Chapter 710: Shadow Trade

Jier gave a cold snort, refusing to be led by the other party: "Miserable situation? Who are you trying to fool?"

Seeing that the young Human was not buying it, the bird deity composed of shadows immediately changed its style of communication.

"Caw! Look at yourself, entangled by grievances. They are the malice of those you killed and destroyed, the final obsessions before heading to where they ought to go. Caw, caw, caw, they will take your life!"

Jier spat: "Who are you cursing? I have never heard of any Knight dying from killing too much, not in heroic legends, and not in country tales!"

"Is that so? That is only because the stories omit the matter of the clinging vengeful spirits being whittled away. Caw! Tiny Human, although it cannot be seen in the real world, you will first become mentally dazed and excessively exhausted."

"Then your limbs will twitch, beyond your control."

"Then hallucinations will sprout, and you will become extremely prone to rage."

"Finally, you will be unable to distinguish friend from foe, becoming addicted to slaughter."

"By then, you will no longer be you! Caw! Or perhaps, do you think those pathetic little things on your body can save you? Caw! Delusion! Only the great Crow Howler can show mercy and save you! Not some incompetent Laborer Protector God, or a usurper of the false sun."

"Caw! Don't think about seeking help from the Dream Drunkard; you are merely a tiny pawn of His, don't think about manipulating the player. Tiny Human, the only one you can rely on, the only one you can beg, is me! Caw!"

Jier noticed that while speaking this series of words, this shadow bird, now twice as large, kept its cold, shiny black eyes fixed tightly on his face.

As their gazes met, Jier felt as if he could see his own miserable end in the other's eyes after failing to beg for help and rely on others.

His accompanying companions were killed by him in a fit of rage; other young people were initially afraid of his power and reluctantly obeyed his words, but soon, as they were killed for the slightest trifles, those young Refugees became uneasy as well.

One night, they collectively ambushed him, but he, empty-handed, killed many of the young people, then grew more courageous with each fight, and subsequently donned armor; after slaughtering over a hundred people, everyone else fled.

Afterward, Jier was occupied by even more desires for slaughter, his entire being dazed and confused, completely becoming a slaughtering Demon wandering in the wild; after several years of this, he was completely wiped out by the local Noble army.

Coming back to his senses, Jier coughed twice, the corners of his mouth curling up involuntarily.

"Cough, cough, this really is a cliché ending." He no longer met the bird deity's gaze, but said: "I have to say, you really should listen to popular poetry or the latest plays these days."

The bird deity froze for a moment and gave a dissatisfied caw.

"This old routine of yours can't even fool the most ordinary Farmer boy nowadays."

"Caw! Impudent fellow, who is fooling you! Caw, caw, caw, that is your pathetic future!"

Jier sat on the ground, crossing his legs; strangely, although he was wearing a suit of armor outside, here he was wearing his winter clothes.

"Let's not waste time here. Tell me, since you, a deity, took the initiative to bring me here and laid out so much nonsense, what do you want to do? How about we get straight to the deal?"

The bird deity paused its beak, but its huge bird head looked left and right, guiding Jier to notice the numerous Shadow Birds on the surrounding branches.

"What do you mean?"

The bird deity raised its head: "These are the crow believers guided by my avatar during this period."

It looked very proud.

But Jier looked puzzled: "You had better speak clearly; I am not some professional Church Priest, I don't understand those 'professional terms' you use."

The deity's bird face fell, its tone sounding somewhat displeased: "Ignorant little Human. Caw!"

"Then what do you want from this ignorant Human today? To be honest, that long-distance vision ability you gave isn't that useful, and I'm not an archer; my eyesight doesn't need to be that good to fight."

The bird deity seemed to have existed for so many years, especially after being freed again, that this was the first time it had encountered a guy like Jier.

It seemed to sigh with its beak, realizing that other ordinary Humans were useless, yet this useful Human was so disrespectful to it.

Because the other party wanted nothing from it, respect or lack thereof didn't matter. Yet it wanted something from the other party.

"I have a way to remove the massive murderous evil thoughts from your body. Those broken spirits that are hostile and entangling you, I can use them as a resource, mix them with these Shadow Birds of mine, and turn them into a powerful weapon! Caw! This is a good thing that is extremely beneficial to you. Human, how about it?"

"A weapon?"

Jier rubbed his chin with his hand, his eyes examining the deep red clinging vengeful spirits covering the skin on his arms—things that looked like churning swamps, occasionally revealing one or two twisted, wailing human faces.

It looked quite terrifying, but Jier himself felt nothing. It was simply uncomfortable to look at.

After a moment of contemplation, Jier looked up and asked: "A weapon, mixed with these clinging evil vengeful spirits, with your little birds as the main body. Then, in whose hands is the handle of this weapon? Or rather, who is the owner of this weapon?"

"Of course it is me! Caw!"

Jier rolled his eyes: "Then never mind, we can break it off. Please send me back; I still want to sleep peacefully for a while. Sigh—I haven't really slept for two days, I'm sleepy."

As he spoke, he stretched, lay flat on the shadow-covered ground behind him, and made a show of going straight to sleep.

"This is beneficial to you! Lazy Human! Caw!"

Jier went straight to: "Ha, shoo—ha, shoo—"

Pretending to sleep, he began to put on an act.

The two reached a stalemate.

"One, that's all I can do."

Jier opened his left eye and glanced slightly at the bird deity: "What one?"

The bird deity gave a caw, then one of the numerous surrounding Shadow Birds flew down, first respectfully circling the place where the deity was, and then silently flapping its wings to land on the ground beside Jier's head.

Jier turned his head to examine this little thing.

It was a bird-shaped object composed of a large amount of shadow matter; it looked like a bird, and its movements were like a bird's.

This thing was entirely composed of black shadows of varying density, only about ten centimeters tall; it was truly not big, and among the numerous birds around, it counted as a little one.

"A bit too small!"

Jier complained, then added: "And only one, can I have more?"

"No! Caw! Don't even think about it! Ignorant mortal, you are merely a tiny Warrior transformed by a Knight; don't overestimate yourself. One Shadow Bird under your command is already your limit. Any more, and can your body handle it? If you are willing to bow down to me and pledge your Faith to me, I would be willing to bestow upon you a shadow-formed body after you have earned merit, enhancing your carrying capacity."

The bird's huge head lowered to look at Jier: "Are you willing?"

Jier chuckled and snorted, saying nothing more.

"If you want to reach a deal, you had better be more sincere."

He said this.

The bird deity spread its huge wings; in size, it was now about the same as an ordinary Harpy.

"I am a deity!"

Jier picked his nose: "A down-and-out deity."

"Impertinent!"

"If you find me impertinent, then go find someone else to harass. I am truly quite sleepy, and I hope you won't seek me out at a time like this, so I can get a good night's sleep."

The deity then ceased pursuing Jier's impertinence.

There was a silence in the Yinying Mijing for a moment; Jier sat up and used his hand to tease the little bird beside him, and the little thing pecked him once before hopping onto his hand.

Jier examined the thing carefully and said, "So, when will you start helping me remove the evil thoughts and vengeful spirits from my body? Although I don't take them to heart, they really look quite disgusting. Just thinking that these things cannot be seen anywhere else but here makes me feel uneasy."

He raised his head: "Honestly, I must thank you. If it weren't for this place having such a special function, who knows that on my body, there was still such a battlefield unknown to anyone."

Jier noticed that the purification mushrooms on his arm were gradually increasing.

At the base of the mycelium of the purification mushrooms that were originally fighting independently—that is, on the skin of Jier's body here—a wobbly, miniature purification mushroom had grown out from the root connection point.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he had been acting tough before, but in reality, he was still afraid that the purification mushrooms the little fairy had given him would not be able to overcome the results of this large-scale slaughter.

Fortunately, however, the purification mushrooms that were suppressed when he first arrived were now beginning to 'reproduce' and exert their power, and their numbers were increasing. As for those vengeful spirits clinging to him, as long as he did not engage in combat and slaughter, their numbers would not grow; they were like trees without roots, their total quantity fixed, so it was only a matter of time before they were eliminated by the purification mushrooms.

After this discovery, his confidence returned—no, it was the indifference he had been feigning before; this time, he was truly relaxed.

While Jier was teasing the little shadow bird on his palm, the huge bird deity in front spoke up: "Removing the entangled vengeful spirits and evil thoughts from your body, and mixing them with these shadow birds of mine to make them into a kind of weapon or ability, requires a ritual. Caw!"

"A ritual?"

Jier immediately recalled the ritual conducted in Mengtuoka City a few days ago.

It wasn't very complicated, either.

But he had misunderstood; the ritual within the Agricultural God Church was not complex, it was simply that the priests who performed the ritual were exceptionally powerful, and later, the Agricultural God himself even came, so it was naturally easy and effortless.

But how many Nongshen Believers there are, how great the influence is, and how strong the Divine Power is.

This bird deity had none of these things.

Not even a tiny bit.

As for believers, there were probably only some messy, mindless bird flocks that were gathered in remote wild woods after the seven-colored birds were possessed; the smartest ones were just a few elderly crow-finches, and the strongest ones were merely a nest of small-sized prairie owls.

It was truly nothing to show off; there wasn't even a single intelligent creature.

The influence was also basically zero.

The Divine Power could even be compared to a beggar's begging bowl or a gambler's coin purse; every action had to be calculated for Divine Power consumption and used with caution.

Every time Jier, that annoying fellow, was pulled into the Yinying Mijing, it consumed quite a bit; although it couldn't be seen, this ancient deity who had only recently escaped was actually stretched thin for Divine Power.

That was why, after pulling Jier into the Yinying Mijing for the first time a few days ago, He had boldly told the other party His full divine name; as long as Jier, the only Human who could contact Him at the time, did not forget His divine name, then He would not be forgotten and dissipate.

This was a safeguard.

Fortunately, although this guy Jier was very much at odds with Him, was very disrespectful to the deity, and did not respect Him or worship Him like the ancient Humans of the past, he fortunately had a good memory and had firmly nailed down His existence.

"Yes, a ritual! A ritual of shadow! Caw! You need to prepare the implements, environment, and offerings required for the ritual, as well as the power to conduct the ritual."

Jier narrowed his eyes, his tone unceremonious: "Why do I feel like you are freeloading off me?"

"How could that be! I am a deity! This is part of the transaction! Do not think that you, a tiny, impertinent Human, have suffered a loss! Caw, caw, caw! Think about it, this is part of the process of acquiring abilities and weapons, a necessary process, just like our previous transaction."

Jier pondered for a moment; he had indeed done things for Him before, and he had obtained a new ability.

Although it wasn't very easy to use.

But at least it was a tangible gain, wasn't it?

This kind of thing was something only he had encountered; others wouldn't have a way even if they wanted to.

To tell the truth, Jier was quite secretly pleased; after all, no one felt that their own means and strength were sufficient. Especially after leaving the Kendall County army, he was now leading the hundreds of people around him, and this pressure was truly not small.

Jier was very afraid of capsizing the boat and leading a whole boatload of people into the gutter. Being scolded by others was a small matter, but this potential defeat was something he was very afraid would fall upon him.

"Alright, tell me, what do you need me to do?"

Jier said as much.

And the bird deity standing on the wooden stick revealed a smile on its bird face.

Jier slept in one breath until morning.

When the others got up to prepare breakfast food, seeing Knight Jier still sleeping soundly beside the dying campfire, they could not bear to wake him up.

In the end, it was Priest Bata'er who, after eating, saw that everyone had gradually prepared to start the day's journey, and since Jier had not yet gotten up, he came over and nudged Jier's shoulder.

In his sleep, Jier subconsciously reached out and gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, scaring Priest Bata'er into speaking quickly: "Warrior Jier! Warrior Jier! Get up quickly! Wake up! The sky is bright, it's time to set off."

Disturbed by the sound, Jier opened his eyes.

The sky was gloomy; although it was no longer raining, the sun still hadn't come out. Spring was like this—either it didn't rain, or once the rain came, it would keep raining continuously.

If it were ordinary times, when the formal farmers were busy in the fields, the earth, thirsty for an entire winter, would be in need of such a nourishing rain.

Once the rain poured down, all the plants on the earth would flourish.

"Oh, it's bright out. I'll get up right away. Hey, everyone is already up, why didn't you call me earlier."

Jier climbed up, took the small Wooden Basin filled with water handed over by the priest, picked up the soaked Fine Linen inside, and wiped his face.

Priest Bata'er smiled: "Everyone knows you've been tired for a long time, so we let you have a good rest."

"Thank you for your kindness. Let's go, I'll drink some water, feed the Tianxuecao, and then we'll set off."

Jier finished wiping his face, then draped the used Fine Linen over the Wooden Basin, and poured the basin of water onto the campfire beside him; the clear water extinguished the charcoal, emitting a wisp of blue smoke.

Xueya Siter walked over leading the Tianxuecao: "I've fed it, and brushed its fur; it can be ridden directly."

Priest Bata'er took the Wooden Basin: "It is we who should thank you. Warrior, won't you eat something? There is still some Wheat Porridge prepared."

Jier was stunned for a moment, then let out a breath: "Then bring it here, to moisten my throat. At least Wheat Porridge is much better than that Monster Meat Jerky."

After drinking the Wheat Porridge, Jier mounted his horse, drew his sword, and waved it, shouting loudly to the countless people looking at him: "Set off!"

Countless footsteps were taken and fell; the carriages were pulled by horses, and the wheels rolled over the fine Suishi on the Shanglu, emitting a creaking sound. This countless sound mixed together startled the birds in the distant mountain Shulin, causing them to flap their wings and chirp.

And Jier, riding the happily trotting Tianxuecao, first came to the front of the team to confirm that the dozens of young people holding swords and blades were walking relatively neatly in front, which could bring enough deterrence to some hidden gazes on the road, then he came to the back of the team to confirm that there were also young people with good eyesight and sufficient physical strength here, ensuring that no one in the team would be left behind.

They had walked for more than two hours when they encountered the ruins of an inn by the Shanglu.

The dilapidated ruins had been destroyed for less than a month, but after several rainfalls, weeds and moss had grown in many places in these ruins, making it look as if it had been abandoned for quite some time.

If the distance was not calculated incorrectly, this is the Shanglu inn previously opened by Lady Feiniya.