Chapter 265: Let go of the urge to help others, and respect the fate of others

"That won't do. I have already agreed to your request, so how can I go back on my word?"

Watching Wanriya Yuri's pleading face, Su Nian shook his head helplessly.

"Isn't this what you said? That you would take their place? You can't just say you quit and won't take their place anymore, can you?"

"I..."

Wanriya Yuri's face was covered in tears; she opened her mouth wide as she looked at Su Nian, wanting to speak but not daring to.

She looked at the members of the Jiufazuka Family and the Compilation Committee suffering in the distance, her heart in a state of frantic turmoil.

Watching Wanriya Yuri's conflicted state, Su Nian smiled and casually called Lu Yinghua over.

"Lu Yinghua, help me investigate her ten clans, so she can see them one last time. After all, they are dying for her."

"Yes."

Lu Yinghua turned and left without even glancing at Wanriya Yuri, which made her speak up in a hurry.

"No, please wait a moment."

"King, please forgive my stupidity. I have no intention of taking their place. Please forgive everything I just did."

"The punishment they are receiving is what they deserve for their crimes."

Wanriya Yuri knelt on the ground, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes as she spoke.

"That's more like it. Just deny it; what does it have to do with you how others fare?"

"Let go of the urge to help others, and respect the fate of others."

Su Nian smiled and clapped his hands, saying with an approving look.

"Alright, get up. Use your Spirit Vision to observe who is slacking off. Who knows, if I'm in a good mood, I might not let your sister be the shrine maiden for the Calamity Removal anymore?"

Wanriya Yuri stood up very obediently; at this moment, her face was expressionless, save for the lingering tear stains.

She felt somewhat dejected, but the thought that she might be able to save her sister, Wanriya Hikari, braced her spirits.

She continuously used her Spirit Vision as a high-ranking shrine maiden, acting as a qualified inspector.

After all, she knew very well how dangerous it was to break the seal of a Heretic God; last time, she had been captured by Marquis Vauban to perform a Summoning of a Heretic God.

She had nearly died in that ritual.

——

Under Wanriya Yuri's supervision, the efficiency of the Jiufazuka Family increased significantly once again.

Large quantities of materials were transported to the central plaza of the Western Heaven Palace, and an altar was set up there; they were prepared to summon a Heretic dragon-snake to satisfy the broken seal.

Facts proved that sometimes, if they weren't pushed, they would never know what they were capable of.

He had thought it would be amazing if they could finish before sunset, but Su Nian truly had not expected that there were experts among them.

For the sake of her sister, Wanriya Yuri directly activated a "non-human" mode; she was only a whip short of standing by their side and lashing them on.

After all, she possessed high-level Spirit Vision capable of seeing through the authorities of Heretic Gods and Godslayers; ordinary spellcasters and shrine maidens had no way to stop her.

Under Wanriya Yuri's direction, a pitch-black giant snake descended through the cooperation of the four families of Kyo.

In Japanese Mythology, there are many legends of snake gods, the most famous naturally being Hachiman, because that thing is just too famous.

But a thing like Hachiman is not so easy to summon, and even if summoned, one should not count on using her as a catalyst to break the seal.

It would be better to think about how to defeat it first; Hachiman is a big guy at the Main God level, after all.

But snakes from other snake mythologies are much easier to summon.

"On the ancient Mount Tsurugi in Shikoku, villagers angered the sleeping giant snake 'Snake Prison Shrine' by over-logging. The giant snake awakened, mountain springs turned into blood, and the land became barren. The villagers sought help from the mountain god, who ordered them to offer a precious sword, purified water, and a five-colored rope knot as atonement.

On the night of the full moon, the Snake Prison Shrine appeared, gazed at the offerings, and said: 'I shall turn my body into a rift to warn you to revere nature.' Having spoken, the snake god swallowed the land, turning it into a winding rift, and sulfurous steam gushed out. The villagers built the 'Snake Prison Shrine' beside the rift and offered sacrifices every year, praying for protection."

"This is the legend regarding the Snake Prison Shrine of Shikoku; the one they have summoned is this Snake Prison Shrine."

On the plaza of the Western Heaven Palace, a black giant snake was being bound by a giant net made of Spell Power; it was a fresh snake god that had just been summoned.

However, it was a pity that this snake god was a bit weak; it was said that it only had one small shrine, and nothing else had ever been heard of it.

Even though it had been summoned, it barely reached the standard of a Divine Beast, and as for gaining an authority after killing it, that was likely impossible.

But summoning it was merely to act as a sacrifice to awaken the Monkey God Monarch.

Su Nian stood at the entrance of the main hall, looking at the weak and helpless snake god bound by Spell Power, and nodded with satisfaction.

"It seems you have done quite well, especially Miss Wanriya, who has made an outstanding contribution."

"Therefore, I have decided that after the reckoning, I will forgive your offense."

Hearing this, everyone knelt on the ground, thanking Su Nian for his mercy.

"Thank you, King, for your mercy!!"

The next moment, the Elders of the Wuyue Sacred Sect appeared once again and killed five-ninths of the people present.

"King? Why!!"

A guy who had luckily not been picked knelt on the ground and asked in terror.

Had they not satisfied Su Nian's request? Why was there still a cull? They were very confused.

"Because you committed two more mistakes before this by not answering the King's question accurately."

Lu Yinghua stood out and explained in his youthful voice.

The first attempt was to stall, and the second was actually planning to sacrifice Heavenly Lord Athena.

At that time, it was not said that there would be no settling of accounts later.

The first time, one was culled; the second time, two were culled, and so on.

In an instant, almost everyone felt a deep-seated hatred and gnashed their teeth at the two guys who had risked their lives to step forward and answer the questions, only to offend Su Nian.

If not for their stupidity, how could so many have died?

Of course, Lu Yinghua was very sensible and spared their families; their families were not within the scope of the cull.

"By the way, there is one more thing. In view of Miss Wanriya Yuri's contribution, I have decided to let Wanriya Hikari go and not be this shrine maiden for the Calamity Removal."

"I must trouble you to find another shrine maiden who possesses the ability of Calamity Removal."

Su Nian said, a wicked smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"Ena Seishuin! My Spirit Vision has seen the connection between Ena Seishuin and the Divine Spirit Susanoo, and she also possesses the ability of Calamity Removal."

No sooner had Su Nian finished speaking than Wanriya Yuri spoke without the slightest hesitation.

In this world dominated by Godslayers, having a connection with a Heretic god is a grave sin.

Wanriya Yuri reported them without a shred of guilt; after all, better them than her—she had been prepared to die for them, yet they intended to let her younger sister perform the Calamity Removal?

At this moment, Wanriya Yuri's favorability toward these high-ranking officials, especially the Compilation Committee, dropped to zero.

If they were heartless, she would not be blamed for being unrighteous.

"Thank you for the intelligence provided, Miss Wanriya."

Su Nian revealed a brilliant smile; he had still been thinking about how to find a reason to clear out the remaining fellows.

He had not expected Wanriya Yuri to hand him the reason directly.

In this world, entanglement with a Heretic god is indeed a grave sin, especially for a country like the Island Country, which is secretly controlled remotely by Susanoo.

If this were truly leaked, being besieged by the entire world would be justifiable.

After all, this is a betrayal of the human race, a betrayal of the King.

"Then, for the time being, please come to the Wuyue Sacred Sect as a guest, Miss Wanriya."

Su Nian reached out his hand toward Wanriya Yuri, signaling for her to stand behind him and accept his protection.

Wanriya Yuri ignored the countless gazes behind her that wished to skin her alive, and stood behind Liliana with a cold face.

"As for you lot, so it turns out you were hiding a Heretic god behind your backs."

Su Nian looked playfully at the crowd kneeling on the ground shivering, and waved his hand at Lu Yinghua.

Lu Yinghua naturally understood his meaning.

Except for Ena Seishuin, leave no one alive.

He still needed to keep Ena Seishuin to catch Susanoo.

——

Inside the Western Heaven Palace, Su Nian and Luo Hao arrived at a simple shrine.

That was the Divine Stables, the place where the shrine was used to keep horses.

At this moment, there were indeed two horses here, flicking their tails.

At this time, Luo Hao stopped here, glanced at the monkey murals on the wall, and sneered.

"Hah, that the edge of the Barrier is in such a place, it truly suits the status of that monkey."

At this time, Su Nian, having arrived at the back door, looked at the forest ahead and said.

"The real shrine is in the back; scold him when you see the person himself later."

"Very well."

Luo Hao replied, then followed Su Nian.

Leaving behind only Ena Seishuin, who was silently holding the Ritual Blade that weakened the spell, and carrying the Kusanagi Sword on her back.

She had been captured without the slightest power to resist; the only pity was that Susanoo, even if he would rather lose the Kusanagi Sword formed by his authority,

did not dare to come out from the Netherworld.

Soon, the group saw a golden monkey in a stable inside a palace within the Netherworld.

That monkey was about eighty centimeters tall, considered very small, and its body was covered in bits of orange-gold fur.

It lay leisurely on the hay, chewing on a foxtail grass, its right leg crossed over its left, shaking it in utter boredom as it said.

"How strange, why would your grandfather be willing to let you come over?"

"And there is a Godslayer, and a god? What a strange combination."

The monkey looked at Su Nian with a slightly subtle expression; it did not know why it could even feel a familiar aura from Su Nian.

"But it is a pity, if you have come to pick a fight with me, I have no intention of leaving this place."

The monkey sighed, sat on the hay pile, and looked at Luo Hao, who had ignited her fighting spirit, and said.

At this time, Luo Hao looked around; although it was a rather luxurious stable, for some reason she felt a sense of nausea and disgust.

"How pathetic, to be kept in captivity in a stable, having become so small and lowly, yet without even the desire to escape; there must be a limit to being spineless!"

"Even if you say that?"

The monkey scratched its head and said with a helpless expression.

"I am just a monkey who has forgotten its name; as for being spineless, I have no feeling about it at all."

"Even if you scold me to my face, I wouldn't know to what extent I should be angry."

Luo Hao did not speak, but judging by the rise and fall of her chest, she seemed to be quite furious.

"Calm your anger; there will be plenty of time to make him look good later."

Su Nian walked over and patted Luo Hao on the shoulder, while simultaneously looking at this monkey with full disgust.

It really had no backbone left at all.

(End of chapter)