Chapter 471
Chapter 471
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 471
>Chapter Title: Yu'er God
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“Yu'er God? What kind of deity is that?”
Li Huowang racked his brains trying to recall the name, but even in the vast memories of Hei Feng, there was no trace of any Yu'er God.
As Li Huowang pondered, new changes began to stir among the villagers in the distance.
The people in the circle gradually fell silent. They extinguished all the candles and oil lamps, prostrating themselves on the ground in pitch blackness, silently kowtowing toward the front.
“What are they bowing to?” Li Huowang shifted his body color to match the earth, vanishing as he stealthily crept toward them.
Li Huowang initially thought they were bowing to that massive banyan tree, but he soon realized that wasn't the case. The direction they faced overhead was nothing but pure darkness.
“Wait, darkness?!” Li Huowang's gaze fell on the black cloth draped over their shoulders, which now seemed to carry new significance.
“Yu'er God~” Everyone who had been prostrating shouted in unison, raising their hands high as they lay flat on their backs, staring ecstatically at the pitch-black sky above.
“Boom boom boom~” The ground began to tremble.
Somewhat tense, Li Huowang swallowed hard and pressed down on Li Sui's head beside him.
The rumbling grew more intense, but when Li Huowang saw panic flash across the faces of those in the distance, he instantly realized this massive commotion probably wasn't caused by their so-called Yu'er God.
“Kill!!!” A thunderous roar exploded, and a flash of white light burst from the darkness on the left, stabbing into Li Huowang's eyes like a knife.
As he staggered back half a step, rubbing his eyes before slowly reopening them, he saw a line of black-armored cavalry on steaming warhorses plow straight through the crowd like a razor.
By the time the last horse tail whipped past, not a single living soul remained—nor even an intact piece of clothing. All that was left was a steaming mush of minced flesh and shattered bone.
Only then did Li Huowang understand: the earlier tremors had been caused by this cavalry charge.
There were only about thirty riders, yet as they thundered forward, they gave Li Huowang the overwhelming impression of a thousand-strong army.
“Swish!” The distant cavalry wheeled sharply in unison, their massive mounted weapons aimed straight at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang glanced at Li Sui beside him, his heart sinking. “Damn it. They’ve spotted us!”
The ground shook again, rapidly closing in on Li Huowang. He turned to flee, but a prey's instinct told him he was marked—no matter where he ran, he couldn't escape.
Just as they were about to crash into him, he yanked something from his robes and thrust the Sitian Bureau token high into the air.
“Whoosh~!” Li Huowang’s hair and robe hem whipped wildly in the wind as the cavalry split apart like a raging river, roaring past on either side.
When Li Huowang spun around, one ironclad horse had halted right in front of him.
The rider was massive, gripping a gigantic guandao. Stationed there, he exuded the pressure of a small mountain.
Even craning his neck upward, Li Huowang couldn’t see his face—only the rising steam from the thick helmet.
As Li Huowang wondered what to say, “thwack”—the man slammed the guandao onto his saddle, pulled out a sheet of yellow silk, stretched it taut between his hands, and began to bellow.
“By the mandate of the Heavens, received by the Emperor! Lately within Great Liang’s borders, cults of the Dharma have resurfaced. These demonic cults deceive the masses with foul words, summoning heavenly calamities and man-made disasters! They shall be exterminated root and branch! Let this decree be proclaimed to all under Heaven!”
After proclaiming the imperial edict in a booming voice, without waiting for Li Huowang’s response, the cavalry turned and rode off.
A quarter-hour later, only Li Huowang and Li Sui stood alone in the empty field.
Li Huowang slowly turned his head toward the distant swath of minced flesh. “Dharma cults? Summoning heavenly calamities? So these people were worshipping a calamity? That means their Yu'er God is—”
Li Huowang cut himself off abruptly, his face draining to a pallid white. He felt his voice starting to twist toward that crane-like cry again.
“Dad, are you okay?” Li Sui tugged worriedly at Li Huowang’s red Daoist robes.
Clutching his head, Li Huowang shook it hard. He was finally starting to understand why Great Liang had deployed the military against these small fry—not because of their strength, but because of who they worshipped.
“How... It’s only been so long since the calamity struck, and already there are sects worshipping it? That’s way too fast.”
“And what are these Dharma cultists trying to achieve by worshipping that Yu'er God? No, wait—think backwards. What is that so-called Yu'er God really after?”
Pondering this, Li Huowang slowly looked up at Zhuge Yuan. “Brother Zhuge, why does my heart feel so uneasy? Do you know something?”
Zhuge Yuan, brows furrowed, stared at the distant gore, gripping his folded fan tightly. “Brother Li, I don’t know. I’m just a mere mortal. I only hope this calamity is just the beginning.”
That remark only made it worse—like a stone pressing down on Li Huowang’s heart.
“Then, Brother Zhuge, about that Yu'er God—” The moment the name left his lips, a stabbing pain erupted deep in Li Huowang’s left ear. He instinctively grimaced and clutched it.
“Don’t ask, Brother Li. Asking further will bring trouble. Matters from beyond the heavens—even if you knew, what could you change?”
“Besides, if you know, you become part of their flesh. You’d be tangled in their karma.”
“Nothing can be said? Is there really nothing we can discuss?” Irritation flickered in Li Huowang’s mind.
“There is. The Great Dao numbers fifty, deriving forty-nine; one escapes through man. The only thing I can say is this: though the Sages of Fate are dead, at least those governing the Heavenly Dao remain unscathed for now.”
“If even one of those Heavenly Dao Sages falters, no matter which Dao is lost, you’ll know before I do.”
A chaotic swirl of nightmarish visions flooded Li Huowang’s mind, twisting his expression uglier. “This mad world truly isn’t fit for humans!”
“Senior Brother Li? What’s wrong?” Bai Lingmiao, draped in clothes, stumbled toward them.
Li Huowang glanced at the distant gore and hurried forward, supporting her as they headed back.
“Nothing, just stepped out to relieve myself.”
This sense of impending storm filled Li Huowang with unease. Even with the Sitian Bureau, he had no idea if they could hold.
There wasn’t much he could do now—only cultivate to true completion as swiftly as possible, so he could protect himself and his own amid whatever crises arose.
With that thought, Li Huowang pulled Bai Lingmiao in his arms even tighter.
(End of chapter)