Subtitle: Bah! A Righteous Act (Are you sure you want to read this trope-filled chapter?)
“Swish!” Qiweiya’s small head popped out from a patch of grass, darting left and right. “Clear! First squad, stand by!”
Lysander’s head abruptly emerged from behind Qiweiya. “Second squad, acknowledged.”
“What the—! When did you get behind me? I didn’t sense a thing!”
Lysander calmly met Qiweiya’s gaze. “I have always been trailing behind you, My Lady; you simply weren’t aware.”
“Phew, you scared me half to death!” Qiweiya shot her a reproachful look. “Couldn’t you have given me a warning? You’ll give me a heart attack!”
“My Lady possesses no heart, so please refrain from such jests.”
Qiweiya was momentarily speechless. “While it’s true I’m no longer human, I’ve certainly retained my human habits! It was an instinctive reaction, you see. Though, now that I think about it, becoming a god has truly been a painful experience.”
Lysander’s expression remained impassive. “Why do you say that, My Lady? In Lysander’s eyes, gods and humans alike are merely parts of the world. Even transforming into other animals would be no different. There is no need for distress.”
Qiweiya was somewhat surprised by Lysander’s words but did not question them. After all, everyone had their own way of life and survival; why bother to scrutinize it?
“Enough about that,” she declared. “We still haven’t found a place to stay for the night. As an injured party, I absolutely need to sleep and rest! I refuse to sleep on the streets, sob, sob!”
Lysander’s gaze fell to Qiweiya’s chest, causing Qiweiya to flush crimson and quickly cover herself. “My Lady, are your injuries still unhealed? Logically, a god of this world should not have been able to inflict such severe damage upon you.”
Qiweiya gnashed her teeth, her voice laced with venom. “Damn that stick! If I’m not mistaken, it must be the Creator God, that traitorous backstabber! Otherwise, how could a god from a mere mid-tier world have critically wounded me with a single strike and then imprisoned me? Heh heh heh.”
Lysander offered no reaction, her gaze fixed on the town across the way. “My Lady, shall we enter and search for a place to stay tonight?”
Qiweiya winced, clutching her now slightly fuller coin purse—a result of her earlier bandit encounter. “Let’s go. It seems the small fortune I just acquired is about to dwindle…”
Lysander nodded, stepping out of the grass first. Qiweiya followed closely behind.
****
This was a renowned town, blessed with picturesque scenery and an eternal spring. Legend had it that in ancient times, it had been the sanctuary of Naraku, the First God.
Truly, its fame had spread far and wide, making it a longed-for holy land among mortals.
Yet, for reasons unknown, Naraku vanished, disappearing from the divine realm. No matter how fervently their devotees called, no response ever came.
Other gods, who had long harbored malicious intent, confirmed the First God’s true disappearance. They then commanded their own protected people to swarm forth like locusts, implementing a brutal “Three Alls” policy: kill all, loot all, burn all.
In an instant, smoke billowed everywhere, corpses littered the fields, and rivers of blood flowed.
Naraku’s people discovered that the magic their deity had left behind had inexplicably diminished in power by severalfold.
Relying on the magical artifacts bequeathed by their god, they had, in the initial stages, dragged many foreign super-experts to hell. However, these infinitely powerful artifacts consumed an immense amount of energy, and their crystal stores quickly ran dry.
Eventually, they could only rely on their so-called ‘aura experts’ to fight and struggle. After these aura experts had fallen, only the fragile bodies of commoner mages were left to take to the battlefield.
Men, to protect their families, charged forward fearlessly, fighting to the death. As ordinary mortals, they were swiftly slaughtered and annihilated by the enemy.
In the end, regardless of gender or age, everyone, young and old, stepped onto the battlefield to defend the sacred land where their ancestors had lived for generations.
On the battlefield, flesh and blood flew, sword energy crisscrossed, and powerful magic rained down in a relentless barrage. Bodies were mangled beyond recognition, limbs torn asunder.
The smoke of war hung heavy and silent. In truth, without divine assistance, they should have crumbled instantly, their defeat as swift as a mountain collapsing.
Yet, the enemy gods, desiring a spectacle, ordered their subordinates to slowly erode the will of Naraku’s people, intending for them to perish in despair.
To the enemy gods’ disappointment, Naraku’s people neither despaired nor abandoned the defense of their homeland. Even if only one remained, they would not yield beneath the enemy’s iron hooves!
They would forever remember their glorious era. “We will not bow our noble heads to grovel beneath your feet! We, the people of Naraku, know only valiant death, not cowardly survival—”
These were the last words, imbued with his dying aura, that Naraku’s Legion Commander, known as the God of War, imparted to everyone on the battlefield before his demise.
During that period, Naraku’s people cast aside all hesitation, charging forth like fearless devils, like Asuras fallen into madness. Yet, they could not escape the clutches of death.
****
Indeed, the zenith of an era vanished entirely into the dust of history, simply because its deity had disappeared.
The gods who had conquered Naraku, ecstatic with triumph, ordered their loyal servants to scour every inch of the now dilapidated holy land.
But… they were disappointed! Hahaha, Naraku’s people would never have left anything useful for these gods, their sworn enemies. No, not even a single feather plucker would remain.
The gods, enraged and feeling mocked by these mortals, commanded that all the corpses of Naraku’s people be gathered for a blood sacrifice! They intended for them to wander forever in the abyss between life and death.
The blood sacrifice commenced, and the souls of those fallen in battle were summoned from the Underworld by the sacrificial array.
The gods watched with delight as the spirits, utterly defenseless, were drawn and absorbed into the ancient forbidden abyss.
But… they had overplayed their hand.
After a peculiar soul was drawn into the abyss, the abyss itself inexplicably became unstable! Some of the lower-ranking gods were commanded to investigate the cause.
Upon entering, only desperate screams echoed before silence fell. As the assembled gods watched with bewildered expressions, a massive, blood-red hand emerged from the abyss’s rift.
In an instant, it snatched a handful of gods and dragged them into its depths.
Only then did the gods suddenly awaken to the truth! Perhaps they had truly forged a terrifying, world-ending crisis!
Panicked, the gods relentlessly suppressed the continuously emerging blood-red giant hand, while simultaneously accelerating the closure of the spacetime rift.
The rift closed! Yet, the ceaseless spatial tremors indicated that the peerless fiend within was still furiously striking at the boundaries of dimensions, desperate to emerge and prey upon the fear-stricken gods!
The seals were continuously reinforced and layered. With the combined might of the gods, the forbidden entity within the abyss could no longer damage the transformed seal.
The gods breathed a sigh of relief. To be absolutely safe, they further established a divine-grade grand formation, brimming with life energy, to suppress it. They allowed some people to reside there, ensuring the eternal sealing of the threat and eliminating future troubles.
On the desolate lands of yesteryear, where unimaginable horrors had occurred, people began to multiply and thrive. Slowly, they developed into the picturesque, eternally spring-like town it was today.
The taboo of that era had been sealed away by the surviving gods, and now, no one remembered the history of that time.
****
Qiweiya nervously poked Lysander’s back. “Lysander… do you sense that strange, peculiar feeling?”
“Miss, this is already a fair price! You won’t find a cheaper deal anywhere else in town, no matter how hard you look.”
Lysander, currently haggling with the plump vegetable vendor, cast a fleeting glance at Qiweiya but offered no reply. She continued her negotiation with the boss.
“I don’t know what the ‘fair price’ for the entire town is, but we haven’t seen any fruits or flowers priced above five copper coins our entire journey. All I want to know is if you can sell me a pound for three copper coins.”
“Miss, let me tell you—”
Seeing that she was ignored, Qiweiya could only sigh in resignation. ‘Honestly, for a god to haggle over a few copper coins for so long… she truly is one of a kind.’
Qiweiya clutched her head. “But right now, I should be trying to figure out where this strange feeling comes from. Why… do I feel such oppressive sorrow? It’s as if someone incredibly important to me died here…”
Qiweiya patted her head, scoffing at herself. “Perhaps my nerves have been stretched for too long, to the point of conjuring such illusions. How ridiculous.”
Qiweiya could only use such an excuse, one she barely believed herself, to dismiss her unease. As an Origin God, it was supposedly impossible for her to feel such emotions due to these circumstances.
Yet, Qiweiya’s sixth sense warned her that if she were to truly delve into the reasons behind this feeling, she might… genuinely collapse into despair.
Lysander tapped the dazed Qiweiya. “My Lady, we should go.”
“Huh? Oh, right! Yes, let’s go…” Qiweiya startled, snapping out of her thoughts. She put on her usual smile and followed along.
Lysander, who could almost be described as devoid of emotion, didn’t perceive Qiweiya’s abnormality. She simply felt that Qiweiya was a little sluggish today. Was it due to her injury?
The two walked down the bustling street, Qiweiya skipping along as if completely unaffected by her earlier strange sensations, as lively as ever.
“Bang!” A loud crash erupted. “You old hag! We kindly advised your daughter to come live a good life in Viscount Olet’s castle! Yet you two women kept making excuses and stalling?
“Well, now we’re forced to do this thankless task and drag you there ourselves! You truly won’t shed tears until you see your coffin!”
Qiweiya watched with indignation as the abduction of a civilian woman unfolded from the suddenly broken-open residence. “Lysander! Go, teach them a lesson!”
Lysander remained unmoved. “My Lady, we should be looking for our lodgings, not meddling and inviting trouble.”
Qiweiya bristled with anger, glaring directly at Lysander. “Are you going or not?”
Lysander met Qiweiya’s gaze, unblinking. “I will not.”
Qiweiya nodded coldly. “Fine! If that’s how it is, I’ll go by myself!”
With that, she strode towards the group of well-dressed scoundrels, the Viscount’s supposed retainers.
“Hey! You parasites over there, halt!”
The leading young man turned his head, spotting Qiweiya emerging from the crowd of onlookers. ‘Oh~ another beauty! If we take her and train her from a young age, she’ll definitely become an unparalleled enchantress.’
Thinking this, the young man pushed aside his stunned comrade and swaggered up to Qiweiya, a roguish grin on his face. “Little sister~ Is there something you need? Big brother can take you somewhere fun, alright~?”
Qiweiya stared at him with disdain, her words cutting and relentless. “Oh my, what era do you think this is? To still use such a crude method to abduct little lolis? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?
“Modern kidnappers have long since evolved; they use lollipops and goldfish now! Who would fall for your vague promises? Without some tangible action, how could any loli be fooled?”
“Hahaha!” The surrounding crowd instantly burst into laughter.
The young man shot a cold glance at his subordinates, who were struggling to suppress their chuckles, then turned back to Qiweiya with a playful smile. “Little sister isn’t very cute~ If little sister is afraid of pain, big brother advises you to come with us quietly.”
Qiweiya inwardly sneered at the menacing young man before her, yet maintained an innocent smile on her face. “What kind of pain was big brother just talking about? Little Qiweiya has truly never experienced it.”
Seeing that Qiweiya was entirely unfazed, the young man chuckled dismissively. “In that case, big brother will let this curious little sister experience what pain feels like~ Attack! Seize this little girl!”
As the approaching rabble drew closer, a cold glint flashed in Qiweiya’s eyes.
A straight punch! A Rising Dragon Fist! *A-da!* A whirlwind kick! She grabbed one man, then delivered a human windmill throw, swiftly dispatching them all. Perfect.
The young man watched his subordinates wailing on the ground, his face pale. “Who exactly are you? Why are you meddling here?!”
Qiweiya rubbed her small fist, steadily approaching the young man, who was retreating step by step in fear. “You can only blame yourselves for daring to oppress the common folk right under my nose! And besides~”
Qiweiya tilted her head, a guileless smile on her face. “We’re righteous Young Pioneers, you know~ Seeing bullies harassing men and women without dishing out some ‘love and justice’ just wouldn’t do, would it? What’s the difference between not showing off in another world and being a salted fish?”
The young man was utterly bewildered. What was all this nonsense? What was a ‘Young Pioneer’? What was ‘love and justice’? What was this ‘other world’ she spoke of? He was just following orders, wasn’t he?!
As for what the young man thought afterward, we wouldn’t know. After all, a glance at the shattered teeth on the ground was enough to understand the punishment he had received.
“Thank you for saving us, Miss! Mona, quickly, come thank our benefactor!”
Beside her, a golden-haired girl, her small face pale with fright, quickly joined her mother, who was in her forties, in expressing their gratitude.
Qiweiya scratched her head sheepishly. “Ahahaha~ No need to thank me, no need. In fact, we might even need to trouble you two.”
The beautiful Mona and her mother exchanged bewildered glances, not understanding what this “little sister,” who was clearly a powerhouse, meant by her words.
Qiweiya paid no mind to their thoughts. She called out to the rapidly dispersing crowd, “Lysander! Come out quickly! We have a place to stay tonight!”
Under the amazed gazes of the mother and daughter, Lysander walked impassively to Qiweiya. “My Lady, do you think this was worth it? We are currently in a period of danger, and involving innocent people might not end well for these two commoners.”
Qiweiya stiffened, then said awkwardly, “Uh, well? I just instinctively jumped into the fray, didn’t I~ Ahahaha.”
(Drooping her head) Qiweiya listlessly addressed the two women. “Never mind, never mind~ Since that’s the case, we’ll just have to say goodbye. As for your viscount and all… you probably won’t see them tomorrow. Lysander, let’s go~ We’ll find an inn or a tavern.”
Lysander glanced at the two bewildered women, then responded, “Yes.”