Chapter 43

"Your Majesty, Void Mask, you want to establish a Pioneer Village as the foundation of your faith, is that right?" Snowflake asked after learning about Sui Xiong's situation.

"That's right. Although I haven't fully established my own system of faith yet, I will sooner or later," Sui Xiong replied frankly.

"In that case, I have a suggestion." Snowflake flicked a finger, and snow and ice danced across the "blackboard," quickly sketching out a large map.

Pointing at it, she said, "Look. Our Four Northwest Towns are spread from south to north along the Desolate Mountains, but in reality, there's room for one or two more towns farther north. The reason no one has gone there to settle is that the climate is cold, and winter is simply too harsh."

"But that won't be a problem for Your Majesty's followers. I believe a god whose specialty is cold would surely have a way to protect his followers from it."

As she spoke, the map on the blackboard faded away, replaced by a scene in a snowy wasteland: a bare-chested man flexed his muscles, steam rising from his head.

Seeing the floating jellyfish in the air give a slight nod, Snowflake continued, "If cold isn't a problem, then neither are clearing the land and growing crops. In that case, the cold won't hinder your followers from building their lives and raising families. Instead, it'll become a natural defense for them. It might not do much against magical beasts, but it'll be highly effective against people with wicked intentions!"

On the blackboard, a group of armored men in the corner tried to attack the bare-chested man with spears, only to freeze into blocks of ice before they could reach him.

Sui Xiong considered her idea and nodded inwardly.

Snowflake made a good point. As a god especially skilled in the magic of cold, he really did have special ways to withstand it.

Unlike ordinary people, who resisted the cold by keeping warm, he could absorb it. Once the cold was absorbed, warmth would naturally remain. So long as he left an avatar in each pioneer village to absorb the chill—or simply set up a magic array that gathered and concentrated it—he could create warm, springlike pockets in the frozen wilderness. Before long, the northern frontier could become a land of southern warmth.

Besides... judging by what the God of Redemption had taught him, a good god ought to let his followers feel his presence and power often. That would effectively strengthen their faith. Little pockets of southern warmth in a land of ice and snow... That would let every pioneer experience his power firsthand, and do wonders for their faith.

"The idea is good, but the costs would be enormous." Palin, who had worked in a merchant caravan, was sensitive to money. He quickly ran the numbers and raised an objection. "We can only recruit pioneers from the Gold Coin Federation. Sending them from there to somewhere even farther north than Dragon Roar Town would cost a great deal extra. And building a village in such a frozen wasteland would take a staggering amount of labor and resources, even with the help of our Majesty's great divine power!"

He shook his head and sighed. "Lady Snowflake, your plan is certainly tempting, but perhaps we'll have to wait until our church has grown and gained a solid foundation before we can put it into practice."

He made a good point, and Sui Xiong nodded inwardly again.

Each of his followers certainly had their own strengths. Gerald was a powerful fighter and a gifted teacher, and could easily earn the pioneers' respect. Palin was diligent and eager to learn, loved to think things through, and knew something about business; he often came up with valuable suggestions. Satan was knowledgeable and skilled in magic, and had quite a few connections among the upper and middle ranks. Rod was cautious and meticulous, perfect for catching oversights and preventing the team from making mistakes.

As an old saying on Earth went, talent was everything! If he wanted to build a proper church, spread his faith, and become a true god, the more talented people he had, the better!

"You're right, but you're still not thinking far enough ahead." Snowflake shook her head with a smile. "You're simply too young and inexperienced... Just like that fellow Frost. He thinks he's so capable and useful all the time, and you've seen how that turned out."

On the blackboard appeared a little dragon striking a swaggering pose and breathing fire, while a large and a small dragon beside him sighed together. In the blink of an eye, the scene was erased and the conversation returned to its original subject. "It's true that gods don't need to rush the growth of their faith. A hundred years is nothing, and a thousand years is hardly long. Great gods are eternal and undying, after all. Even if countless ages pass and a long-lived being like me becomes nothing but a pile of dry bones with a little frost left in a dragon's tomb, Your Majesty, Void Mask, will remain just as you are—perhaps only a little more mature and experienced."

"But for a newborn god, the first step in building a church must be taken firmly and decisively. Just like building a house, you have to lay a solid foundation!"

As she spoke, the image on the blackboard changed. Huge stones were driven deep into the ground, and a towering castle was built on top of them, standing firm through wind and rain.

"Why?" Sui Xiong wasn't convinced just like that. Instead, he asked for an explanation first.

The information the God of Redemption had given him hadn't mentioned anything about this.

Seeing that he didn't understand, Snowflake continued, "As you said, you could start by building one or two pioneer villages farther south, in places where anyone could settle. That would indeed establish a region of faith. But people's faith takes time to grow. How could you make sure you quickly gained a large number of devout followers? How could you show the people of this world the full extent of Your Majesty, Void Mask's, great power?"

She raised a slender, pale finger and manipulated the magic, drawing a scene in frost across the blackboard: a crowd of people worshipped a giant jellyfish in the sky, while many eyes lurked in the surrounding mist, some friendly and others treacherous.

She was an excellent artist. Her style was more like chibi art than realism, yet those pairs of eyes alone conveyed the attitudes hidden behind them.

"For a god, the first step in presenting yourself to the world must be taken impressively, so that everyone remembers it! There are many gods in this world. For a new god to grow successfully, you need to win allies, and you'll inevitably have to oppose enemies. The more you show your strengths, the more powerful allies you can attract, and the less likely neutral gods will be to make an enemy of you. That means fewer potential foes."

"The world of gods is cruel, too. Not every god is as easygoing as Your Majesty, Void Mask—and most gods in this world are neither gentle nor generous. If you don't show your strength, even gods whose divine portfolios don't conflict with yours might attack you to win allies or simply steal your divine power."

As Snowflake explained, more and more eyes appeared in the mist. Most of them were filled with malice, so unpleasant to look at that they made one's skin crawl.

"Then let them come. I don't like picking fights, but I'm not afraid of one either." Sui Xiong stared at the picture. His heart stirred, but he felt no fear—only a surge of fighting spirit.

A fight? Fine by him! Who was afraid of whom?

Snowflake sighed and tried to persuade him. "But that would mean having to fight a whole group of gods when you officially ascend to godhood. Even if you're strong enough to fight them all and win, your followers would suffer terrible losses. Would you be willing to let that happen?"

The scene changed. The giant jellyfish fought in every direction, wielding all kinds of weapons against countless eyes concealed in the mist. Below, the ground was ablaze. Little figures ran for their lives, while many others already lay scattered dead. The scene was truly tragic.

Looking at this entirely plausible sight, Sui Xiong was left speechless.

He had once fought a demigod treant from the Shadow Plane, and the devastation their battle caused had been practically a natural disaster. If a fight like that broke out in a Pioneer Village, his followers wouldn't stand a chance—not even Gerald, let alone the ordinary people.

"By contrast, if you have a large group of devout followers and a holy site that's a miracle by mortal standards, you can make opportunists give up on attacking you. Then you'll only have to contend with the few gods whose divine portfolios overlap or conflict with yours. You'll have a much better chance of winning, and your followers will suffer fewer losses."

Her voice was not loud, but with the pairs of eyes on the blackboard gradually turning friendly, it carried a persuasive power. "In fact, if the gods see that you have such foresight and ability, even gods who are inherently opposed to you might simply abandon the idea of directly clashing with you. You could ascend to godhood without a single obstacle!"

Sui Xiong nodded repeatedly as he listened. His eyes rested on the image, which continued to change. The hostile eyes grew fewer and fewer, until only a few remained, lurking in the distance. He fell silent for a long while, then let out a long sigh as all his thoughts came together.

"You're right!"

For some reason, he couldn't help remembering Liu Bei's words after his conversation with Zhuge Liang at Longzhong.

"With Kongming, I am like a fish with water!"

Snowflake's explanation, together with those vivid "chalk drawings," suddenly made everything clear to him.

Until now, Sui Xiong had always felt that he didn't know enough about this world and needed an adviser. After hearing this clear, convincing analysis, he found himself thinking it again.

And never had he felt it so strongly.

"I need an adviser!" he told himself. "And one is right here!"

"Someone who understands this world, has plenty of knowledge and wisdom, and is also an artistic kindred spirit—this is very important! Since coming to this world, this is the first time I've met someone who likes to draw!"

"If I let someone like her slip away, I'll regret it for at least a thousand years!"

With that thought, he didn't hesitate. In the most earnest tone he could manage, he said, "Lady Snowflake, you're absolutely right! I'd like to invite you to help me as my adviser and offer me counsel. Would you?"

Snowflake finally smiled. "If it weren't for hearing you say that, would I have gone to all this trouble to explain everything?"

Sui Xiong froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Thanks to reader Fanren Atu for the generous red-packet reward, and thanks as well to readers Abyss of All Evils, Snail sa, Feng, and Forward Comrade for their generous rewards. Your support is what keeps me updating!