Chapter 794: The Death of the Heavenly Emperor
The Heavenly Duke's avatar and the Molten Earth Count remained silent. Nearby, the Old Buddha and the Red Emperor sat at the stone table, leisurely sipping tea, occasionally glancing over with smiles in their eyes.
The Great Sun Star Lord sat obediently to the side, head bowed, holding a cup of tea, occasionally spitting a small flame from his beak, muttering: "I don't know anything, don't ask me. I died early, and it was because I knew too much that I took an arrow in the back..."
The white-bearded old man coughed repeatedly, glanced at the Earth Count, then looked at Qin Mu, and finally couldn't hold back, saying: "Child of the Qin family, let me and the Earth Count discuss this first."
Qin Mu nodded lightly.
The Heavenly Duke and the Earth Count walked to a distance, away from them, and spoke in low voices: "Daoist friend, what should we do now?"
The Earth Count said: "You have seen much of the world. You speak."
The Heavenly Duke said: "All the dead end up at your place. You know the most."
The Earth Count did not speak.
The Heavenly Duke had no choice but to say: "That girl named Yan Qiling just now made it clear, telling this boy to be wary of us, sowing discord. If we don't reveal some secrets, this boy will definitely harbor resentment in his heart."
The Earth Count said in a muffled voice: "I don't know much."
The Heavenly Duke laughed in exasperation: "You've already done it, and you still say you don't know much? Do you believe I'll spill everything you've done? In this era now, the Primordial Realm has broken its seal, even the fake and real Earth Mothers have popped out. The Heavenly Alliance, the Heavenly Court, even the ancient Heavenly Emperors, one after another they're all popping out—clearly the world is about to descend into chaos, and then they'll close the net and catch the fish! Our Netherworld and Mystic Capital, do you think they can be protected?"
The Earth Count was silent for a moment, then said: "I agree to tell him some secrets, but we cannot reveal everything that involves us."
The Heavenly Duke finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Will you speak, or will I?"
"My lips are sealed tight. I'll speak." The Earth Count said.
The two turned back, and Qin Mu looked at them expectantly.
The Old Buddha and the Red Emperor by the stone table also perked up their ears, quite expectant.
The Great Sun Star Lord originally didn't dare listen and planned to leave, but his curiosity was too strong, so he steeled himself and stayed, thinking: "I'm already dead and gone. What do I have to fear?"
In the distance, the big-headed doll Qin Fengqing tiptoed out of the Qin Character Mountain Range, his ears suddenly becoming enormous, standing taller than the mountain peaks as he strained to listen to their conversation.
The Heavenly Duke coughed once but did not speak, looking at the Molten Earth Count. The Molten Earth Count was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, unhurriedly: "The Heavenly Emperor of the Dragon Han Heavenly Court is indeed dead."
Qin Mu's heart shook violently, and he looked at him expectantly.
The voice of the big-headed doll came from afar, calling out: "Big Earth Count, where can I eat the Heavenly Emperor's soul? Did you hide it away? I knew you still had plenty of good things hidden!"
The Earth Count saw the expectant looks in everyone's eyes, hesitated for a moment, then said: "That's all. Heavenly Duke, my lips are sealed tight, I don't know what to say, afraid they'll pry words out of me. You go ahead."
Qin Mu was suspicious, looking expectantly at the white-bearded old man.
The Heavenly Duke's head felt as big as a bucket, and he laughed in exasperation: "Your lips aren't sealed tight—you just want me to speak! Fine, I'll speak then! The Heavenly Emperor of the Dragon Han Heavenly Court was murdered while reincarnating to marry a woman!"
The Old Buddha sprayed a mouthful of tea onto the face of the Great Sun Star Lord sitting across from him. The Great Sun Star Lord was stunned, forgetting to wipe the water off his face. He was originally a mass of primordial spirit, scorching hot, and the tea sizzled and evaporated on his face, turning into a wisp of rising white mist.
The Red Emperor's three heads all widened their eyes at once, somewhat bewildered.
Qin Mu stammered: "The Heavenly Emperor died while reincarnating to marry a woman? Was it the Empress's sister?"
"No."
The Heavenly Duke sighed and said: "His Majesty was wise and mighty, and also exceptionally strategic. I, the Earth Count, the Earth Mother—none of us could contend with him. We were all held by his grip. As the first life in the universe, his abilities were high and his methods extraordinary. I admired him with the utmost sincerity. However, he had only one weakness—he was fond of women."
The Earth Count coughed.
The Heavenly Duke said discontentedly: "This can be said, it's fine. Besides, when the Heavenly Court was established, Shepherd Heavenly Venerable was there too, and he knows some inside information. He should be able to see His Majesty's character."
Qin Mu's expression was strange, and he said: "I know that the Heavenly Emperor reincarnated once to sleep with the Empress's sister, and it was because of that reincarnation that Hao Heavenly Venerable came to be. I don't know what happened after that."
The Heavenly Duke continued: "Later, the death of Yu Heavenly Venerable caused a huge uproar. The post-natal races were furious, all clamoring to execute Hao Heavenly Venerable, and several Heavenly Venerables even planned to assassinate him. To protect Hao Heavenly Venerable, the Heavenly Emperor formally married that lady, finally getting what he wanted. Hao Heavenly Venerable thus became the Emperor's son, and no one dared to touch him anymore."
Qin Mu's eyes widened, and he blurted out: "The Heavenly Emperor married the Empress's sister?"
The Earth Count coughed heavily.
"It's fine, it's fine, this matter can also be said. Don't keep coughing to interrupt me."
The Heavenly Duke said: "People often say that ancient gods are selfless. Actually, this statement is wrong. Ancient gods are not selfless—rather, the Great Dao they were born with is selfless. Therefore, ancient gods often follow the Dao, acting according to its instructions. Ancient gods actually do have selfish motives. For example, many ancient gods, in order to explore breaking free from the constraints of the heavens and earth's Great Dao, have attempted reincarnation and had children. Some ancient gods, for momentary pleasure, had many children with post-natal beings, forming half-god races. Some half-gods were born from the union of ancient gods with ancient gods..."
The Earth Count coughed repeatedly, reminding him: "Daoist friend, why are you saying all this? It damages the image of ancient gods. Just get to the main point."
The Heavenly Duke was unconcerned, saying: "Ever since I came to this seal, I've been beaten daily by the Netherworld God Son. My image was lost long ago. Saying a bit more doesn't matter. Besides, this relates to what I'm about to say later. If I don't explain clearly, this boy will ask again, and it'll all come out anyway."
The Molten Earth Count said in a muffled voice: "Have some discretion yourself. Don't always imitate the Great Sun Star Lord."
The Great Sun Star Lord quickly nodded, saying: "I didn't know I had a big mouth either, until I took an arrow in the back..."
The Heavenly Duke continued: "The Heavenly Emperor's mind was deep and unfathomable. We ancient gods could not contend with him. In the early years of the Dragon Han era, when the Heavenly Court was established, we ancient gods were the leaders, and we elected him as the Heavenly Emperor. We accepted him wholeheartedly. At that time, our thinking was that post-natal beings and half-gods were growing more numerous, and there needed to be rules to restrain these beings, lest they kill each other every day. However, we never expected that the Heavenly Emperor would be too domineering, his schemes too deep. We treated him as a Daoist friend, but he treated us as his subjects."
Qin Mu's heart stirred, remembering the Ugly One he had seen inside the Life-Slaying Cauldron.
The Heavenly Duke said: "All the ancient gods basically had their leverage seized by him. The Earth Count had leverage in his hands, I did too, and so did the Earth Mother. The old brothers and old Daoist companions of those days—who could contend with him? Hah, who wasn't firmly gripped by him? Whether it was the Primordial Capital, the Netherworld, or my Mystic Capital, he planted who knows how many of his people in all of them, and yet we couldn't see into the Heavenly Court."
Qin Mu thought of Yu Heavenly Venerable's experiences and what he had seen inside the Life-Slaying Cauldron, and silently nodded.
The Heavenly Emperor's mind was deep and unfathomable. Whether it was the Earth Mother, the Earth Count, the Heavenly Duke, or any other ancient god, indeed none could contend with him.
The Heavenly Emperor's position would only become more and more stable—the rivers and mountains unchanging, eternal and everlasting!
Yet this emperor had still died.
"Actually, after Shepherd Heavenly Venerable left the Dragon Han era, half-gods and post-natal beings began to develop rapidly, giving rise to many powerful existences. Half-gods and post-natal beings were progressing, but ancient gods struggled to advance. Ancient gods cannot learn Dao techniques and divine powers outside of themselves; they can only study their own Dao and improve themselves."
The Heavenly Duke sighed and said: "By the time half-gods and post-natal beings also became immortal and ageless, their respect and worship of ancient gods gradually faded. The Old Buddha was a man of talent at that time, but the Old Buddha was not the most outstanding figure among half-gods and post-natal beings."
The Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha nodded and said: "Each of the Seven Heavenly Venerables surpasses me by an unknown margin."
"The Old Buddha need not belittle himself. You are only a hair's breadth behind them."
The Heavenly Duke comforted him, then continued: "The Heavenly Emperor was quite wary of the human race among post-natal beings, also wary of the half-gods who produced genius after genius, and even more guarded against his own children. So he stirred up many conflicts, consuming the strength of half-gods and post-natal beings. He even tacitly allowed half-gods and humans to each establish their own minor Heavenly Courts, watching them kill each other. Crown Prince Wuqi's power was vast at the time, and the Heavenly Emperor deliberately gave him the opportunity to rebel, using it as an excuse to execute him. After Crown Prince Wuqi died, the Heavenly Emperor still wouldn't let it go, posthumously giving him the surname Evil, calling him Evil Wuqi, and suppressing him in the Netherworld."
Qin Mu's heart stirred: "Evil Wuqi? I saw him in the Jade Lock Pass!"
The Heavenly Duke said: "I didn't know the details of this matter originally either. I only knew that Evil Wuqi rebelled and was killed. The inside story was told to me by the little bird. It wasn't until recently that I learned it was actually the Heavenly Emperor who deliberately gave Evil Wuqi the opportunity to rebel in order to execute him."
The Great Sun Star Lord shrank his neck, his face falling.
The Heavenly Duke said: "The human race and half-gods fought each other, the children didn't dare rebel or cause trouble, and the ancient gods all had leverage in his hands. His rule was secure. In that era, no one could oppose him. Not in the past, not now, and not in the future."
"Yet he still died." Qin Mu said with a flicker in his eyes.
The Heavenly Duke was silent for a moment, then said: "The little bird said earlier that he died early, which is actually incorrect. The Heavenly Emperor actually died before you."
The feathers on the Great Sun Star Lord's body stood on end one by one, and he blurted out: "Impossible! I was ordered by heaven to go punish Cloud Heavenly Emperor, and then I took an arrow in the back. I had the Heavenly Emperor's written decree—impossible!"
The Heavenly Duke sighed deeply and said: "Actually, your death came later. While half-gods and humans were fighting to the death, a beauty appeared in the Primordial Capital. She was so beautiful that even I couldn't help but cast my gaze upon her. Her name was Jue Wuchen—not a single flaw, not a speck of dust upon her. Her beauty even stirred mortal desires in my heart..."
Qin Mu's expression was strange.
The Old Buddha and the Red Emperor also had strange expressions.
The Heavenly Duke paused, then said: "Then, the Heavenly Emperor reincarnated. Of course he dared to reincarnate, but this reincarnation was also done in secret. No one knew who he reincarnated as, where he reincarnated to, or what race he became. Until one day, a Heavenly Venerable from the human race came to the Mystic Capital and found me..."
Qin Mu tensed up: "Which Heavenly Venerable?"
The Heavenly Duke was silent, but still continued: "Cloud Heavenly Venerable. At that time, he was already the Cloud Heavenly Emperor of the Xiaohan Heavenly Court, and moreover, he was the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Alliance."
Qin Mu's body shook violently, his gaze dazed.
"Cloud Heavenly Venerable found me and said he could resolve the deadlock of being controlled by the Heavenly Emperor, as long as on a certain year, month, and day, I only watched and did not interfere."
The Heavenly Duke said: "I didn't know what he planned to do, so I agreed. And at this time, another Heavenly Venerable came to the Netherworld and found the Earth Count."
He looked at the Earth Count and said: "Daoist friend, do you remember which Heavenly Venerable came to visit you?"
The Earth Count said: "Of course I remember. Hao Heavenly Venerable, the leader of the half-gods, came to find me, saying that on a certain year, month, and day, I only needed to watch what happened in the Primordial Capital without interfering, and the Netherworld's predicament could be resolved. I agreed."
The Heavenly Duke said: "At that time, Hao Heavenly Venerable was the Hao Heavenly Emperor of the Longxiao Heavenly Court."
Qin Mu was bewildered, murmuring: "Hao Heavenly Venerable and Cloud Heavenly Venerable—how could they be together? Aren't they mortal enemies? One represents the half-gods, the other represents post-natal beings, and weren't they killing each other to the death?"
"This is also the place I couldn't understand no matter how I thought about it, and also the place I found terrifying."
The Heavenly Duke showed a look of confusion and fear, speaking in a low voice: "Later, that day truly arrived. The slaughter began. The first to make a move was Jue Wuchen, and then came the powerful beings of various races led by Cloud Heavenly Venerable and Hao Heavenly Venerable. It wasn't until that moment that I realized the person they wanted to kill was the Heavenly Emperor. Bound by my oath, I did not act to stop it. Moreover, I had some fear of the Heavenly Emperor, and in my heart, I also hoped he would die. Daoist friend Earth Count also did not act..."
Qin Mu shook his head, his hands and feet ice-cold, speaking in a low voice: "And the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign. The Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, she..."
"She also watched, and did not act."
The Heavenly Duke's gaze was somewhat strange, and he spoke in a low voice: "The Earth Mother also sealed off the sky above the Primordial Capital. The branches and leaves of the Primordial Tree blocked the sky, preventing the Heavenly Court from seeing what was happening there."
Thank you to the Golden Grand Alliance Night Cold Emotion Deep Wind Blue for the generous tip—ten million Qidian coins, a hundred thousand yuan—I am unworthy of such kindness! Zhai Zhu is greatly encouraged and will continue writing, striving to post another chapter before midnight! 2k Reading Network