Chapter 78

"You help me kill the War God, and I'll help you achieve whatever it is you want."

"You sure aim high. Do you even know who the current War God is since the last one fell?"

"No." Lin Yu's tone stayed flat, but she knew the War God in the Nine Heavens had long since changed hands.

She still vividly recalled the first time she'd broken into the late Emperor and Empress's memorial hall, and Fu Ming burning incense in the dead of night. Bit by bit, she'd pieced together a rough picture—the Ascension of the late Emperor and Empress was nothing but a grand deception, and the true beneficiaries had never shown their faces.

Twenty years ago, the late Emperor ascended and became the War God—the first War God in heaven and earth. But within days of his ascension, he had already perished, body and soul extinguished.

The Yu Kingdom had seen three gods ascend: the War God, the Wind God, and the Rain Goddess. Their fates were eerily similar—all had fallen shortly after ascending, leaving no truth behind for future generations.

The world only knew the Rain Goddess had vanished for years, but not that she was dead, nor that the War God and Wind God had died the moment they ascended, replaced by new occupants twenty years ago.

No one knew who was behind it, so the divine records still listed the late Emperor Fu Zhi as the War God, with no mention of his successor's identity. Lin Yu had no way to learn who the new War God or Wind God were.

Like Fu Ming, she could only guess that someone had taken the late Emperor's title and divine seat, receiving offerings from believers in the north, while the late Emperor had vanished within the deception. But evidence was nowhere to be found, and exposing the truth was impossible.

Mortals would never believe such a change. Their faith was what it was: gods are omnipotent, gods are generous and merciful, gods have no flaws. Only Fu Ming had built a shrine for the former Emperor and Empress among the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods.

The northern lands bordered the frontier, where wars were frequent and unending across the kingdoms. As such, the north was where War God temples gathered, and nearly every soldier there was a believer. If they wanted to resolve the mystery of the War God, they'd have to visit the northern battlefield sooner or later.

The Moon God studied Lin Yu, puzzled. "You don't even know who he is, and you want his life?"

"His statue is ugly. It bothers me. Every time I pass by at night, it scares me. His face on a door could ward off evil and stop children from crying."

The Moon God rubbed his forehead. "...You."

"Can you kill him or not? If you can't..." Lin Yu tilted her head, feigning thought. "I haven't thought of any other conditions, so let's part ways."

"I can kill him." The Moon God called her back.

Lin Yu stopped, turned, and walked back. "When?"

Xin Tong pouted and blocked her path. "You make it sound like slaughtering a pig for New Year—so casual."

Lin Yu shoved Xin Tong aside again. "We're still within the New Year, so slaughtering a pig is normal. To avoid trouble later, better to strike first."

Xin Tong: ?

It took him a moment to sputter, "Don't push me!" He squeezed back between Lin Yu and the Moon God, though small and short, he couldn't actually block their conversation.

Undeterred, he tried hopping up to block Lin Yu's view, hoping to stop their talk.

The Moon God closed his eyes and pushed Xin Tong aside once more. Xin Tong stumbled and was caught by Di Ting. The two stood there, staring at each other, while Lin Yu waved her hand, signaling Di Ting to take Xin Tong away.

"Killing the War God won't be easy."

Lin Yu: "Then whatever you want me to do must be equally hard. Otherwise, you'd have left the moment I stated my terms, right? This is a fair exchange."

The Moon God was still deliberating, weighing whether killing the War God was worth it. But Lin Yu didn't give him much time. She gazed at the surging river. "Tell me—what do you want me to do?"

"Kill the Crimson God."

The answer exceeded Lin Yu's expectations. "The sky can do without the moon, but not the sun, don't you think, Lord Moon God?"

"If killing the War God is hard, killing the Crimson God is like climbing to heaven. Are you really comfortable entrusting such a task to a mere mortal?" She countered. "I can't even meet the Crimson God face to face, let alone make a move on him."

"The sun and moon vie for supremacy, and I've never been able to outdo him." The Moon God's gaze lowered, as if recalling the past. He let out a long sigh. "He's always been above me. Before we ascended, he was the crown prince, and I was a general. I saved his dynasty with a forged military tally, allowing him to take the throne."

Lin Yu's expression remained unchanged. She'd already lived through his pre-ascension story in the illusion of the Li Kingdom, but she listened as if hearing it for the first time, curious. "And then?"

"His life was saved by me. Without me, he'd have been branded a usurper."

At some point, the Moon God had reopened the folding fan in his hand, gently waving it. "But he was lucky. We ascended at the same time. I should have been the Crimson God, and he the Moon God. But because he'd been emperor—even if by usurpation—he gained the blessing of the Heavenly Dao."

"So he took your divine position?" Lin Yu probed. "He has the Heavenly Dao's backing. If you, a god, can't handle him, I certainly can't. You overestimate me."

"Unless you have some divine artifact or secret art, it's absolutely impossible."

Lin Yu put on a defeated air, subtly observing the Moon God through her peripheral vision. She knew he wouldn't have come to her without a way to kill the Crimson God. She was waiting for him to reveal his plan, but he was clearly still torn.

Lin Yu keenly sensed that his method was no ordinary one—otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate even after seeking her out.

The Moon God was meticulous. If given too much time, he might sense something wrong or decide she wasn't a reliable ally. Gods had endless lifespans; he could afford to wait another century for another "Lin Jiyue."

Lin Yu's task was to deny him that time, forcing a quick decision.

She looked him up and down. "Find someone else. I'm not up to it. I have the nerve and the resolve to kill gods, but I can't beat the Crimson God. Let's not meet again. As for the War God—treat it as if you never heard it. And your Crimson God—I'll pretend I never heard that either."

She spoke with easy nonchalance. "The moon can't outshine the sun. Give up while you can. The Crimson God's followers are endless—people can't live without the sun. In another hundred years, he'll be the mightiest god in the celestial realm. The moon only hangs in the night by the sun's borrowed light. You're trying to bring down the sun—truly wishful thinking."

Lin Yu watched his expression. The jab about the moon not matching the sun clearly struck a nerve; he fell silent for a while.

Without lingering, Lin Yu turned to leave. She hadn't taken two steps when the Moon God conjured another barrier to block her path. Meanwhile, Di Ting had pulled Xin Tong aside under a tree, chatting about something.

"Blocking me is useless. Save your divine power for the Crimson God."

"I have a way!"

"What?" Lin Yu turned back.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but the Moon God felt the face beneath her mask seemed to smile. He paid it no mind. "In Kunlun, there's a sword that can slay gods."

Lin Yu struggled to keep her expression calm. Her fingers curled slightly, almost numb. She kept her voice even. "Slay gods?"

"When the Tian Zun established the celestial realm, there were two divine weapons: the Heaven-Suppressing Halberd and the Myriad Souls Sword." He paused. "The Myriad Souls Sword was forged from the souls of countless mortals slain by the Demon Lord. It can sever karma, kill those not of our kind, and even slay gods."

Lin Yu crossed her arms, gazing at the river before them. After a moment, she said, "Then why haven't you taken it? Why tell me? Such a divine weapon, if exposed—each extra person who knows adds uncertainty. If word spreads, people will flock to claim it. It's Tian Zun's property—surely there've been covetous eyes over the years?"

"Coveting is pointless. The Myriad Souls Sword has an insurmountable problem, which is precisely why no one has seized it. That's also why, after becoming a god, Tian Zun abandoned it first thing."

"What problem?"

Moon God: "It was forged from the souls of thousands of mortals who died at the Demon Lord's hands. It's steeped in hatred, and in its forging, it severed countless karmic threads. That's why no one can wield it."

Lin Yu soon spotted the flaw in his logic. If no one could wield it, how did Tian Zun manage to forge it and use it to establish the new order?

Elder Wen had once said that Tian Zun, without a single soldier or battle, convinced the Demon Lord to retreat underground and cede the primordial chaos. Then Tian Zun transformed that chaos into the mortal world. Lin Yu hadn't believed that story, and the ancient texts never mentioned the Myriad Souls Sword.

But now that she knew of its existence, she had a good guess how he'd done it: he severed the Demon Lord's karma, cutting him off from his past—breaking his attachments and delusions—so that he willingly gave up the chaos.

Sealing the Demon Lord, establishing the celestial realm... Lin Yu pondered Elder Wen's repeated murmurs, and suddenly it clicked!

Before establishing the celestial realm, Tian Zun had been mortal. So he could wield the Myriad Souls Sword, because he was "human"—the souls within accepted him and aided him.

But after his success, he abandoned his humanity, declaring himself a "god," betraying man. He created a new race—neither human nor demon: the gods.

From then on, the souls in the sword no longer recognized him. The myriad souls had no use for a traitor who burned bridges. Tian Zun realized this, which is why he cast the sword aside upon ascension.

Lin Yu asked, "If no one can wield the sword, how did Tian Zun use it to establish the celestial realm?"

"The Myriad Souls Sword only recognizes its own kind. It's a sentient sword—the countless beings within control who wields it. But the human tribe was suppressed by the Demon Lord for a hundred years, so it despises other races."

"In its eyes, anything not human is alien. Thus, the sword will never accept a god. After Tian Zun ascended, even as a deity, he lost the ability to control it."

The Moon God's explanation matched Lin Yu's guess closely. She nodded. "So you want me to retrieve this sword and wield it to kill the Crimson God?"

The Moon God glanced at her. "You're not qualified yet. Tian Zun once had the people's mandate, so the sword accepted him and helped him defeat the Demon Lord. You need to earn the same—become revered among mortals—before the sword will recognize you."

Lin Yu: "That's easy. I'll kill someone who already has that reverence, take their place, and fool the sword."

The Moon God frowned. "Who do you plan to kill?"

"How about the Divine Maiden of the Heaven's Mandate Tower?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

"I hear she'll ascend within a few years. The Rain Goddess has been silent for years—could be dead or alive. Jiangnan cares deeply about seasons, and they'll soon realize the Rain Goddess no longer protects them."

"Their ten-thousand acres of farmland can't lose the Rain Goddess. That Divine Maiden is the Rain Goddess's descendant, so in the past month, many of the Rain Goddess's followers have turned to her, preparing for her eventual ascension. I'll kill her, take her place, and make the sword recognize me. What do you think?"