God Path

Everyone shook their heads.

"Enforcers and Law Enforcers differ by only one word, but the difference between them is worlds apart... This is not a difference in official rank, but in strength. Enforcers are merely ordinary people granted enforcement authority, while Law Enforcers... possess a Path to Godhood of their own."

"Before the Great Cataclysm, it was said that there were eighteen great Paths to Godhood in the world. Each was different, but as the ages changed and civilization declined, only fourteen of those eighteen paths remained."

"These fourteen paths are—"

"Scholar, healer, war, yellow, azure, craft, chess; theater, puppet, shaman, strength, divination, thief, courtesan."

"It was said that every Path to Godhood led to a 'divine throne.' If one walked it to the end, one could transcend the mortal world and ascend to godhood..."

"What the Enforcers of our Aurora Domain wield is one of those fourteen Paths to Godhood... the War God Path."

"According to Aurora City Enforcer regulations, every Enforcer who has been formally appointed for three years receives one chance to enter the Martial Way Ancient Treasury. If they pass the trials within the Ancient Treasury, they may be chosen by the War God Path and formally set foot upon this Path to Godhood."

"Once you set foot upon a Path to Godhood, Aurora City will alter your identity, promoting you from an Enforcer to a Law Enforcer."

After hearing Han Meng's explanation, everyone's eyes lit up...

Walk the Great Path to its end, and you could become a god!

To a group of children who had only just come of age, that was an immense temptation!

The scene of the Red-Paper Monster battling Han Meng last night automatically surfaced in Chen Ling's mind... Han Meng seemed to have unfolded some mysterious domain, after which he became incredibly fierce. So that was the power of the War God Path?

"May I ask, can one only obtain a Path to Godhood by entering an Ancient Treasury?" someone in the crowd asked cautiously.

"Theoretically, no."

Han Meng shook his head. "The key to setting foot upon a Path to Godhood lies in gaining the recognition of a God Path. If you possess extraordinary talent in a certain God Path, or if the God Path believes you were born to walk that road, it will naturally guide you... We call such people God-Blessed."

"I once saw a young boy from the Southern Sea Domain. He began learning to paint at the age of three and taught himself without a master. At five, he casually used white porridge to paint Boats Racing Across the Waters on the ground, earning the favor of the Azure God Path and becoming the youngest God Path wielder in history."

The entire crowd erupted.

"But those who can be chosen by a God Path are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Most people who wish to walk a God Path can only rely on entering an Ancient Treasury... Of course, not every Ancient Treasury lies within the Human Domain. Several are located where the Ash Realm intersects with reality, and ordinary humans find them extremely difficult to reach.

This means that very few people can enter them and pass their trials. To set foot upon these God Paths, the only route is to obtain God's Blessing, so the number of people on these paths is exceedingly small.

For example, the Yellow God Path, Theater God Path, Thief God Path, and Courtesan God Path."

"In short, these fourteen God Paths are the only extraordinary paths recognized by the Human Domain. In the Aurora Domain, the only choice for the overwhelming majority is the War God Path."

"The only ones recognized by the Human Domain?" Chen Ling asked. "So there are paths that are not recognized?"

Han Meng glanced at him. After a moment of silence, he answered anyway:

"Yes... and quite a few. For example, the Fusion Faction, which attempts to abandon human identity and willingly fuse with Calamity; the cultists who worship the Calamity Red Star, the Crimson Heaven Cult... But you must never touch those paths.

Once someone walks those paths, there is only one outcome: they will be wanted by every Human Domain, and then...

Exterminated without mercy."

At the words "exterminated without mercy," Chen Ling's heart skipped a beat.

If he had guessed correctly, the "Audience" within him was probably a Calamity. Did that mean he had fused with a Calamity?

Chen Ling did not know, nor did he dare ask. He suddenly felt that his earlier decision not to seek help from the Enforcers had been absolutely correct... If he truly counted as a Fusionist, then the Enforcers' first reaction upon learning of it would most likely be to kill him along with the Calamity inside him.

Looking at the large group of solemn, imposing Enforcers nearby, sweat began seeping from Chen Ling's palms...

[Audience Expectation +10]

[Current Expectation Value: 33%]

Two lines of text flashed through the void before Chen Ling's eyes. He could not help silently cursing the Audience for being perverse. Their happiness was built entirely upon his life-or-death peril...

Still, nervous as he was, Chen Ling was not all that afraid.

After all, even Han Meng probably would not have imagined that a Fusionist would not run upon seeing Enforcers, but would instead take the initiative to approach them and attempt to blend into their ranks.

"Could groups like the Fusion Faction and the Crimson Heaven Cult possibly possess Paths to Godhood?" someone asked again.

"Almost impossible." Han Meng replied indifferently, "No Path to Godhood would bestow God's Blessing upon monsters that embrace evil..."

A flicker of disappointment passed through Chen Ling's eyes...

As a transmigrator, he naturally hoped to possess power beyond the mortal world. To be honest, when they had spoken of the Paths to Godhood just now, he had been tempted as well... But if he really was a Fusionist, then this path was closed to him.

"Next, someone will assign each of you a task. Whether you can remain after three days... will depend on yourselves."

After calmly delivering that final sentence, Han Meng turned and left.

The crowd began discussing things again.

Next, several Enforcers stepped forward and began announcing everyone's upcoming assignments.

"Jiang Lipeng and Nie Yining, assist with patrols on Cold-Cloud Street in the Third District; Deng Feiliang and Gong Heng, assist with patrols on Cold-Snow Street in the Third District..."

Everyone present was a Reserve Seat and lacked the ability to patrol alone, so they could only help formal Enforcers handle miscellaneous tasks. Those called first were relatively fortunate, but the farther down the list it went, the more remote the assigned streets became. By the end, some were even assigned to cross districts and provide support in the Second District.

"...Wu Youdong and Chen Ling, assist with patrols on Ice-Spring Street in the Second District..."

Hearing his own name assigned to the Second District, Chen Ling froze slightly. He clearly remembered that no one had yet been assigned to patrol Frost Street in the Third District, and he himself was from Frost Street. Why had they specifically transferred him to the Second District?

Though the Third and Second Districts were not far apart, commuting every day would take at least four hours... Wouldn't that leave him with no time of his own?

"The assessment begins today. Everyone now has three hours to go home and prepare," three hours later, you must report to your post.

Once the Enforcers finished reading the list, they dismissed the crowd. Chen Ling vaguely felt that something was off, but he could not put his finger on it.

"Brother, are you Chen Ling?" A slight young man cautiously approached Chen Ling.

"You are...?"

"I'm Wu Youdong. I'll be going to support the Second District with you."

"Oh, hello."

Wu Youdong looked around and lowered his voice. "Did you slip them any money?"

"Slip them money?" Chen Ling was taken aback.

"The Law Enforcer who read the list just now, Ma Zhong... he handles personnel transfers. Where we go and what we do are all up to him." Seeing Chen Ling's reaction, Wu Youdong sighed helplessly. "Looks like you didn't slip him any either... No wonder the two of us got the worst assignments."

At that, Chen Ling finally understood.

He suddenly recalled what the rickshaw puller had said on the way here... "Why become an Enforcer if you've got no money?"

"Looks like Enforcers aren't any good either." Chen Ling sneered inwardly.

Even the laborers pulling carts by the roadside knew what the Enforcers were like. That alone showed just how severe the problems within this organization were.

"Where do you live?"

"128 Frost Street."

"What a coincidence. I'm on Frost Street too, just at the other end."

"Brother, we're fellow sufferers now. When we get to the Second District, let's look out for each other." After saying a few more words to Chen Ling, Wu Youdong hurried home to pack.

Chen Ling was the last to leave headquarters. The moment he stepped outside, a cold voice rang out from beside the door.

"Stop."

Chen Ling halted.

He slowly turned his head and saw Han Meng leaning against the wall, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his eyes fixed on Chen Ling like those of a venomous snake.

"You're Chen Ling?"