Chapter 1671 — I Held a Dream: The Youth Chapter

That was why his Dao-heart had collapsed and he had sunk beyond recovery. Had the Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma not brought word of the Chaotic Space, he feared he could not even now have walked out of that collapse of his Dao-heart.

And the fate of the Yuji Heavens confirmed it.

The Haotian Emperor laughed aloud: "The power of Tubo—truly an unequaled power! With such deterrence, who would still dare to rebel? Dear Minister Mu, such is the end of the Yuji Heavens' rebellion; the same awaits Jingping!"

Shen Mu's face was pale; he opened his mouth but could not speak.

The Haotian Emperor took in his expression and could not help but feel elated, his spirits soaring. He declared loudly, "Dear Minister Mu, does this scene awaken you? We are not a muddled ruler like the Retired Emperor, who would feign compliance and enfeoff vassals—but We will not! Make ready the carriage; to Shixiu Heaven!"

Shixiu Heaven.

Again the soundless, silent slaughter. In a mere instant, every person in all of Shixiu Heaven—rebel or common folk alike, bird or beast, insect or fish—all died!

The stars withered, the sun was extinguished, the moon sank into darkness, and the whole world fell into a cold, silent void.

The Heavenly Court had not only the deterrence of force; it would also slaughter without restraint!

"Your Majesty, the destruction of these two heavens is already enough to overawe the myriad heavens and keep the petty and the base from daring to rebel."

Meng Yungui had also followed at the Haotian Emperor's side this time, and bowing, he said, "Heaven above has the virtue of loving life; there is no need to do more killing. Your servant is willing to go to the two great heavens of Lingshu and Lingyuan, to make the rebels there lay down their arms and come to the Heavenly Court to receive their punishment."

"Absurd!"

The Haotian Emperor's face darkened; he said coldly, "Once a word leaves Our mouth, there is no taking it back! These traitorous ministers and rebellious wretches deserve ten thousand deaths—do they think that by surrendering, We will pardon their crimes?"

Meng Yungui fell silent and said no more.

Lingshu Heaven: dead.

Lingyuan Heaven: dead.

The turmoil of the four great heavens was thus quelled.

The Haotian Emperor glanced at Shen Mu and said, "Dear Minister Mu, if you remain obstinate and deluded, your Jingping will be as these four great heavens! We will not give you much time. The contract between the Heavenly Court and Jingping lies in Our rear palace. We await your return to sign your name upon it!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and led the company away.

Shen Mu gazed at the ruined Lingyuan Heaven, then turned and headed for the Heavenly Court.

Meng Yungui fell a step behind, then drew level and walked shoulder to shoulder with him, saying in a low voice, "Celestial Venerable Mu, did you ever foresee this day?"

Shen Mu said, startled, "Why does the Celestial Master Meng say such a thing?"

Meng Yungui gave a cold hum and lowered his voice further: "In the year of the Jingping Calamity, you laid down for Jingping the grand plan of founding a state upon forging—called forging, but in truth drawing the firewood from under the cauldron, a plan to break the heaven-coins! You may deceive others, but not me! I long ago saw through your scheme; I knew that as Jingping rose, the other heavens must decline. The heavens that made their name in forging in years past—every one of them has now been dragged by your Jingping into a place of eternal doom!"

Shen Mu stopped in his tracks and said with a half-smile, "Nature selects the fittest, and the fit survive. The other heavens clung to their old ways, could not compete with Jingping, and now they lay the blame on Jingping? Had the other heavens reformed, how would they have fallen into their present plight?"

"Reform!"

Meng Yungui sneered, "The Heavenly Court will not permit you to reform. To reform is a dead end!"

"Not to reform is a life worse than death."

Shen Mu said mildly, "Celestial Master Meng, you are of the human race, are you not? As one of the human race, you do not think on the human race's behalf—why then speak for the demigods? Over these million years, the lot of the human race has been bleak indeed; you have not failed to see it. We have risen; we have had a few days of better living. We do not ask to live greatly—only to be equal with the demigods. And even this humble wish is denied us?"

Meng Yungui opened his mouth, but Shen Mu did not wait for his rebuttal and went on: "Besides, we have not relied on the demigods' charity; we have relied on our own abilities! The people of Jingping have come this far by their own diligence and sweat! Every coin the people of Jingping earn is won through honest trade! We have already come this far."

He looked at Meng Yungui with a smile and said softly, "Celestial Master Meng, we have already come this far. We cannot go back to kneeling."

Meng Yungui's body trembled slightly; his voice was hoarse: "You would rebel? Have you not seen the fate of these four great heavens? The human race will surely be utterly destroyed at your hands!"

Shen Mu patted his shoulder and walked past him: "When I was young, I walked out of the Wasteland Ruins and saw Jingping. I came to know the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, came to know Emperor Yanfeng, came to know many plain and simple people who nonetheless had pursuits. It was then that I had a dream. I have a dream: it is the way of the sages, it is the daily use of the common folk, it is that everyone strives and presses forward, seeking a better life and a better future."

"I hope that the people of later days need no longer fear whether they can live. I hope they can discover their talents and their interests in their youth, and tirelessly pursue their own dreams."

Shen Mu turned back, looked at him, and said with a smile, "Have you ever had such a dream?"

Tears suddenly welled in Meng Yungui's eyes, but he forced them down, walked past him, and said icily, "You will not succeed!"