“Shush.” Gao Ming closed his eyes to listen. His five senses were stronger than normal. His ears twitched, and he picked up the cheering and the claps from inside the forest. “The wedding procession is just ahead. We have finally caught up to them.”
Fu Shu hesitated as he was about to face Xi God’s people. He was trapped in the Xi Residence cellar and had a natural fear of Madam Xi and Xi God.
“The night gentleman is going to the Xi Temple to marry Madam Xi. During the marital night, Xi God will return after taking away the joy aura from all the nightmares.” Fu Shu thought about it, “Similar weddings have occurred eight times already. Xi God became stronger each time. This is the ninth time. After this wedding ceremony ends, it should have the greatest chance to become an Unmentionable.”
“The Xi God is a monster created by you. It’s not that simple to become an Unmentionable.” Gao Ming had already offended the Xi God. He wouldn’t let him become an Unmentionable.
“I have nothing to do with feeding Xi God. Immortal Pharma is behind everything. I’m now on your side.” Fu Shu corrected Gao Ming. Gao Ming didn’t care about the details. He headed deeper into the forest. Banners and paper that were used everywhere at weddings were weaved among the corpses.
They didn’t encounter any bears. Gao Ming tried to make as little sound as possible. He saw a giant red temple among the layers of trees. The temple had two floors. The bricks were embedded with gold and silver. The roof was trimmed with glazed glass. Four open windows corresponded to the four blessings in a wedding. The giant incense pot contained people’s blessings. The incense smoke rose like a dragon. Ten strangely dressed Minor Xi Gods waited outside the temple. The sedan chair was placed to the side. The curtain was pulled back to reveal the mess Gao Ming had left behind.
“Bai Feng is not here.” Ever since the God of Flesh and Blood ate the hearts of the eight Minor Xi Gods, Gao Ming could see the Xi God and everything related to it.
The temple door was left open. A woman’s laughter and Bai Feng’s pained chanting could be heard. As time passed, pain departed Bai Feng’s voice to be replaced by joy and happiness.
“She couldn’t escape. She was caught and placed inside the Xi Temple.” Fu Shu was worried. “We cannot let Xi God return. Once it does, we’ll all die!”
The moment Gao Ming left the forest, he rushed forward. He stabbed the Minor Xi God, who was closest to him in his heart. The blade cut through flesh. Gao Ming understood the importance of killing one instead of injuring ten. He didn’t attack the other Minor Xi Gods. Instead, he focused on decimating his one prey. When the red threads appeared, he dragged them to the altar. He consumed the red threads before the other Minor Xi Gods.
The pain in his heart lightened. This surprised Gao Ming. When he fought the Water Dragon King, the latter triggered fear in his heart. Using Dream Release amplified that pain. However, when he fought the Xi God, the joy in his underlings could heal Gao Ming’s pain. “Is Xi God my medicine?”
Gao Ming used less than a minute to fully absorb one Minor Xi God. After gaining Dream Release, he was different from before.
“The butcher’s knife? You were the one hiding inside the sedan!” The half-male and half-female Minor Xi God screamed as they pointed at Gao Ming.
“You are quite lucky to be still alive.” Gao Ming scanned the remaining nine Minor Xi Gods. They were wounded in the fight with the butcher. “I want to see your night gentleman.”
“That is not someone you can meet because you want to.” The elderly Minor Xi God saw Fu Shu on Gao Ming’s back. “You stole from Madam Xi. If you willingly cut off your limbs, we might forgive you.”
“Fuck you.” Gao Ming cursed and opened the altar.
The moment the God of Flesh and Blood’s shadow appeared, the wounds on the Minor Xi Gods exploded with red threads. The two closest to Gao Ming had their upper bodies mutated. Their faces wilted, and flesh atrophied.
“Return!” A small hand yanked the Minor Xi God back. The other Minor Xi Gods found their backbones and surrounded the owner of the small hand.
Gao Ming missed. He suppressed the pain in his heart and regarded the enemies with bloodshot eyes.
Two doll-like children stood among the nine Minor Xi Gods. They wore red and green silk robes. One held a blooming lotus, and the other carried a blessing box.
“Today is an auspicious day. Why would you bring tragedy here? You even killed one of us.” The child’s voice was cute and crisp. They looked so harmless.
“If I didn’t see the corpses of the elderly and children in the forest, I might feel guilty, but false Gods like all of you should be killed!” Gao Ming didn’t waste time. He charged forward. He was surrounded by nightmares. Once the Minor Xi Gods came close to him, they would be attacked.
The two children didn’t panic. “This is the crucial moment for Xi God’s wedding. Please help us.” Even if they didn’t want to, the red lines from the nearby Minor Xi Gods gathered towards the two kids.
“Unity is grace. Grace is joy. If we can bring joy to the world, why not accept joy in life?”
The two kids grew up rapidly. They became like He Er God, who presided over weddings. The children became two handsome monks. He had a great smile. They wore green clothes and held drums in their left hands and the stick in their right.
The butcher’s knife was stopped by the stick. The God of Flesh and Blood smashed into the monks. When the monks were harmed by the faith and force of another nightmare, Gao Ming was hit by pain. He coughed out blood and flew out along with the monks.
Gao Ming’s blood dyed his clothes. He looked at the weakened monks. The monk smiled brightly despite the blood oozing out of his lips. “The God knows everything. If you have cruelty in your heart, nothing will go your way.”
“I’ll injure myself if I injure them?!”