Master of Strange Dao

Today was truly the first day that the new world's gate was opened.

In the unease of transforming into a demon, a whole day had passed.

He was terrified because he had become a demon, and yet delighted by secretly eating a fruit that tasted sweeter than wheat and had an indescribable flavor.

Tonight, he also learned that never waking up again meant death.

There was more noise at the temporary base, but it was not just superficial noise.

There were more laughter and joyous voices.

The carefree young boys and girls gathered in a circle, passing around a fruit, each taking a bite.

Despite the fruit being mostly sour with just a hint of sweetness, it brought them immense joy.

For them, becoming demons didn't seem so bad.

On a distant hillside, the night's fog concealed everything here.

Yu Ziqing, who was supposed to go to Jiazi City, led people to squat on the hillside, looking far off at the distant fires and cooking smoke.

Yu Ziqing watched everything there; a familiar vibrant vitality was clearly visible.

No longer was it that lifeless, neither-human-nor-ghost state.

"Someone has died," the Earth Deity said anxiously, wanting to go, but was powerless.

"I know."

"You have contaminated them, turning them into demons; they will die," he continued.

"I know that too."

"Do you want to kill them?"

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, even's even a cultivator will have their life's end one day.

You must have seen it?

You saw how that old man looked when he was dying.

Do you think he would rather be delirious, turning into those insubstantial incense-eating people, merely sustaining his wretched life day by day,

or would he prefer to remember the feeling of a full belly, and recall being alive, dying a normal death?

A person should never live just for the sake of staying alive.

Being an Earth Deity, you continue to live as long as the incense fire is not extinguished,

but there will come a day when you too will end your life.

If that day comes when you lose yourself and everything you care about, just existing, would you want that?"

The Earth Deity fell silent, clearly disagreeing with part of Yu Ziqing's speech.

"I just brought you here to see for yourself, and what you see with your own eyes is always better than what I could tell you.

You love your people like your children, and you do not wish to see death in your lands.

Now you tell me, these people have been contaminated by me and turned into demons.

According to the laws of the court, should they die?"

"This..."

The Earth Deity was speechless, unable to say a word for a long time.

"Rest assured, the court will not kill them, nor dare to kill them.

The irony is right there, isn't it.

Let's go, to Jiazi City.

I'm getting itchy hands, wanting to slaughter a few evil gods to relieve the itch," Yu Ziqing said.

Yu Ziqing led the Earth Deity to the vicinity of Dingmao City again, but no one detected them, proving that the Earth Deity indeed had not tipped anyone off.

Yu Ziqing also saw the aftermath he wanted to see and let the Earth Deity witness it as well.

In Dingmao City, the imposing nine-story tall building became mottled and broken, with the top floor collapsed by half, giving Yu Ziqing a rough idea.

Leaving with his people, Yu Ziqing discarded the thought of meeting up with the Resistance Army.

He could not risk exposing them due to his own thoughts.

It was more suitable for him to fight as a guerrilla.

Joining others, he figured he would not be able to make any decisions; it would be better to act on his own.

Moving forward, Yu Ziqing arrived near Guichou City, close to Jiayin City.

The Earth Deity remained silent, already anticipating they would keep saying they were going to Jiazi City, possibly never going there for a long time.

Having followed Yu Ziqing and seen a lot firsthand, he hadn't planned to break their agreement or reveal their location.

Moreover, revealing their location would probably be pointless.

Given the power Yu Ziqing had displayed last time, to the Earth Deity who was away from his territory, he seemed easy to kill, like crushing a chick.

Except for Emperor Dui, it would be hard to find someone who could suppress him in a one-on-one situation.

The Earth Deity watched as Yu Ziqing took out a strangely shaped object wrapped in metal and brought him into the Divine Country of Guichou City.

Upon entering another's Divine Country, the already weak Earth Deity immediately became even weaker and increasingly uncomfortable.

He had managed to endure thus far, likely because people had occasionally worshipped in his lands, maintaining his foundations.

But entering this Divine Country, the Earth Deity noticed an aura that made him feel very uncomfortable.

Yu Ziqing packed up the temple and, carrying the Earth Deity, floated high in the sky, slowly drifting past on the clouds.

Then, the Earth Deity, who had never visited another Divine Country, had his eyes opened.

Incense-eating people were treated like livestock, the cheapest tool for worship; those in power among the incense-eaters even took the last bit of food from them without caring whether they would die.

No, there was no concept of starving to death here, only dying of old age.

Just one day of observation saw several people beaten to death because their lifespan had ended; their souls were absorbed into the temple and disappeared.

And according to those government officials, this was called ascension.

If you have accumulated enough merit and die of old age, you can ascend to the temple and truly begin to enjoy your blessings.

"Do you Earth Deities have this ability? To ascend? I don't know much about it, why don't you explain it to me?" Yu Ziqing asked, looking to the Earth Deity for enlightenment.

The Earth Deity's face darkened, his teeth clenched in anger.