Chapter 197: The Origin Heavenly Venerable Arrives; The People of Fei Wu City Have a Feast

Chapter 197: The Origin Heavenly Venerable Arrives; The People of Fei Wu City Have a Feast

In Qing Shui Village, the Grand Venerable Shen Lei watched the departing expedition with disbelief in his eyes.

“They’re really setting off?” he muttered.

Beside him, Zhu Zhuangshi gazed enviously at the proud and powerful large black dog marching off to war. Gathering his courage, Zhu looked at the Grand Venerable Shen Lei. In the past, he would have bowed and scraped before a True God, but after following the village's protector deity for some time, he had lost much of his fear of authority—though he still held a deep respect for the deity.

“You get used to scenes like this after a while,” Zhu Zhuangshi said, speaking from experience as he tried to comfort Shen Lei. After all, those who had followed the protector deity for a while had become immune to such grand displays.

Shen Lei gave Zhu a glance and said dismissively, “A man who was pinned down by a dog and couldn’t even get a seat at the table has no right to speak to me.”

At that, Zhu Zhuangshi's previously confident demeanor vanished, and he looked pitifully hurt. Recently, during a feast, Zhu had drunk too much and tried to reminisce about the good old days while hugging the large black dog, only for the dog to pin him down.

Wang Chongshan, who was standing nearby, teased him, saying, “My sworn brother isn’t who he used to be; how dare you mess around with him?” Wang Chongshan's sworn brother was none other than the large black dog. Zhu Zhuangshi looked even more aggrieved at that.

Outside Fei Wu City, officials lined up in two rows at the city gates. Their expressions varied—some were eager, others anxious, and some looked heartbroken.

“Commander Ji, why are you still here?” asked a tall man with a neat mustache, wearing a green robe and a gray belt. He looked spirited and robust.

Ji Buran glanced at Wang Chunfeng but remained silent.

Wang Chunfeng didn’t seem offended and replied with a polite bow, "We're colleagues now; we should look out for each other."

Fei Wu City had no ancient gods, only a city lord. Ji Buran was the Chief Commander in the city lord’s manor, overseeing a battalion. With the sudden changes in the city, most of the prominent figures had fled, leaving Ji Buran as the highest-ranking official who had stayed behind.

As for Wang Chunfeng, he was originally a merchant with no official position, but since the new god was about to take over Fei Wu City, he had pledged his allegiance early and thus became the representative of the new god’s forces.

Now they were standing outside the city gates, waiting to welcome the new god's arrival. Each of the officials had their own motives, standing there under a light drizzle, which was nothing to these cultivators.

Wang Chunfeng, smiling, said, “Commander Ji, do you think less of me because I’m just a merchant?”

Ji Buran finally looked at him seriously and replied in a deep, powerful voice, “Not at all.”

“That’s good. I’ve always admired you, Commander Ji,” Wang Chunfeng replied amiably. “Once the lord arrives, we can work together to serve the god.”

When Wang Chunfeng mentioned the new god, his eyes were filled with reverence. The new god would assimilate some of the citizens, but not all. The new god had also promised that those who served loyally could leave the Fanxin World with the god and gain eternal life.

Wang Chunfeng’s roots were in Fei Wu City. Leaving the city would mean losing everything he had accumulated over the years, so he chose to stay. Many like him sought to take advantage of the situation. However, most of the city's population consisted of elderly and frail citizens who couldn’t leave. Even those with cultivation levels at the Foundation or Core stages faced certain death if they ventured out of the city in these troubled times.

Ji Buran had stayed behind out of concern for the people under his care.

"Yes," Ji Buran responded, nodding at Wang Chunfeng.

At this moment, Wang Chunfeng recalled something and said, "Commander Ji, with the new god arriving, we should do something to show our loyalty. We’re planning to hold a feast for young girls. Since you know the city best, we’d appreciate your help in gathering them."

A fierce light flashed in Ji Buran’s eyes, which he quickly concealed. "Fei Wu City is in a state of decline. Such a feast should be planned carefully."

"Are you unwilling to help, Commander Ji?" Wang Chunfeng asked with a sly smile.

"What do you mean?" Ji Buran’s eyes filled with anger.

Wang Chunfeng clapped his hands, and two guards brought forth a child, about seven or eight years old, who was struggling to break free.

Wang Chunfeng smiled. “If you’re unwilling to hold a feast for girls, perhaps we can hold one for boys instead. I’ve already caught one.”

“You!” Ji Buran’s anger exploded as he recognized the child as his own son. He had stayed in Fei Wu City, ready to defend it to the last, sending his family away to safety. He never expected Wang Chunfeng to capture his son. Fury boiled within him, and his aura, that of a Purple Mansion cultivator, surged as he prepared to strike.

But Wang Chunfeng remained calm. “The lord will arrive soon. Are you planning to rebel?”Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

If he could take down the leader, the battle would be won. As the Arhats pressed him, the Flowing Venerable inched closer to Qi Yuan, preparing to strike.

“This is taking too long. If it continues like this, it’ll delay the feast,” Qi Yuan remarked, bored by the ongoing battle. “Four Heavenly Kings, you—”

But before he could finish, the Flowing Venerable, bolstered by his divine power, charged at Qi Yuan, a triumphant grin on his face.

“I’ve survived divine wars! What can you local weaklings do against me?” he roared, convinced of his victory.

But as he reached Qi Yuan, four beautiful women—the Four Heavenly Kings—stepped forward. Each one was a true god. Behind them, the remaining twelve Arhats formed a protective barrier around Qi Yuan, their divine power palpable.

The Flowing Venerable’s grin froze. He swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of his mistake.

“Kill!”

The sixteen true gods attacked simultaneously. The sounds of pipa strings, spinning parasols, and jingling bells filled the air as the Flowing Venerable was bombarded with twelve iron fists.

“No!”

The Flowing Venerable’s divine apertures shattered under the relentless assault. Qi Yuan watched impassively, sighing, “If you’d lent me your corpse earlier, you wouldn’t have had to suffer. I might’ve even let your spirit dine at the table.”

With that, the Flowing Venerable was beaten to death, his divine apertures obliterated by the iron fists of the mighty warriors.

Qi Yuan turned to the officials outside the city gates, his eyes cold. They were paralyzed with fear. The Flowing Venerable had been killed—by twenty true gods! Where did so many true gods come from?

“The feast begins,” Qi Yuan announced, his gaze turning icy. “Kill anyone who was planning to help the evil gods. It’ll give us more time to feast.”

At his command, the Dragon-subduing Arhat and the Tiger-taming Arhat charged into the crowd, cutting through the officials like they were nothing. Cries of pain and terror filled the air as the once-arrogant officials fell like paper before them.

Turning to Ji Buran, Qi Yuan’s voice softened. “I have a task for you.”

Ji Buran, tense with anticipation, replied earnestly, “Yes, my lord?”

Here stood an ancient god willing to stand up for Fei Wu City. Ji Buran’s admiration for him was boundless.

“We’ve traveled far to hold a feast for the Flowing Venerable. We have chefs, mourners, and musicians—all we need is food. Go and gather some provisions,” Qi Yuan said casually.

The villagers behind him, eager for the feast, licked their lips in anticipation. To them, following Qi Yuan was most joyful when there was a feast.

Ji Buran, slightly confused, eventually nodded. “Understood!”

He didn’t fully grasp the Qing Shui Village protector deity’s intentions, but he believed there was more to this than just a feast. There had to be a deeper meaning.

“The Origin Heavenly Venerable has come, so the people of Fei Wu City will have a feast,” Qi Yuan mused, watching Ji Buran’s retreating figure and the imposing city before him.

Qi Qi stood beside him, her eyes alight with excitement, though a hint of sadness lingered beneath. Unfortunately, the people of Tianfu and other cities, those who had perished at the hands of evil gods, would never have the chance to feast, to enjoy the victory over the evil gods.

Determined, Qi Qi resolved to eat heartily, to honor those who had died defending Tianfu and its people.

Qi Yuan examined the Flowing Venerable’s storage bag, quickly assessing its contents. “If I’d met him a few months ago, he might have been something, but now... this is it?”

The bag held little of value, but the evil god’s divine power and experience were rewards enough.

However, something caught his eye—a broken helmet, riddled with holes and still stained with fresh blood. Qi Yuan recognized a familiar aura from it.

“Wenqi, could this be your great-grandfather’s helmet?” he asked, producing the battered helmet for all to see.

The evil god’s divine power still lingered within it, a testament to the fierce battle it had witnessed.