Shangguan Jianxing lowered his hand as he spoke. A strange green tear still lingered in the corner of his eye, but a hint of fanaticism had subtly taken over his gaze. He spoke with an intoxicated expression, "Before, I never knew there were gods in this world. Today, observing the stars, I finally realized how great and benevolent they are. From the green divine light they blessed me with just now, I understand that they are the God of Compassion."
He added, "I want to go to the Living City and experience the blessings of the gods up close..."
"Wake up! You've been bewitched!" Lan Zhi raised her hand, wondering if she should knock Shangguan Jianxing out first. There was something strange about that "spirit." Besides, wasn't the "Lord of All Evils" Song He? Could there be a statue of Song He in the Living City?
However, Lan Zhi had seen Song He in person before, and she had never felt how strong his ability to bewitch others was...
How could a mere statue of a god be able to bewitch Shangguan Jianxing from a distance?
At this moment, two runes appeared in Shangguan Jianxing's eyes, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his breath instantly weakened.
Shangguan Jianxing sat on a chair, a look of lingering fear on his face, and said, "There are indeed many taboos in this world..."
Lan Zhi cleaned up the blood on the ground and handed him a handkerchief. "Fortunately, you woke up in time, otherwise I would have had to find a way to lock you up."
Shangguan Jianxing said, "I have the Eyes of True Knowledge, which symbolize wisdom and rationality. I won't be easily deceived. Moreover, I possess the ability to alter the thoughts and memories of others, so I'm quite resistant to this... But your eldest brother is probably in great danger. He doesn't have the same gift of special eyes as me, and he's come face to face with the statue. I suspect he's become a follower of the deity."
Lan Zhi had a headache. "What's the difference between a spirit... and a cultivator?"
"There's a huge difference. Spirits can absorb the willpower of all living things. Just like I also have the ability to bewitch others, for example, I can make Jiang Qingcheng my believer, making her obey my orders and do my bidding, but I can't increase my own strength by controlling her. On the other hand, Spirits can absorb power from their believers, becoming stronger in this way, and then in turn bless their believers, making them stronger as well, forming a virtuous cycle."
Lan Zhi asked again: "Then...how can one become a god?"
"I don't know. We usually use the word 'He' to refer to gods, not just 'He' or 'She'."
As Shangguan Jianxing spoke, he dipped his finger in water and wrote these three words on the table. "However, we believe that the gods that currently exist in the world are all false gods, so we don't need to call them "Him."
Lan Zhi said: "These three words have the same pronunciation. You don't need to tell me about this. I just want to know where the gods came from."
Shangguan Jianxing said, "One of my elders once took me to see a deity. I won't tell you the specific name of this deity, because for a deity, when you say its name, it will be sensitive and take notice of you..."
Shangguan Jianxing was speaking when he realized he had strayed off topic again, so he continued, "That deity looked only three or four years old and was incredibly adorable. He was a kind deity, often visiting the homes of women who had lost children, pretending to be their child, and helping them overcome their grief before moving on to the next family... He was able to draw strength from mortals this way. He said he was born in a pool filled with the bones of countless infants killed by demonic cultivators. He said that from the moment he became sensible, he understood that he was a [god] and didn't need anyone to teach him. He knew naturally how to attract followers. The infant bones contained a strong resentment, but he wasn't born from resentment. He was born from the longing of all infants for their families and their attachment to their birth mothers. The strength he draws from the love of the living is his. He said he was a [good deity]. Besides [good deities], there are also [evil deities]. The compassionate deity I saw today must have absorbed the sorrow and pity of the living... I can't tell whether this deity is good or evil."
"I see." Lan Zhi nodded thoughtfully. To be honest, she didn't have much awe for the ferocious beast Song He. Instead, she felt that he was quite down-to-earth. This was mainly because she had experienced the flying sword controlled by Song He and had held Song Zirui in her arms. The pair of ferocious beast brothers had never put on airs towards her. Although Song He sometimes spoke in a condescending tone, Lan Zhi never felt that she was inferior to anyone, and Song He's instigation seemed to have no effect on her.
Shangguan Jianxing continued, "I've been marked by the divine light of the God of Compassion. If this deity is narrow-minded, he might come to me... Also, because I was briefly influenced by him, I revealed his honorific title and told you that title. You'd better forget all of this, otherwise I'm worried he'll notice you too... How about I say goodbye and go home, otherwise if he comes to me, it will implicate you."
Lan Zhi said, "You were originally targeted by the gods because of me. I won't abandon you. Besides... I've heard of his honorific title a long time ago."
"Huh? Where did you hear that?" Shangguan Jianxing was a little surprised.
"When I first entered the Baishan Secret Realm, I encountered a humanoid beast who claimed to be the Lord of All Evils. All believers who were bewitched by him would have a green leaf-shaped mark on their heads." Lan Zhi said.
Shangguan Jianxing said, "That's correct. From what I've seen through astrology, the lowest-ranking believers have a leaf-shaped mark on their foreheads. Those with deeper faith will have a teardrop-shaped mark on their foreheads... Logically, since you've faced the deity in person, you should have become its believer. But why do you seem to be fine?"
Without waiting for Lan Zhi to reply, Shangguan Jianxing suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "I am a stargazing god, and I am not blind. But if I use my stargazing skills on you, you will go blind. This shows that you are much more powerful than the gods..."
Lan Zhi waved her hands. "You really overestimate me. When I was in the secret realm, I was completely powerless against Song He... Song He is the name of the Lord of Ten Thousand. He also has a younger brother named Song Zirui. They were both quite friendly to me. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have come back alive."
"Friendly?" Shangguan Jianxing breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems this deity isn't an evil deity. Evil deities treat human life like worthless grass and despise humanity from the bottom of their hearts. They usually don't show kindness to humans. Good deities, on the other hand, are much safer. They can only absorb the willpower of specific people and can't convert everyone into a believer."
"I... based on my brief experience with Songhe, I think Songhe might be an evil god." Lan Zhi looked strange, and then said, "I took advantage of him in the secret realm. I wonder if he will bear a grudge against me..."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jianxing fell silent.
He looked at Lan Zhi, and Lan Zhi was also looking at him, and the two of them stared at each other.
After a moment, Shangguan Jianxing said, "The evil god will always seek revenge. I think he has set his sights on you as well."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
