Place Where Old Gods Fell

The old cultist's gaze moved past Kraken and landed on the grayish-white bead by his hand.

The bead's surface was smooth, and something could be faintly seen squirming inside, like an insect trapped in amber.

That was the Divine Envoy.

Their Divine Envoy had been turned into a bead by this blasphemer.

The old cultist's body trembled, and fury nearly incinerated his sanity as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Heretic!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill this blasphemer!"

More followers joined in the shouting, and all the yellow-robed men swarmed toward Kraken, their eyes filled with madness.

The elderly cultist in the lead was the first to reach Kraken. He raised a short sword high, aiming for Kraken's neck.

"Die!"

The blade fell.

At the critical moment, space suddenly warped, and ripples emanated around Kraken.

The old cultist's sword struck the ripples, and he felt a sudden numbness in his wrist. The sword flew from his hand, drawing an arc through the air before landing somewhere unknown.

He froze, but before he could react, the spatial ripples expanded violently.

Then, Kraken vanished.

He disappeared into thin air, leaving only a few drops of blood that had yet to dry on the ground.

The old cultist stood there in a daze, his hand still in a gripping pose, his eyes wide and round.

"How?"

The other yellow-robed men behind him also stopped. They exchanged bewildered looks, the anger on their faces replaced by confusion.

"Where is he?"

"Where did that heretic go?"

"How did he just disappear?"

Someone worked up the courage to step forward, waving their hands frantically in the empty space.

There was nothing. The man had simply vanished into thin air.

The old cultist slowly collapsed to his knees.

He reached out a trembling hand and picked up the grayish-white bead left behind.

The bead vibrated slightly in his palm, like a heart that was still beating.

"Lord Divine Envoy," he whispered softly, tears sliding from the corners of his eyes.

The other yellow-robed men knelt one after another, kowtowing toward the bead.

In the distance, atop a certain high-rise building, a slender figure leaned against the railing, holding a snow leopard in his arms.

With a lift of his hand, the bead was taken away.

Subsequently, the yellow-robed men began to wail.

...

Inside a restaurant, the aroma of food drifted through the air.

Yue Shi sat before a table piled high with dishes.

He picked up a fork, his movements slow and deliberate.

The snow leopard crouched on the chair next to him, a plate of sliced fish set before it, and was currently busy tucking in.

Kraken sat opposite them, his face still somewhat pale. He had two band-aids on his forehead and bandages wrapped around his wrist, looking like he had just crawled away from a car crash.

But at this moment, he raised his wine glass, his face filled with the relief and gratitude of a survivor.

"I owe you my life this time. If you hadn't stepped in, I'm afraid I would have died at the Yishu Sect today."

Yue Shi glanced up at him and casually fed an oyster to the snow leopard.

Kraken didn't mind and downed the wine in his glass.

He was indeed still shaken.

While he was unconscious earlier, he had retained a sliver of awareness and could sense the furious roars of those yellow-robed men.

He had thought he was a dead man. In the final moment before losing consciousness completely, he was still thinking about how it was a shame he hadn't gotten the intelligence out.

He hadn't expected such an unexpected turn of events.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying on a bed in the inn, with that grayish-white bead resting by his pillow.

The window was open, and the wind blew in, carrying the scent of the sea.

Yue Shi was sitting in a chair by the window, holding the snow leopard and looking out at the night, his thoughts unknown.

Kraken didn't ask how Yue Shi had rescued him.

There were some things one shouldn't ask about.

He had quickly tended to his wounds.

"By the way, what kind of place is Dusk Island exactly? How does the Order Alliance view this island?" Yue Shi suddenly asked.

His gaze fell on Kraken's face, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Kraken snapped out of his thoughts and frowned slightly.

He knew what Yue Shi meant.

Yue Shi had just saved him and was now asking for intelligence; it reeked of demanding repayment for a favor.

Kraken felt uncomfortable, but he also knew that regardless of the reason, he had indeed been saved. One should judge by a person's deeds rather than their heart.

He had indeed been hiding things before. Regarding the Order Alliance's true purpose for investigating Dusk Island, he had always been vague, only giving superficial reasons like "the spread of cults" or "missing persons."

But now...

Kraken fell silent for a few seconds, quickly weighing his options in his mind.

He considered what he could say, what he couldn't, and to what extent he could satisfy the other party without betraying his organization.

Yue Shi didn't press him, but his eyes never wavered.

As a peerless villain, how could he possibly save someone for free?

He had to bleed them dry and suck them for all they were worth.

Kraken finally spoke, his voice a few notches lower than before: "Dusk Island is indeed no ordinary place."

Yue Shi's brow arched.

Kraken took a deep breath and continued: "According to the records of the Order Alliance, this island is the Place Where Old Gods Fell."

When he spoke the words "Old Gods," he instinctively lowered his voice, as if referring to an existence that shouldn't be mentioned.

"Old Gods?" Yue Shi repeated.

Kraken nodded.

He chose his words carefully, trying to describe the concept concisely.

"The Old Gods aren't ordinary gods, nor are they the various demons and monsters worshipped by the island natives. They are far more ancient existences."

"It is said they existed before humanity appeared. Their forms cannot be described in words, and their essence exceeds the cognitive range of any living creature."

"In the Alliance's archives, they are collectively referred to as the 'Old Gods.' Not just one, but a collection of all such existences."

Yue Shi listened quietly, not interrupting.

Kraken went on: "Dusk Island is where a certain Old God fell. It happened countless years ago, but that being's remains—or rather, its residual power—has remained on this island."

"And then?"

"And then there are the sects," Kraken said with a bitter smile.

"Even though the Old God has fallen, its power remains. There are still followers who worship it, though perhaps they see different facets of it, which led to the formation of different sects."

Yue Shi's eyes flickered slightly. "Did they find the Old God's corpse?"

"No. I haven't heard of anyone actually coming face-to-face with an Old God," Kraken shook his head. He lowered his voice and leaned over the table.

"According to the records, before the Old God fell, it left behind a book."

"A book?"

"The 《Secret Scripture of the Seven Chapters of Xuanjun》," Kraken said the name syllable by syllable.

"It's said that it contains all the secrets of the Old Gods. Whoever finds it will obtain divine power."

At this point, he suddenly stopped, as if realizing he had said too much, which felt unusual—almost as if he had been induced to speak.

So he shut his mouth immediately, picked up his glass, and took a large gulp, using the action of drinking to hide the awkwardness on his face.

The corners of Yue Shi's mouth curled up slightly. "So, those sects must all be searching for the scripture, wanting to obtain the power of the Old Gods?"

Kraken nodded.

Yue Shi: "And what about the Order Alliance?"

Kraken's movements stiffened.

Yue Shi didn't press further, an air of meaningful understanding appearing on his face.

He withdrew his gaze and fed another piece of fish to the snow leopard.

Kraken sat opposite him, feeling somewhat restless.

Any organization or institution, no matter how noble and righteous its original intention, will inevitably have its leaders corrupted by power as time passes and the organization grows. They will inevitably slide toward depravity.

The Order Alliance was no exception.

Kraken had seen everything in Yue Shi's meaningful look just now.

But Yue Shi didn't follow up; he just continued eating quietly, as if the conversation had never happened.

'He can really eat,' Kraken complained inwardly, silently breathing a sigh of relief while also feeling a strange sense of guilt.

After all, he truly owed this man his life.

After a few seconds of silence, Kraken spoke again, looking for a topic to chat about: "Actually, I'm very strong."

Yue Shi didn't look up.

Kraken continued: "My ability, Magic Poker, has everything: offense, defense, and control. It has all sorts of effects, but none of that is really special."

This finally caught Yue Shi's attention, and he looked up at Kraken's face.

Kraken said with a hint of pride and showiness: "My cards can also be used for telling fortunes and performing divinations."

He pulled the deck of poker cards from his waist, shuffled them, and spread them out on the table.

"Different combinations, different sequences, and different positions can yield different information. Future trends, good or bad luck, even vague guidance."

"The reason I've been sticking to you like glue is actually related to a divination reading."

Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.

Kraken pointed at several cards and looked at Yue Shi with a complex expression.

"I performed a reading for myself before. It was vague, but it pointed in a certain direction. In that direction, there was a benefactor who could change my destiny."

"After today's events, I finally understand who the benefactor in the reading was."

Yue Shi didn't respond, but the interest in his eyes deepened.

The ability to perform divinations?

Kraken summoned his courage: "How about I perform a reading for you?"

The restaurant fell silent for a few seconds, with the faint sound of waves drifting in from outside.

Yue Shi gave a slight nod.

"Go ahead."

Kraken immediately began shuffling the cards, which flew through his fingers.

The snow leopard looked up, staring curiously at the cards.

Yue Shi leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed, but infinity symbols flickered incessantly in the depths of his eyes.

...

Night enveloped Dusk Island.

The thin girl who had originally planned to jump off a building had changed her mind.

She walked down from the rooftop and returned to the place she called home.

Her parents were stunned when they saw her and asked why she wasn't at school.

She said the school was on holiday, and they believed her.

They always believed her easily, as long as she didn't say things that made them unhappy, as long as she didn't mention the hospital or the money, or the medical funds that had been donated away.

During dinner, her mother was still rambling about the Sect of All Spirits.

Her father nodded in agreement beside her. "There's nothing wrong with believing in the God of All Spirits. Our family's luck will turn around sooner or later."

The girl kept her head down and ate her rice without saying a word.

The Sect of All Spirits' church was grand and magnificent. She just wondered how much of the money used to build it came from people like her.

She told her parents that she wanted to visit the Sect of All Spirits' church when she had time.

Her mother's eyes lit up instantly. She dropped the rag in her hand and grabbed the girl's hand. "Really? You've finally seen the light?"

The girl nodded, lowering her eyes so her eyelashes could hide the emotions within.

"I knew it! The gods will protect you. You were bound to understand eventually." Her mother was so happy she didn't know what to say, and she turned toward the inner room to shout.

"Our daughter wants to go to the church to pray!"

Her father poked his head out from the inner room, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.

The couple immediately set off, taking the girl to the Sect of All Spirits' church.

It was a massive, sacred building with two stone statues at the entrance, and believers would devoutly bow their heads as they passed.

The parents led the girl inside, familiar with the place. They greeted the priests at the door and exchanged pleasantries with fellow believers they knew.

The people's gazes swept over her, filled with compassion.

The girl kept her head down and followed behind them, making an effort to memorize the layout of the church.

After finishing the prayers that day, the girl left the church calmly.

At night, she returned.

This time she was alone, dressed in dark, old clothes, her hair tied up and tucked into a hat. She carried two large bottles of gasoline in her arms.

The guard at the back door of the church was more lax than she had imagined.

There was only an old priest dozing against the wall by the door.

The girl moved through the shadows, sticking to the base of the wall and holding her breath.

The old priest's snoring was exceptionally loud.

She successfully slipped past him.

As she pushed open the back door, the hinge let out a creak.

The old priest's snoring paused for a moment.

The girl froze in place, her heart nearly stopping.

Then the snoring resumed.

The old priest had only rolled over, turning his back to the door and falling into a deeper sleep.

The girl let out a soft breath and slipped inside.

The interior of the church was very spacious.

When she had come during the day, her parents had dragged her to kneel and pray before the divine statues, so she hadn't had a chance to look closely.

Now, in the darkness, the statues that had seemed holy actually appeared somewhat monstrous.

The girl didn't linger.

She crossed the main hall and followed the route she had memorized during the day, moving toward the depths of the church.

Through a crack in a door, she saw a larger space inside. Layers of candles were arranged in a strange pattern, their flickering flames illuminating the largest divine statue in the center.

Several priests were kneeling before the statue, reading in low voices. The sound was a low droning, making the content unintelligible, but it reminded the girl of the scriptures her mother used to recite by her hospital bed.

More annoying than mosquitoes.

She gripped the gasoline bottles in her arms and quietly backed away.

Twenty minutes later, she stood in one of the church's storage rooms.

It was filled with clutter, all of which was flammable.

The girl took out the gasoline bottles.

She unscrewed the caps. A pungent smell rushed out, making her cough twice.

She poured the gasoline evenly.

After finishing one bottle, she opened the next.

Then she looked around. The storage room door was slightly ajar, leading to the hallway that connected to the main hall.

At the end of the hallway, the priests' droning continued—buzz, buzz, buzz—giving her a headache.

Her parents should be sleeping at home now. Sleeping deeply and peacefully, because they thought their daughter had finally seen the light and was willing to believe in god.

They didn't know what she was doing at this moment.

They would never know.

The girl pulled a lighter from her pocket.

Click.

A flame danced in the darkness.

She stared at the flame for a few seconds as many images flashed through her mind.

She felt no reluctance at all, only an impatient desire to kill.

She ignited the gasoline, and the flames spread rapidly along the path she had poured.

Everything in the storage room began to burn, especially the candles used for rituals. The melting wax fueled the fire, igniting more flammable materials.

Thick smoke rose, making her cough violently.

A heatwave rushed toward her, but she didn't move. She just stood there in the corner, watching the flames consume everything.