Slaying God: I, the insane and witty god

The morning mist, wrapped in the smell of blood, drifted over. Wu Hen tugged at his robe that had a hole in it burned. The back of his neck was stained with half-dried black blood, which felt sticky and uncomfortable.

Lin Qiye walked beside him, with the plum branch tucked into his waist.

The scabbard was gently knocked against by every step he took - the Demon-Slaying Sword was very well-behaved in the scabbard, unlike the buzzing sound it made just now.

The campfire was still burning, and An Qingyu was squatting on a rock, chewing a steamed bun.

Seeing them coming over, he threw half a steamed bun to them: "Finally you're back alive."

Wu Hen took the steamed bun and took a bite. There was a burnt smell in the dough - probably because when the monsters attacked the camp last night, the cook almost overturned the pot.

"Dark Moon exploded," he said vaguely.

"The black mist was completely absorbed by Meizhi. Lao Lin's sword can now burn the little sun."

An Qingyu raised an eyebrow and glanced at the plum branch on Lin Qiye's waist: "What about Hongyue?

Xia Simeng said there are three waves of beasts, the Dark Demon is the first wave, and the remaining two waves will have to wait until the red moon falls?

Lin Qiye untied the plum branch, and the golden red of the wood core dimmed a little.

But if you get closer you can smell the fragrance of plum blossoms: "Old Chen said that the gates of Yuecheng will not open until the double moon sets.

The dark moon shattered, but the red moon still hung. He handed the plum branch to An Qingyu, "Touch it and see."

An Qingyu reached out and touched it, but just as his fingertips touched the wood core, he suddenly pulled back: "Is it hot?"

She stared at the plum branch, "It feels like there's a piece of charcoal in it."

"Old Chen said the plum tree is waiting for the man who cuts down the moon." Wu Hen slapped the steamed bun crumbs on his trouser legs.

"Now Meizhi has recognized me and Lao Lin. After seven days, when the red moon sets, at the gate of Yuecheng—"

He tilted his head and smiled, "Cut it off."

"Seven days?" An Qingyu frowned.

"The Phoenix team just sent back a message saying that the demon wolves in the eastern forest have moved ten miles towards this side."

"Xia Simeng said the second wave of beasts might not arrive in seven days, but three at most."

Lin Qiye’s hand rested on the hilt of the sword, his knuckles clenched until they turned white. “The Dark Demon uses the Dark Moon to gather energy, and the Demon Wolf relies on the Red Moon to awaken its wisdom.”

“The brighter the red moon, the crazier they get.”

“So we have to make the red moon set earlier.”

Wu Hen squatted down and drew circles on the ground with a branch. "The gate of Yuecheng is in the northern suburbs. Old Chen said he wanted to stand at the gate and chop the moon."

"Now the dark moon is broken, and the light of the red moon is completely covering the valley—" He poked the circle,

"The door isn't open, which means we're still short of fire."

"Is the fire from the plum branch missing?" An Qingyu touched the plum branch, and Jinhong suddenly shook.

“Hey, it just moved!”

Lin Qiye took back the plum branch, and the light in the wood core dimmed again: "Maybe we have to wait until the red moon is at its brightest."

"Old Chen said that when the moon is at its zenith, its shadow is longest, and that's when it's most fun to chop the moon."

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance.

Wu Hen looked up and saw Kong Shang charging towards him on a black horse, wolf fur still stained on his armor. "Captain Xia asked me to ask, have you dealt with the Dark Demon?"

"Dark Moon was blown to smithereens."

Wu Hen stood up, "But the Red Moon is still there, and the second wave of beasts is coming soon."

Kong Shang jumped off his horse, his armor clanging. "The Phoenix team has set up three lines of defense in the east, and the Psychic team is guarding Ghost Crying Gorge in the south."

"That old fellow Bu Li was captured by the fox demon yesterday and is still running a fever—" He suddenly lowered his voice.

"Captain Xia said if we can't hold out for more than three days, we have to move our defenses back to the camp."

"Retreat the defense line?" An Qingyu sneered.

"There's a cliff behind the camp. Are we going to be left there to starve?"

"It's not shrinking." Lin Qiye put the plum branch back to his waist.

"It's about gathering all the teams at the gate of Moon City."

"Old Chen said that only when the gate is opened can there be hope. Now everyone is defending their own territory, and they are being defeated one by one by the beast tide."

Wu Hen knocked on Kong Shang's armor and said, "Go back and tell Xia Simeng to have the Phoenix Squad move to the northern suburbs tonight.

If the psychic team can move, they will go with you.

The Night Squad is the rearguard—" He glanced at An Qingyu, "Can that Fatty carry the explosive pack?"

"He carried two bags without even taking a breath." An Qingyu laughed.

"I was afraid he'd eat a roasted sweet potato while running and explode himself."

Kong Shang scratched the back of his neck: "What if Captain Xia asks why we moved?"

"Just say that the man who cut down the moon said so." Wu Hen took out the empty cigarette box and put it back.

"The gate of Moon City is open, and all the demons and monsters will have to go there."

“When the time comes—”

He patted Lin Qiye's scabbard and said, "Burning the plum branches, slashing with the sword, they will never return."

Lin Qiye looked at the red light rising in the east. The red moon was brighter than last night, hanging in the sky like a red-hot discus.

The plum branches at his waist felt slightly hot, and the demon-slaying sword trembled slightly in its sheath, as if responding to his heartbeat.

"Seven days is too short," he said.

"But it's enough to sharpen our knives."

Wu Hen kicked a stone, and it rolled away into the morning mist. "Old Chen said there's an old plum tree at the gate of Yuecheng, and its branches are ten times thicker than this one."

"When the door opens—"

He grinned, "After chopping down the moon, I'll chop down the plum tree until it's bright."

An Qingyu suddenly stood up and looked at the mountains in the distance: "Listen, the wolf is howling."

Everyone quieted down.

A faint low howl drifted in the wind, like a needle pricking my ear.

"The second wave is coming." Kong Shang jumped on his horse.

"I'll be back to Phoenix Team."

"Wait." Lin Qiye untied the plum branch,

"Take this to Xia Simeng and let her see it."

Kong Shang took the plum branch, and just as he touched the wood core, his hand trembled: "It's hot!"

"Let her know that we have the guy who can chop down the moon." Wu Hen patted the horse's butt.

"Let's go."

Amid the neighing of horses, Kong Shang's back disappeared in the morning mist.

An Qingyu kicked the bonfire, and sparks popped. "Old Wu, you said the Moon City Gate is open. What's inside?"

"God's body." Wu Hen looked at the red moon.

"The divine remains that Merlin stole should be inside."

"Old Chen said the divine remains were the key that could open the door between the Yin and Yang worlds—but he didn't say whether it would save people or release ghosts."

Lin Qiye touched the hilt of his sword and said, "No matter what's inside, let's chop down the moon first."

Wu Hen suddenly laughed: "Lao Lin, did you notice?"

"What?"

"We are now like grasshoppers on two ropes." Wu Hen pointed at the plum branch and then at the sword.

"The plum branch is to chop the moon, the sword is to slay the demon, neither can be accomplished without the other."

Lin Qiye also smiled: "Okay, after we chop down the moon, I'll treat you to a cigarette."

"It must be a good cigarette." Wu Hen patted his shoulder.

"Let's go back to the camp and pack up our stuff."

"If that fat guy hides a pack of dynamite in the grain truck, I'll kick his ass."

The morning mist gradually dissipated, and the light of the red moon shone on their backs, stretching their shadows very long.

The golden red of the plum branch flickered in Lin Qiye's hands, like an endless fire.

The howling of wolves in the distance grew closer, but the two men did not slow down.

They knew that the real tough battle had just begun - but at least, they had plum branches, swords, and each other.

Outside the wooden fence of the camp, Baili Pangpang was squatting beside the grain cart, chewing on roasted sweet potatoes, his cheeks bulging like a hamster.

Seeing Wu Hen and Lin Qiye coming over, he hurriedly stuffed half a sweet potato into his arms.

The burlap bags of explosives were piled up like a small mountain at his feet: "Angkor Wu, Brother Lin, I have tied up all the explosives!

Just...stuff it under the grain cart. When the monsters come rushing over, we light the fuse and we guarantee they will be blown to pieces!"

"Under the grain cart?" Wu Hen bent down and lifted the oilcloth. Sure enough, he saw six or seven explosive packs pressed down by the yellow millet bags.

"Do you think the monsters are here to steal food?"

"By the time they overturned the grain cart, the explosive packs would have been stepped on and exploded!"

He picked up a pack of explosives and hit Fatty on the back.

"Go chop down the dead tree to the east, tie the explosives to the branches—when the tree falls, smash the monsters."

"It can also burn down the forest after it explodes. It's ten times better than your method!"

"Hey hey hey!" Pangpang rubbed his back and climbed up. The sweet potato in his arms rolled to Lin Qiye's feet.

"Brother Lin, can you help me speak for her?"

"I'm just worried that the food will be stolen and everyone will starve!"

Lin Qiye picked up the sweet potato and dusted it off: "Better to be hungry than to be eaten by wolves.

Do as Wu Ge said and go chop down the tree. He stuffed the sweet potato back into Fatty's hand and said, "Eat this one first, then do it. Don't choke."

Fatty grinned, picked up the axe and ran towards the woods, his shiny head shining in the morning light.

An Qingyu emerged from the tent, carrying a metal medicine box. "The psychic team is here. Bu Li is running a fever but insists on staying here. He wants to move with us."

She shook the medicine box and said, "I have some antipyretic medicine here. Who of you two will come with me?"

"I'll go." Lin Qiye touched the plum branch on his waist.

"Bu Li is an old hand, we need to make him feel comfortable."

Wu Hen tugged at his sleeve: "Wait a moment."

He fished out a small cloth bag from his bosom and opened it to reveal half a handful of black medicinal powder. "Old Chen gave it to me. It's for treating demonic poison."

"This is effective for the wound Bu Li suffered from being scratched by a fox demon."

Lin Qiye took the cloth bag and patted him on the shoulder: "Keep an eye on Fatty, don't let him tie the explosives to the wrong tree."

After Lin Qiye left, Wu Hen squatted in front of the pile of explosives and checked them. An Qingyu sat down next to him.

Using a dagger to sharpen a wooden stick, he asked, "Do you think Old Chen's plum branch can really cut down the red moon?"

"Old Chen has been guarding the gate of Yuecheng for thirty years." Wu Hen broke a piece of hemp rope.

"He said the plum tree was a sacred tree, waiting for someone who could chop down the moon. Old Lin and I, one with the plum branch and the other holding the demon-slaying sword, together we would form that knife."

He tied the hemp rope around the explosive pack and made a knot.

"The brighter the red moon gets, the crazier the demon wolf gets. But when it reaches its zenith, it's time to chop it down."

"Where's the divine corpse?" The wooden stick An Qingyu was carving suddenly broke into two pieces.

"Merlin stole the divine remains to sacrifice to the Dark Demon. If there are still people in Yuecheng... Wu Hen, should we save them or go through the gates of hell?"

Wu Hen said nothing, but looked up at the red moon in the sky.

The light was more scorching than yesterday, causing the blood scab on the back of his neck to ache.

After a while, he spoke: "Old Chen said that the divine skeleton is the key that can open the Yin-Yang Gate."

"But the door opens to whoever holds the key. Merlin wants to open the ghost door, so we have to grab the key and open the trap door."

He fished out an empty cigarette case and put it down again. "No matter what's inside, let's chop down the Red Moon first."

“Without the moon, demons and monsters are like headless flies.”

An Qingyu threw the broken stick into the campfire, and sparks flew up. "Xia Simeng just sent a message saying that the Phoenix Squad has broken camp."

"That kid Kong Shang is riding like crazy, saying he wants to reach the northern suburbs before noon."

She glanced at Wu Hen and asked, "You asked Kong Shang to bring Meizhi to Xia Simeng, aren't you afraid that she will get suspicious?"

"Xia Simeng is not a fool." Wu Hen piled up the bundles of explosives.

"When she saw Meizhi's fever, she knew we weren't messing around."

"The situation at the gate of Yuecheng is both a dead end and a living one. She knows it better than anyone else."

He pointed to the shadow of the mountain in the east, "Did you hear that? The wolf howling is getting closer."

"When the second wave of beasts arrives, if the teams remain scattered, they'll be torn to pieces. Gather at the gate of Moon City, and we'll have the confidence to stand together."

When Lin Qiye came back, Bu Li was holding his arm. His face was as white as a piece of paper, but his left cheek was abnormally flushed.

The compass on his waist clicked, the needle spinning wildly. "Friend Wu, friend Lin, these old bones of mine can only hold on for three days."

"When the beast tide comes, the psychic team will have plenty of talismans—it's just hard for those little ones on the team, as this is their first time seeing blood."

"Take a rest." Wu Hen brought a stone for Bu Li to sit on.

"When we get to the gate of Moon City, the valley is sheltered from the wind, so the monsters can't get in."

"You take the kids with you to draw the talisman, and we'll go outside and kill the wolf."

Bu Li took out a pocket watch, the patina on the dial had worn off: "Three quarters past midnight, two hours left."

He stared at the broken knife on Wu Hen's waist, "That plum branch... is it the sacred tree that Old Chen mentioned?"

"Yes." Lin Qiye untied the plum branch and handed it over.

"Touch it and see."

As soon as Bu Li's fingers touched the wooden core, his whole body trembled violently, and his cloudy eyes suddenly lit up: "Warm!"

“Like…like the sacred cypress I saw in Zhongnan Mountain that year!”

He put the plum branch against his chest,

"Okay, okay, with this thing holding us back, when the gates of Moon City open, we won't be blown away by the ghost wind."

From a distance came a fat voice shouting, "Angkor!"

"Is this tree thick enough?"

"I chopped three times before I saw any white hair!"

Wu Hen responded, then turned to An Qingyu and said, "Go pack up the tent and take everything you can."

"Medicine boxes, food bags, tinderboxes—don't leave anything for monsters to use as targets."

He looked at Bu Li again.

"You asked the psychic team to put talismans on all the grain carts,"

"Pull the cart and move away. If a monster comes charging towards you, burn the talisman. It will hold you back for a while."

Lin Qiye looked at the surging red light in the east. Under the crimson moon, a layer of blood mist floated, as if someone had smeared a line of red paint with a brush.

The plum branch felt slightly hot in Bu Li's hand, and the demon-slaying sword moved gently in its sheath.

It was as if they were counting - counting how many hours were left, counting how many monsters were left, and counting the moons they were going to chop down.

"Old Wu," he suddenly said.

"Where do you want to go after you chop down the red moon?"

Wu Hen was tying explosives to his horse's back. Upon hearing this, he looked up and smiled, "I want to go to Old Chen's dilapidated temple and drink the wild mountain tea he brews.

The tea was bitter, but it left a sweet taste in my mouth. He tied the last explosive pack tightly. "What about you?"

"I want to go to Jiangnan." Lin Qiye touched the hilt of the sword.

"I heard the plum blossoms in Jiangnan are more fragrant than here."

"When the plum blossoms bloom, let's go see them."

An Qingyu walked over with a pile of tent cloth in his arms and sneered, "That's wishful thinking."

"After we chop down the moon, there might be a third wave of beasts—Xia Simeng said three waves, not even one less."

"That has to be cut too." Wu Hen patted the horse's butt, and the horse snorted as it headed towards the woods.

"After you chop down the Red Moon, chop down the Beast Tide. After you chop down the Beast Tide, chop down the gate of Moon City."

"Anyway—" He raised his eyebrows at Lin Qiye.

"We are the ones who chop down the moon. There is nothing we cannot chop down."

Lin Qiye put the plum branch back on his waist, and the fragrance of plum blossoms mixed with the smell of blood filled the air.

The howling of wolves in the east was so clear that he could hear the sound of claws scratching the ground, but he did not lose his pace.

He knew that the real tough battle had just begun - but at least, they had plum branches, swords, and each other.

The morning mist had almost dissipated, and the light of the red moon was like a red-hot knife, cutting through the sky.