Chapter 999: Evil God and Cultists [Three-in-One, Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Tickets]

"So, we are all descendants of those people from before?" As the female voice finished speaking, the three fell into different thoughts. Zhai Le was the first to come back to his senses. He said thoughtfully, "In other words, humans are neither made of mud, nor are they transformed from snot sprayed by some god, nor are they descendants of sinners who were banished from the realm of gods. Humans' ancestors were still humans."

Ji Moqiu looked at Zhai Le with a hint of fear in his eyes.

He bluntly stated, "Like begets like. The species of parents determines the species of the child. How can snot give birth to a human? Even if it's the snot of a god, it won't work! Furthermore, 'god' is actually a rather vague definition—any being beyond the realm of mortals can be called 'god.' This is the same principle as 'whoever has the strongest army is king!' But kings and commoners are essentially human beings, of the same kind. Therefore, a god can be a person who has made great contributions, or it can be an invisible and intangible nothingness."

The Gongxi tribe has no legends related to creating humans.

If we really have to talk about something related to procreation...

Is sexual technique considered a type of art?

"My god said that the human race is just an ordinary race, existing in the eyes of all things in heaven and earth like birds, fish, and insects..."

Zhai Le: "Normal? No special treatment?"

Ji Moqiu thought for a moment: "Special treatment... there is still some. Heaven and Earth both favor the human race."

Zhai Le laughed: "Favoritism? Then it's not ordinary."

Yu Hai knew this was a sign that the master was angry.

It's unclear when it started, but Zhai Le's laughter was no longer a pure laugh; it might have been the prelude to dismembering someone into eight pieces.

Especially when it involves gods and ghosts.

He sent quite a few divine messengers to meet the gods.

A strange and supernatural phenomenon once swept through a certain county in the southern part of Qu State.

From officials to commoners, everyone was obsessed. Ordinary prayers for children and peace were one thing, but when local dikes breached and floods occurred, people even went to the river god for help, leading to tragic consequences.

Zhai Le received news that this trend was beginning to take shape, and even his cousins, whom he had confined, were now obsessed, treating the so-called Grand Elder of the Eternal Life Cult as an honored guest. Zhai Le expressed great interest and asked the Grand Elder to come and explain the doctrines to him.

See if you are qualified to join the religion.

The high priest was delighted upon hearing this.

During the day, they were carried in with great respect.

As evening fell, they happily left the palace piece by piece.

When believers from outside the kingdom heard of this, they beat drums to appeal for justice, hoping the king would provide an explanation for the indiscriminate killing of innocent people and the murder of the High Priest of the Eternal Life Cult. Among these people were some from good backgrounds, and Zhai Le could not ignore them; however, he had something to say.

I have no assassin.

Even though he was the ruler of a country with the power of life and death, killing a few people wouldn't shake his position, but Zhai Le still didn't like others saying that he was indiscriminately killing innocent people! How cruel is it to arbitrarily take people's lives? How could he possibly do that?

I also think it's good that the divine messengers are preaching and spreading the gospel.

The high priest preached according to divine pronouncements, saying that all the common people in the world were formed from the snot that God sneezed, while noble families, kings, and generals were made of God's blood. Despite their different social statuses, God loved all mankind equally and allowed them to live carefree lives in the divine realm.

In the realm of the gods, people have no worries about food and drink.

One mu of cultivated land can yield a thousand jin!

Everyone can ride a mythical beast and arrive in an instant!

People of all ages and genders have someone to rely on.

Such a wonderful life was ruined by the greed of the common people, who stole divine objects, causing a natural disaster in the divine realm. The gods were furious when they learned of this and banished everyone from the divine realm. From then on, the common people atoned for their sins generation after generation, while the high-ranking officials were innocent victims. That's why their lives were so close to those of the gods, simply because they had no evil in their hearts.

Ordinary people must obediently repay their debts in order to receive God's forgiveness.

If everyone works together to atone for their sins, once the divine power dissipates, everyone can return to the divine realm and live a good life, well-fed and clothed. The common people should not rebel, nor should they harbor resentment; they should sincerely atone for their sins for the sake of their descendants and their own happiness in the afterlife. Those high-ranking officials and wealthy families who were unjustly implicated should feel even more remorse.

The common people can lessen their sins by sincerely atoning for them.

When the sins are lessened, life will be easier.

Many believers went from initial doubt to unwavering faith because they found that good fortune soon followed their sincere repentance—finding money on the street, a miracle doctor suddenly passing by, receiving free treatment for chronically ill family members, couples who had long sought children finally getting one after converting to the religion, rain falling from a long-parched sky, and even the previously rumored corvée labor being abolished, with government taxes being 30% lower than in previous years…

There are countless other lucky little things that happened.

The Cult of Immortality is very real, therefore—

Zhai Le shrugged: "How could I possibly kill a divine messenger?"

"I was born from the heart's blood of a god, according to the High Priest. Why would I kill a divine messenger for no reason?" the High Priest continued. "That god sent the High Priest down to earth to investigate. So many years have passed; we don't know if the god has changed his mind. I merely sent the High Priest back to inquire and plead on our behalf. If the god is willing to forgive the sins of the common people, we are willing to offer the entire nation's strength in worship!"

Oh, the Great Offering is the eyeball of God transformed.

To walk among men in God's place, to watch over sinners to see if they have repented.

The high priest, kind-hearted and unable to bear seeing the common people continue to degenerate and suffer eternal sin, preached and taught, using his actions to enlighten the people. Zhai Le, the innocent ruler implicated, felt compassion; he simply wanted to know if the gods had appeased their anger.

What could he have done wrong?

A great offering has gone and never returned.

It's alright, he can send a few more small offerings over.

If a small offering won't work, then let's send a group of devout believers to inquire. As the ruler, he should set an example, so let his cousin lead the first group of believers.

Perhaps it was his sincerity, frankness, and enthusiasm that moved people to tears, and from then on, the Eternal Life Cult disappeared from the Kingdom of Qu.

Zhai Le felt it was a great pity and troubled Yu Hai to help him find out where the Eternal Life Cult had gone to spread its teachings. Qu Kingdom couldn't be abandoned by the gods. Yu Hai, having nothing better to do, actually went to investigate and unexpectedly discovered that the origin of the Eternal Life Cult was in the southwest. This sect had existed for decades, but it only spread in a small area in the southwest. Its doctrines were bizarre, and it had few believers. However, in recent years, its scale had grown rapidly.

Yu Hai suspected someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, using the Eternal Life Cult as a target: "It's probably related to the Southwest branch. In recent years, while the main branch hasn't been involved, the branches have been much more active."

The tension between the branch offices was higher than ever before.

They've used all sorts of methods to spread cult propaganda.

He felt that things were not peaceful in the southeast.

Zhai Le said regretfully: [The Southwest, so far away?]

Beyond the sphere of influence of the Qu Kingdom.

We can only give up for now.

Yu Hai's eyes darkened: "Yes, to be able to reach out from this distance shows the Southwest branch has quite the ambition."

Had the river breach not caused such a commotion, the news to the royal court would have been received even later: "The situation on the mainland appears calmer than it was a few years ago, but I have a feeling it's the harbinger of an impending storm. Especially the Northwest branch; they've been quiet for a long time."

The head of the Northwest Branch was the wicked Qi Yuanliang.

This guy is not the type to stay put.

He hasn't made any major moves for several years, which is unlike his usual style.

A sinister plot is made quietly; it must be a sign of trouble.

Zhai Le took it in stride: "Whether it's peaceful or chaotic, we fight when there's a battle, and rest when there isn't—that's an irrefutable truth."

What is there to fear if we remain unchanged amidst change?

This incident sparked Zhai Le's interest in supernatural matters, and he inquired about other religious sects within the Qu Kingdom, frequently inviting people to the royal court to explain things to him. Almost every sect had a different version of the origin of humankind, though they were largely similar.

This directly resulted in the scarcity of religious sectarian activities within the territory of Qu Kingdom.

Ji Moqiu has committed a grave taboo.

Unexpectedly, Ji Moqiu calmly posed a question: "Young Master Zhai, have you ever kept cats or dogs at home, or raised fish and shrimp in your pond? Do you particularly like cats and dogs that are more human-like, responding to your calls and letting you pet and tease them? Do you particularly cherish those that swim over to eat fish as soon as they hear your footsteps? The same applies to the relationship between humans and the heavens and the way of nature."

Zhai Le looked bewildered: "Cats, dogs, and fish?"

“Clever cats, dogs, and fish only prove that they are pleasing, not that they are unique, much less superior to all other creatures. Don’t be too arrogant. There are so many intelligent species in the world, and almost every one of them has perished because of their own cleverness and arrogance…” For some reason, when Ji Moqiu said this, his heart seemed to be tightly gripped by a hand.

The pain vanished in the blink of an eye.

It was as if I was hallucinating.

A female voice joined the chat: "That makes sense."

The previous generation of humans did indeed perish as a result.

Ambition, greed, arrogance...

He personally led humanity to the brink of extinction.

Compared to all things in the universe, even this continent is but a drop in the ocean, let alone the human race that lives on this drop in the ocean. The only thing that makes the human race superior to other races is that countless sages were willing to go to great lengths for a glimmer of hope.

Zhai Le muttered unhappily, "That's too ordinary."

Even among the more favored cats and dogs, they are still pets.

Those charlatans before me went to great lengths to elevate humanity, then divided people into different classes according to worldly rules to cater to the monarch. This person is different; he bluntly says that humanity is just cats and dogs that Heaven and Earth find pleasing. Since we're all pets anyway, why bother with this competition for pets? Zhai Le said "earnestly," "Brother Gong Xi Chou, if you want to develop your sect's followers, you can't do it this way."

He gave careful guidance to Jimo Qiu.

"If you want your doctrines to be widely known and your followers to be everywhere, you must cater to the world, especially the mind of your lord. You must always benefit your lord for them to allow you to preach and recruit disciples on their territory. If you start by saying that the king and the common people are all God's pets, or even just favored pets, who would be willing to listen? If you don't do this, how many believers can you gain?"

It's practically a cult.

Ji Moqiu: "God doesn't need many believers."

God does not need to consider what worldly rulers think.

Zhai Le teased him: "...Oh, you don't need incense?"

I have never heard of a religious sect that does not value incense offerings.

Ji Moqiu said frankly, "The so-called incense is useful to other gods, but it is useless to my god. My god has requirements for believers. He does not like those who are ugly, have an unattractive figure, have a bad voice, and—he despises those who are dull and have no personality."

The Gongxi clan is quite selective about the gods they worship.

Believers in God have a slightly higher threshold.

"However, if a believer is in accordance with God's will, God will be more patient with that believer and will not mind the believer's minor faults. It's like how no one who owns a pet would abandon it just because their favorite pet is temperamental. The more vivid and unique a personality is, the easier it is to be favored."

Zhai Le: "..."

In layman's terms, it means that evil gods love to cause trouble, right?

"This evil... your god has quite a temper." Zhai Le swallowed back the term "evil god." "I have a question: what are the benefits of believing in such a god?"

People have faith mostly to find spiritual sustenance.

Zhai Le asked, "Don't you feel it's unfair?"

The followers of evil gods are also wicked, willingly becoming pets.

Ji Moqiu countered, "Even the ruler and the common people are not equal, so why should God and believers be equal? ​​Believers pray for God's mercy and yearn for a response. If God is willing to respond, that is a blessing. Wouldn't subjects be grateful when they receive a reward from their lord?"

Zhai Le, who asked this question, must be out of his mind.

"...How many believers does your god have?"

Ji Moqiu: "..."

This question is absolutely malicious!

The three met by chance, but Ji Moqiu was preoccupied with the battlefield in the northern desert and did not develop a deep relationship with Zhai Le and the other two. He took the items and then escorted the two back to the "Mountain and Sea Sacred Land" shrouded in mountain mist.

"Young Master Jimo, are you really not considering joining my Qu Kingdom?"

Ji Moqiu is exceptionally talented. Recruiting such a person would be beneficial and harmless, and we might even be able to use him to restrain that scoundrel Gong Xichou.

"I believe that Young Master Zhai has a special affinity with the divine. Would you like to join the sect?" Ji Moqiu then took out a palm-sized wooden statue from his sleeve.

Zhai Le's smile vanished.

"The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever, and we hope to meet again someday."

Without any hesitation, he took Yu Hai to "climb over the wall".

Once the two figures had faded into the distance, Ji Moqiu's gentle smile gradually disappeared: "They'll come back. Is there any way to deal with it?"

The old tribal land holds too many secrets and involves clues to the previous human civilization, making it impossible for Zhai Le and his companion not to be tempted. Their ability to forge identities and participate in the Mountain and Sea Sacred Land's assessments multiple times means they have the opportunity to enter the old tribal land at any time by "climbing over the wall."

It's really impossible to guard against.

Female voice: [It can't be solved.]

Ji Moqiu's voice was deep: "It's not about preventing them from 'climbing over the wall,' it's about ensuring they don't have the life to climb back over. If we can't solve the problem, we'll eliminate the people who created it. It's the same result by different means."

Why didn't you do anything then?

Ji Moqiu replied confidently, "Because we can't beat them."

He couldn't win, so he could only pretend to be naive and stall for time.

"Never mind, I'll bring Anian next time."

If we're lucky, we might even add two fresh human bodies to the tribe's territory.

A team fight is about to begin, and the support is on his way on horseback.

As one of the team participants, Beimo suffered a series of misfortunes, with Gong Cheng failing to intercept Gong Shuwu's troops and Yun Da being attacked at night while stationed at Beimo's camp.

Gong Cheng returned to provide assistance, covered in blood.

The original site of the Northern Desert Camp has been reduced to ashes.

He finally caught up with the elite main force.

Yunda immediately noticed something amiss with him. If it weren't for the unusual aura, he would have thought his old friend had joined the Kang Kingdom's camp: "The wounds are so full of death energy. Did you encounter something special last night?"

With Gong Cheng's current strength, there aren't many who can seriously injure him.

Gong Cheng: "He is my second uncle."

He knew that what happened last night could not be kept from Yunda.

I simply explained it once.

Yun Da's usually calm expression finally wavered, and he said regretfully, "Your second uncle is indeed a uniquely blessed individual. There are quite a few martial artists who pursue the ultimate killing and invincibility in the world, but in my entire life, I have only seen two who have truly succeeded."

One was Gong Shuwu, and the other was his old partner.

"It's such a pity. If your second uncle hadn't been serving the Kang Kingdom, I could have recommended him to my old friend. I doubt anyone in this world would be more suitable to inherit his mantle than your second uncle."

Gong Cheng automatically ignored the last two sentences.

Even if my second uncle dies, he will never change his allegiance.

"Ultimate slaughter, invincible in the world?"

"To put it bluntly, it's about turning yourself into a walking dead person. Of course, a dead person can't be killed, and I hate this kind of thing the most."

Gong Cheng inquired, "Where is he?"

Yunda looked dazed: "In the southwest, I suppose."

They were people of the same era.

However, due to the deception of the Gongxi clan, they have not been able to meet for a hundred years.

The last time Yunda heard news of the other party was twenty or thirty years ago. He heard that the other party was talking about some kind of immortality cult, just looking for fun when he had nothing better to do. Hmph, with that brainless skull, what kind of schemes and tricks could that person possibly pull off? He'd only get played.

Gong Cheng looked at the messy temporary camp in the northern desert.

Probing: "Senior Yun, does Beimo have a chance to win?"

The team suffered a defeat in their first battle, which dampened morale.

He's used to giving up and really doesn't want to fight, especially when his second uncle is on the other side and can bring a bunch of his ancestors to beat him up.

Yunda had already gone far away, and his reply was vague.

"The outcome of the Northern Desert campaign is not important, but Kangguo will surely lose."

How could Kangguo's only enemy be the Northern Desert?

Looking around, one finds powerful enemies lurking everywhere.

This is the treatment Kangguo received.

The Northern Desert troops seized the opportunity to rest and reorganize, and their temporary camp was on high alert, fearing that Shen Tang would launch another sneak attack and arson. Little did they know, Shen Tang hadn't had time to think about a sneak attack in the past two days.

Because she finally met her Tianxuan Guard General.

When Gong Shuwu arrived with his troops to join them, she had just finished reviewing the intelligence on the fortress bordering Gao State, which was in the Heyin region. Just as she was about to write a reply, news came that General Gong Shuwu had returned. Shen Tang jumped up and threw down her brush.

So excited that he didn't even bother to put on his wooden clogs.

"Half a step back, you've finally returned—"

Shen Tang's steps came to an abrupt halt, just like the words she spoke.

Staring blankly at the pink skull standing against the wind.

Yes, pink, skull.

A pink skull, dressed in half-step armor.

Shen Tang stood in front of the main tent for several breaths, then looked down at the lieutenant next to the skeleton: "Where is your general?"

The deputy general couldn't lift his head.

"My lord, this is... the Great General..."

Yesterday, the general was fair and clean-cut; overnight, he had turned into pink crystal, every bone pure and flawless. Beautiful, yes, but also incredibly eerie. Gong Shuwu stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble general, Gong Shuwu, greets Your Majesty."

Shen Tang: "..."

Is this what Gong Xichou meant by "don't worry"?

Her great general is no longer even human!

"My dear half-step, how did you become like this?" Shen Tang helped Gong Shuwu up with trembling hands. The other man's bones were obviously made of expensive pink diamonds, and such large pink diamonds at that!

Gong Shuwu: "This humble general is worried that he might frighten the lord."

This appearance is better than a forest of white bones.

Gong Shuwu accidentally discovered that he could also "disguise" himself; by absorbing a pink gemstone, his bones could transform into the shape of the gemstone. Only the color of the flames in his eye sockets remained unchanged.

It took Shen Tang a while to process the news.

She gently stroked Gong Shuwu's hand bones with her fingers.

A thought popped into his head, and a smile that looked more like a grimace tugged at the corners of his mouth: "It's good that you're still alive, it's good that you're alive. If you were to blend in with the spoils of war in this state, you'd be a perfect fit. If you suddenly attacked, you could assassinate one by one."

A pink gemstone the size of a human skeleton.

Who wouldn't be confused after seeing this?

The enemy took it out to admire, and Gong Shuwu suddenly rose from the dead...

Let alone the enemy, Shen Tang will also be stabbed through the heart.

It's a truly ingenious use that's impossible to guard against.

Gong Shuwu: "..."

Why did he feel that the way the master stroked him was a little strange?

I have this strange feeling that I might be sold for money.

Gong Shuwu's appearance not only stunned King Shen Tang, but also his colleagues. When they arrived after receiving the news, they were told that Gong Shuwu's condition was somewhat peculiar. They remarked that they had seen all sorts of storms in their lives.

Upon meeting Gong Shuwu, they all withdrew their previous statements.

They've never seen anything like it before.

Regardless of their thoughts, Shen Tang firmly grasped Gong Shuwu's arm, like a mother hen protecting her chicks: "Half-Step has repeatedly rendered great service, and after encountering a powerful enemy, he led his men back. You must not treat him differently in any way. Everything will remain the same from now on, understand?"

She'll never forgive anyone who engages in workplace discrimination or bullying!

The ministers, their expressions complex, replied: "Yes!"

Only then did Shen Tang begin to reward those who had contributed.

He then ordered a list of fallen soldiers to be compiled and sent to the rear, instructing officials to properly handle the compensation and relief efforts, thereby stabilizing morale and boosting fighting spirit. Not content with this, he also wrote a secret order to send back to instruct people to cultivate a positive public opinion environment—

Gong Shuwu's situation was truly unique. In order to avoid causing panic and widespread resistance, and to prevent those with ulterior motives from exploiting the situation, she had to definitively conclude Gong Shuwu's case in terms of public opinion, and guide public opinion as much as possible towards the image of him as brave, fearless, and heroic in battle.

Once the image is firmly established, the common people will spontaneously protect it.

Gong Shuwu was the last to know.

He said in alarm, "My lord, this is not allowed."

A military general with only military power wouldn't necessarily be feared by his superiors, but if he possessed both military power and popular prestige, earning the respect and admiration of the people, that would be a different story. This meant that even if such a general rebelled, public opinion would be favorable. Gongshu Wu naturally didn't want any potential threats.

He prefers to be feared and respected.

Shen Tang said, "Why not?"

It only takes a little thought to know what Gong Shuwu is worried about.

With a solemn expression, he said, "Half-Step, the most important thing now is to defend against the Northern Desert, stabilize the political situation internally, and keep the people's hearts at ease. Only then can we have a better chance of winning. You and I have known each other for so many years. Do you think I am the kind of ruler who would arbitrarily suspect anyone without distinguishing right from wrong and who cannot tolerate others? There is a saying that it is easier to prevent people from speaking than to prevent a river from overflowing. This saying is not entirely correct, but it has some merit. You are a general who charges into battle on the front lines. The enemy is all open and straightforward, but there is also unseen smoke and fire outside the battlefield."

Gong Shuwu's situation is too easy for people to make a fuss about.

"Just take it as me taking precautions."

As he spoke, he patted Gong Shuwu's hand.

I took the opportunity to touch the feel of the super large pink diamond.

Happy New Year, 2024! Hello! ︿(￣︶￣)︿

P.S.: The female lead in the new book is tentatively named Zhang Yang, what do you think? (The chances of having the same name are extremely low!)

PPS: Although I didn't achieve a twelve-year winning streak (Thorns' updates have been really strong these past two days, I can't do it), I did win a female-oriented annual competition, hahaha, the prize is a Mate 60 Pro phone! Mushroom already has a Pro+, resting her chin on her hand, a little worried, what to do with two phones, should she use them in rotation?

(End of this chapter)