Chapter 27

"I! Qi Shanyong! Am the child of destiny! The most formidable one!"

As Qi Shanyong said this, hatred filled his eyes again. "But you little brat just wouldn't listen! And your luck was absurdly good. You should have become the sacrifice for my wishes long ago, but time and again, you escaped!"

"Why couldn't you just obediently drop out? Why did you insist on going to the arts academy to sell pancakes? A young master of the Qi Family, setting up a stall to sell pancakes! Aren't you ashamed? Aren't you?!"

"If you hadn't gone there, you should have died long ago! Once you died, the old man would have died too! The sacrifices would have been enough, and more of my wishes would have come true. Why did you go sell pancakes?!"

As Qi Shanyong spoke, he began gritting his teeth. "The sacrifices aren't enough! The backlash is coming for me. I didn't complete the task the master gave me either. If I don't find the pearl, I can't ask him! It's all your fault... all your fault, all your fault, all your fault, all your fault—"

His words came to an abrupt halt. His body trembled as though it had reached its limit, and he swiftly turned toward He Qinglan. "The pearl... Give me the pearl, give me the pearl! I don't want to die. I still want to live to a hundred, with everything going my way—urk!"

From Qi Xiaoyuan's perspective, his second uncle had suddenly clutched his heart and collapsed. Then, the body lying on the ground rapidly turned into an exceedingly ugly, shriveled corpse.

But in He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan's eyes, this was simply someone who had used the Corrupting Miasma suffering its backlash. He lacked the strength to become a demon, so death was naturally his only path.

He Qinglan calmly looked away.

Dying a sudden violent death was perfectly normal.

At that moment, another woman's scream came from outside. Qi Xiaoyuan abruptly turned around. It was his second aunt's voice.

She seemed to have gone through something utterly terrifying. While screaming, she shouted things like, "It wasn't me, don't come for me, I won't dare do it again!" Qi Xiaoyuan listened carefully and seemed to hear her say, "Wood God, bless me."

His eyes widened slightly before he looked at the young man before him.

The young man had said that if he bade the River God farewell, the River God would bless him.

Yet his second aunt was begging for the Wood God's blessing.

Then Qi Xiaoyuan saw the young man's otherwise expressionless gaze stir. There was no hostility at the mention of another deity. What flashed through those clear, deep eyes was disgust.

"Wood God... How could the Wood God possibly bless her?"

Among all the gods apart from the earth deities, the Wood God was one of the most upright and steadfast. The Wood God even loathed corrupted souls more than he did.

Therefore, the Wood God would not bless her. If the Wood God were awake, the Wood God might directly bury her as fertilizer.

Mm, then Ah Tu would have to suffer a little.

He Qinglan's thoughts drifted only briefly before he quickly came back to himself. He already knew the whole story: that "Life Essence Spirit Branch" had been sent by a "master."

Though he had no leads regarding that "master" for now, as long as those who painted darkness continued to act, as long as that "master" still coveted his "Source Spring Spirit Pearl," they would meet eventually.

He Qinglan could not help wondering whether the spirit pearl he had lost had been stolen by someone, and then... become a blade in the hands of evil people.

He Qinglan lowered his eyes. His strength had not yet recovered, and he still could not summon back the spirit pearls.

And... as he looked at the dried-up Qinglan River, even if he could summon them back, perhaps...

He would wait and see.

He was not worried about the Wood God. Just as he had condensed six "Source Spring Spirit Pearls" before falling asleep, the "Life Essence Spirit Branches" were the Wood God's warning. Unless the forest chosen by the Wood God completely perished and every "Life Essence Spirit Branch" was broken, the Wood God would eventually awaken.

Mm, though the Wood God might be in an even worse state than me upon waking.

At that thought, He Qinglan could not help looking toward the Rain God, who was lively and kicking beside him.

The Rain God had never fallen asleep. Instead, he had overtaken them from behind.

Shui Wuyuan caught He Qinglan's gaze and instinctively straightened his back, lifting his chin slightly. "What are you looking at? Even if you add the Wood God, the two of you still can't beat me!"

That Wood God's combat ability was average, and his relationship with the River God was average too. The troublesome ones were the Thunder God, Fire God, and Wind God. Thinking of it truly made the Rain God unhappy. So many ancient gods had finally disappeared, yet none of the ones gone were the ones he disliked.

Back in ancient times, Wind, Thunder, Fire, and River had loved going out together most of all. They had even formed their own little clique.

At the thought, the Rain God began sneering mockingly. Let those three sleep forever—sleep until they vanished altogether!

The River God seemed to sense the curse of a certain grudge-holding Rain God. He lightly waved his hand, stirring up a tiny breeze.

"Out of the mouths of babes; let the great wind carry it away."

Since he had already awakened, those three, at the very least, would not be extinguished.

Shui Wuyuan: "Heh!"

Afterward, He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan prepared to leave the Qi Family. Qi Xiaoyuan was already planning to discuss with his grandfather whether they should call the police. After all, his second uncle had suddenly died, and his second aunt seemed to have lost her mind. There had to be some explanation.

Still, he was somewhat dazed, as though his entire worldview had been smashed to pieces and glued back together.

Seeing him like this, He Qinglan found him a little pitiful. Since he was, after all, the first devout believer, he thoughtfully said, "If you find it too hard to accept, I can make you treat this as a dream."

Qi Xiaoyuan's face immediately turned a little green. He seemed to struggle for a moment before finally shaking his head. "I'd rather stay awake. Running away isn't the answer. Compared with the happiness of confusion, I would rather endure the pain of clarity."

Reality was what mattered most.

"Besides, I still have to make offerings to you every day."

The moment Qi Xiaoyuan said that, he received another mocking smile from Shui Wuyuan beside him. Qi Xiaoyuan's mouth twitched, and he silently lowered his head.

It was fine. He was not as rich as Boss Water, but his devotion could move heaven and earth!

Black Carp: Sob, sob, sob! You're right!

He Qinglan seemed to sense Qi Xiaoyuan's resolve—or perhaps his devotion—and rarely smiled. "Then I'll be waiting for three meals a day."