Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 235 - 232: The Target of All, Dying First as a Gesture of Respect

Chapter 235: Chapter 232: The Target of All, Dying First as a Gesture of Respect

Woof, woof, woof...

When that great star hung in the sky, a continuous chorus of dogs barking echoed throughout Shanyang City.

"What’s happened, husband? Why has the sky suddenly become so bright? It’s not a water break somewhere, is it?"

"I haven’t heard any noise outside, take care of the children. I’ll go out and see."

In a corner of the outer city’s poor district, a man awakened by the barking dogs threw on his clothes, preparing to open the door to check.

In those days, most houses were made of wood. A fire breaking out in one home could easily spread to the neighbors, so most people would not stand idly by in such situations.

However, just as the man’s hand touched the doorknob, his vision suddenly blurred.

Before his eyes appeared a dignified deity, glowing all over with golden light and with two golden wheels illuminating behind his head, yet his face was indistinct.

The sound of a deep and reverberating gong filled his ears:

"Tonight the Age Star passes overhead, bearing no joy but misfortune. Do not look up! Do not look up! Do not look up!..."

Clearly visible within the simplicity of this humble dwelling was an Immortality Tablet—Heroic Thief, I’ve arrived; also known as Wang Yuan, the most widely known name in Dengzhou Prefecture.

This household was among those who received grain to save their lives during the "Flooded Nine Counties," and from then on began to worship Wang Yuan.

At the same time.

Within the range illuminated by the Age Star, countless households momentarily witnessed the same divine being and etched this warning deep into their hearts.

They were joyfully surprised to discover that the Heroic Thief "I’ve arrived" was actually a deity—The Living Yama, who ward off catastrophes and evil and promotes goodness.

Thus, whether they were already awakened or still in slumber, their emotions gradually returned to calm.

One after another, they knelt to the ground, chanting his revered title:

"We pay our respects to the Living Yama! May the Living Yama bless us!"

A calamity of great proportion was thus averted.

This was the true usage of the Living Yama’s power of Exorcism.

Wang Yuan always despised those soothsayers who spoke in half-truths.

Saving people was the real purpose, not to be obscure and only say something like "do not look up," without explaining the cause and effect.

It only piqued the curiosity of some, making them rush out to look up at the sky, leading to all sorts of unnecessary accidents.

Sadly, even though "gods" can save others, they cannot always save themselves.

"No strength! Can’t handle it! Those who flip the table at the slightest inconvenience are the worst!"

To the original Old Almanac, a prince’s fate and a beggar’s might differ vastly, but in the eyes of the Heavenly Official, Black Taisui, there was no difference between them.

Even Wang Yuan, with the power of Exorcism and Calamity, would have to pack up and flee.

Calamity can be resisted or escaped, but not forever hidden from; Tribulation Energy keeps accruing until it completely overturns someone in the next calamity, never to rise again.

At this moment, influenced by the Age Star, the "Dragon Qi Prohibition" within Shanyang City was rapidly contracting, allowing all sorts of Demons and Deceit Monsters to roam unimpeded.

Considering that this Calamity came without preconditions and could occur anytime, anywhere, with a high frequency,

If he dared to hide continuously in the City God Temple, a "safe zone" where Daoist Skill is barred, making all manner of pursuing Demons and Deceit Monsters powerless against him,

The accumulated Tribulation Energy might eventually draw down a Fire Meteor identical to the one that befell Child of Destiny, Liu Xiu.

Landing directly upon the City God Temple or even obliterating the entire Shanyang City, smack atop Old Wang’s skull top.

Whoosh!

Wang Yuan turned into an afterimage, speeding through the city.

Fearing that during the outbreak of Calamity, he might accidentally fall into the Underworld, he didn’t even dare to open the Yin Road.

And the Age Star overhead, indescribable in language, continued to shimmer, with no indication of when it might vanish.

Wang Yuan sighed at the sight:

"A being like Black Taisui, already a part of the twisted Dao itself,

Even though it’s still hung upon the Killing Tree outside the Heavenly Gate, the mere seeping of its power causes turmoil across entire prefectures.

If it weren’t for today’s heavy rain in Dengzhou Prefecture, with thick clouds blocking the sight of commoners, the entire prefecture might already be in chaos.

As one living in this world, you never know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first!"

In the mythology of Yan Han, Tai Sui is the ruler of the year, the leader of the gods, an exceedingly noble position.

It governs the fortunes and misfortunes of mortals for a year and oversees the entire course of the year.

But this Heavenly Official, Black Taisui, only brings calamity, a thoroughly malevolent Evil God, with the "Black" emphasizing His viciousness!

Fortune tellers say: When Tai Sui rules over you, disasters will strike; conflicts and ruin come as the ghosts grind their mills; should your fortune meet this dreaded spirit, avoiding a bloodied and broken head will be difficult.

In this realm, there are a dozen or so Heavenly Officials. Although they manifested at different times, most were not simply Demons and Deceit Monsters of the Mortal World who started from zero and gradually cultivated.

Instead, they manifested suddenly one day, allowing Magicians of related Daoist Skills to sense Their presence and, incidentally, to be "consumed" by Them.

Over thousands of years, as the Killing Tree continued to feed, the number of Heavenly Officials grew from a few to the current dozen or so.

All nurtured by the nourishment and knowledge of this world.

For the average Cultivator, the Heavenly Officials are mysterious and unfathomable.

Human language can hardly describe Their specific forms, fails to comprehend the way They exist, and cannot bear the knowledge They impart...

Even the names by which They are known to the world: "West King Holy Mother", "No-Life Buddha", "Black Tai Sui", "Hundred-Eyed Spirit Official"... and so on were all given by humans.

These are merely for the ease of mortal understanding, a superficial description of Them, hardly encompassing the true essence of the "Heavenly Official".

"The presence of the ’Age Star’ in the sky doesn’t need to last long, just until early tomorrow morning, ninety-nine percent of the witnesses will be sent off by a ’bloody disaster’.

It’s as if a knife is hanging over everyone else’s head, and if they want to live, they must kill us ’Disaster Stars’ in the shortest time possible.

However, for me, there is an even more pressing issue at hand..."

Wang Yuan shifted his gaze away from the "Age Star" and looked towards the direction of Xue Mansion.

There, more than a dozen dazzling red lights were rapidly heading in his direction!

Even without seeing them directly, Wang Yuan could feel the chilling murderous intent from that group of heretical deviants, as if they couldn’t wait to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Clearly, when the "Disaster Star" marker above everyone’s head lit up at the same time.

Wang Yuan, the prime culprit who had sneakily decimated most of the forces of the "No-Life Dao" and brought disaster upon them, had finally shown his hand.

This group of people had been living in fear for a month and were then dragged into this ’death game’, with a nearly a ten out of ten chance of dying.

Their hatred for Wang Yuan had reached a level that not even all the waters of the four seas could wash away.

Out of the "The god is watching over you from three feet above" came their hysterical cries:

"Kill! Kill! Kill!

Let’s first kill that troublemaker and sacrifice him to the ’Old Almanac’; perhaps this revived Deceit Monster, pleased with our offering, might spare us?"

"Before the sacrifice, I want to bite off a piece of his flesh to quell the hatred in my heart!"

As Lady Huaiyu, her body flush with color and licking her rosy lips, emerged from her body as a Yin God, riding a cloud of pink mist:

"I want to thoroughly suck this man dry!"

Being well-versed in the ways of surviving calamities, Wang Yuan certainly understood these people’s thoughts clearly.

In the way of "Calamity," to live one must ensure others die; when it’s hard to physically overcome the other with fate and Qi Fortune, one choice remains: physical elimination.

This was also the original intention of the "Old Almanac".

The main reason for the escalations was to kill Wang Yuan; the others were likely just a backdrop and pawns.

To tell the truth, Wang Yuan really couldn’t beat them right now.

Footsteps, footsteps, footsteps...

And, to make matters worse, a series of urgent footsteps suddenly came from behind him at this moment.

When Wang Yuan turned to look, there was nothing behind him but a pitch-black street.

As soon as he turned back to continue walking forward, the footsteps immediately resumed.

The step by step sound seemed to be pressing down on his heart.

With time passing, the steps behind him became more and numerous and closer as if large groups of old and young were quietly following him.

Even with the "The god is watching over you from three feet above" to observe his surroundings, he could only see a mess of footprints appearing and disappearing on the ground.

It was unclear what exactly was following him.

"Something tricky is coming! It’s a big one!" Wang Yuan’s heart jumped, and the "Heart Communication Conch" immediately issued a warning:

"[Weird·Person Behind]: You must keep your eyes wide open and constantly watch your back, or the intangible, immaterial ’Person Behind’ will keep getting closer.

Once you are touched, you will die instantly, and your shadow and soul will be taken away to become part of it!"

Facing those red lights pouncing like mad dogs, as well as more Demons and Ghosts converging on Shanyang City.

Wang Yuan, besieged by enemies from all around, seemed to have no way out.

Slowly turning around, he touched the forehead corner with resignation:

"This feeling of being the target of the crowd really isn’t pleasant! Everyone wants to kill the ’Disaster Star’? Alright, for now, you win.

Ladies and gentlemen, I shall die first as a mark of respect!"

Clang——!

With a flash of his blade, without even blinking, he drew his sword, and holding it in reverse grip, he fiercely stabbed it into his heart, falling to the ground dead with a thump.

[Daoist Skill·Fake Death]

The Meat Body is rigid in death, wounds no longer worsen, a single spark of Heart Light remains alive, allowing one to choose to return to life at any time (within a maximum of three days), with no flaws detectable by anyone.

Unless the Corpse is completely destroyed, there is no true death.

As Wang Yuan "fell", the red light above his head also disappeared in an instant, and all the Demons and Deceit Monsters suddenly lost their target.

If caught in a dead end, then simply leap out of it.

No need to see me off, let everyone kill each other first; I’ll come back later!

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