Chapter 1259 — Meeting Another Celestial Master
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
The Heavenly Court's Four Celestial Masters and Four Heavenly Kings had by now all led their armies into the lands of Taixu, each with a station of their own, each commanding a force of their own. Beyond them were the Four-Colored Great Emperors, who likewise each had an army.
Among the Four Celestial Masters, the First Celestial Master was the Northern Celestial Master, Shang Pingyin; the Second was the Eastern Celestial Master, Meng Yungui; the Third was the Western Celestial Master, Bai Yuqiong; and the Fourth was the Southern Celestial Master, Zhu Shaoping.
Of the Four Heavenly Kings, Shang Pingyin, Bai Yuqiong, and Shen Mu had all met; and as for this Second Celestial Master, Meng Yungui, Shen Mu had never once laid eyes on him, yet had long known his name. Meng Yungui hailed from Yuhuatian, and loved above all else to plunder treasures and wealth, so his reputation was none too good.
The Lame Elder had put Lan Yutian through a rigorous training, and one of its most important trials was to steal from Meng Yungui's treasure vault in Yuhuatian. Old Master Huo, that former Divine Constable and former Tathagata, followed along as well, keeping watch for them, testing for divine-ability traps, and erasing their traces lest any clue be left behind.
Of course, Old Master Huo was not greedy for wealth; he only meant to guide and keep watch over Lan Yutian, this "junior" of his, so that Lan Yutian would not go astray — though the Lame Elder and Lan Yutian did give him a share of the "spoils.
" Shen Mu arrived at the divine city where Meng Yungui's Dongluo Sect was garrisoned, and saw that Meng Yungui governed his troops with strict discipline; his reputation might be poor, but he was truly a master at leading men into battle. "The Heavenly Court's Four Celestial Masters are all men of war, whereas Kaihuang's Four Celestial Masters are not warriors but capable ministers who govern the world.
" Shen Mu murmured, sinking into thought. The Woodcutter, the Scholar, the Old Farmer, the Fisherman: the Woodcutter, Wen Tiange, oversaw the whole course of Kaihuang's reforms and held the main direction; the Scholar, Yan Yunxi, was in charge of military and political reform; the Old Farmer was in charge of reform in the livelihood of the common folk; and the Fisherman was in charge of reform in divine abilities and arts.
The Heavenly Court's Four Celestial Masters, by contrast, set their minds on fighting strength and had no need of reform at all. "The Heavenly Court's Four Celestial Masters are simply four men skilled at drilling troops and waging war, bearing the name of Celestial Master in vain. In grand strategy and the affairs of the heavens, they have accomplished little.
" Shen Mu had just reached this point in his thoughts when a great laugh rang out: "The Celestial Master Mu has come from afar, and Yungui has failed to welcome him. I beg your forgiveness!
" Shen Mu looked toward the sound and saw a middle-aged man striding quickly toward him, his face wreathed in smiles. His upper-lip mustache was very long, hanging down from either side of his mouth, and together with the beard on his lower lip it formed the shape of a fork.
This man was none other than the Eastern Celestial Master, Meng Yungui.
Meng Yungui stepped quickly forward and bowed in salute, smiling: "The Celestial Master Mu has come inspecting along the way, and I, Meng, am quite overwhelmed with awe. I have just returned from the Nether Emperor, Yin Tianzi, who could not praise the Celestial Master enough. He said the Celestial Master's righteousness toward his own reaches the clouds, sending coal in the snow; toward his enemies he is a raging wind and fire, a thunderbolt in method — truly a model for our kind.
" Shen Mu smiled mildly: "What else did Yin Tianzi say?