"Yes, it was a world ruled by a horde of vicious beasts, and by you people who came from the Land of the Dead. Everything belonged to them, until the gods returned to this world. Only then did we finally emerge from underground and resume our former lives."
I looked at the old man in confusion. Xu Fu immediately asked,
"Do you mean the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise?"
The old man nodded and said,
"Indeed, I’ve heard some people from the Land of the Dead call those beasts by those names before."
I glanced around—the sun was already about to set. I went over to help set up the tents. Of the two women, one was the old man’s wife, the other his daughter. The three strong young men were his servants, and the two guards were long-time partners of his.
However, when I casually asked about the underground, the old man just shook his head, saying he couldn’t remember. I stared at him in surprise. Now that I couldn’t use my powers, there was no way to investigate their bodies. They seemed no different from ordinary people, yet somehow not the same. Whenever I asked about the gods, their memories grew hazy, but their eyes were filled with awe.
Night fell. After Xu Fu and I drank some of their dried meat soup, we squeezed into a tent with the two guards. Thanks to Xu Fu’s lively conversation at dinner, the guards’ wariness toward us had faded.
"Don’t you know anything about the gods?"
I asked. At the mention of gods, the two guards immediately showed respect, but still shook their heads. The taller one spoke up,
"To us, the gods are sacred and exalted beings. If you stay here long enough, you’ll understand."
After nightfall, once the two guards were asleep, Xu Fu shot me a look. We quietly slipped out of the tent.
"This world must be their creation."
Xu Fu said. I grunted in agreement; for now, it was the only reasonable conclusion. Those three truly had the power to create a world, for they too could be called gods. They are the children of the Wraithlord and Loraine Locke, perfectly inheriting everything from both. And the Wraithlord and Loraine Locke themselves, bestowed with power and immortality, could also be called gods.
I still remembered everything in the Shadow Realm—the things I saw there, the unique world they created. Its culture and economy were utterly distinctive. Now, this world was the same. Since the people here called them gods, it meant they’d been shaping this world for a long time.
"Perhaps after Zhang Qingyuan and the others left, those three began building this world. I suspect it’s just like the Shadow Realm—constructed for the sake of military power."
I grunted. Xu Fu and I both turned in the same direction. There were hoofbeats, and soon a group appeared in the distance. As expected, everyone in the tent was already awake.
"Desert bandits,"
The old man spoke. The two guards had already drawn their bows from their backs, using the high ground to their advantage. They nocked their arrows, ready to shoot. Xu Fu plopped down on the ground.
"Should we watch and see what happens when someone in this world dies?"
I looked at Xu Fu in confusion. He was already lying on the ground. By now, the two guards had started shooting arrows. The bandits numbered over thirty, far outnumbering us. Arrows whistled through the air, but in the strong wind, their accuracy was poor. The bandits wore hard armor made of leather.
Soon, the bandits dismounted and began to surround the hillock completely.
"Leave your goods and money, and you can go. Otherwise, you’ll leave behind the corpses of your men."
For a moment, the old man looked at his goods with a face full of sorrow, but in the end he relented. The two guards, however, refused to give in.
"Master, these bastards won’t let us go. They’ll definitely take Madam and Miss away."
As they spoke, the bandits started climbing up from the foot of the hill. The two guards kept shooting arrows. When a bandit was hit, he howled in pain. The bandits swarmed from all directions. Suddenly, Xu Fu sprang up and dragged me into the tent.
"What are you doing?"
"Just enjoying the show."
I couldn’t bear it and shook off Xu Fu’s hand. Xu Fu looked at me in surprise.
"Seems you’ve picked up Zhang Qingyuan’s temperament. Fine, let me handle this."
With that, Xu Fu strode outside, walked straight up to one of the guards, and snatched the scimitar from his waist. The guard stared at Xu Fu in shock. The bandits, brandishing their own scimitars, charged at the old man. I saw Xu Fu raise the blade and, moving with incredible speed, reach several bandits at the front. Before they could even strike, Xu Fu had already slit their throats.
Shouts and screams filled the air. Xu Fu darted nimbly among the bandits, killing without hesitation—each blow a clean cut across a bandit's throat. The two guards also joined the fight. I couldn’t stand it any longer and rushed out, grabbed a burning stick, and charged into the fray.
Within just a few minutes, the bandits were either dead or had fled. The old man was completely stunned and thanked Xu Fu and me profusely, promising to repay us handsomely once we reached the City of Sand. The two guards were wounded but not seriously. Xu Fu squatted by the corpses, inspecting them.
But after a while, we were left completely baffled. The dead in this world were no different from ordinary people. Xu Fu kept watch over the corpses all night, but nothing changed. When the sun rose, we set off again.
"Things are really bad."
Xu Fu said. I grunted in agreement. We asked the old man where the gods lived, but he knew nothing.
We followed the caravan until dusk. Xu Fu and I saw a huge city in the distance, surrounded by lush greenery in the desert. The city bustled with people in all kinds of clothing—even modern styles. The old man led us to the city’s edge, then took out a red, round coin. I saw flame-like red clouds on it. The city had no walls, but a clean river circled the outskirts, with only one bridge guarded by sentries.
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The old man walked up and handed the red coin to the guard. The guard nodded and signaled for the barricade to be removed. We followed the old man inside, and Xu Fu immediately sidled up to him.
"Is this the currency you use for trade?"
Xu Fu asked, and the old man shook his head, then took out three types of coins—gold, blue, and red. The blue coin had a misty pattern, the gold one bore a dragon design. The old man explained that red coins were for taxes and city entry, gold coins were for trade, and blue coins were used to buy houses and weapons. Each coin could only be used for certain things.
"A unique economic and cultural system. Heh, it’s really interesting. Look over there."
Only now did I notice, just past the city entrance at a busy intersection, stood a red statue—a statue of Xiaoyan. I was stunned. People passing by would bow reverently to the statue.
Later, the old man led us to a large mansion—his home. He ordered his servants to prepare a feast for us and brought in some seductive, beautiful women. Xu Fu lounged comfortably on a soft cushion, while a woman twisted sensuously and fed him wine. Xu Fu laughed heartily, pressing her thigh with one hand, grinning wickedly.
"I’m going out for a look."
I got up, and Xu Fu quickly followed.
"You go on enjoying yourself."
"Relax, Heavenly Soul. We’re powerless for now. But from my observation, it’s all about faith."
I nodded. I’d thought of that too. The Yang Realm was originally the place where the faith of the living was stored after death, but now those three from the old hell were exploiting it.
"The more believers they have, the stronger their power. Now, everyone in this city is their follower. I’m afraid after they took away part of the Heavenly Law, this is what they’ve been doing."
I grunted. Xu Fu and I went up to a quaint rooftop at the old man’s house and watched the bustling street below. Without exception, many people wore pendants marked with the symbols of those three.
"It’s terrifying, this thing called faith. Especially after those three implanted it, the people of the Yang Realm worship them devoutly, seeing them as gods. If this goes on, things will get very bad."
"Indeed, it will be terrible."
What worried me now was the same thing Xu Fu feared. Once they amassed enough faith, their power would become overwhelming. We didn’t know the foundation of their faith, but one thing was clear: the Forsaken and the Four Sacred Ones had become the original evils of faith’s birth, while those three, as gods, saved this world—so people worshiped them.
"I’m going back to enjoy myself. You take your time. Those two women are nice—want one? I’m going to indulge tonight."
I snorted coldly. Xu Fu grinned wickedly and bounced downstairs, while I gazed anxiously at the setting sun in the distance. This world was now completely under the control of those three from the old hell. I had to notify the Underworld.
Though I wanted to return quickly, I first had to find the Forsaken. They should be a group of atheists, since they’d long lost their faith—born from the death of human belief.