Chapter 753: A Promise Light as Eternity
How many years had it been?
Qin Mu wasn't entirely sure either. The Chiming Era had ended 350,000 years ago, and it had lasted for 70,000 years. The Longhan Era had ended 420,000 years ago.
And how long had the Longhan Era lasted?
That was impossible to deduce.
In the endless passage of time, disregarding days and months, had that masked, withdrawn youth truly been waiting in the Netherworld all this time for Qin Mu's arrival?
Had he really stayed there, guarding the Imperial Heavenly Lord's coffin?
Qin Mu couldn't imagine it. That Netherworld Heavenly Lord who, bored on the floating bridge at Jade Pool, had tossed Netherworld techniques into the water to blast fish; that youth who, when sad and self-blaming, would curl up and convulse—had he remained in the dark Netherworld, waiting, all because of a single promise?
Back then, he had been a pale-faced youth. Now, he was an old man. Only someone as withdrawn as him would cultivate so many clones and avatars, spending every day in various worlds, guiding the souls of the dead to the Netherworld.
Only someone as introverted as him would talk to himself, able to remain for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, guarding the stern and unsmiling ancient god, Earth Lord.
All for a single promise.
Countless ages ago, Qin Mu hadn't even made that promise to him in person. He had entrusted it to Ling Heavenly Lord to deliver.
*I understand. I have returned.*
For those words, he had gone to the Netherworld, guarding the Imperial Heavenly Lord's coffin, aging from a youth into an old man.
And he had no blood relation to the Imperial Heavenly Lord. It was only because, when his mother was gravely ill, the Imperial Heavenly Lord had visited him, been kind to him, and taken care of him.
That small kindness was enough for the withdrawn him to dedicate his entire life.
Qin Mu leaped from the bridge, landing on the paper boat. Seeing this, Old Ox hurriedly jumped off the bridge as well, but with a *plop*, he fell into the Nai River, where water and fire merged. The boat, carrying the old grim reaper and Qin Mu, had already sailed into the Netherworld, not catching him.
"Little rascal, don't you recognize me?"
Old Ox fumed, gnashing his teeth. "Back in the day, when I stormed the Heavenly Court..."
Lu Li, Yu Huang, Xuan Ming, and Han Lei, the four Netherworld Commanders, exchanged bewildered glances. The old grim reaper had attacked Fengdu earlier with such overwhelming force, so terrifyingly, and now he had suddenly taken a small boat and fled, leaving them behind!
If the Netherworld Emperor and the old grim reaper hadn't declared they would attack Fengdu, they would never have dared to rashly invade it.
It was only because the Netherworld Emperor had gone to the Netherworld, convinced Earth Lord in the name of the Heavenly Court, and promised to personally break through Fengdu's world barrier, that Earth Lord had ordered the old grim reaper to settle the grudge. Only then had Lu Li and the others made their decision and boldly sent troops to Fengdu.
And now, the Netherworld Emperor had been scared off by Emperor Yi Yue, and the old grim reaper, after receiving a mask, had also inexplicably run away, leaving them to face the remnants of the Kai Emperor's forces. How could they continue this battle?
The four Netherworld Commanders exchanged a glance, made a snap decision, and soared into the air. With four *plop* sounds, they dove into the Nai River.
Seeing this, the other Netherworld demon gods also surged toward the Nai River.
The King of Hell raised his sword and said coldly, "Kill!"
"Block the Nai River! Spare no one!"
The sounds of slaughter erupted instantly. On both banks of the Nai River, countless heads fell every moment. The river of water and fire was dyed red, with blood and floating shields.
Tian Shu, Emperor Yi Yue, and the others were also bewildered, but they had no time to think too much and joined the encirclement.
"Tianqi Rensheng Wang is such a terrifyingly brutal existence. Why did he lay down his arms upon seeing that mask?"
Emperor Yi Yue, after destroying a group of Netherworld demon gods, thought to herself, "How did Brother Mu manage that? What did those words mean?"
Tian Shu thought, "The Netherworld Prefect is vicious by nature, the most unreasonable person in the Netherworld. How many worlds have been destroyed at his hands? If I had known he would retreat upon seeing a mask, I should have given him a basketful of them!"
There were too many legends about this Prefect.
Tian Shu and Emperor Yi Yue were both Heavenly Kings of the Kai Emperor era, so they naturally knew many anecdotes and rumors.
Legend had it that the most terrifying being in the Netherworld was not Earth Lord, but the Netherworld Prefect, known as Tianqi Rensheng Wang. When this Prefect had arrived in the Netherworld was unknown. Some said he was originally a mortal, later invited by Earth Lord to become the Netherworld Prefect. Others said he was Earth Lord's younger brother, also a born divine being.
Earth Lord strictly enforced the rules of the Netherworld. As long as the rules weren't broken, he rarely interfered in any affairs of the living world. Moreover, even if the Netherworld's rules were violated, as long as one escaped back to the living world, Earth Lord wouldn't pursue it, only recording it for judgment after death.
However, the Netherworld Prefect rarely adhered as strictly to the rule of non-interference in the living world as Earth Lord did.
In countless legends, the Netherworld Prefect was a being of terrifying combat power, so powerful he seemed inhuman. His avatars numbered in the billions, traveling in small boats through various worlds, guiding souls to the Netherworld.
If he encountered resistance from the souls' relatives and friends, it would lead to immense disaster!
Throughout history, many worlds had experienced horrifying extinction events precisely because the old grim reaper had faced opposition from the gods and demons of those worlds while collecting souls.
When gods and demons went to war with the grim reaper, the consequences were terrifying.
Individually, the old grim reaper wasn't invincible; many gods and demons could defeat him. But when billions of grim reapers came from the Netherworld on paper boats, that was a world-ending catastrophe!
This was also the main reason why Heavenly King Tian Shu had trembled in fear and dared not move when he accompanied Qin Mu to the Netherworld last time.
He had cut off Earth Lord's horn, and Earth Lord had personally pursued him. The moment he escaped into the living world, Earth Lord had grabbed his body, but because he was already in the living world, Earth Lord hadn't killed him.
If it had been the Netherworld Prefect pursuing him, the situation would have been completely different. The Netherworld Prefect would have definitely killed him, no matter where he fled!
After killing him, the Netherworld Prefect would also capture his soul and bring it to the Netherworld for judgment. There would be no other outcome!
"It seems only Qin Mu isn't afraid of the Netherworld Prefect. Where does this kid get such a big face?"
Heavenly King Tian Shu's expression was strange. Last time, when they escaped from the Emperor Que Divine Blade, the old grim reaper had been cold and indifferent to him, but he had been polite and courteous to Qin Mu, and the two had chatted happily.
It was also Qin Mu who had pleaded on their behalf before Earth Lord, allowing them to escape the Netherworld.
Qin Mu, however, was completely unaware of the Netherworld Prefect's terror. He had never seen the Prefect's terrifying side.
On the small boat, the old grim reaper wore the mask on the back of his head, hanging the horse lantern on the bow. Suddenly, another small boat split off from this one and flew in all directions.
The old man sat down, took off the mask, examined it repeatedly, and after a moment, put it back on the back of his head.
"I am old."
His face suddenly became clear, allowing Qin Mu to see his features. This face had deep furrows on the brow, forming a "川" character.
From his face, one could no longer see the features of that young Netherworld Heavenly Lord who had blasted fish. All that could be seen were the marks left by time.
"Heavenly Lord Qin, long time no see. I am old, no longer fit to wear such a mask. And after a million years, you are still young."
A flicker of emotion stirred in his old eyes, but it quickly subsided.
Qin Mu bowed deeply. "Thank you for your long-standing care."
The old grim reaper shook his head. "I didn't recognize you at first. It wasn't until the willow leaf seal appeared on your brow that I suspected it might be you. But the shape of your willow leaf was different from his. Later, when the Heavenly Lord's seal appeared, I could be certain. But I couldn't interfere with you. If I interfered, you might not be you anymore."
Qin Mu nodded.
Though his words were obscure, Qin Mu understood them.
"Heavenly Lord Qin, let's go see the Imperial Heavenly Lord."
After their reunion, he seemed less familiar than before, reverting to the eccentric Netherworld Heavenly Lord of old. He said calmly, "I have waited a million years for this day."
Qin Mu fell silent.
A million years. Keeping a promise. Who could do that?
He had done it. From a universally admired prodigy, a promising young Netherworld Heavenly Lord, to a feared, unsmiling old grim reaper. Too many things had happened in that million years. There was no one to confide in, so he could only talk to himself.
And so, the grim reapers became more and more numerous.
Each grim reaper carried his burdens, but none could open their hearts to outsiders.
Qin Mu looked at the approaching Earth Lord. The majestic Earth Lord was immense, standing in the darkness, his horns immeasurably large and long. He suddenly asked, "You came this time to retrieve Earth Lord's horn. Now you're going back empty-handed. How will you explain yourself?"
The old grim reaper's face returned to calm, and he said indifferently, "I was blocked, delayed, and couldn't complete the task. So, according to precedent, it will be recorded on your account."
Qin Mu's face darkened, and he snorted. "I have plenty of shit basins on my head anyway."
The old grim reaper nodded. "Many."
Qin Mu asked again, "How did you become the grim reaper of the Netherworld? And how did you become the Netherworld Prefect?"
The old grim reaper spoke as if recounting something unrelated to himself. "After you left, I took the coffin to the Netherworld to see Earth Lord. Earth Lord said he could store Lan Yutian's body here, but I had to work for him. So I stayed. By staying here, I could not only guard my elder brother but also see my mother. That way, I could feel that I was still alive."
Qin Mu was stunned.
The paper boat arrived at Earth Lord's horn, flying past a series of destroyed continents. After a while, they finally reached the Tianqi Rensheng Wang Mansion.
"Earth Lord is very good. Actually, he and I are very similar. We're both very withdrawn."
The old grim reaper spoke more than usual. "But I'm a bit better off than him. He only has me to talk to, but I have many versions of myself, and my mother, and my elder brother, who lies in the coffin and listens to me talk."
Qin Mu stood up, jumped off the boat, and landed on solid ground. "Today, the Imperial Heavenly Lord can be revived."
The old grim reaper moored the paper boat and led him into the Tianqi Rensheng Wang Mansion. The first time Qin Mu had come here, he had only waited in the main hall for Earth Lord's judgment. This time, the old grim reaper took him to the backyard.
In the backyard was a middle-aged woman with a sickly complexion. She was laboriously carrying a bucket of water with blue flames, watering the spider lilies in the garden.
The spider lilies were in bloom, their color fiercer than fire, like clusters of colorful flames blossoming in the garden.
"Mother."
The old grim reaper rarely showed a smile. He walked over, helped the woman lift the bucket, and said, "Why aren't you resting? Why are you doing these heavy chores again? Leave them to me."
The woman wiped her forehead and smiled. "I have to find something to do. Who is this young man?"
She looked at Qin Mu, who immediately saw that the woman had no physical body, only a weak soul. The bucket and water were probably weightless, which was why she could lift them.
"My friend."
The old grim reaper smiled. "He's come to visit us and our elder brother."
The woman was delighted. "You don't have many friends, and no one comes to see you or take you out to play. It's rare to have a friend. I'll go make a few dishes! You two chat. I'll be quick."
She hurried off to busy herself.
Qin Mu bowed. "Thank you, Auntie."
The old grim reaper invited Qin Mu to sit in the inner room. Qin Mu looked around; the place was as clean as a whistle. "Why not catch some monsters to take care of Auntie? Or ask some souls to help. With your status, countless ghosts would be happy to help."
The old grim reaper shook his head. "Mother doesn't like monsters or those souls. Earth Lord is very good. After I agreed to his terms, he allowed us to be reunited and live here together."
After a moment, the woman had prepared a few dishes and brought them over. But these dishes were illusory, only food for ghosts, without any taste.
Qin Mu stood up to thank her and invited the woman to sit down. She shook her head and smiled. "I'll watch you eat."
Qin Mu sat down again and ate as if savoring a delicacy, praising it endlessly.
The woman was very happy. After they had eaten their fill, she cleared the dishes and went to wash them.
"Thank you," the old grim reaper said.
"It's only right," Qin Mu replied.
"You are actually a very good person."
The old grim reaper stood up and walked toward the back hall. "My elder brother is also here. Earth Lord has used his own power to protect his physical body. Not long ago, I sensed a change in the great Dao of heaven and earth. Heavenly Lady Yin was revived. I knew then that this day was not far off."
Qin Mu followed him, his heart surging. Finally, he saw the coffin he had forged from Buddha Prime Red Chromium!
The sound of the Imperial Heavenly Lord's heartbeat came from within the coffin!
—Almost 3,800 words, already very long! You always say I'm short, but look at others, they write chapters of 2,000 words! I'm this long, won't you cast a vote?