Tales of Herding Gods
Chapter 1605: Darkness Without Light

The golden ship sailed out of Youdu and came to the ancestral court. Celestial Venerable Yue brought Celestial Venerable Ling to the place where the Great Overarching Consciousness Heaven and the Great Overarching Heaven Heaven collided. She executed her divine art and sent Celestial Venerable Ling to the Great Overarching Consciousness Heaven, scaring away the Grand Primordium.

Celestial Venerable Ling didn't say much to Celestial Venerable Yun, only telling him about Founding Emperor's death.

Celestial Venerable Yun was silent for a moment before saying, "When you go back, tell Celestial Venerable Mu. From the Dragon Han to the long years now, we have experienced even more darkness and suffering than we have now. We have already walked over and walked out. He will also walk out."

He thought about it and wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

Celestial Venerable Yue brought Celestial Venerable Ling back and saw that Qin Mu was still lying there. She didn't know if he was sleeping or not.

"Where should we go?" Heaven Duke asked blankly.

"To Eternal Peace," Celestial Venerable You said.

Qin Fengqing hugged his knees and hid in the corner of the golden ship. He said softly, "I want to go home, I want to go back to Carefree Village. Founding Emperor should still be there…"

The golden ship came to Eternal Peace.

Emperor Yanxiu, Ling Yuxiu, came forward when she heard the news. She came to the ship and saw that Celestial Venerable Yue, Celestial Venerable Ling, and the rest had already moved away. Qin Mu had gotten up at some point and was sitting on the edge of the golden ship, lost in thought.

Ling Yuxiu came to his side and climbed up the boat to sit with him.

She turned her head to look, and at Qin Mu's sideburns, there were already some white hair at the places that were soaked by his tears.

He was no longer a youth, but had the steadiness and maturity of a middle-aged man.

That cowherd beside Surging River had grown up, and his spirit was a little haggard.

"Let's get married."

Qin Mu lowered his head and looked down. Below him was the lower capital of Eternal Peace, shrouded by the Primordial Tree. He said calmly, "Let's get married. I don't want to be Eternal Peace's Imperial Preceptor anymore. Do you still plan to continue being the emperor?"

Ling Yuxiu leaned on his shoulder and said softly, "I will find father and push away the position of emperor. When I find father and Jiang Baigui, we will be able to take down our own burdens. Wait a few more days for me. Do you need to stop the reform of Eternal Peace?"

"If the human race wants to live, they have to stop the reform."

Qin Mu and her relied on each other, and his soul seemed to have become empty, leaving only the walking corpse. He muttered, "There's no hope of turning the tables anymore… When you go find the emperor and Imperial Preceptor, I'll make a trip to the celestial heavens."

Ling Yuxiu nodded her head gently. "After we retire, will you go to Surging River?"

"I will. I was originally the cowherd boy beside Surging River, it's time for me to be myself again…"

"I'll accompany you."

…

After Ling Yuxiu left, Qin Mu took off his clothes and revealed his upper body, only wearing his pants.

He took out a rope and a vine to tie himself up. The vine was covered with sharp thorns that stabbed into his skin.

Celestial Venerable You saw this and didn't stop him. He slowly put on his ghost mask.

Celestial Venerable Yue went forward to persuade him, and Qin Mu revealed a smile. "Back then, Celestial Venerable Yun died in battle, and all of you went into seclusion in despair. There's no need to persuade me."

Celestial Venerable Yue was speechless.

Celestial Venerable Ling thought about it and didn't persuade him.

Heaven Duke hesitated for a moment and braced himself to go forward. "When will Celestial Venerable Mu revive Earth Count?"

Qin Mu said gently, "Dao brother, don't worry. I'll head to the celestial heavens and kneel in front of the Southern Heavenly Gate to beg for forgiveness. If Celestial Venerable Hao allows me to, I'll be able to survive. I'll also be able to protect Eternal Peace and Carefree Village. At that time, I'll come back to revive Earth Count. There's one more thing, may I trouble Dao brother to inform West Deity, North Deity, and East Deity not to rebel. Let them kneel with me at the Southern Heavenly Gate."

Heaven Duke froze there.

Qin Mu walked down the golden ship, and in the shadow of it, Qin Fengqing called out weakly, "Brother, I want to go home…"

Qin Mu said with a smile, "Go back. I'm sorry, brother, I shouldn't have let you take on such a heavy responsibility, I shouldn't have let you become Earth Count. I can protect you, go back and tell father and mother that I'm fine."

Qin Fengqing looked at him in a daze and didn't move back.

Qin Mu walked towards the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge under Eternal Peace's capital city. Celestial Venerable Ling stood in his way and said, "Celestial Venerable Yun told me to tell you that no matter how dark it is, you will walk out. He also said that you can walk out."

Qin Mu smiled and said, "But I can't walk out, I can't see any chance of victory. I might walk out in the future, but now, I'm tired."

Celestial Venerable Ling looked at the white hair at his temples and was silent for a moment. "Give me fifty thousand years, and I will solve all the mysteries of the red knot of the master of Miluo Palace. At that time, no one will be your match!"

"Fifty thousand years…"

Qin Mu smiled weakly and shook his head. "I can wait, but Eternal Peace can't wait, the human race can't wait. If we continue to resist, the human race will be erased. Sister Ling, don't stop me."

Celestial Venerable Ling fell silent and gave way.

Qin Mu continued to walk forward. In front of him, Lang Wo stood there gracefully, quietly waiting for him.

Qin Mu stopped and asked, "Lang Wo, are you here to stop me from surrendering to the celestial heavens?"

Lang Wo shook her head. "I'm here to go with you."

Qin Mu was stunned.

Lang Wo's expression was calm as she said, "If you go and apologize, you can only protect Eternal Peace and Carefree Village, but you can't protect the remaining masters of creation. I'm prepared to go to the celestial heavens with you. Kneel in front of the Southern Heavenly Gate, and I'll go meet Celestial Venerable Hao. Maybe I can become his empress and protect the masters of creation."

Qin Mu had a complicated expression. After a moment, he said, "I'm ashamed to be the holy infant of the masters of creation. You guys placed your hopes on me, thinking that I could lead you guys back to the glory of the masters of creation. However, all of this is actually a lie. I'm ashamed to face you and your people. If you trust me, I'll do everything I can to protect the masters of creation of Carefree Village."

Lang Wo shook her head. "Celestial Venerable Hao wants me to be his Celestial Empress. This is the power of the victor. As the loser, you have no right to bargain with him."

Qin Mu was silent. He carried the thorns and continued forward.

Suddenly, Celestial Venerable Yue brought Village Chief and Apothecary to rush over from the celestial palace of Virtuous Earth Sovereign and left them behind.

Village Chief stabilized himself and shouted with a grim expression, "Mu'er! Did a setback defeat you? How did I teach you when you were young? You are the Overlord Body, the peerless Overlord Body…"

Qin Mu's voice was hoarse, and he said in a low voice, "Grandpa Village Chief, Overlord Body is just a lie. It motivates me for a moment, but it can't motivate me forever. The dream of Overlord Body should have been awakened long ago. I'm just an ordinary person, an ordinary child that you guys picked up from the riverside. I'm even worse than an ordinary person. I don't even have my own soul, and my body belongs to my brother. I'm tired…"

Village Chief looked at him with a complicated expression and suddenly let out a long sigh. "Apothecary, persuade him."

Apothecary was silent for a moment before saying, "Mu'er, the Overlord Body is indeed fake, but you have relied on this belief to sweep everything in your path. Let me ask you, who in the world has your achievements? Who has your talent? You aren't the Overlord Body, but you have done something that even the Overlord Body can't do."

"Grandpa Apothecary, you saw my success, did you see how much effort I put in?"

Qin Mu suddenly lost control and shouted, "From the moment I knew I was the Overlord Body, I started to put my life on the line! I started to use my brain and wrack my brain! I'm scared, I'm scared of letting you guys down! I'm scared of having the title of the Overlord Body! I'm scared of your gazes behind me! I put my life on the line time again and almost died again. It's not because I believe I'm the Overlord Body, it's because I don't want you guys to be disappointed in me!"

He shouted himself hoarse. "What happened after that? When I came to Eternal Peace, I became the Heavenly Saint Cult Master. I shouldn't have understood the reform, the revolution, the path of the saint, and I shouldn't have become the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace! When I shouldered all of this, I could only put in even more effort and risk my life! Overlord Body? There was no Overlord Body to begin with! There was only an ordinary person like me who used his life to exchange for it!"

Apothecary was stunned and fell silent.

Qin Mu panted heavily, and his expression softened again. He walked to Apothecary and Village Chief's side and said with a helpless tone, "Grandpa Apothecary, Grandpa Village Chief, I'm tired. I don't want to pretend to be an Overlord Body anymore. Your expectations of me are too high, and I can't do it. Don't stop me."

Village Chief opened his mouth, but he could only sigh.

Qin Mu stumbled forward, and space suddenly leaped. Celestial Venerable Yue appeared and disappeared unpredictably. She placed Granny Si, Blind, and Mute in front of him and hurriedly said, "I'm going to find Heaven Knife, Art Saint, and Rulai Ma!"

Qin Mu shook his head and said, "Yue, there's no need to be busy."

Celestial Venerable Yue didn't say a word and left in a flash.

Qin Mu looked at Granny Si, Blind, and Mute and smiled with tears in his eyes. "Granny, Grandpa Blind, Grandpa Mute, I'm tired. I don't want to fight anymore. I want to go home. I want to go back to Disabled Elderly Village. I want to go back to when I was young."

Granny Si had originally planned to persuade him, but when she heard his words, her heart softened. She wiped away her tears and said, "Then let's go home. You guys are not allowed to talk!"

She glared at Blind and Mute. "You're not allowed to persuade him! It's good to go home. In this world, you shouldn't have to bear the consequences! Go home, Mu'er, let's build another Disabled Elderly Village."

Qin Mu dragged his heavy footsteps past them. Blind and Mute turned their heads and looked at his back view in a daze. Blind opened his mouth and said with a trembling voice, "Mu'er, we are going back. Where's Cripple? Can Cripple return?"

Qin Mu stopped, and his body trembled.

"Cripple, you can't come back…"

Blind said with a trembling voice, "Disabled Elderly Village is no longer the original Disabled Elderly Village. We can't go back, Mu'er…"

Thud.

Qin Mu knelt on the ground and lowered his head.

Blind walked to his back and grabbed his shoulder. "If Cripple was here, he definitely wouldn't want to see you like this…"

"I can't see any hope—"

Qin Mu let out a wolf-like howl and lowered his head to his chest. He cried loudly, "I can't see any hope anymore! Don't force me anymore! We've already lost, I can't gamble with everyone's lives!"

He cried loudly and turned around, kowtowing heavily to Village Chief, Granny Si, and Blind. "I have let down Grandpa Cripple, I have let down your expectations, but I…"

He raised his head. "I have to."

Village Chief sighed and helped him up. "Mu'er, go and do it. We'll wait for you to come back."

Qin Mu turned around and walked towards the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge. Lang Wo followed behind him.

In the capital of Eternal Peace, Ling Yuxiu led the civil and military officials of Eternal Peace to silently watch this scene. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife, but her expression was calm.

"Your Majesty, won't we stop Imperial Preceptor?" a minister asked.

Ling Yuxiu shook her head. "There's no need to stop him. He is no longer your Imperial Preceptor, and I will no longer be your emperor. When the Grand Imperial Sire comes here, I will abdicate, and I will leave Eternal Peace with him to live in seclusion…"

The civil and military officials looked at each other, but no one said anything.

Qin Mu climbed up the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge step by step. Looking at the spirit energy light in front of him, he took in a deep breath and was about to step into the bridge.

Suddenly, Yu Chen'zi sprinted over from afar and shouted, "Imperial Preceptor, wait! Wait!"