Chapter 1562 — The Fourth Young Master in the Immortal Palace
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace smiled. "Therefore I will go to the future. In the future I shall grow stronger, until I am strong enough to surpass the Great Tribulation of Destruction, to surpass the Master of the Miluo Palace; and then I can return to this moment and save my wife."
His eyes brimmed with tenderness. "I have no great ambitions. I have lived seven cosmic years, I have stood at the summit of power in seven universes; every power in this world I have tasted, every worship in this world I have tasted too. I have but one aim: to return here, and hear her mend the strings and play one more melody for me. That tune, once tasted, is never forgotten."
His gaze fell upon Shen Mu once more, and he said blandly, "To achieve my aim, I must enter the Seventeenth Universe; I must stop at nothing. Whoever blocks my way, I kill. Young Master Mu, do you understand?"
Shen Mu nodded lightly. "I understand."
The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace smiled. "The Master of the Miluo Palace is dead, is he not?"
Shen Mu was astonished beyond measure, and said doubtfully, "Why does the Fourth Young Master say such a thing? He is perfectly well, only somewhat dispirited. Go there and see him yourself. Why curse him as dead?"
The Fourth Young Master's eyes had never left his face, as though to see whether he lied.
Shen Mu did not look like a man feigning.
After a long while, the Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace laughed. "I worried overmuch. I feared that, being of such tender feeling and such saintly nature, he might lose all drive and his heart might die within him. To hear that he is safe and sound sets my mind at ease."
Shen Mu asked, "Then — have you seen Tai Yi?"
The Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace arched an eyebrow.
Shen Mu said, "I have been searching for his whereabouts all along. If the Fourth Young Master has seen him, you might give me a hint or two."
The Fourth Young Master lowered his eyes, studied the score, and adjusted the notes.
Shen Mu asked again. The Fourth Young Master did not even raise his head. "He and I have a grudge. You keep asking me of him — do you mean to enrage me and seek your death?"
Shen Mu laughed. "You are worthy of one who has been an emperor — capricious in your joy and your wrath. A moment ago we spoke so pleasantly, and now you fly into a rage and would kill."
The Fourth Young Master said calmly, "You use him to provoke me, to wear away my dao heart — do you think I do not know it? But how much, after all, do you know of Tai Yi?"
Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.
"What is his name? What great dao does he cultivate? How many dao fruits hang upon his Dao tree? How many lives has he lived? What did he do in former days? Were his deeds of old good or evil? Do you know?"
The Fourth Young Master's zither notes were dull and muted as he said faintly, "You know nothing. Young Master Mu, you may go."
Shen Mu was silent. At his words, he suddenly realized that he truly knew nothing at all about Tai Yi.
The Golden Ship of Salvation sailed on. Shen Mu turned back to look at the emperor beneath the tree, tuning his zither, and called loudly, "You lend your support to Hao Tianzun, but Hao Tianzun is fated to be defeated by my hand! You may support me instead — I have a greater future than he!"
The Fourth Young Master plucked a string, and the Golden Ship of Salvation shook violently. "Young Master Mu, Hao Tianzun can help me come ashore and reach the future world; you would only stir the waters. Go. For the sake of the Master of the Miluo Palace, I will not make trouble for you this time."
Shen Mu steadied his footing and laughed. "As a fellow young master of the Miluo Palace, I look forward to a game of chess with you one day! My contention with Hao Tianzun may count as our first crossing of swords in the future world, no?"
"You are not yet qualified." The Fourth Young Master's voice came to him, and the heavy chaos mist veiled him and he vanished from Shen Mu's sight.