With the Blade

Outside Dengzhou City, the miners were very busy with their work.

On one hand, it was because Bai Wujiu, who ruled Dengzhou City, didn’t consider these laborers as people and planned to exploit them to death. On the other hand, it was due to an uncertain rumor — it was said that a batch of military supplies received in the city had suddenly disappeared, and the higher-ups were furious, feeling deceived, but no one dared to take revenge, so they had no choice but to make the workers below work overtime to make up for the deficit.

Of course, this rumor only circulated among the Chen laborers; they wouldn’t discuss these things with the Yi people.

After all, the Yi people weren’t concerned with these matters; these foreigners were still embroiled in an internal conflict over their so-called faith, with two factions fighting each other for reasons unknown, even resulting in a few deaths recently — but the gods they spoke of were somewhat intriguing, at least everyone hadn’t heard of them before and listened to them as stories, providing some amusement.

"They say the great demon is eight feet tall, with an eight-foot waist, wielding two Lightning Flame Sabers, and wherever he passes, no grass grows..."

That day, someone again brought up the stories they heard from the mouths of the Yi people.

"What? You say such a figure doesn’t exist? How is that possible! Haven’t you seen those monsters? Let me tell you, I’ve seen them. Back in the day, I gave up hunting, came out from Jibei, traveled south, and I’ve seen a lot..."

"You might as well tell the story of how someone stole your pants again."

Upon hearing this laborer with a hunter’s background boasting of his old experiences, the other laborers burst into laughter.

But despite the laughter, at least the things he previously told were indeed satisfying to hear, regarding the Yi people’s gods.

The reason they were satisfying was, of course, because this Yi people’s god was truly ruthless, with no grass growing in his wake, slaughtering landlords and dignitaries alike as if harvesting wheat — it was truly exhilarating. However, this Yi people’s god didn’t often appear, since typically, gods don’t involve themselves in earthly matters.

So, how can the god be made to appear?

This leads to the great disciple under the god.

Or, according to the Yi people, they would call him "Prophet," it means more or less the same thing. The god resides high above in the heavens, but this great disciple under the god lives among the people like everyone else. If he sees any suffering among the people, this great disciple would burn paper for the god at the stove, prompting the Yi people’s god to descend and kill.

So the question is, when will this great disciple, who sits under the god’s bottom, appear?

"This is all ancient history, all dead for who knows how many years ago."

Seeing everyone’s interest, the laborer with a hunter’s background continued speaking.

"But the Yi people’s gods aren’t impotent like our Chen people’s gods; they actually possess mana. You never know when the great disciple under the god might be resurrected... What’s with your expression? What’s wrong with resurrecting? These gods have that ability! Otherwise, why say they have mana! It’s because the lord god is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see us suffer!"

"Indeed."

The laborers nodded in agreement.

Although some of them, like this hunter, were captured due to their crimes, most were tricked by the officials in Dengzhou City. As ordinary people, falling into such a slave-like state naturally brings pain! Naturally brings hatred!

It’s precisely because of this resentment that they are more willing to believe the things spoken by this hunter.

Whether the events concerning the Yi people’s gods were true or false, it was not important. What was important was that the story was satisfying to hear, and that was enough — even if the story was completely unrealistic, it didn’t matter. At least everyone was willing to believe, wishing for a demon lord to descend from the sky to take down those who oppressed them.

For a moment, everyone was discussing animatedly, resembling a state eager to conjure demons for assistance.

This whispered scene frightened the remaining pious Yi people.

They all understood Southern Chen dialect and further understood the significance of the story just told — even though the hunter’s storytelling method was too outlandish, making the story unrecognizable, they still recognized the source of the story.

Clearly, it was the work of those former companions, and these heretics who pledged to the devil were finally beginning to exert their efforts.

"Why are they making a move?"

Some pious Yi people expressed confusion, and even other pious Yi people showed some doubt.

Indeed, they could see that these heretics were promoting the devil’s faith, but they were doing similar things themselves. Their way of preaching just didn’t appeal to the locals, and coupled with the overly exhausting work at the mines... In any case, it really didn’t look like a big deal, so why was their leader suddenly treating it like a great enemy?

"Because... I have been studying the scripture recently."

The leading Yi person wore a solemn expression.

This matter was difficult to explain to others, as their understanding of the scriptures wasn’t as deep as his.

Although everyone present was a pious believer, the duties of others were more about guarding and working, while their interaction with the scriptures mostly involved skimming through a few times, reciting some passages at most as a sign of dedication — but this level, naturally, made it impossible to glimpse the secrets hidden within the scriptures.

Or rather, the secrets hidden within history.

All along, their accepted belief was that finding the Saint would naturally reveal the Promised Land, but everyone’s understanding of the Saint seemed to be off — if according to the scriptures, the Saint who split the sea for the chosen people should have already appeared before this, having died for the chosen people, and resurrected, thus possessing that miraculous power.

Yet all along, everyone focused more on the Saint himself, forgetting the prerequisite of resurrection.

No, there were some who didn’t forget.

At least their elder didn’t forget.

The elder, as the leader, was a true deep reader of the scriptures and naturally aware of the necessity of resurrection — but evidently, this necessity was hardly ever mentioned to them by the elder.

"He deceived all of us."

The leading Yi person looked gloomy,

"No wonder he would turn to the devil’s embrace... His faith was shaken from the beginning."

Though these words were indeed justified, the leading Yi person could actually understand why the elder would betray — after all, the path they had traversed was far too long, with dozens to even hundreds of generations wandering far and wide, only to seek that so-called Promised Land... Indeed, it was the fate of the chosen people and the reward they deserved. However, after paying such a hefty price, what use would finding the Promised Land even serve?

There will always be people who waver, who even consider themselves clever, thinking they’ve seen the truth, believing it’s all fake.

"How could God be fake?"

The leading barbarian snorted, a scornful gesture from a devout believer toward the faithless.

But beyond this scorn, there was deep fear.

Indeed, the elder who once appeared the most devout might actually be far less faithful than this ordinary guard, yet this elder, who became a heretic, was truly smart.

"But... wasn’t the elder already beaten to death?"

Another believer spoke up.

"I even went up and kicked him a few times, wasn’t he completely dead? The body was already burned..."

"Fake, all fake."

The leading barbarian’s expression was solemn.

"Fake, it was all an act... he may indeed have been beaten to death, but that was part of his plan all along."

"You mean..."

A believer was clearly starting to realize something.

And the leading barbarian also nodded.

"That’s right, he is imitating the deeds of the Saint, he wants to resurrect from death through people’s tales... this heretic wants to make himself a Saint! In such a blasphemous way!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present broke out in a cold sweat, listening to the distant chatter of the southern Chen workers discussing devils, they too felt an inexplicable chill.

But there was nothing they could do.

The people of southern Chen didn’t believe them, and might even beat them, and as for those spreading the belief in devils, attempting to resurrect the heretic elder, they couldn’t change their minds either—if there was any way at all, it was to physically eliminate them, but they had already fought a few times before, without reducing their numbers much.

In short, they were outmatched, those who worshipped devils fought much more fiercely than these pious, good people.

"So, are we just supposed to watch?"

These devout believers had never felt so helpless, they had no idea how to break this deadlock.

Until the leading barbarian stepped out himself.

"If it really can’t be solved, then I’ll die too, I’ll become a Saint, to fight against that heretic... as long as there’s no problem, someone must make a sacrifice."

Saying this, the leading barbarian slit his throat with a piece of stone in front of everyone.

The carotid artery was severed, a person doesn’t die immediately, from the fatal wound to death, it’s a rather painful process, and having witnessed the courageous resolve of this new leader, the rest of the believers, despite having wavered, were now completely resolute in their faith.

The death of their companion fueled the flames of hatred, and they resolved to fight those heretics to the end.

Another half month passed, and the heretics began to hold a ritual. Clearly, they had spread enough belief in the labor camp, and once enough people participated in the ritual, the deceased elder might truly be resurrected.

But these devout people were not without their means, they had already gathered enough believers among the laborers, and because of their deep faith, they had even managed to perform some miracles recorded in the scriptures.

And now, it was time for the real miracle to appear.

When those heretics resurrected the traitorous elder, they too would resurrect a true living Saint, today justice and evil, light and darkness, would ultimately decide a victor!

And now, the ritual was about to begin.

"Do you believe in resurrection?"

"I believe."

"Do you want our Saint to rise once more to lead us?"

"I do."

The same words echoed on both sides of the labor camp, at this moment, their great resurrection mission had reached a critical juncture!

It was at this moment that the overseer suddenly beat the gong.

"The weather has heated up! The overseers are showing kindness! Bringing mung bean soup for everyone! Who wants some mung bean soup!"

"Huh? There’s really soup?"

"Count me in! Count me in!"

"Don’t run so fast! Save me some!"

With the third gong, those devout believers who had been drawn in immediately turned away and left.

Leaving the two groups of barbarians staring at each other, dumbfounded.