Chapter 60

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated in Xiangcheng and Quandu, the first chime of a bell rolled down from the gilded spire of the Temple of the Bride.

The vendors who had just set up their stalls on the street paused, looking up to see that the emblem of the goddess of marriage, which had always hung on the ceiling of the temple, was fading at a visible speed, and was being replaced by a silver-white pattern they had never seen before.

That was a sign of the arrival of a new god; the entire capital fell silent instantly, so quiet that one could hear the dew dripping from the leaves.

No one dared to make a sound.

This city, which has been enveloped in hot springs and the fragrance of flowers for thousands of years, has only recognized one protector since its birth: Hera, the goddess of marriage.

Vendors gripped their spoons, tea drinkers paused their cups, and even the children chasing butterflies in the alley had their mouths covered by their mothers. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the Temple of Marriage, waiting to see how the procession of the new god would appear.

But after waiting for half an hour, all that could be seen was the wind carrying flower petals across the stone path.

There was no divine messenger arriving on the clouds, nor any divine light tearing through them; it was as if the change in the emblem was merely an illusion caused by the morning mist.

Just as the midday sun warmed people, the second chime suddenly rang out, more urgent and deafening than in the morning.

The silver-white patterns on the roof began to fade, and the familiar red mark symbolizing Hera was gradually regaining its brightness.

Within a single day, Xiangchengquan had two different deities, which is rare for any deity.

Everyone kept their eyes wide open and remained silent, eager to see what changes would occur in this peaceful capital city.

But as they waited, nothing seemed to change. Xiangchengquan had always belonged to the Temple of Marriage, and Hera, the goddess of marriage, had protected it for thousands of years without any problems.

The only one with a solid story is Hera, the goddess of marriage, who once had a mortal wife. In order to prolong her life, this selfless goddess willingly allowed herself to be possessed by lust and become a demon. Her wife's love for her was stronger than gold, and she would give up being the king of the gods to bring her back.

Doreen subtly inquired whether they should stop the spread of the rumors.

"That's true."

The woman spoke calmly.

Doreen then understood what she meant.

It's getting worse.

The whole world knows that Hera, the goddess of marriage, had a mortal wife.

She is beautiful, lovely, lively, and cheerful, like an angel.

This is the unified standard across all versions.

Winslow and Doreen were initially worried that the God Lord, having lost Rika, might wallow in self-pity and never recover.

But she didn't.

Hera stayed in the deep palace every night, and after dawn, she went to the Temple of Marriage to handle affairs, as always, diligently and faithfully rewarding and punishing.

The only difference is that it's much more efficient at handling tasks, doubling the efficiency of the original process.

The extent to which a deity fulfills its divine duties determines the magnitude of its divine power.

At first, Doreen thought Hera was working day and night to resolve the matter in order to restore her divine power as quickly as possible.

Later, she discovered that Hera would complete an extra talisman each day, in exchange for a small fog lamp formed from the blessings and prayers of the believers.

She would go to the underworld every day to place a small fog lamp in the hell of the dead, returning there without fail to do so every single day.

Hades initially scoffed, thinking she must have suffered some kind of shock or gone mad.

“If she really dies, you should indeed offer her a spirit lamp, after all, you were husband and wife.”

"shut your mouth."

Hades fell silent as his eyes, cold and sharp like a venomous snake, brushed past him.

After the woman left, he retorted angrily, "This is my house! You're crazy to put lights in my house!"

Hades muttered to himself, trying to salvage the situation: "However, I'm too lazy to argue with a widow."

Until one day, Hades was surprised to find that his hell was filled with lights, as bright as day.

He patiently counted the small fog lights with a dozen or so undead guards.

"one."

"two."

"..."

"One million ninety-five thousand..."

Hades was stunned when he arrived at this number. He counted on his fingers and suddenly stomped his foot hard, causing cracks to appear in the stone floor: "This madman has been doing this for three thousand years!"

Three thousand years is enough for mortal dynasties to rise and fall dozens of times, and enough for gods to forget a deeply unforgettable past.

But Hera did not. Every day, after finishing her marriage affairs at the Temple of Marriage, she would take her newly replaced little fog lamp and step into the Underworld, without fail.

At first, the guards would try to stop her, but when they saw that Hades was turning a blind eye, they would just watch from afar as the red divine figure bent over in the underworld, his movements as gentle as if he were protecting a fragile star.

"Her soul has clearly been scattered long ago..."

Hades muttered to himself, reaching out to touch the small fog light beside him. The fog light swayed, stinging his eyes.

He is Hades, the king of the underworld. What kind of dead people hasn't he seen? He even secretly helped Hera search for them, but to no avail. He only has the right to control the dead.

This only proves that the person did not die. But if she did not die, then Li Jia is not a god; her mortal body was only a hundred years old.

How could it be that he has never been to the underworld in three thousand years?

When faced with such a thorny problem, leaving it unresolved is not a solution; the only option is to seek help from the higher level of darkness.

Hades was already having a major headache because of this. The primordial god was tired of everything here and abandoned the underworld to him. If it weren't for the fact that her life lamp was still burning in the Temple of the Night God, people would probably think that she had met with some misfortune.

After thinking about it, Hades realized that his idea was naive.

Who could possibly hurt that lord?

Hades stood before the Temple of Night, the deepest part of the Underworld. The temple doors were tightly shut, and the star patterns carved on the lintel were covered with a thick layer of dust. Only a wisp of very faint night mist leaked out from the crack in the door, proving that this was not an abandoned temple.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand and knocked on the door. His knuckles landed on the cold stone door, producing a dull echo that reverberated far and wide in the vast underworld.

"Lord Nyx."

His voice was a few decibels lower than usual, with a hint of unease that he himself was unaware of: "I have something to ask you."

The hall remained silent for a long time, so long that Hades thought the primordial god would not respond, until a lazy female voice drifted over, softly saying, "Hades, it's been three thousand years, and this is the first time you've called me on your own initiative."

Hades recounted the story of Hera and Li Jia in detail. After listening, the female voice said, "Come in."

The palace doors slowly opened, and Hades stepped inside, instantly enveloped by a thick night fog.

There were no lights in the hall, only the starry sky on the dome twinkling faintly. On the stone platform in the very center, a bronze lamp burned silently. The flame was pure black, without a trace of heat, yet it steadily illuminated the surrounding space. That was Nyx's life lamp, and her only bond with the underworld.

Nyx's physical form is not in the underworld.

Without looking at Hades, she asked softly, "What do you want to ask?"

Hades paused, then nodded: "Does Your Excellency know the whereabouts of Li Jia? She has not returned to the Underworld, and a mortal body cannot possibly survive for three thousand years... Hera has already placed 1,095,000 fog lamps in the Underworld. If this continues, I really can't stay in this Underworld any longer!"

Nyx finally looked up at him, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "If he's not here, then he might be in another world."

"Other worlds?"

Hades' voice suddenly rose: "But even gods need to expend half their divine power to cross realms, how could Li Jia, a mere mortal, possibly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Nyx raised her fingertips, and a wisp of night mist condensed into a translucent light screen in her palm.

There were no specific images in the light screen, only countless tiny points of light moving about, creating little worlds of men, women, old and young, each with their own unique characteristics.

"The world is full of wonders."

"Nix said calmly."

Hades frowned deeply: "Crossing boundaries? Who besides a primordial god like yourself has that ability? Even if Hera knows all this, what can she do?"

Nix glanced at him, a faint smile playing on her lips: "You're right, we need to end this farce. I'll help you find the person, no need to make such a fuss."

"After all, light pollution is too severe."

"I cannot marry my bride."

As Hades stepped out of the temple, a very light breeze came from the direction of the Underworld, carrying the warmth of the fog lights.

He looked up and saw millions of lights forming a sea of ​​stars in the darkness, their flames swaying gently, like a dream.