Chapter 84 Blasphemy 33. The seventh day of the third lunar month, Qingming Festival, an auspicious day for slaying gods...
As a gentle breeze filled the room, dusk had fallen once again.
Chu Shenxiang embraced Shen Mingxin, leaning against the low couch by the window, surrounded by a warm quilt. Her hands gently stroked Shen Mingxin's hair and shoulders.
After a day and a night of excessive activity, the lingering effects were hard to shake off. Even this gentle caress now made Shen Mingxin uncomfortable.
He rested his cheek on Chu Shenxiang's chest, his fingers gripping the spirit's forearm and waist, trembling and weak, his eyelashes drooping, breathing heavily.
In such a tranquil and gentle embrace and comfort, everything comes slowly and tenderly, like a trickle of water, gathering thread by thread, until it silently breaks through the obstacles and flows into a pool of warm water.
Shen Mingxin felt as if she were soaking in this warm water, completely relaxed from her toes to her hair, so comfortable that she felt as if she were about to melt away.
Chu Shenxiang lowered her head and kissed him gently.
His gaze fell upon that face, lost in a daze beneath his palm.
After two more gentle caresses and kisses, Shen Mingxin finally regained some of her senses. Still lingering, she nestled tightly in Chu Shenxiang's arms, like building a nest, unwilling to leave even slightly.
Shen Mingxin gently bit Chu Shenxiang's neck, his voice low and husky, softened by the swirling snowflakes outside the window, his restlessness gone, replaced by a calm and gentle tone: "Mingxin will never let her brother worry like this again..."
“Mingxin should worry me, and I should worry Mingxin too,” the wind and snow leaked through the window cracks, and Chu Shenxiang’s voice was colder than the wind and gentler than the snow. “That’s what makes us a family.”
Shen Mingxin buried her head and tightened her arms around the deity.
Chu Shenxiang lowered her head and kissed him again, sucking on his swollen tongue and earlobe.
He couldn't stand Shen Mingxin's clingy manner. Just one glance filled his chest with a surge of emotions, so intoxicating and beautiful that he needed to release some of it to avoid suffocating him.
"Brother..."
Shen Mingxin opened her wet lips: "I will work hard to cultivate, stabilize my mind, and stop being so eager for quick success and instant benefits, and stop being so troubled and depressed..."
Those phoenix eyes lifted slightly, bright and clear, all the gloom gone. "I will help my godfather sooner or later."
"Brother, I believe in Mingxin," Chu Shenxiang replied softly.
The two were inseparable.
The snow on the distant mountains, once unreachable, fell to earth with the first westerly wind of Dongfeng's 133rd year.
Shen Mingxin was filled with love, which she could not express, so she clung to the deity even more tightly.
Chu Shenxiang enjoyed the smooth, porcelain-like beauty of her body, kissing her lover and watching the snow with her family.
"Mom and Dad, sister, I'm fine... How are you?"
Glistening snowflakes drifted from Chu Shenxiang's fingertips.
His dark blue eyes gazed into the far distance before returning to his embrace.
As night slowly fell, within the spiritual sea, humanity returned completely.
...
A sudden descent into demonic possession cleared away Shen Mingxin's pent-up emotions.
He broke through to the Golden Embryo Realm, which can be considered a small achievement. In the following days, in addition to having him cultivate in front of her, Chu Shenxiang arranged two more things for him.
First, go to the Taoist temple in Wangqiu Mountain to teach those who have not been practicing for long, so as to verify their own abilities. Second, go to the mountains and wilderness on the border of Xiling to slay demons and have more practical experience.
Two more months passed.
In February of the 134th year of the Dongfeng era, on an ordinary morning before dawn, the Prefect of Xiling drove his carriage and smashed open the city gate of Yu County, looking extremely anxious.
"Divine Illumination... Divine Illumination's army of 300,000 is pressing in!"
The prefect cried out urgently.
Before long, the news spread throughout Yu County.
It turned out that after more than five months of recuperation, Xu Ming had finally recovered and once again turned his attention to this matter.
Shenzhao followed Xu Ming's lead without question. Half a month ago, under Xu Ming's divine decree, he assembled an army of 300,000 to press on the border, forcing the Northern Pearl court to hand over Shen Xiangjun, or else he would attack Northern Pearl.
This statement caused an uproar throughout the land.
What are the gods, and what is the imperial court?
For over two hundred years, only deities have ever overthrown imperial courts; no imperial court has ever been able to touch the deities. It wasn't a matter of daring or not daring, but simply an inability. No matter how much mortal power there is, how can it compare to divine power?
Many people cursed Shen Zhao, saying he had gone mad and lost his mind.
However, some clever people understand that Shenzhao's actions have ulterior motives.
The Northern Pearl Court obtains Shenxiangjun so easily, even a fool on the street knows that, so how could Shenzhao not know? Yet they still make such demands, just to find an excuse to attack the Northern Pearl Court and incidentally shake the incense offerings of Shenxiangjun.
Shenzhao had long disliked Beizhu. The ruler of Shenzhao wanted to unify the five kingdoms, and Beizhu, with its weak military, would naturally be the first to be targeted. Regardless of the conflict between Shenxiangjun and Xuming Tianzun, this war was bound to happen sooner or later.
However, many people were unaware of the truth. Shenxiangjun had just gained fame and established his divine position. In just three months, before the incense offerings were even stable, war broke out. Although the people respected the god, they were still dissatisfied and were more easily instigated.
Sometimes, a small spark can bring about a dramatic change in a situation.
Chu Shenxiang was naturally aware of the calculations involved.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
“Xiling is separated from Beizhu by only one prefecture,” Chu Shenxiang said, casting the dream-telling technique into the prefect’s body. “You can inform the Beizhu king that when the Divine Illumination Army is about to invade, he should order the people to retreat, open the gates of the neighboring prefecture, and let them enter Xiling.”
"I will take action myself."
"Brother, do you already have a plan?" Shen Mingxin asked, clinging to the deity.
In the past two days, whispers could be heard everywhere on the streets of Yu County. People were filled with anxiety and their brows were furrowed with worry, as if they could already see the dark clouds of war overhead. They had only been enjoying peace for a few days, and now chaos was about to break out again.
Some people secretly resented Chu Shenxiang and stirred up trouble. When Shen Mingxin saw this, he was so angry that his teeth itched, and he secretly stuffed countless sacks into her clothes.
Chu Shenxiang naturally knew the sentiments of the people of Xiling.
He put his arm around Shen Mingxin, his expression calm: "I suppose so. 'An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one.' I went to the training ground yesterday and saw that there are already about ten people at the Foundation Establishment stage. It's about time."
"This time, when the Divine Illumination attacks, you will be the ones to fight. It's time for the mortals' path of cultivation to be revealed to the world."
Shen Mingxin was overjoyed to hear this, but more worried than anything else. He hooked his arm around Chu Shenxiang's neck and shook her: "It's good for everyone to practice, but I'm only at the Golden Embryo Realm. It's already a bit difficult for me to kill those slightly stronger demons. It will be very difficult for them, who are at the Divine Embryo Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm, to face the Divine Illumination Army, right?"
"I heard that Shenzhao isn't even pretending this time; he's mobilized many of Xu Ming's gods, and even some demons, forming what's known as the God-Demon Army..."
“Difficult, but not impossible.” Chu Shenxiang indulged Shen Mingxin’s persistent little actions, raised her hand, and handed him a jade slip.
Shen Mingxin was puzzled. He took the jade slip, gently placed it on his brow, and three large characters flashed and appeared in the air.
"Prison, God, Array..."
Shen Mingxin subconsciously uttered those three words, then paused, looking up at Chu Shenxiang.
Chu Shenxiang lowered her dark blue eyes, and at the end of her gaze was a wild grass stubbornly pushing its way out from a crack in the rock.
"On the seventh day of the third lunar month, Qingming Festival, it is auspicious to execute the gods."
Shen Mingxin's eyes suddenly widened in shock.
The voice of the gods was compassionate, yet devoid of hatred; it was only a chilling indifference that penetrated to the bone.
The Northern Pearl Kingdom was weak, and its court was notoriously cowardly. Caught between Shenxiang Jun and Shenzhao Kingdom, they were already overwhelmed and at a loss for what to do. Now that Chu Shenxiang was willing to take on the entire matter, they couldn't be happier.
As for whether Chu Shenxiang could defeat Shenzhao, they were worried, but not too worried, since he wasn't coming to attack them right now. Enjoyment is something to be enjoyed for as long as possible; what's the point of thinking so much?
The Northern Pearl court had barely held a few court sessions when it happily rejected Shenzhao, saying that Shenxiangjun was not afraid of them and was waiting for them in Xiling, and that they should go and fight him if they dared.
Upon receiving this reply, Shenzhao was furious. Xu Tianming announced to the Nine Provinces that he would personally lead the expedition.
When a deity leaves its place of worship, it will inevitably weaken. In the past, Xu Ming would never have done such a thing, but this time, why is it different?
The clouds stirred in all directions, and people of all ages were filled with curiosity. Some believed that the God of Gamblers, Xiang Jun, possessed astonishing skills, while others believed that the Heavenly Venerable of Yaxu had left behind an unspeakable trump card.
Countless eyes are focused here.
On February 13th, Shenzhao's army entered Zhaohe County.
The people of Zhaohe County all fled, and the place was like a ghost town. Shenzhao's army marched straight in without encountering any obstacles.
Ten days later, the army arrived at Mangshan, facing Xiling across the river.
On the sixth day of the third lunar month, on the banks of the Chao River, Yangcheng stood tall under the setting sun, its black walls towering like a giant black beast crawling on the plains.
This is the first city overlooking the Zhao River in Xiling, and also the first city targeted by the swords of the Shenzhao army.
On the city wall, the guards stood in rows, their expressions solemn and grim.
The Prefect of Xiling, with a hunched back, walked up side by side with the Commandant, leaning against the city wall, gazing at the Chao River and the dazzling golden light on the opposite bank.
"That golden light kept shining?"
The governor asked.
The captain whispered, "Reporting to my lord, it's been lit up the whole time. It's said that it was sent by the Celestial Venerable Xu Ming, covering the entire Mang Mountain, intending to refine Mang Mountain into a hammer to smash down the gates of Yang City."
"Use a mountain as a hammer?" The governor's hand trembled as he stroked his beard, his eyes filled with undisguised horror.
"Yes," the captain said with a wry smile. "I sent scouts to investigate, and it seems to be just a rumor that's trying to shake people's morale. Mount Mang stretches for hundreds of miles. If it really crashed down, it would destroy more than just the gates. I'm afraid most of Yangcheng would be reduced to ashes."
The governor scoffed, "Such power, truly worthy of being called a Heavenly Venerable."
"A war between gods, what have the common people done wrong..." The captain sighed softly, his brows furrowed. After sighing, he looked at the governor again, "Sir, the war starts tomorrow. Do you think... Yangcheng will have a chance?"
The prefect looked at the commandant: "You were the one who brought me into the city, so you should know who else came with me."
The captain frowned even more: "Besides the small statue of Shenxiangjun, aren't there about a hundred believers? Although they are armed and well-equipped, I have been training troops for many years and I can tell at a glance that they have not received any training. How can they go to the battlefield? If they have received divine gifts, firstly, there have been no signs of divine gifts in Xiling in the past few months, and secondly, how could so many people have received divine gifts?"
"I wonder what these hundred-odd people are here for. If they don't have some skills, they probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of the Divine Illumination Army..."
The governor smiled, but the worry between his brows remained; he did not speak.
He didn't know what those people were capable of, but he hadn't forgotten the young master of the Shen family who had approached him before he left Yu County, carrying a small statue of the Goddess Shenxiang.
He came to him, not from outside the door, but from the sky.
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Author's Note: [Please!] I'm late again! It's fixed now!
There's a fight tomorrow, so there's nothing to hide. I should be able to arrive on time. See you all at 6 PM!
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