Chapter 1469 — Grudges Melt Away Like Snow

"Di Qing is a typical half-god."

Tian Shu's divine sense rippled as he sent a stealthy transmission to Shen Mu: "Most half-gods of old thought this way—arrogant, looking down on all creation. Back in the Kaihuang era, when the Lord of Heaven ordered the half-gods of Xuandu to aid us, we endured no small amount of his and the other Xuandu deities' peculiar temperaments."

Shen Mu understood the feeling well.

Since before the Dragon Han era, the half-god race had fed upon other acquired races. By the Dragon Han era, with its rigid hierarchy, the half-gods—second only to the ancient gods—stood exalted above all, and had been born exalted, possessing a natural sense of superiority over those of lower station.

Di Qing was likely a half-god born after the Ancestral God King, and had developed exactly this temperament.

He studied Di Qing, and in him could see the shadow of the Lord of Heaven. Di Qing bore little resemblance to Di Yiyue—only the lips and the bridge of the nose showed some likeness.

Di Qing's gaze swept over Shen Mu and the others, and seeing that all four were masked, he could not help but frown.

Tian Shu laughed. "These four brothers have special identities and cannot show their faces."

"In ordinary times, entering Xuandu masked would surely mark one as an enemy. But now the Heavenly Dao distinguishes friend from foe, so these four must be friends." Di Qing smiled.

Shen Mu looked around and saw many half-god children running wild through the city. He frowned. "Di Qing, why are there still women and children in Tianfang City? You should send the children to the Yuan Realm at once. Tianfang City cannot hold out at all—keeping the women and children here is just sending them to their deaths!"

"Tianfang City cannot be breached. The Heavenly Court's armies of gods and demons cannot even reach the city gates."

Di Qing frowned. "The more people gathered in the city, the stronger the Heavenly Dao becomes. Keeping children and women in the city will only swell the power of the Heavenly Dao! You do not understand the ways of the Heavenly Dao, so I will not hold it against you—but next time, do not speak recklessly and disrupt the morale of my army, or do not blame me for the mercilessness of military law."

He looked at Tian Shu, his expression darkening. "Heavenly King of the Underworld, it is good that you have come to lend aid, but you had best restrain your friends and not disrupt the morale of my army."

Tian Shu stealthily tugged at Shen Mu's lapel and laughed heartily. "Rest assured, rest assured, we will not speak nonsense again. We are still waiting for you to share the credit with us. But gathering women and children in the city—is it truly useful?"

The sternness vanished from Di Qing's face as he smiled. "This is the exquisite subtlety of Xuandu's Heavenly Dao. Times are different now. The Heavenly Dao protects Xuandu, and wherever more living beings gather, the Heavenly Dao grows stronger. The reason the Heavenly Dao's power in Tianfang City is so formidable is that many Xuandu gods and demons have gathered here. But gods and demons are few in number after all, so the common people of Xuandu must also gather here."

He glanced at Shen Mu and the others. "All who can live in Xuandu are of the half-god race. Everywhere here is a divine kingdom—there are no acquired beings such as humans."

Tian Shu smiled apologetically. "Yes, we humans and other acquired beings are unworthy of living in Xuandu. You said so before."

Di Qing said hastily, "That is not what I meant. But to preserve the purity of Xuandu's bloodline, acquired beings are forbidden from setting foot in Xuandu—it is not discrimination against you. Now, though there are many half-gods in Tianfang City, there are still not enough, so I have ordered the Sun Wardens, Moon Wardens, and Star Lords of various regions to migrate more half-gods from the myriad heavens here, to jointly defend Tianfang and strengthen the power of the Heavenly Dao!"

Tian Shu was dumbstruck, and Shen Mu, Zai Fu, and the others all frowned deeply.

Di Qing laughed heartily. "By then, Tianfang City will become the fortress that overpowers the Heavenly Worthy and makes him bow his head!"

He was full of confidence, pointing at the mountains and rivers as though commanding the realm, his spirit soaring. "When the Lord of Heaven ordered us to descend to the mortal world and support you humans and other acquired races, I was actually somewhat displeased all along. Without relying on the power of you acquired races, with only the power of my Xuandu, we could already look down upon the myriad heavens and stand on equal footing with the Heavenly Court! Back then, when the Heavenly King came to lend aid, I was also very pleased."

Shen Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Di Qing, will you truly not reconsider evacuating these women and children? If Tianfang City falls, these lives..."

Di Qing flew into a towering rage, his expression changing. He barked at his attendants, "Seize this man who disrupts the morale of my army and behead him on the city tower as a warning to all!"

Tian Shu hurriedly embraced him, smiling placatingly. "Calm yourself, calm yourself! We came to lend aid, after all—how can there be any logic in killing friendly troops to consecrate the flag the moment we arrive?"

Di Qing snorted, shook him off, and said coldly, "My Xuandu has strong soldiers and sturdy horses, and the protection of the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao has formed a supreme treasure to protect the divine city—we have no need of your aid. You four or five, masked and afraid to show your true faces, neither male nor female, neither decent nor respectable—just watch! Heavenly King, rest assured, when we win I will share a little of the credit with you."

Suddenly the sound of war drums came. Di Qing led his people away in haste.

Zai Fu sighed and said bleakly, "We came full of ardor, undaunted by the enemy, only to have a basin of cold water poured over us by Xuandu's garrison commander."

"Tian Dao, calm your anger. Di Qing did help the Kaihuang era a great deal. Kaihuang established the posts of Sun Warden and Moon Warden across the myriad heavens—that was in fact learning from Xuandu's system."

Tian Shu was also helpless regarding Di Qing. "But back when they came to help us, the bitter and heavy labor was all done by us; they only gave directions, and lorded it over us besides. Kaihuang tolerated it in many ways, until at last he could bear it no longer and they fell out. Di Qing, in a rage, led all the half-gods back to Xuandu, saying that without their help, your Kaihuang Kingdom could never develop into a great power of the Yuan Realm."

He smiled faintly. "Several hundred years later, the Kaihuang Kingdom leapt to become the hegemon of the Yuan Realm, and the Lord of Heaven sent him back again. Yet his temper had not changed—he was arrogant toward everyone in the Kaihuang Heavenly Court. Arrogant though he is, his heart is not bad, and his strength is formidable. His whole life he has pondered the Heavenly Dao, and has comprehended three to five different Heavenly Dao Imperial Throne techniques. With the Heavenly Dao here so flourishing, perhaps he truly can hold off the Heavenly Worthy."

Shen Mu shook his head. "If the Heavenly Dao were truly so strong, why would the Lord of Heaven need to scurry about like a rat, transforming into Hong Tianzun, and personally instigate this calamity of slaughter against the Lord of Heaven and against Xuandu?"

At these words, Tian Shu, Zai Fu, and the others could not help but shudder, their hairs standing on end, staring at him in alarm.