Chapter 1203: The Divine Guide

Is this Tie Shu Gu worth dying for?

Mo Hua turned back and pondered, realizing this man indeed had a path to death.

He was the leader of the Shu Gu tribe, a Jin Dan from an enemy clan.

He had held rituals to worship a demonic god.

He had "eaten" people.

He had previously spoken disrespectfully and shown no reverence toward me.

Even now, he may not truly intend to submit to me.

These are all reasons to kill him.

And to kill him, I need not lift a finger—just speak a word, and the barbarian general Chifeng will slit Tie Shu Gu's throat, avenging the clan members of Dan Que who were "eaten" by him.

Of course, Tie Shu Gu has utility; he cannot be killed just yet.

But why—why have I never once entertained the thought of killing him?

Mo Hua couldn't help but glance at Tie Shu Gu.

Whether or not Tie Shu Gu sensed something, his body suddenly trembled, his chest burning as if on fire; he looked up at Mo Hua once, then quickly lowered his head, daring not to meet Mo Hua's gaze.

His complexion had only slightly paled, showing no other abnormality.

But his spiritual awareness had clearly become chaotic.

This sign grew increasingly suspicious.

Mo Hua's gaze grew deeper, and at the same time, his mind seemed to pierce through a veil of mist, beginning to swirl rapidly.

"Why—did I never consider killing him?"

"Was I careless? Did I overlook him?"

"A stranger I might overlook, but Tie Shu Gu has been by my side for so long—my Karma Technique could never allow such negligence."

"Then is it—he—affected my spiritual awareness, altered some of my perceptions?"

Mo Hua's heart turned icy, his gaze sharpening further.

"Can this Tie Shu Gu influence my spiritual awareness and judgment?"

"No, that should be impossible."

"A Jin Dan from the Shu Gu wandering tribe shouldn't possess such ability—if he truly did, then he alone should be the Lord Wuzhu of the Great Wasteland."

"Then where is the problem—"

"What exactly is going on with this Tie Shu Gu—"

Mo Hua stared at Tie Shu Gu, his eyes sharply divided between black and white, edged in gold.

Tie Shu Gu felt as if gazed upon by a peerless monstrous beast; every bone in his body trembled uncontrollably, until he could bear it no longer, bowing shakily and croaking:

"Lord—Lord Wuzhu, is there still some order? Your servant will—immediately carry it out."

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes, withdrawing the divine luster from his gaze; when he opened them again, his eyes were clear and gentle, his voice calm:

"You've done well. Go."

Tie Shu Gu drew a deep breath and said: "Yes, then I take my leave."

Tie Shu Gu bowed and departed.

Mo Hua watched the retreating back of Tie Shu Gu, his expression thoughtful.

Night deepened.

Tie Shu Gu, having left Mo Hua, arrived at his own tent.

This was one of the six Shu Gu Oddities' tents—spacious, sealed, silent, lined with luxurious furs.

After the Six Shu Gu Oddities fled, these tents were requisitioned.

As a Jin Dan, Tie Shu Gu had been allotted one for temporary lodging.

After leaving Mo Hua and returning to his tent, seeing no one around, Tie Shu Gu exhaled a long, heavy breath.

The massive boulder pressing on his chest slowly lifted.

They say, "Serving a lord is like serving a tiger."

That so-called "Mr. Wuzhu" had a pale, boyish face, but those eyes were more terrifying than any ferocious tiger.

A benevolent face, a hellish hand—he was nothing like he appeared.

He must constantly humble himself, obey without question, dare not defy even slightly, just to survive.

But today, for some reason, that "demon god" seemed to have revealed murderous intent toward him—had he sensed something?

Tie Shu Gu almost wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, but he held himself back.

Here, he dared not trust anything.

Tie Shu Gu forced himself to sit in meditation on the bed, closing his eyes to calm his mind, trying to dispel his fear and dread.

He said nothing, did nothing.

More accurately—he dared not say anything, dared not do anything.

Tie Shu Gu remained in meditation posture, cultivating in stillness.

But after a moment, for no discernible reason, a hazy, unnatural sensation crept over him; he felt his head grow heavy.

As if a soft voice whispered to him:

"Sleep, sleep—"

"Once asleep, you'll fear nothing."

"When you wake, all problems will vanish."

That voice, gentle as spring rain, carried an irresistible power of "trust."

Tie Shu Gu believed it; unconsciously, he lowered his guard—and fell asleep.

After falling asleep, he had a dream.

In the dream, he seemed to see the barbarian god, my lord.

A "barbarian god" whose entire form radiated Jin Guang, obscuring his figure and face, yet overflowing with blinding golden light.

These golden lights, dazzling beyond measure, rose like ten thousand zhang high, coalescing into a colossal "divine body."

Merely gazing at the golden light filled Tie Shuguo with soul-shaking awe.

Before the barbarian god, he felt himself as tiny as an ant, unworthy even to lift his eyes to the sky of golden radiance, lest he desecrate the divine majesty—Tie Shuguo knelt on the ground.

And as he knelt, Tie Shuguo suddenly felt a strange familiarity, as if this scene had happened before.

Twice before, in dreams, he had knelt before the "barbarian god," and each time, the barbarian god's head was immediately severed, rolling to the ground—he knelt once, the god's head fell once.

Will it happen again this time?

Tie Shuguo couldn't help but tremble with dread.

He forced down his heartbeat and slightly lifted his gaze—still, the radiant light blazed as before; the dazzling "divine body" remained unchanged.

The barbarian god before him had no severed head.

For some reason, Tie Shuguo felt a sudden sense of relief:

"Of course—the true barbarian god could never have his head so easily cut off."

As Tie Shuguo thought this, a sudden transformation erupted.

Between heaven and earth, a blade of light coalesced.

Tie Shuguo's entire body froze in terror.

Here it comes!

That blade of light—it's here again!

That "little demon god" is coming again to sever the barbarian god's head!

Tie Shuguo opened his mouth to shout: "Barbarian god, run!" "Your head's about to fall!"

But he quickly realized it was already too late.

His words could never outpace the sword.

The instant he spoke, the barbarian god's head would fall.

The barbarian god is in mortal peril!

Tie Shuguo's heart burned with desperation.

But what he expected did not happen.

That surging, torrential blade of light did not sever the head of the barbarian god, whose body glowed with Jin Guang.

Instead, the "barbarian god" merely lifted one finger—and ten thousand zhang of golden light extinguished the blade.

Tie Shuguo was instantly stunned, then his heart surged with shock: "Is this—the barbarian god's power?"

"That little demon god's sword couldn't even scratch the barbarian god?"

"That..."

Footsteps sounded beside him. Tie Shuguo startled and turned—what he saw made his blood run cold.

Behind him, where was the "little demon god"?

It was a terrifying "sword demon," radiating overwhelming demonic aura, fierce and dreadful, its entire body composed of bone blades.

At this moment, the sword demon drew out its own bones, transforming them into bone swords, and stepped forward, one slow step at a time, toward the barbarian god glowing with Jin Guang.

It seemed its very purpose was to "slay the god."

Yet no matter how overwhelming its demonic aura, it could not obscure the ten-thousand-zhang golden light and sword qi interwoven around it.

The demonic aura was suppressed by divine majesty.

The "sword demon" was crushed by the barbarian god's golden light, struggling to lift its head, each step agonizing.

It was no match for the barbarian god.

And this was the final scene Tie Shuguo witnessed.

As if the battle between god and demon had warped the void, the dream began to shatter.

Tie Shuguo felt the divine and demonic energies crushing his body, as if his bones would splinter and his breath be smothered—

No!

I'm going to die!

Tie Shuguo snapped his eyes open, looking around—he was still seated on a bed of animal hides, surrounded by a tent, with no gods, no demons, no divine majesty, no sword qi—nothing.

It all seemed merely a "dream."

Tie Shuguo gasped for breath, his back drenched in cold sweat.

At the same time, he felt a profound sense of relief—having survived the ordeal.

"It was all fake—it was just a dream—"

But Tie Shuguo soon sensed something was wrong: "Was it truly just a dream? Dreams come in many forms—why did I dream this one?"

"No—"

Tie Shuguo began recalling his dream, and the more he recalled, the stranger it felt—especially that terrifying "bone demon" with its entire body of sword-like bones—what was it?

Dreaming of the barbarian god was understandable—he was devout, devoted entirely to serving the barbarian god, longing to become his most loyal servant.

What one thinks on the day, one dreams at night.

That was why he dreamed of the barbarian god.

It was the barbarian god's grace upon him.

"But what about that bone sword demon?"

"I've never seen it—why would I suddenly dream of it for no reason?"

A person cannot dream of something utterly unrelated; since I dreamed of it, that means I must have encountered this sword-bone demon before—I must have known it—

It is

Tie Shuguo suddenly startled, recalling something: "That fearsome god!"

In matters of self-constructed faith, Tie Shuguo was a "talent"; his mind quickly connected everything naturally.

That little fearsome god wields a sword.

This terrifying sword demon also wields a sword.

That little fearsome god chopped off the "Barbarian God"'s head; this terrifying sword demon also seeks to chop off the "Barbarian God"'s head.

This proves that the golden-boy-looking little fearsome god and this demon-cloaked monster are in fact the same entity.

The rosy-lipped, white-toothed "Golden Boy" is merely a disguise, meant to deceive the world.

The gnarled, bony "Sword Demon" is its true form, its most primal appearance.

"Then why did I dream of this demon's true form?"

Tie Shuguo frowned, muttering, then suddenly gasped:

"Is it because of the Barbarian God?!"

"The Barbarian God sensed my loyalty. He sent me this dream, revealing to me the true form of this bony sword demon, so I would know the truth: an unknown sword-bone demon has infiltrated the divine."

"At the same time, the Barbarian God is using this dream to tell me that the true 'Barbarian God' could never be beheaded by such a demon; instead, radiant with golden light, he could crush this demon with a mere flick of his hand."

"The 'Barbarian God' who can be beheaded by this 'Sword Demon' is fake."

"Before the true Barbarian God, this 'Sword Demon' is utterly insignificant."

"Yes, yes—it must be so!"

Tie Shuguo felt his spirit clear and his body suffused with comfort.

He understood, and a smile appeared on his face.

Under the Barbarian God's revelation, he had pieced together everything, seeing clearly all causes and consequences.

His doubts about Mo Hua were also resolved.

Why was that so-called "Lord Wuzhu," so young and with such low cultivation, able to possess such strange abilities?

Why, after spending time with him, did this Jin Dan feel such dread?

Because he is not a "human" at all!

That Lord Wuzhu—he is not human!

He is a terrifying sword-bone demon, formed in some unknown way!

And he is no ordinary demon.

"He" has, for reasons unknown, donned a layer of human skin—or rather, parasitized a "flesh-and-blood" form—wandering among mortals, even usurping the title of "Lord Wuzhu."

And "his" goal is to "kill the god!" "He" seeks to seize the divine authority!

"He" seeks to transform from demon into god!

Tie Shuguo's heart trembled with terror.

He had understood everything; thus, the "Lord Wuzhu" had become even more terrifying in his mind.

At that very moment, a dangerous warning rose in Tie Shuguo's heart.

He felt something in his chest burn like fire, searingly painful.

This meant someone intended to kill him.

And this person truly could kill him.

In fact, this person was already "killing" him—at this very moment—

"No—"

"Could it be that the demon wearing the 'Lord Wuzhu''s skin knows I've discovered his secret, and has decided to kill me?"

Tie Shuguo, panicked, rolled off the bed, knelt on the ground, clutched his chest, looked upward, and muttered:

"Protect me, Barbarian God—"

"Protect me, Ancestral Lord—protect your believer, protect your descendants, shield us from calamity and misfortune."

"Let no disaster touch me; let all karmic retribution fall upon others."

"Let the straw dog become me; let the dead die, not me—"

Tie Shuguo whispered, trembling; soon, a mysterious force enveloped him, and the "murderous intent" faded, the burning pain in his chest lessened, until it vanished entirely.

The death calamity—was it gone?

No one wants to kill me?

Tie Shuguo collapsed on the ground, not relieved, but filled with despair.

He did not know where the murderous intent came from, but it must be tied to the demon in human form.

And this was only the beginning; the days ahead would be long.

If he had not known the demon's true form, he could have turned a blind eye, pretending ignorance and drifting through life.

But now—he had learned the truth.

He knew that the people of Danque Clan, who constantly spoke of the "Lord Wuzhu," were serving a being who was not human: a sword-bone demon.

A terrifying entity bold enough to challenge the gods.

Tie Shuguo was naturally terrified.

And now, he could not escape.

Not only could he not escape—he would have to serve this "demon," obey its commands.

Just thinking that he was feeding his own body to a "demon" made his scalp crawl.

"No, no—I must do something—"

"But what can I do?"

"What must I do, so that I am not noticed—that I already know his true face?"

"What must I do, to survive under the hands of this terrifying demon?"

Tie Shuguo's face turned pale, muttering to himself.

Just then, a faint voice entered his ears, seemingly guiding his spirit, making his thoughts suddenly clear.

Unconsciously influenced, Tie Shuguo suddenly realized:

"That's right! I was wrong."

"I am a believer of my Lord Wuzhu. I should not think only of myself."

"Now that my Lord Wuzhu faces this 'strong enemy,' I should think of the nation—how to relieve my Lord Wuzhu's troubles and eliminate this 'strong enemy'..."

"But—how do I kill?"

"That demon is so terrifying; I am no match for it."

"Though its body is only at Foundation Establishment, it wears the skin of a Lord Wuzhu and is worshipped by the fools of Chou Luo—I cannot strike. If I fail, I will die without even a grave, and will never again serve my Lord Wuzhu."

"What should I do—"

Tie Shuguo gripped his head, the more he thought, the more painful it became.

Suddenly, the vision from his dream reappeared.

In his recent dream, the Lord Wuzhu, bathed in golden light, crushed the Sword Demon with a single hand—this image shook Tie Shuguo's spirit.

After a moment of contemplation, Tie Shuguo suddenly slapped himself, then suddenly understood:

"Of course!"

"My Lord Wuzhu has already given me revelation—he has clearly told me."

"My Lord Wuzhu appeared in my dream to tell me: he can suppress this demon, this terrifying Sword-Bone Demon—no matter how strong its sword art, it cannot stand against the greatness of my Lord Wuzhu's divine power."

"If I find a way to bring this 'demon' before my Lord Wuzhu, then my Lord Wuzhu will naturally kill this demon and rid me of this calamity."

"Of course, my Lord Wuzhu has told me everything."

"People do not dream for no reason. Everything in dreams is revelation. My Lord Wuzhu's dream is guiding me."

"Yes, that's right."

"But—"

Tie Shuguo frowned, "Where is my Lord Wuzhu? What does my Lord Wuzhu actually look like?"

Tie Shuguo was a devoted, 'clever' believer—this was no challenge for him.

Soon, he figured it out.

"My Lord Wuzhu must dwell within the statue, feasting on the faith of Chou Luo."

"But there are many altars in the Chou Luo, many statues, scattered across different Chou Luo—how do I know which altar, which statue, is my Lord Wuzhu's hiding place?"

"If so—then I shall use myself as bait, personally leading this 'demon' there—won't that work?"

"Lead this demon, wearing the skin of a Lord Wuzhu, to the altar of my Lord Wuzhu."

"Then, my great Lord Wuzhu will naturally kill this demon for me, his faithful believer."

"But what if he fails to kill it?"

"What if my 'Lord Wuzhu' is beheaded by this Sword-Bone Demon in one stroke?"

Tie Shuguo's heart trembled, then he immediately shook his head:

"No, he cannot fail to kill it. My Lord Wuzhu cannot fail to kill a demon—even if this demon is very, very strong."

"The true Lord Wuzhu can surely kill it."

"If he cannot kill it, then that means—it is fake. It is a 'false god'."

"If it is a 'false god,' then being killed by a demon is only natural."

"All I must do is keep leading it—bring this 'demon' before the true 'Lord Wuzhu.'"

"When that time comes, my Lord Wuzhu will surely reward my loyalty and bestow divine grace."

"Yes, it must be so."

Tie Shuguo's gaze burned with fervor; he nodded. "I am the most faithful believer of my Lord Wuzhu!"

"All of this is the guidance of my 'Lord Wuzhu.'"

Tie Shuguo sank into a fervent ecstasy of divine faith.

And not far from him, in thick darkness,

Mo Hua, whose spiritual sense had already surpassed the Foundation Establishment Jin Dan of Tie Shuguo, stood silently beside him, holding a broken white-bone sword, his gaze dark as ink as he watched him.