Chapter 25: Prelude to Slaughter

Again three options: the first is the classic extreme kneeling plan, the second is the classic extreme slaughter plan, nothing to say, at a glance you can't choose.

The only option that looks selectable is actually only the third one:

"Heaven and earth are not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs……"

This phrase, Zhao Shisu knows it all too well; it basically appears in every cultivation novel.

Its meaning is often understood as 'the Heavenly Dao is a bad seed, ruthlessly playing with all things!' but that's a mistaken interpretation; the correct explanation is:

Heaven and earth have no personal feelings; they treat all things equally.

This is the embodiment of Laozi's simple materialist view; influenced by ancient backward worldviews, he does not deny the existence of transcendent 'gods' beyond matter, nor can he produce evidence to deny them.

【Di Jun: ……】

【You sink your voice, attributing all problems to the Heavenly Dao, thinking since the Heavenly Dao caused all this, blame the Heavenly Dao!】

【Time has already reversed……】

【You choose option A, kneel, heavenly will cannot be defied, it's a fine thing to be a dog of the human race!】

【You fervently proclaim that the Demon Race is the legitimate protagonist of heaven and earth in the Primeval Wasteland, the Heavenly Dao's seal? Nonsense! The Demon Race refuses to obey! My fate is mine, not heaven's!】

【And if the entire Demon Race spontaneously slaughters humans, could the Heavenly Dao possibly kill off all of the Primeval Wasteland?】

【Faced with the Heavenly Emperor's question, you choose (?)】

But one day, a person suddenly came to our house, opened mouth calling mom and dad, and asked why the two you picked up are staying at his house?

【Thus no need for living beings to suffer, still not losing the position of the mad monkey, more strongly maintaining peace in the Primeval Wasteland, promoting cultural exchange among different demon races, the country secure and people happy, how wonderful!】

It is so fair that when Di Jun learned that humanity is the Heavenly Dao personally stamped and certified as the 'protagonist of heaven and earth,' his entire Ren Dao heart almost collapsed!

Making an not-so-appropriate analogy, it's like a family with two children; from childhood the parents treat them equally in a bowl of water, never favoring either, the two kids have long been used to this, although each thinks they are the parents' true love, facing such impartial treatment, both kids have no objections.

【As for which human leader to surrender to, you declare yourself the human tribe chief, accomplished in both civil and martial arts, extraordinarily brave, truly the only choice to accept surrender; as future Heavenly Emperor, you will surely govern the Primeval Wasteland to ever greater prosperity!】

【Your words cause Di Jun to look askance in surprise, but you feel no problem at all, and the more you speak the more excited you become, declaring the Heavenly Dao guilty, thus it does not deserve to be the Heavenly Dao!】

"Choose A!"

The Dao of Daoism and the Dao of Daoist religion are not the same thing.

This is the so-called Dao.

【A: Kneel, heavenly will cannot be defied, it's a fine thing to be a dog of the human race! B: Slaughter, heavenly will cannot be defied? Heavenly Dragon people give death to dad! Completely wipe out all humans without leaving a single one! C: Defy heaven, the Heavenly Dao is not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs; if the Heavenly Dao has favoritism, then it is the Heavenly Dao that is wrong!】

Seen this way, the desperate Di Jun's urge to slaughter humans is also understandable.

"C!"

【You are dead, the wrong choice led to a wrong ending……】

"B! Slaughter!"

【'Quick! Slay Demon Platform!' Di Jun shouts in fear to the heavenly soldiers and generals, swiftly taking you away while you are still spouting nonsense, then openly declares on the Slay Demon Platform that you are guilty of 'profaning the sacred,' 'disrespecting teacher and destroying ancestors,' 'planning to deceive the sovereign,' … in short, heinous crimes, execution carried out immediately!】

【A: Kneel, heavenly will cannot be defied, it's a fine thing to be a dog of the human race! B: Slaughter, heavenly will cannot be defied? Heavenly Dragon people give death to dad! Completely wipe out all humans without leaving a single one! C: Defy heaven, the Heavenly Dao is not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs; if the Heavenly Dao has favoritism, then it is the Heavenly Dao that is wrong!】

【The azure heaven has fallen! The dragon heaven shall be established!】

Watching the protagonist being hastily sent to the Slay Demon Platform by the hurried Di Jun, Zhao Si couldn't help but rub his forehead, knowing this game wasn't so easy to choose.

But the problem is, aside from being stamped by the Heavenly Dao, humanity has done nothing wrong, yet we want to slaughter them—this doesn't make sense!

If we must find a scapegoat, we cannot blame humanity; we can only blame the originator:

Heavenly Dao!

Zhao Si didn't even want to wait, directly clicking to reverse time:

【You choose option B, slaughter, heavenly will cannot be defied? Heavenly Dragon people give death to dad! Completely wipe out all humans without leaving a single one!】

After thinking, Zhao Si clicked his own choice:

"How on earth should I write this……"

【What's a mere human race, even if it's the Heaven's Mandate protagonist? Before absolute power, all Heaven's Mandate is toilet paper! Slaughter! Slaughter and it's done!】

"Then kneel."

【Time has already reversed……】

Zhao Si closed his eyes, having prepared himself to die again, and began to carefully plan how he would write when he came up with a strategy:

"Damn! I knew it."

【You are the first human captured; afterwards, the Heavenly Court's interrogation of you is also the strictest……】

【You are dead, the wrong choice led to a wrong ending……】

This left you two dazed, the key being that the parents personally admitted this:

Yes, you two are not our biological children; this one is our real son, and he will inherit the family property……

【You are full of vigor, pointing out the land, suggesting the Heavenly Emperor organize all the mighty divine powers of the Primeval Wasteland, issue a broad proclamation, condemn the Heavenly Dao's sins to all beings of the Primeval Wasteland, let all creatures jointly denounce the fallen Heavenly Dao, then lead all those divine powers to charge beyond Chaos into the Purple Cloud Palace, smashing to pieces the dog head of the Heavenly Dao's lackey Hongjun!】

"Fine, kneeling also leads to death."

【Faced with the Heavenly Emperor's question, you choose (?)】

【You curiously ask why not just send a powerful person to level the human race? Di Jun answers you, this is because humanity is the Heaven's Mandate protagonist; if we act directly, it will provoke the Heavenly Dao's intervention, at which point even sages would be unable to get by, so the Heavenly Court dares not act directly.】

【You choose option C, Heaven and earth are not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs; if Heaven and earth had personal feelings, then it would be the Heavenly Dao that is wrong!】

But Laozi also does not believe that 'gods' have personal feelings, so the 'gods' in his writings neither marry nor have children, nor spread faith, nor save or pity the world; even if they existed, they might as well not exist.

Not just five thunders striking the top, it's practically heaven collapsing and earth splitting!

【After hearing your extreme suggestion, Di Jun beams with delight, great minds think alike; the two hit it off, with you as the human tribe chief acting as an insider to prevent any residual human forces from remaining, while Di Jun guides the demon race's public opinion, creating 'human-fear anxiety,' passively stirring the entire demon race to generate an anti-human wave.】

【'Throw them out!' Di Jun roars angrily; you sense something is wrong, so you strain to break free from the heavenly soldiers' restraints, let out a loud shout, and lunge toward Di Jun's throne!】

【You pessimistically state that humanity's supremacy over the demon race is already fated; rather than pointless resistance, it's better to surrender with dignity, advising the Heavenly Emperor to hold jade in his mouth, lead a lamb, carry a coffin, and lead the Heavenly Empress, Heavenly Consort, Donghuang, the Demon Master, and all the Demon Sages to Mount Shouyang to proactively surrender to humanity.】

【Di Jun: ……】

In the Primeval Wasteland setting, the Heavenly Dao is basically this image: impartial and aloof, with infinite power, yet it has no bias toward anything.

【When yin and yang fall into disorder, I will dye the azure sky with dragon blood!】

【Thus, the plan was set just like that, and carried out secretly……】

……

(End of chapter)