After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 31

A wisp of pale blue incense smoke swirled around Li Chi. He reached out to catch it, and from within the incense came Tongdou’s childish voice of prayer.

Li Chi followed the karmic thread with his gaze and saw two figures, one large and one small, walking toward Shuigu Town. The karma on their bodies was connected to that of the town, coalescing into hazy qi above Shuigu Town. This was the life qi of the living beings in Shuigu Town.

Life qi revealed the direction of future destiny—that was fixed karma. Unless one was at certain critical junctures, it could not be lightly changed.

Just as Yu Jian had been forced to travel to Lu Kingdom in his previous life, though Meng Huai could have easily rescued him, he did not intervene, but instead let him wait for the opportune moment three years later.

Life qi should have been stable, but at this moment, the life qi above Shuigu Town showed faint signs of disorder.

This belonged to the realm of fate. Li Chi could not clearly see the direction fate would take next, but he could sense the ominousness within it.

The karmic threads trembled delicately and rapidly. Under the influence of the life qi, they too became increasingly disordered and restless.

Karma coalesced into life qi; life qi transformed karma. The two were completely opposite, yet they gave birth to and transformed into each other.

Fate… Great Yin…

Li Chi set aside his thoughts, his gaze falling upon Tongdou.

Tongdou had once been bewitched by the Qingfu insect. At that time, to calm her spirit, Li Chi had bestowed a blessing upon her. This power had not yet dissipated and still faintly enveloped her karmic thread, preventing evil karma from taking root.

However, at this moment, the karmic thread connecting Tongdou to Shuigu Town also showed signs of ominousness.

Li Chi pondered briefly, then reached out to pluck the karmic thread connected to Tongdou. A strand of divine consciousness silently attached itself to her.

The abnormality in Shuigu Town was becoming increasingly obvious. No matter what that chaotic life qi portended, since this matter would ultimately involve him, being prepared was better than knowing nothing at all.

……

Outside Shuigu Town, Zheng Shu was both helpless and uncomplaining as he carried Tongdou on his back.

His little sister was lying on his back sleeping sweetly, so soft and comfortable that he couldn’t bear to wake her.

Liquan Village was remote. To enter the town, one had to get up very early. That was why Zheng Shu hadn’t wanted to bring her, but unable to withstand Tongdou’s pestering, he agreed that if she could get up early, he would take her.

Zheng Shu hadn’t actually expected her to manage it. Tongdou was still so young, at the age when children loved to sleep.

Yet she really did get up!

However, the little one absolutely refused to suffer any loss—having gotten up early in the morning, she started getting drowsy on the road.

Zheng Shu carried her on his back without thinking to wake her, and just like that, they arrived at Shuigu Town.

At the town entrance, soldiers stood guard. When it was Zheng Shu’s turn, one of them blocked his way.

Zheng Shu’s heart tightened as he asked carefully, “Sir, is something the matter?”

The soldier looked at Tongdou on his back and indicated, “Wake the child up. New rule—no sleeping when entering or leaving the town.”

What kind of strange rule was this?

Though Zheng Shu found it odd, it wasn’t really a difficult requirement. He quickly patted Tongdou gently to wake her.

Tongdou groggily opened her eyes, on the verge of tears from sleepiness, and obediently sat dazed in Zheng Shu’s arms.

“Have her say something,” the soldier said.

“Tongdou, Tongdou! Wake up a bit,” Zheng Shu called to her.

“The deity is watching over me,” Tongdou mumbled. She had dreamed of the deity! That warm, comforting feeling was like basking in pure sunlight, just like when the deity had saved her that day and placed his hand on her forehead—so comfortable.

At the city gate, the guardian deity hidden in the air and monitoring the entrance was startled upon hearing this. Could this child be so perceptive as to sense his gaze?

The guardian deity examined Tongdou carefully several times, found nothing amiss, and then signaled to the guarding soldier.

Zheng Shu prompted Tongdou to say a few more words. Tongdou gradually became more awake and looked at the guards with curiosity.

The guard didn’t move. After a few more seconds, as if waiting for some kind of confirmation, he finally raised the weapon in his hand. “Go in.”

Zheng Shu breathed a sigh of relief. After entering the town with Tongdou, he couldn’t help but pause briefly and look back.

He saw a family carrying a dog and preparing to leave the town. They too were stopped and made to wake the dog, which had to bark twice before they were allowed to pass.

Zheng Shu: ……

They weren’t even letting livestock sleep! How very strange. What had happened?

Zheng Shu felt vaguely uneasy and thought about finishing his business quickly and leaving.

After Tongdou woke up, she wanted to walk on her own. Zheng Shu set her down and crouched down, saying, “Tongdou, Second Brother is a bit tired. Today let’s not wander around the town—we’ll just finish our business and go home, all right?”

Tongdou nodded understandingly. “Is Second Brother tired from carrying me for so long? It’s okay, I don’t need to look around the town. We’ll go back early, and I’ll tell Father not to make you do chores today. I’m not sleepy anymore, so you don’t need to carry me on the way back.”

Zheng Shu ruffled the top of her head. “Tongdou is so thoughtful. Come on, Second Brother will take you to pick out lumber!”

……

In the gaps between dreams, a demon creature with an elephant’s trunk, horse’s body, and rhinoceros horn on its forehead lurked hidden, its slanted eyes cruel and cold, flashing with cunning light.

The Dream-Eating Tapir coldly observed the guardian deities monitoring the town walls, its mouth curling into a humanlike mocking arc.

Were they afraid he would escape? He could also choose not to escape.

He hadn’t originally wanted to flee, but who had ever given him that chance? Just as he hadn’t originally wanted to kill, but who had ever spared him?

All people had their way to death. Since that was so, let them see who could kill whom, who could deceive whom!

The Dream-Eating Tapir’s form flashed as it darted from the gap between dreams into another dream.

In the depths of every dream it passed through, it left behind a hidden shadow. From each shadow extended thread-like filaments, both illusory and real, connecting to the Dream-Eating Tapir’s body like a spider that had woven its web.

People often dismissed dreams, thinking them illusory and unreal, not worth paying attention to. Yet the waking world was far more treacherous, filled with countless lies. No matter how crafty or hypocritical a person might be, all those secrets they usually guarded so carefully, those thoughts they hid so cautiously, and even thoughts they themselves were unaware of—all would be revealed in dreams.

All people had their way to death……

The Dream-Eating Tapir stood at the center of the dream web, its form seeming both illusory and real. Its elephant trunk slowly inhaled and exhaled, and illusions like mist and rosy clouds descended along the dream web into the depths of all beings’ thoughts.

Countless shadows hidden in the depths of dreams stirred to life. They created illusions, one after another, and those illusions matched each person’s thoughts and desires so perfectly that they fell deeply into them without any resistance at all.

……

In the back courtyard of the lumber shop, Zheng Shu was examining wood with a shop assistant. The assistant had only gotten halfway through his introduction when he suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Zheng Shu asked as he turned to look at the assistant.

The young assistant, who had been so alert just moments ago, now stared blankly ahead with vacant eyes. Zheng Shu was startled and waved his hand in front of him. “What’s wrong with you?”

The assistant’s eyes closed, and he suddenly pitched forward.

Zheng Shu instinctively caught him and laid him on the ground, his hand trembling as he checked the assistant’s breathing.

“Second Brother?” Tongdou moved closer fearfully.

“It’s all right, he’s still alive.” Zheng Shu sighed with relief.

The assistant’s breathing was steady and strong, and his expression showed no pain. He looked as if he had fallen asleep.

Zheng Shu pushed him and called out twice, trying to wake him, but instead the man started snoring!

Just falling asleep like that, and sleeping so deeply—did this assistant have some strange illness? Zheng Shu frowned, moved the assistant to a chair, and walked to the front hall intending to find the shopkeeper to discuss this.

With this kind of sudden illness, why hadn’t they mentioned it beforehand? He had just thought the man had died—his heart had nearly stopped from fright!

Zheng Shu picked up Tongdou and gently patted her back. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared! We’ll go find the shopkeeper!”

Tongdou was too young and was still trembling a bit. Zheng Shu carried her to the front, his voice inevitably tinged with annoyance. “Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper!”

He called twice but heard no response. Zheng Shu walked to the counter and looked inside.

The shopkeeper had slumped sideways, half-sliding out of his chair, breathing deeply and rhythmically, lost in dreams.

Zheng Shu suddenly felt a chill, making his hair stand on end and his scalp prickle.

“Second Brother?” Tongdou was buried in his arms and hadn’t seen anything.

“It’s fine.” Zheng Shu steadied his voice. “The shopkeeper isn’t here. We won’t buy from them. Let’s go home for today.”

He pressed Tongdou’s head into the crook of his shoulder, turned, and walked out of the shop.

A peddler had collapsed by the roadside, his goods scattered from his basket all over the ground; passersby lay slumped in the street, one with a broken forehead, blood slowly seeping out to soak the ground, yet still sleeping without any reaction; a man driving an ox cart was slumped against the ox, completely unresponsive no matter how the ox licked and called to him.

“Tongdou,” Zheng Shu said. His footsteps were steady, but his voice began to tremble.

Tongdou instinctively tried to lift her head from his arms, but Zheng Shu pressed it down again. She asked in a muffled voice, “Second Brother?”

Second Brother was holding her too tightly—it hurt a little, but she didn’t struggle.

“Don’t look, and don’t sleep,” Zheng Shu held her tightly. The soldier’s requirement when they entered the city surfaced in his mind. “Talk to Second Brother. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t sleep.” Tongdou wrapped her arms around his neck. “Second Brother mustn’t sleep either. I’ll talk with you. Second Brother, don’t be scared, don’t be scared.”

“Second Brother isn’t scared.” Zheng Shu held her as his steps grew faster and faster, until finally he was running toward the city gate as if his life depended on it!

……

At the Yun Family Medicine Shop.

The old shopkeeper was attending to a patient, another one suffering from excessive mental exhaustion in dreams.

Ever since Medicine Divine Lady had created and distributed the medicine pouches, far fewer people in town had fallen ill from this, and their symptoms were mostly minor—drinking some medicinal soup to replenish themselves was sufficient.

The old shopkeeper had just finished taking the pulse when his head suddenly spun. Some blurry images flashed before his eyes. Before he could make them out, he heard a woman’s voice shout. “Wake up!”

The old shopkeeper’s mind cleared. He realized he had been drooping his head and was about to knock it against the counter. He quickly braced himself.

The patient across from him hadn’t awakened as early and actually knocked his head solidly against the table. Now he was clutching his forehead and crying out in pain.

Yun Ling, who was preparing medicine, also staggered, her face full of confusion.

What was happening?

The three of them were still bewildered when they suddenly saw the divine statue enshrined in the shrine float down.

“Medicine Divine Lady?” Yun Ling exclaimed.

Wangyue’s face was filled with shock and worry as she murmured, “We’ve been deceived……”

The reduction in patients these past days wasn’t because of her medicine pouches, but because that Dream-Eating Tapir had been secretly laying its plans.

That Dream-Eating Tapir had set up such a vast dream formation without causing much disturbance! It had been hiding its true power all along!

Now that the great formation was complete, it was too late to do anything. With her power, she could only protect the area around the Yun family. But if everyone else was in trouble, how could the demon that had devoured nearly the entire town spare them?

Wangyue’s face was pale as she bit her lip tightly.

For now, all they could do was wait and pray that the Earth God and that Chi Zhenzi, the exalted immortal who had come pursuing the demon, would be able to deal with this Dream-Eating Tapir……

……

In the Earth God Temple.

Chi Zhenzi and the Earth God were discussing their next course of action when their expressions suddenly changed simultaneously as they gazed into the void.

A silken web drew people into illusions; the illusions transformed into dreams.

The Earth God’s divine power instantly surged as he tried to break through the illusion. But it was already too late. In just the span of a breath, most of the living beings in Shuigu Town had already fallen into dreams.

“Fellow daoist, please keep watch outside. I shall enter the dream to investigate.” Chi Zhenzi had no time for more words. He closed his eyes and actively entered the dream.

The Earth God’s expression shifted repeatedly. The Dream-Eating Tapir’s formation was complete. Only by entering the dream could one contend with it. The dream realm was now the most dangerous place, and the outside truly did need someone to watch over it.

Even remaining outside, he was not without options.

The Earth God half-closed his eyes as earth qi rose like steam.

In Shuigu Town, the earth itself seemed to suddenly begin trembling.

It wasn’t the terror of an earthquake, but steady and powerful like a heartbeat—one beat, then another.

……

By the Shuigu Well.

The wandering dragon qi formed at the well’s mouth suddenly raised its head to look at the sky. Yu Jian also sensed something and raised his head at the same time.

“He has some courage indeed,” Meng Huai murmured.

The living beings in Shuigu Town were born here and grew up here, forming bonds with this place. The Earth God used the earth qi to resonate and call to the consciousness of all beings, contending with the Dream-Eating Tapir’s dream formation. It was just unknown how much of the accumulated earth qi of this place would be depleted by this effort.

“Can he succeed?” Yu Jian asked worriedly.

“If it were just now, it would probably be difficult, but now……” The wandering dragon above the well turned back. “That High God has already made his move.”