Chapter 835: The Assembly of the Gods? I vaguely remember it (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Am I hallucinating?
Gu Chi turned to Ning Yan with some surprise and asked.
Given that his scholarly approach prevented him from engaging in direct combat, and that eavesdropping on enemy commands required a relatively safe and peaceful environment, Gu Chi did not directly engage in battle. He and Ning Yan remained in the temporary combat command camp, cooperating with each other. He successfully deciphered the enemy's combat commands, which Ning Yan immediately relayed to their two frontline avatars, [Zixu] and [Wuyou].
Zixu and Wuyou relayed the message to Chu Yao and the others.
Extracting enemy commands from a massive amount of internal thoughts was no easy task. Gu Chi remained focused, not daring to be distracted, except for a brief moment when Shen Tang appeared. Then, Gu Chi heard the words "Assembly of the Gods," and his expression twisted for a fleeting instant…
He thought he was hallucinating.
The two had known each other for many years, and Gu Chi had rarely left Shen Tang's side. Gu Chi was well aware of who his lord had been in contact with. In addition, Shen Tang was not one to keep secrets; if the Gods were to actually contact her, she would inevitably have something to say.
While exchanging information with Zixu Wuyou, Ning Yan also transmitted spiritual energy to Gu Chi, lest the sickly Gu Chi collapse before the battle was even over. She asked, puzzled, "What auditory hallucination?"
Gu Chi asked her, "Does Tu Nan know about the Assembly of the Gods?"
Considering Ning Yan's deceased husband's banquet in Xingning, it's normal for the Gods' Society to invite someone with such talent and reputation; Ning Yan might have heard of it.
Ning Yan pondered for a long time: "I vaguely remember. Several years ago, my late husband Xingning seemed to have mentioned it, and he didn't like it at all."
I remember that at that time, the couple was still observing mourning in the mountains.
One day after the rain, a scholar came to deliver an invitation.
Ning Yan was taking care of her daughter, who had caught a chill and had a high fever, in the backyard when she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the front yard. Immediately following was her husband's angry voice: "Sir, you flatter me so much. I know my own talents are shallow; I am but a humble villager, and I dare not presume to hold such a high position."
Why is Xingning so stubborn?
Yan An did not answer, and remained silent for a long time.
After a while, Yan An returned, covered in sweat.
His brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were preoccupied with something on his mind.
Ning Yan asked quietly, "Who is this person?"
[It was my father's classmate from his youth, who came to pay his respects.]
Ning Yan noticed a strange invitation with yellow lettering on a black background in Yan An's hand and was puzzled. Because she was in mourning and couldn't be waited on, she and Yan An managed the household affairs together. Ning Yan knew everything about the house best; she didn't remember seeing this invitation. Could it have been brought by a guest?
Yan An noticed her gaze.
This is an unlucky item; we'll burn it in the stove later.
"Okay, but will this offend anyone?" Ning Yan took the invitation and carefully read the words on it.
Yan An shook his head: [Don't worry.]
Ning Yan stopped paying attention after hearing this.
But hearing it again now, I can't help but feel a bit more curious.
"The Assembly of Gods, what is this?"
Gu Chi's pale face showed undisguised disgust: "You can think of it as a relatively large academic society..."
Ning Yan had a feeling that this was no ordinary person.
What kind of academy dares to name itself "The Gods"?
To call oneself a "god"—what an arrogant tone!
Gu Chi said with a slightly joking tone, "After this battle, Tu Nan will openly reveal his identity and have people spread the word about his achievements. It won't be long before he receives an invitation to the Gods' Assembly. Speaking of which, that place... is quite fun."
Ning Yan: "..."
Her intuition told her that this "fun" thing was not serious.
Gu Chi seemed to have thought of something, and a smile appeared on his face: "If Tu Nan wants to know, just ask Qi Yuanliang."
"Ask him?"
Ning Yan didn't have much contact with Qi Shan.
Logically, since they came from the same place and their families had connections in their early years—she had even almost arranged a marriage between herself and Qi Yuanliang—they should have had more private interactions than others. However, the reality was quite the opposite. Qi Shan intentionally distanced himself to avoid suspicion, and Ning Yan didn't want to be disliked. Aside from unavoidable official business, the two had virtually no contact.
"I met him at the Pantheon."
Ning Yan: "..."
This... is the first time I've heard of this.
Although they didn't have much contact, let alone any deep confiding, Ning Yan still trusted several of her colleagues. Gu Chi harbored strong aversion and disgust towards the Pantheon, and Xing Ning also disliked it, indicating that this society was likely not clean at its core.
Why did the two of them join?
Gu Chi saw the question Ning Yan wanted to ask: "At that time, I had nowhere to go and worked as a staff member. My master happened to be a member of the Gods' Guild, so I was naturally recommended to join... One day, I discovered that my master had been quietly replaced..."
At the time, I thought the gods would eat up the children of the destitute.
result--
It was unexpected to discover that Qi Shan had many alternate accounts within the Gods' Guild. It's unclear how he obtained the recommendation slots; all that's known is that after joining, he recommended his own alternate accounts, which in turn recommended other alternate accounts. This cycle repeated endlessly, and it's unknown how much salary he's pocketed from the Gods' Guild without contributing anything.
He got bored, patted his behind, and left.
Gu Chi's relaxed expression vanished.
"Within the Pantheon, those who can be recommended generally possess genuine abilities, making talent recruitment here less of a hassle. Strategists and warriors seek enlightened rulers, monarchs seek virtuous ministers and fierce generals, and noble families exchange benefits... Members can even exchange price for temporary assistance from others... But precisely because of this, numerous factions exist, and conflicts abound, stemming from factors such as family background, origin, talent, reputation, and region... And in this world, no benefit comes without a price..."
While leveraging the connections of the Pantheon can quickly build up a force, it's not true ability; it rises fast but collapses even faster. Gu Chi doesn't want his lord to get involved with these dirty dealings. The more one relies on them, the easier it is to become a gambler. How many gamblers have been tricked, ending up bankrupt after hitting the table?
"If it's so terrifying, why isn't it well-known?"
A lack of fame means the circle isn't large. It's far too easy to gather talent from all over the world and become a powerful force.
Gu Chi said, "The founding principle of the Pantheon is to create a platform for talented people from all over the world to meet, prohibiting the use of any force or participation in any power, remaining impartial, and members are not allowed to use the name of the Pantheon when traveling outside..."
Similar to the recruitment platform mentioned by our lord. The platform will not interfere or stir up trouble; it will focus on being a platform in peace. It will always maintain a neutral stance and will not participate in any power struggles or shifts in influence. If the Gods break their promise, all members of the world will unite to defeat them.
Of course, the Pantheon does not interfere with the freedom of its members.
The Pantheon is merely a platform for communication and trade.
but--
Casinos are just platforms for placing bets. Do any gamblers who participate ever end up well? The bookmakers, of course, are eyeing the money in the gamblers' pockets. The various benefits and perks within the Gods' Guild all require substantial financial support.
Where did this money come from?
Gu Chi simply smiled and remained silent.
Ning Yan asked him, "Why did Wang Chao quit?"
Gu Chi said, "There are too many trolls in there."
What is a "troll"?
Gu Chi curled his lip: "You're such a master of arguing."
The prevailing belief within the Pantheon is that "fortune's wheel turns, this year it's my turn," meaning everyone has a chance to become a king or general. Sounds reasonable, right? The problem is that a country can only have a limited number of kings and generals; the solution is to have more from multiple countries.
They reject a unified and stable regime.
Once Gu Chi figured this out, he found it all rather dull.
These people, high and mighty, have no idea what a disaster frequent wars bring to ordinary people. While they vie for the positions of kings and generals, countless commoners, trampled under the iron hooves, have to scramble for even wild grass, their bellies filled with mud.
Beneath the raging fire and boiling oil lie piles of white bones.
Commoners live in a muddle, die in a muddle.
And this is normal?
Is this how it is for ordinary people to live?
Gu Chi felt uncomfortable and left.
He believed he would find a wild lord, a lord with tenacious vitality, rooted in the soil, whose eyes could see the dust at the very bottom, rather than sitting high in the clouds, wantonly fooling the life and death of his fellow beings, even if it was hard to find...
Therefore, they set their sights on Qishan's achievements.
Hey, your lord?
Share it with me, take it!
Ning Yan's disgust for the Pantheon intensified upon hearing this, but she was more worried about something else: "The Lord has many talented people under his command, are there any members of the Pantheon among them?"
Gu Chi remained silent for a while.
He was also keeping an eye on this when screening and vetting for his lord.
He sighed, "Who doesn't have a past?"
Ning Yan: "..."
Judging from Gu Chi's words, the proportion is not low.
Gu Chi reassured her: "Except for Qi Yuanliang, everyone else has retired. You know the background of the lord's core group. How many of them weren't down-and-out before joining?"
Ning Yan felt a chill run down her spine: "Qi Yuanliang is still here?"
Gu Chi said, "He's here. Qi Shan has at least twenty aliases in the Gods' Society! If it weren't for the fear of too many people, he could have embezzled the salaries of several branches of the Gods' Society all by himself..."
Ning Yan: "..."
Gu Chi said nonchalantly, "We should also plant a spy. Given Qi Yuanliang's status in the Gods' Guild... he should be able to get a list of members from the Northwest Continent branch. Later, we can work with others to whisper sweet nothings in the Lord's ear and coax her into taking down all the branch leaders, big and small, according to the list. We won't feel safe leaving these people in our own territory at night..."
Ning Yan: "..."
Judging from Gu Chi's tone, the Gods Society shouldn't have too much to worry about.
Gu Chi's eyes darted around, and he seemed to have thought of something. He revealed a sly smile: "If my lord hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about the existence of the Gods' Society. Its main branch is located in the center of the continent, and all other places are branches. Its warehouses are also incredibly wealthy."
As long as the money is right, anything can be dried up.
For example, the body of a martial artist in black robes.
The three-year-old benevolent mind's skill in slicing people with a scythe grew increasingly refined; each piece of flesh was crystal clear, falling one after another from the sky onto the battlefield. The black-clad warrior initially managed to remain composed, calmly searching for a breakthrough, but as the number of slices increased, the fear debuff layered upon layer. Even the strongest heart was cracked by the three-year-old benevolent mind's scythe, with wind rushing in.
this……
That was practically like being slowly sliced to death on the spot!
The two exchanged blows at an astonishing speed, exchanging over a hundred blows in just a few breaths. Shen Tang watched helplessly as the black-clad martial artist's bones were torn apart by the three-year-old Shan Nian. Any further, and he'd be nothing but a skeleton. She couldn't help but argue with the three-year-old Shan Nian.
Shen Tang feared that things might change if she waited too long, and that the black-clad warrior had run away again.
After all, while the three-year-old benevolent man's skills were excellent, the injuries he inflicted weren't too severe for a martial arts master. With proper rest, his flesh and blood could fully regenerate. If he escaped, he would cause trouble for their side again next time.
The three-year-old refused to do anything out of kindness.
She wanted to make a skeleton by hand and give it to someone.
Upon hearing the reason, Shen Tang immediately lost her composure and exclaimed, "...What kind of friend would accept such a bizarre gift?"
The three-year-old Shan Nian said, "Little friend."
He was a high priest and also a witch doctor.
He would definitely like a perfect, beautiful skeleton.
Three-year-old Good Thoughts sighed: "Last time, Youli was too angry and couldn't help but stab him with a sword. Afterwards, Youli reflected on it and at least gave him a chance to explain before stabbing him."
Shen Tang: "..."
Normal people simply can't understand the thought process of a yandere.
However, in the end, the three-year-old benevolent spirit was unable to create a satisfactory skeleton gift because her existence was limited. The moment she lost control of her body, Shen Tang overturned the table and went online.
He shouted, "Ji Shou!"
The next instant, a spell descended.
It transformed into an absolute space that shielded against the power of words. Shen Tang hooked her scythe around the neck of the black-clad warrior, her smile tinged with apology: "My unworthy kindness is still a child, and I don't know my own strength. I'll send you to meet the King of Hell right now."
The black-clad warrior was horrified.
Before a [Transplant] spell could break through Kang Shi's spell barrier, Shen Tang's scythe had already severed the head of the black-clad warrior, whose lips were still parting: "Gods—"
Shen Tang grabbed his hair, letting him fall, and with a cold smile, forced him to accept the "transfer of flowers and grafting of trees" (a euphemism for a specific act).
She was met with a terrified face.
He infused the sickle with both literary and martial energy, and swung it!
The blade of light turned a terrified face deathly pale, revealing every detail—the pores on the skin, the tiny pits, the fine lines at the corners of the eyes. The next instant, it completely engulfed the face, including the unuttered scream…
“An illegal and evil civilian organization dares to show its face in front of me…” Shen Tang’s words came out softly, the air blasts making her armor parts crackle, but the sound of metal clashing did not drown out her voice, “Don’t worry, one by one.”
Buzz—
A massive explosion rang out behind Huang Lie's army.
Before they could figure out what was going on, Shen Tang had already been brought back by Kang Shi through a clever deception. Kang Shi's face was still deathly pale, but Shen Tang, with his head impaled on a sickle, patted his ears with his free hand: "That was close, I almost went deaf."
Kang Shi: "..."
Doesn't anyone care about his frightened heart?
Nobody cared, not even his lord.
Shen Tang raised his scythe high, focused his energy in his dantian, and channeled his martial spirit into his voice, amplifying it across the entire battlefield. His tone was powerful and confident, aiming to win hearts and minds: "Huang Xiguang, the heads of your sixteenth-rank Grand Masters are strung up here. Don't you really want to turn around and retreat? Considering we were once allies, I'll let you run a few paces ahead, how about it?"
"Without your imperial seal, what do you have to fight me with?"
"Why risk your life? Or would you rather use me to kill them for you, saving you the trouble of killing people to feed your army?"
"I've heard that your heavy shield warriors are invincible?"
"Even after the war has begun, we haven't been able to break through Chaoli Pass!"
(End of this chapter)
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