Master of Strange Dao

"Zhao Erxiao, life exhausted and thus concluded."

As the voice trailed off, a few fierce-faced government officials clutching water and fire sticks emerged from the side and beat Zhao Erxiao to death on the spot.

His corpse rapidly withered and rotted away, turning to fragile bones in just a breath or two.

From an angle unseen by others, a chain flew out of Zhao Erxiao's body, dragging his Divine Soul into the City God Temple.

In just a few breaths, Yu Ziqing felt from afar that the Divine Soul of Zhao Erxiao had vanished.

The City God Temple was like a gaping maw of blood, swallowing his Divine Soul whole.

Yu Ziqing's face turned cold, now observing the truth.

In fact, Zhao Erxiao, might have been supposed to die a long time ago, only that he became an incense-eating person and hadn't perished.

What kind of world is this, where Yin and Yang are inversed, and Evil Gods rule?

He slowly descended into the city, finding a secluded open space not far from the City God Temple, and set his temple hall down.

Seeing the corpses of normal people on those carts, he understood, there are still people in this world resisting.

Only, they have become Evil.

Those incense-eating people are the normal ones.

Yu Ziqing sat within the temple hall, releasing the Big Ghost.

"In your era, were there Earth Deities?"

"There were."

"Tell me about them."

"There's not much to say about Earth Deities, just some people who have accomplished great deeds or possessed great virtue, after death they were decreed as Earth Deities."

"Ah..."

Yu Ziqing shared what he had seen and heard here with the Big Ghost who was so shocked his breath became unsteady.

"You'd best stabilize your breath, if this temple hall breaks, we'll have nowhere to hide."

"Then let's exterminate those Evil Gods."

"What about those incense-eating people? Also exterminate them?"

"Naturally."

"This is just a small city, yet its City God has the aura of the Eighth Tier, and moreover, within his domain, his strength might be even stronger.

His Divine Skills are also different from the Cultivators.

Can you exterminate all the City Gods and Earth Deities in the entire world?

You must know, every Earth Deity's decree and Summoning comes from Emperor Dui.

And the Ninth Tier Strong who entered before, some have already fallen, not even their Divine Souls escaping.

If one could have escaped, there would be no need to burn the Divine Soul to send back the message."

The Big Ghost's face darkened.

"If Emperor Dui is incompetent, then I'll kill that damnable Emperor as well."

"You think you can kill him?"

The Big Ghost fell silent.

"This is only a small city, brute force is useless. Kill a City God today, and tomorrow a new one appears, endless, unceasing.

You have to understand something, for the vast populace.

To them, the likes of me are Evil.

Those Earth Deities are the orthodox.

Capable of leading them without starvation, without dependency on the heaven's fortune, without starving to death.

And what's more, they can live even longer.

How would you have them choose?

Moreover, once they've become incense-eating people, it's probably already too difficult to turn back.

Their Cultivation practice has started to change its system.

Everything has changed."

The Big Ghost closed his eyes, sighing weakly.

He possessed great strength, but at this moment, he felt as though there was nowhere to use it.

Of course he knew this was no longer a problem for just one person, but the whole situation had changed.

The power of a single person was no help, it couldn't change the major trend.

"Don't make a move.

If you act, it will certainly draw in overwhelmingly strong forces for a direct confrontation.

Now is not the time for direct confrontation.

Whatever needs to be done, it should be me to do it.

I'm already categorized by them as Evil, so for a demon like me to make a sneak attack, how natural."

Yu Ziqing gave several warnings to the Big Ghost who nodded, obediently following orders.

Killing and fighting, he can do, but as for handling matters, he listens to Yu Ziqing.

Yu Ziqing gazed from afar in the direction of the City God Temple, where incense fire was thriving, the incense fire qi having turned into plumes of smoke rising to the sky.

The vast incense fire qi hovered around the City God Temple, making it appear even mightier and sacred, inviolable.

Yu Ziqing rubbed his cheeks, transforming into an ugly visage, his bones creaking with a series of cracks, and he changed into a different person altogether.

After putting on a hooded black robe enveloped in incense fire qi, he walked out of the temple hall, heading towards the City God Temple.

Deep into the night, calculating the time, the sky should be brightening soon.

The number of people visiting the City God Temple for incense had also begun to dwindle.

Yu Ziqing, holding the conveniently acquired incense, arrived in front of the enormous incense burner at the front of the City God Temple, lit the incense sticks, holding three fingers respectfully high above his head, earnestly muttering to himself.

"May the City God enjoy fortune as vast as the East Sea and longevity greater than the southern mountains, ascending higher soon.

May all the lords' temples stand forever, enduring beyond the drying of the seas and the crumbling of stones..."

With his heart full of devotion, Yu Ziqing whispered for a long time, all kinds of beautiful wishes freely bestowed.

Then with proper ritual, he bowed three times with his head held high and solemnly placed the three sticks of incense into the burner.

The incense was taken freely, identical to that of others, its wisps of light smoke rising to the sky, blending into the great clouds of incense fire surrounding the City God Temple.

After paying respects with incense, Yu Ziqing silently slipped away like any other ordinary incense-eating person.

He returned to the temple hall, peering through the worn-out window towards the City God Temple, his face filled with anticipation.

My most sincere blessings, my most earnest prayers, should transform into the fiercest of poisons.

Savor it well.

Just now, I happened to hear news that the City God here is only the County City God.

Above Dinghai City, there's still a City God for the prefecture.

If not for hearing this, Yu Ziqing almost wanted to elevate things a bit more.

Now, forget it, the strongest measures should be reserved for later as a trump card.