The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 1131

Chapter 1130
The Blood Heavenly Envoy’s Gift

The Blood Heavenly Envoy was undoubtedly intelligent.
She inherited a portion of the “self” that Hengwo had severed, thus she clearly understood the two paths from the very beginning—
The best approach was to successfully complete the Ritual of the Perfect Being, thereby leaving the hopeless Path of Love and proceeding to the Twilight Path with a “Flawless Body” to become a Pillar God Candidate.
This was also Hengwo’s expectation for her.
Since the Path of Love was destined to be without hope, wishing for her child to escape it was naturally a form of love.

And the Blood Heavenly Envoy was intelligent enough.
She realized what would happen if she couldn’t complete the “Perfect Being.”
—To store her existence within the chasm of “hate.” To ensure she wouldn’t be forgotten in the future.
Just like a tyrant of eternal regret, their presence would undoubtedly far surpass that of a mediocre ruler who left no memory. Future generations would even discuss her, study her, whitewash her, and create fanfiction… They would ponder how history would have changed without her, only to discover they could no longer deduce it—because every detail of the future would bear the traces and shadows she had left behind.
The Children of the Moon were born in this manner.

“The moment the Children of the Moon were born… you must have realized it already,”
Eivass said softly. “You became a being like Hengwo.”
Hengwo created Cain, hoping he would achieve Perfect Being; as a fallback, Hengwo would hope that Cain, who had “no love,” could at least resist the void with his own void resistance.
Cain created the Children of the Moon, also hoping that a Perfect Being would be born among them; if they failed, they would be hated by all, thus solidifying Cain’s existence and giving him enough anchors to resist the “meaningless” voidification.
This was why the Blood Heavenly Envoy was unwilling to take the Children of the Moon as her Emissaries.
—In other words, the moment Cain created the Children of the Moon, he had already done what Hengwo had done. At that time, he had already realized… he could never truly receive Hengwo’s love. Just as the Children of the Moon could not receive his love.
There was no difference.
Imprisoned by love, driven mad by the inability to receive it, and reckless due to being unloved.
She was like her creations, and she was like Hengwo.
In this regard—she didn’t even have the meaning of existence. She had already stepped into the realm of the void from birth.

“…My mind clearly understands this principle, but my heart cannot accept it.”
Cain said softly. “When love is unattainable… surplus love turns into hate.
“Perhaps it was initially to resist the void, but later it was just madness.”
She responded to Eivass with rare seriousness and formality.

“Madness?”
Eivass shook his head. “I, on the other hand, find your will to be very clear. You always know what you need to do, steadfast like a seeker of the truth. That’s why the void cannot contaminate you at all.
“Precisely because your existence itself lacks meaning, everything you strive to create from meaninglessness is like a fire ignited from the lakebed, astonishing and incredible.”
Even by using the void to counteract hate, the Blood Heavenly Envoy had reached the threshold of Perfect Being—she only needed to push open that door to completely fulfill her long-cherished wish.
It was precisely because the Blood Heavenly Envoy unhesitatingly refused that millennia-long wish that Eivass now looked at her with higher regard.
One could even say admiration.
If their positions were reversed, Eivass might have hesitated. He was not a person of such resolute character.

“…Heh, perhaps.”
The Blood Heavenly Envoy tilted her head slightly, but the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
She said softly, “The only thing I feel a little regretful about is this child who became my vessel. She is truly unfortunate… Her entire family died when she was very young, and she was left alone, becoming a tool, a symbol, unloved and unprotected… Despite these circumstances, she still maintained a pure soul and a clean heart.
“In the end, because of me… she was used as a sacrifice by those unfilial children.”

Unfilial children.
This was the Blood Heavenly Envoy’s view of the Children of the Moon.
They had clearly failed to meet the Blood Heavenly Envoy’s expectations, even choosing to betray her at the most critical moment—yet even so, Cain still regarded them as her children.

“Do you feel you are alike? Both victims of ‘family destiny’.”
Like two friends, Eivass and the Blood Heavenly Envoy chatted relaxedly. “You didn’t resist… was it also because you didn’t want to tear apart her body?”
“Partly,”
the Blood Heavenly Envoy admitted frankly. “If I were reborn in the blood pool… then what would emerge would be a body truly belonging to me, not this frail mortal shell.”

“When the Fallen Heavenly Envoy descended, he directly tore apart his vessel to reveal his true body.”
“Heh… He is him, and I am me. Such a beautiful, vibrant body… it would be too much of a pity to have it destroyed for such a foolish reason.”
Cain felt no shame about being summoned into the little girl’s body.
Instead, she gave a high evaluation of Lucia Tsepash’s beauty.

“Or perhaps…”
The Blood Heavenly Envoy was silent for a moment. “I don’t particularly like my original body.”

“After all, you’ve always hated yourself, haven’t you.”
Eivass said casually.

“…? Me?”
The Blood Heavenly Envoy was stunned.
Clearly, Cain had never considered this possibility.
The little girl’s face showed changing emotions, and finally, she revealed a smile of release. “So that’s how it is…”
She looked at Eivass, emitting a soft and clear voice, and bowed slightly to him. “It was a pleasure talking with you. How should I address you… Snake? Or Snake Tail? Or, as in the memories of this vessel, shall I call you… Brother Fox?”

“Eivass. Just call me Eivass.”
Eivass smiled. “Of course, you can call me Fox too. These days, only those closest to me usually know this name.”

“Then, Fox—”
Cain looked up.
Even until the end, her face was filled with confidence and pride. “If you believe that the wedges of hatred I’ve laid down have some ‘meaning’…
“…Then I request that you, for my blind and foolish self, recite the prayer one last time.”

Eivass nodded slightly.
His deep voice vibrated underground, and the antlers on his head shone as brightly as the sun.
“I implore the Blood Heavenly Envoy, Heavenly Envoy of Eternal Feast, Heavenly Envoy of Infinite Desire…”
As his words fell, the Blood Heavenly Envoy’s body completely shattered before him!
Iris Flowers appeared everywhere, bearing the red runes engraved by the Children of the Moon, then they turned into dust and dissipated into the air.
The sky, obscured by what seemed like writhing organs, also completely returned to its original appearance.
A wave of red ripples spread outwards from the Blood Heavenly Envoy, encompassing the entire world where it touched the Children of the Moon, a miracle occurred—
—All the Children of the Moon completely lost their immortality.
They lost the power they gained from the Path of Love as Children of the Moon, their mana was also temporarily suppressed and lost its activity. They lost their desire to feed on blood, and likewise, their immortality.
And from another perspective… they gained a true miracle.
Weak and thin souls began to sprout from within their shells.
These “monsters reborn in blood” who had already died once were temporarily turned back into humans!
Of course, this change was reversible. The mana within their bodies was merely stagnant, not gone… They still had the possibility of transforming into Mist Demons.
But the Blood Heavenly Envoy had given them a chance.
A chance to be human again.
This was perhaps the last legacy she left for her “children.”

Eivass collected his thoughts, preparing to retrieve the Heavenly Envoy Fragment left by the Blood Heavenly Envoy.
But at that moment…

“…Sigh.”
A somewhat mournful, hollow voice echoed from the void. “Even until the end, you don’t mention me? This child…”
The remnants of Cain, or rather, Lucia Tsepash, shattered into dust, began to gather before them again.
She transformed into a hazy white mist, with faint traces of the original Lucia Tsepash still visible.

“This is…?”
Eivass recognized the speaker’s voice as the Envoy of Mist.
He widened his eyes slightly. “You’re not going to—”

“I think… they are all good children. Alone, they can do nothing, but with two of them… their residual souls blended together, perhaps they can form half a Mist Demon.”
The Envoy of Mist’s gentle voice sounded. “They will likely forget many things and lose much power. Like a real little girl… but it’s good to be alive. This is his reward for bravely confronting the void…
“And also… his punishment. Learn earnestly again, how to be a good child.
“However, this time, he will have a mother who loves him.”
(End of Chapter)