Chapter 1604: Disciple of the Daoist Sect
"Give him even a tiny glimmer of hope, and he will pull himself together, even if that hope is utterly insignificant."
The Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha said: "He is that kind of person; he will not let go of any hope. Ling Tianzun, what happened earlier?"
Ling Tianzun said: "Earlier, he was already prepared to offer a humble apology, go to the Heavenly Court, kneel in surrender, and beg Heavenly Lord Hao to spare the human race."
The Dao Ancestor and the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha fell silent.
If he had not been pushed to the brink of despair, someone like Qin Mu would never have considered such an action.
Earlier, the pressure Qin Mu faced was too great—so immense that it had crushed him!
The primary cause was not Emperor Kaihuang's death; that was merely a trigger. The most important factor was the fall of the Netherworld.
The loss of the Netherworld was what truly broke him!
"Mu Tianzun, the Heavenly Court's army might be delayed for ten or even twenty years, but what about when Hao Tianzun, Huo Tianzun, and others come to attack?"
The Dao Ancestor asked: "How will you resist them?"
Qin Mu fell into thought again. Si Popo glared fiercely at the Dao Ancestor. The Dao Ancestor looked embarrassed and asked the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha: "Was it wrong to ask?"
The Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha said: "It was right to ask, but not the right time to ask. Since it has been asked, there's no need to dwell on it. Benefactor Si is merely protective of her child."
The Dao Ancestor praised: "Old monk, you are quite worldly-wise."
In the Wendaoyuan, Qin Mu paced back and forth again. For seven or eight consecutive days, he kept walking like this, constantly pondering countermeasures.
"Has Yu Chenzi returned yet?"
He suddenly called out loudly: "Yu Chenzi!"
Yu Chenzi had just returned to the Wendaoyuan and came running breathlessly, saying: "What instructions does the National Preceptor have?"
"I am writing a letter of surrender, addressed to Hao Tianzun, stating that I am willing to submit."
Qin Mu said rapidly: "Take my surrender letter to the Heavenly Court and deliver it to Hao Tianzun. On this journey, you may die."
Yu Chenzi said solemnly: "Dying for the nation is acceptable. I am willing to offer my head for Yankang."
Qin Mu picked up his brush, and Yu Chenzi ground the ink.
Qin Mu was about to put brush to paper, but then he stopped.
Yu Chenzi was puzzled, watching as Qin Mu slowly gathered his spirit, gradually becoming despondent, utterly disheartened. Two lines of tears fell first, and when he set down the brush, the tip trembled twice, as if he were sobbing.
Then, his brush moved swiftly, writing words of surrender to Hao Tianzun on the paper. The words were earnest, yet carried a hint of unwillingness within that earnestness—a willingness to fight to the death for the safety of the human race, to choose broken jade over intact tile.
However, he also lowered his posture, saying: "Your Majesty is exalted as the Heavenly Emperor, and I too am exalted as a Heavenly Lord. Leading ministers like Ling, Yue, You, and Taishi to surrender must not be done hastily."
In his words, he earnestly requested that Emperor Hao send an envoy to discuss the transfer of power and the specific details of surrender. His words also revealed a slight attachment to power: "I wish to obtain a corner of land as a place of seclusion, to lead the people of that corner, to cast a golden statue of Your Majesty, and to pray and worship day and night."
He then spoke of Yankang's industries, enumerating them like treasures: what each supervisory factory could produce, which factories could be handed over to the Heavenly Court, which ones he hoped to keep for himself. He also spoke of the provinces under Yankang's jurisdiction, the various heavens under its control, what treasures those heavens produced, the number of heavenly coins in Yankang's national treasury, the number in each province, and so on.
Yu Chenzi read along, shaking his head.
Qin Mu's posture was too low, bordering on sycophancy.
"But why did the National Preceptor say I might die delivering this surrender letter?" He wondered inwardly.
Then he saw Qin Mu write again: "Lan Wan, the daughter of the Creator race with heavenly beauty and talent, I have already slept with her. If Your Majesty fancies her and wishes to make her Empress, I shall send her to Your Majesty with all haste, traveling day and night."
Yu Chenzi shuddered several times, his face dark as iron, muttering inwardly: "It really might be death! The National Preceptor's heart is black—he says he slept with Lan Wan. If Hao Tianzun wants to be Heavenly Emperor, he would never want a woman the National Preceptor has slept with, let alone make her Empress! The front of the surrender letter might make Hao Tianzun overjoyed, but the back of it might get my head chopped off!"
Qin Mu sealed the surrender letter and handed it to Yu Chenzi, saying: "Lord Yu, can you accomplish this task?"
Yu Chenzi hesitated for a moment, then said with resolve: "I am willing to die for Yankang!"
Qin Mu looked at him deeply and said: "You don't have to die. With your intelligence, you can handle all of this. But you must be careful of one person."
Yu Chenzi's eyes flickered, and he smiled: "No one knows me better than the National Preceptor. May I ask who my opponent is?"
"That man is named Meng Yungui, the Meng Heavenly Master among the Four Great Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Court."
Qin Mu instructed: "Meng Yungui once saw through my plan of forging a nation. He will certainly see through the purpose of my surrender letter."
"The National Preceptor's purpose is to use the negotiations over surrender terms to delay the Heavenly Court's military deployment."
Yu Chenzi said: "The reason the National Preceptor listed how many supervisory factories Yankang has and what each can produce is to lay his interests before the bandits. If there were only one bandit, that would be fine. But the Heavenly Court has Hao, Huo, Xu, Zu, Taichu, and Taiji as bandit chieftains. They will need to divide up Yankang's interests. How to divide them will require time for them to scheme against each other."
Qin Mu nodded and said: "And then?"
Yu Chenzi held the surrender letter and continued: "They will discuss how to divide the spoils, but the National Preceptor may not necessarily give in. Although the National Preceptor has surrendered, a surrendered National Preceptor becomes one of the Ten Heavenly Lords of the Heavenly Court and must also take a share of the benefits. And within this, a portion of Yankang's interests must be preserved. Only if Yankang survives can it bring greater benefits to the Heavenly Court. Therefore, the Heavenly Court will not swallow Yankang whole in one bite. This leaves room for endless negotiation and endless bickering."
Qin Mu nodded and said: "And then?"
"When the Heavenly Court's envoy comes to Yankang, it takes time. Returning to report to the various Heavenly Lords takes more time. When Yankang's envoy goes to the Heavenly Court, negotiating there takes time. Returning to Yankang to report to the National Preceptor takes time again."
Yu Chenzi said: "Back and forth, the time will drag on longer and longer. If the envoy the National Preceptor chooses is thick-skinned, shameless, and black-hearted, the delay can be even longer. That is why the National Preceptor chose me to go to the Heavenly Court. Moreover, the National Preceptor can promise greater benefits to a particular Heavenly Lord, causing the Heavenly Lords to bicker among themselves over those benefits. By the time they reach a conclusion, two or three years will have passed."
Qin Mu smiled.
The Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha leaned toward the Dao Ancestor and said: "Your Daoist Sect's disciple is quite capable."
The Dao Ancestor said with some pride, smiling: "Our Daoist Sect excels at calculation. Yu Chenzi absorbed microscopic mathematics during the Yankang reforms and comprehended Chaotic mathematics. Quite impressive. His Chaotic mathematics excels at fuzzy calculation."
Yu Chenzi changed the subject, bowing: "Since the Second Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Court, Meng Yungui, can see through this, I earnestly request the National Preceptor to point me a path to survival."
Qin Mu pondered and said: "Meng Yungui is of the human race..."
Yu Chenzi said: "Fellow race sentiment may not move his heart. The National Preceptor should find another way."
Qin Mu said: "Meng Yungui is greedy for wealth..."
Yu Chenzi shook his head: "That is his disguise. It is precisely because he is human and too intelligent that he is cautious, deliberately exposing his greed to avoid being harmed by others. The National Preceptor should find another way."
Qin Mu said: "The Third Heavenly Master, Bai Yuqiong, is also of the human race, and she is also the reincarnation of the Southern Emperor. After you arrive at the Heavenly Court, go see her first. Bai Yuqiong knows Meng Yungui deeply and can tell you his weakness."
Yu Chenzi said: "Then, National Preceptor, how should I move Bai Yuqiong?"
Qin Mu circulated his magical power, refining a jade pendant with the Path of Reincarnation, and said: "Take this jade pendant to see her. She owes me a debt; it is time to repay it. Tell her that if Meng Yungui does not keep his mouth shut, the human race will be annihilated."
Yu Chenzi did not take the jade pendant: "How can the National Preceptor be certain that Bai Yuqiong's heart is with the human race?"
"She has reincarnated one hundred and ninety-seven times, and never once has she been reborn as another race."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered: "One hundred and ninety-seven lives, all as humans."
Yu Chenzi put away the reincarnation jade pendant, bowed, and said: "I will not fail the National Preceptor's trust!" With that, he rose and left.
Qin Mu watched him go, sighing with emotion: "For the human race to have such a remarkable talent is truly a blessing."
After handling this matter, he suddenly looked around and asked: "Langxuan Divine Emperor is dead. Who is his incarnation in Yankang? Has the Emperor already sent someone to kill him?"
At that moment, Ling Yuxiu walked in from outside and said: "I have already sent the Immortal Wang Yujing to Canglang Islet to execute Langxuan's reincarnated body, Yu Cangqi. News should arrive within a few days!"
"Please, Your Majesty, immediately notify Wang Muran—do not kill Langxuan's incarnation. Give Yu Cangqi a path to survival, drive him to the Southern Heaven, and let him go see Huo Tianzun!"
Qin Mu bowed and said: "Please issue the decree, Your Majesty."
The others did not understand his intent. Ling Yuxiu looked at him, and after a moment, said: "Driving Langxuan's incarnation into the Southern Heaven—what does the National Preceptor intend? Is it to give Huo Tianzun a stepping stone to advancement?"
"Langxuan entering the Southern Heaven is not Huo Tianzun's stepping stone."
Qin Mu said: "It is the beginning of Huo Tianzun's death."
"Why do you say that?" Ling Yuxiu frowned.
"Langxuan is the son of Taichu. Hao Tianzun is also the son of Taichu. Hao Tianzun can kill Langxuan, but Huo Tianzun is a servant and cannot kill Langxuan—otherwise, he would be seeking his own death. Hao Tianzun might tolerate him, but Taichu will not."
Qin Mu said unhurriedly: "When Langxuan arrives in the Southern Heaven, if Huo Tianzun hands Langxuan over to Hao Tianzun, Taichu will surely kill him to avenge his son. If Huo Tianzun does not hand Langxuan over to Hao Tianzun, then Hao Tianzun will kill him."
He said calmly: "Now, Huo Tianzun has become a burden to Hao Tianzun. The world is about to be unified, and Huo Tianzun taking a share of the spoils from Hao Tianzun already pains him. Hao Tianzun has always been deeply suspicious of Huo Tianzun. After all, Huo Tianzun is of the human race, and Hao Tianzun cannot trust him. He always worries that Huo Tianzun might defect to the human race. Even if Huo Tianzun does not defect to the human race, if he defects to Taichu, it would become the straw that breaks the camel's back, turning his excellent situation unfavorable. At this time, a dead Huo Tianzun is the best dog."
Ling Yuxiu said: "When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dogs are boiled."
Qin Mu said: "Langxuan's reincarnated body is of no consequence. His going to the Southern Heaven is merely a fuse—a fuse that takes a life."
Ling Yuxiu's primordial spirit howled as it left her physical body, vanishing in an instant. She was activating the Primordial Spirit Guide, personally going to notify Wang Muran.
Qin Mu closed his eyes. After a moment, he slowly opened them, stood up, and walked over to sit before the Old Buddha and the Dao Ancestor.
The Dao Ancestor poured tea and said: "The Heavenly Lord has relaxed. Do you not plan to do anything more?"
"No more."
Qin Mu drank his tea and said calmly: "Now I only need to quietly await the negotiations between the Heavenly Court and Yankang, and await the death of Huo Tianzun."
At that moment, Hu Ling'er and Si Yunxiang led hundreds of Daoist Sect experts filing in. Hu Ling'er said crisply: "Young Master, the trade data and heavenly coin circulation data for all the myriad worlds you requested are compiled!"
Qin Mu hastily drained his cup of tea and threw himself back into work.
The Dao Ancestor shook his head: "Truly, he cannot rest."
The evening update will be late—requesting two hours off.
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Zhai Zhu is participating in Hangzhou Writers' Week, eating with friends outside. Will update upon returning!