Chapter 984: The Heroic Spirit of Heaven and Earth, Majestic for a Thousand Autumns
That old man looked up and shot him a glare, sneering coldly, "In ancient times, there were righteous men who admonished with their lives, carrying their own coffins to court. If the emperor is benighted, why can't I burn paper money for him? I insist on burning it! I've been burning it for twenty thousand years, burning it so that even after his death, he could become the richest man in Youdu!"
Shu Jun laughed heartily and teased, "If you want to be a righteous man, then burn paper money for Kai Huang Qin Ye right in front of him. Why burn it in this desolate, remote, and uninhabited place? Who are you burning it for? You are no righteous man."
The old man slumped, plopping down on the ground, muttering, "You're right, I'm no righteous man. If I were, I would have carried my coffin to court twenty thousand years ago and admonished with my life. I even made the coffin, but I was a coward. I didn't dare carry it to court..."
He waved his sleeve, and a black coffin flew out. It should have been the coffin he had crafted back then, intended for carrying to court to admonish with his life.
Shu Jun examined the black coffin. It was glossy and shiny, likely from frequent polishing, and couldn't help but laugh, "You old man, you've polished this coffin until it's greasy. It shows you're someone who hesitates and lacks decisiveness."
The old man was furious and wanted to lash out, but then he thought about it and realized it was true.
He didn't dare carry the coffin to court, spending his days staring at it, touching it over and over, never able to make up his mind. Wasn't it naturally polished to a glossy shine?
Shu Jun was about to mock him further, but Qin Mu stopped him.
"How should I address you, elder?" Qin Mu asked.
The old man said dejectedly, "Kai Huang Heavenly Court, Four Advisors, Junior Guardian, Fang Youji. Now I'm the tomb keeper of Qingming Heaven, just watching over graves."
Qin Mu said, "As a Junior Guardian, you're a first-rank official. Why have you sunk to the point of watching graves?"
Fang Youji stood up and said, "You are Mu Tianzun, so whatever you say is right. I'm not very skilled in swordsmanship; I only use divine abilities. I simulate swordsmanship with divine abilities. This sword technique is called Qingming Heart-Piercing Sword!"
He used his divine abilities to perform the sword technique, and instantly, a fine rain filled the sky, bleak and desolate. Although it was simulated with divine abilities, Qin Mu could see the sword intent and artistic conception within this sword technique.
Kai Huang created this sword technique to temper the heart of tribulation, to mourn the deaths of peers and comrades, to grieve the loss of ancestors, to use the past to shape the present, and to hone his own Dao heart. It was also meant to test the opponent's Dao heart.
This sword technique demanded an extremely high level of Dao heart. If one's Dao heart was unstable when facing it, they would surely lose to him.
Junior Guardian Fang Youji performed it once and said, "I used divine abilities to imitate his third sword. After all, it's just divine abilities, unable to fully display the mysteries of his swordsmanship. If Mu Tianzun can't see the subtleties, I can perform it a few more times."
Qin Mu closed his eyes, then opened them and smiled, "No need."
Fang Youji crouched down again to burn paper money for the nameless grave, saying, "Mu Tianzun can go to Xuantai Heaven. Guarding Xuantai Heaven is the second of the Four Advisors, Junior Assistant Gao Baixun."
Qin Mu thanked him and left with Shu Jun, not going to seek out the academy in Qingming Heaven.
Shu Jun looked back and saw the old man still burning paper, but he was no longer weeping about Qin Ye's tragic death. Instead, he sat by the fire with a smile on his face, his cheeks flushed red from the flames.
"This Kai Huang Junior Guardian seems to want you to defeat Kai Huang."
Shu Jun said in confusion, "This old guy is really disloyal, and he's enjoying it too. Holy Child, I finally understand why you insisted on traveling around. It turns out there are so many experts under Kai Huang's command to spar with you."
Qin Mu smiled, "An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles. A hero in his twilight years still harbors great ambitions. Kai Huang led his army of gods and demons into hiding in Wuyou Township, but not everyone is willing. These ambitious men don't necessarily want me to defeat Kai Huang; they just want to use me to inspire him, to rekindle the ambition of this former leader."
He said softly, "In truth, they also want to rekindle their own ambitions. A dragon that once soared through the clouds and storms, now coiled in a small muddy puddle, looks up at the sky and remembers its majestic form soaring through the mists, not its current wallowing in the mud."
"I think you're talking about me."
Shu Jun laughed heartily, "I am that dragon you speak of!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily as well, and the two ascended to Xuantai Heaven. Ahead, the forest was dense, and someone was teaching in the woods, his voice booming, "Benevolence is universal love; righteousness is acting appropriately; the path is following this. What does this mean?"
"Universal love is benevolence; practicing benevolence and realizing it is righteousness; walking the path of benevolence and righteousness and continuously practicing it is the Dao. This saying means to investigate things to acquire knowledge, to know and then to act."
"To know and then act, the unity of knowledge and action, is to attain the Dao. To know but not act—that is Kai Huang!"
...
Qin Mu and Shu Jun walked forward and saw a teacher wearing a tall hat, holding a book in one hand and a ruler in the other, passionately lecturing.
His students were a group of monkeys, dressed in clothes. Some crouched on the ground scratching their ears and cheeks, some sat in trees picking lice off each other, hopping and jumping, never settling down.
When the monkeys saw Qin Mu and the others coming, they hastily took off their hats and clothes, scattered in all directions, leaving the discarded garments everywhere.
The teacher was furious and shouted, "Integrity! Where is your integrity? You scoundrels, running away at the sight of an enemy! Hah!"
He glared angrily and lunged at Qin Mu, his ruler flipping and spinning as he executed an incredibly exquisite sword technique. With a single move of the ruler, he unleashed the Xuantai Town Heaven Sword, pressing down directly on Qin Mu!
"Others may fear you, but I, Gao Baixun, do not!"
Shu Jun was about to block, but Qin Mu stopped him. The teacher Gao Baixun's ruler danced as he performed the Xuantai Town Heaven Sword once, then turned and walked away, shouting, "The enemy is formidable! It's not that I refuse to fight; I'm just learning from Kai Huang and running away!" With that, he clattered away in his wooden clogs, disappearing into the forest.
Shu Jun was stunned.
Gao Baixun poked his head back out and yelled, "I'm no match for you! I certainly won't tell you that Grand Tutor Zhou Jingmeng is waiting for you in Yuanming Heaven to avenge me!"
Qin Mu quickly asked, "How do we get to Yuanming Heaven?"
Gao Baixun raised his hand and pointed, full of righteous indignation, "I swear I won't tell you that the path to Yuanming Heaven is over there!"
"Thank you." Qin Mu bowed in thanks and walked in that direction with Shu Jun.
Shu Jun stumbled along, looking back to see Kai Huang's Junior Assistant Gao Baixun calling the monkeys back out of the forest. The monkeys reluctantly put on their clothes and tall hats, listening to his impassioned teaching.
"What a strange man," Shu Jun shook his head.
"They have to be strange. When their ambitions can't be realized, when their own Dao can't move forward, when benevolence and righteousness aren't practiced, their Dao hearts become scattered."
Qin Mu said, "To investigate things to acquire knowledge, to know and then to act, the unity of knowledge and action. But now, they can't unify knowledge and action. They know but can't act. You can imagine how much that affects their Dao hearts."
They arrived at Yuanming Heaven and met Grand Tutor Zhou Jingmeng of Yuanming Heaven. Grand Tutor Zhou Jingmeng was indeed waiting for them with murderous intent, vowing to avenge Junior Assistant Gao Baixun and not allowing Mu Tianzun to set foot in Yuanming Heaven.
"Either step over my corpse!" Grand Tutor Zhou Jingmeng, with white hair, declared with righteous indignation.
After he performed the Yuanming Wenju Sword, he fell straight down. Shu Jun stepped over his "corpse," and the old man cursed, "You actually stepped on me?"
Qin Mu bowed in thanks and walked around him.
Zhou Jingmeng's primordial spirit emerged from his "corpse" and shouted, "My elder brother Zhou Xunfang will avenge me in Qiyao Heaven! Just you wait!"
Shu Jun was caught between laughter and tears, turning back to ask, "How do we get to Qiyao Heaven?"
"Over there!"
Zhou Jingmeng's primordial spirit raised his hand and pointed, shouting, "Go if you dare!"
Qin Mu and Shu Jun arrived at Qiyao Heaven and paid a visit to Zhou Xunfang, who was determined to die for Kai Huang. Zhou Xunfang "died" to make his point, his "death" even more "tragic" than Zhou Jingmeng's. Before he "died," he told them that the Three Dukes of Kai Huang Heavenly Court would be waiting for them in the following heavens.
Along this journey, two months passed quickly. Before they knew it, Qin Mu and Shu Jun had passed through heavens like Xuwu Heaven, Taiji Heaven, Chiming Heaven, Xuanming Heaven, and Yaoming Heaven, getting closer and closer to the top of the Thirty-Three Heavens.
One day, they arrived at Wushang Heaven. As soon as they entered, Qin Mu heard a braying laugh. A donkey trotted over quickly, with a fishing rod tied to its head, a carrot dangling from the rod. It stopped abruptly beside Qin Mu and brayed, "Hey hey, isn't this Mu Tianzun? Don't you recognize me?"
The donkey stood up, its two thick forelegs draping one over Qin Mu's shoulder and the other over Shu Jun's, clamping them together. Its muscles bulged as it laughed heartily, "I'm Lu Zheng! We've been through hardships together! Let me tell you a secret—this Wushang Heaven is the territory of my old man, Xi Tianshi. She's been waiting for you for a long time!"
This donkey clamped the two of them and walked forward, chattering incessantly, "The old man said that Wuyou Township and the Creators have made peace, no more fighting. This is a great occasion, so we need to celebrate. These days, she's been leading some pretty girls in practicing songs and dances. It's magnificent, called 'Eternal Peace.' Beautiful, truly beautiful..."
Shu Jun was clamped by the donkey, his big head held tight, his feet barely touching the ground. He struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, and his heart was filled with shock.
He tried to activate his divine ability, but his divine ability couldn't penetrate the donkey's mind at all, which shocked him even more. "This donkey is terrifyingly strong!"
Qin Mu whispered, "Don't resist. This donkey is a Lingxiao realm expert, no less powerful than the lords of the heavens we've just met!"
Shu Jun had no choice but to give up resisting. He wanted to speak, but the donkey kept talking and laughing, occasionally braying loudly, making it impossible for him to get a word in.
Qin Mu was long accustomed to Lu Zheng's temperament. He knew that if he engaged the donkey in conversation, he would be stifled to death, so he kept his mouth shut and let the donkey lead him forward.
Lu Zheng brought them to the divine city of Wushang Heaven. The city was resplendent, with countless singing and dancing girls joyfully performing. Their skirts fluttered, their colorful sleeves flew, magnificent and dazzling. On the left, hundreds of divine maidens played flutes; on the right, hundreds played zithers; above, hundreds struck bells and chimes; below, hundreds beat drums and blew sheng pipes.
The girls flew in the sky and danced on the ground, weaving in and out, their postures graceful and captivating. Their singing was melodious, rising and falling, praising Kai Huang's greatness and heroic wisdom.
Yan Yunxi, dressed in men's clothing, sat on the city tower, enjoying the performance, clapping and swaying with joy. The divine officials accompanying her below were also singing praises, flattering her endlessly.
Lu Zheng brought the two up to the tower and set them down.
Yan Yunxi glanced around and smiled, "Mu Tianzun, what do you think of this performance? Is it magnificent? After we establish the other shore of Youdu, I plan to take these girls to Kai Huang Heavenly Court and perform for the civil and military officials, to sing of Kai Huang's great achievements."
Qin Mu smiled, "The beauty of the dance dazzles the eyes, the wonder of the song stirs the heart."
Yan Yunxi clapped her hands and laughed, then glanced at him and said, "It's a pity, though, that you don't know your place, daring to challenge Kai Huang. You don't realize that Kai Huang is the foremost swordsman. How high are his achievements in the sword? It would scare you to death to know! Kai Huang is already comprehending the twentieth form of the sword. I merely demonstrated your nineteenth form of the sword in front of him, and he immediately began to comprehend the twentieth."
She stood up and said proudly, "Kai Huang is naturally wise and divinely martial! So, you should abandon this rebellious thought. But I know you won't, right? So, let me use Kai Huang's sword techniques to defeat you!"
She spread her sleeves wide and commanded, "Everyone, withdraw! I will use Kai Huang's sword techniques to show Mu Tianzun what it means to know his place!"
The singing and dancing stopped, and the girls withdrew.
Yan Yunxi drew her sword and looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu was stunned and blurted out, "Even you..."
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