Chapter 1645 — The Firmament Emperor Lord

Bai Yuqiong came to see Meng Yungui, and found him arranging flowers. He held a single blossom between his fingers, yet for a long while could not bring himself to set it in place.

Flower arranging was a test of artistic sensibility and of spatial depth; the finished arrangement had its gradations in space, its shadows, its reserved blanks, and it displayed visual impact — viewed from any angle, it was a fine work of art. For a master of the arts of calculation, flower arranging was in truth no great difficulty — and yet Meng Yungui sat frozen. Bai Yuqiong stepped forward and said with a smile, "What is Senior Brother Meng thinking about?

" Meng Yungui said softly, "I have a dream.

.

.

" "What?

" Bai Yuqiong was baffled. Meng Yungui came to his senses, cleared Yu Chenzi's words from his head, and said with a smile, "A bit of raving, nothing more. Heavenly Master Bai, the matter you asked of me, I have already accomplished; you may set your mind at ease. But it must not become a precedent — there can be no second time.

" Bai Yuqiong said, "Of course there will not be a second time. The world is about to be unified; Heavenly Masters like us will find it hard to have any place to use our talents in the days to come. Heavenly Master Hao is about to ascend the throne and proclaim himself Emperor; all power will be gathered in his hands, and no one will be able to contend with him, no force will be able to stand against the Heaven Court. We Heavenly Masters are not far from hanging up our armor and returning to our fields. " "Let us hope so.

" Meng Yungui said, "By our merits, you and I should at least be allotted a heaven apiece; in our heavens, the human race can live very well.

" Bai Yuqiong's eyes flickered; she lowered her voice. "Have you ever been to the Southern Heaven?

" Meng Yungui glanced at her and said nothing.

Bai Yuqiong said, "The humans of the Southern Heaven can no longer be called people — they are livestock.

It makes my blood run cold. The last time I went to the Southern Heaven, I practically fled out of it.

.

. " Meng Yungui was silent. Bai Yuqiong said, "What the Fire Heavenly Master does is rather too shameless. Openly he says he is preserving the human race, but in truth he treats humans as livestock, and he himself is the shepherd dog that tends livestock for the demigods.

After we have won fame and success, will the heavens under our command turn into the Southern Heaven.

. . " "No! " The moment the words left his mouth, Meng Yungui felt his tone had been too sharp, and he softened it: "We are not the same as the Fire Heavenly Master. What the Fire Heavenly Master seeks is power; what we seek is a place to settle. To seek power, he must curry favor with the demigods, court them, lower himself, wag his tail and beg. That is why, when it comes to dealing with Kaihuang, with Heavenly Master Mu, the Fire Heavenly Master is always the first to charge to the front.

We, by contrast, rely on our own abilities to win merit, and use that merit to buy a place where we can live in peace. " Bai Yuqiong hesitated, then said, "And if the world becomes peaceful, and the Heaven Court orders our territories turned into Southern Heavens?

" The corner of Meng Yungui's eye twitched.

After a moment, Meng Yungui said, "Do not think about such odds and ends. You and I need only do our duty. The Fire Heavenly Master has found his own road to death; he will not live much longer. Long ago I foresaw his death and told the Void Heavenly Master that if she married him she would surely be dragged down with him. And now the time has come for it to be fulfilled. " (See Chapter 1234, The Peerless Great Emperor.

) Bai Yuqiong pondered for a moment, then said, "Then will we become a second Fire Heavenly Master? If Heavenly Master Hao cannot trust the human Fire Heavenly Master, can he trust the human Heavenly Master Bai, the human Heavenly Master Meng? " "Hold your tongue!

" Meng Yungui barked in a low voice, glanced around, and said gravely, "Junior Sister Bai, we were once of the same sect — that is the only reason I warn you.

Otherwise you too would be finding your own road to death! What you are saying and doing now is exceedingly dangerous. Times are not what they were; any word misspoken may bring a fatal disaster upon you! In the past there were ten Heavenly Masters, so a misspoken word was nothing. Now there is only Heavenly Master Hao — even a Heavenly Master who misspeaks will die! " Bai Yuqiong sighed, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

Meng Yungui held the flower stem, went on with his arranging, and murmured, "I have a dream.

. .

Damn it! " Yu Chenzi, his heart set at ease, shuffled slowly back to his dwelling. The lodging the Chief Minister had arranged for him was, one might say, thick with watching eyes; his every movement would be monitored in perfect clarity, with not the least secret to speak of.

He did not mind; he settled in calmly, ate when it was time to eat, slept when it was time to sleep, without the slightest pressure.

The Heaven Court, meanwhile, bustled into activity, making preparations for Heavenly Master Hao's enthronement ceremony.

When the day of the enthronement ceremony arrived, it was clamorous beyond measure and yet sacred and solemn. The lords of the myriad heavens and worlds came hurrying from every direction; all manner of divinities displayed all manner of prodigies. In the sky, goddesses in fluttering robes scattered blossoms of divinity, flower upon flower.

Petals covered the ground; the divinities who came to attend the ceremony never trod upon the earth at all, but walked upon a thick carpet of petals. The heavenly realm was hung with lanterns and streamers; every household hung up lanterns, and the divine beasts that guarded the gates all roused their spirits.

Dragons coiled upon the pillars, phoenixes flew up to the branches, qilins sat before the doors, awe-inspiring in their majesty. The ceremony began. Heaven Emperor Taichu, robed in the imperial robe and crowned with the imperial crown, received the homage of the assembled ministers.

Heavenly Master Hao knelt below as well, kowtowing to Taichu.

The herald proclaimed the rites; when the rites were done, Heaven Emperor Taichu burned incense and offered prayer, speaking the words of abdication in favor of the worthy — that his virtue was deficient and he was ashamed to occupy the throne, and so on — and then praised the talent and character of Heavenly Master Hao, and for that reason abdicated, inviting Heaven Emperor Hao to ascend the throne.

Heaven Emperor Taichu removed the imperial crown, took off the imperial robe, and laid them upon a jade tray. Heavenly Master Hao hastily declined, in trepidation and dread. Heaven Emperor Taichu was displeased, insisted on abdicating, and established him as Emperor.

Heavenly Master Hao knelt on the ground, kowtowing again and again, begging his Imperial Father to retract the command.

Taichu again demanded that Heavenly Master Hao ascend the throne; Heavenly Master Hao prostrated himself and wailed aloud, refusing without end.

Heaven Emperor Taichu flew into a rage and shouted, "Hao'er, must you watch your old father die upon this throne before you will consent to ascend it?

" With that he drew the imperial sword and made to cut his own throat.

The assembled ministers rushed forward in alarm and restrained Heaven Emperor Taichu.

Heaven Emperor Taichu, unable to struggle free, could only throw down the sword and shout, "What use is it to urge me? Go urge the new Emperor, and make him ascend the throne!

" The ministers went to urge Heavenly Master Hao; he prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly for a while, and when the crowd urged him again, he finally stopped crying and was helped up by the ministers and escorted to the imperial seat in the Lingxiao Hall.