Chapter 342 The age of gods still exists
Stepping out of the underground station, what comes into view is a small town bustling with people under the evening sky.
The view is filled with modern buildings; apart from the fact that there are hardly any skyscrapers, the first impression is that of a modern city.
The streets were all pedestrianized, with the occasional sightseeing vehicle passing by, but there were no main roads specifically for cars. Most of the pedestrians were Witcher, a fact I could immediately tell, but there were also ordinary people dressed as agents. While not particularly bustling, there were a considerable number of people, and several shops along the roadside selling food, clothing, and miscellaneous goods.
Outside the small town, no matter which direction you look, all you see is an endless primeval forest.
At the same time, I could also sense the barrier surrounding the Luoshan headquarters. Like an invisible bubble, the enormous barrier enclosed the entire small town. Its function was roughly to prevent unauthorized outsiders from spying and entering, but it did not prevent internal personnel from observing and moving to the outside world.
“I thought the headquarters in Luoshan would be an even colder and more somber place,” I said.
"This is just the perimeter of headquarters; the real territory for handling organizational affairs is closer to the city center."
As Mr. Zhu explained, he looked around and said, “I used to visit this place occasionally. In my memory, it was a quiet little town with far fewer pedestrians than it is now. Perhaps it’s because the Great Impermanence rarely gather here, so demon hunters from all over have been inspired and spontaneously gathered here.”
For witchers, the Great Impermanence is a real deity. Many witchers are even followers of the Great Impermanence, such as the followers of Xuanming. Even those who do not believe in the Great Impermanence cannot deny the fact that the Great Impermanence is a deity. Therefore, even without any special reason, the mere fact that the Great Impermanence gather here is enough to draw many witchers to this place with a pilgrimage mentality.
The moment I arrived here, I could feel with my own body the fact that the Great Impermanence had gathered here.
Saying it was "with my body" might be a bit ambiguous. To be precise, I felt "crowded," like nearly ten people crammed into a narrow elevator. Each of the Great Impermanences possesses a colossal nature, something I sensed from Xuanming and Shenzhao in the illusory realm; and a small town like this would be easily destroyed by the Great Impermanences. The fact that so many Great Impermanences gathered in this place made it seem as if even their limbs couldn't stretch out.
No one else seemed to have the same feeling. Ma Zao was cautiously observing her surroundings like a cat sneaking into an unfamiliar place, while Zhu Shi seemed to be visiting the Luoshan headquarters for the first time as well, looking around curiously.
I tried to sense Mingzhuo's location, but couldn't pinpoint it. Because I had a brief encounter with Mingzhuo last time, I vaguely remembered the color, or perhaps the scent, of his magical power. In any case, I'm now certain he's in the vicinity of the Luoshan headquarters. The reason I can't locate him is probably not because the Great Impermanence is gathered here in large numbers, hindering my perception, but rather because of his inherent temperament.
As long as I consciously maintain a concealed mindset, the other Great Impermanences shouldn't be able to pinpoint my location, and might not even notice that I, a Great Impermanence, have visited this place. However, if other Great Impermanences have a strong sense of privacy, even if they don't share my mindset, they will still exhibit similar characteristics to some extent—at least that's my deduction based on my own experience.
"The Great Impermanences should have arrived by now, but there doesn't seem to be any unusual weather at the Luoshan headquarters... Is it because the Great Impermanences have suppressed their Dharma Heaven and Earth Formation?" Zhu Shi looked up at the sky.
"That might be the reason, but it's also possible that the Divination Master is suppressing other Great Impermanence Dharma Forms and Earth Forms," said Mr. Zhu. "Although I'm not entirely clear on what the Divination Master's Dharma Forms and Earth Forms are, according to notes passed down in the family, one of the manifestations of the Divination Master's Dharma Forms and Earth Forms is that it can suppress other Great Impermanence Dharma Forms and Earth Forms."
"That being said, this suppression only targets the obvious parts, and it is difficult to exert influence on certain subtle parts."
I asked curiously, "The subtle, gradual part?"
"If you've studied feng shui, you should know that many special feng shui ornaments can ward off evil spirits and protect a home. The existence of the Great Impermanence itself can influence the feng shui of a region, causing some incredible changes." Old Master Zhu once again demonstrated his extensive knowledge. "As the saying goes: A mountain is not famous for its height, but for the immortals dwelling there; water is not sacred for its depth, but for the dragons living within... In places like the Luoshan headquarters, where the Great Impermanence resides, the number of newborns with powerful magical talents will increase significantly."
"If Xuanwu becomes the Great Impermanence, many potential demon hunters with aquatic talents will emerge in the places he frequents, as well as many sports geniuses who are expected to become swimming champions and experts who are good at managing rivers; while if a demon hunter who is good at studying the laws of the universe becomes the Great Impermanence, many newborns with scientific research talents in the fields of astronomy, physics, and chemistry may be born in the places he resides in."
Zhu Shi looked around thoughtfully: "I see, so the living area outside the Luoshan headquarters is..."
“That’s right. Many demon hunter families reside around the Luoshan headquarters in order to increase their chances of producing newborns with powerful magical talents. These outlying residential areas are a result of this.” Old Master Zhu nodded.
"So, will many more demon hunters with fire elemental talents emerge in Saltwater City in the future?" Zhu Shi looked at me.
“As long as Zhuang Cheng continues to live in Xianshui City, it will become like that. Besides that, there will be some other changes, one of which is… uh…” Mr. Zhu suddenly stopped.
Seeing his reaction, I couldn't help but be very curious to know what happened next: "What is it?"
Mr. Zhu looked at me for a while, and then said, "Well... carbon emissions in Saltwater City and the surrounding cities may increase significantly in the future."
"Huh? Why?" Zhu Shi was surprised.
"Even if Zhuang Cheng suppresses his 'Law of Heaven and Earth,' he will still have a subtle influence on the natural environment. The temperature in Xianshui City and its surrounding cities will continue to rise little by little," said Mr. Zhu. "However, this phenomenon is essentially contrary to common sense, so in order to make it reasonable again, the world will find a rational explanation on its own."
"The result is that people living in Saltwater City and its surrounding cities will unconsciously increase their carbon emissions. And this effect will continue to spread, gradually affecting the collective unconscious behavior of people around the world and the natural climate... This is what I said before, that once Zhuang Cheng becomes the Great Impermanence, it may exacerbate global warming."
So it turns out that I am actually quite environmentally unfriendly in my very existence?
Since the Great Impermanence is regarded as a god by demon hunters, then what kind of god am I? The god of carbon emissions and the greenhouse effect? In a children's cartoon, I would definitely be the final villain, right?
"It's alright, Xuanming's stance is similar to yours."
Seemingly noticing my strange expression, Mr. Zhu added: "In the end, the natural system of the world in which humanity lives today was formed after being repeatedly influenced by the existence of the Great Impermanence. Even the Little Ice Age recorded in our history during the Ming and Qing Dynasties was caused by the absence of the Great Impermanence at that time."
"The massive pollution that modern civilization has caused to natural systems along with the process of industrialization, and even the process of industrialization itself, may very well have some unseen and subtle shadows behind it."
"For our civilization, the existence of gods is both a natural disaster and a part of the planetary order that we take for granted."
The world of the supernatural and the world of common sense are two sides of the same coin, and even during periods when they are separated, there are intricate connections between them. It could even be said that the great impermanence has always been powerfully interfering in the process of the world of common sense, but its influence is subtle and its effects are often imperceptible.
This world may seem to be in the age of mortals, but in reality, the age of mythology may never have left.
However……
To be honest, I had a strange feeling about Mr. Zhu's words.
Attributing all macroscopic changes in human civilization and natural systems to the appearance and activities of the Great Impermanence—this explanation, while not entirely untenable, is… well, how should I describe it? It's not that it's wrong; on the contrary, I think it's the correct answer. But I feel it lacks a certain aesthetic appeal.
Is this interpretation really acceptable? I can't shake this doubt.
Is it because I crave grand adventures that attributing everything in the world to people like myself makes the world seem narrow and flat? Or is there something wrong with this way of interpreting the world?
Just then, a familiar presence appeared nearby. Turning around, we saw a handsome young man with white hair, dressed in a white ancient-style robe, jogging towards us.
He was accompanied by another person, a man in his thirties who appeared taciturn.
As soon as Asaho saw the boy, she cautiously took a step closer to me.
"Senior Zhuang Cheng!" he called out to me.
It's a winter vehicle.
He stopped in front of us.
I first gave Zhu Shi and Mr. Zhu a brief introduction, and then asked him, "You've come to headquarters too? Are you feeling better now?"
Dongche looked somewhat ashamed and said, "Yes, it's all over now. Master has explained everything to me, so... thank you, Senior Zhuang Cheng. If it weren't for that incantation you gave me at the Fufeng base, I wouldn't have had a chance to survive in the first place."
“I didn’t do it unintentionally; it just happened by chance. You don’t need to thank me so much. More importantly, did you come to see me just to say hello?” I asked. “Is there anything else you want to do?”
"Oh, right..."
Dongche seemed to have forgotten his business due to his excitement. I reminded him before he came to his senses and took something out of his pocket.
“My master would like to invite you to visit him,” he said.
(End of this chapter)
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