Lan Tiao tentatively said, "If that's the case, I think you can continue to be a priest."
Ye Zhongli shook his head, "No, my faith is no longer strong, and I am not fit to continue being the high priest..."
Lan Tiao asked in confusion: "Why?"
Ye Zhongli fell silent. He couldn't say that while he had just expressed his unwavering loyalty to the spirit, his heart had already wavered. He felt that Zhuge Chengxi's idea was right. Isn't it good for practitioners to become stronger through hard work and support themselves? Why should they beg for mercy?
Perhaps the gods are just more powerful practitioners...
Perhaps, everyone can become a "god"?
Ye Zhongli shook his head violently and said through gritted teeth, "My mind has been polluted by Zhuge Chengxi."
"How did it get polluted?" asked Lan Tiao.
"You're incredibly curious." Ye Zhongli didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Knowing too much won't do you any good. You just need to faithfully fulfill your duties as the high priest. Also, if you have nothing else to do, you can come and cry before the statue more often. This way you'll be able to feel the gods' compassion for the world, and perhaps the gods will grant you more abilities in the future. I hope you don't end up like me, in this horrible state. I feel like I'll never be able to go to the kingdom of God again after I die..."
At this moment, the other half of Zhuge Chengxi's body reappeared. He said, "Isn't it good to be alive? Why think about your afterlife? Perhaps I can cultivate to the realm of immortality. Then you can live forever with me. Maybe I can also become a god and enjoy the incense of earthly believers."
"Wait, incense... Why didn't I realize before that we can also burn incense to the gods?" Ye Zhongli muttered to himself.
Zhuge Chengxi said: "Oh, it's okay, you can burn incense for me later."
"Don't even think about it!" Ye Zhongli's expression immediately became agitated, "You shameless thief..."
"It's obviously you who are more shameless. If you hadn't cast an incomplete spell, how could the two of us have ended up like this?" Zhuge Chengxi said.
Ye Zhongli felt guilty, "I... I didn't fully understand the power of the talisman bestowed by the gods. I originally wanted to curse you to death, but it turned out like this, resulting in you and me sharing life and death..."
"Bah! I'll definitely find a way to get rid of you."
"I don't want to live with you either!"
The two of them walked down the mountain while arguing.
Lan Tiao chased after them and said, "Excuse me, where are you two going?"
Zhuge Chengxi replied, "Go back to the City Lord's Mansion. My uncle will definitely find a way to save me."
Ye Zhongli said, "If you don't go to the City Lord's Mansion, live in the Living City. I want to understand in depth what the lives of thieves like you are like."
"Oh, I think you are afraid of my uncle, so you don't dare to come to my house."
Ye Zhongli said confidently, "Yes, I'm just scared. What can you do? Kill me if you dare!"
Zhuge Chengxi: "..."
Lan Tiao asked, "Can the high priest leave the miasma range?"
"Originally, I couldn't do that, but the mark between my eyebrows has disappeared... Now I'm no longer worthy of being a believer in a god. However, once I get rid of Zhuge Chengxi, I will come back. By then, I hope you, Lan Tiao, can help me complete the conversion ceremony so that I can regain my faith." Ye Zhongli said.
"Okay... okay..." Lan Tiao agreed first, and at the same time added silently in her heart: If I am still here at that time, I will help you. If I leave, you can only pray for help from the gods.
Ye Zhongli and Zhuge Chengxi left on foot, but after a while, they came back.
Lan Tiao was watering the fields while pondering his future path. He longed to go home, to see his sister and see how she was doing, but he also couldn't bear to leave the gods. Lan Tiao had a strong sense of morality. If he were asked to take the sacrifice, he wouldn't be able to bear it, but it was also unrealistic for him to completely abandon the gods now.
Everyone with the mark between their eyebrows had their thoughts and consciousness influenced by the gods, and they were instinctively loyal to the gods. However, some people were not loyal enough. Therefore, when their lives were in danger, they would think of kneeling down and begging for mercy from Zhuge Chengxi. However, their behavior was not considered betrayal. At most, they were afraid of death. It was impossible for a tribe to betray the gods, and "leaving the tribe" was equivalent to betrayal. Therefore, Lan Tiao instinctively resisted this. Seeing Ye Zhongli and the others return, Lan Tiao asked in surprise: "Is there anything else you want to tell me, High Priest?"
Ye Zhongli said awkwardly, "Without the Compassion Clan to lead the way, we can't get down the mountain...so I hope you can give us a ride."
Lan Tiao said, "I want to leave too... but I don't want to remove the mark on my head..."
What he meant was that he hoped Zhuge Chengxi could help him.
"Lan Tiao, how could you have such a rebellious idea!" Ye Zhongli scolded.
Zhuge Chengxi said with a grin, "You are just an ordinary mortal now. If you leave the Compassionate Clan, you won't survive long in the Living City. I suggest you continue living here..."
Of course, the most important reason is that if Lan Tiao withdraws, who will take them down the mountain?
Admittedly, he could help Lan Tiao cut the flesh after going down the mountain, but... Zhuge Chengxi still wanted to take time to come here in the future. In case he happened to meet a god one day, he could use the god to test the power of the Burning Heart Flame. But after the test, Lan Tiao would still be needed to lead everyone down the mountain, unless the miasma in the entire mountain had completely dissipated. At that time, Lan Tiao would no longer be needed to lead the way.
"You're right..." Lan Tiao thought about it and realized that she was now powerless and it was indeed not suitable for her to return to the Living City.
He thanked Zhuge Chengxi, then sent the two of them down the mountain and returned to the mountain alone.
Lan Tiao picked some cabbage from the fields and cooked it with noodles, adding a little salt. She ate a bland meal. Then she went to the high priest's house and found the books. In the secret room stood two night-shining pearls, emitting a soft white light. Lan Tiao looked up at the pearls embedded in the wall and thought, "Perhaps my sister would like them."
So he found a bench, stood on it and took out the night pearl, then picked up a few books and started reading.
The next morning, Lan Tiao went down the mountain, hid in the dark and observed secretly, and locked onto a cultivator in the Infant Yuan Realm. Normally, the Infant Yuan Realm has the lowest grade and the weakest cultivation, and often serves as cannon fodder. However, Lan Tiao discovered a three-person team, all three of whom were in the Infant Yuan Realm. Everyone in the team was more scheming and tried to harm each other. In the end, the young man with a sinister look successfully killed two teammates and won.
Moreover, this young man with sinister eyes is also a demon cultivator.
Lan Tiao took the young man up the mountain.
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