Chapter 701: NO．70：Still not the same

NO．70：Still not the same

Perhaps I myself have an attraction to eccentrics, or perhaps the protagonist of a story that could be passed down for ages is certainly not an ordinary person……

Aomo watched the hoofed man who climbed back onto the shore like nothing had happened, and couldn't help thinking this.

Clearly he had been pushed into the river, yet after coming up he didn't say a word to him, instead he unabashedly took off his soaked clothes and pants, even slamming his cloth shoes hard onto the stones.

If the goal was to wring it dry, this action was overly rough, making him wonder which dynasty of the so‑called Great Yan history this belonged to.

According to local reality……well, he had never pondered the origin of such a festival.

Although not ruling out having seen it on some miscellaneous webpages or books, with the Crystal Yuan function temporarily disabled, his 'Erudite Memory' passive was completely dark.

Even so, he could still raise a hand and draw, causing a flame of relatively normal color to appear in midair.

The magic power accumulated as a human, and the demonic power released and specialized as a demon, could still respond normally.

Even the monster cards in his pocket emitted a steady sensing vibration.

At that moment, the hoofed man who had been pressing and rolling his clothes with his arms finally showed the reaction expected of an ancient person—he jumped in fright, then his gaze toward Aomo held a mix of surprise and awe.

"Ah, so you really are a Celestial Master…"

"Really?" Aomo noted his wording, "How did you guess that?"

Although he was somewhat unfamiliar and doubtful about the Eastern Yan term "Celestial Master," he cared more about what his words and actions revealed to the "locals".

This question also brought a confused expression to the other's face: "You really are asking that?"

Then the person's expression changed again: "Could you be a god living on the mountain?"

His quick mental reaction, like a conditioned reflex formed from facing some long‑term threat…… Aomo thought that, and then asked:

"What is the saying about the mountain god?"

"You didn't come from the mountain?"

"I came from Dragon Gate."

"Dragon Gate? I've only heard of Jade Gate, which is far away."

"It's also a very distant place, but compared to this, you still haven't answered my initial question."

"Question? Oh, you're asking how I know you're a Celestial Master, right?"

"Very curious." Aomo nodded, wondering whether in this script world there existed some special means of perception, or a mark placed on customers that NPCs could sense.

Such distinctions often leave room for elaboration.

But the other gave him an unexpected answer:

"The gesture, the gesture—here scholars don't clasp left hand over right hand like they're hiding a thumb; only you Celestial Masters do that!"

It was merely a difference in etiquette—ordinary people's bow and Daoists' bow are two categories…… This in turn reminded Aomo, who had specially restored the greeting etiquette described in the《Secret Tome of Evil Qi, Three Extremes》after earlier consideration, of an even older memory.

Concerning those Daoist exam papers in the Source Energy discipline.

He had also considered whether to pursue the Eastern Yan Source Energy major; although his understanding of it was also limited, much of the content required a few seconds of thought to leave any impression.

"…Embracing Yin, Holding Yang?"

"Yes! Yes, you guys all say that."

"Now I understand……thank you for clearing that up."

Somewhat ruefully realizing this was merely a gap in his own common knowledge, not a usable stage rule, Aomo turned away, no longer looking at the underwear‑clad man: "So are there still gods living on the nearby mountains?"

"What do you intend to do? I advise you not to think about going up the mountain! The tempers of the mountain gods are said to be violent, and it's said this river was chopped out by them back then."

"" Aomo said dryly, "That really is terrifying."

He looked at that channel three or four meters wide, its length indiscernible, and felt his grasp of a light beam could also achieve that.

If he used the Ren Dragon card, it would probably be easier.

But his mood was truly heavy.

Even earlier, when the unease of being cut off from the outside world persisted, yet he found his firepower reserves sufficient and stable——he instead felt somewhat uneasy.

"No limits……"

The monster cards' special power being hard to constrain by regulation is one thing, but devices that can suppress magic and demonic power are readily purchasable from online shops, and they are usually also a standard fixture in those experience stores.

This is important, especially since this role‑play interaction has no host.

With a host one could still match wits and courage with troublemakers, but without a host……

"If you can do it, it's definitely a hidden feature! How can you say I'm cheating!?"

Thus, games without a host usually have more, thicker, and more detailed rulebooks.

Unless the design team lacks common sense at the same time, refuses to refer to peers, and won't listen to advice——such a team Aomo has only heard about in others' bragging.

After all, the simulation imaging industry has declined these days, with few newcomers, and those old‑timers who persist must also have two brushes.

All in all, it's unlikely to commit such a basic mistake.

Admittedly, the production team mentioned earlier by Miss Wanwan were all transmigrators; it's possible that these otherworldly people lack the locals' "caution" and "professionalism," but considering that the so‑called Terra land is inherently dangerous, especially the so‑called "gods"…

According to information gathered from forums, the land called Terra has many gods worshipped through faith, but only in the region named "Flame" was a special agency once established targeting "gods".

Now, that region's official designation for "gods" is "Giant Beast," and there is also a dedicated study of that race called "Giant Beast Studies."

While other lands still pay homage to deities, "Flame" has deconstructed the existence of so‑called divinity, and the price is that Great Yan no longer has any truly meaningful gods.

Only the gods' "fragments" and "obsessions" still wander, serving as proof of the great feat achieved amidst blood‑soaked drifting.

The danger of Giant Beasts is beyond doubt, and the gods that once existed in Great Yan's lands were either slain or expelled, so that only the "fragments" of a single one remain active on the surface.

Miss Xi and Miss Nian are both among them.

This isn't important; what matters is that the visible Giant Beasts are only them—does that mean all the gods of Great Yan cannot coexist with humans?

Perhaps not…… Aomo thought.

A nation's human army waging war against all the gods is itself a confrontation of two camps.

Perhaps among them there are indeed some friendly to humans, but limited by stance and by attitude toward their compatriots, making it hard for them to remain.

Such a possibility is naturally worth keeping, but he is also someone who is somewhat 'pessimistic' as long as it doesn't involve subjective thought.

Perhaps there will be a 'good god' inside, but he will first consider the premise of encountering an 'evil god'.

But compared to these, he turned his head to look at the man spreading his clothes and shaking them by the fire, asking: 'First… may I ask how to address you, sir?'

Then it drew the other's suspicious gaze.

'Are you a Heavenly Master or a scholar? Why are you still saying "sir"?'

'Either is fine.' Aomo doesn't mind this; adapting to local customs is his sincerity, but if his sincerity is mocked as insufficient, there's nothing he can do.

After all, the exam really doesn't test how Daoists address the common folk.

And this made the horned man's gaze grow even stranger.

'So casual? Then I'll call you Heavenly Scholar, okay?'

That remark carried a hint of Bi Ze's foolishness, once again stirring in him the opening feeling—someone seemed absent, yet also ever-present.

'Then there's no objection—what should I call you?'

'Cowherd.'

'…That doesn't sound like a name.'

'The old man said a humble name is easy to live by.'

……

He vaguely recalled hearing this reasoning from classmate Dong Yan, but compared to that, his gaze was more on the ink-wash scenery beside him.

In the sky between the clouds, the Dong Yan script that had just appeared floated, as the clouds were about to fade.

The heavens have the Han, and the monitor also has light.

Gazing at the Weaver Girl, she spends all day in the eight directions.

Even though there are eight directions, they do not make a bulletin.

Gazing at the Cowherd, he does not use a clothing chest.

Some kind of reminder?

Aomo speculated, then looked over at the cowherd already putting on his clothes beside him, asking: 'May I ask, has the mountain deity recently had any affairs…'

Before he finished speaking, he heard rumbling thunder, instinctively looked up, and saw the white mist that had been entwined in a mass turning black at a visible speed, with faint flashes of light blinking out.

'Here! That's exactly it—I just said the old hot-tempered one.'