Old Farmer

Although he had not been in this world for long, Yu Sheng'an had already realized what constituted its foundational power.

That was—the soul.

A mage's power came from Magic Runes, but it ultimately required Soul Power to sustain it.

Abyssal Devils evolved through battle and devouring, but according to the records and Yu Sheng'an's observations, they were ultimately devouring souls to strengthen themselves.

It was simply that battle and destruction seemed to let them vent the unstable elements within foreign souls.

Even so, most Devils were still mad and twisted.

The same went without saying for gods. A Godhead was merely an authority; to wield that authority required Source Essence as fuel.

And Source Essence came from souls.

Thus, Redmond's soul had been twisted by an execution by fire to the point that he could use Yu Sheng'an's Life-Sharing Contract to contact Yu Sheng'an's Abyssal Devils and summon them over. It seemed unbelievable, but it was understandable when considered that way.

Yu Sheng'an tapped his fingers against the armrest as he pondered inwardly.

Perhaps Redmond's soul had not been twisted at all. Perhaps "distortion" was merely a concept invented by mages and gods.

Calling it a mutation might be more accurate.

If he could grasp the secrets of the soul, perhaps his power could surpass that of the gods.

Unfortunately... Yu Sheng'an glanced at Redmond's three companions through Divine Perspective. The vitality in their bodies had not vanished; the enormous horde of Devils sustaining the lives of three people was no more than a drop in the bucket.

But their souls had collapsed.

In modern medical terms, their current state was most aptly described as vegetative.

Of that brutal execution by fire, only Redmond had endured with Yu Sheng'an's help, and due to some complex factors, his soul had mutated.

"A one-of-a-kind specimen!"

Yu Sheng'an shook his head and ultimately chose to stand by and watch.

Half an hour later, the village's stake was lit once more, except the person bound to it had been replaced by an old woman.

Amid her wails, the Shadow Demon rushed from the village, hunting down the villagers fleeing in mad panic with a sinister grin.

Yu Sheng'an sighed, then withdrew his Divine Perspective, out of sight and out of mind.

He had no right to condemn Redmond. If he put himself in Redmond's shoes, he might have acted even more radically.

In fact, his Low-Grain Strategy was exceedingly filthy. Once launched, its destructive power would be no less than that of a large-scale war.

Still, he left a mark on Redmond and decided to keep him under close observation.

Three days later, Yu Sheng'an represented the Kevil Empire in escorting the Vias delegation out of Willis City.

It would be a long journey, requiring at least half a month to reach the Goddess of Music's Earthly Divine Kingdom—Vias.

Once they left the city, the desolation and vastness of this world gradually unfolded before them.

On both sides of the Official Road, compacted with Earth Magic, there were still sprawling Farmland plots near the city. As they traveled farther, those fields gave way to an endless Forest.

Time became tedious as well.

For that very reason, many people could not understand why Yu Sheng'an had chosen to accompany them.

Especially Meg, the Legate of Vias.

As the Legate, he knew perfectly well why they had come to the Kevil Empire—to purchase the newly cultivated high-yield, cold-resistant seeds of the Kevil Empire.

Unfortunately, the Kevil Empire clearly understood the importance of those seeds as well. No matter what price they offered, the empire would not budge.

In the end, it was only willing to sell them a batch of grain.

Beyond that, the Kevil Empire would also dispatch Asheff to Vias to discuss cooperation.

To be honest, if Asheff had not been traveling with them, Meg would never have been satisfied with this batch of grain. He would have found a way to remain in Willis until he acquired some seeds, even if it was only a few.

At the very least, he would have something to report to the goddess.

That was precisely why he understood Asheff's status so clearly.

Especially after arriving here, he had learned that Asheff had innovatively proven the conjecture that Lightning Magic could be converted into Light Magic.

Calling such a great figure comparable to the Three Magic Gods would not have been an exaggeration.

Yet he was sitting in a carriage and traveling with the delegation. It was simply too strange.

The delegation was escorting nothing more than a batch of grain. There was no need to mobilize someone as important as him.

Even if he represented the Kevil Empire in negotiating state affairs with the goddess, he could have simply teleported over. Why waste time on the road?

Meg could not understand it.

What he did not know was that Yu Sheng'an simply could not find Vias.

That was right. The reason was that damn simple.

Among the teleportation coordinates marked by Thorne, Former God of Contracts, there just so happened to be no Earthly Divine Kingdom of the Goddess of Music.

And Yu Sheng'an had no users nearby to provide coordinates, so how was he supposed to teleport there?

Even if he teleported somewhere nearby, he would still need to dispatch a large number of Devils to search. If that provoked a misunderstanding from the Goddess of Music, it would be troublesome.

Since either way was such a hassle, he might as well follow the delegation.

People to serve him, people to guide him, and people to help establish his identity—how great was that?

Yu Sheng'an could also use the opportunity to cultivate Magic and gather information about the Goddess of Music.

"Mr. Meg, I heard that your country holds Music above all else. As long as one creates beautiful music, even a commoner can obtain a noble title and generous rewards. Is that true?"

Inside the carriage, Yu Sheng'an asked Meg with a smile.

"Mr. Asheff, everyone says you are the cleverest mage in the world. I never expected even you to believe such rumors!"

"Oh? How so?"

"How could something as elegant as Music possibly be created by lowborn commoners?"

Yu Sheng'an was stunned. "Then what if a commoner truly did create something? Are there really no examples in Vias's history?"

"Well... it is not that there were none. There were indeed a few exceptionally gifted geniuses who could create beautiful Music without ever studying musical theory. However, such people would not be granted a Noble Title immediately. Instead, they would be exceptionally admitted to the Music Academy, and only afterward would their grades and contributions determine whether they received a Noble Title."

"Oh—so that was how it was."

Yu Sheng'an nodded, his eyes flickering.

The Goddess of Music truly was not foolish!

Yet outsiders had spread it as though "all pursuits are inferior; only Music is supreme." For all he knew, that was a smokescreen she had released herself.

Still, as a god who wielded Music Authority, she clearly placed great importance on Music!

I wonder whether the few Blue Star pieces I prepared can catch her divine ear?

And my Contract Godhead wielded power through language and writing.

Then through what did the Music Godhead wield its power?

Lyrics?

Or melody?

Yu Sheng'an exhaled and glanced out the window. At some point, the delegation had passed beside a vast stretch of Farmland.

In the chill of late autumn, with all things withering, the Farmland was nevertheless lush and green.

The pleasing sight made Yu Sheng'an call out instinctively, "Stop!"

The delegation immediately halted.

Amid everyone's astonished gazes, Yu Sheng'an stepped down from the carriage and looked across the roadside Farmland. It was filled with Broad Leaf Winter Mallow.

Its thick leaves swayed gently in the cold wind.

By the roadside, an Old Farmer leaned on an iron plow, looking at Yu Sheng'an and the convoy with an uncertain, suspicious expression.

Yu Sheng'an asked, "Old sir, is all this yours?"

The Old Farmer looked panicked and repeatedly waved his hands. "N-no, sir. In reply to your lordship, it's all ownerless wasteland. I was just planting it casually."

Yu Sheng'an smiled reassuringly. "Do not be afraid, old sir. I was merely asking. Aren't you afraid of wild beasts emerging from the Forest while you reclaim land here?"

A trace of pride appeared on the Old Farmer's face. "Not afraid. Lots of folks in our village have been learning Magic and Battle Qi on the Internet. They're mighty capable. The beasts in this Forest have all been chased off. How would they dare come running out?"

"That is quite good." Yu Sheng'an nodded, then added, "After you harvest this crop of Broad Leaf Winter Mallow, do not plant it again. It cannot withstand the cold. Once the weather gets colder, it will not grow."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Yu Sheng'an waved his hand and climbed back into the carriage.

The convoy then set off, slowly departing.

Watching the departing convoy, the Old Farmer was seized by a sudden impulse and shouted at a soldier, "Young man, let me ask you something. Who was that young lord? He looked like he knew quite a bit about Winter Mallow."