Tales of Herding Gods

"Dreams cannot be eaten like rice, and they can't live either! Dreams will only drag you down, making you lose your current position, making you bleed in front of reality, making more humans give up their lives for the dream!"

Meng Yungui walked faster, chasing after Emperor Hao Tian and the rest. He thought to himself, 'Dreams are too expensive, I need to risk my life. Dreams aren't worth anything. Anyone can claim to have a dream, but not everyone has the life to enjoy it!'

He followed Celestial Emperor Hao, who was deep in thought. Suddenly, he said, "Heavenly Master Meng, you are in charge of the economy of the celestial heavens. How long do you think the celestial coins can last?"

Meng Yungui pondered for a moment and said, "If we suck blood from the other heavens, we can still last ten years. If the celestial heavens give out more celestial coins and buy minerals from the various heavens, we can last another twenty years."

"Oh," Celestial Emperor Hao said with interest. "Twenty years? Heavenly Master Shang, do you think the celestial heavens can last for twenty years by giving out more celestial coins?"

Shang Pinying stepped out and bowed. "I thought that giving out celestial coins was like quenching thirst with poison, and it would make the celestial coins collapse even faster. Now, a portion of the celestial coins in the heavens and ten thousand worlds are concentrated in the hands of the celestial heavens and Eternal Peace. The rest of the celestial coins are concentrated in the hands of the influential families in the heavens and ten thousand worlds. The people of the heavens and ten thousand worlds don't have much money in their hands. Giving out more celestial coins to buy over the mines and deposits of all the worlds will only make the more valuable celestial coins fall into the hands of the influential families, making the rich richer and pushing up the prices. The poor will rebel if they become poorer. Doing this will only accelerate the collapse of the celestial coins."

Emperor Hao Tian glanced at Meng Yungui and said, "Heavenly Teacher Shang is right."

Meng Yungui said indifferently, "Heavenly Master Shang only acted based on his intuition and didn't go through detailed calculations. I have algebra as proof."

His vital qi transformed into algebra runes and displayed the data of the trade between the worlds. Countless complicated equations and algebra calculations were displayed, and they were incomparably precise.

"Your subject is in charge of the celestial heavens' currency, so I know the goods in the heavens and the myriad worlds like the back of my hand. I have already calculated the numbers of these goods to the point that they are blurry!"

Meng Yungui said unhurriedly, "When the Heavenly Coin is increased to a certain extent, it will push up the price of goods and prevent the people from living. However, as long as we control it properly, we can avoid all of this. On the other hand, the celestial heavens have the right to forge coins, and they can use the Heavenly Coin to buy Eternal Peace's manufacturing factory. If we suppress Eternal Peace, we can buy everything in Eternal Peace without bloodshed."

He turned to look at Shang Pinying with a challenging expression. "Heavenly Teacher Shang, your algebra is only a traditional algebra. In terms of attainments, you aren't higher than me, right?"

Shang Pinying examined his vital qi algebra equations and checked them one by one. He said to Emperor Hao Tian, "Heavenly Teacher Meng's calculation is not wrong. I was thinking too much. However, I'm not convinced when Heavenly Teacher Meng said his attainments in algebra surpass mine."

Emperor Hao Tian laughed and said, "Both of you are the heavenly teachers with the strongest computational ability under me. There's no need to fight endlessly for who's number one! It's just that these twenty years have made me a little nervous. I feel that I should give you a discount."

Meng Yungui bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Shang Pingyin said, "Increasing the number of celestial coins is one thing, annexing Eternal Peace is another. As long as we swallow Eternal Peace, the heavens and myriad worlds will be unified, and the celestial coins will no longer have any worries of collapsing."

Meng Yungui shook his head. "Heavenly Master Shang, you are wrong."

Even though Shang Pinying had a good temper, he couldn't help but get angry after being rebuked twice. He said indifferently, "What advice does Heavenly Teacher Meng have?"

Meng Yungui said, "Just now, Heavenly Teacher Shang said that increasing the number of celestial coins will only land in the hands of the influential families. Even if His Majesty obtains Eternal Peace and allows the flow of the celestial coins to be free, the celestial coins will still land in the hands of the influential families. The people of the thousands of worlds will still rebel, and it has nothing to do with Eternal Peace."

Shang Pinying raised his eyebrows and said with a smile that was not a smile, "What does Heavenly Teacher Meng think we should do to avoid this situation?"

Meng Yungui said, "I thought that Your Majesty's greatest enemy in ruling the world wasn't Eternal Peace, nor was it Celestial Venerable Mu, Celestial Venerable Ling, and the rest. Instead, it was the power that had accumulated countless wealth. In the thousands of worlds and heavens, countless powerful families controlled power and wealth. After a million years, all the wealth of the worlds and heavens were concentrated in their hands, resulting in the current situation. The number of celestial coins in their hands increased, and the number of celestial coins circulating in the worlds became fewer. With the accumulation of time and accumulation of the grievances of the people, the tens of thousands of worlds and heavens fell into chaos. The rise of Eternal Peace merely brought this up a few years earlier."

Shang Pinying gave a humph. "Heavenly Teacher Meng has said so much, but he has only said the reason and not the solution. I would like to hear Heavenly Teacher Meng's solution."

Meng Yungui hesitated for a moment and didn't continue. "I'm worried that I'll be punished for my words."

Emperor Hao Tian laughed loudly. "I'm not an incapable ruler, feel free to speak."

Meng Yungui bowed and said, "There's too much wealth in the hands of the powerful families. No matter how many celestial coins are given out, they will eventually fall into their hands. The only solution is to abolish the powerful families. The best way to abolish the powerful families is to make the best use of their talents…"

"Impudent!"

Shang Pinying said coldly, "Heavenly Teacher Meng, you are too impudent! Abolishing a powerful family, isn't the next step going to be a reform? Your Majesty, Meng Yungui is definitely a spy of Eternal Peace. Your Majesty, please give the order to escort this person onto the God Execution Stage!"

The other civil and military officials all said, "Heavenly Teacher Meng is a human with evil intentions and misleading the masses with evil intentions. Your Majesty, please punish this person!"

Emperor Hao Tian waved his hand and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, stop attacking Heavenly Teacher Meng. Heavenly Teacher Meng, your words are too direct, and it doesn't match with the past you. My celestial heavens, from the civil and military officials to the merchants and pawns of the celestial heavens, are all the noble families that you speak of. Even you are also powerful. Your words have offended everyone in the celestial heavens!"

He said with a smile that was not a smile, "I am also from a powerful family, you are trying to change the fate of the celestial heavens. This sentence is inappropriate, I won't blame you, I will only punish you with half a year's salary."

Meng Yungui's gaze dimmed, and he bowed. "Your humble servant accepts my punishment."

Emperor Hao gave his decree and said, "For the next few days, we will follow Heavenly Teacher Shang's words and annex Eternal Peace while giving out more celestial coins. Heavenly Teacher Meng, you don't have to worry about this matter anymore, let Heavenly Teacher Shang handle it."

Meng Yungui said sadly, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The civil and military officials all praised, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Celestial Emperor Hao returned to the chambers of concubines and asked, "Is Celestial Venerable Mu back? I'm still waiting for him to surrender and sign the contract."

A guard replied, "Celestial Venerable Mu isn't here yet. The envoys of Eternal Peace have also left a few days ago."

Celestial Emperor Hao said, "They are no longer important. The key is Celestial Venerable Mu."

After two days, Celestial Emperor Hao asked again, "Is Celestial Venerable Mu back? I'm still waiting for him to come back to sign the contract."

The guard replied, "Your Majesty, Celestial Venerable Mu isn't in the celestial heavens."

Emperor Hao Tian frowned.

After another five to six days, Celestial Emperor Hao asked, "Has Celestial Venerable Mu not returned yet? If he still doesn't come, I will give the order for Celestial Venerable Xu to eradicate half of the population of Eternal Peace!"

The guard replied, "Celestial Venerable Mu has arrived at the ancestral court and ordered people to report that he will reach the celestial heavens in ten days."

Celestial Emperor Hao said angrily, "Drag!"

Ten days later, Qin Mu came to the celestial heavens and dawdled for over ten days before signing the contract and leaving in dejection.

Emperor Hao Tian was delighted and ordered people to send Celestial Venerable Mu off.

Qin Mu left the celestial heavens, and a fierce light flashed in Emperor Hao Tian's eyes. He called over the minister of slaughter and said, "As long as that thief Mu is alive, it will be hard for me to feel at ease. Go and invite the Grand Imperial Sire to kill him while he's on the way!"

He raised his hand and slashed down heavily. He said ruthlessly, "Tell Grand Imperial Sire that if he can't be killed, he will sink into the chaos river in the Jade Capital City of the ancestral court and be destroyed!"

The chancellor said, "Why does Your Majesty want to kill Celestial Venerable Mu? He has already surrendered…"

"I don't trust him!"

Emperor Hao Tian sneered. "Even if his Dao heart is destroyed and he hides in seclusion, I still can't feel at ease. Only a dead Celestial Venerable Mu is the best! The Grand Imperial Sire can't kill him, but he can still sink into the chaos. If the river of chaos can't destroy him, at most…"

He revealed a smile and said leisurely, "At most, Celestial Venerable Mu can return to the past and be his Young Master Mu. As long as he's not in this universe, I'll be at ease."

The chancellor shuddered and left in a hurry.

On the other side, Shang Pingyin ordered the Patriarch Creation Palace to give out more celestial coins to purchase the various mines of the various heavens. However, the price of the mines was so high that it was beyond his expectations. He had no choice but to continue to give out more celestial coins.

However, this action caused the celestial currency to have the momentum of an avalanche. The value of the celestial currency rapidly fell, and in just two months, it had lost half of its value.

Shang Pingyin couldn't understand what was going on. He tried to recall Meng Yungui's algebra equations, but there was no mistake.

He wanted to seek advice from Meng Yungui, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He could only order people to investigate.

Another month later, the algebra experts of the celestial heavens returned from the various heavens and said, "Eternal Peace made a move before us, using celestial coins to buy ores, raising the prices of the mines in many heavens! With the overflowing celestial coins in those heavens and the pouring of celestial heavens' celestial coins, the value of the celestial coins fell."

"Impossible, impossible… Eternal Peace has to spend all the accumulated celestial coins in order for the celestial coins to overflow and push up the price of the mine, making the celestial coins depreciate…"

Shang Pingyin's mind was blown, and his legs became weak. He fell back onto his seat and suddenly stood up. He quickly asked, "How long ago did Eternal Peace buy the mines?"

"Five years ago."

The algebra experts of the celestial heavens replied, "After the battle of Youdu, Eternal Peace started to use celestial coins to purchase ore veins in the various heavens."

Shang Pinying frowned and paced back and forth while muttering, "Five years ago, five years ago… Crap! At that time, it was Celestial Venerable Mu's Dao heart that was corrupted, and he planned to surrender! This is a trap! His goal is to stall for time and wait for the celestial heavens to send more celestial coins! Quick! Go and meet His Majesty!"

He quickly went to the chambers of concubines, and at this moment, he saw numerous generals who were heading to Eternal Peace to accept the wealth of Eternal Peace rushing towards Numinous Sky Hall with bruised faces.

Shang Pinying hurriedly stopped a person, and that divine general cried out, "Eternal Peace didn't recognize the contract that Celestial Venerable Mu signed at all, and they beat us up and chased us back! That Celestial Venerable Ling said that those she didn't sign were all useless papers! We have suffered a loss, so we shall report this to Your Majesty and execute the nine generations of Eternal Peace!"

Shang Pinying was vexed. Suddenly, the light of one of the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridges in the celestial heavens dimmed, and the funnel-shaped light stream gradually vanished!

"The Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge is broken!"

Shang Pinying's heart was in chaos, and he cried out, "Quick! Quick! Repair that Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge… Wait a moment, guard all the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridges and prevent Eternal Peace from breaking…"

Before he could finish his sentence, another Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridge in the celestial heavens vanished, followed by a second and a third. In a breath's time, thousands of Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridges dimmed!

Soon, all of the Spirit Energy Mutual Shift Bridges in the celestial heavens were extinguished.

The celestial heavens floated quietly in the sky above the ancestral court, far away from the heavens and the myriad worlds. It was like an isolated island that had completely lost contact with the worlds.