Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1175 I Could Have Endured the Darkness

"You have to help me."

Aiwass nodded: "I can't make water... The water of the good master needs to burn the lives of slaves to be summoned continuously. In theory, the lives of 1.25 people can be exchanged for the water used by people for a year, and the ratio is about % per year."

"That doesn't sound like much. It's lower than the death rate in Avalon."

Sherlock looked at Aiwass: "Aren't you going to 'donate' them? Isn't that what you devotees love to do?"

"Because there's no need, Sherlock. Don't we have you?"

Aiwass said with a smile: "Compared to them, you are my acquaintance and my good friend. I want to dedicate myself to you, this is more reasonable!"

"...I see," Sherlock raised his lips slightly, and a deep blue glow flickered in his pupils. "No wonder you found this staff for me...Tell me the truth, did you think of this scene before entering the resting place?"

"Of course," Aiwass said innocently, "I told you a long time ago, but you didn't care."

"I just thought you wanted me to produce water for our fleet, but who knew you wanted to stay and be a good boss..."

Realizing that he had fallen into the fox's plan and conspiracy without any precautions, Sherlock shook his head helplessly and gave up the topic: "How are you going to govern them? Remember what I just said, even the slaves in rest support slavery. How can you convince them to give it up?"

"I'm not going to convince them."

Aiwass said in a gentle voice, his voice becoming calm: "I only intend to forgive them - as long as they do not break the law, as long as they are willing to obey my rules, as long as they can contribute to the city... I will make them all free citizens."

"What about the slaves? Without them, they might be bought off by other good masters."

Shylock has foreseen the future: "These short-sighted people have not received any education. If you pardon them and make them free men, they will only feel that they deserve this status. If other city-states try to win them over, they will only regard themselves as free men, not as slaves.

"And you can't give them any benefits in the first place. It's easy for other city-states, such as Paradise City, to win them over."

"You also know that it's easy for Paradise City to win them over... so why can't I do it?"

Aiwass asked rhetorically.

He said meaningfully: "I don't need to change their minds at all, and I don't need to make them oppose slavery. I just need to make all the slaves free.

"Do you know, Sherlock? Meat is cursed. Once they taste the first bite of meat in their lives, they can never go back... The instinct of craving for the delicious gravy will make them never forget the feeling of that moment. It is an addictive curse, a poison called 'hope'.

"'I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the sunlight.'

“If a person lives in a dark underground since birth, he will not understand what the sun and the sky are. If he cannot see the light from the very beginning, then it is not a misfortune for him not to see the sun.

"What I have to do is to break this dark land, drag everyone out, and let them see what the sun is. I don't care what they do after that. As long as they can still endure the darkness of nothingness, it's up to them.

"But I believe that more people will become addicted. They will pursue that light at all costs... just like moths chasing after fire."

Aiwass said slowly.

"Interesting! You are just like me, Aiwass!"

Hearing Aiwas' words, Ligeia's eyes sparkled with interest and excitement.

Even a year ago, she couldn't have imagined that she would be where she is today.

He got rid of his old and dying body and gained a young, beautiful, healthy and strong body of an angel - he even left the rigid and decadent Avalon and made a big fuss in the ancient kingdom of Parthia!
She was indeed the person Aiwass had described... When Ligeia was still called Meg, she had already prepared for death. The promotion ceremony she was going to participate in was essentially a execution for herself.

It was like an old warrior's pilgrimage, or an old adventurer climbing a snowy mountain. It wasn't that they didn't know the risks, but they couldn't bear to die on their sickbed.

If I die, I will die in my career and do something meaningful.

If life is a currency, at least spend it on something valuable.

Old Meg couldn't stand the fact that she would eventually become too old to move, nor could she stand the fact that she would become weak and demented, so she planned to gamble everything and participate in the promotion ceremony while she could still move - if she succeeded, she would succeed; if she failed, at least she would die.

If you can't burn and glow fiercely, it's better to die silently like a knife!

...But after she became Ligeia, the little dragon girl, her thoughts changed.

——It’s so good to be alive. A young body is so beautiful. Being alive is such a thing that makes people reluctant to give up... She still wants to continue living, eat more delicious food, and travel to more lands. She wants to reach the territory of other countries as a traveler, not as a warrior or invader.

Once she had seen the light, she could no longer stand the darkness.

In the past, that light was what Aiwass brought her.

And in the future, she will also accompany Aiwass and pass on this light to others.

——It is neither a gift nor a charity, nor even a good deed.

It is the innocent and pure "showing off" and "sharing" of a child——

Look, I'm having a great time now! You guys should join me too!

The only difference is that now she can really do it.

"Just in case, let me ask you a question..."

Sherlock was silent for a long time, then said seriously: "Fox, you should know the risks. You really want to do this, not just for fun, right?"

"Of course," Aiwass replied.

"If your plan succeeds, do you know what it means? It's not just about supplying water to a city or guiding people to avoid the Yuantiansi - you will be hostile to the entire Parthian Empire because you will destroy their culture, their traditions, their past, everything they have.

"Those who regard you as an enemy may even be the people you are about to save. You had no grudge against them in the past, but because of this incident, you have formed an irreconcilable feud. There will be hundreds of fifth or even sixth-level powerhouses, the hatred and curses of millions and tens of millions of lives, and assassinations and curses everywhere. So I want to ask you, Aiwass - is this something you want to do from the bottom of your heart, or is it a paranoid illusion caused by the influence of the Tao on you?"

There was a bright blue light dancing in Sherlock's pupils.

He wanted to see even a hint of evidence in Aiwass's eyes that he was bewitched by the enchanting crimson... but he saw nothing.

"This is what I want to do, it has nothing to do with the Tao."

Aiwass said seriously, word by word, "I cannot tolerate the existence of slaves in this world. I cannot tolerate the fact that there are still slaves who are happy with this. I cannot tolerate these slaves considering the people who enslave them as benefactors and good people - that is a blasphemy against kindness and goodness."

"Since you are awake... then I will help you."

Sherlock pursed his lips and said seriously, "There's no turning back, Aiwass. Don't do it half-heartedly...if you're going to do it, do it to the end."

"Of course." Unlike Sherlock who was facing a great enemy, Aiwass smiled easily. "Don't be too stressed. We are not alone - not to mention the support of the Theocracy, and even the Parthians themselves... may not be without awakened people.

"Okay, great detective. Come with me to study how to remove the petrification curse."

and……

Aiwass hadn't said anything else.

They are not without hatred.

The one who cursed his parents to death was none other than the curser from the ancient kingdom of Parthia.

Aiwass still remembered the other person's name. One of the purposes of coming to rest this time was also revenge.

As for the three demons, they left shortly afterwards - they didn't know how to remove the petrification, so it was meaningless to keep them here. So at Aiwas's suggestion, Venis asked them to find their former master and attack him.

This kind of demon, who has just transformed and is only at the fourth level, and does not even have the mark of a serious sin, certainly cannot kill a good master at the sixth level.

But it was a warning. It was like bagging a body and throwing it back at the other side's gate.

——Tell him I'm here.

I've seen you.

The first one is you.

(End of this chapter)