Chapter 1711 — A Treacherous Minister Lurks at the Emperor's Side

"Why does Your Majesty speak such words?"

Aboard the golden ship that faced the Heavenly Emperor Hao, Shen Mu's gaze was earnest and his tone sincere as he declared in a ringing voice: "Your Majesty must know that my Shen family has been loyal and good for generation upon generation, plain and honest folk, with no thought of rebellion. Jingping has for generations been a realm subordinate to the Heavenly Court, and it too has no thought of rebellion. To this day, neither my Shen family nor Jingping has ever rebelled against the Heavenly Court! It is Your Majesty!"

His voice abruptly turned impassioned, fierce and laced with wrath: "It is Your Majesty who has been blinded by treacherous ministers, who believe my Shen family means to rebel, who believe Jingping means to rebel! Your Majesty, beguiled by sycophants, has led the Heavenly Court's countless millions here to punish us, granting no chance to me, to Jingping, to Carefree Village, to speak! The reason we resist is not rebellion, but to correct Your Majesty's error!"

His voice grew ever louder, carrying into the ears of the Heavenly Court's innumerable hosts: "There are treacherous ministers at Your Majesty's side!"

Those words, once spoken, cut like a knife, and every heart shuddered!

Shen Mu's voice echoed back and forth between the cliffs, clanging and forceful: "Your Majesty has been blinded by a treacherous minister, and that treacherous minister sows discord and stirs up trouble! Every one of you is a righteous man loyal to his sovereign and his realm; you ought to join me in clearing the sovereign's side, in rooting out the vile and the petty, restoring peace to the world, restoring a bright and clear order to all under heaven!"

Whether Carefree Village or the Heavenly Court's hosts, all was silent; millions of troops made not a sound.

Far off, Taishi cast him a look of admiration, thinking: "Lord Mu is already invincible!"

Heavenly Lord Hao gaped, eyes wide, and for a time could not recover his senses.

Taichu coughed once and was about to speak when Shen Mu suddenly raised a hand, pointed at him, and shouted: "You! Yes, you! Taichu, you are the treacherous minister at His Majesty's side! You beguiled His Majesty into striking at the loyal and righteous of Jingping and Carefree Village! You purge all who differ from you, you plot restoration, and you think no one under heaven knows!"

Taichu clenched his fist, then slowly released it, and gave a snort: "Lord Mu, I will not argue with you."

Shen Mu roared: "Your Majesty, kill this treacherous minister, and I will withdraw my troops!"

The Heavenly Emperor Hao finally came to his senses and said with a half-smile: "The greatest villain wears the mask of loyalty. Lord Mu's face, truly, even a divine weapon become Dao could not pierce. Lord Mu, you rebel and raise chaos..."

"I have not rebelled. Why should I rebel?"

Shen Mu laughed heartily, hands clasped behind his back: "This world is the Heaven Alliance's world. Even Your Majesty is an elder of the Heaven Alliance; your throne as Heavenly Emperor was given by the Heaven Alliance. I am the Alliance Lord of the Heaven Alliance. The Heaven Alliance belongs to you, and it belongs to us — but in the end..."

His face went indifferent: "It is mine. Why should I rebel against myself?"

The mockery on his face vanished; his gaze settled upon the Heavenly Emperor Hao, and he said calmly: "Heavenly Lord Hao, you were born fair — why take the side of bandits? Why do you rebel against me? Why do you rebel against the Heaven Alliance?"

The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed aloud: "You have shown your hand at last! Lord Mu, my army presses upon your borders. If you surrender at once and give up resistance, then the people of Jingping and Carefree Village may still have a path to live. If you cling to your delusion, then wherever my finger points, all shall be reduced to ashes!"

Shen Mu said unhurriedly: "Heavenly Lord Hao, by all means raise your hand and point at me, and see whether I am reduced to ashes as you say."

The Heavenly Emperor's pupils shrank sharply.

Shen Mu stood at the ship's prow, gazing far across at the countless hosts of gods and demons of the Heavenly Court, and said mildly: "It would be hardly fair for the soldiers of both sides to fight to the death. How about this: before the eyes of both armies, you and I fight a life-and-death duel between the lines."

He raised a hand and made a faint chopping motion: "If I die by your hand, then Jingping and Carefree Village surrender wholly, to be dealt with as you please. If you die by mine, then the Heavenly Court dissolves here and now. Hao, do you dare?"

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze fixed hard upon his face, and the two men's eyes met, neither yielding.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao rose from his imperial carriage, his aura growing ever stronger, and said grimly: "In the year I came of age I slew the Heavenly Lord Yu, and put an end to Xie Wuqi. Grown, I deposed a Heavenly Emperor, finished off the Heavenly Lord Yun, destroyed Chiming, pacified Shanghuang, and forced Kaihuang to flee far away to Carefree Village! In recent years the Great Emperor has bowed his head, Taichu has submitted, and I have overborne the Ten Heavenly Lords to become Heavenly Emperor! That I can sit upon this seat rests upon unmatched martial power! What would I not dare?"

Shen Mu's robes flapped in the wind, and he smiled: "You have suffered only two great defeats, and both were at my hands."

The Heavenly Emperor's killing intent grew stronger and stronger, and he made to step out of the carriage.

Just then, the Hall Master of Lingguan said in a deep voice: "Heavenly Emperor, when two armies are arrayed for battle, for the Heavenly Emperor to risk the courage of a common man is gravely unwise."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao narrowed his eyes, gave a snort, stepped back into the carriage and sat down, and said mildly: "The Hall Master speaks truly. Lord Mu, I mean to destroy your realm, destroy your ideals, destroy the faith of your whole life — not merely to kill you. Killing you would be too cheap."

Shen Mu laughed: "Hao, twice defeated by me, you no longer dare fight me."

The Heavenly Emperor's hand clenched into a fist, and again he made to rise.

The Hall Master of Lingguan coughed once and said: "One exalted as Heavenly Emperor should have the bearing and cultivation of a Heavenly Emperor. To indulge only in the courage of a common man — how could one then be lord of heaven and earth?"

Taichu, Taiji and other such beings came forward one after another to remonstrate: "To duel before the two armies is the act of a brute. Let Your Majesty think thrice!"

The Heavenly Emperor waved his hand, and the imperial carriage turned back. Shen Mu's voice followed, tinged with disappointment: "So you still do not dare. Little Hao, you have not even the courage for a single bout with me — by what virtue or ability do you command the heroes of the world? How could they submit to you?"

The Heavenly Emperor's chest heaved violently; forcing down his rage, he returned to the Heavenly Court's camp.

The Hall Master of Lingguan said: "Your Majesty, your strength is a shade inferior to his; you are not yet his match."

The Heavenly Emperor could not conceal the wrath in his breast, and said in a lowered voice with a cold laugh: "Brother of the Dao, I have made whole every flaw in my cultivation method — how could I fear a mere rebel Mu? If I wished to kill him now, he would not last ten moves in my hands!"