Chapter 489: Human Life Is Greater Than Heaven
The people at the banquet were also thrown into chaos. This impact was so violent that houses collapsed and roofs flew off. The eaves of the palace behind them were torn off entirely and sent flying backward.
Flying out along with the eaves was the entire banquet—plates, bowls, wine, jade tables—all hurled into the air by the terrifying shockwave!
Whoosh—
A large tree was snapped in half at the trunk, spinning as it flew into the sky. Then, several people outside the mansion were swept up by the hurricane, flailing their limbs. In their haste, they grabbed onto the tree, only to be flung away without a trace by another, even more terrifying wave of force.
Qin Mu and the others, being cultivators of no mean skill, managed to steady themselves.
Bai Qingfu raised his hand, and one by one, dragon pearls floated in the air. He shouted sternly, “Freeze!”
Above the Bai Mansion, the people and objects swept into the air were all frozen in place. But outside the mansion, houses and trees were uprooted and surged toward them, pressing down on Bai Qingfu until he could barely withstand the pressure.
Bai Qingfu’s face flushed red. He stomped his foot, and his true dragon primordial spirit manifested behind him, causing the many dragon pearls to shine brilliantly. Still, he could barely hold out against the pressure.
“Qingfu!”
A woman holding a child led a group of Bai Mansion experts hurrying over. Everyone activated their dragon pearls, and the pressure on Bai Qingfu immediately eased. He quickly asked, “Mother, uncles, aunts, and great-uncle, why have you all come?”
“I received news that Beiluo Shimen has already been breached!”
The woman spoke rapidly. “The ones attacking are the vanguard of the Outer Realm demons. Bailong City cannot hold. You must leave the city immediately and head to the Heavenly Court! We, the older generation, will hold the line here! You go with the city’s civilians first; we will catch up later!”
The other young men and women were stunned and quickly said, “Beiluo Shimen has been breached? What do we do? Let’s hurry back to our mansions and inform the adults!”
“No need!”
The woman shouted, calming the panicked crowd. She shoved the little boy in her arms into Bai Qu’er’s embrace and pressed a dragon pearl into her hand. She said sternly, “Your families already know; you don’t need to inform them! You must leave the city now and go to the Heavenly Court! Don’t bother packing anything—leave immediately! The Dragon God Pearl in Qu’er’s hand can help you repel the darkness!”
Bai Qingfu also realized the severity of the situation and quickly turned to Qin Mu. “Brother Qin, come with us!”
Qin Mu’s heart stirred. The box clattered to its feet. Ban Gongcuo quickly jumped onto the box, and the Dragon Qilin, full of energy, also leaped onto it.
They headed straight for the back gate. As they reached it, a deafening crash sounded. Qin Mu looked back and saw a massive deity guarding the southern city gate of Bailong City being sent flying high into the air, hurtling toward them.
As that deity was knocked away, a bull-headed giant with chains wrapped around its body appeared outside the city gate. Its enormous frame was taller than the city tower. It pulled on the chains, and at the end of them, a black iron ball the size of a mountain slammed toward that deity!
Qin Mu’s hair stood on end. If that black iron ball struck the deity, it would inevitably land here—how could they possibly survive?
Just then, a melodious dragon’s roar echoed from within the Bai Mansion. The woman and the other Bai Mansion experts revealed their true forms, transforming into giant dragons that soared into the sky to meet the falling iron ball.
At the same time, experts from other mansions in Bailong City also charged out, surging toward the southern gate.
Outside the southern city wall, towering half-human, half-beast giants were smashing the wall. The tall wall collapsed with a roar, and then countless “Outer Realm demons” poured into the city like a tidal wave, quickly engulfing houses and clashing with the resistance forces!
“Hurry!”
Qin Mu, Bai Qingfu, and the others rushed toward the northern gate. The northern gate was already packed with fleeing people, the entire gate jammed so tightly that no one could get out. People were stepping on each other.
On the city tower, the deity guarding the gate used its magical power to form giant hands that reached down, grabbing people stuck there and moving them outside. It shouted, “Stay within the light outside the city! Do not step out of the light!”
Qin Mu and the others flew out of the city. They saw that many of those who had been moved outside were screaming as they charged into the darkness, only to turn into skeletons, stripped of flesh and bone.
That deity had moved tens of thousands of people, but countless more were still surging toward the northern gate, crying out in despair. Meanwhile, the army of “Outer Realm demons” had already arrived.
The deity gritted its teeth, flew out of the city, and shouted, “Gather around me! I’ll take you to the Heavenly Court! Follow me! The young and strong stay at the back to hold off the demons!”
As for those still rushing toward the city, it could no longer help them. It could only try to save these people first.
Qin Mu and the others landed. Bai Qingfu quickly led the group to follow the deity into the darkness. Ban Gongcuo shouted angrily, “Come back! If you want to live, don’t follow that deity!”
Bai Qingfu was stunned and looked at this legless man. Bai Qu’er held the child in one hand and raised the dragon pearl with the other to light the way. She asked, puzzled, “Why shouldn’t we follow them?”
The child cried. Her sister-in-law took the child and quietly comforted him.
It was Bai Qingfu’s son, still unweaned.
Qin Mu said solemnly, “That deity is protecting tens of thousands of people. It’s too big a target and will definitely be attacked. Everyone, it’s right to listen to him. Great Venerable is the best escape artist I’ve ever seen—his survival skills are unmatched! Great Venerable, you have the most experience. Tell us how to go!”
Ban Gongcuo quickly asked, “Which direction is the Heavenly Court?”
Bai Qingfu pointed west of Beiluo Shimen. Ban Gongcuo immediately said, “Then we head east! Hurry!”
The deity had already disappeared into the darkness with the fleeing crowd. Qin Mu and the others, with their light, had gathered about a hundred fleeing people around them, and more were still being drawn by the glow.
Ban Gongcuo said viciously, “Hurry! Kill all these dead weights!”
“How can we kill our own people?” Everyone was furious. Bai Qu’er also stopped, ready to take more people with them.
Ban Gongcuo’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. He shouted harshly, “Do you all want to die here? Don’t you want to live? With this foolish mercy, not a single one of you will escape!”
The “Outer Realm demons” burst out of the northern gate, charging into the fleeing crowd and slaughtering them left and right.
Bai Qingfu gritted his teeth. “Don’t wait for the others! Let’s go!”
They hurried into the darkness. The box also emitted a faint glow, which would normally have drawn surprise, but now no one had the heart to ask about it.
Behind them, the Outer Realm demons, like sharks drawn to the scent of blood, kept attacking. Bai Qingfu and the others held the rear, fighting as they retreated.
“With these burdens, we’re too slow!”
Ban Gongcuo gnashed his teeth, glaring fiercely at the Bailong City civilians around them. He sneered, “These commoners are a waste of life anyway. We might as well kill them all if we want any chance of escaping! Chief Qin, you agree with me, don’t you?”
Qin Mu looked at Bai Qu’er and said solemnly, “Qu’er, give the Dragon God Pearl to these people. The others can follow my box. I’ll lead you out, and there’s still a chance to live. Otherwise, these civilians will really drag us all down!”
Bai Qu’er shook her head. “How can we abandon the people just to save our own lives? The Bai family has no such people! Brother Mu, the Heavenly Court of the Sovereign was established for the people, and the gods serve the people. The Sovereign said: Human life is greater than Heaven!”
Her voice was soft, but it rang out like a thunderclap. “If we cannot protect the people, what use are the gods? The Sovereign said that before human life, even the gods must step aside.”
Qin Mu’s heart shook violently. “Human life is greater than Heaven?”
Ban Gongcuo laughed bitterly. “If one doesn’t look out for oneself, Heaven and Earth will destroy them! Human life greater than Heaven? I think faced with this situation, the Sovereign would save their own skin first!”
Bai Qu’er shook her head. “The Sovereign would never do that.”
More and more Outer Realm demons surged from behind. Qin Mu went to the rear of the group to fight them, covering the retreat eastward.
Qin Mu finally got a clear look at these “Outer Realm demons.” They were human, just like them, with no difference. He wondered, “Are they also human?”
There was no hesitation or delay. As soon as they met, it was the deadliest of moves, a life-or-death struggle. Qin Mu’s primordial energy exploded as he activated his sword pellet and struck at the surging “Outer Realm demons.” Flying swords shot out from the pellet, their forms shifting unpredictably, killing one enemy after another.
“Kill these rebels!”
The “Outer Realm demons” shouted loudly. “Achieve merit and return to the Heavenly Court soon!”
The two sides fought fiercely. Bai Qingfu and the others couldn’t kill them all, and more demons kept coming. Everyone was wounded to varying degrees.
Suddenly, someone was knocked into the darkness, devoured by the monsters lurking there, and turned into a skeleton in an instant. A pang of sorrow struck Qin Mu—it was the girl he had sparred with at the Bai Mansion.
They fought as they retreated, finally cutting down the last Outer Realm demon. Suddenly, silence fell around them, broken only by the whispers of monsters in the darkness.
Qin Mu treated everyone’s injuries. Bai Qingfu grinned and said, “Brother Qin, you know medicine too? Quite versatile.”
His left arm had been severed, yet he could still laugh. It was admirable.
“No need to treat me.”
Qin Mu went to the young man who had once challenged him, the Qin Tyrant Body. The youth’s chest had a gaping hole, his breath faint. He looked up and smiled. “I can’t be saved. I feel my soul shattering. I was greedy for glory and wanted to kill my opponent, but I took his blow. Don’t carry my corpse—leave it here. Don’t let me slow you down…”
Qin Mu examined him, but before he finished, the youth had already stopped breathing.
Qin Mu stood frozen for a moment, then got up to treat the others.
The group pressed on. The night was endless. From the surrounding darkness came the sounds of battle—other fleeing groups being ambushed.
They also encountered pursuers in the dark, like wolves trailing them, attacking from time to time.
Their numbers dwindled. Even Ban Gongcuo had to join the fight, and the Dragon Qilin entered the battle as well.
Qin Mu bandaged Bai Qingfu’s severed arm. Bai Qingfu held his son with his right arm, coaxing him to sleep. He handed the child to his wife and whispered, “Ahead, there’s a relay station with a deity enshrined there. That god will protect you. Brother Qin, can I borrow your box?”
From behind came the sounds of battle—another group of pursuers was about to arrive.
Qin Mu said, “I’ll go with you.”
“No need.”
Bai Qingfu grinned, his expression relaxed. “You’re only at the Six Harmonies realm; I’m at the Heavenly Being realm. I can make it back, but you won’t. Wait for me here. Take care of my son…”
He turned around, and the box stayed by his side.
Qin Mu hugged him, then turned and moved on with the group. Bai Qu’er and her sister-in-law looked back. They saw Bai Qingfu and the box disappear into the darkness.
After a while, the box ran frantically to catch up with them. It was covered in blood.
Bai Qingfu’s wife soothed the waking child, coaxing him back to sleep.
“Brother Qin, there aren’t many left who can fight.”
Bai Qingfu’s wife handed the sleeping child to Bai Qu’er, smoothed her disheveled hair, and smiled. “Someone still needs to hold off the pursuers. I’ll borrow your box. I might not be able to return it.”
“Sister-in-law Bai, we’ll go with you.” Several young men and women, missing limbs, stood up.
Qin Mu nodded and left the box behind. Bai Qu’er opened her mouth but said nothing.
The group moved on.
Soon after, the box caught up with them again. From behind came more battle cries.
Qin Mu smiled, stood on the box, and said cheerfully, “Fatty Dragon, it’s our turn. Great Venerable, you go with them.”
“You son of a bitch!”
Ban Gongcuo crawled on his hands to the box, cursing, “I came here with you! If you die, how the hell do I get back? I’ve never done a good deed in my life—consider this an exception! You son of a bitch!”
“No…” Bai Qu’er watched them, sobbing.