Chapter 980: Putting Oneself in Another's Shoes, Exchanging Places
In the Thirty-Three Heavens of Carefree Haven, everyone felt the divine consciousness surging from Divine King Langhuan. The voice transformed by that consciousness exploded in their minds.
The Creator race had launched such a massive attack, yet claimed to come for peace, intending to negotiate with the Kai Emperor. This matter was simply too bizarre.
These Creators had arrived with overwhelming force. Judging by the scene, they clearly held an absolute advantage. Destroying Carefree Haven would be effortless for them. Under these circumstances, why would they seek peace talks?
"Most likely a trap, luring the Kai Emperor out to eliminate him!" many speculated.
The current scene indeed resembled a trap.
However, a peerlessly beautiful goddess flew out from the Creator camp. She lightly drew a line in the void between Carefree Haven and the Creator formation, and a platform appeared in the emptiness. Both the people of Carefree Haven and the Creators could clearly see the situation on the platform.
That goddess-king's figure grew smaller and smaller, finally taking on the stature of an ordinary person. Together with a young man in a large red robe, she flew onto the platform. Beside them was a large head, waiting quietly.
In the Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court of Carefree Haven, the Kai Emperor pondered for a moment, then said to Qin Hanzhen and Yanyunxi: "Come with me. Remember, do not call him by his name directly. Address him as Mu Tianzun or the Holy Infant."
Qin Hanzhen and Yanyunxi acknowledged the order.
Yanyunxi smiled and said: "The Zhen King is his biological father; he probably won't be too harsh."
Qin Hanzhen remained silent.
The three flew out of the Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court, arrived at that platform, and stood opposite Qin Mu, Divine King Langhuan, and Divine King Shujun.
Qin Mu waved his hand, and a long table appeared, along with six chairs arranged in pairs facing each other. He raised his hand and said with a smile: "Celestial Venerable Qin, please take a seat."
"Mu..."
Qin Hanzhen opened his mouth to speak but changed his words: "Mu Tianzun, please."
Everyone took their seats. This place was in the central zone between the two forces. Under the watchful eyes of all, everything on the platform was observed clearly and distinctly by both sides.
Qin Mu and Divine King Langhuan sat down, while Divine King Shujun also wedged himself into his chair, his large eyes rolling around as he sized up the three opposite them.
Divine King Langhuan said: "Qin Ye, this is the Holy Infant of our Creator race."
The Kai Emperor nodded in acknowledgment and said: "I have long heard of your reputation."
Qin Mu smiled and returned the greeting.
Divine King Langhuan continued: "This is Shujun Divine King, the former divine king of our Creator race."
The Kai Emperor said: "I have long heard of your reputation."
Divine King Shujun laughed: "You haven't heard of my name. I've been dead for who knows how many tens of thousands of years."
The Kai Emperor smiled faintly. Yanyunxi beside him laughed and said: "So the Holy Infant of the Creators is none other than the esteemed Mu Tianzun. How amusing. Isn't Mu Tianzun of the human race?"
Qin Mu smiled without speaking. Divine King Langhuan glanced around, her beauty peerless, and said: "The Holy Infant possesses the power of creation. What does it matter whether he is human or Creator? Racial prejudice, deep-seated biases—these only reveal narrow-mindedness and pettiness."
Yanyunxi laughed: "That's not what Divine King Langhuan said back then. When we first came to the Other Shore to establish Carefree Haven, Divine King Langhuan and the Creator race viewed us as foreign invaders and intended to wipe us out completely."
Divine King Langhuan glanced at her, the pearls on her phoenix crown gently swaying. She said unhurriedly: "Every inch of land in the Other Shore, every stretch of starry sky, was forged by our Creator race with divine consciousness, soaked in the blood of our people. The Creator race suffered near annihilation and fled here. This is our final place of reproduction and survival. Brother Qin Ye came from afar, and our Creator race treated him with courtesy and respect, never deceiving him—is that not so?"
The Kai Emperor nodded and said: "Back then, I followed the map and arrived here. I was honored by the Divine King's hospitality and am deeply grateful."
Divine King Langhuan said: "Brother Qin Ye said his people were in danger and came to borrow a place to survive. Our Creator race, feeling sympathy for your shared suffering, allowed you to borrow land to live. Brother Qin Ye said he would borrow the land of one sword strike, and we agreed—is that not so?"
The Kai Emperor nodded silently.
Divine King Langhuan said coldly: "We treated you with sincerity, yet Brother Qin Ye used one sword to cut away half of our Other Shore. Although our race possesses great magnanimity, it has not reached such an extent. We treated you sincerely, yet Brother Qin Ye played tricks on us. Put yourselves in our shoes—if someone came to cut away half of your Carefree Haven, would you agree?"
Yanyunxi said: "Although His Majesty played tricks within the land of one sword strike, the Creator race did not keep their promise. Instead, they led their people to attack, resulting in casualties on both sides. Our Carefree Haven suffered even heavier losses..."
Divine King Langhuan sneered: "Right and wrong, truth and falsehood—does Tian Master Zixi have no conclusion in her heart?"
Yanyunxi said: "The number of our people and divine demons who died at the hands of your Creators is a hundred or a thousand times the number of your Creators who died. Where can they seek justice? Where is the right and wrong? Divine King, our Carefree Haven has never wanted to be enemies with the Creators. We only came to seek a place to live. His Majesty said back then that we came to borrow land to survive. He was waiting for someone, and once that person arrived, he would leave this place and return Carefree Haven to you. Why must you insist on exterminating us?"
Shujun said angrily: "You invaded our race, and you won't allow us to resist? And you think you're in the right?"
Yanyunxi was about to speak when the Kai Emperor raised his hand to stop her. He said: "Tian Master, we were in the wrong first. We cannot blame the Divine King."
He looked at Qin Mu and said: "What does the Holy Infant wish to say?"
Qin Mu said: "We are all fellow sufferers in this world, yet we bully those who are also suffering. This is truly unjustifiable."
Qin Hanzhen coughed and said: "Mu Tianzun is of the human race and should think for the human race. Put yourself in the position of the Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court at that time and consider their circumstances."
Qin Mu said calmly: "I would also like to put myself in your position, but I cannot recall when you ever did the same for others. When the Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court was destroyed, its people were displaced. Some died, some fled. Only one in a hundred survived. They fled to Yankang. Did the Kai Emperor ever think of those people? No, he did not. Were those people not human? Were their descendants not human? Ah, I see—they were the abandoned people of the gods."
He sneered and continued: "I originally thought the Great Ruins were the abandoned people of the gods. Later, I learned that was not the case. Yankang was the abandoned people. At that time, I foolishly thought Yankang was abandoned by the Heavenly Court of the gods. Only later did I realize I was wrong. Yankang was not abandoned by the Heavenly Court—it was abandoned by the Kai Emperor."
Qin Hanzhen frowned and could not help but say: "At that time, the entire Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court was about to be destroyed. Only by preserving the core strength, the vital force, could we have a chance to counterattack in the future. We could not protect those mortals. Mu Tianzun, think about it—if you were in that position, you would have done the same..."
"In that position?"
Qin Mu said indifferently: "The outbreak of Yankang was remarkably similar to the plight of the Kai Emperor's Heavenly Court back then. The Yankang National Master did not flee to Carefree Haven. Emperor Yanfeng did not flee to Carefree Haven. They stayed behind, together with the people they were meant to protect. I did not leave either. Could they not have left? Could I not have left?"
His gaze fell on the Kai Emperor's face, and he said: "This is where the Kai Emperor falls short of me, falls short of Emperor Yanfeng and the Yankang National Master. Back then, you left. You led the strongest group away and created Carefree Haven. For twenty thousand years, you accomplished nothing, achieved no results. Because you left, the Kai Emperor's era ceased to exist. We did not leave. We stayed. That is why the Yankang era still continues. Heh, putting oneself in another's shoes..."
He said proudly: "If I were in your position, I would have done better! Emperor Yanfeng and the Yankang National Master did better than you! The ministers of Yankang also did better than your ministers!"
Qin Hanzhen said no more.
The Kai Emperor nodded and said: "You did better than I did back then. Even during the Dragon Han era, I admired you greatly, believing you were a hero, while I was not. I could not act like a hero the way you do."
"Your Majesty!"
Yanyunxi frowned: "Why belittle yourself? Even if we truly fight, Carefree Haven is not afraid. Why bow your head to him? His so-called Creator formation, his so-called heavenly palace and divine weapons—to me, they are full of flaws. Clearly, they are just meant to intimidate us!"
Qin Mu glanced at her and said with a faint smile: "Tian Master Zixi, what you see is what I allow you to see. If I truly wanted to destroy Carefree Haven, you could not stop me."
Yanyunxi was furious, grinding her teeth in hatred.
Qin Mu said calmly: "You have hidden in Carefree Haven for too long. You have no understanding of the earth-shattering changes outside. You have lost your drive to advance and your will to fight. In one month, I trained the Creators to this level. It will not take long for me to elevate the divine techniques and Dao of the Creators to another level. If I leave this time and return with my forces to the gates of Carefree Haven, what you will see will not be a heavenly palace born of imagination, nor divine weapons and armor born of imagination."
Yanyunxi snorted and turned her head away, grinding her teeth: "Back then, we should have let Lu Zhengyi kick you to death with one hoof!"
Qin Mu's gaze fell back on the Kai Emperor, and he said: "You are too steady. You weigh too many things, look forward and backward. I weigh fewer things and act more recklessly than you. I did indeed bring troops here to intimidate you, but the Creators and Carefree Haven do need peace. Therefore, while I intimidate you, I am also here to negotiate peace."
The Kai Emperor said: "I would like to hear the details."
Qin Mu looked at Divine King Langhuan, who nodded slightly.
"Carefree Haven will be handed over to you, to be governed by you. The Creators will not invade again. However, in exchange, the Netherworld Godchild, Qin Fengqing, will open up the Netherworld in the Other Shore and the Grand Void, creating a new Netherworld to gather wandering souls and pacify the Grand Void."
Qin Mu said: "The Grand Void will belong to the Creators. Carefree Haven must not set foot there. The Netherworld Godchild will be the Tu Bo of the Grand Void Netherworld, handling matters with fairness, establishing the cycle of life and death, and not devouring souls according to personal preference. If Carefree Haven can achieve this, the two races will coexist peacefully and face powerful enemies together."
Having said this, he looked at Divine King Langhuan and said: "Sister, is there anything you wish to add?"
Divine King Langhuan's eyes flickered, and she said: "Carefree Haven may establish academies and schools in the Creators' territory to teach divine techniques and Dao. In exchange, the Creators may establish academies in Carefree Haven to teach the cultivation of divine consciousness."
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, resting against the backrest, and said with a smile: "Celestial Venerable Qin, what do you think?"
The Kai Emperor said: "What Mu Tianzun has said is most reasonable. This trip has not been in vain. Do our two races need to sign any contract?"
"No need."
Qin Mu reached out his hand across the table and said: "As long as you and I shake hands, the covenant will be sealed."
The Kai Emperor extended his hand, and the two hands clasped firmly together.
The Kai Emperor revealed a smile, looking him up and down, and laughed: "Mu Tianzun is still wearing a red robe. Is there a red bellyband underneath?"
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, leaned back in his chair again, and raised an eyebrow: "Yes, and I'm not even wearing underwear. What, do you want to hit me?"
"Yes!" the Kai Emperor nodded heavily.