Chapter 1794 — It Was I Who Did It

Xing An came to the outer reaches of the Ancestral Court, where he met with Celestial Venerable Yue and the others, and repeated Shen Mu's words to them. Celestial Venerable Yue at once set about making arrangements. "All you soldiers, return to Jingping and resume your work of production. Your Majesty the Emperor, you go back as well. Celestial Venerable You, the Two Emperors of Xuanwu, Langwo, Xu Shenghua, Lan Yutian, Jiang Baigui — the rest of you stay behind with me.

" Xing An took the lead, returning to Jingping over the spirit-energy translocation bridge that had already been built.

Once he reached Jingping, he took a prehistoric stowaway's primal spirit from his box; his qi turned into chains and bound the primal spirit of that prehistoric powerhouse fast. A short while later, the demonic qi of Youdu suddenly stirred, spilling out from another space-time, and the hundred zhang around Xing An became a little Youdu.

Within that little Youdu, three eyes gazed darkly at the prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit. "A species I have never seen before.

" In that darkness stood none other than the incarnation of Shen Fengqing.

His voice quivered as he said, "Xing An, you lured me out with the primal spirit of this species — to what end?

" "I mean to find Shang Jun," Xing An said. Shen Fengqing's incarnation reached out to seize the prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit.

"Fine.

Hand him to me, and I will help you find Shang Jun! " Xing An suddenly struck out and blocked him, shaking his head.

"He is mine.

" Shen Fengqing was choked with fury. "You used his primal spirit to lure me out and ask a favor of me — how can you not give me something in return?

" "It is your younger brother who wants to find Shang Jun," Xing An said.

"I am merely finding Shang Jun on his behalf. " Shen Fengqing fell silent for a moment, then said in a rage, "Wretched little brother!

Wait a moment, and I will find you Shang Jun's whereabouts!

" "Hold on.

" Xing An smiled. "It is not impossible for you to obtain this prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit. " Shen Fengqing halted and turned to look at him, and Xing An went on: "This prehistoric powerhouse is a being of the Celestial Venerable level; it cost me no small effort to obtain his primal spirit. Getting his primal spirit would be of enormous benefit to you. His primal spirit is not built of three souls and seven spirits — his soul structure is utterly different from ours.

" Shen Fengqing turned around, his three eyes bright as snow, and gazed at the prehistoric powerhouse, itching to move.

Xing An had roused his greed; if he did not hand it over, the man would surely snatch it by force.

"You and Sect Master Shen were originally one, sharing a single body, a single soul.

" "I want Sect Master Shen's head," Xing An said, "only he would certainly refuse. If you can give me one of your heads, I will make you a gift of this prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit. " Shen Fengqing was overjoyed.

"My little brother is truly a fool — cut a head off and another simply grows back! You wait there!

" A moment later, a Heaven-and-Earth Mystic Gate opened, and the head of Shen Fengqing's true body rolled out through the portal. "My head is yours — now give me that fellow's primal spirit!

" Xing An, too, could scarcely contain his wild joy; he steadied himself in haste and handed the chains, together with the prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit, over to Shen Fengqing. Then he lifted up Shen Fengqing's head and could not help laughing aloud: "Sect Master Shen, you never imagined it, did you? Without going through you, I can possess your head! Now let me see why it is you have all those bizarre, outlandish ideas! " He was exhilarated beyond measure.

Shen Fengqing was exhilarated beyond measure as well.

He studied the prehistoric powerhouse's primal spirit, liking it more the longer he looked, until he could not help drooling. "It looks delicious. . .

and rarer still, its soul is completely unlike ours — a supreme delicacy, truly a supreme delicacy!

" The prehistoric powerhouse was terrified beyond measure, trembling all over.

Shen Fengqing's true body had already located Shang Jun's position. "Shang Jun is working at the milling-cutter works in Bazhou.

" Carrying Shen Fengqing's head, Xing An hurried at once to the milling-cutter works in Bazhou. Along the way he studied the head closely, and his face grew darker and darker.

By the time he reached Bazhou, he could no longer hold back his anger: "Sect Master Shen's head is not nearly so clever as I imagined! " The head suddenly spoke up, smug.

"My little brother's brain is indeed none too clever.

I discovered that long ago; that you have only just discovered it shows you are very stupid too.

" Xing An was choked with rage.

When he reached the milling-cutter works in Bazhou, Shen Fengqing's head flew up and darted through the air, helping him find Shang Jun. "Here! " Xing An hurried forward and saw Shang Jun engaged in fine precision work alongside a number of Daoists.

Those Daoists must have belonged to the Daoist sects; they were masters of the arts of calculation, and their mouths were full of the abstruse jargon of those arts.

Shang Jun listened from the side, nodding now and then.

"Young Shang's blade work is remarkably steady; he can raise the precision of the milling cutters by a whole order of magnitude. " One of the Daoists laughed. "If the cutters' precision rises by an order of magnitude, then when we forge giant divine weapons the margin of error shrinks enormously, and the weapons can be forged even larger!

Well then, take a rest — it is time for the midday meal.

" Shang Jun stepped down from the platform, glanced at Xing An, and looked suspicious. Xing An looked suspicious as well. "With your abilities, sir, surely you need not work in a milling-cutter factory in Bazhou?

Whatever place you went, your talents would be put to important use. " Shang Jun shook his head. "After I came to Jingping, I discovered that apart from killing, my only skill is to hire out the precision of my blade work to others. This is all I understand, and when I found I could support myself by it and buy what I wanted, I was very happy.

" Xing An shook his head, rather perplexed.

His own fortunes had been different from Shang Jun's.

Shang Jun had been born at the end of the Sixteenth Epoch, when the universe already showed signs of the Great Destruction, when slaughter was everywhere, and he too could do nothing but kill. But after coming to Jingping he discovered other value in himself, and so he treasured the chance to realize that value. Xing An, by contrast, had been born before Jingping, in an age when those with divine powers seized and plundered as they pleased, when such beings sat high above and held the power of life and death over mortals — and so his nature had grown perverse and willful. Later, after Jingping's reforms and after he met Shen Mu, he had restrained himself somewhat and learned to act within Jingping's rules.

The two men's fortunes had differed, and so their ways of handling matters differed as well. "Sect Master Shen wants you to go to the Ancestral Court.

Dao-attaining ones from the Miluo Palace are descending, and he needs you to deal with the Hall Master of Joy. " Xing An stated his errand, and Shang Jun said, "Wait until I finish these milling cutters and collect my wages, and I will go.

" Xing An was utterly baffled.

Shen Fengqing's head spoke up: "Shang Jun, you were not in a milling-cutter factory before — how did you end up here? " "The old Manufactory did not dare employ me.

They gave me a sum of money and dismissed me.

" Shang Jun went back to his work, saying it in a muffled voice. Xing An shook his head; he truly could not fathom the man's conduct.