come and submit.

" Heavenly Venerable Hao said mildly, "Once he surrenders, it will turn Ling, Yue, You, and Yun and the others against him.

Without those people to help him, he will never amount to anything.

By then, he will become one of the Ten Heavenly Venerables, perhaps even another Heavenly Venerable of Fire.

" A faint smile appeared on his face. "I can tolerate him, but Ling, Yue, You, Yun and the rest cannot tolerate him. By then, he will kill them with tears in his eyes, and still say, 'You do not understand me. ' That he will be remade by me into another Heavenly Venerable of Fire is only a matter of time.

" "Your Majesty is divinely wise! " The Yin Son of Heaven's heart and spirit were profoundly shaken; he threw himself to the ground in worship. Heavenly Venerable Hao laughed heartily. The Yin Son of Heaven rose, but Heavenly Venerable Hao had already vanished, leaving only his voice behind: "Zhaojin, I am about to ascend the throne.

Come and offer your congratulations.

" The Yin Son of Heaven paced back and forth, so agitated that for a long time he could not calm himself.

"The Heavenly Venerable of Yin, the Heavenly Venerable of Yin. .

.

Hahahaha, at last I too am a Heavenly Venerable!

" Heavenly Venerable Hao returned to the Heavenly Court without disturbing anyone; he did not wish others to know that he had rescued Lady Yuanmu. When he had encountered the Yin Son of Heaven earlier, he had even entertained the thought of killing him to silence him, but he had restrained himself.

Lady Yuanmu was one of his trump cards, a trump card against Taichu. If Taichu were alerted now, he would lack sufficient grounds to slay Taichu.

The enmity between Lady Yuanmu and Taichu was irreconcilable, and Lady Yuanmu was also a trump card against the Heavenly Venerable Ling, the Heavenly Venerable Yue, and the others; naturally she must be well hidden. "Did not Hao'er say he would heal his mother's wounds? " Lady Yuanmu's color had improved somewhat, and she smiled.

"The Dao-wound the Heavenly Venerable of Mu left on me is exceedingly stubborn; by my own strength it is hard to purge. Hao'er devoured the Goddess of Taishu and refined the Dao of Taishu, which answers every prayer. Surely healing me would not be difficult.

If you heal me with the Dao of Taishu, then I fall under your control.

Is that not what Hao'er is thinking? " Heavenly Venerable Hao said solemnly, "Mother is no outsider. How could I ever attempt to control you? Rest assured, Mother. I have heard that Jingping has a divine physician. I will have the Heavenly Venerable of Mu send the divine physician here; I trust he will not dare disobey.

" Suddenly his expression shifted slightly, and he said, "Rest for now, Mother. I still have matters to attend to. " With that, he bowed and withdrew step by step, and only after he had backed out of the palace did he turn and stride away. "That boy, even when he leaves, he is so careful, on guard against me striking at him from behind.

" Lady Yuanmu shook her head and murmured to herself, "The Dao-wound I can still heal. I need only rouse the Dao of Reincarnation that the Heavenly Venerable of Mu taught me, and I should recover. But the Dao of Reincarnation has hidden subtleties planted in it by that villain the Heavenly Venerable of Mu.

If I rouse it, I fear I will fall into his calculations once more.

And rousing the Dao of Reincarnation will make me temporarily lose command of my body. My sister, that little wretch, has been waiting for just such an opportunity. . . " She calmed. "The divine physician and alchemist of Jingping is a handsome man, as it happens. Having him come to have a look would not be bad either.

. .

" "Your Majesty, Jingping's envoy has arrived.

" As Heavenly Venerable Hao came outside the palace, the Senior Minister among the Heavenly Court's Four Ministers hurried to report: "That envoy says the Heavenly Venerable of Mu begs to surrender and offers a letter of submission. This subject deemed the matter of grave importance, and has already arranged lodging for the envoy. " Heavenly Venerable Hao raised his eyebrows. "Where is the letter of submission?

" The Senior Minister hurriedly put on a placating smile.

"Your Majesty, the letter of submission is to be presented to Your Majesty before the assembled ministers of the myriad heavens and worlds at the court audience. To offer it now would be contrary to propriety. .

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