Chapter 102: Becoming Your God (V)

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Chapter 102: Becoming Your God (V)

Several days later, the group finally arrived at Kanse City, the royal capital of the Yi Empire. Built halfway up a mountain, the city was vast and imposing, rising in distinct tiers. Roads paved with huge blocks of smooth stone wound around the slopes. Shops lined both sides, bargaining voices rang out without pause, merchants streamed endlessly through the streets, and beautifully crafted carriages could be seen everywhere. It was the very picture of peace and prosperity.

As the central figure in the upcoming consort-selection ceremony, Yitamo parted ways with the group as soon as they entered the city. Neil, who had nothing better to do, stayed behind instead. He volunteered to serve as their guide, arranged lodging for everyone, and showed them around the city.

The Shu Clan had arrived relatively late, and most inns and taverns were already full. Without Neil’s help, they probably would have had to sleep outside the city. The splendor of the royal capital thoroughly overwhelmed these simple farmers; all they could do along the way was marvel at everything they saw. Fortunately, the masks on their faces perfectly concealed their wide-eyed country-bumpkin expressions and instead created the illusion of cool, mysterious aloofness.

The dazzling array of goods nearly blinded them, and they were just about to indulge in a shopping spree when the exorbitant prices dragged them brutally back to reality. After that, the magnificence of the capital could no longer stir the slightest excitement in them. Their straightforward attitude toward money kept them unfailingly frugal, and any meaningless luxury was ruthlessly rejected.

That did not mean they lived poorly. On the contrary, thanks to the skills Shang Ke had taught them, their quality of life might actually surpass that of an average minor noble. The difference was that everything they enjoyed had been created with their own hands.

While they marveled at the capital’s luxury, plenty of city residents were equally fascinated by their refined, distinctive clothing and exquisitely crafted ornaments and tools.

“Is this the War God’s Temple?” Under Neil’s guidance, the Shu clansmen arrived before an imposing temple. Two great lions lay on either side of the entrance. The bronze-colored main wall towered more than ten meters high, dozens of enormous carved stone columns rose throughout the structure, and several guards patrolled the corridors.

At the sight of it, the Shu clansmen could not help remembering God Uno’s shabby ruined temple. Even after several rounds of repairs, compared with the War God’s Temple, the difference was practically that between a refugee and royalty.

The Shu clansmen felt a pang of guilt and silently resolved to build God Uno a proper new temple when they returned. They themselves were now dressed splendidly, yet the god who had given them everything still remained inside a simple, lonely shrine. Only now did they realize that although God Uno entered their dreams night after night to teach them skills, he had never once asked them to rebuild his temple. A magnificent temple symbolized a deity’s dignity and standing. Most worshipers would rather go hungry themselves than neglect their god.

The Shu Clan had always been devout, but their own frugality had limited their conception of what a divine temple should be. Only after seeing the War God’s Temple did they truly recognize their oversight. All this time, they had enjoyed God Uno’s protection without offering him anything comparable in return. Another deity might have abandoned them long ago.

God Uno truly was a good god of the sort one might encounter only once in a thousand years. His generosity and magnanimity left them deeply ashamed. (Shang Ke: Don’t hand me a “good-god card” so casually. I’ll never get married at this rate.)

The main hall of the War God’s Temple was open to the public, and worshipers could enter at any time to pray and make offerings. Hoping to learn from what they saw, the Shu clansmen entered one after another.

Neil did not go inside. Instead, he leaned against one of the stone lions and waited outside. He was the Love God and had no desire to casually step into another deity’s domain.

The moment Shang Ke entered the main hall, a familiar presence washed over him.

He extended his divine consciousness and saw a statue more than seven meters tall standing upon a stone platform at the front of the hall. Exquisite armor accentuated its powerful physique, giving it an extraordinarily heroic bearing. A cape draped from its shoulders as though billowing in the wind, while a huge sword stood planted upright before it, both large hands folded over the hilt. A crested helm crowned its head, its expression was cold and stern, and its sharp eyes gazed straight ahead with the overwhelming arrogance of one who looked down upon the entire world.

Although the Shu Clan did not worship the War God, the majesty of the statue still made them instinctively tremble in submission.

They bowed respectfully and performed the proper kowtow before quietly withdrawing from the temple. The moment they stepped outside, they all released a breath at the same time.

As expected of a War God who had existed for thousands of years. His divine might was truly on another level.

Still, their God Uno was no worse. At least when it came to personality and everyday skills, the War God definitely could not compare.

Every Shu clansman thought this with immense pride.

Not long after they left, a faint golden light flashed across the War God’s statue. A figure then gradually coalesced in midair. He stared toward the hall’s exit where the Shu Clan had disappeared, two golden flames igniting within his icy eyes…

After finishing their tour of the markets, the Shu Clan returned to their lodgings with Neil. They had rented several private residences, which cost considerably less than staying at an inn.

The consort-selection ceremony would be held in three days, giving everyone a little time to rest and make preparations.

That evening, the exhausted Shu clansmen quickly fell asleep.

Shang Ke floated out of the wooden carving and hovered cross-legged above the courtyard, admiring the night scenery while thinking back to the presence he had sensed inside the War God’s Temple earlier that day.

He had originally wanted to move closer and investigate, but the War God’s divine pressure had suppressed him so completely that he had not even dared show himself. The gap between their strength was simply too enormous. Shang Ke had no ability to resist him whatsoever.

According to the original course of events, the War God should still have been asleep at this point. Only after Tima became the prince’s consort, the Shu Clan relocated near the royal capital, and the evil god gained many more worshipers would Unos’s strength truly begin to grow. Once he became a full deity and threw the Yi Empire into chaos, the War God would awaken from his slumber and eventually seal him away.

Even at the height of the evil god’s power back then, he had not been Saya’s match, much less now. So for the moment, Shang Ke thought it would be better not to disturb him.

He would rather not be annihilated the instant they met.

While he was still thinking, his body suddenly became unbearably heavy. Without warning, he dropped straight out of the air and was pinned to the ground as though nailed there, completely unable to move.

That familiar bastard aura and overwhelmingly domineering presence…

Don’t tell me it’s the exact person I was just thinking about?!

Shang Ke lay spread-eagled on the ground, staring in shock at the figure gradually appearing above him. A crested helm crowned his head, black armor covered his body, and a translucent black cape flickered in and out of sight behind him like roiling smoke. A pair of clear, icy eyes looked down upon Shang Ke from above.

War God Saya. It really was him!

Why was he here?!

Wasn’t he supposed to wake up decades later? Was it really okay for the plot to change this casually?!

“Unos.” An icy voice sounded beside Shang Ke’s ear. “What are you doing in Kanse City?”

Although he was pinned down so thoroughly that he could not move at all, Shang Ke was not afraid. He answered calmly, “My worshipers are here.”

Saya stared at him expressionlessly and ordered, “Take your worshipers and get the hell out of Yi Clan territory!”

He told him to get lost the moment they met!

“Why are you driving me away?” Shang Ke objected.

“I will not allow slaughter and curses to exist within Yi Clan territory,” Saya said firmly.

“Then where exactly are the slaughter and curses? Don’t convict people without evidence, okay? Kanse City couldn’t possibly be any more peaceful than it is right now!”

Saya: “…”

Shang Ke continued arguing his case. “I’m the one who lost to you before. Even I had the guts to come here. Why don’t you have the guts to let me stay?”

Saya: “…”

“Back then, you wiped out every last one of my worshipers and left me alone and miserable in a ruined temple for more than a thousand years. Now that I’ve finally seen the light of day again, do you really have to finish me off completely? At least give me a chance to turn over a new leaf.”

An evil god… turning over a new leaf?

Saya stared suspiciously at Shang Ke’s face.

Was something wrong with his eyes? He kept feeling as though something about this was very different from what he remembered.

“If you don’t say anything, I’m taking that as agreement.”

Saya slowly descended beside Shang Ke, then suddenly reached for his mask as though intending to pull it off. Unfortunately, Shang Ke’s face seemed to be glued to the thing, so instead of removing the mask, Saya lifted Shang Ke along with it.

Saya’s palm nearly covered the entire mask. Shang Ke dangled behind it in midair, swaying back and forth like a hanged ghost.

Saya felt something tickling his palm, so he released the mask while using divine power to hold Shang Ke suspended in place.

Then he saw the mask’s features begin changing in that bizarre way once again.

Shang Ke: (≧︿≦)

Every feature on the mask had scrunched itself into a miserable knot.

Saya caught the edges of the mask and tugged downward, apparently trying to flatten the expression back into place.

Shang Ke: (°ˊДˋ°)

Saya then pinched his nose.

Shang Ke: (〒◇〒)

Saya: “…”

With a mask like this, even the mighty War God could not resist fiddling with it.

“Lord Saya, have you finished playing with him yet?” At that moment, an even voice came from nearby.

Neil stood leaning against the wall with his arms folded, looking at Saya with a very strange expression.

Was this man playing with someone’s mask really the same majestic, solemn War God who was famous for never smiling or joking?

“He wasn’t like this before,” Saya suddenly said. “A thousand years ago, he wasn’t like this.”

“Oh? You know each other?” Neil glanced at Little Mask in surprise.

This little thing had actually survived for more than a thousand years?

“We’ve crossed paths before,” Saya replied casually.

Shang Ke pouted: (▔ヘ▔)

“Crossed paths,” my ass. We traded blows, all right—and pretty damn fiercely.

“Is that so?” Neil looked at Saya, then at Shang Ke still frozen in midair. “If the grudge between you isn’t too serious, Lord Saya, please be magnanimous and spare him.”

Does exterminating someone’s entire clan count as a serious grudge?

Shang Ke →_→ studied Saya.

Saya remained silent for a moment before finally releasing Shang Ke from his restraint.

The moment Shang Ke regained his freedom, he immediately tried to dart over to Neil. He had barely made it halfway before he was yanked backward and caught once again in Saya’s grasp.

What the hell do you want now?!

Shang Ke glared furiously at him—then froze in shock. (⊙△⊙)!

What was that?!

Saya had a mole on his palm!

He glanced sideways.

There was one on the other palm too!

Do all the gods in this damn world have moles on their palms?!

Shang Ke covered his face with both hands, unwilling to accept reality.

Saya reached up and pulled Shang Ke’s hands away from his face.

Shang Ke’s horrified expression instantly reverted to the mask’s usual ferocious look, while inwardly his mind became serenely peaceful, as though illuminated by Buddha’s holy light.

Saya’s expression darkened, apparently displeased that he had missed seeing the mask change.

Shang Ke: “…”

Enough already! It’s just a mask with a fondness for tectonic activity! Do you really need to keep playing with it over and over again?!

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