Chapter 74 Blasphemy 23. The world is in chaos, people even eat each other, what...
There is such a past between Chunshan Gong and Xu Mingtian Zun?
Chu Shenxiang never expected that the Great Goddess of Heaven would bring such a secret.
“Since Xu Ming has already killed Xu Yin, why is there now Lord Chunshan?” Chu Shenxiang expressed her confusion.
Having experienced the information overload of modern society, he naturally knew about concepts like rebirth, but did rebirth truly exist in this world? In his two hundred years of experience, he had never witnessed such a thing.
"You really think I'm some omniscient deity?" The little statue's colorful eyes flickered slightly. "Such a secret, naturally I wouldn't know. Besides, I think Xu Ming probably doesn't know either, otherwise why would he be so humble as to share a husband with a mortal? If it's all about love, I doubt it; there must be some ulterior motive. Isn't Xu Yin's biggest motive this secret of rebirth?"
"If it's not feasible to win over all the gods in the world, he must find a way out for himself."
That makes some sense.
Chunshan Gong and Xu Mingtian Zun have a blood feud, yet this morning, judging from their demeanor, they are deeply entangled, clearly having become involved again. But given such a grudge, how can they possibly come together again?
Unless it was all a misunderstanding, or both sides had ulterior motives.
If Xu Ming's plan is to uncover the secret of Xu Yin's rebirth, then Xu Yin is none other than Lord Chunshan.
What is Tuxuming's name?
Twelve years ago, this point in time also concerned Chu Shenxiang. The year that Xu Yin Tianzun fell and was reborn as Chunshan Gong, and the year she herself suddenly became a god, both occurred.
I don't know if it was a coincidence or not.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Shenxiang looked at the small statue of the deity under the altar and in the boy's arms, and said in a low voice, "Since they have such a grudge and both have ulterior motives towards each other, it wouldn't be difficult for the Great Goddess to use them to sow discord."
How do you know I haven't done it?
The little statue said, "Seeing that Chenchou was able to infiltrate, I naturally took action myself. Xiling lacks everything else, but it has no shortage of beauties. But the two gods, plus that Chenchou, are very strange. They are clearly all harboring their own thoughts, like snakes and rats in a den, and they don't have the slightest loyalty, yet they just don't disperse so easily."
“I have a follower who says that this is what love and hate are all about, a sea of hatred and a sky of passion. There is no one who is carefree, they are all obsessed. You kill me, I kill you, and you still say you are happy, and you still can’t let go. I don’t understand. If such a hypocrite were to stab me in the back, it would be too much of a mercy for me to kill him completely.”
Chu Shenxiang didn't quite understand the complicated grudges and affections between the three people in the county town, but such things were not uncommon, whether in ancient or modern times.
It seems that the Great Goddess of Heaven has exhausted all her methods on the National Preceptor of Shenzhao Kingdom, or rather, the Celestial Venerable Xu Ming, but to no avail.
Thinking of this, he quietly sent out a wisp of his divine sense to the back of the hall.
On the couch behind the palace, Shen Mingxin remained seated, his gaze fixed on the direction in front of the palace, as if listening to his conversation with the Great Lady Tongtian. His brows were furrowed, and his face showed no attempt to conceal his shock, clearly indicating that he was also hearing the inside story for the first time.
"Enlightenment".
The divine sense spoke.
Shen Mingxin was startled by the sudden sound, and quickly reached down with his right hand to hide under the covers. His eyes trembled as he looked around: "...Brother?"
“Don’t be afraid, it’s me,” Chu Shenxiang said. “This is divine consciousness.”
A wisp of light condensed in mid-air, transforming into a glass-colored butterfly that gracefully flew to Shen Mingxin. Shen Mingxin held her breath slightly, raised her hand, and the butterfly landed.
"I intend to inform the Great Goddess Tongtian about the matter of the thick fetal hair, and stir up trouble for Xu Ming and the other two. Are you willing?" Chu Shenxiang asked Shen Mingxin for his opinion.
"Of course I'm willing."
Chu Shenxiang hadn't intended to hide it from him through soundproofing, and Shen Mingxin had also overheard the Empress's conversation. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. With Xu Mingtian Venerable behind Shen Chou, the congenital hairpin was no longer of any use in his and his grandfather's hands, so it was better to hand it over to the Empress.
Shen Mingxin wanted to make a request: that the Great Goddess Tongtian look after his grandfather, who was in the county town. However, thinking of the deeds of the other deities besides Shenxiangjun, and what his grandfather had said, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Seeing this, Chu Shenxiang vaguely guessed what he was thinking, but after a pause, she still did not reveal that she had sent the pure energy.
Whether pure energy can preserve one's tranquility is not certain. The causes and effects of karma in this world have their own inherent laws.
A butterfly perched on Shen Mingxin's finger, its wings drooping gently, offering silent comfort.
In the front hall, after Chu Shenxiang received confirmation from Shen Mingxin, she informed the Great Lady Tongtian about Shen Chou's baby hair.
The Great Goddess Tongtian was pleasantly surprised: "I never expected such an unexpected delight on this trip. It was worth it for me to be so honest and tell Shenxiangjun so many secrets. So..."
Those colorful eyes flickered slowly: "Shenxiangjun, have you thought it through? Do you want to join forces with me to fight the enemy?"
Chu Shenxiang said, "Before answering Your Excellency, I have three questions that I would like to ask Your Excellency to answer."
Although the Great Goddess of Heaven was somewhat impatient, she still suppressed it. She had used her divine sense to observe the situation, and found that the power of this Divine Xiang Lord was much stronger than she had imagined. Such a deity was indeed worthy of her patience.
"Please speak, Lord Shenxiang," said the small statue.
Chu Shenxiang did not want to waste any more time, and upon hearing this, she said, "I have a question: Do all the gods in the world enjoy human sacrifices and are they all burdened with karmic power?"
“Naturally,” the small statue said, “this is how the way of the gods is: they eat human sacrifices and swallow incense to increase their divine power.”
Chu Shenxiang had already guessed the answer and was not surprised: "Since they enjoy human sacrifices and possess evil power, how are gods and demons different?"
The little statue seemed to have heard a ridiculous question and scoffed: "Gods have their own way. If they take the offerings and incense, they have to provide some protection for these mortals. It's just an exchange of value. Otherwise, why would we bother with these ants? If it were a demon, no matter how many human sacrifices it ate, it would not have the slightest pity for the people."
Having said that, the Great Goddess of Heaven had already sensed Chu Shenxiang's meaning: "Shenxiang-jun's two questions suggest that you have a deep hatred for all the gods in the world and for the incense and divine way. In that case, you are unwilling to be my companion?"
The small statue trembled slightly, its colorful pupils twisting like worms.
A wisp of divine power flowed out, and the boy holding the small statue slammed his knees to the ground with a thud, trembling like a leaf.
The offering tables and lamp stands inside the hall all began to hum and sway.
Chu Shenxiang watched indifferently, her eyes as calm as a still lake: "If Your Majesty wishes to see the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman profit, I will gladly oblige."
His colorful eyes twisted into a ferocious grimace, slowly oozing blood: "You're threatening me?"
"I dare not," Chu Shenxiang said calmly. "What Your Majesty says is true; I look down on the gods and the divine way. But that is not the reason I reject Your Majesty. My aura is not hidden, and Your Majesty should know that I do not possess the karmic power that all the gods in the world suffer from."
"I don't know the reason, but possessing a treasure is a crime. I think Your Majesty understands that the person Xu Ming really wants to kill is not you, but me. If Your Majesty is willing to abandon your past dealings and use some means, you might be able to escape, but I cannot."
"Currently, this news is only within the territory of Yu County. If it spreads throughout the entire country after a period of time, it will be more than just Xu Ming who wants to kill me. If the Empress Dowager and I are together, I'm afraid our situation will be even more difficult than it is now."
"Or perhaps..."
Inside the shrine, the tall statue of the deity's dark blue eyes gleamed faintly, slightly lowered, just opposite the colorful pupils.
"Is the alliance merely a facade for Your Majesty's trip, and are you secretly plotting against my secrets?"
The lamp stand on the altar suddenly stopped, as if it had been suppressed by a giant hand.
The little statue's colored eyes flashed.
The atmosphere inside the hall froze for a moment, as if a terrible storm was silently brewing.
Outside the door, Yuan Yidao had already plugged his ears with talismans, pretending not to hear, but at this moment, he couldn't keep up the act any longer. In an instant, he was drenched in sweat, his Taoist robe completely soaked. With trembling hands, he secretly took out talismans from his pocket and stuck them on his body, hoping that these protections would allow him to have a complete corpse when he died.
"What if it is, and what if it isn't?"
The small statue smiled, breaking the deathly silence: "Does Shenxiangjun have a choice?"
A female voice drifted ethereally through the empty temple: "If you join forces with me, there may be a risk of being killed and refined by me, but my strength is far inferior to Xu Ming's. As long as Shen Xiangjun is careful, I may not be able to succeed."
"But if you don't form an alliance with me, does Shenxiang Jun think you can fight against Xu Ming alone?"
"Come to my camp and you'll have a chance to live; don't, and you'll die!"
"As for the siege by the gods," the small statue paused, "Shenxiangjun need not worry about such things. Xuming is greedy and will not reveal the fat in his bowl to others. The fact that you have no evil power will probably not even spread to the banks of the Yu River."
The tall statue stood still: "Your Majesty has considered everything carefully, but we cannot work together if our paths are different."
The temple was once again shrouded in deathly silence.
After an unknown amount of time, the female voice suddenly chuckled: "Very well. Alliances always require mutual consent. If Shenxiangjun is unwilling, I cannot force her. Shenxiangjun, you may do as you see fit."
As soon as he finished speaking, the overflowing divine power, like spilling tentacles, suddenly receded and returned to the small statue.
Those colorful eyes dimmed rapidly, the strong and foul smell of incense dissipated, and the little statue writhed, as if it wanted to return to its peaceful and wooden state.
However, at that moment, the boy holding the small statue suddenly let out a muffled groan.
Almost instantly, the boy began to tremble violently. His flesh and blood seemed to be sucked away by something, rapidly shriveling up until only a thin skin remained, supported by his jagged skeleton, hanging down in layers, wrinkled and slippery, utterly terrifying.
Chu Shenxiang was startled and immediately released a wisp of pure energy.
As the pure energy entered his body, the boy immediately shivered and his hands loosened. The small statue in his arms fell to the ground. The boy snapped back to reality, terrified, and tried to catch it, but he was too weak and collapsed.
"Your Majesty..."
The boy let out a groan like an octogenarian.
The pure energy left him with a breath, but it couldn't replenish the essence of his body and soul that the gods had suddenly taken away.
Looking at the boy under the altar, who was struggling to reach for the small statue despite his thin, frail body, Chu Shenxiang's jaw clenched silently.
Knowing the conversation was over, Yuan Yidao, who had come to receive the small statue, saw this and gasped softly. He then ran over with a look of panic and sadness and reverently picked up the small statue.
"Alas, my God, suffer!"
He looked distressed as he wiped the small statue, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
It was a close call, a close call indeed. Once he reached the temple gate and lit three more incense sticks, the matter was considered closed. Yuan Yidao was still blessed by Heaven; in any case, he escaped with his life again.
Thinking this, Yuan Yidao picked up the small statue, bowed to the deity on the altar, and turned to leave.
But before he had taken two steps, the hem of his clothes suddenly felt heavy.
A chill ran down his spine, and he immediately looked down to see the boy tugging at his clothes. He was shocked: "You, how are you still alive!"
The rules of the Heavenly Goddess are that summoning a spirit once means taking a life, without exception. Why is she showing mercy today? No, perhaps it's not that the Goddess is showing mercy...
Yuan Yidao subconsciously turned his head to look at the tall statue.
The Shinto cult has flourished for a century. Could it be... that a truly benevolent god is about to emerge? But... a god is still a god.
Yuan Yidao's face twitched slightly. He withdrew his gaze, not daring to think any further. He glanced at the skeletal boy with disgust, hesitated for a moment, then rolled up his sleeves, bent down, picked him up, and tossed him onto his back.
It would be good if one less person died; he couldn't bear to deal with any more crazy women and men.
Holding the statue of the deity and carrying the boy on his back, Yuan Yidao offered incense again at the temple gate and then hurried away.
His aged figure, with his back to the person and slightly hunched, disappeared into the deepening darkness of the mountain forest, like an old mouse that Chu Shenxiang had once seen, scavenging for food among the bones.
In such a chaotic world, people even eat each other, let alone rats.
The temple was completely silent, the cold moonlight streaming in through the doors and windows, spreading across the floor. Chu Shenxiang stood silently inside the shrine.
After what seemed like a long time, or perhaps only a moment, a soft footstep suddenly broke the silence of the hall.
Chu Shenxiang snapped out of her dazed thoughts and looked up to see Shen Mingxin supporting her belly, carefully observing as she walked from behind the hall. Her red dress flowed gracefully, her eyes sparkling, and her movements exuded a charming and alluring air, like a mountain spirit, pure yet sensual.
"Brother?"
Shen Mingxin turned around the red-lacquered pillar and called out softly.
The gloom in Chu Shenxiang's heart dissipated, and she stepped out from inside the statue: "What is it?"
Shen Mingxin knew that Chu Shenxiang was there, so he wasn't too surprised. However, his gaze seemed to dare not linger on the statue for long. He glanced at it when he heard the sound, then looked away.
“I heard that the Great Goddess Tongtian and the others had left, so I came over,” he said, his brows furrowing slightly. “Brother, is it really alright that you didn’t agree to the Great Goddess’s alliance? What about the Heavenly Venerable Xu and the others…”
He did not hide his concern and worry for Chu Shenxiang.
Step by step, Chu Shenxiang left the shrine and descended the altar. Under Shen Mingxin's worried gaze, she came to him, raised her hand, and plucked the butterfly formed from his divine consciousness from his temple.
Shen Mingxin's eyes trembled, and her breath hitched slightly.
"There's no need to worry."
Chu Shenxiang seemed unaware, and withdrew her divine sense. Then, she stretched out her arm, like a husband taking his wife for a walk, and gently supported Shen Mingxin's weak and powerless lower back, which was pressed by her abdomen, and led her to the back of the hall.
“I already have a plan,” he said.
Chu Shenxiang was well aware of her own situation.
If you want to survive, you only have three options.
First, he could surrender to Xu Ming, but this was completely out of his consideration, regardless of whether Xu Ming agreed or not. Second, he could ally with the Great Goddess of Heaven, but was the Great Goddess of Heaven a benevolent ruler? He neither trusted her nor was willing to do so. Third, he could take a gamble, using a scheme to stall for time, while he focused on increasing his incense offerings, strengthening his divine power, and finally killing Xu Ming.
All three paths, in fact, made Chu Shenxiang feel hopeless, but how would she know if they wouldn't work if she didn't try?
However, if things don't work out in the end, he won't implicate his adopted brother. Such a lovely young master shouldn't die in his temple.
Thinking this, Chu Shenxiang turned her gaze to Shen Mingxin in her arms, only to find that for some reason, he was covered in sweat after walking just a few steps, with his temples and lips slightly damp.
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