Followers of the God of Light

Heavy rain poured down, churning the ground into mud. The moment the heavily decomposed corpse was unearthed, Xiahou Aotian saw a plume of dense black smoke surge from beneath the earth, coalescing into a hideous, ghostly face that lunged straight toward him. Without even trying to dodge, Xiahou Aotian threw his head back and let out a piercing shriek. Mental Strike! The ghostly face formed from black smoke shuddered violently and froze midair, as though it had suffered a crushing blow. Once the skill took effect, Xiahou Aotian hastily backed away, drew a deep breath, and released another shrill shriek. The ghostly face emitted an enraged, aggrieved, and inaudible screech before slowly dissolving away. Under two Mental Strikes, the wraith was blasted into oblivion. "Phew..." Xiahou Aotian exhaled a breath of stale air and approached the corpse in the mud once more. After a brief inspection, he could not deduce the woman's exact cause of death, but one detail stood out: there was no clothing on the remains. A young woman dead in the middle of nowhere, buried in an abandoned temple, stripped of clothing, her lingering malice after death coalescing into a vengeful wraith. How she had died was plain to see. Xiahou Aotian continued examining the young woman's skeleton and noticed another detail: the woman's left hand had only four fingers. He committed this detail to memory, then used his blade to shovel the dirt back into place. In an S-rank dungeon, any detail was worthy of attention—especially the dangers encountered by a Spirit Realm walker like himself. Spirit Realm walkers were the most prone to triggering plot developments, and the "stories" within a dungeon revolved around them. Any useful clues or details would never occur somewhere entirely beyond a walker's reach. Yuanshi Tianzun's mastery over details in the Ruler of a Fallen Nation dungeon had set a strong example and provided Xiahou Aotian with tremendous inspiration. After burying the corpse, Xiahou Aotian returned to the ruined temple. He took off his boots, tossed them into the rain to wash off the dirt, and sat barefoot by the dying charcoal embers. "Becoming an official through the imperial examinations is certainly out of the question. If I want to take part in the war and lead us to victory, I have to secure a respectable status first. Aside from the examinations, the Tang dynasty also allows recommendations from the powerful and noble. "Once I reach Chang'an, I can plagiarize a few masterpieces from the Poet Sage and the Poet Immortal to make a name for myself. That will get me in touch with Chang'an's nobility, allowing me to showcase my special qualities as a Scholar and obtain an official post through their recommendation. "After that, once Little An and Little Shi rebel, I'll propose marching out to war. In the An-Shi Rebellion, the only capable generals were Gao Xianzhi, Geshu Han, Guo Ziyi, and just a few others... Little Guo is still playing bit parts, his time hasn't arrived yet, and Geshu Han and Gao Xianzhi are tragic figures... "I only have half a month. So after the An-Shi Rebellion breaks out, the best course is to find a way to the front line, clear the dungeon as early as possible, and return to reality to help Yuanshi Tianzun. "Half a month should be enough to conquer this dungeon. Even for a Dominator dungeon, which takes a long time, that is plenty." As he pondered, the rain ceased. The mud on his boots had been washed clean. Reining in his thoughts, he used a Fire Specialist's heated fist to dry the boots, put them on, and led his horse out of the ruined temple to continue his journey. By tomorrow noon at the latest, or mid-morning at the earliest, he would reach Chang'an. *** The next day. Zhang Yuanqing woke on schedule. In his arms lay the sleeping maiden Herasine, her skin fair and translucent, her dark green hair spilling loosely over the bedding. Her body was full of vitality and breathtakingly beautiful. Her rounded, delicate shoulders, narrow waist, full bust, shapely hips, and slender legs carried fullness and slenderness in all the right places. Compared to the wild Helen, she was far shyer, gentler, and more tenderly affectionate in their moments of pleasure. *Sigh, this damn NPC constitution forced me into an impure act again. God, you are my witness—debauchery was never my intention, the dungeon forced my hand...* Zhang Yuanqing sat up, feeling energized. Looking at Herasine as she rubbed her eyes, he smiled faintly. "Little sister, it's time for us to turn in our work." Last night, they had worked through the hours to finally finish the two thousand arrows. After dismissing the craftsmen, they had embraced and fallen asleep in the pile of straw. People of this era had not yet developed the modern concept of a "bedroom." Places to sleep were everywhere—it could be one's own room, the cool shade beneath a tree, or a cave sheltered from the elements. As long as a place was safe, comfortable, and protected from wind and rain, it served as a bed. Herasine snuggled up clingily, wrapping her arms around his neck and murmuring playfully, "Amini, you gave me another unforgettable night. I never knew you could be so formidable. My body is still utterly exhausted, and all I want to do is ignore everything and sleep some more. Hmph, you really know how to wear someone out... but it was very fulfilling." *Your lover right now is Amini's skin with a Night Roamer's core—of course it's different! Last night's intensity was nothing. If this dungeon weren't riddled with danger, preventing me from going all out, I could keep you going for a day and a night.* Zhang Yuanqing offered a smile. "Consider it my reward to you. Oh, dearest Herasine, it was only with your help that I managed to complete the task within the allotted time. That Cupid, who deserves to be buggered by slaves—he actually wanted me to fall in love with a ewe? "Just wait until I get an opening. I swear I'll take a boot and thrash his backside black and blue. I swear I really will." The two got dressed and headed toward the castle. In the west garden from yesterday, they saw Cupid once again, along with three new, pitiable slave overseers. Cupid, who was in the middle of berating the overseers, brightened noticeably upon seeing them approach. Abandoning the overseers, he flapped his pristine white wings and flew over, circling around them with a mocking sneer. "Here comes our God of Justice of Paphos Island. "Let me guess—you've come to beg for my mercy, haven't you? Oh, not a chance, Amini. If you can't hand over two thousand arrows today, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life with a ewe." A guard not far away called out loudly, "God of Justice, Lord Cupid has already instructed us to prepare the ewe. Luckily for you, she's a pure, newly matured ewe." As he spoke, he raised the tether in his hand. At the other end was a white goat, petite and newly grown. The guards burst into laughter. The three slave overseers cast sympathetic, commiserating glances toward Amini. Neither servile nor haughty, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Respected Lord Cupid, the two thousand arrows have already been crafted." Cupid froze, the teasing amusement on his face locking up. Swooping close to Amini, he glared at him fiercely. "You are lying to me." Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head. "Great Cupid, no one on Paphos Island can deceive you. If you don't believe me, you may send someone to inspect them." To avoid provoking the petty Cupid, he dared not appear too smug. Cupid instantly rounded on the guard and bellowed, "Go look!" The guard holding the ewe dropped the tether and hurried off. Cupid turned his gaze back onto Amini with a cold sneer. "Amini, you know the consequence of lying to me. Not only will I make you fall in love with a ewe, but I will also make Herasine fall in love with a ram." The dark-green-haired maiden's fair face shifted, but she soon regained her composure. She wasn't afraid of Cupid's punishment because the work was already finished; the punishment was destined never to arrive. What surprised her was the underlying implication in Cupid's words—he seemed aware of her tryst with Amini. Yet how could that be? If Cupid had known about their relationship, he would long since have reported it to the Goddess of Beauty, their master in name and mother in truth. *Are illegitimate children not treated as human beings? Sigh, blood ties and ethics truly mean nothing in this era!* Zhang Yuanqing lamented inwardly. Though he had only been in the dungeon for two days, he could already sense that class hierarchy on Paphos Island far outweighed familial sentiment and ethics. Leave aside maternal half-siblings; even the relationship between Cupid and his other full-god siblings sounded strained based on Herasine's accounts. The legitimate sons and daughters—whose parents were both gods or demigods—ruled over the mortals and half-mortals of Paphos Island. After about half an hour, the guard returned. Having finished tallying the arrows, he brought back unwelcome news: "Lord Cupid, the two thousand arrows have indeed been crafted. I have counted them." Cupid's round, innocent little face instantly turned grim, and he stared at Amini without a word. After about a dozen seconds, he suddenly beamed with an innocent, adorable smile. "Oh, my dear Amini, you truly are an excellent slave. You have done splendidly. The God of Light threatens the safety of Paphos Island; we ought to unite and weather this crisis together." Zhang Yuanqing bowed. "You speak truly!" With Cupid's permission, he took Herasine by the hand and left the garden. Once out of Cupid's sight, the dark-green-haired maiden's steps grew light, and she warned, "Amini, you must stay cautious. Cupid will find other ways to make things difficult for you. In the past, Lady Aphrodite's protection kept him from moving against you. But now, she is no longer on the island." *Sounds like Aphrodite is quite protective of her children after all,* Zhang Yuanqing thought, before asking, "Herasine, you mentioned that Cupid's father is the mighty God of War. Would he really bear to watch his lover and offspring be ruthlessly slaughtered by the God of Light?" Herasine knitted her brow, sounding helpless. "Amini, why would you assume I know how gods think or act?" *Fair enough, I can't argue with that! Now that the work is finished and danger hasn't closed in yet, I'll take a stroll around the island today to gather intel. An island that birthed a deity ought to be worth exploring!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, a frantic ringing of bells struck his ears. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Zhang Yuanqing and Herasine looked up simultaneously toward the clock tower. The urgent clanging was sounding from that very direction. Thanks to Zhang Yuanqing's sharp eyesight, he spotted the valiant goddess Menia standing atop the towering clock tower, striking a massive bronze bell with a bronze staff. As the chimes reverberated, the entire castle and the surrounding settlements sprang to life in an instant. Women and children ducked into their houses, warriors assembled swiftly, and men sprinted toward the various armories to claim their weapons. Footsteps, commotion, and shouting blended into an uproar! Herasine gasped in terror, "E-Enemy attack... it's the followers of the God of Light..." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her and said, "Hide yourself and stay safe." He immediately entered Night Roaming, harnessed the gale, and soared high into the sky. Looking down from an altitude of a hundred meters, he saw over a dozen massive, rugged warships cutting through the golden sea, their sails billowing as they bore down rapidly on Paphos Island. Whether an effect of the sunlight or something more, all dozen-odd warships shimmered with a faint, golden glow.