Slaying God: I, the insane and witty god

When the mountain wind blew grass debris across Lin Qiye's hair, he finally realized what was happening and loosened his grip on the sword.

His knuckles were white from being rubbed by the hilt of the sword, and his palms were sticky and sweaty.

Wu Henxian bent over, supported his knees, and coughed twice.

When he looked up, his eyes shone like sparks: "Mr. Merlin, is that wild beast just now...really gone just like that?"

Merlin's white beard was blown up by the wind, and he tapped his staff on the ground: "Do you think this trial ground of mine is a joke?"

"That wild beast was formed from the resentment within a hundred miles. If you couldn't break its miasma, you would be lying on the ground vomiting black blood."

Lin Qiye took out a handkerchief and wiped his sword. The translucent blade still shone with a faint golden hue. "That flash of light just now...was it the merging of our sword intentions?"

"It's not the sword intent that's compatible."

Merlin walked over, tapped his heart with the tip of his staff, then turned to Wu Hen, "It's your 'heart'."

Wu Hen straightened up and raised his eyebrows: "Heart?"

"The Demon Suppression Division taught you sword techniques and how to break evil spells, but they never taught you how to train your mind."

Merlin looked up at the sky, and saw that the moon was half covered by clouds.

"The miasma of this trial field can reveal a person's true heart—Lin Qiye has the three hundred lives of the Demon Suppression Division in his heart."

"Wu Hen was burdened by the burden of his homeland, which was gnawed to pieces by monsters before he crossed over."

He suddenly turned around and stared at the two of them: "When you rushed forward just now, were you thinking about how to win?"

Lin Qiye paused and said, "I thought about the hand of Old Zhang when he taught me to hold the sword in the martial arts arena, and the warmth of his blood when he splattered on my breastplate before he died."

Wu Hen touched the back of his neck: "I remember squatting in the ruins when I was a child."

"Watching my mother stuff the last half of the cake into my mouth, and the sound of her back being torn apart by the claws of the beast..."

"So your swords," Merlin used his staff to pick up the tip of Lin Qiye's sword, and touched Wu Hen's,

"One hand protects those who need to be protected, and the other hand stabs those who need to be stabbed."

"When sincerity collides with sincerity, and obsession meets obsession, the resentment will naturally be broken."

He took out two small cloth bags from his wide sleeves. They were made of blue cloth, and the edges were frayed. "These are for you."

Wu Hen took it and squeezed it. It was hard and stiff. "What good stuff?"

"I picked up this meteorite from the Arctic ice sheet. It's been sitting there for three hundred years." Merlin patted the back of his hand.

"Find the swordsmith at the Demon Suppression Division to melt it down and reforge your swords."

Lin Qiye opened his own, and out rolled a black stone covered in ice. "Recast?"

"Isn't our sword translucent?"

"It's translucent because your hearts are not yet full." Merlin pointed to the stone in his hand.

"The meteorite iron contains the 'Qi' of the Far North—Lin Qiye, you always think about protecting others. This 'Qi' can make your sword more powerful;"

"Wu Hen, you always want to break the evil. This 'breaking qi' can make your sword sharper by three points."

Wu Hen suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Did you know we could get through this?"

"If I didn't know, would I be able to wait on this hilltop for three days?" Merlin laughed.

"That wild beast looks fierce, but it's actually a mirror. If it reflects the true heart, it will disintegrate on its own;"

"It can't be photographed..." He dragged out his voice.

"It should be gnawed into pieces."

Lin Qiye put the meteorite into his arms, looked up and asked, "So what do we do now..."

"I've reached the threshold."

Merlin turned and walked into the hall, the sound of his staff knocking on the ground was loud.

"But that old thing, Sky Fox, just now got angry in the sky. You'd better hurry back to the Demon Suppression Division."

Wu Hen raised his head suddenly: "Did you see the Sky Fox?"

"Even with my old bones, I have sharper eyes than you." Merlin stopped at the door, the moonlight illuminating half of his face.

"He crushed a talisman and threw a fox mask. The Dark Demon is coming—that thing is specifically designed to counter 'variables' like you."

Lin Qiye placed his hand on the hilt of the sword: "What is the Dark Demon?"

"A monster that can get into people's hearts." Merlin's voice became deeper.

"It will remind you of the things you hate the most, the things you regret the most, and then use your hands to chop at the person you want to protect the most."

The mountain wind suddenly grew stronger, blowing a few dead leaves at the feet of the three people.

Wu Hen touched the meteorite in his arms, feeling a chill piercing his bones. "Then how can we prevent it?"

"It can't be prevented." Merlin walked into the hall, and his voice floated out from the door.

"You can only rely on your 'heart' - if your sincerity is genuine enough and your obsession is deep enough, it won't be able to bite you."

The palace door closed with a creaky sound.

Lin Qiye looked at the wooden door, then turned to look at Wu Hen: "Returning to the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Back." Wu Hen put the cloth bag into his belt.

"By the way, find Old Zhang's apprentice and ask him how long it takes to forge a sword."

As the two walked down the mountain side by side, the moon emerged from behind the clouds, stretching their shadows very long.

Wu Hen took two steps and suddenly stopped: "Merlin just mentioned 'variables'... do we count them?"

Lin Qiye looked down at his sword. The moonlight reflected on the blade, and a hint of silver appeared in the pale gold. "Alright."

He said, "Otherwise, Tianhu wouldn't be so anxious."

Wu Hen smiled, revealing his white teeth: "That's good."

He quickened his pace.

"The variables should overturn something - like the fox's cave."

Lin Qiye laughed and put his hand on the hilt of the sword.

The night wind blew past his ears, and he heard the sound of a sword chime, as if someone was saying "go".

At the foot of the mountain, the lanterns of the Demon Suppression Division were already lit.

Wu Henxian bent over, supported his knees, and coughed twice.

When he looked up, his eyes were bright as if they were ignited by sparks: "Mr. Merlin, that wild beast just now... is it really gone just like that?"

Merlin's white beard was blown up by the wind, and he knocked his staff on the ground: "Do you think this trial ground of mine is a joke?

That wild beast was formed from the resentment within a hundred miles. If you can't break its miasma, you would be lying on the ground vomiting black blood.

Lin Qiye took out a handkerchief and wiped his sword. The translucent blade still shone with a faint golden hue. "That flash of light just now...was it the merging of our sword intentions?"

"It's not the sword intent that's compatible."

Merlin came over, touched his heart with the tip of his staff, then turned to Wu Hen.

“It’s your ‘heart.’”

Wu Hen straightened up and raised his eyebrows: "Heart?"

"The Demon Suppression Division teaches you sword techniques and how to break evil spells, but they never teach you how to train your mind."

Merlin looked up at the sky, and saw that the moon was half covered by clouds.

"The miasma of this trial field can reveal a person's true heart—Lin Qiye holds the three hundred lives of the Demon Suppression Division in his heart, while Wu Hen holds the burden of his homeland, which was gnawed to pieces by demonic beasts before he crossed over."

He suddenly turned around and stared at the two of them: "When you rushed forward just now, were you thinking about how to win?"

Lin Qiye paused and said, "I thought about the hand of Old Zhang when he taught me to hold the sword in the martial arts arena, and the warmth of his blood splattered on my breastplate before he died."

Wu Hen touched the back of his neck. "I remember when I was little, squatting in the ruins, watching my mother stuff the last half of a cake into my mouth, and the sound of her back being torn apart by the claws of an animal..."

"So your swords," Merlin used his staff to pick up the tip of Lin Qiye's sword and touched Wu Hen's.

"One hand protects those who need to be protected, and the other hand stabs those who need to be stabbed."

"When sincerity collides with sincerity, and obsession meets obsession, the resentment will naturally be broken."

He pulled out two small cloth bags from his wide sleeves. They were made of blue cloth, and the edges were frayed. "These are for you."

Wu Hen took it and squeezed it. It was hard and stiff. "What good stuff is this?"

"I found this meteorite in the Arctic ice sheet. It's been sitting there for three hundred years."

Merlin patted the back of his hand.

"Find the swordsmith at the Demon Suppression Division to melt it down and reforge your sword."

Lin Qiye opened his own, and out rolled a black stone covered in ice. "Recast?"

"Isn't our sword translucent?"

"It's translucent because your hearts are not yet full." Merlin pointed to the stone in his hand.

"The meteorite iron contains the 'Qi' of the Far North—Lin Qiye, you always think about protecting others. This 'Qi' can make your sword more powerful;"

"Wu Hen, you always want to break the evil. This 'breaking qi' can make your sword sharper by three points."

Wu Hen suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Did you know we could get through this?"

"If I didn't know, would I be able to wait on this hilltop for three days?" Merlin laughed.

"That wild beast looks fierce, but it's actually a mirror."

"If it can reflect the true heart, it will dissipate on its own; if it can't..." he dragged out his voice, "it should be gnawed into pieces."

Lin Qiye put the meteorite into his arms, looked up and asked: "So what do we do now..."

"I've finally reached the threshold." Merlin turned and walked into the hall, the sound of his staff knocking on the ground was loud.

"But that old thing, Sky Fox, just now got angry in the sky. You'd better hurry back to the Demon Suppression Division."

Wu Hen suddenly looked up: "Did you see the Sky Fox?"

"Even with my old bones, I have sharper eyes than you." Merlin stopped at the door, the moonlight illuminating half of his face.

"He crushed a talisman and threw a fox mask."

"The Dark Demon is coming—that thing is specifically designed to counter 'variables' like you."

Lin Qiye put his hand on the hilt of the sword: "What is the Dark Demon?"

"A monster that can get into people's hearts." Merlin's voice became deeper.

"It will remind you of the things you hate the most, the things you regret the most, and then use your hands to chop at the people you want to protect the most."

The mountain wind suddenly grew stronger, blowing a few dead leaves at the feet of the three people.

Wu Hen touched the meteorite in his arms, feeling the chill piercing his bones. "Then how can we prevent it?"

"It can't be prevented." Merlin walked into the hall, and his voice floated out from the door.

"You can only rely on your 'heart' - if your sincerity is genuine and your obsession is deep enough, it won't be able to bite you."

The palace door closed with a creaky sound.

Lin Qiye looked at the wooden door, then turned to look at Wu Hen: "Return to the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Return." Wu Hen put the cloth bag into his belt.

"By the way, find Old Zhang's apprentice and ask him how long it will take to forge a sword."

As the two walked down the mountain side by side, the moon emerged from behind the clouds, stretching their shadows very long.

Wu Hen took two steps and suddenly stopped: "Merlin just said 'variable'... do we count it?"

Lin Qiye looked down at his sword. The moonlight reflected on the blade, and a hint of silver appeared in the pale gold. "Okay."

He said, "Otherwise, the Sky Fox wouldn't be so anxious."

Wu Hen smiled, showing his white teeth: "That's good." He quickened his pace,

"The change should overturn something—like the fox's cave."

Lin Qiye laughed and put his hand on the hilt of the sword.

The night wind blew past his ears, and he heard the sound of swords chiming softly, as if someone was saying "go".