Chapter 882: For the Ideal, One Must Be Willing to Sacrifice
Yan’er was caught in a dilemma. The woman carrying the lantern urged her repeatedly, and Yan’er looked back every few steps as she followed her into the peach grove, gradually disappearing into its depths.
Long Qilin approached Qin Mu and asked, “Cult Leader, where are we going?”
Qin Mu lowered his head. After a moment, he raised it again and said, “First, to Xianglong City.”
Long Qilin shook his body and revealed his true form.
Linxuan Daoist Master stepped forward and said to Qin Mu, “Cult Leader Qin, the Dao Ancestor has ordered our Dao Sect to relocate, to leave Yankang and take refuge in Qingyun Heaven.”
Qin Mu nodded silently.
“Cult Leader, do you have nothing to say?” Linxuan Daoist Master couldn’t help asking.
Qin Mu jumped onto Long Qilin’s forehead, looked down, and said, “Perhaps if we leave the green hills behind, there will still be a chance to kindle the fire in the future. Daoist Master Lin, take care!”
Linxuan Daoist Master quickly said, “Cult Leader Qin, won’t you hide for a while?”
Qin Mu revealed a smile, and Linxuan felt that this fellow’s smile actually held a genuine innocence.
“The Chiming Revolution was to prove that humans can be as powerful as gods. The Shanghuang Revolution was to fight for the right of humans to survive, that human life is equal to that of gods, that human life is greater than heaven. The Kaicheng Reform was to continue the achievements of the Shanghuang Revolution, establishing both that human life is greater than heaven and that gods and demons serve humans, locking the power of gods and demons in a cage.”
Qin Mu continued, “The Yankang Reform continues the Kaicheng Reform, aiming to return the Dao to the common people, that the daily use of the people is the true Dao. The revolutions and reforms of three eras cannot end in the Yankang era, with the fruits of reform stolen by the Outer Heavenly Court. The Chiming, Shanghuang, and Kaicheng eras saw too many heroes and martyrs die for the revolutions and reforms. They used their own lives as sacrifices for the revolutions and reforms of those three eras, offering themselves. These people of lofty ideals sacrificed themselves so that future generations could live better. If the Yankang Reform also needs a sacrifice…”
He pursed his lips, and though his voice was soft, it was resounding and shook the heart: “Then let it begin with the Three Heroes of the Reform! As the Heavenly Sage Cult Leader and Human Sovereign among the Three Heroes of the Yankang Reform, Qin Mu, I am ready. Daoist Master Lin, go to Qingyun Heaven, leave a spark for the Yankang Reform. Long Fatty, let’s go!”
Long Qilin took a step, clouds forming under his feet, and galloped toward Xianglong City.
Linxuan Daoist Master watched them disappear into the distance, lost in thought: “For an ideal… Cult Leader Qin, I once thought of you as an abandoned child of the Great Ruins, once thought of you as the demon cult leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, never considering you a Yankang native. I never imagined that when disaster struck, the most steadfast person would be you. And I, a native-born Yankang native, am leading the Dao Sect to leave Yankang…”
Long Qilin poured all his mana into a frantic sprint.
This time, he didn’t slack off, didn’t hide his speed to trick Qin Mu into giving him more spirit pills. Instead, he ran with all his might.
In the past, to get more spirit pills, he would always increase his speed bit by bit, letting Qin Mu see his progress and refine more pills for him. Now, he had no such petty thoughts.
Long Qilin ran for two days but still hadn’t seen the old border of the Great Ruins. His stamina was now formidable, and running at full speed for two days didn’t tire him.
Suddenly, a green sparrow flew from behind, landed on Long Qilin’s head, pecked at a spirit pill from him, and laughed, “I’m back!”
Qin Mu and Long Qilin were both surprised and delighted. “Sister Yan’er, why are you back?”
“The Empress has many maidservants; she doesn’t need me specifically.”
The green sparrow chirped rapidly, “Besides, the Empress doesn’t like me serving her. She always says I want to fatten her up. This time, I fattened myself up, so she probably likes me even less. Rather than suffer there, it’s better to come out and have fun. At least you’re not afraid I’ll fatten you up.”
Qin Mu shook his head. “Following us will be dangerous. Sister Yan’er, you should go back. When the chaos erupts, only the Peach Grove in the Primordial Realm will be safe.”
Yan’er laughed, “I’ll go back when danger comes. I’m just worried about you. Without my care, you definitely can’t take care of yourselves. You’re all little fledglings. And Long Fatty, you’re too slow!”
She revealed her true form, turning into a plump Dragon Sparrow, and laughed, “Get on my back; I’m faster!”
She carried Qin Mu and Long Qilin forward, reaching the vicinity of Xianglong City in less than a day. Qin Mu landed and surveyed the geography. The Primordial Realm had broken its seal, drastically altering the terrain. He could only infer the general location of Xianglong City, lacking a detailed map.
“That’s… the Heavenly King Temple!”
Qin Mu’s eyes lit up, landing on a dilapidated Heavenly King Temple. He said, “The Heavenly King Temple isn’t far from Xianglong City. If we find this temple, we can quickly locate Xianglong City! Long Fatty, remember when the Heavenly King Stone Statue rode you to slay the Dragon King? That temple ahead is the one!”
Long Qilin snorted, remembering that incident vividly.
Just then, a squad of white-boned skeletons came running, carrying placards reading “Silence and Make Way,” heading straight for the Heavenly King Temple. From a distance, the skeletons’ voices could be heard: “Zhenhai Heavenly King, the Kaicheng Emperor decrees: Great chaos is about to erupt. Order Zhenhai Heavenly King to gather the troops of the Four Seas, abandon the Great Ruins, enter Fengdu, and temporarily avoid the edge of the Outer Heavenly Court! After gathering the troops, Zhenhai Heavenly King is to rendezvous with Qinghuang and return to Qinghuang’s command.”
Zhenhai Heavenly King’s voice came from within: “Your subordinate receives the order!”
That squad of white-boned skeletons walked out of the Heavenly King Temple, carrying the placards, and sped away.
Qin Mu was uncertain, but then he heard Zhenhai Heavenly King’s voice from the temple: “Bring my blade! Lead my horse!”
Long Qilin shuddered at the words “Lead my horse.”
Qin Mu walked forward and saw a stone statue emerge from the temple, rapidly transforming from stone to flesh and blood.
This Zhenhai Heavenly King was fully armored, holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He leaped onto the stone horse in front of the temple gate. The stone horse was also rapidly transforming, its scales turning cyan, its hooves splitting into dragon claws, its tail becoming a dragon’s tail, its mouth full of fangs. It opened its mouth and neighed, the sound like thunder.
Qin Mu bowed in greeting, saying, “Zhenhai Heavenly King, I am Qin Mu, the 107th generation descendant of the Kaicheng Emperor. We have met once before. May I ask, Zhenhai Heavenly King, what orders does the Kaicheng Emperor have this time?”
Zhenhai Heavenly King reined in his cyan dragon horse, looked at him, and laughed, “I remember that Dragon Qilin. I once rode him at midnight to slay the rebellious dragon of the Eastern Sea. The Kaicheng Emperor has sent a decree from the Land of No Worry, ordering the gods under Qinghuang of the Eastern Azure Heaven Palace to abandon the Great Ruins, fully contract, and preserve our strength. Since you are a descendant of the Kaicheng Emperor, you should know the danger of the situation. You can go to Fengdu to take refuge. Giddyup!”
He raised his blade, spurred his horse, and rode off.
Qin Mu frowned, a sense of unease growing in his heart.
The Kaicheng Emperor’s decree was to fully contract and preserve strength, meaning that the Woodcutter, the Martial Combat Heavenly Master, Di Yiyue, Tian Shu, and the other Four Heavenly Masters and Four Heavenly Kings would also receive the Kaicheng Emperor’s orders, telling them to abandon Yankang.
Yankang had survived only because of the protection of the Kaicheng Emperor’s remnants. Now, with the Kaicheng Emperor’s decree, the Four Heavenly Masters, the Four Heavenly Kings, and even Fengdu would contract and not help Yankang in the slightest!
He steadied himself, his voice hoarse: “Let’s go. To Xianglong City.”
On the road, Qin Mu saw stone statues awakening in villages and towns, turning from stone to flesh and blood. The gods of the Kaicheng era gathered, formed armies, and left the lands they had originally guarded.
The people of the Great Ruins stood at village entrances and city gates, watching these guardian gods leave. Their eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness.
Qin Mu followed these divine armies to Xianglong City. The divine armies crossed the Bridge of Life and Death in Xianglong City and entered Fengdu.
Xianglong City was also silent. There were many temples in the city, with numerous stone statues. Now, these statues were also awakening and entering Fengdu one after another.
“Cult Leader Qin!”
Many disciples of the Heavenly Sage Cult were in the city. They quickly discovered Qin Mu’s arrival. Shi Tianwang led several hall masters over, panicked, and asked, “Cult Leader, what’s happening?”
Qin Mu waved his hand, smiled, and said, “Everything is under my control. No need to panic.” With that, he also stepped onto the Bridge of Life and Death and entered Fengdu.
Fengdu, Qin Wang Hall.
Yan Wang’s face was hidden beneath a dark cloak. “Descendant of the Qin family, there’s no need to speak. I know why you’ve come. No matter what, we are always subjects of the Kaicheng Emperor, not subjects of Yankang. The Kaicheng Emperor’s decree has been issued. As his subordinates, we must obey!”
Veins bulged on Qin Mu’s forehead, and he clenched his fists. “What about human lives? The lives of the countless people of Yankang? You command the most powerful army of the Kaicheng era. Are you going to watch countless lives in Yankang be destroyed? That’s hundreds of millions of lives! Their ancestors were also people of the Kaicheng era!”
Yan Wang’s voice was devoid of emotion. “The Kaicheng Emperor is my adoptive father. He has his plans. He entrusted his gods and demons to me, and I must be responsible. The Four Heavenly Masters and the Four Heavenly Kings have also received their orders and have already withdrawn from Yankang. Descendant of the Qin family, Qin Mu, you are after all a descendant of the Kaicheng Emperor. Come to Fengdu. Fengdu, backed by the Netherworld, can be both a retreat and a defense.”
Qin Mu was deeply disappointed. He stood up, laughed coldly, and said, “I am a descendant of the Qin family, but I am also the Human Sovereign. The lineage of the Human Sovereign Hall, from the First Ancestor Human Sovereign to my generation, has passed through thirty-seven generations. For thirty-seven generations, the Human Sovereigns have fought fiercely for the people of Yankang, one after another, none retreating. I cannot break the inheritance of the Human Sovereign Hall. Farewell!”
He walked out of Qin Wang Hall.
Outside the hall, thousands of gods and demons stood respectfully, waiting in silence.
“Qisha Star Lord, Wei Liao, pays respects to my benefactor!”
The leading divine general said in a deep voice, “Wei Liao is already dead. I am no longer a subordinate of the Kaicheng Emperor. I am willing to follow my benefactor into battle!”
Qin Mu stared at them blankly, then revealed a faint smile, forcing a laugh. “Star Lord Wei Liao, you might be annihilated, body and soul…”
Wei Liao laughed heartily. “We died once for the Kaicheng Emperor. What harm is there in dying again for my benefactor? Brothers, are you afraid?”
The thousands of gods and demons burst into laughter. “We weren’t afraid twenty thousand years ago. Can we be afraid after death? It’s worth being a heroic spirit!”
Qin Mu bowed deeply to the ground. “On behalf of the people of Yankang, I thank you all! Please move the people of the Great Ruins and settle them in the various cities of Yankang!”
He was about to leave when he saw a group of oddly shaped old men, old women, handsome men, and beautiful women approaching, making a racket.
Leading them was the Young Ancestor. He kicked Long Qilin aside and laughed, “We’re not subordinates of the Kaicheng Emperor after all. Dying for Yankang is where righteousness lies.”
Qin Mu was stunned. Those handsome men, beautiful women, old men, and old women were all the successive cult leaders of the Heavenly Sage Cult, a motley crew. They all said, “We are the Heavenly Sage Cult, not the Heavenly Demon Cult. Hiding here is useless. It’s time to do some real work!”
Qin Mu said nothing. He bowed deeply to the successive cult leaders of the Heavenly Sage Cult and the Young Ancestor, remaining bent for a long time.
The Young Ancestor helped him up and laughed, “This isn’t just your matter. It’s a matter for all of us. You can’t shoulder it alone. Go on ahead. We monsters and demons have been hiding here for too long. It’s time to come out of the mountains.”
Qin Mu rose, took Long Qilin and Yan’er, and left.
He arrived at the Bridge of Life and Death, where a small boat drifted on the Nai River. The man in the straw raincoat on the boat took off his hat and laughed, “Human Sovereign Qin, let me see you off.”
Qin Mu boarded the small boat. Lingjing Daoist poled the boat, carrying them upstream to the Living Realm of the Dead. He then transformed back into the Nine-Fingered White Bone and said leisurely, “The housing prices in Fengdu are rising day by day. I can’t afford a house on the banks of the Nai River anymore. Human Sovereign Qin, the situation outside is very dangerous.”
Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then said, “Lingjing Daoist, you have already died, your Dao extinguished. You don’t need to think about these things anymore.”
Lingjing Daoist laughed, “I fought with your master, Human Sovereign Su, my whole life. He cut off one of my fingers. I hated him, but when he took out the Human Sovereign Seal, I still went to help him, along with the Heavenly Demon Ancestor. No other reason. The human race, and the other races of Yankang, were all saved by the Human Sovereign. Poling boats and ferrying people here is meaningless. After a few thousand or ten thousand years, I might be able to buy a small house on the banks of the Nai River. Rather than that, it’s better to have one more glorious fight. The Heavenly Demon Ancestor has gone. I must go too.”
Qin Mu said hoarsely, “Lingjing Daoist, you and the Ancestor died for Yankang, blocking the Upper Firmament. But the people of Yankang don’t know that you are the heroes who protected them.”
Lingjing Daoist poled the boat through layers of white bone mountains, laughing, “But I know. I am a hero. I will follow my heart, go, and act. You’ve reached the shore. Next time you come, the person on the ferry might not be me.”
Qin Mu jumped off the boat. The small boat departed, disappearing into the mist and bones.
— Readers, remember to give Qin Mu and the Village Chief a little love~