Black Goat

Clo watched as a Scholar stood composed amidst tons of documents, calmly performing calculations. She waited silently for the results. These past few days, Li Yue had grown increasingly quiet, yet her workload seemed to only expand. As a Divine Lord who did not require sleep, she spent her time either reviewing legislation or patrolling the world through her blood pool.

“All the statistical data for this year is right here.” The man handed a parchment scroll to Clo. “Tell the Divine Lord that compared to last year, the results remain far from optimistic.” He walked over to open a window and leaned against the frame, slowly lighting a cigarette. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, his leisurely movements contrasting slightly with his somewhat melancholic expression.

“What are the specifics?” Clo unrolled the scroll and glanced through it. The various sheets were filled with dense statistical data: crop yields, annual steel production, and the actual crime rates reported by enforcement departments. Setting aside the incidents caused by Li Yue herself, the crime rate had increased significantly compared to previous years.

“The results all seem to be trending toward...”

“Shh...” The man pressed a finger to his lips. A sudden gust of wind swept through, making the leaves of the trees outside rustle loudly. He had designed this place with a specific atmosphere; although he lived within the Royal Court, he had replaced one wall of his living room with glass. Outside, he had used brownish-yellow curtains and stones to create a perimeter wall, planting it thick with trees. At first glance, it felt as if one were in the wilderness.

“The wind is picking up... how nice.” The man gently caught the scent in the air and let out a long breath.

Clo waited for him to pull his gaze back from the window. She prepared to speak again.

“Is our world slowly getting worse?” Clo frowned. The man pointed toward the sky and remained silent, as if he had already given her the answer.

............

In a dim hall, one of Li Yue’s blood shadows drifted inside. She frowned, tilting her head as she looked at the “stars” hanging in mid-air. She closed her eyes slightly, and the blurry form of the blood shadow suddenly became distinct, transforming from a vague silhouette into a tangible entity.

Snap! Li Yue snapped her fingers.

Crash... The sound of shattering glass gradually spread. Under the surge of divine power, the massive black screen in the dim hall finally dissolved into fragments. An aura of madness dissipated into the air as the corpses hanging in the air fell one by one, hitting the floor with heavy thuds.

They trembled slightly, as if still struggling to do something. Pitch-black flesh began to sprout from their bodies. Li Yue frowned, and in the next instant, these bizarre black creatures were reduced to dust.

Through the transparent glass, she watched the setting sun sink inch by inch below the horizon. Darkness slowly encroached upon the world, and in the sky, those shining stars seemed brighter than at any other moment in history.

“You do not like being stared at, and as it happens... neither do I.” Li Yue released a fraction of her authority. The entire sky was covered by a massive black shroud, and a pale red moon hung in the heavens, casting a soft yet murderous moonlight.

This was a moon Li Yue had done her best to imitate. Though it was not a perfect likeness, it was the best she could do for now.

“This land is becoming increasingly barren. The same goes for the spiritual world of humanity... If this continues... this world will be finished.” Li Yue sighed softly. She cast her gaze into the far distance, toward the center of the four continents. There lay a vast, magnificent ocean. She seemed to have already formed a plan.

“Since you are all dead... then I am entitled to use this legacy of the Mythological Era as I please.” Li Yue murmured. She pulled back her gaze and looked at the peaceful city-state. It seemed to have become her shackle; currently, she could not simply vanish for a long time...

Li Yue transformed back into a blood shadow and leisurely vanished from reality. Her figure reappeared within the blood pool in the Great Hall. She wiped the water droplets from her feet in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

............

“Hey! Mu Bang, go and drive it back!” a shepherd shouted as he drove his flock. He cracked his whip with some irritation; the sheep seemed exceptionally restless today. Every so often, a goat would break away from his control, forcing him to rely on his sheepdog to manage the agitated animals.

“Why did another one run off? Today is so frustrating. Nothing is going right. I argued with those bastard merchants for ages about the purchase price, and in the end, I didn’t even make as much as last year!” He huffed indignantly. “How is a man supposed to live?”

“What is going on...” he muttered in confusion. He looked into the distance, where several goats were being herded back to the flock by the sheepdog. They had tried to leave several times. Amidst the brownish-yellow expanse, his keen eyes spotted a sliver of an unusual, strange color.

“Hey, what’s this?” He slowly approached the strange creature. The two creatures of different species locked eyes. In the pitch-black, hollow eyes of this goat, the shepherd saw nothing.

However, within the eyes of this goat, a fanatical light was reflected.

“My Divine Lord... I’ve herded sheep my whole life, but this is the first time I’ve seen... a black goat. This is truly...” The shepherd began to dance with joy. “This is marvelous! If I sell it... I’ll be rich! I can drink a glass of dark beer every day and call for the prettiest bathhouse girl!”

He stared fixedly at the black goat. For some reason, in his eyes, it no longer seemed like a black goat, but was instead trending toward an abstract concept. This marvelous thing stimulated his nerves, causing his emotions to peak again and again.

“I’m rich! Hahahaha!”

He laughed manically with delight, never once averting his gaze. And then... that was the end of it.

............

Inside the Great Hall, Li Yue was slowly pacing through the water when she suddenly stumbled, sending a large splash into the pool.

She looked out the window, a hint of gravity appearing in her eyes.