At the edge of the desert.
On Wasteland Road.
Two horses walked side by side.
"Baxter, do you think the desert is beautiful?"
"Yes."
"What makes it beautiful?"
"A lone plume of smoke rose straight over the vast desert; the setting sun hung round above the long river."
"...Interesting. But humanity's indiscriminate logging caused soil erosion, and the desert began devouring other regions. Isn't that humanity's evil?"
Shen Ye gradually caught on.
It seemed-
Valhalla very much wanted him dead.
He had left Shen Ye surrounded by the Eight-Legged Life-Devouring Demon Spirit and the other Professionals earlier precisely to accomplish that.
It was understandable.
According to the Ancient Sequence, its sole weakness was that "it must never let anyone know it was an 'evil' being intent on destroying everything."
And Shen Ye was that person.
But some rule prevented it from killing him directly.
For instance, if he followed its demands and refrained from violence or killing-
It could only kill the Eight-Legged Life-Devouring Demon Spirit.
Because the demon spirit had been "arrogant."
"Baxter, answer me."
Valhalla spoke.
A faint, ominous aura began emanating from him.
Shen Ye immediately replied:
"Colonel, people began life ignorant, unaware that they needed to protect the environment."
"But now we have many ways to do so."
"For example, planting cold-resistant, wind- and sand-resistant plants to form shelterbelts, using water resources responsibly, and laying straw checkerboard sand barriers in the desert."
"Perhaps this represents our repentance as humans."
After hearing this, Valhalla said nothing more.
Ahead.
Several men stood at the Three-Way Intersection.
-They wore broad-brimmed straw hats, grayish-white robes, and thick-soled shoes, and looked toward the two from afar.
"May the Heavenly God bless you, officer."
One of them addressed him.
Sitting on his horse, Valhalla said gently, "May the Heavenly God bless you