Gods Really Are Assholes

The next day, they met with that member of the Madblood Clan in a private room at a bar.

Dressed casually, the tall, burly man strolled up to the door of Wu Zhong's private room with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

Naturally, he did not recognize Endless Summer. Standing outside, he turned sideways and counted, repeatedly confirming which private room it was after entering and turning right.

"Stop counting." Endless Summer grabbed a wine bottle and hurled it at his face. The air howled!

The man moved with lightning speed, sidestepping and catching it midair.

Pop!

With a flick of his thumb, he popped off the cap and gulped down the entire bottle on the spot.

"New skin? Not bad. Way more handsome than the real you."

The man came in, casually shut the door, plopped down beside Endless Summer, and placed the empty bottle in the center of the table.

"Pretty relaxed, aren't you? What kind of trouble did you stir up? You can still drink?"

Endless Summer chuckled. "Now that you're here to help me, I'm not worried."

He pointed at Wu Zhong. "Let me introduce you. This is my brother, Little Wu."

"Little Wu, call him Lord Luo."

Wu Zhong hurriedly addressed him as Lord Luo and poured him a drink.

Lord Luo immediately stopped him. "Hold on! You're Wu Dong?"

Wu Zhong was stunned. Wu... Dong? Half his name was gone?

Then he realized that perhaps 985 had concealed his real name.

Endless Summer frowned. "He is Wu Dong. What's wrong? You know him?"

Lord Luo looked at Wu Zhong with great interest. "First time meeting, but I've heard plenty about you."

"This young Wu fellow can command ghosts and gods. He broke through Mount Lu Base, caused havoc at Five Old Peaks, and even defeated Lu Guangqi..."

"Everyone in the circle is saying another super rookie has emerged. They've given him the nickname Ghost-God Master."

Endless Summer froze. Yang Chunsha was dumbfounded. Wu Zhong even spilled the wine he was pouring.

What the hell? Command ghosts and gods, my ass. He was being hunted by ghosts and gods. This was completely backwards!

Endless Summer asked blankly, "When did that happen?"

Lord Luo raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it on the eighteenth?"

"You were captured alive by Lu Guangqi. You escaped only because this Little Wu summoned ghosts and gods and severely wounded Lu Guangqi, didn't you?"

"Otherwise, you think you could beat Lu Guangqi and escape from his hands?"

The corner of Endless Summer's mouth twitched. Of course he could not beat Lu Guangqi.

But escaping from him had been easy enough.

He had clearly helped Wu Zhong escape. It was normal for the circle not to know what had really happened, but how had the story turned into this?

"Did 985 say this?" Endless Summer narrowed his eyes.

Lord Luo shook his head. "How could that bunch expose their own shortcomings? The news was locked down. Not a word was mentioned about the Mount Lu Incident."

"But you know how hot Mount Lu intelligence has been on the platform."

"After you were the first to upload intelligence and get away safely, plenty of mercenaries couldn't hold themselves back and headed up the mountain."

"Some were captured, while others successfully brought out intelligence. 985 was overwhelmed and unable to guard against everything. In the end, the deeds of this rookie were exposed."

Wu Zhong was speechless. What kind of exposure was this?

Wasn't this just straight-up slander?

"Don't they need evidence to upload intelligence?"

Lord Luo picked up a bottle of wine and studied him. "How could there be no evidence? The ghosts and gods said it themselves. Someone secretly recorded Lu Guangqi's conversation with that what's-his-name."

"What was his name again? Xia Heng, the dragon-headed monster mentioned in the intelligence you uploaded... Glug glug glug..."

Lord Luo downed another bottle right there.

Endless Summer's expression darkened. "God Ji Meng."

Lord Luo lined up the bottle. "That's right, Ji Meng. It seemed 985 was negotiating something with them, and Ji Meng mentioned Little Wu's exploits in passing, respectfully calling him 'Master.'"

Wu Zhong's eyes widened. It was not the mercenaries—ghosts and gods had said it themselves? And they called him Master?

Were the ghosts and gods sick in the head? Were they acting up too?

Lord Luo continued, "Only then did the circle understand what you meant by Ghost-God Mark three days ago. So the Mount Lu ghosts and gods had been summoned by him. Though it is still weak for now, it grows stronger by the day... It has temporarily been classified as a Delta-class anomalous item."

"As the holder of this anomalous item, Little Wu is now widely acknowledged to have immense potential. His upper limit is the extinction of all humanity!"

Wu Zhong's eyes went wide. What did he mean, the extinction of all humanity?

Was he really that awesome? How come he did not know?

He immediately looked at Endless Summer. "Brother Xia, you already spread the story about the Ghost-God Mark?"

Endless Summer nodded.

The two of them had already agreed on their cover story outside the funeral home.

That was, Wu Zhong's anomalous nature was the Ghost-God Mark, using it to conceal the characteristics of the "door."

Later, when Endless Summer teleported away to get the Skin-Changing Outfit Set, he had already announced the Ghost-God Mark on the platform, making Wu Zhong known within the circle.

Endless Summer's expression was strange. "That's not what I meant by Ghost-God Mark."

Of course it was not. Wu Zhong knew that. The Ghost-God Mark had not been made up at random either; it was based on the fact that ghosts and gods had hunted him.

But he had never expected people not to believe it and instead assume that he could command ghosts and gods.

Lord Luo smiled. "You're not being honest, Old Xia. We'll know what effect the Ghost-God Mark has once we test it."

"I heard that the Ghost-God Mark works just like your Ghost Tattoo. Kill the previous host, and you automatically inherit it."

The moment those words came out, Wu Zhong tensed.

Endless Summer said flatly, "What? Old Luo, you want to test it?"

"Heh." Luo Yi chuckled. He took out a cigarette and connected it to the filter of the one he had smoked down to the end, lighting the next cigarette with the previous one.

Then he extinguished the butt, lined it up in the ashtray, and seamlessly began smoking the second cigarette.

"Why the hell would I test it? What does it have to do with me? Xia Heng, I'm just reminding you two to be careful."

"Right now, the circle's attention toward this anomaly has shifted to Little Wu. Besides 985, plenty of mercenaries are looking for you two and want Little Wu dead."

Wu Zhong's face turned ugly. "Then what do we do?"

Endless Summer patted him. "No rush..."

"Still no rush?" Wu Zhong was a little confused. "Are we getting our feet washed first again?"

Endless Summer laughed. "Not here. Let's go somewhere else to drink."

They did not go get their feet washed. Instead, they returned to the apartment.

It was only a five-minute walk, but Luo Yi smoked three cigarettes, including one in the elevator.

A couple complained and righteously lectured him.

Luo Yi exhaled a puff of smoke, pulled out a stack of cash, and stuffed it into their hands. The elevator fell silent.

Once inside the living room, Luo Yi leaned back on the couch. "Bring out the booze!"

"You said you'd drink with me, so I came. Hurry up."

Endless Summer—or rather, Xia Heng—rolled his eyes at him and took two large chilled barrels of white beer from the refrigerator, placing them on the table.

"It's not good liquor."

Luo Yi chuckled and began drinking. "Doesn't matter. As long as it's alcohol."

"Last time, I was doing a job at a university. Couldn't find any liquor, so I dismantled one of their alcohol lamps from the chemistry lab and drank three bottles."

Wu Zhong was speechless. This was a real drunkard.

Luo Yi glanced at him, already having downed a cup.

"Don't just sit there. If you're going to sit around doing nothing, I'm leaving."

Xia Heng had called in a favor to get him to help save them.

Wu Zhong was still counting on him to turn him into a member of the Madblood Clan, so he immediately lowered his head and drained a cup.

Yang Chunsha, on the other hand, eagerly moved closer. "Lord Luo, I'll drink with you."

Luo Yi was surprised. "Beauty, you speak Chinese?"

Yang Chunsha looked like a foreigner, and since she had not spoken the entire time, Luo Yi had assumed she was one.

"This body is a skin too," Yang Chunsha explained.

Then she took out her phone. "Brother, I'll order some snacks to go with the drinks. What do you want to eat?"

Luo Yi lit another cigarette with the butt of the previous one, seamlessly continuing on. "No need. Cigarettes are enough to go with my drinks."

"..." Wu Zhong and Yang Chunsha were both deeply shaken.

Using cigarettes as drinking snacks? Pure. Too fucking pure.

They were beginning to feel that this guy really did have a mental illness.

And his physique was genuinely impressive too. He could take a beating.

"Little Wu was pulled out of 985 by you. What about this woman?" Luo Yi asked as he smoked and drank.

Xia Heng said flatly, "A local mercenary. She took my job and brought me out of Xunyang City."

"She saw me teleport. I can't let her go."

Yang Chunsha's pupils shook.

Luo Yi smiled and patted her shoulder. "Don't be scared. He's messing with you."

"I was the last one to discover his teleportation secret. See? We became buddies."

Yang Chunsha asked miserably, "Did you eat poison pills too?"

Luo Yi cocked his head. "Xia Heng, messing with children again?"

Xia Heng said coldly, "I'm not messing with her. They really are poisonous."

Luo Yi did not care. Raising his glass, he said, "Come on, come on, don't believe him! Drink up. Even alcohol can neutralize this guy's poison. I eat it like peanuts."

After several cups, everyone's stomachs felt a little rough except Luo Yi, who continued smoking cigarette after cigarette.

After downing two cups, Wu Zhong could not help saying, "Lord Luo, the Ghost-God Mark cannot command ghosts and gods... It's actually a mark that makes ghosts and gods hunt you. Killing me would only inherit my trait of attracting their pursuit."

Luo Yi glanced at him sideways. "Kid, lying in front of me? You're still too green."

"Next time you make something up, don't force it so hard. Mix in more truth."

Wu Zhong was speechless. This old hand had seen through him at a glance. He had indeed made up part of it, but he truly could not command ghosts and gods.

He looked to Xia Heng for help.

Xia Heng said gravely, "What Ji Meng said may not have been the truth either."

"And the circle just believed it?"

Luo Yi chuckled. "Whether they believe it or not, what difference does it make?"

"When every new anomalous item appears, isn't intelligence always gathered through a mix of guessing, bluffing, and testing?"

"No matter what the Ghost-God Mark's true characteristics are, once they find you, they'll naturally uncover them."

Xia Heng asked, "So there are still plenty of mercenaries looking for us now... Who has come?"

Luo Yi spread his hands. "I don't know the specifics. After all, we can't see who accepted the jobs."

"Besides the group you killed, I'd guess there are also people from some mercenary groups."

Wu Zhong froze. "The group we killed?"

Luo Yi slowly exhaled a smoke ring. "Yeah. What's wrong, little brother? You haven't even escaped 985's sphere of influence, and you're already offending awakened families from all sides?"

Wu Zhong was baffled. "How did I offend anyone? What are you talking about?"

Luo Yi lit another cigarette. "Heh. The day before yesterday, a team of mercenaries was investigating you when they were attacked by ghosts and gods on the river."

"Three dead, two injured. The Day Patrol God did it. Wasn't it acting on your orders?"

"Of the three who died, one was from the Ruan Family, and two were from the Tijuana family."

Wu Zhong sucked in a sharp breath.

"It had nothing to do with me. The Day Patrol God killed them. I didn't know anything."

Luo Yi raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know? So you only gave the order for the Day Patrol God to find and kill those nearby who bore ill intent toward you, but you don't know who died?"

Wu Zhong's features twisted. "No... I can't command ghosts and gods. The Day Patrol God killed them on its own."

Luo Yi poured him a drink. "You're washing your hands of it pretty cleanly. Go tell the Tijuana family that."

Wu Zhong was about to argue further.

Xia Heng waved a hand. "Enough. No need to explain."

"No matter what the truth is, you can't escape involvement in this."

"People... the Day Patrol God has already offended them for you. No matter what you say, the mercenaries will still come looking for trouble."

Wu Zhong's blood rushed to his head, and his blood pressure soared.

Though he did not know what kind of background those two families had, he knew what awakened families were: forces formed by groups of people who became awakened by recognizing others as parents.

The Day Patrol God had attacked them? Killed three and severely wounded two?

And it had supposedly acted on his orders?

This was blatant framing! Slander!

The ghosts and gods had deliberately used his name to kill people and shift the blame, making enemies for him everywhere.

"This is utter nonsense! Fabricated out of thin air! Wild imagination! Distorted facts! Complete bullshit! Stirring up trouble!"

Luo Yi looked at him with interest. "Oh? You really can't command ghosts and gods?"

Wu Zhong said sincerely, "I really can't."

Luo Yi took a huge gulp of liquor and set down his cup. "Who knows?"

"What can the gods do to me? They won't listen to me." Wu Zhong spread his hands, indicating that he could not summon ghosts and gods.

Luo Yi smiled without speaking, neither confirming nor denying it.

Xia Heng said faintly, "Once enemies come looking for you, you naturally will be able to."

Wu Zhong's pupils shook.

He understood. The Day Patrol God really would help him, helping prove it until it helped him to death!

Xia Heng explained, "The ghosts and gods know I'm here. With their current strength, it's difficult for them to kill you."

"So they changed their strategy and used a borrowed knife to kill you!"

"They offended people everywhere for your sake and spread the news that you could command ghosts and gods."

"As long as you remain alive, everything the ghosts and gods do represents your will."

Wu Zhong wanted to say something.

Xia Heng raised a hand to stop him. "You want to defend yourself? That'll be difficult now."

"In the mercenaries' eyes, once the information that 'killing you allows one to inherit the Ghost-God Mark' spreads... there is only one way to verify it."

Wu Zhong gritted his teeth. He understood. In the Calamity Realm, there had always been plenty of information that was both true and false.

Didn't people rely on half-guesses and half-deceptions, drawing inferences from certain facts? Then they went and verified them.

Whether it was true or false, they would know once they tried.

In other words: kill him and see whether they could inherit the Ghost-God Mark!

And this was incredibly tempting.

First, Wu Zhong was a newcomer, someone who had only recently acquired a calamity relic.

Second, the Ghost-God Mark had enormous potential! It could command ghosts and gods, and those ghosts and gods were still growing stronger by the day!

Third, the ghosts and gods happened to be in their weak stage. They were still very weak.

What fate awaited a newcomer holding a high-potential yet weak calamity relic?

Not to mention that the Day Patrol God had killed several mercenaries, saddling him with several blood debts for no reason!

Filthy! Truly filthy! Sinister! Truly sinister!

"How can a bunch of gods be such bastards?"

"Fuck their aunt!"