92: There is a god in Qingzhou named Chuping

Will he?

He was afraid.

This realization made Lord Chuping’s chest feel tight.

It wasn't fear of the dangers of the future, but fear that—one day, people would no longer worship gods.

The moment this thought emerged, Lin Chuping was stunned.

He looked down at his faintly glowing palm; incense offerings were indeed the source of his power, but he also understood that if he placed all his hope on the value of incense, it would undoubtedly put him in a dangerous position.

Once the incense offerings ceased, even a god would be in a dilemma.

Either resort to any means for incense, or perish as power waned.

Neither choice would align with his original intention.

Moreover...

“What am I afraid of?”

Lin Chuping murmured to himself, his voice scattered by the wind.

It shouldn't come to that.

He thought of his previous life, a world without demons, where people lived in concrete jungles and used science to explain every phenomenon they witnessed.

But even so—

Under the ginkgo tree in front of the Matchmaker Temple, couples could always be seen tiptoeing to tie red threads, whispering their most private wishes to the gods; in front of the golden statue in the God of Wealth Temple, merchants offered the most expensive incense and candles, their foreheads pressed against the cold floor tiles.

Human faith has never been solely born of fear.

Lin Chuping suddenly smiled.

“At worst...”

“I'll just expand my business in these directions.”

“It’s still too early to consider these things. First, let's set a small goal: pacify Great Yan!”

Having sorted out his thoughts, Lin Chuping no longer held back.

He leaped from the city wall, his robes fluttering, and divine light, like the rising sun, illuminated the entire Qingzhou City.

The fleeing demons let out mournful wails in the light, turning into wisps of green smoke.

That night, the rumbling sounds were incessant, but for the people of Qingzhou, it was the most peaceful night.

***

After one night, a terrifying legend about Lord Chuping began to circulate in the Monster Realm.

The legend says that Lord Chuping is like a ghost; wherever he goes, demons turn to ashes, and his body emits a divine light that makes demons tremble, as if he is a judge descended from Hell.

Some minor demons vividly described Lord Chuping wielding a long sword; with each swing, demon heads fell to the ground, and blood splattered several feet high.

Other demons witnessed firsthand that Lord Chuping's gaze was as cold as ice; just one look could make a demon's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

There were even rumors that Lord Chuping subsisted on eating demons, and the more powerful the demon, the more he enjoyed eating it.

Extremely perverse... various versions of the story escalated.

Initially, only a few minor demons who had narrowly escaped Qingzhou brought back news of Lord Chuping.

They were covered in wounds, their Demonic Qi scattered, and their eyes showed undeniable fear.

Whenever other demons asked what had happened, they would tremble and hoarsely repeat the same name—Lord Chuping!

The great demons initially scoffed.

Just some self-proclaimed god; no matter how strong, what could it do?

Playing god, hiding its true form, what real power could it have?

In a thousand years of the Monster Realm, how many great powers have fallen, how many immortal sects have been destroyed? Does a mere self-proclaimed god deserve to be feared by all demons?

Ridiculous.

But soon, things started to go wrong.

Because one great demon greatly admired Lin Chuping's spirit, thinking that such a killer shouldn't fight alone, and wanted to personally recruit Lin Chuping.

As a result, as soon as it stepped into Qingzhou territory, it was struck by heavenly lightning. Fortunately, this great demon was known for its speed, and it eventually escaped at a heavy cost.

It is said that this great demon is still recovering from its injuries.

With this precedent, all demons spoke of Qingzhou with a change in expression.

No one dared to try it lightly.

For a time, among the Yao Race, the three words Lin Chuping became a terrifying synonym that could stop minor demons from crying at night.

***

Lin Chuping himself was unaware of all this.

At this moment, he stood on a barren mountain on the border of Qingzhou, the last trace of evil Qi dissipating in his hand.

The night wind blew, and the air was filled with the scent of roasted meat.

Now, the entire Qingzhou was a paradise for adventurers.

After Lin Chuping killed the demons, he did not collect their bodies, because he had no use for them.

Moreover, he disdained using these things to curry favor with believers; yes, curry favor.

If these things were given sparingly, they could be called Blessings, but if too many, they would change in nature.

Furthermore, leaving the bodies of these great demons in the wild served as both a deterrent and a Blessing for those benevolent minor demons.

There might also be some reasons Lin Chuping buried deep in his heart, unwilling to speak of.

In the distance, the lights of Qingzhou City were faintly visible, and on the mountain road even further away—

A familiar figure was stumbling and fleeing.

That person's clothes were stained with blood, and her hair was disheveled, but it still couldn't hide her cold, frosty demeanor.

“Pei Yunchuan.”

Lin Chuping narrowed his eyes.

His figure flickered, and in the next second, he had appeared on the mountain road several miles away.

After a Blessing, Pei Yunchuan seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up, but saw nothing.

Since Qingzhou was now free of danger, Lin Chuping had no intention of revealing himself. He planned to use the Enter Dream technique on Pei Yunchuan tonight to ask for the reason.

Pei Yunchuan was severely injured; his internal organs had varying degrees of damage, and the most serious was a wisp of black Demonic Qientanglement around his heart meridian, constantly eroding his vitality.

***

Pei Yunchuan’s boot soles were already worn through.

Recalling the experience of being kicked around like a shuttlecock for the past two months, he couldn't help but want to let out a long howl to the sky.

“Another one from a local area asking for help? The Vice Minister is in seclusion for a Breakthrough. Come back at the beginning of next month.”

“Do you know how many prefectures come asking for help every day now?”

“There's a rock fiend causing trouble in the north, a thousand-eyed python in the south, and a Torch Dragon's offspring in the west—if everyone rushed into the Ministry of War like you, would the court even function?”

“According to regulations, local demon incidents should first be reported to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for record, then presented to the Emperor by the Director. Your bypassing of authority is against the rules.”

The Ministry of War was like this, and the tea at the Ministry of Revenue was even colder than at the Ministry of War.

“The allocation of funds and grain requires the Privy Council’s seal. Besides, didn’t your Qingzhou already fall...”

“Prime Minister Du has ordered that the recent frequent demon infestations are all false reports of disaster by local officials, actually paving the way for embezzlement of disaster relief funds.”

“The imperial court is now overwhelmed. If you have difficulties, don't always think of asking for help; you must overcome them yourselves first.”

And there was the Marquis of Pingyang's heir, in whom he had placed great hopes.

“Do you know the political climate in the court right now? Prime Minister Du just issued the ‘Order to Suppress Gods,’ strictly prohibiting local officials from colluding with lewd shrines and evil gods. That... Lord Chuping you mentioned? He’s not even in the court’s official registry.”

“For the sake of our classmates' friendship, take the travel money and go back. Don't say such crazy things anymore.”

“You can't handle this matter in Qingzhou, and neither can I!”

The door slammed shut behind him.

At this point in his memories, Pei Yunchuan truly laughed out loud.

“Hahahahaha!”

“A fine ‘I can't handle it’! Can't handle it, hahahahaha!”

For a moment, Pei Yunchuan even regretted whether he had been wrong to struggle to live back then!

So he came back.

He chose to die in Qingzhou!