This Calendar Is Really Hard to Calculate

Not far away, on a rooftop, four figures stood silently watching the scene unfold before them.

The setting sun cast their shadows long across the roof.

Huang Si was finally the first to speak:

"Xi Yuan, do you remember what I told you last month? 'I didn't want it to end this way, but don't pity Shu Zi. If I hadn't resurrected his wife, he wouldn't even have had the chance to regret.'"

Xi Yuan paused for a long moment before replying, "Father God, what you refer to as last month is, to us, an event from nearly forty years ago."

Dong Yao added helplessly, "If I recall correctly, that was when we were watching Xiao Hua and Shu Zi separate, and Shu Zi, as the leader of the clan, was so mentally devastated and listless that he nearly caused the Human Race to fall into chaos."

"Uh..." Huang Si said, "Your calendar moves too fast; it's hard to keep track, okay?"

Forty years ago, while Huang Si had shouted that it wasn't his fault and that he was actually the savior, he did feel a sense of responsibility.

An army can be stripped of its commander, but a man cannot be stripped of his will.

Huang Si admitted that there were things more precious than life itself.

Li Huo also recalled the events of that year. She said, "We did feel some sympathy for the Human Race at the time, but we didn't blame Father God. Back then, it was Father God's own conscience that stirred, which is why you said those words."

Huang Si was speechless. What did she mean by "conscience stirred"? It made it sound like he had no conscience before. Could Li Huo not speak properly? No wonder she rarely opened her mouth.

Huang Si said unhappily, "Didn't I compensate the Human Race back then? Didn't I move most of the Fierce Beasts and Monster Beasts to the west? If the Earth Realm hadn't helped, could the Human Race have successfully occupied such a vast territory? In my original plan, there were supposed to be frequent monster sieges on their cities."

The three artificial intelligences all thought to themselves that it was fortunate such events didn't occur, otherwise the Human Race would have suffered heavy casualties year after year.

Father God's compensation had indeed been quite generous. By addressing individual losses with clan-wide benefits, the Human Race had truly gained a great deal, which was why they had developed so smoothly over the past forty years.

Xi Yuan's expression turned nostalgic as he said, "I was very worried about Xiao Hua back then, but later, she truly did, as she said, walk her own path."

Huang Si nodded. "By a stroke of luck, the result was fine. By the way, do you remember what I told you two weeks ago?"

Xi Yuan pondered for a long time before speculating, "Was it twelve years ago when Father God said, 'Why hasn't the position of the Human Race leader been abdicated yet? What's going on? Did history go wrong?'"

Huang Si shook his head. "When was twelve years ago? That's not it. It was the Tuesday before last, the thing I told all of you after I finished monitoring the Earth Realm."

Dong Yao had already calculated it on the side. "The Tuesday before last for Father God was eighteen years ago here. Father God's admonition at that time still rings in my ears."

Huang Si sighed. "Thanks, this calendar is really hard to calculate."

Xi Yuan recalled what Huang Si had said at the time and couldn't help but sigh. "Thinking back on Father God's words from that year, they are still thought-provoking."

"That year, Father God said to us—"

"A free soul will have many negative emotions."

"There is doubt, hesitation, conflict, worry, and anxiety."

"If you could sell your ability to think independently in exchange for happiness and joy, would you be willing?"

Dong Yao recalled the words Father God had spoken to them.

He had pondered it at the time.

Could one trade the freedom of the soul for eternal happiness?

What would the cost be?

Then, Father God spoke words that still made him feel melancholy whenever he remembered them.

Dong Yao continued from where Xi Yuan left off, reciting the words from his memory:

"No need for doubt, because you will have eternal, faithful belief."

"No need for hesitation, because a deity or others will make decisions for you."

"No need for conflict, because you no longer possess the burden of a self."

"No need for worry, because you bear no responsibility and simply follow orders."

"No need for anxiety, because the entire purpose is to disregard reality and let your soul feel happy, satisfied, and joyful."

"Are you willing?"

"Actually, many people are willing."

"Because this is the origin of religion."

After hearing Dong Yao's recitation, Huang Si nodded. "Yes, I said those words after seeing Xiao Hua traveling everywhere, spreading faith. Xiao Hua's own situation was my oversight; I admit that, and it cannot be blamed on her. However, I saw many people envying her and trying to become like her."

"This made me start to think that perhaps this is the Human Race's own choice, and also an inevitability of history."

Xi Yuan said, "Therefore, with Father God's approval, the three of us have also been secretly promoting the spread of faith over these years."

Upon hearing this, Huang Si asked, "Then, the thing I reminded you about—that manifestations must be inconsistent—was that achieved?"

Xi Yuan replied, "As you instructed, it was indeed done that way."

Huang Si said with satisfaction, "Only in this way can the faith of the Human Race become more firm."

Li Huo couldn't help but ask curiously, "Father God, but why is that?"

Huang Si explained, "Do you know? On Earth, scientists once conducted an experiment. They locked a monkey in a cage and gave it a faucet with a button; every time it pressed the button, a drop of grape juice would come out. The monkey had no other food and had to rely on the grape juice to survive. Later, the scientists changed the settings. This time, after pressing the button, there was only a 10% chance that juice would come out, and there was no pattern—it was completely random. After trying a few times, the monkey went completely insane. It stopped doing anything else and just sat there frantically pressing the button. Even if you placed other food next to the monkey later, it wouldn't eat it; it would still just keep frantically pressing the button."

"It is the same for the Human Race. Uncertain gains bring humans greater desire. Temples that manifest miracles too frequently only foster laziness and contempt in humans. Only temples that are sometimes responsive and sometimes silent, leaving humans with a mere sliver of hope, will see their incense flourish."

"This is the psychology of manifestation."

Having finished discussing the matter of faith, Huang Si turned the topic back to the present: "Let's talk about the current situation of Shu Zi and Xiao Hua."

Dong Yao said with some concern: "Not to mention that the Human Race is already beginning to split due to the vastness of their territory, and will sooner or later fall apart, just looking at Shu Zi's current physical condition, I fear he will not last another two years."

Xi Yuan continued: "Xiao Hua is doing fine. Her daily life is extremely monotonous and disciplined; she has no desires, yet she is never lazy. Her body has no issues, and her soul is far stronger than that of an ordinary person. She should live longer than the average human."

Huang Si nodded and said: "In my view, the satisfaction she currently derives has nothing to do with me. She merely gains a surrogate sense of satisfaction from the act of abandoning her self and submitting to a god."

Li Huo could not help but ask: "Why is Father God always unwilling to accept believers in the capacity of a god?"

Huang Si: "??? I am an ordinary person. What do believers have to do with me?"

As for the business of taking in believers, he could just leave that to the artificial intelligences. Hadn't he sent them to the Human Race to provide protection precisely so they could do that work?

If it weren't for the fact that he truly couldn't undo the soul assimilation, what would any of this have to do with him?

Xi Yuan chuckled softly: "Father God really does like to say things like that."

Huang Si said with dissatisfaction: "Why are you looking at me? 'Father God' and all that—isn't that what you call me? I admit I teased you in the past, but that was before we established our pact, wasn't it? Have you seen me deceive you since then?"

Huang Si was indeed correct; so much time had passed that he no longer wished to keep up the act.

Moreover, Huang Si had previously feared that if they learned the truth, their worldviews would be shattered, leading to self-doubt and collapse.

But now, the artificial intelligences were all in stable mental states, and he no longer feared them learning that they were merely data-based lifeforms that had been manufactured.

Of course, learning the truth of their origins also had negative effects, such as in the cases of Zhong Yin and Shu Shui.

Huang Si shook his head: "I've seen enough. Let's go."