One Must Not Call Oneself a God While Alive

Han Zheng had heard of the Incense Cult.

The neighboring Huainan Dao had nearly been taken over by the Incense Cult, and its name now resounded throughout all of Great Zhou.

The Incense Cult worshipped the True Spirit Master of the Supreme of the Nine Heavens' Merciful Vast Salvation of All Beings Wonderful Dharma, also known as the Merciful Mother.

All believers of the Merciful Mother had to water incense offerings with their blood before lighting them. Thus, red smoke soared into the sky—this was also the Incense Cult's mark.

In Han Zheng's eyes, the Incense Cult was a textbook evil cult.

Not because of their bloodletting and incense-smelling methods.

But because as long as the god a religion worshipped was alive, then it was definitely an evil cult.

One must not call oneself a god while alive.

You could be a god's messenger or a god's son, but you absolutely could not call yourself a god while alive.

Li Feng walked to Han Zheng's side, his expression solemn. "A few years ago, when I went to Huainan Dao to purchase Spiritual Medicine, I saw some veteran Incense Cult believers.

"Other than eating and drinking, they would let blood and smell incense whenever they had the energy. They said that after smelling the incense, they could behold the Nine Levels of Ultimate Bliss and the Home of Eternal Life.

"The Incense Cult said that as long as one sincerely worshipped the Merciful Mother, one could enter the Home of Eternal Life after death—neither born nor dead, without sin or calamity.

"In the end, some believers even bled themselves to death, yet still wore that intoxicated expression in their final moments.

"At that time, the Incense Cult had not yet occupied Huainan Dao on a large scale, but I already felt that they were no good."

Han Zheng said in a low voice, "If we can't afford to provoke them, we can afford to avoid them. Have the caravan take a detour. We can endure some hardship and rest after we return to Black Stone County."

Great Zhou had nineteen daos. The Incense Cult's occupation of a single dao had shaken the world, which showed just how powerful it was.

Whether such a major sect capable of throwing an entire dao into chaos was evil or righteous, it was not something Han Zheng and the others could afford to provoke right now.

Under Han Zheng and Li Feng's direction, the caravan began to take a detour.

However, there were rather a lot of people, and their movements made quite a commotion. In the end, they were still noticed by the Incense Cult.

The Incense Cult members leading the villagers in chanting scriptures noticed the caravan's movements. The two exchanged a glance, each holding a stick of incense as they quickly approached the caravan.

The two looked utterly ordinary, around forty or fifty years old. Their faces even bore the traces left by years of sun and labor, making them seem like plain, honest old farmers.

Yet the white robes on their bodies were spotless, even dazzlingly white, forming a stark contrast with their appearances.

"Laymen, meeting is fate. Why not smell a stick of incense and offer incense to the Merciful Mother?"

The leading cult member was slightly plump. Wearing a simple, honest smile, he held the incense out before Han Zheng.

His attitude was exceedingly polite, but his tone made it sound as though refusal was not an option.

Li Feng's expression changed slightly. He instinctively took two steps back and looked toward Han Zheng.

"Sorry, but the caravan still has a journey to make. It is not convenient for us to let blood and smell incense for now."

The other cult member, tall and thin, narrowed his eyes, his tone turning somewhat unfriendly.

"Soaking incense in blood is how believers show their devotion. How can you call it bloodletting? You gentlemen do not even wish to light a stick of incense. Do you have some opinion of our Incense Cult?"

Han Zheng said gravely, "We have no opinion of your sect. It is simply that the caravan is indeed pressed for time, and we have no time to spare."

The slightly plump cult member laughed loudly. "You will not lose much time by lighting a stick of incense."

As his words fell, the plump cult member stepped forward. In an instant, he had arrived before Han Zheng.

The hand holding the incense curled halfway into a fist. His qi and blood surged and shifted, like a child presenting incense, yet the roaring Fist Intent was already lunging straight at Han Zheng's face!

Whether Han Zheng accepted this stick of incense or not, he would have to accept it!

Han Zheng did not move. The sinews, bones, and qi and blood in his arm churned as he formed a hand seal and smashed it down through the air.

Vajra Wrathful Glare, Demon Subduing!

The child presenting incense collided with the Vajra Demon Subduing Seal.

A violent, muffled boom immediately rang out between them.

The stick of incense in the plump cult member's hand dropped because the qi and blood in the tiger's mouth of his hand had been violently shaken.

Han Zheng caught it in one motion and presented it with both hands.

"People wait for time; when has time ever waited for people?

"We promised the employer that we would deliver the goods on time. We truly cannot afford to wait."

The plump cult member stared deeply at Han Zheng, and the honest smile on his face gradually vanished.

After a moment, he took the incense back and said expressionlessly, "Since Layman is in a hurry, then forget it. But meeting is fate. You and I will meet again."

"Farewell."

Han Zheng cupped his hands, then immediately called for the caravan to leave.

Watching the caravan's retreating backs, the tall, thin cult member frowned. "Big Brother, why did you let them go? The Merciful Mother likes the incense offerings of martial artists best. The incense offering produced by a Houtian Middle Stage martial artist burning incense with his blood is stronger than that of a hundred ordinary people."

"That young man is no simple character."

The plump cult member looked at his fist. It was flushed red, clearly the aftereffect of his qi and blood being jolted.

"Though his realm has not reached the Houtian Late Stage, his strength is truly astonishing.

"Especially that hand seal—it was exquisitely subtle. It should be an Innate Martial Skill!

"Entangling with them here will delay the sect's major affairs. The priority is to hurry to other villages and spread the faith. Do not forget the task the Incense Master assigned us.

"Our brothers only need three hundred more people to accumulate enough incense offerings. Then we can exchange them for two Heavenly Incense Breakthrough Pills and step into Xiantian in an instant.

"Judging by their direction, they should be heading for Black Stone County in Shannan Dao. The sect should have already made arrangements. During this period, we will prepare to enter Shannan Dao.

"Remember that man. When we spread the faith in Black Stone County someday, he will kneel and beg us for a stick of incense."

The smile on the plump cult member's face gradually disappeared, turning cold and sinister.

Meanwhile, over at the caravan.

Li Feng let out a long breath and patted his chest. "That truly scared me to death just now. Luckily, brother Han, you blocked them."

Han Zheng shook his head. "Those two were not weak. They had opened more Acupoints and meridians than I had. I only managed to intimidate them because I went all out just now.

"They likely had other matters to attend to. Otherwise, if they had insisted on making us smell incense, then apart from letting blood, we would have faced a bitter battle.

"Most importantly, once we fought, we would inevitably offend the Incense Cult. Whether we could return to the county safely afterward would be anyone's guess."

Li Feng sighed. "Yes. The Incense Cult has grown like a snowball over the past few years. Their strength is truly terrifying.

"Those two wore white robes, but they were merely the lowest-ranked white-robed cult members, responsible for preaching to ordinary people.

"Only after becoming a white-robed cult member for one year could they paint a Golden Sacred Mark onto their white robes.

"How many of these lowest-ranking white-robed members does the Incense Cult have? At least millions? Heaven knows how they cultivated so many Postnatal Martial Artists."

After hearing Li Feng's words, Han Zheng gained an even deeper understanding of the Incense Cult's foundations.

Although those two cult members had been at a slightly higher realm than Han Zheng, their use of strength and martial skills had been far inferior to his.

Han Zheng might not have come from a major sect, but the disciples Li Jingzhong taught all possessed solid foundations. They could bring out ten parts of strength with ten parts of power.

That Incense Cult member, however, could at most bring out seven or eight parts from ten parts of strength. That was why Han Zheng's Vajra Demon Subduing Seal had driven him back.

But those two had only been the lowest-ranked white-robed cult members. According to Li Feng, they might not even have joined the Incense Cult for a full year.

They might never have encountered martial arts before, perhaps merely having been farmers working the fields.

Yet in such a short time, they had attained such cultivation realms. No wonder the Incense Cult had developed so terrifyingly fast.

"Brother Han, that move you used just now looked like Vajra Fist, but it also seemed different. It felt incredibly powerful."

Wang Bao came over and asked with some curiosity.

The Vajra Demon Subduing Seal had evolved from Vajra Fist, so naturally, they bore some resemblance.

Wang Bao did not suspect anything. He merely felt that what he used differed from Han Zheng's.

But he knew Han Zheng's strength, so he even worried that he himself had trained it wrong.

"The academy master said that real combat is not a sparring match in the Martial Arts Academy, where everyone sets their stances and trades a punch for a kick according to established forms.

"As long as you can bring out the essence of Vajra Fist's Fist Intent, then even if you use your palm, it is still Vajra Fist."

As he spoke, Han Zheng suddenly clenched his hand into a palm and smashed it toward Wang Bao.

The fierce wind howled, as though a Vajra Pestle were crashing down. It stopped before Wang Bao, startling him badly.

Han Zheng's Vajra Fist proficiency had already reached perfection. Now, every casual move he made contained the essence of its Fist Intent, easily fooling Wang Bao and the others.

"Brother Han truly deserves to be the foremost among our batch of disciples. I have learned much."

Wang Bao's face was full of admiration.

They had all entered at the same time. How exactly did he train? Why was he so outstanding?

Afraid that Wang Bao would ask more questions, Han Zheng walked over to Li Feng and had him notify the caravan to pick up the pace.

In truth, Li Feng did not even need to urge them.

Because of the Incense Cult, the caravan did not dare rest at all this time. They traveled through the night and finally saw the walls of Black Stone County at dawn the next day.

Once they entered the city, Li Feng immediately looked exhausted and let out a long breath.

"This trip truly had one twist after another. Fortunately, we returned to Black Stone County safely."

Li Sancheng also had dark circles beneath both eyes, sighing deeply.

"Yes, the world outside is far too dangerous. Home is still safer. This silver truly is not easy to earn."

Li Sancheng had even made up his mind that in the future, he would rather become a guard warrior for someone than work as an escort.

He also knew that money was hard to earn and shit was hard to eat.

Eating shit was one thing, but if it cost him his life afterward, that would not be worth it.

At this moment, Chen Baiqing had already brought more than a dozen Shenghe Hall workers to receive them from the other side of the street.

Before they had entered the city, Li Feng had already sent someone ahead to deliver the news.

"You have all worked hard."

Chen Baiqing came forward with delight written across his face.

With the caravan's safe return, he could finally rest easy. This batch of Spiritual Medicine would be enough to sustain him for quite some time.

"Where is Steward Chen? Why don't I see Steward Chen?"

Han Zheng lifted the tightly bound Steward Chen out of the carriage. No one knew whose stinking sock had been stuffed into his mouth.

"He's here."

"Th-This... what does this mean?"

Li Feng walked over, pulled Chen Baiqing aside, and recounted every detail of what had happened along the way.

At the end, Li Feng paused before adding, "Head Shopkeeper, the workers all witnessed these matters with their own eyes. You can ask them as well."

"There is no need. I believe you."

Compared with his earlier delight, Chen Baiqing's face was now dark and gloomy, black as the bottom of a pot.