Eternal Night

Chapter 646 The Sacrifice to Heaven
Lin Daiyu's eyes were still trembling.

Even though she had tried her best to tell herself that these things in front of her were not human, but just demons, beasts, or something else in human skin...

But when lives vanished like ashes, not just one or two, but countless lives, she did not become numb from killing so many; instead, she felt a slight fear and bewilderment.

The chieftains and nobles of the various Tibetan tribes, along with their henchmen and all the religious figures they believed in, had all been killed. If their slaves were not counted, then this civilization could almost be declared extinct.

The same applies to the Yuezhi people in the south. They were also essentially a slave society. Besides the chieftains, nobles, and their lackeys, there were also religious figures and the like. These people enslaved and oppressed serfs who outnumbered them by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times. Although their methods of oppression were not as bizarre as those of the Tibetan tribes, these slaves were still not treated as human beings and lived worse than animals.

Under Wu Pifu's supervision, Lin Daiyu still slaughtered all the non-human beings who had enslaved her.

And now, she has arrived at the hands of the Japanese pirates in the East.

Although the Japanese pirates were not a slave society and seemed to have laid the foundation for Chinese civilization, the lives of the lower classes were extremely miserable due to their small size and small population. In particular, the Japanese pirates were also in a state of chaos at this time, so inhuman monsters naturally increased in number. Then, Lin Daiyu continued to kill indiscriminately under the supervision of Wu Pifu.

From north to south, from east to west, this mere island nation was quickly wiped out, its so-called samurai families and daimyo lineage nearly extinct. Of course, not a single Japanese pirate escaped, including those at sea, all of whom were eliminated.

At this time, Wu Pifu led Lin Daiyu to a Buddhist temple, which seemed to be the most famous Buddhist temple in the Japanese pirate country. Naturally, it was a den of iniquity, although it was much better than the Tibetan temple, it was still a true hell on earth.

Lin Daiyu fought her way up and down the mountain three times before finally arriving in front of Wu Pifu with a numb look in her eyes. Wu Pifu was sitting in the temple reading some books and Buddhist scriptures.

"That's a beautifully said statement, but it's impossible for non-humans to do," Wu Pifu sighed, holding a book.

Lin Daiyu leaned closer and saw a row of characters written in Japanese, but unfortunately she couldn't understand them. However, Wu Pifu read the characters aloud.

"Killing is to protect life; killing karma is not killing people."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's eyes seemed to gradually regain their light, as if she were deep in thought.

Wu Pifu laughed and tore the book to shreds, saying, "What are you thinking? You've fallen into self-doubt so easily? It seems you really don't understand the true meaning of 'why we fight'."

Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment and said, "Protect life? Cut off karma?"

"No, it's to clear out the non-humans."

Wu Pifu shook his head: "Life is more resilient and powerful than you think. Humans are very brave, very united, and very hardworking beings. As long as there are no non-humans disguised as humans enslaving, exploiting, oppressing, and humiliating them, they can create a happy life, no matter how treacherous the environment is, because life will always find its own way. People won't die from holding their pee! Do you understand?"

Upon hearing that he was going to die from holding his urine, Lin Daiyu's face flushed slightly, but her expression remained very serious as she stared blankly at Wu Pifu.

Wu Pifu sensed Lin Daiyu's emotions and knew that she was at the most crucial moment in the formation of her new values. At this time, it was indeed not appropriate for her to fall into confusion and think about issues that transcended her era.

Wu Pifu put down the book fragments in his hand and patted the ground in front of him.

Ignoring the bloodstains and filth on the ground, Lin Daiyu sat down face-to-face with Wu Pifu.

Wu Pifu thought for a moment and said, "Why do you feel confused? That's the most crucial question. You have to understand that what you killed weren't people, but some kind of monsters disguised as humans. Would you feel guilty killing monsters?"

Lin Daiyu really wanted to complain, she really wanted to complain, but she was truly lost in confusion, so she couldn't care less about complaining and immediately said, "But whether it's Tibet, Yuezhi, or here, once we kill the rulers and superiors, the people below erupt in even more terrible chaos. They loot and kill everywhere, set fires and destroy everything. The number of deaths... the number of deaths is much, much more than when we were ruled by those slave owners!"

Wu Pifu replied without hesitation, "That's because they gained freedom from the non-humans. They were immediately plunged into confusion and ecstasy. To put it simply, they went mad temporarily. And I also did my best to kill some of the hidden non-humans."

Lin Daiyu was somewhat dumbfounded, but she immediately said, "When will they be able to recover? How many people will have to die before they can recover? If things continue like this, aren't we just creating chaos for ourselves?"

Wu Pifu laughed: "Look at what you're saying. Do you think we created this chaotic world, or those non-humans in human skin? It was those non-humans who enslaved humanity. We only killed them. All this chaos was caused by the non-humans. What does it have to do with us? Are we supposed to keep reflecting and reflecting until we become reflection monsters? Instead of blaming those non-humans who skinned humans to make drums, we're blaming us for killing them?"

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's expression was still somewhat dazed, Wu Pifu continued, "The person who said this is either a lurking non-human, or a semi-non-human who is only one step away from becoming non-human. There is no other. You must remember this well."

Lin Daiyu's mind was a bit confused. After a long pause, she immediately said, "Wait a minute, brother, I'm asking if it's any different from us killing them if the people go on a killing spree, slaughtering each other, setting fires and destroying everything?"

Wu Pifu replied without hesitation, “Of course there are many differences. As I just said, people can’t die from holding their pee. They will naturally go crazy for a while after gaining their freedom, but they will get hungry, cold, thirsty, and sick. Then they will farm, work, cooperate, and learn. Or do you think that after they lose the slave owners above their heads and the collars around their necks, they will become mindless beasts and would rather starve to death than work?”

"That's impossible," Lin Daiyu shook her head naturally.

Following Wu Pifu's train of thought, she pondered further and immediately said, "But brother, people are either wise or foolish. Even if everything is started anew, naturally some wise people will become leaders, and naturally some skilled warriors will take control of the army. They will naturally continue to oppress the rest of the people. In the end, won't we have changed nothing except for so many people dying in vain?"

Wu Pifu asked in confusion, "Then keep killing! What's there to be confused about?"

"……what?"

Wu Pifu said with certainty, "You have power, and you've seen non-humans appear. Why don't you kill them? Keep killing! Kill one that comes out, kill ten that come out. No, your reasoning is a bit ridiculous, Daiyu. If you were in that situation, and you were told that becoming a superior would mean your entire family and clan would disappear immediately, would you be so crazy as to try skinning ordinary people to make drums? Tell me, would you?"

Lin Daiyu was dumbfounded. She stared at Wu Pifu in disbelief, and continued to think along the lines of Wu Pifu's ideas. Then she realized that it was indeed the case.

Even if everything starts over, what has happened can never be completely erased. And if those oppressors reappear, they will be killed by the entire clan immediately, once, twice, three times... At this moment, Lin Daiyu finally understood what Wu Pifu meant when he said that life will find a way out and that a person cannot die from holding in their urine.

Even if Lin Daiyu didn't know what the so-called insect race meant, she knew that no one would be so crazy as to go against such a method that was almost like the rules of heaven and earth, even if it meant their own and their entire family's death, just to disgust her. It was even more impossible for such things to keep appearing.

People will die if they are killed. If this happens a few times, they will naturally understand that doing these inhuman things will lead to death, and naturally no one will dare to do it anymore.

Wu Pifu chuckled and said, "Moreover, those who truly create history and the world are precisely the humans who are oppressed by inhumans, the working people. You don't understand now, but you will understand when you see more of them in the future. Coming from the people and returning to the people, it's really that simple."

Lin Daiyu's heart fluttered. She inexplicably gleaned an unprecedented path from Wu Pifu's words. However, being a naive and only eleven or twelve-year-old girl, she didn't have time to ask questions. She simply pondered Wu Pifu's words silently.

After a long pause, Lin Daiyu finally nodded and said, "I understand, brother. Kill any non-human being. It doesn't matter if you kill to protect life. Cutting off karma doesn't mean killing people. Life will find its own way. People can't die from holding their urine. And as long as these non-human beings are gone, everything will get better and better!"

Wu Pifu clapped his hands and said, "That's right, that's right. And you must be firm in your belief. Those non-humans can disguise themselves. They can simulate human language, actions, and behavior. They can even simulate human crying, joy, affection, and love. Sometimes they are more like humans than humans. But in reality, they are just some kind of thing wearing human skin. They are definitely not human. All these behaviors are just simulations and mimicry to lower your guard and make you feel sympathy. Remember, remember, if you encounter such a non-human, just kill it. Saying a word to it is an insult to your intelligence."

This time, Lin Daiyu did not hesitate and nodded heavily.

This is also part of Lin Daiyu's perfection, which makes Wu Pifu naturally happy.

While the physical body may be perfect, Wu Pifu wasn't certain if the soul were flawed; he wasn't sure if one could achieve perfection. But now, things were much better. He had imparted his deepest insights to Lin Daiyu without reservation, freeing her from confusion and doubt, ensuring she would surely achieve physical and mental perfection in the future. On the evening of the ninth day, Lin Daiyu finally stormed into the Japanese pirates' capital. Wu Pifu remained a cold observer, watching as Lin Daiyu charged forward, mercilessly killing all the military families, nobles, and those in positions of power.

Wu Pifu sensed the Heavenly Dragon Qi enveloping the capital, feeling it boiling and overflowing. However, this time it did not soar into the sky to attract any divine punishment, but instead transformed into a black and red dragon aura and headed east.

This is similar to the Tibetan chieftains and Yuezhi chieftains who were previously wiped out; their dragon aura was blackish-red and then headed towards the Chinese land. However, the dragon aura of the Japanese pirates was the most intense, not inferior to that of the Wild Boar Skin tribe.

“…Very good, I was just afraid you wouldn’t come.”

After Kyoto was destroyed, the upper echelons of the entire Japanese pirate race were almost completely wiped out. Wu Pifu then took Lin Daiyu back to the Chinese mainland, but instead of going to the capital, they went to the Fengchan Terrace on Mount Tai.

Seven days ago, the emperor had already begun preparations for the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai. After his conversation with Wu Pifu, he had become even more determined, no longer simply boasting about his martial arts skills or seeking to make a name for himself in history.

Wu Pifu didn't know who this emperor was originally. Perhaps he was Chongzhen, or some kind of combination of Ming Dynasty emperors. Putting aside his methods and ruthlessness as an emperor, he certainly had backbone and courage, which was beyond doubt. So, in these seven days, he actually managed to complete the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai despite the enormous pressure from the entire dynasty.

Of course, news of the complete annihilation of the Wild Boar Skin tribe had already reached the capital from beyond the Great Wall. At the same time, changes in the directions of Tibet and Yuezhi began to spread from the border to the interior. These were the foundations upon which the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai could be established.

Within ten days, all external threats from the four directions of China—east, west, south, and north—were quelled. The emperor did not disappoint Wu Pifu. At this time, the massive entourage, which included the emperor, ministers, imperial relatives, and numerous powerful families, was only one day away from Mount Tai. This was much faster than the five days promised by the emperor. Considering the scale of the trip and the importance of the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, it was almost as if the emperor had staked his reputation, political life, and everything else on the table the day after making the promise to Wu Pifu.

Fortunately, he won his gamble. Wu Pifu, with Lin Daiyu, truly eliminated all external threats. Even now, the ministers, imperial relatives, and powerful families still can't believe it, but the border guards have repeatedly confirmed the great victory, and there is no longer any intact regime around the country.

"...I knew it was inevitable, but for some reason, the closer I got to Mount Tai, the more fear I felt."

In the imperial camp where the emperor was located, Wu Pifu and Lin Daiyu landed silently and walked directly in. The guards guarding the camp were all imperial guards brought directly from the palace. Many of them had already witnessed Wu Pifu and Lin Daiyu descending from the sky. Although they were always shocked by what they saw, they had already received the emperor's orders not to stop the Lin siblings from arriving, so they made no sound.

Upon meeting the emperor, the emperor's first words were surprisingly words of fear. Although his expression remained dignified, he showed Wu Pifu his hands, which were trembling slightly.

Wu Pifu had nothing to hide and said directly, "Because the dragon energy is angry. Your trip to perform the Fengshan ceremony this time is not in the life 'planned' for you by the dragon energy of destiny. This in itself is an exception. At the same time, I destroyed the most formed branches of the dragon energy in the four directions. If we want to destroy China according to the future planned by the dragon energy, then it will need to use greater power and bring enemies from a greater distance. However, the dragon energy in this world can only subtly influence and bewitch people's hearts. It must abide by the actual physical laws. People will die if they are killed, they will be hungry if they don't eat, and they will be thirsty if they don't drink water. With the level of technology in this era, it is impossible to cross the borders of the four directions and come from a distant place to destroy China. So the dragon energy is angry."

Wu Pifu's words contained many novel terms, which left the emperor somewhat bewildered, as were the old eunuch and Lin Daiyu beside him.

Fortunately, Chinese characters and the Chinese language are inherited from the same source. Even if there are words they don't understand, such as science, they can at least understand the general principles and meanings.

"...Is logistics and national strength not enough?" The emperor nodded thoughtfully. He looked into the darkness outside the tent. They would arrive at Mount Tai tomorrow. If things were rushed, they could even perform the Fengshan ceremony tomorrow afternoon. "Wu Pifu, I ask you, what will we encounter tomorrow?"

Wu Pifu spread his hands and said, "I don't know, because this is the first time I've encountered this kind of Heavenly Dragon Qi. Perhaps it will send down heavenly lightning to kill you and me, or it will bewitch people and cause your army to rebel, or the Heavenly Court will send down gods to slaughter everything. I don't know, but one thing I am very clear about is that once the sacrificial ceremony begins tomorrow, the 'script' written by the Heavenly Dragon Qi will become completely invalid. This time, no matter what it wants to do, at most it will just be a cornered dog flipping the table."

The emperor remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed, his face contorted with rage: "That's exactly right! I lead this country not to become a script in the eyes of those high and mighty, nor to become an actor for them to play with, either to annihilate millions of my Chinese people, or to simply erase me, the emperor who dared to offer sacrifices to Heaven! Good!"

"There's no time to lose. Tomorrow, once we arrive at Mount Tai, I will personally take you to the Fengshan Platform, leaving everything behind, just the two of you siblings and I to personally offer sacrifices to Heaven!"

Wu Pifu clapped his hands in approval, while Lin Daiyu looked at him with concern and asked, "Brother, what should I do tomorrow? What can I do?"

Wu Pifu reached out and patted Lin Daiyu's head, saying, "Don't overthink it. I'll hold up the sky if it falls. You just need to protect the emperor, and if you discover any non-human beings, kill them!"

After the discussion was settled, Wu Pifu took Lin Daiyu and left the imperial camp. They did not go to the surrounding camps. It should be noted that although the emperor's Fengshan ceremony was rushed, there were many ministers, generals, imperial relatives, and wealthy families accompanying him. Even the men and their families of the four major families came along.

The two of them simply went to Mount Tai ahead of time.

Meanwhile, in a valley not far from Mount Tai, the bald-headed monk and the lame Taoist priest, their faces ashen, observed Mount Tai at night.

"...It's too late to stop it!" the monk said coldly.

"The Heavenly Court passage has become unstable. The Heavenly Dragon Qi is mixed with too much resentment. The pure souls that were originally refined have also produced a lot of impurities, which, mixed with resentment, are rushing straight into the Dragon Qi. The Dragon Qi is now even attacking us," the Taoist replied in a deep voice.

The monk and the Taoist priest both had grim and bitter expressions. They looked at each other, each revealing their helplessness.

“Damn the Zhenwu lineage! On the surface they respect our Heavenly Court, but they actually secretly sent people to cause trouble in our subordinate small worlds... Could it be that they have discovered that the appearance of the Xinghe lineage is our Heavenly Court’s doing?” the monk said.

The Taoist hesitated for a moment: "Whether we've discovered it or not, the Zhenwu lineage is truly audacious. If the Heavenly Court weren't still asleep, we should have directly captured the Zhenwu Ancestor and put him on the execution platform!"

The two fell silent again. After a long while, the monk asked, "Then what should we do? If the dragon energy of this small world collapses and the world is lost, let alone whether we can find a way to return to the Heavenly Court, even if we do return, what awaits us is the loss of our celestial status. We may have to endure countless reincarnations in the mortal world to atone for our sins."

The Taoist smiled bitterly: "There's nothing we can do. You and I are just souls who have come to this world. Our celestial bodies are still being nurtured in the Heavenly Court. Our most suitable magical treasures are also dormant in our physical bodies and seas of consciousness. With just you and me, we are no match for that Zhenwu person. Judging from our previous encounter and his ability to withstand the heavenly lightning, he is probably no less than the Seven Sons of Zhenwu and the Five Monsters of the Star River."

The monk cursed and said, "They're really insane. Instead of confronting each other on the front lines, these people have secretly come to my Heavenly Court's small world to cause trouble... I'm afraid we'll have to awaken Shenying Attendant to save this situation."

The Taoist nodded: "That's what I think too. Only Shenying Attendant can turn the tide. Although his celestial body is being nurtured in the Heavenly Court, he carries the Spirit Jade with him at all times. This is his opportunity to attain enlightenment, and he can't be separated from it for even a moment. It is said that it contains the legacy of the goddess Nuwa. Awakening it can simulate part of the power of the celestial body for a short time. As long as we can reconnect with the Heavenly Court, the mere Zhenwu lineage, coming alone, can be crushed!"

The two looked at each other and made up their minds. The monk said, "I can repay you with three gourds of pure Yin and pure Yang spiritual essence."

The Taoist priest remained silent for a moment, pondering deeply. After a long while, he shook his head: "Not enough, not enough. Awakening the Divine Stone Attendant will not only render this Spirit Refining effort futile, but it will also cause a backlash. At least dozens of Spirit Refining attempts will be in vain. Three pots of pure Yin and pure Yang spiritual essence are simply not enough to repay his anger and our dereliction of duty... I have ten Pure Yang Nine-Turn Pearls, what about you?"

The monk's face turned green then white, then white then green again, and after a long while he said, "I can produce three five-colored spiritual lotuses, as well as three mother-and-child spiritual lotus roots, which are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining."

The Taoist priest remained silent: "I still don't feel it's enough... I'll send out another 128,000 people with pure spiritual energy."

The monk, having already given up entirely, said, "Then I will also contribute 128,000 times of pure spiritual energy."

After agreeing on their plans, the two looked up at Mount Tai again.

"Tomorrow, the True Martial One will surely follow closely beside the Emperor of Heaven's Mandate. You and I will take this opportunity to awaken the Divine Stone Attendant. This time, it is a true sacrifice to Heaven that gathers dragon energy. The dragon energy has already eroded the Heavenly Dao and the Earthly Dao, but the Human Dao is still being refined. The Emperor's sacrifice to Heaven is actually the Human Dao questioning Heaven, which involves a process of three questions and three answers. As long as we are fast enough and the Divine Stone Attendant awakens quickly enough, we will have plenty of time!"

The monk and the Taoist priest reached an agreement. Although their faces showed signs of pain, they were also filled with ferocity and hatred.

"When that time comes, we must skin this True Martial One alive, tear him apart, and grind his soul and spirit into every single grain!"

(End of this chapter)