Chapter 1409 — A Stab in the Back
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
Shi Qiluo released her grip. Shen Mu rubbed his bones; her hand was truly powerful, and she had squeezed him so hard his bones had nearly snapped.
"Your Highness is no rank-one brute.
" Having said this, Shen Mu glanced at Shi Qiluo, muttering inwardly, for the Shi Qiluo of the present moment was the very picture of a brute. He steadied himself and continued, "When the seal on the Ancestral Court was broken, Your Highness did not appear, did not send your artifact Yutianzun to descend. So why, when the far side of the Ancestral Court appeared, did Your Highness send your artifact Yutianzun down to contend for territory, behaving like a rank-one brute? " Shi Qiluo sighed. "The front of the Ancestral Court I cannot contend for; if I fought over it, I would be dragged out at once. And little wealth remains on the front of the Ancestral Court anyway. But the far side of the Ancestral Court is another matter altogether.
Not only is there greater wealth, there are countless giant beasts besides, and on top of that there is Long Xiao, a great master. I had no choice but to contend. " She said, gravely and in earnest, "If I can subdue Long Xiao and hold him in my control to fight for me, then I will command the battle strength of two Heavenly Venerates. Add the artifact Yutianzun, and that is the battle strength of three. Killing my elder sister will then be easy.
I need only devour her, let the twin lotuses of Guixu merge into one, and join our two heavenly palaces, and the Heavenly Court can be cultivated in a single stroke! And by then. . . " Shen Mu smiled. "By then, the Ten Heavenly Venerates will have no choice but to bow their heads and swear fealty, and the Heavenly Emperor will have no choice but to abdicate in favor of the worthy, and an empress shall reign over all under heaven. " Every hair of Shi Qiluo's full beard bristled outward; her face was wreathed in smiles, and she nodded again and again.
Shen Mu changed tack. "Then which Heavenly Venerate was your inside man, the one who told you the art of reverse summoning, and let you slip onto the far side of the Ancestral Court to fish in troubled waters?
" Shi Qiluo's eyes went wide and her tongue stopped in her mouth; she stammered, "Why does Heavenly Venerate Mu say such a thing?
" Shen Mu sneered. "You have an inside man among the Ten Heavenly Venerates! He made alliance with you and told you the art of reverse summoning, and only so were you able to descend upon the far side of the Ancestral Court.
I created that art a million years ago; only recently did it spread abroad and come to be learned by the Ten Heavenly Venerates. If you could learn it, then someone among the Ten must have taught it to you!
Who is it? " Shi Qiluo's eyeballs darted this way and that; she stammered, "It was Heavenly Venerate Hong. . . " Shen Mu saw the light. "So it is Heavenly Consort Qiang.
You need not pin the crime on that old good man Heavenly Venerate Hong.
Still, it is no wonder. Like Heavenly Consort Qiang, you are tolerated by none of the other Ten Heavenly Venerates. The Great Emperor has always had a lust for destruction, and he too has need of an ally. You are a Destroyer Ancient God, so of course Heavenly Consort Qiang would seek you out as her ally. " Shi Qiluo giggled. "Do not slander a person with your bloody mouth.
How could I keep company with a creature of such infamous reputation as the Great Emperor? It was Heavenly Venerate Hong!
" Shen Mu said mildly, "Birds of a feather flock together. Your tastes run alike, and the Great Emperor has suffered defeat after defeat with grievous losses besides, so it is only to be expected that you and Heavenly Consort Qiang should have hit it off at once. " Shi Qiluo gave a humph and did not deny it.
Shen Mu said mildly, "Since you have Heavenly Consort Qiang for an ally, the Ten Heavenly Venerates should not move against you.