Mortal Mayflies

The water splashed from the breaking waves fell from the sky, drenching the robes of all the Poison God Altar disciples.

The cold of late winter and early spring seeped in, and everyone shivered.

It was unclear if it was from the cold or from fear.

The crestfallen Altar Master of the Poison God Altar stared at the great river that had been cut in two by a sword, then slowly rejoined. He watched as the Altar Master of the Mountain God Altar, wearing a mask of an evil god, along with the Mountain God, spilled blood into the river, and he became somewhat deranged.

When he snapped back to reality, he realized the white-robed youth had already appeared before him without him noticing.

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar stared blankly at Kongchenzi, as if looking at a mountain, a cloud, or the sky, but certainly not at a person.

Only an existence as grand as a mountain, a cloud, or the sky could make one feel so unreachable, so out of place in the mortal world.

"Where is the Cult Leader of the Five Gods Cult?"

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar looked at the gaze the white-robed youth directed at him, which was exactly the same as how he looked at the Cult Leader of the Five Gods Cult the first time he met him.

"Is human sacrifice too costly? The imperial court sees us as thorns in their side, and the common folk resent us. Can't we find other offerings?" As a newly appointed Altar Master, I knelt on the ground, filled with fear and anxiety.

The Cult Leader wore a theatrical costume, and with a flick of his hand, the various characters on stage began to dance along with him.

"Are there more people in the world than anything else?"

"People are like grass; what does it matter if many die?"

"In the late years of the previous dynasty, Marquis Huang raised an army and slaughtered ten thousand iron-clad soldiers in Jiangzhou. The fish in the river didn't finish eating the corpses floating on the water for a month, and Jiangzhou was left with only one in ten households.

"Decades later, Jiangzhou is still the same prosperous Jiangzhou as it was like smoke."

"They are like weeds; you can't kill them all! You can't cut them all down!"

He would never forget the eyes behind the mask and the chilling words: "This is the value of the Five Gods Cult. If you have no value to exploit, then like those weeds, you might as well be fed to the Five Gods."

A line of opera singing expressed indifference to the common people: "Mortal mayflies, born in the morning, die in a dream."

Staring intently into Kongchenzi's eyes, the Altar Master of the Poison God Altar retreated in terror, finally rolling in the mud, shouting as he backed away.

He drew the knife from his waist, pointing it at Kongchenzi in a manner that was both pathetic and ridiculous.

"Don't put on that sanctimonious act in front of me. You're the same as him; you're all the same."

"People like you, do you truly care about morality and justice? Is there anything in this world that can restrain you?"

"She viewed us as pigs and dogs, and the world as mere grass."

"And you are playing a game of fooling the mortal world and acting as a righteous hero."

"You are all high and mighty, never having put us mortals in your eyes."

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar roared, and when he finished, he seemed to have lost all his strength, slumping to the ground and laughing with tears streaming down his face like an old dog, unable to catch his breath.

His hair was disheveled, his body covered in dirt, and he no longer possessed any of the imposing presence of the Altar Master of the Poison God Altar in Jiangzhou. He was now like a madman.

Kongchenzi watched him quietly, making no move, as if waiting for him to give his final answer.

After a long while, the Altar Master of the Poison God Altar finally calmed down, whether out of true despair or exhaustion.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"We were exploited long ago and are now just useless trash. We established the Five Gods Cult for him. Over the years, what he wanted to do has long been accomplished, and we are merely discarded shells, scapegoats."

"You won't find him. He wouldn't make an enemy of someone like you for the sake of insignificant beings like us."

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar looked at Kongchenzi: "Aren't you an immortal? Calculate it with your fingers!"

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha! You won't find him."

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar moved in an instant. Or perhaps, knowing that the person before him would not let him go, he grabbed his knife and slashed it across his own throat.

The final choice of the Poison God Altar proved he was still a man of the martial world.

Blood spurted out with a slap.

He endured the intense pain, trying not to cry out, as if maintaining his last shred of dignity.

But he couldn't resist the weakness that pervaded his body.

Finally, he knelt before the white-robed youth, collapsing onto the ground.

His body swayed, his blood-covered face looked up at him, and then he grinned at him.

"I am a..."

"An ant!"

As he died, he seemed to hear the lingering opera singing again, and the figure dancing like colorful clouds.

"Mortal mayflies, born in the morning, die in a dream."

The Altar Master of the Poison God Altar closed his eyes and rolled off the ferry crossing.

The great river flowed on, and the waves swept him away with the current.

The white-robed youth turned and walked away from the riverbank.

Behind him, the disciples of the Poison God Altar who had come to participate in the ambush turned to dust, one by one.

The entire ferry crossing was empty.

At this moment, a streak of green light surged forth. The Azure Dragon Guardian boy sat atop the Azure Dragon Sword, his expression one of righteous indignation.

"This man deserves to die! He committed too many evils, poisoning countless people with that demonic creature, the Poison God. His death is too easy and cheap."

"It's not over yet!" The white-clothed youth walked alone towards the main road.

That direction, and the end of the road, led to Yuande Square.

The entire Jiangting Commandery was only just beginning to reel from the shockwaves caused by the deaths of the Poison God and the Mountain God.

The Five Gods Cult, which had held sway in Jiangzhou for generations, would also begin to crumble from this night onward.

When the mountain collapsed, the falling rocks didn't just crush the Poison God Altar and the Mountain God Altar; they didn't just crush the Five Gods Cult.

Along the pleasure districts on both banks, people had begun to gather from the moment the Poison God appeared on the river.

The riverbanks were packed with a dense crowd of people. Even though the waters had calmed and the Immortals had vanished, they did not disperse.

Simultaneously, various people rushed to investigate and gather information. Some rejoiced upon hearing of the Poison God and Mountain God's demise, while others were covered in soot and ash.

In all of Jiangzhou, which power was not intricately linked with the Five Gods Cult?

Whether in officialdom, business, or various underground forces, none could escape the Five Gods Cult's influence.

They hastily carried the news of the Poison God and Mountain God's deaths back, and also spread the momentous news of the Sword Immortal Kongchenzi from Gongzhou's arrival in Jiangzhou.

As the Poison God, the Golden Toad, died, an official in official attire also departed in haste, quickly boarding a carriage to the Prince Jian's Estate in Yuande Square.

Prince Jian's Estate occupied a full half of Yuande Square, with layered pavilions and towers, surrounded by gardens and rockeries, and housing over a thousand servants.

Tonight was also a night of toasting and feasting, with music and dancing continuing unabated.

The hall was filled with various civil officials from Jiangzhou, and even military officials, all of whom had been won over and bought by Prince Jian's Estate.

It was evident that the entire Jiangzhou had fallen completely into Prince Jian's hands, gradually being brought under his control from top to bottom, becoming people of the Prince's Estate.

Seated high in the main hall was a handsome and imposing man in casual attire, exuding an air of commanding presence. This was Prince Jian, Chen Sui.

At this moment, a eunuch-like figure approached and whispered something into his ear. Prince Jian immediately stood up and walked to the rear.

The official who had arrived in haste immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

"Your Highness! The Poison God is dead."

"Tonight's plan by the Poison God Altar and the Mountain God Altar to ambush the Sword Immortal Kongchenzi from Gongzhou has failed. It seems the other party was well-prepared."

Prince Jian had relied on the Five Gods Cult to gain such rapid control over Jiangzhou after being enfeoffed there. Naturally, he was paying close attention.

The official appeared somewhat fearful, having been terrified by the sight of the Poison God, the Golden Toad, being burned alive on the river.

"I watched the Poison God being burned alive, turning the entire great river into a sea of fire."

"I estimate that by the time I returned on this road, the Altar Master of the Poison God Altar and the Mountain God Altar are also in dire straits."