Chapter 933: The Death Spot of Mục Tôn
The monk and the Taoist were stunned by the woman's beauty, and it took them a moment to snap back to their senses. The Taoist hurriedly said, "Young miss, this is Diên Khang. Where have you come from?"
"Diên Khang?"
The young woman was none other than Vân Sơ Tụ. Hearing this, she beamed with joy and said, "Then this is Nguyên Giới. Diên Khang is the territory of that little fellow Mục Tôn. I've heard he's still the Diên Khang Bá Thể, one of the so-called Three Heroes of the Diên Khang Reformation. This Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều connects two altars—I built one in the Heavenly Court, and he left one in Diên Khang, so the two bridges are linked together..."
Thinking about this, she said, "Monk, Taoist, go and summon your emperor."
The monk and the Taoist hurriedly returned to the Diên Khang capital. Before long, Linh Dục Tú led the civil and military officials to come forward. Vân Sơ Tụ's eyes lit up, and she laughed, saying, "The emperor of Diên Khang is actually a woman. I've always said there's nothing wrong with a woman being emperor, but those stubborn old fogies always come up with all sorts of excuses to brush it aside."
Linh Dục Tú led the crowd forward to pay respects: "The Son of Heaven of a small nation in the lower realm pays respects to the Heavenly Court's upper deity."
Vân Sơ Tụ smiled and said, "No need for such formalities. A woman being emperor is a fine thing—it's really not as shocking as people make it out to be. I quite admire you. Since the Heavenly Court and Nguyên Giới are now connected, you can also visit the Heavenly Court from time to time to keep me company and relieve my boredom. No need to stay in the lower realm forever."
She handed over a waist token and said, "Carry my token, and you'll have unimpeded passage to and from the Heavenly Court."
Linh Dục Tú expressed her thanks and accepted the token, then said, "Diên Khang is poor, and the people have no way to make a living. However, Diên Khang has a great many manufacturing bureaus. Would it be possible to trade goods in the Heavenly Court?"
Vân Sơ Tụ thought for a moment, then laughed, saying, "What can your Diên Khang manufacturing bureaus produce?"
Linh Dục Tú said, "From daily necessities to divine weapons and fleets, we can manufacture all of it."
Vân Sơ Tụ's eyes rolled, and she laughed, saying, "Can you manufacture Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều?"
Linh Dục Tú nodded and said, "The craftsmen in our nation have manufactured such Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều before."
"What's the price?"
Linh Dục Tú summoned the Minister of Works, who reported a figure using the Heavenly Court's currency. The Heavenly Court mints its own coins, called Heavenly Coins, but the currency circulating within Diên Khang is still the Đại Phong Coin, so a conversion was needed.
Vân Sơ Tụ flew into a rage and sneered coldly, "Those old dogs at the Tạo Phụ Heavenly Palace actually embezzled that much of my money! The cost for Diên Khang to build one Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều isn't even one percent of what Tạo Phụ Palace charges!"
Linh Dục Tú dared not speak.
Vân Sơ Tụ said, "Emperor of Diên Khang, come with me to Tạo Phụ Palace. Your Diên Khang will be responsible for manufacturing the components of the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều, and Tạo Phụ Palace will assemble them. The price won't be low."
Linh Dục Tú was overjoyed and led the Minister of Works and several important ministers well-versed in mathematics and numerology as she followed her into the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều.
Vân Sơ Tụ looked and noticed that among these important ministers, two were actually women—one of them a little girl who was a fox spirit in disguise, not even bothering to hide the white fox tail behind her.
"Diên Khang has a female emperor, and many female officials too. The Heavenly Court doesn't have nearly as many female officials." Vân Sơ Tụ thought to herself.
What she didn't know was that the female officials accompanying Linh Dục Tú were Hồ Linh Nhi and Tư Vân Hương. This negotiation with Tạo Phụ Palace concerned Diên Khang's future development, so bringing the two of them along was absolutely necessary.
Beside the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều, the monk watched them walk into the bridge, a look of worry on his face. He said in a low voice, "Bạch Khuê, is the plan that Giáo Chủ Tần set down—biding our time and building our nation through manufacturing—really viable?"
The Taoist with an immortal bearing said in a deep voice, "We can't defeat the Heavenly Court, so we can only integrate into the Heavenly Court's system and make ourselves not its enemy. Our Diên Khang will take the opportunity to develop and slowly grow stronger. However, if the Heavenly Court's system has no internal troubles and no external threats, Giáo Chủ Tần's schemes will only make the Heavenly Court more stable. But as long as the Heavenly Court has internal troubles and external threats, that will be the time for Diên Khang to rise and soar!"
The monk's gaze was distant, and he sighed, saying, "A behemoth like the Heavenly Court—will it really have internal troubles and external threats?"
"Thái Thượng Hoàng need not worry about such things."
The Taoist laughed and said, "If the Heavenly Court has no internal troubles, Giáo Chủ Tần will create internal troubles for it. If it has no external threats, Giáo Chủ Tần can also create external threats for it. He has that kind of ability."
The monk thought of Tần Mục's deeds in Diên Khang and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "He does indeed have that kind of ability."
The Taoist continued, "And our Diên Khang only needs to cultivate our internal strength during this time. Relying solely on manufacturing to build the nation won't be enough to eradicate the Heavenly Court. We also need Diên Khang to grow strong on its own. If Diên Khang has many Đế Tọa level experts, or even Heavenly Court realm experts, then the future will be promising."
Linh Dục Tú arrived at the Heavenly Court and looked around, stunned by its splendor and luxury. It took her a long while to snap back to her senses, and she tested the waters by asking, "Upper deity, is Mục Tôn in the Heavenly Court?"
Vân Sơ Tụ glanced at her and said with a half-smile, "Are you his little lover?"
Linh Dục Tú's face flushed slightly, and she shook her head.
"He's currently staying at Dao Trì, watched very closely, but he still can't resist causing trouble."
Vân Sơ Tụ shook her head and laughed, saying, "There are many people in the Heavenly Court who want to deal with him, but right now they've all been worn down by his antics until they have no temper left."
Linh Dục Tú secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Vân Sơ Tụ's gaze swept over her, landing on her chest, and she said thoughtfully, "So that's how it is. I originally thought Mục Tôn had refined tastes—valuing a woman's inner qualities as much as her outer appearance. I never expected him to be so vulgar and lowbrow, caring only about the chest. So this is where I lost..."
Linh Dục Tú blinked, noticing that in the blink of an eye, Vân Sơ Tụ's chest seemed to have grown a size larger. She was puzzled.
The Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều connecting to Nguyên Giới caused no small stir. The bridge's utility was enormous—it could allow the Heavenly Court's troops to rapidly reach all the worlds of the universe. Any discerning eye could see that this was immensely beneficial to the Heavenly Court's rule over all worlds!
If such bridges could be used to connect all the worlds to the Heavenly Court, then the Heavenly Court's rule would reach an unprecedented height. The Heavenly Court might not even need to maintain so many troops!
As long as all worlds were connected to the Heavenly Court, unnecessary armies could even be trimmed, and there would be no need to station so many divine and demonic legions in each world to guard against rebellion!
If any world showed signs of rebellion, the Heavenly Court's army could directly crush it through the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều and quell the uprising!
In this way, countless supplies, provisions, and divine elixirs would be saved. The Heavenly Court's expenditures could be greatly reduced, and its rule would be even more stable than before!
Add to that the tributes from all worlds, which would also save the costs of transportation, and the Heavenly Court's deities descending to the lower realms to throw their weight around would be perfectly smooth as well!
However, hearing that the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều had been spread from Tần Mục inevitably surprised people and made them speculate about his intentions. Still, envoys continued to stream into the Dao Trì Mạn Hồi Corridor Pavilion, bringing all sorts of treasures in hopes of trading for the blueprints of the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều.
Long Kỳ Lân graciously accepted the treasures brought by these envoys and said, "Our Giáo Chủ has already ordered the blueprints to be sent to the Heavenly Court's Daoist Sect. You may all go there to request the blueprints."
Some envoys tried to ask for their treasures back but were chased out by Yên Nhi.
These past few days, Yên Nhi, Tề Cửu Nghi, Vân Tiệm Ly, and others had returned to the Mạn Hồi Corridor Pavilion to help Tần Mục handle various affairs.
More than ten days later, another batch of Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều was built, and beams of light shot up into the sky, forming a magnificent spectacle above the Heavenly Court.
"Tôn, I will be descending to the lower realm."
Vân Tiệm Ly came to take his leave of Tần Mục, saying, "Now that the Heavenly Court and Nguyên Giới are connected, descending to the lower realm has become incredibly simple. I will go to Diên Khang to see what this reformation is really all about."
Tần Mục nodded, wrote a few letters and handed them to him, saying, "After Brother Vân descends, you can go to the Tây Thổ Thượng Thương Thần Tông to see Hư Sinh Hoa, to the Diên Khang Daoist Sect to see Lâm Hiên Đạo Chủ, to Tu Di Sơn to see Chiến Không Như Lai, and to Tiểu Ngọc Kinh to see Vương Mộc Nhiên. They are all leaders of the reformation in the lower realms."
Vân Tiệm Ly solemnly accepted the letters, rose, and took his leave.
Tần Mục looked at the funnel-shaped beams of light in the sky above the Heavenly Court and breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes flickered, and he thought to himself, "This way, Diên Khang will be secure."
Just then, Vân Sơ Tụ's voice came from afar, laughing, "Mục Tôn, you're about to die!"
Tần Mục followed the sound and saw the woman riding a small boat across the sea toward him. She seemed a bit different from before. He said irritably, "You're the one who's about to die!"
His gaze involuntarily fell on her chest. Vân Sơ Tụ was very pleased with herself and unconsciously puffed out her chest.
The small boat reached the shore, and she jumped off. Tần Mục's gaze involuntarily followed her chest as it bounced up and down. Long Kỳ Lân noticed where he was looking and his heart lurched: "Oh no! The Giáo Chủ has been caught by the Empress Dowager at his weak spot!"
Vân Sơ Tụ walked over quickly, giggling, "You really are about to die! Hạo Thiên Tôn has summoned the Heavenly Court's bigwigs for a council, saying that Hỏa Thiên Tôn and Hư Thiên Tôn have sent word from Thái Hư that these past days Thái Hư has been undergoing strange changes, and they're requesting the Heavenly Court to send powerful experts there, lest the disturbances in Thái Hư bring disaster upon the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court's bigwigs deliberated and decided to send one of the Heavenly Venerables to lead a force there as a vanguard to rendezvous with Hỏa Thiên Tôn and Hư Thiên Tôn. Guess who this Heavenly Venerable is?"
Tần Mục let out a muffled groan: "It's not me, is it?"
Vân Sơ Tụ linked her arm through his left arm, pressing it between her breasts, her face beaming as she cheered, "It's none other than the famous Mục Tôn! Although some ancient gods objected, they were in the minority, and the Heavenly Emperor also nodded his head, saying that Mục Tôn must be sent."
Tần Mục tried to pull free, but Vân Sơ Tụ held on tightly. His heart stirred slightly, and he didn't force the issue.
"The Giáo Chủ is done for!"
Long Kỳ Lân's heart was pounding at the sight, and he thought in alarm, "The Giáo Chủ has been caught at his death spot!"
Tần Mục's eyes flickered as he probed, "I haven't met the Heavenly Emperor yet. Was this His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor created using a Tạo Hóa Divine Artifact?"
Vân Sơ Tụ glanced at him and said with a smile, "Mục Tôn seems not to worry about his own safety at all, instead deflecting to other topics. To be honest, most of those accompanying you to Thái Hư this time are people who want your life. Besides the disciples of the various Heavenly Venerables, there's also one powerful expert who's quite displeased with you. Guess who that is?"
Tần Mục shook his head. With her holding his arm, he involuntarily followed her toward the Mạn Hồi Corridor Pavilion, feeling that his left arm was very soft and warm.
"The Giáo Chủ is dead for sure!"
Long Kỳ Lân's face was ashen: "That's the Heavenly Emperor's wife!"
Vân Sơ Tụ laughed, "The leader of the Linh Tú Army, the one-armed divine blade Lạc Vô Song! When Lạc Vô Song heard that he would also be going to Thái Hư, two beams of blade light shot out from both his eyes. You should have seen how happy he was!"