Chapter 105: Becoming Your God (VIII)

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Chapter 105: Becoming Your God (VIII)

As the capital of the Yi Empire and one of the most prosperous cities on the continent, Kanse City was home to numerous divine spirits and their worshipers. Any group wishing to settle there required the permission of both the War God and the Yi royal family. No unauthorized outsider could remain hidden for long. Regardless of whether they enjoyed another deity’s protection, once they entered the War God’s domain, they could not escape his perception.

The War God rarely took the initiative to expel foreign deities unless they threatened the safety of his people. Under the weight of his divine authority, ordinary gods did not dare act recklessly.

Although Kanse City was crowded with divine spirits, very few ever manifested themselves before mortals. A god like Shang Ke, who actively worked for the benefit of his worshipers, was practically unheard of. Most divine spirits granted corresponding blessings only after receiving sufficient offerings and sincere prayers. The majority possessed little emotion, and their relationships with their worshipers were more like transactions. Lower-ranking gods in particular were reluctant to waste divine power; responding to even one prayer out of ten was already considered generous.

That was why Saya could not help feeling puzzled whenever he watched Shang Ke run himself ragged for the Shu Clan. In his memory, the evil god had never been the sort of benevolent being who selflessly devoted himself to others. A deity’s divine nature was determined at the moment of its creation and was not supposed to change, no matter how many years passed.

And yet the evil god before him was undeniably completely different from the one he had known a thousand years ago. The greatest change was his mask. What had once embodied sinister evil had somehow become a direct reflection of his true self. His inner world appeared plainly across its features: frankness, optimism, happiness, an easy capacity for contentment… None of these were qualities an evil god should possess.

While Shang Ke searched everywhere for the culprit, Saya had been observing him in secret. Whether his efforts were genuinely sincere or merely a hypocritical performance, Saya could see perfectly clearly.

Five days later, Tima’s condition had grown increasingly serious, and Shang Ke finally identified the person behind it. Just as he had suspected, it was one of the consort candidates from the ball: Kailan, a girl from the Lotus Clan who worshiped the Healing God.

At first, Shang Ke had been uncertain. The Healing God governed health and possessed the ability to eliminate illness, not inflict suffering upon others. Shang Ke had therefore ruled him out during his first round of screening. After repeatedly comparing the possibilities, however, and receiving several hints from Saya, he eventually narrowed the culprit down to the Healing God.

According to the information Saya gave him, the Healing God could not actually eliminate illness directly. Instead, he distributed and transferred it to other people. An ordinary minor illness only needed to be divided among a dozen or so people and could disappear almost immediately. A serious illness required far more recipients, and the time needed for recovery depended on how many people shared the burden. Naturally, some diseases could not be cured through transfer no matter how widely they were distributed, such as severe plagues.

The Healing God’s worshipers had no idea that their god’s so-called healing merely involved spreading illnesses among other people. Not long ago, several members of the Lotus Clan had fallen sick because they could not adjust to the local climate and environment. While praying for her clansmen’s health, Kailan had inadvertently said something along the lines of, “If only Tima were the one who was sick instead.”

The Healing God received her prayer and transferred every one of those illnesses onto Tima, which was why she had suddenly fallen ill.

Shang Ke complained indignantly to Saya, “Look at you sanctimonious gods. When you decide to play dirty, you’re no better than I am.”

Unmoved, Saya asked, “What do you plan to do?”

“A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.” Shang Ke’s mask looked thoroughly vicious.

Saya gave him a faint glance. “I will not allow slaughter or curses within my territory.”

“How is what the Healing God did any different from a curse?” Shang Ke glared at him.

“His duty is to remove disease.” Saya leaned sideways in his chair, one hand supporting his temple as he looked at Shang Ke. “But an evil god’s curses can only bring disaster.”

“A blade is an instrument of killing, but whether it ultimately fights for justice or brings calamity depends not on the weapon itself, but on the person wielding it.” Shang Ke pointed toward the sword at Saya’s waist and said calmly, “You’re the War God. Do you wield your blade for slaughter, or to protect your people?”

Saya fell silent.

Shang Ke turned away and slightly tilted his head. The ferocious expression on his mask slowly softened into something firm and resolute. “Saya, I’m not the evil god I was a thousand years ago anymore. My people are being harmed now. I have the right to fight for them.”

With that, Shang Ke disappeared from Saya’s sight.

Saya’s gaze remained fixed on the place where he had vanished for a long while. Then his own figure disappeared from the chair as well.

Shang Ke went to the Lotus Clan’s residence and first attempted to communicate with the Healing God through his divine consciousness. The other deity remained aloof and did not even consider him worth answering.

Shang Ke stopped wasting his breath and directly placed two curses upon the Lotus Clan: Blindness and Nightmares. Blindness deprived its victims of the ability to perceive light, while Nightmares trapped them in terrifying dreams. With Shang Ke’s current strength, the effects could not last very long, but he could continuously renew them.

An evil god’s power of curses was even more terrifying than slaughter. Even at Shang Ke’s relatively low rank, it was enough to make people tremble.

When the Lotus clansmen awoke from their nightmares, they discovered that they had fallen into another nightmare altogether. Their entire world had become darkness.

Every one of them was blind.

“You had better pray that the Healing God protects you. Otherwise, you will be tormented by darkness and nightmares forever.” Shang Ke’s icy voice rang directly through the minds of every Lotus clansman.

The Lotus Clan descended into panic, completely unaware of which deity they had offended. They did not know that the Healing God had answered Kailan’s prayer by transferring their illnesses to Tima, so it never occurred to them that this might be retaliation from the Shu Clan.

Like most divine spirits, the Healing God rarely communicated with his worshipers. Their relationship was purely transactional, without emotional attachment. Naturally, he had no intention of telling the Lotus Clan that the Shu Clan’s god was the one who had cursed them.

With no idea what was happening, the Lotus clansmen could only pray fearfully and desperately for the Healing God’s protection.

Two days later, the Healing God, who had remained silent until then, finally appeared before Shang Ke. He had long hair, wore ceremonial robes, and held a staff in one hand. His features were refined and handsome, but his eyes held the icy indifference of one who looked down upon all living beings. He studied Shang Ke—wearing nothing but an animal-hide skirt and an exceptionally hideous mask—with open disdain.

Shang Ke could not have cared less. His mask twisted into an expression even more ferocious and disdainful than the Healing God’s as he mercilessly gave him the side-eye: (﹁_﹁).

Healing God: “…”

“What have you decided?” The bulging eyes on Shang Ke’s mask twitched.

“If you want your worshiper cured, the illnesses in her body must be transferred to someone else.” The Healing God stared at him indifferently. “Who do you want them transferred to?”

The question was obviously a trap. The Healing God would never transfer the illnesses to his own worshipers. If Shang Ke casually dragged a few outsiders in to suffer in Tima’s place, he would inevitably provoke whatever deities protected them. The Healing God might disdain communicating with mortals, but he certainly had ways to communicate with other gods.

But if Shang Ke asked the Shu Clan to share the illnesses instead, their population was so small that Tima might not recover quickly enough. Worse, a mass outbreak of sickness could easily cause widespread panic.

After thinking for a moment, Shang Ke said casually, “Transfer them to me.”

The Healing God froze. “You want me to transfer the illnesses to you?”

“That’s right.” Shang Ke folded his arms across his chest and floated lightly in midair. “Can you do it?”

The Healing God remained silent for a moment before saying, “If you truly intend to suffer the pain of illness in your worshiper’s place, then I must have your consent while casting the spell. Otherwise, I cannot transfer disease onto another divine spirit.”

“Fine. You have my consent.” Shang Ke spread his arms, looking as though the Healing God could do whatever he pleased.

“Think carefully.” The Healing God had probably never encountered a deity willing to suffer in a mortal’s place. “Once you allow me to cast the spell on you, it means completely lowering your defenses.”

“I know. Get started,” Shang Ke urged.

Healing God: …This is the first time I’ve met a god in such a hurry to get himself abused.

He said nothing more and slowly raised the staff in his hand. Since this insignificant little god had voluntarily given him an opportunity to cast a spell directly upon him, he saw no reason to be polite. A minor deity had dared challenge his divine authority; he would make him pay for that stupidity.

A trace of killing intent flashed through the Healing God’s eyes. Just as he was about to act, an overwhelmingly powerful divine presence suddenly crashed over him.

The Healing God’s expression changed slightly. Turning around, he discovered that Lord War God had appeared nearby at some unknown point. He immediately lowered his staff and bowed respectfully.

“I’m only passing by, Omikao,” Saya said blandly. “Please, continue.”

Omikao was speechless. If you were merely passing by, you could have stayed invisible. Standing directly behind that little god and staring at me ominously like this is obviously backing him up, isn’t it?

Shang Ke turned to look at Saya: (= °▽°=). I didn’t expect you to come support me. Thanks.

Saya answered him with a cold, aloof look.

Shang Ke: (╯ω╰). I know you’re cold on the outside but warm-hearted underneath, so I won’t hold it against you.

Saya: “…”

Omikao: …Why do Lord War God and this freak in the bizarre mask look as though they’re on such good terms?

Shang Ke turned back toward the Healing God, and his mask returned to its ferocious expression.

Omikao raised his staff once again and was just about to cast the spell when another familiar figure entered the corner of his vision. It was Love God Neil, standing lazily on Shang Ke’s other side and smiling pleasantly at him.

The Healing God’s staff trembled. A minor dark-aligned deity had somehow drawn two major light-aligned gods here to guard his back? Weren’t light and darkness supposed to be as incompatible as fire and water?

What the hell was going on?

Omikao looked at Shang Ke in utter confusion. No matter how he examined this shabby-looking fellow, he did not seem like anyone important. The Shu Clan numbered only a few hundred people.

Where had he gotten such powerful backers?

Whatever he thought, with two major deities watching him like hawks, the Healing God did not dare openly tamper with Shang Ke. He could only obediently transfer Tima’s illnesses into him.

Even so, he secretly added a little extra force. He transferred not only Tima’s illnesses to Shang Ke, but also the illnesses of several nearby patients.

As the illnesses converged inside him, several strange streaks of red light flashed across Shang Ke’s body before disappearing.

“It’s done.” The Healing God lowered his staff.

Saya and Neil looked at Shang Ke simultaneously. He had gone completely still, and his previously stable spirit form began flickering in and out of existence as though it might disperse at any moment.

“Little Mask!” Neil rushed to Shang Ke’s side.

Saya appeared beside him in the same instant.

Shang Ke slowly raised his head: (┭┮Д ┭┮)

This seriously—hurts this evil god like hell!!!

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