Foolish Subjects
With someone coming to inform them, the believers gathered in the open space finally understood the significance of their presence.
It turns out Klaus was searching their house!
"Hey, what happened? Why are we being treated like suspects?" The more hot-tempered believers were naturally very dissatisfied. The leader was usually amiable, which meant that they didn't have much respect for Klaus when things were going well.
"Thomas is dead? Who did it?" Some people noticed this question. Thomas was probably not a very popular person, because when he died, most people were surprised, but few showed indignation.
Yu Xing listened from behind as things unfolded as he had imagined, and suddenly felt bored. There were advantages to things going smoothly, but it wasn't very interesting.
As he expected, the crowd began to protest, but Klaus suppressed them. Klaus then solemnly recounted Amber's attack the previous night, which caused another uproar.
The attack on the Saintess was enough reason to search their house, and no one spoke of it anymore, but they all expressed a desire to see Thomas's body.
Yu Xing was also mixed in, taking advantage of his distance so that others couldn't see him, and clamored to see the corpse, like a bystander.
As expected, the next thing everyone will see is the concealed footprints outside Thomas's house leading to Ruben Reed's house, which will spark a new round of suspicion and disputes. Such daily suspicion is most likely to erode the trust among believers and cause them to break down.
This is barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Yu Xing had not seen the Tree Witch yet, and he was secretly hoping for something, glancing in the direction where the Tree Witch lived every now and then.
Jiang Jieleng: "Seeing that troublemaking look in your eyes, I think things might be going to deviate from what we agreed on."
"We only agreed on one possible scenario. If something unexpected happens, that's beyond my control." Yu Xing shrugged, looking rather roguish. "Don't you find it strange that the Tree Witch hasn't come?"
Jiang Jieleng: "With the Saintess assassinated and Yindu Heart missing, the Tree Witch will inevitably be involved in the investigation. The only reason she hasn't come is that there's something more important that she must accomplish."
"So guess what? This more important matter has to do with us outsiders with ulterior motives?" Yu Xing asked with a smile.
He had a feeling that the Tree Witch's stance was not quite right, and there must be some hidden reason behind it. If the Tree Witch chose to do something at this time, it might actually help him stir up trouble here.
During the chat, the group began to move, and with the permission of the bearded Klaus, everyone headed towards Thomas's house, with all sorts of discussions taking place.
Yu Xing was about to take a step to follow when suddenly, his brow twitched.
It's cursed!
Without any warning, a pure, dark, desperate, and terrifying curse suddenly pressed in from all directions. No, that's not quite accurate. It should be said that the curse power was sweeping towards the Underground City from among the dense branches Underground City.
All the believers seemed to be suppressed in an instant; suddenly they fell silent, each one frozen in place, then slowly and blankly raised their heads.
What's going on?
Such immense power! It seems they had only ever felt this kind of power when the Wood God gave them their rebirth.
Could this be the arrival of God?
The Wood God has descended!
The believers, who had just been harboring their own thoughts, knelt down in a tacit agreement. Amber Bradley knelt down particularly quickly, his face showing not only excitement at witnessing God's presence but also deep fear and unease.
After all, it was she who messed up the task of housing the heart.
The divine power has drawn near; does this mean the Wood God is angered?
The surrounding believers were all kneeling like quails, which made Yu Xing and Jiang Jieleng stand out from the crowd. They glanced around casually and then slowly lowered themselves down. However, Jiang Jieleng half-squatted down, while Yu Xing casually sat down on the ground.
As long as they blend in with the believers, they are no different.
The curse continued to press towards the Underground City, carrying a menacing malice. The believers looked bewildered, wondering if their recent actions had angered the Wood God and brought down divine punishment.
Amber Bradley raised both hands in a gesture of reverence and proclaimed loudly, "Lord Wood God, please forgive your people! We are willing to serve you with our purest souls and nourish you with our most precious sustenance. Praise be to the Wood God!"
"Praise the Wood God!" the believers repeated in unison.
The cursed black mist seeped in bit by bit along the layers of branches, and had become visible to the naked eye.
Within the churning black mist, invisible, resentful faces seemed to vanish with each shift of the mist, their screams piercing the useless air and shattering the eardrums of the believers.
Blood flowed from the believers' ears. The immense, overwhelming energy struck their souls, causing them to collapse to either side, unable to utter a single word. They could barely maintain their proper posture.
Jiang Jieleng also suffered a heavy impact, but since his body was not constructed from the Ghost Tree, he was not completely suppressed.
He felt a sudden coolness followed by a heat in his ear, and when he wiped it with his hand, a thick, red liquid covered his entire hand.
Belatedly, he realized that Yu Xing was talking to him, but he couldn't hear a word she said.
Yu Xing placed his hand on Jiang Jieleng's shoulder. Noticing that Jiang Jieleng was not in good condition, he tried to use the curse power within his body to help him resist this external malicious force.
However, it seems to have little effect, since people like him who have their own antibodies are extremely rare.
Like a death knell tolling, three tolls suddenly echoed in the souls of everyone present.
Then came the familiar, cold yet majestic voice of the Tree Witch: "Proclaim the divine decree of the Wood God."
"Foolish and lowly subjects, has the beauty of life made you lose your ability to be loyal to me?"
"You have allowed ants to play with you, allowed other creatures to hide among you, and lost the sacred object that should have been offered to me. You are utterly foolish!"
"From this moment forward, I will no longer grant you protection. The Underground City will be plunged into endless darkness, and the vengeful spirits you fear will roam this place in your place. Only by finding these outcasts and offering their heads to me can all calamities cease!"
"Accept your due punishment, my foolish subjects!"
The questions shattered the believers' souls, black mist completely enveloped the place, the Sunken Sun extinguished one after another, and darkness shrouded the Underground City.
Two figures appeared in their minds at the same time.
One of them is Roy just arrived not long ago!
The other was a young man I'd never seen before, wearing glasses.