Chapter 603 — The Vajra in His Eyes
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Seeing this, the Imperial Teacher Jingping lowered his mirror and said with a smile, "Daoist Si, if I do not draw the art out of his pupils, how am I to devise a way to break it? Pray lay aside your hostility, friend."
Granny Zhu said, "Do not hold it up too long."
The Imperial Teacher Jingping turned the mirror on Shen Mu and saw, in both his pupils, the shadow of the Vajra walking outward. Startled, he covered the mirror at once and mused, "What an art! It is branded into Sect Master Shen's eyes; one glance and you are caught. Has the Vajra's power truly grown to such a degree?"
Granny Zhu said hurriedly, "Has the Imperial Teacher Jingping found a way to break it?"
The Imperial Teacher Jingping paced back and forth, hesitated, and said, "Perhaps I should take one more look?"
Granny Zhu could bear it no longer and gave him a heavy rap on the head. Everyone was aghast. Even Emperor Yanfeng would not dare pound the Imperial Teacher Jingping's skull, yet Granny Zhu dared!
The Imperial Teacher Jingping took it calmly. "Daoist Si, with a single glance I cannot yet break the Vajra's art. If I might look a few times more, perhaps I could find the way."
Granny Zhu said coldly, "And if you cannot break it?"
The Imperial Teacher Jingping said solemnly, "To hear the Way at dawn is to die content at dusk."
Granny Zhu was still not well enough acquainted with him; otherwise she would have kicked him flying as she had the Blind Elder. She shot a glance at the True God Pang Yu and said with forced patience, "You, True God, command vast powers. Surely you know a way to break it?"
The True God Pang Yu hesitated. He would have liked to try the mirror on Shen Mu himself, but he judged that he too would be hard put to escape this woman's fist, so he shook his head. "If the Imperial Teacher Jingping cannot do it, neither can I. I hold the Imperial Teacher's arts and powers in the highest admiration. In truth, the Vajra's mastery of divine arts surpasses mine, and an art lodged in the eyes is all the harder to break. As for mastery of divine arts, the only one who can rival the Vajra is the Heavenly Master. You would do better to go and seek the Heavenly Master."
Shen Mu's heart stirred. The Woodcutter Sage did indeed command vast powers; perhaps he would have a way to break the Vajra's art.
"The Heavenly Master is at present in Luofu Heaven, among the demon race. He will not be hard to find."
The True God Pang Yu hesitated and said, "By rights I ought to lead you there, but the two armies are now drawn up against each other and the demon race has not withdrawn its troops. I must remain here."
The Imperial Teacher Jingping was much tempted; he too longed to meet this sage, but he was likewise tied down and had no leisure to go to Luofu Heaven.
The world barrier between Luofu Heaven and Taihuang Heaven had already grown exceedingly thin, and reaching Luofu Heaven was not difficult. When the demon race attacked Taihuang Heaven, it was a demon god who had torn the world barrier open, and an endless torrent of demons had poured madly into Taihuang Heaven.
Granny Zhu was delighted and said with a smile, "I shall go with Shen'er to meet the first sage of our Heavenly Sage Sect!"
She could hardly hide her excitement. The Woodcutter Sage had taught the Dharma beneath a tree and passed down the scriptures upon a stone to the founding patriarch; the founding patriarch had founded the sect and created the Heavenly Sage Sect; and thereafter every generation of sect masters had been disciples of the Woodcutter Sage, each of them passing through a transmission of scriptures upon the stone.
To the disciples of the Heavenly Sage Sect, the Woodcutter Sage was a being high above, one to be looked up to, one to be worshipped with head bowed to the ground!
To lay eyes on this legend was the greatest wish of every disciple in the sect!
Shen Mu hesitated. He looked at the excited Granny Zhu, and in the end decided not to tell her the truth.