Chapter 468: Yu'er God

Chapter 468: The God of Yu'er

"The God of Yu'er? Which sect of deity is this?"

Li Huowang struggled to process this inexplicable name, turning it over and over in his mind. Even Hongzhong's vast knowledge of the world had no record of such a god.

As Li Huowang pondered, the villagers in the distance began to undergo new changes.

The circle of people gradually fell silent. They extinguished all their candles and oil lamps, plunging into darkness. On their knees, they prostrated themselves before them, bowing silently toward the void ahead.

"What are they worshiping?" Li Huowang switched his body's color to earth, becoming invisible as he slowly approached.

Li Huowang had initially guessed they were paying homage to the massive banyan tree, but that wasn't the case. The direction they faced was nothing but pitch-black emptiness.

"Wait... darkness?!" Li Huowang's gaze shifted to the black cloth draped across everyone's shoulders—this cloth seemed to carry new meaning.

"The God of Yu'er~" All those who had been kneeling suddenly shouted in unison, raising their hands high and lying flat on the ground, eyes wide with excitement, gazing upward at the starless sky above.

"Boom boom boom~" The ground began to tremble.

Li Huowang, now slightly nervous, swallowed hard and pressed down on Li Sui's head beside him.

The trembling grew stronger, but when he saw the faces of the distant villagers filled with panic, he instantly realized that this commotion was not caused by the "God of Yu'er" they spoke of.

"Kill!!!" A thunderous roar suddenly erupted. White light shot from the left darkness into Li Huowang's eyes, giving him the sensation of being slashed by a blade.

When he took a step back, rubbing his eyes and slowly opening them again, a line of armored cavalry galloped through the crowd like a scythe slicing through wheat.

When the last horse's tail swept past, there wasn't even a living soul left—no intact piece of clothing remained, only a steaming mass of flesh and shattered bones.

Only then did Li Huowang understand that the shaking of the ground came from these mounted soldiers.

Though there were only about thirty riders, their charge gave Li Huowang the impression of thousands upon thousands of troops.

"Whoosh!" The cavalry turned sharply in unison, pointing their massive weapons directly at Li Huowang.

Li Huowang glanced at Li Sui beside him, his heart sinking. "We're done. We've been discovered!"

The ground shook again, rapidly approaching. As he prepared to flee, he felt as though he was being watched—no matter where he went, escape was impossible.

Just as they were about to reach him, Li Huowang reached into his robe and pulled out the official badge of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau.

"Boom~!" His hair and sleeves whipped violently in the wind. The cavalry split apart, like two raging rivers, sweeping past both sides of Li Huowang.

When he turned around, one of the iron horses had already stopped before him.

This man was tall and imposing, holding a massive saber, standing still like a small mountain, radiating overwhelming pressure.

Even looking up from below, Li Huowang couldn't see his face, only the hot steam rising from beneath his heavy helmet.

As Li Huowang tried to decide what to say, the man placed his saber on his horse, pulled out a yellow silk scroll, stretched it taut, and began reading aloud:

"Heaven has decreed, the Emperor receives this mandate! Recently, in the Great Li domain, there have been signs of the revival of heretical teachings. These demons deceive the masses, invoke disasters from heaven, and bring calamity upon men. They deserve total extermination! Proclaim this to the world, let all hear it!"

After delivering the imperial edict in a booming voice, the rider didn’t wait for Li Huowang’s reaction and simply turned away.

A cup of tea later, only Li Huowang and Li Sui stood alone in the silence.

Li Huowang slowly turned his head toward the sea of gore. "Heretical sects? Invoke disasters from heaven? So these people were worshipping disasters? That means the God of Yu'er they speak of is—"

Li Huowang stopped abruptly, his face pale. He felt his voice beginning to change, like a crane's call.

"Dad, are you alright?" Li Sui worriedly tugged at Li Huowang's red robe.

Li Huowang clutched his head and shook it hard. Now he finally understood why the Great Li would resort to military force against such minor threats—it wasn't about strength, but about who they worshipped.

"How could it be... It's been so short since the disaster occurred, how could there already be sects worshipping disasters? This is too fast."

"And what do these heretics intend by worshipping the God of Yu'er? No, wait—this should be thought backwards. What exactly does this so-called God of Yu'er want?"

As Li Huowang contemplated this, he looked up at Zhuge Yuan. "Brother Zhuge, I feel uneasy. Do you know anything?"

Zhuge Yuan frowned, staring at the gore in the distance, gripping his folding fan tightly. "Brother Li, I don’t know. I’m just an ordinary mortal. May this disaster be nothing more than a beginning."

That statement wasn’t helpful at all. Once spoken, it felt like a stone had been dropped onto Li Huowang’s chest.

"Then Brother Zhuge, about this God of Yu'er—" As soon as the name escaped his lips, Li Huowang felt a sharp pain in his left ear. Instinctively, he winced and covered his ear.

"Brother Li, don’t ask anymore. Ask and you’ll bring trouble. Even if you knew, what difference would it make? You can’t change anything."

"And once you know, you become part of them. You’re bound to their karma."

"There’s nothing we can say, nothing we can tell. Is there anything we can speak of?" Li Huowang felt a growing irritation.

"There is. There are fifty great principles, forty-nine of which are divine. One remains hidden in humanity. All I can say now is that although the Keeper of Fate has perished, at least the Keepers of Heaven’s Will are temporarily safe."

"If those Keepers of Heaven’s Will truly falter, if even one of the heavenly laws is broken, you’ll know sooner than I will."

Various chaotic scenes flashed through Li Huowang’s mind, making his expression even grimmer. "This mad world—this place isn’t fit for humans!"

"Senior Brother Li? What’s wrong?" Bai Lingmiao, wrapped in her robe, stumbled toward him.

Li Huowang glanced at the gore in the distance and hurried forward, supporting her as she walked back.

"Nothing, just went to relieve myself."

The sense of impending doom made Li Huowang deeply uneasy. Though he had the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, he wasn’t sure if it could withstand whatever was coming.

All he could do now was to cultivate as quickly as possible, to reach mastery and protect himself and those he cared about in the face of any crisis or hardship.

Thinking of this, Li Huowang held Bai Lingmiao closer to him.