Chapter 1566: The Righteous Path of the Human World
"When a man is about to die, his words are kind."
Lang Wan looked at Gong Tianzun, who had turned to ashes, and shook her head: "But even so, it's hard to erase the deeds of aiding tyrants you've committed over these million years. A single sentence urging people toward goodness cannot wipe away the evil you've done over this million years."
She returned to the Thirty-Third Heaven of Wuyou Village and said to Yan Yunxi: "Gong Tianzun is dead. Please ask Emperor Yankang Yanxiu to cast the net and clear out the foxes."
Yan Yunxi's heart trembled. She immediately ordered a deity to rush to Yankang and inform Ling Yuxiu of this news.
More than twenty days later, Xiong Qier arrived at the Yankang capital and met with Ling Yuxiu.
She was the actual power holder of the True Heaven Palace in the Western Lands, a figure from the same era as Ling Yuxiu. Although she was about ten years younger than Qin Mu, in the Western Lands, her status and prestige surpassed even Xu Shenghua's.
The True Heaven Palace of the Western Lands was once a holy land equal in fame to the Heavenly Sage Sect, the Daoist Gate, and the Thunder Sound Temple. This holy land selected its female master by seeking those with pure Dao hearts, the younger the better, to gain the recognition of the Four Spirit Pearls.
Xiong Qier had gained the recognition of the Four Spirit Pearls as early as age eight, possessing power as formidable as a true god—far stronger than Qin Mu was back then.
Through over a hundred years of arduous cultivation, she had reached an extremely high level in her Dao heart. That was why, when they slew Wei Shijie, the borrowed-body vessel of the Great Emperor, Ling Yuxiu had chosen to request her aid.
"Although Gong Tianzun is also one with formidable divine consciousness, she is different from the Great Emperor."
After hearing the full account, Xiong Qier pondered for a moment, then said: "The Great Emperor dared not touch Yankang's latest reform achievements, but Gong Tianzun's reincarnated body dares. Her reincarnated body, Tao Xiufang, possesses vast supernatural powers and is an outstanding figure among Yankang's younger generation, with a great reputation. Your Majesty, although I can fight her, killing her would be difficult. Her divine consciousness illusion realm would interfere with me, allowing her to escape."
Ling Yuxiu asked: "Then who do you think would have sufficient certainty to kill Tao Xiufang?"
Xiong Qier said: "To kill Gong Tianzun, high combat power alone may not be enough. The one who kills her must possess even more powerful divine consciousness, able to see through all her illusions. Therefore, Dao Master Lin Xuan, Zhankong Tathagata, and the Jade Capital Immortal Wang—I'm afraid none of them would suffice; she could easily slip away. Divine Blade Luo and Zhe Huali are certainly powerful, but dealing with her divine consciousness would also be difficult. Therefore, I recommend one person—one with vast divine consciousness and immeasurable supernatural powers, capable of breaking through Gong Tianzun's reincarnated body. However, this person is not in Yankang."
Ling Yuxiu's heart stirred slightly, and she smiled: "I know where this person is. Wait two days."
Two days later, Hu Ling'er arrived at the capital. Ling Yuxiu explained the matter, and Hu Ling'er smiled: "So that's it. I'll summon him here."
"Thank you for your trouble, Ling'er."
Hu Ling'er set up an altar and personally performed the ritual. The altar established a connection with another world. The sky split open, revealing an enormous hole, and at the other end of the hole was a vast and boundless landscape.
A deep, resonant voice sounded, echoing back and forth above the capital: "Who summons the godson of the supreme ruler of the beast realm..."
"Pi!"
Hu Ling'er called out loudly: "I'm your big sister!"
That deep, resonant voice was startled. After a moment, a huge head lowered through the hole—Dragon Qilin poked his head out, face full of smiles: "So it's Big Sister. What important matter does Big Sister have for your little brother?"
"If there's no important matter, I can't call you over?"
Hu Ling'er stood on the altar, hands on her hips, beaming: "But this time I did call you for something important. Hurry up and come over!"
"Big Sister, wait a moment."
Dragon Qilin withdrew his head, and voices of conversation could be heard from the beast realm: "Godfather, my sister is calling me over... Nothing will go wrong, Godfather, rest assured... I won't not come back! I'm going to see the Sect Master this time, and my wife and children—haven't seen them in years... Don't worry, don't worry, I won't leave Godfather alone here..."
After another moment, a youth with a qilin head, dragon horns, and a human body descended from the beast realm and stepped onto the altar. It was Dragon Qilin, wearing dark-colored robes adorned with gold and jade—indescribably luxurious.
Hu Ling'er looked him up and down, sneering: "You've grown wealthy and noble in the beast realm. Your Yan'er has been left at the Great Black Mountain hatching eggs, and your children are already in droves. Aren't you afraid some male bird will steal your wife away!"
Dragon Qilin smiled appeasingly: "Godfather can't manage the beast realm alone, so I help him run it. I wanted to come back, but Godfather wouldn't let me go. Yan'er and I have already consummated our union—the Southern Emperor even approved! Besides, all the beast clans under heaven are under my management. Who would dare poach on my turf?"
Ling Yuxiu said: "Long Xiao treats you as his adopted son, but he's also keeping you as a hostage against the State Preceptor. Naturally, he won't let you return."
Only then did Dragon Qilin notice her. He quickly bowed: "Your Majesty."
Ling Yuxiu said: "No need for formalities. The State Preceptor saw that you had grown up before letting you go out to make something of yourself. Over these years, you've cultivated under Long Xiao, and I imagine you've achieved much. Just now, the little princess of the True Heaven Palace said you could deal with Gong Tianzun's reincarnated body, Tao Xiufang, which is why we summoned you back."
Dragon Qilin looked at Xiong Qier and immediately recognized her. Xiong Qier ran over, cheering and jumping: "Slide down! Slide down!"
Dragon Qilin said helplessly: "You're now the head of the True Heaven Palace, and I'm the young master of the beast realm. How can we do something so undignified?"
"Slide down!" Xiong Qier insisted adamantly.
Dragon Qilin had no choice but to reveal his true form, transforming into a colossal creature, raising his tail to form a huge arc.
Xiong Qier clumsily climbed to the tip of his tail and slid down from the top. Dragon Qilin's body curved downward, and the girl slid onto his back, carried by inertia up into the air, giggling endlessly, then came rushing back down.
This was no simple "slide down"—Xiong Qier slid for a long time without stopping. Ling Yuxiu said helplessly: "My dear minister, there are important matters at hand."
Xiong Qier quickly stopped, her face flushed red.
Dragon Qilin transformed back into the stalwart youth and said: "When she was little, the Sect Master wouldn't bother entertaining her, so I played with her like this. Where is this Tao Xiufang now? Once I've dealt with her, I need to go see my wife and children. Lest some blind male bird..."
Xiong Qier took out the Book of Life and Death and Tao Xiufang's files, handing them to Dragon Qilin, and said excitedly: "I'll go with you!"
Dragon Qilin quickly looked at Ling Yuxiu. Ling Yuxiu smiled: "Long Pi hasn't been back in many years and still needs to go to the Ancestral Court to see Yan'er and his children. My dear minister, perhaps next time."
Xiong Qier had no choice but to drop the matter.
Dragon Qilin immediately set out, heading for Binzhou on the coast of the Eastern Sea.
His speed was extremely fast. Originally, his speed had already surpassed Qin Mu's, and over these years of arduous cultivation in the beast realm, he had attempted to help Long Xiao build a beast civilization, accomplishing many pioneering feats with extraordinary skill.
Qin Mu returned to Yankang infrequently, but Dragon Qilin was occasionally summoned by Hu Ling'er and others to catch up. He hadn't fallen behind on Yankang's reform achievements either.
Dragon Qilin had gained much more maturity and steadiness than before, along with the dignity of the beast realm's young master. Along the way, he reviewed the files on Gong Tianzun's reincarnated body—from the techniques Tao Xiufang had studied, to the supernatural powers she had mastered, to her research directions and her lifetime battle record—all meticulously recorded without omission.
—Ever since Qin Mu had discovered that Xiao Tianzun's reincarnated body had entered Yankang and quietly climbed to the center of power, a surveillance network targeting the reincarnated bodies of the Ten Heavenly Venerables had quietly begun.
Dragon Qilin closed the file and looked down. He had already arrived at Binzhou.
Binzhou, north of Jiangling, was a divine city that had flourished in recent years.
A hundred years had passed since the last Yankang Calamity. In that century, Yankang had undergone earth-shattering changes. Wealth grew ever greater, but problems came with it—divine cities grew larger and larger, housing more and more people. But a city couldn't expand without end, so other divine cities rose in turn.
Binzhou was one of them, and one of the more successful, alleviating Jiangling's population pressure. Many young people liked to gather here.
Dragon Qilin arrived in the city and found where Tao Xiufang lived. To his surprise, a grand wedding feast was being held. Upon inquiry, he learned that Tao Xiufang's household had added a new child and was hosting a hundred-day celebration.
"Gong Tianzun's reincarnated body married? The files didn't mention this."
Dragon Qilin was puzzled and continued inquiring. Tao Xiufang had married a cultivator of supernatural powers in Binzhou—not from a prominent family. She had been married there for two years already.
"How could someone like Gong Tianzun marry? Could the husband be the reincarnation of some Heavenly Venerable?"
He quietly infiltrated the celebration and used the Book of Life and Death to examine the male head of the household. He found the man's background was clean—not a reincarnated Heavenly Venerable.
The man's aptitude and comprehension weren't of the peerless genius type—not too good, not too bad. He could probably cultivate to the divine realm, but accomplishing earth-shaking feats was unlikely.
Dragon Qilin pondered for a moment, then examined Tao Xiufang as well. Tao Xiufang was indeed the reincarnation of one soul of Gong Tianzun—no trickery there.
His expression turned strange. Why would an exalted Heavenly Venerable marry an ordinary man?
"Could it be Gong Tianzun's illusion realm?"
His divine consciousness was powerful, and his abilities had grown greater over the years. He looked carefully—it was not an illusion.
Tao Xiufang's cultivation was inferior to his. If it were an illusion, he would certainly see through it.
Tao Xiufang also noticed Dragon Qilin among the guests. This strange-looking man was hard not to notice.
"Long Pi, can you wait until after today?" Her divine consciousness rippled, transmitting into Dragon Qilin's mind.
Dragon Qilin nodded silently.
The hundred-day feast was very lively. Tao Xiufang, as the matriarch of this family, attended to guests diligently before and behind the scenes, and held the child with boundless affection—as if all the heartlessness of her previous life were to be compensated in this life, in this infant.
Dragon Qilin remained at the feast the entire time, quietly observing. When the feast dispersed, he walked out of Binzhou and waited quietly outside the city.
The sun rose in the east, leaping out of the sea.
The sea breeze was cool, ruffling the youth's robes. He stood by the shore, watching the sunrise, the sunlight warming his face to a ruddy glow.
Tao Xiufang walked up from behind him, her expression complex: "Even the Creator is human. Even I, exalted as a Heavenly Venerable, after reincarnation cannot help but be disturbed by the mortal world, developing mortal feelings. Young Master of the Beast Realm, you were sent to kill me, weren't you?"
"Gong Tianzun was heartless and devoid of sentiment. I never imagined you would marry and become a mother."
Dragon Qilin turned around and said: "Had I known, I would not have accepted this task. You no longer seem like a Heavenly Venerable—more like a virtuous wife and loving mother. It makes it hard for me to strike. So I'll give you half a day to settle your affairs."
Tao Xiufang looked at him and said in a low voice: "Without the power struggles of the Heavenly Court, my heart has found peace, and I have come to understand mortal love. The Shepherd Heavenly Venerable killed me, but I do not seek revenge. I have no more thoughts of the Heavenly Court's power. Young Master of the Beast Realm, could you show mercy and allow me to live as an ordinary person? I only wish to raise my children and live out an ordinary life."
She rarely lowered her posture, but now she did.
Dragon Qilin looked at her calmly. After a moment, he said: "The Sect Master once taught me: do not be too cruel to good people, and do not be too kind to bad people. This is not fairness—it is justice. Being too kind to bad people wrongs the good people and ordinary folk who were hurt by them. Being too cruel to good people wrongs the good deeds they have done. If you yourself cannot do those good deeds, why magnify the trivial flaws on good people?"
Tao Xiufang listened quietly.
Dragon Qilin continued: "I once asked him why he didn't resurrect an old friend of his. He had the ability and the power. He said that resurrecting the Great Venerable would remind him of the countless mortals who died at the Great Venerable's hands. The good deeds the Great Venerable did at the end of his life cannot change the evil he did throughout it. Gong Tianzun, in your long years, many people must have begged for mercy from you, correct?"
Tao Xiufang nodded silently.
"Did you spare them?" Dragon Qilin pressed.
Tao Xiufang shook her head silently, then suddenly said: "For the sake of my little family, I will not stand idly by and wait for death!"
Dragon Qilin bowed to her: "Have you arranged a wet nurse for the child? If not, I can give you another half day."
Tao Xiufang returned the bow and shook her head: "Already arranged."
Dragon Qilin smiled: "Then, please make your move."
Tao Xiufang cried out, burst into motion, unleashing all her strength, all her supernatural powers, attacking him!
Boom!
The sea breeze of the Eastern Sea suddenly rose, great waves crashing against the shore, erupting with earth-shaking thunder. Dragon Qilin walked toward the west, not heading directly into Binzhou but taking a detour around it.
He did not want to enter Binzhou again.
Behind him, Tao Xiufang's corpse was swallowed by the waves.
"If heaven has feelings, heaven too would grow old; the righteous path of the human world is but vicissitudes."
He glanced back once. The waves of the Eastern Sea were surging fiercely. He turned his head forward—ahead lay Bell Mountain of Jiangling City, coiled like a dragon, crouched like a tiger.
Wind and rain began to rise over Bell Mountain, and heaven and earth turned a vast, desolate yellow.