Chapter 858: Herding the Gods (Please Vote for Monthly Tickets!)
Qin Mu’s eyes widened. The ancient god Heavenly Emperor had one soul that hadn’t dispersed, and that soul had actually become an elder of the Heavenly Alliance?
Didn’t that mean the ancient god Heavenly Emperor still held a high-ranking position in the Heavenly Court?
All around him were the very people who had once killed him, who had nearly obliterated his soul completely!
They had seized his position as Heavenly Emperor and taken over his physical body.
His authority, his wife—none of it belonged to him anymore.
He had to play along with these people, call them brothers, scheme with them against the ancient gods, and help them become the rulers of the entire universe.
Perhaps even among the Heavenly Alliance experts who killed Earth Mother Yuanjun, he was one of them. He had also struck down Earth Mother Yuanjun and even cultivated a new Earth Mother Yuanjun to replace her!
Only this could explain why, after the Heavenly Alliance eliminated Earth Mother Yuanjun, the Primordial Wood fell into the Heavenly Emperor’s hands instead.
Because he himself was in the Heavenly Alliance—defending its interests meant defending his own!
And he had to plan slowly, plot his resurrection, scheme to reclaim his power and status, use the Heavenly Alliance’s strength to restore his rule, and destroy his enemies within it!
This matter was more bizarre, more surreal, and more unbelievable than any strange event Qin Mu had ever encountered!
Qin Mu couldn’t help but laugh, the sound growing louder, echoing endlessly through the vast Heavenly Yin Palace.
He laughed until he choked, coughing uncontrollably. “An old hand at the game… cough, cough! This is what Village Chief meant by an old hand at the game! What quick vengeance and righteous fury? It’s all schemes! What worldly order? It’s just your plaything! What worldly justice? It’s merely something for you to trample on!”
He stopped laughing, a half-smile on his face. “Now I find the Heavenly Court unspeakably ugly. Instead, Yancheng—that tiny place struggling between life and death—is the true mortal world, where warmth and cold can be felt. The Heavenly Court is nothing but a den of filth.”
The slovenly old Daoist remained silent, as if in deep meditation.
Heavenly Yin Goddess’s expression shifted slightly as she cautiously studied the Heavenly Emperor’s shadow within the black sand of souls.
The figure in the black sand remained composed. “Then why does Mu Tianzun still wish to see me?”
“Because Yancheng lacks the time and opportunity to grow.”
Qin Mu said, “Yancheng needs time. The Kaicheng era lasted twenty thousand years but failed to change heaven and earth because it was too short and was destroyed. Yancheng has only been around for a few hundred years, and it’s already on the verge of destruction. I need an ally like Your Majesty to share the pressure. And Your Majesty needs me to help you reshape your soul.”
The figure in the black sand laughed. “You and I are using each other. I hold great power in the Heavenly Court and can give Yancheng time. By pitting the old and new Earth Mother Yuanjun against each other, Yancheng has a chance to survive. But I think that if I ever reclaim the throne and Yancheng grows strong, it will become a major threat to me.”
Qin Mu said seriously, “Does Your Majesty have any other choice?”
The figure in the black sand laughed. “No.”
“I don’t think so either.”
Qin Mu said calmly, “Your Majesty, reshaping the soul requires one more condition: borrowing the power of the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord.”
The black sand trembled, and the figure within fell silent.
Qin Mu smiled. “I’m not sure about the Heavenly Duke, but the Earth Lord seems tricky. If I borrow the Earth Lord’s power to revive Your Majesty, he’ll definitely kill me.”
The figure in the black sand remained silent.
Heavenly Yin Goddess found herself in a dilemma, unsure whether to speak.
Back then, to control the Earth Lord, the Heavenly Emperor had taken advantage of the Earth Lord’s reincarnation, allowing the Heavenly Emperor’s son to lead the demigods in attacking the reincarnated Earth Lord.
The reincarnated Earth Lord, named A Chou, had three children. His son and eldest daughter were killed, leaving only his youngest daughter. When A Chou stormed the Heavenly Court, she fell into the Heavenly Emperor’s hands, becoming leverage over him.
Though they addressed each other as ruler and subject, the hatred had already taken root.
The slovenly old Daoist slowly opened his eyes. “The Earth Lord’s daughter is still alive. She holds a very high position in the Heavenly Court. There should be room for negotiation.”
The figure in the black sand said, “And the Heavenly Duke. He might not lend his power to revive me either.”
Qin Mu’s heart skipped a beat. Had the Heavenly Emperor done the same to the Heavenly Duke?
No wonder the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord were unwilling to mention this ancient god Heavenly Emperor, and even looked down on his actions.
The Heavenly Duke didn’t even want to bring up that history.
“He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”
Qin Mu said, “Your Majesty, you seem to control all power and dominate the world, but in reality, you’ve alienated everyone. When you fell into despair, no one came to save you.”
The figure in the black sand snorted but didn’t refute.
Qin Mu said, “Then let the Dao Ancestor convince the Earth Lord’s daughter, and she can convince the Earth Lord. As for the Heavenly Duke, I’ll find another way. As for the pressure on Yancheng, let the new Earth Mother Yuanjun handle it.”
The figure in the black sand snorted again, displeased with his tone.
Qin Mu’s eyes flickered. “There’s one more thing: Imperial Heavenly Lord. I want to obtain the remaining wisp of his soul.”
“Impossible!” The figure in the black sand shook his head firmly.
The slovenly old Daoist also shook his head. “Impossible. Imperial Heavenly Lord’s soul is hidden in the Pixin Hall. No one can retrieve it. This matter…”
He glanced at the figure in the black sand and fell silent.
Qin Mu frowned. This remnant soul of Imperial Heavenly Lord was connected to the ancient god Heavenly Emperor. Back during the Yao Chi Banquet, Imperial Heavenly Lord was attacked and killed. The ancient god Heavenly Emperor ordered a search for his soul, but the Earth Lord never found it.
Qin Mu could guess that Imperial Heavenly Lord’s soul had shattered, but the fragment carrying his memories had actually been taken by the Heavenly Emperor—only he could have hidden it from the Earth Lord.
But after the Heavenly Court changed hands, Imperial Heavenly Lord’s remnant soul was hidden in the Pixin Hall, likely involving various factions, beyond what the ancient god Heavenly Emperor and the Dao Ancestor could decide.
Qin Mu gritted his teeth. Could Imperial Heavenly Lord only remain foolish forever?
“Then, the Imperial Heavenly Lord who descended from the Heavenly Court—whose work was that?” he suddenly asked.
The figure in the black sand said, “Which Imperial Heavenly Lord do you mean?”
Qin Mu was taken aback.
The figure in the black sand laughed. “The Heavenly Court has created many Imperial Heavenly Lords. They’ve probably all descended to the mortal world. They’re conducting an experiment to see if the Imperial Heavenly Lords they’ve created are perfect. Which Imperial Heavenly Lord you encountered—I wouldn’t know. Besides, I created one myself.”
Qin Mu’s eyelid twitched. He looked at Imperial Heavenly Lord again, feeling sorrow for him and an uncontrollable urge to kill.
“Let me ask one more thing.”
Qin Mu steadied himself, forcing a smile. “Is the Kaicheng Emperor in the Heavenly Court? Has he also become a ruler there? After all, he’s an elder of the Heavenly Alliance.”
The figure in the black sand shook his head. “He refused to compromise and wouldn’t die, so of course he hid in the Land of No Worries. The Heavenly Court has been searching for the Land of No Worries but has never found it.”
Qin Mu was lost in thought. Suddenly, a weight lifted from his heart. His eyes even grew moist with emotion.
“This is the Kaicheng Emperor…” He chuckled softly, evaporating the tears in his eyes.
The Kaicheng Emperor had said that the more he learned about the outer Heavenly Court, the more despairing it became. Qin Mu could now understand the feeling behind those words, but he hadn’t compromised or chosen to become one of those high and mighty rulers.
All along, the Kaicheng Emperor had been Qin Mu’s motivation and role model. Though there had been many misunderstandings, Qin Mu’s admiration for him had never wavered.
If the Kaicheng Emperor were also in the Heavenly Court, the blow would be so severe it might crush him completely!
Qin Mu’s mood brightened. He stood up and laughed. “That’s enough for today. I’ll find a way with the Heavenly Duke; you handle the Earth Lord. Your Majesty, I have many matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. Imperial Brother, let’s go.”
He led Imperial Heavenly Lord outside. Suddenly, the figure in the black sand called out to him, laughing. “Mu Tianzun, you’ve come to talk with me and asked many questions. I have one question I don’t understand.”
Qin Mu stopped.
The figure in the black sand said with confusion, “I don’t know what you’re after. You have astonishing talent and skill, terrifying aptitude and insight, a strong curiosity, hard work, and even political acumen. You even have the identity of Mu Tianzun. Your status is lofty. You don’t need to do anything for the mortal world to gain the Heavenly Court’s favor. If you wanted, you could even go to the Heavenly Court and be an exalted Mu Tianzun. Yet you still run around in this mortal world, opposing the Heavenly Court, opposing a force that even made the Kaicheng Emperor despair.”
He repeated his doubt. “So, what are you after? What do you want to gain?”
Qin Mu turned his head, light flickering in his eyes, a pure smile on his face.
“Your Majesty, you were born as the supreme authority of the entire universe, the Celestial Pillar. You are not a mortal; you’ve never lived among mortals or in Yancheng.”
He smiled. “I grew up in the mortal world. There are many people who love me and whom I love. They have all sorts of small flaws, but they are people—lovable people. They are not gods, not lofty and aloof.”
“When I learned that the gods of the Heavenly Court feared these lovable mortals, cutting off their Divine Bridges, cutting off their futures and prospects, I knew it wasn’t mortals who feared the gods, but the gods who feared mortals!”
The figure in the black sand was momentarily stunned.
The slovenly old Daoist, who had been meditating with eyes closed, opened them again.
“When I and Blind Grandpa in the village pissed on the statues of gods, I lost all respect for you deities. When I was a child herding cattle by the Yong River, I was just a cowherd. I had no earth-shattering ambition, no shocking schemes. I just wanted to herd the gods—to keep these deities from the heavens from being so lofty and aloof.”
Qin Mu walked out of the Heavenly Yin Palace, his laughter echoing. “A cowherd must set rules for the cattle, so they don’t run wild. Herding the gods also requires rules for the gods, so they serve the people. When they do evil, there will be rules to punish them, and new gods will replace them. And those new gods will be born from mortals, not from power games among the deities. The Yancheng Reforms are exactly that.”
The figure in the black sand was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Coveting the tiger’s skin, a future threat indeed.”
Qin Mu turned around outside the hall, his smile radiant. “Yes. But that’s for the future. For now, we still need to cooperate.”
The black sand receded and vanished.
The slovenly old Daoist stood up, walked out of the hall, and passed by Qin Mu. “You will fail. You will die. Many have shared the same ideals—the successive Southern Emperors, the Kaicheng Emperor, Ling Tianzun—they all failed without exception.”
Qin Mu watched him walk away and shouted, “Someone has to do it! There are things to do and things not to do; you can’t just do nothing!”
The old Daoist paused, then his figure disappeared.
“Someone has to do it.”
Qin Mu murmured, turning to Imperial Heavenly Lord beside him. “Right?”
Imperial Heavenly Lord looked confused.
Qin Mu forced a smile and pressed, “Right?”
Imperial Heavenly Lord couldn’t answer.
Qin Mu’s face showed bewilderment. He muttered, “Right?”
The Dragon Qilin, who had been lying in front of the hall, stood up, shook himself, and walked over. “Right.”
Qin Mu smiled, feeling very happy inside.
Yan’er looked at the Dragon Qilin and whispered, “Why did you say ‘right’?”
“When the Patriarch was still alive, the Yancheng National Teacher often came to see him.”
The Dragon Qilin said in a low, muffled voice, “The Yancheng National Teacher often felt lost and helpless. He would ask the Patriarch, ‘Is what we’re doing right?’ When the Patriarch didn’t answer, the National Teacher’s heart felt empty. When the Patriarch said ‘right,’ the National Teacher would smile. The Sect Leader needs a companion to support him, but he doesn’t have one. I didn’t want to make him sad.”
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