Chapter 1065: Ten-Thousand-Year Dead End

Ling Tianzun stood there silently, seeming to regain her senses after a moment.

Suddenly, the disheveled woman let out a cheer and rushed forward, snatching the hairpin from Qin Mu's hand. She then kicked him to the ground with a flying leg and viciously punched and kicked him.

The group of bamboo-pole-riding critics also charged forward. Their bamboo horses began to savagely beat Qin Mu, the impacts making loud, cracking sounds.

Yue Tianzun, Yan'er, and others stared in stunned silence. However, the Dragon Qilin, squinting his eyes, dozed on the ground, completely oblivious to the scene.

"Stealing my hairpin! How dare you steal my hairpin!"

Ling Tianzun yelled as she hit him, "How dare you sneak away! How dare you sneak back again! Do you know how hard I've waited?"

Qin Mu curled up on the ground, clutching his head and repeatedly begging for mercy.

Still enraged, Ling Tianzun continued to punch and kick him, fuming, "Do you know how much I've suffered all these years? After you left, everyone said I was wrong, but I was the only one who knew I was right, because you are the proof!"

As she spoke and hit him, her eyes reddened. She continued to beat Qin Mu, tears streaming down her face.

"Everyone said I was crazy! Even Yun and Yue, they all thought I was wrong, that I'd never succeed!"

"How I wished you were by my side, to tell me, even just once, that I was right!"

"But you ran away, you just disappeared!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

She collapsed onto Qin Mu, sobbing uncontrollably like a girl who had been wronged for a long time. Yet, she still tightly clutched the peach wood hairpin in one hand, while grabbing Qin Mu's lapel with the other, afraid he would disappear again.

Others might not understand this feeling, but Qin Mu deeply comprehended the loneliness that came from setbacks and the world's misunderstanding.

At such times, all it takes is a "you are right" from a true friend to re-energize someone to brave all obstacles and continue their journey.

Qin Mu had experienced it, and so had Ling Tianzun.

Qin Mu had the Dragon Qilin; even if the Dragon Qilin didn't fully understand him, he would at least encourage him.

Ling Tianzun, however, had nothing.

Yue Tianzun helped her up. Ling Tianzun then buried her face in Yue Tianzun's shoulder and cried, her other hand still clutching the corner of Qin Mu's clothes.

Qin Mu patted the footprints off his body and chuckled, "If you hadn't succeeded, how could I have come back?"

"I knew I would definitely succeed!" Ling Tianzun asserted stubbornly.

Qin Mu burst into laughter. After he finished, he said seriously, "You are right."

"I know!"

After a long while, Ling Tianzun calmed down, tossed Qin Mu aside, and repeatedly examined the peach wood hairpin. Yue Tianzun, meanwhile, pulled Qin Mu to find a clean spot for tea – it was genuinely difficult to find a clean place in Ling Tianzun's courtyard.

However, the little bamboo-pole-riding horses continued to beat Qin Mu's legs and feet. Qin Mu waved them away several times but couldn't get rid of them, so he eventually gave up.

Yan'er, along with the six men transformed from celestial dragons, busily helped Ling Tianzun clean her room and courtyard, neatly organizing the papers on which she had written her calculations.

"Yan'er, that scroll is organized incorrectly," the Dragon Qilin said, glancing over.

"Incorrect?" The little horses perked up, abandoned Qin Mu, and charged at the Dragon Qilin, violently beating him. The Dragon Qilin continued to sleep, completely unfazed.

Yue Tianzun looked at Qin Mu for a moment, then at Ling Tianzun, who was foolishly giggling while holding the hairpin. She blinked and tentatively asked, "Mu, are you really from the future?"

Qin Mu took a sip of tea, nodded towards Yan'er, and chuckled, "In the future, you will take in this girl and name her Yan'er. Her mother will give birth to her and personally bring her to you, and she will feed you until you are plump and rosy."

Yue Tianzun looked at Yan'er again and burst into laughter, "Nonsense! I could never get fat from her feeding me! Could it be that in the future, I give her to you instead?"

Qin Mu smiled faintly, put down his teacup, and asked, "Has Emperor Yun gone to the Celestial Court to file a complaint?"

Yue Tianzun nodded, her gaze distant, and said, "Not long after you disappeared back then, Emperor Haotian, under the command of the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor, established the Demigod Celestial Court, named the Dragon Heavens Court, to govern all demigods in the world. Demigods rose to power, especially in places like the Primordial Realm, where their influence grew stronger and stronger. Conflicts between humanity and demigods also increased. However, humanity remained weak in power, and even when allied with other acquired races, they were still oppressed by the demigods. These past years have been very difficult."

Qin Mu looked at her face; the once delicate Yue Tianzun had now become much more resolute.

"We allied with the acquired races and fought countless battles against the demigods, with more losses than victories."

Yue Tianzun smiled bitterly, idly turning the teacup on the table with her fingertip. "It sounds like demigods and acquired races are fighting over territory and interests, but it's more like a distribution of spoils. And we're not the ones dividing the spoils; it's the Ancient Gods. The reason we often lost more than we won is because we were reluctant to sacrifice to the Ancient Gods, isn't it?"

Qin Mu's heart stirred.

Yue Tianzun continued, "Whenever we fought against the demigods, the divine beings from all sides would form an army of gods and devils, and they would hold bloody sacrifices to the Ancient Gods, inviting them to descend and help us in battle. Mu, you are from a later era; in your time, when battles are fought, do people still use living beings as sacrifices to invite Ancient Gods to descend?"

Qin Mu shook his head.

"Guess what we used as sacrifices to the greedy Ancient Gods?" Yue Tianzun asked.

Qin Mu shook his head, his voice hoarse, "I don't want to guess."

"When people are in despair, they'll do anything."

Yue Tianzun picked up her teacup and drank it in one gulp, but it seemed to sting her throat like strong liquor, making her cough uncontrollably. After a moment, she recovered, put down the teacup, and sighed, "Too bad it's not wine. Back then, when humanity was at its wit's end, besieged by demigods all the way to the Empyrean Heavens and even to Jade Capital City, we still made sacrifices to the Ancient Gods."

Her voice was strained. "We, the divine beings guarding the Empyrean Heavens, sacrificed ourselves to the lofty Ancient Gods, treating ourselves as livestock, as their food. Then the Ancient Gods descended. However, Emperor Haotian's side also sacrificed to the Ancient Gods, bringing another group of Ancient Gods to descend. What do you think was the result of that war?"

Without waiting for Qin Mu to answer, she burst out laughing. "Both sides had Ancient Gods, and both sides were fighting with bloodshot eyes, with such deep hatred that they couldn't coexist! Just when everyone thought it would be an unimaginable bloodbath, the Ancient Gods from both sides actually negotiated and acted as peacemakers!"

Her expression turned deeply cynical, and she gnashed her teeth, words forcing their way out. "The two groups of Ancient Gods peacefully chatted for a while, and then, just like that, they settled on a peace treaty, telling us to put aside our hatred and making the demigods who were about to conquer the Empyrean Heavens retreat! How could those demigods tolerate that? They argued and clamored, but then a group of them were eaten by the Ancient Gods, and the rest quietly retreated. It was only then that we realized..."

The sarcasm on her face intensified. "It turns out we're all just food, all just livestock! The entire Primordial Realm is a giant farm! Mu, this is a farm! We are all just livestock raised by the Ancient Gods! Before, they ate us directly; now they've become 'civilized,' making us fight among ourselves, forcing us to sacrifice ourselves for them to eat!"

She seemed truly drunk from the tea, collapsing onto the table and crying aloud, "What nonsense! What kind of Heavenly Venerables, God Emperors, Emperor Yun, Emperor Hao?! They're all just lead sheep and hunting dogs! We are the lead sheep and hunting dogs herded by the Ancient Gods! Mu, these past years, we've suffered so much..."

Qin Mu placed his hand on her shoulder and said softly, "I know all of this. But I also know that in the future, the era of the Ancient Gods will end at your hands, and they will never dare to do this again."

"Really?" Yue Tianzun looked up at him, her eyes misty with tears.

Qin Mu nodded.

Yue Tianzun's spirits lifted. She smoothed her somewhat disheveled hair near her temples and forced a smile, "This tea is too intoxicating. I've lost my composure; please don't mind me."

Qin Mu offered a gentle smile. "Without you, there would be no us in the future."

Yue Tianzun felt greatly comforted and encouraged. She continued, "Emperor Yun has become an Emperor, the first to cultivate to the Emperor's Throne. However, the Ancient Gods' rule over the Primordial Realm and the myriad heavens and worlds is still deeply entrenched. Emperor Hao's talent is defying heaven, and he is also about to achieve the Emperor's Throne. This time, Emperor Yun went to the Dragon Han Celestial Court not only to complain about the demigods oppressing us but also to meet with Fire Heavenly Venerable."

Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly.

Yue Tianzun watched his expression and said, "He wants to establish contact with Emperor Hao through Fire Heavenly Venerable. Do you know what he intends to do?"

Qin Mu's eyelid twitched. He nodded slightly, his voice hoarse. "Invite Fire Heavenly Venerable, Emperor Hao, and even God Emperor Lang Xuan and Ancestral God King to join the Heavenly Alliance, to overthrow the Ancient Gods' rule together."

Yue Tianzun nodded, then raised a hand to smooth her hair again. "Are we doing the right thing?"

Qin Mu's eyelid twitched again. He desperately wanted to tell her that if they did this, Emperor Yun would die because of it in the future. He wanted to tell her that the Heavenly Alliance would no longer be what it once was, falling into the hands of the demigods.

He wanted even more to tell her that it was precisely because of the decision made by Emperor Yun and Yue Tianzun today that the Heavenly Alliance would replace the Ancient Gods and become terrifying rulers themselves!

But he opened his mouth, and no words came out.

He couldn't tell them.

No matter how terrifying the Heavenly Alliance would become in the future, it wasn't as terrifying as the Ancient Gods were now. Allied with Emperor Hao and the others, it was, ironically, the best option for humanity at present.

If this alliance were broken, the era of the Ancient Gods would continue, and the Primordial Realm and all its myriad heavens and worlds would remain a giant farm!

A true friend is someone who stands by you and tells you that what you're doing is right.

Yet, Qin Mu found that those words were incredibly difficult to utter.

"You are doing the right thing," he said, his expression calm.

Yue Tianzun offered a faint smile. "You are from the future, and you believe we are doing the right thing, so it seems we will definitely succeed in the future. Thank you, Mu."

She stood up, smiling. "The courtyard is clean now, Yan'er. Come here, take your lantern and go with your young master."

Yan'er appeared before her in a whirlwind, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her. "Call me 'Sis'!"

Yue Tianzun tugged her ear, saying sternly, "What did you say?"

Yan'er finally behaved, carrying her lantern to wake the Dragon Qilin. The Dragon Qilin, still being beaten by the little horses, yawned and stood up, shaking his body to dislodge the small horses.

"Cult Master, where are we going?" he asked curiously, a group of bamboo-pole-riding horses still chasing and hitting his rear.

Qin Mu looked at Yue Tianzun, who smiled and said, "Recently, there have been some incidents at the human border. Some demigods keep secretly entering human territory, seemingly searching for something. I didn't go with Emperor Yun to the Celestial Court because I wanted to find out what these demigods are looking for. Since Mu is here today, which is rare, let's go together and see what tricks they're up to!"

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. This time, I'll wait until Emperor Yun returns and talk with him before I leave. Let's use my carriage; it's fast."

"Sister Ling, do you want to come along?" Qin Mu asked.

Ling Tianzun rushed over, stuffing the hairpin into Qin Mu's hand. "Of course, I'll go! Wait a moment!"

She suddenly remembered something and called Yue Tianzun, whispering, "I haven't left my home in years, and I'm a bit nervous. Please help me get ready."

Yue Tianzun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Sister, do you even remember you're a woman?"

"Stop teasing! If I embarrass myself out there, it's your embarrassment too."

The two women went to get ready. However, Ling Tianzun had no change of clothes, so Yue Tianzun went to her own palace to fetch some garments and accessories. Ling Tianzun found the attire very uncomfortable but bravely walked out nonetheless.

Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Sister Ling and Sister Yue are truly beautiful."

Yue Tianzun's face flushed slightly, but Ling Tianzun complained that her clothes were impractical; the skirt was too long, and the sleeves were also long, getting in her way.

They boarded the Celestial Dragon Chariot and headed towards the border of human territory. Yue Tianzun opened the carriage window and looked down, saying, "Recently, demigods have been appearing and disappearing mysteriously, always coming here, as if searching for someone. I've already sent people to investigate, and we should receive news soon."

They arrived at a small town near the border and descended. The town was mostly inhabited by mortals, with very few cultivators.

The Empyrean Heavens were very prosperous, yet humanity in the Primordial Realm still lived in poverty. However, it was much better than in the early years of Dragon Han, where they could barely make a living.

Demigods could still be seen lurking at the human border. As Qin Mu and his companions landed, the sky suddenly darkened. Qin Mu looked up and saw a gigantic bird with teal-gold wings flying from afar, obscuring the setting sun.

As the bird flew, it cried mournfully, "Da Hong, Da Hong—"

"A flood is coming!" The townspeople cried out in panic, scattering in all directions.

The giant bird landed not far outside the town, squatting like a sudden new mountain. On its back was a divine being's palace, and tied to a pillar outside the palace was a person, their chest bare, a large spear impaled in their chest, barely alive.

Yue Tianzun was about to go forward and ask, but Qin Mu raised a hand to stop her, shaking his head. "I know the people in that palace, and the person on the pillar isn't a good person either. Let them be."

From the palace, a woman emerged, holding a long whip. She brutally lashed the man tied to the pillar, leaving him covered in wounds.

After lashing him repeatedly, the woman was still not appeased. She then took a sharp, ox-ear-shaped knife, cut flesh from the man's chest, forced open his mouth, and made him eat his own flesh.

"I've heard about them!"

Yue Tianzun said, surprised, "I've long heard there's a strange couple like this in the Primordial Realm, where the woman comes out every day to beat and torment the man. I finally see them today."

Just then, the divine being who had gone to gather information returned. He bowed to Yue Tianzun and Ling Tianzun and reported, "Disciple has learned that those demigods are searching for someone named A'Chou."