Yinshan Record

Chapter 223 A Step Apart

"Entering the demonic path, seeking the demonic path."

The City God of Tianan raised his cup again and drank the wine in one gulp.

"Indeed, the word 'seeking the demon' is more appropriate for me."

“When I was alive, I was just a commoner, who only knew how to fight and kill all day long.” The City God looked at Su Che: “I didn’t really have any desire for land, beautiful women, power and status.”

"The gold and silver that Emperor Taizu bestowed upon me were distributed to my subordinates as soon as they were received, and the land and houses allocated to me were all given to my relatives back home. As for those beauties, hehe, after years of fighting, I have indeed lost the pleasures of family life."

"But do you know what I face every day after I became the City God?"

"Today a yellow petition is handed over, begging me to bless her so she can seduce the young widow next door. Tomorrow a devout woman kneels in front of the hall, begging her husband to die early so she can marry her lover with her child."

“There are mothers-in-law who wish their daughters-in-law would die young. There are sons who hope their parents die so they can inherit the family business.” The City God gestured near his ear and said, “You don’t know unless you cultivate the divine path, but every day it feels like there are countless mosquitoes buzzing in my ears, saying things like, ‘I want women, I want men, I want money, I want fame…’”

The City God looked at Su Che: "In this kind of world, how does it feel to be a god?"

"Sinking into the five desires, unable to find a moment of peace. To serve as a righteous god for such a bunch of pigs and dogs is worse than not serving at all."

"Sir, you have indeed had a tough time."

Su Che's words seemed to displease the City God.

"Not easy? I was originally granted the title of god, and this title of Tianan City God was not something I begged for. I died for my country in battle back then, and I have served diligently for hundreds of years. I have done right by the Great Liang. The words 'not easy' are too light."

The City God looked at Su Che and said, "Su Lixing, if you don't want to do this job anymore, you can resign. But what can I do if I don't want to be the City God anymore?"

The City God is an officially appointed deity. The incense offerings from the human world are both the best help for the deity's cultivation and a shackle that confines them to their own territory.

"The Tao Te Ching says, 'The highest good is like water, which benefits all things without striving and dwells in places that others disdain.' As the City God of a county, you are able to bear the turbid currents of the five desires..."

"Su Lixing, stop with the empty talk."

The City God of Tian'an drank a cup of wine and said, "I have only one thought now: to kill all the thieves, men and women, in this Tian'an County."

"and then?"

"Then I will travel to the North Sea in the morning and climb Cangwu Mountain in the evening; I want to be free."

"Therefore, sir, you have decided to embrace the demonic path and wash away your divine cultivation."

"You can say that."

Su Che sighed.

"May I ask, who gave you this idea, sir?"

"I thought of it myself."

"Perhaps I, Su, am being a bit blunt, but since you embarked on this path of divinity at the very beginning of the founding of the nation, you have had no famous teachers and probably not many friends. Even if you could come up with such a good idea, you probably don't have the means to change your path."

"Is this important?"

"Very important."

Su Che asked, "Does the sir know why the Demonic Sect has such a bad reputation?"

"It's just a prejudice of worldly people..."

"Continue upwards, cross the nine layers of Heavenly Gang, and you will reach the outer void. The masters there are endless Heavenly Demons. They are formless yet existent, constantly changing, feeding on the filth and desires of the human world. They are the mortal enemies of all cultivators."

"Besides these, there is the Heavenly Demon Slave Clan, all originating from other worlds conquered by the Heavenly Demons. They were transformed by the Heavenly Demons into mere tools of conquest. These Heavenly Demons, together with the Heavenly Demon Slave Clan, take it upon themselves to conquer all other worlds." "Legend has it—and I mean legend—that in the center of this universe, there exists a boundless Heavenly Demon Lord, who has stood here since the beginning of the universe. He existed before heaven and earth were created, and he remains even after heaven and earth collapsed. He is known as the Supreme and Mysterious Ruler of Heaven, the Primordial Heavenly Demon King."

"I know all this..."

"Once you enter the Demonic Sect, you will be doomed forever. Why? It's because once you enter, there is no way you can get out. The foundation of the Demonic Sect, the Self-Transformation, can be broken down and explained in detail. It is nothing more than the four words: harming others for personal gain."

Su Che looked at the City God before him with great emotion: "No one in the world doesn't want to seek freedom and liberation. But why do some people prefer to shave their heads and go west rather than worship under the demonic sect that has countless relatives and friends in the void?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid that what that person passed on to the City God wasn't some wonderful method to escape the path of the gods, but rather a poison to gradually lure the City God into his trap."

Su Che unleashed his magical power, his voice booming like thunder, concealing the profound laws of the Xuanmen sect for suppressing demons and overcoming evil.

"I urge the City God to carefully consider whether there are any deficiencies or inconsistencies in your own cultivation technique. Better late than never..."

"...It's not too late."

A shrill voice came from the City God's throat.

"Hehe, I didn't expect that in such a small place as Cizhou, there would actually be someone who could see through my methods."

The voice continued, and the City God's eyes were filled with terror.

"You think you're deceiving everyone, but you can only fool honest people like this."

Su Che slowly stood up, his mind focused and on guard.

He had read in ancient texts that the Demonic Sect had a method called "Demon Seed," which was said to be able to gradually steal the cultivation of the other party without their noticing, eventually turning them into one's own servant.

Clearly, the City God of Tian'an County had unknowingly fallen into the trap of that demonic sect. His long-cherished desire for freedom ultimately made him their prey without him even realizing it.

"You Rakshasa Sea..."

The City God of Tian'an County, rousing his remaining strength, let out a loud roar.

This righteous god of the state was surrounded by divine power, swirling with layers of radiance, within which the faint sound of thunder could be heard. It was he who used the righteous method of heavenly thunder to cleanse his mind and resist the opponent's all-pervasive erosion.

No matter how he checked, he felt that his practice was normal, his breathing was natural, and his condition was excellent. He had no idea where the problem lay.

Six dark chains suddenly flew out, firmly locking the City God of Tianan around his body. Blood-like patterns, like insects, surged on the chains.

The ones who made the move were the ghost messengers. They formed some kind of formation and summoned six black iron chains in the void, like snakes and pythons, tightly binding the City God of Tianan.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Since the City God wants to break free from the constraints of this divine position, why not become my incarnation and travel around this beautiful land together?"

The group of ghost messengers each opened their mouths, their voices rising and falling in waves, one after another, creating an indescribably eerie and unpredictable atmosphere.

Su Che naturally understood that the demonic sect expert, whose whereabouts were unknown, had already thoroughly corrupted the area around the Tian'an City God Temple.

If Shi Chibao hadn't acted ahead of time to fulfill the imperial court's orders, this City God of Tian'an would probably have been completely corrupted within a few days.

"You wicked scoundrel."

Su Che pointed his right hand like a sword and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Taiyu Abi Sword, however, unleashed its full power, aiming directly at the City God of Tianan.

(End of this chapter)