Chapter 17: A Fortune!
A solitary moon hung high in the sky before Xuanqing Temple.
"Ahhh!"
Mu Tong let out a desperate, anguished cry before crashing to the ground with a thud.
His chest had caved in deeply. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his wide, unblinking eyes stared in the direction of Song Xuanqing — dying with grievances left unresolved.
Beside Mu Tong lay Mu Nan, her death no less wretched.
These two siblings, entangled with each other for so many years, had ultimately met their end together.
Song Xuanqing withdrew his hand, his expression blank — but in the next instant, something flickered across his face.
It wasn't because of Mu Tong or Mu Nan, of course. They were just two dead people who had deserved to die.
It was because of the system notification that had suddenly chimed.
[You have shielded Song Family Village from slaughter by the wicked. Incense Value +100.]
Song Xuanqing cast a peculiar glance at the corpses of Mu Tong and Mu Nan.
Come to think of it, these two villains weren't entirely useless after all.
Killing them had even dropped a hundred Incense Value.
A hundred points!
For the impoverished Song Xuanqing, a hundred points was nothing to scoff at.
He opened his system panel and swept his gaze across it.
[Incense Offering Divine Ascension System
Host: Song Xuanqing
Divine Lifespan: 20/**
Identity: Feral God
Cultivation: Unranked (22.8%) +
Cultivation Technique: None
Divine Arts: Divine Might (Beginner) +, Dream Entry (Beginner) +, God-Merge (Beginner) +
Domain: Song Family Village
Incense Value: 198.2
Evaluation: Not yet recognized by the Heavenly Dao, faith and incense offerings are meager. A Feral God with no Divine Rank or Divine Position — fate as adrift as duckweed, power pitifully thin.]
Excellent. He now possessed the grand fortune of 198.2 Incense Value!
He could push his Cultivation progress forward another notch!
Every time Song Xuanqing saw the word "Unranked" next to his Cultivation, it grated on him terribly.
He hoped to shake off this Unranked Cultivation as soon as possible.
Just looking at it stung.
Unranked Cultivation, identity as a Feral God.
Even though Song Xuanqing felt he wasn't exactly weak right now.
Based on Mu Tong's descriptions, he figured that in his God-Merge state, he should be roughly equivalent to the third tier of the martial path — the Spirit Gathering Realm.
He hadn't actually fought anyone at the Spirit Gathering Realm, so he couldn't be sure. He'd find out the next time he had a chance to spar with someone at that level.
Still, the Divine Art: God-Merge was a rather special state — it had a time limit, though he didn't yet know exactly how long it lasted.
A short-burst power spike like that couldn't be relied upon as a sustained combat method.
What mattered most was still his own base Cultivation.
Turning these thoughts over in his mind, Song Xuanqing raised his head and gazed quietly at the bright moon, waiting for the God-Merge duration to expire.
Although he could exit God-Merge early, Song Xuanqing wanted to know how long he could currently maintain the state.
Not far away, Old Doctor Song and his son Song Bo still knelt with their heads bowed low.
The black cat — sleek-furred, glossy, and powerfully built — sat crouched before the two of them, grooming herself, like a living barrier between them and the temple.
It was only when Mu Tong's dying scream rang out that the two finally raised their heads in shock.
Even so, they remained kneeling, not daring to look toward Xuanqing Temple.
Both Old Doctor Song and Song Bo had recognized it immediately — that familiar, agonized voice belonged to Mu Tong.
Listening carefully, they could tell the sound had come from the direction of Xuanqing Temple.
The black cat was sitting here keeping watch over the two of them without moving. So whoever had dealt with those two villains could only be…
Old Doctor Song and Song Bo both understood perfectly, and for a moment their feelings were deeply complicated.
Old Doctor Song let out a long sigh, his voice tinged with guilt.
"It's all the fault of us blind, foolish mortals — we actually brought two wicked villains back here, and now we've troubled Lord Xuanqing and the demon cat lady."
Old Doctor Song's words and manner made the black cat feel rather uncomfortable.
She scratched her head and could only let out a few meows in response.
In truth, this wasn't really the villagers' fault. Vile members of wicked sects were often impossible to guard against.
Unfortunately, neither Old Doctor Song nor Song Bo could understand cat-speak.
Song Bo tightened his grip on the woodcutting blade beside him and said in his rough, blunt way, "I've got strength — I could've chopped those two villains down myself. Let me go help Lord Xuanqing!"
With that, he made to stand up.
The black cat let out a sharp, fierce mrow and planted herself in front of Song Bo, clearly refusing to let him pass.
Old Doctor Song also gave him a timely smack on the head.
"Fool! Does Lord Xuanqing need your help? You'd only be getting in the way!"
Song Bo clutched his head and fell silent, obediently sinking back to his knees.
Old Doctor Song glanced at the black cat with a hint of surprise, then quickly looked away.
It seemed… Lord Xuanqing didn't want them to go forward, and had sent the black cat to hold them back.
Old Doctor Song didn't overthink it — he simply assumed Lord Xuanqing was worried they might be harmed by the villains, and had deliberately sent the black cat to keep them from getting close.
Song Xuanqing stood quietly before the temple for a while, until he suddenly felt a wave of weakness wash over him.
In the next instant, Song Xuanqing's figure dissolved into a streak of flowing light and flew back into Xuanqing Temple.
As the light faded, the one-foot stone idol reappeared in the previously empty shrine.
The colors drained away; the idol returned to its ashen grey, its features once again blurred and indistinct.
Song Xuanqing settled back into the idol as exhaustion surged over him like a tide.
Fortunately, it only affected his ability to fight — his basic functions remained unimpaired.
And now he had a clear sense of how long God-Merge lasted.
He could currently maintain the God-Merge state for about fifteen minutes.
When the God-Merge state ended, the idol would automatically return to its original position, and Song Xuanqing would be left weakened.
For a short time after God-Merge ended, he would be unable to act.
As for how long it would take before he could use the Divine Art: God-Merge again — that he didn't know. The ability showed no visible cooldown.
He estimated that once he recovered, he'd be able to use it again.
With this matter settled, Song Xuanqing called the black cat back.
The black cat darted in quickly, meowing with cheerful excitement.
"Esteemed divine lord, have you finished your business? This little demon did a decent job this time, didn't she?"
The unspoken implication: So… can you pay me a little more?
Song Xuanqing didn't manifest in person, remaining within the idol as he spoke. "The reward I promised you won't be short-changed."
With that, he transferred 3.2 Incense Value to the black cat.
Song Xuanqing was not a stingy person. The black cat had indeed done well this time — she'd even shown initiative and kept Old Doctor Song's family safe on his behalf.
But his own Incense Value was limited and needed to be spent carefully, so he couldn't give too much.
Last time, when the black cat had helped him guide Song Mugen and his son out of Wolf's Head Mountain, he had given her 2.2 Incense Value.
This time he'd give her a little more.
Besides, the black cat had a low Cultivation and was easy to manage, and her character seemed decent enough. There were times when it wasn't convenient for Song Xuanqing to act directly — sending the black cat was perfect for those situations.
With the thought that he might need to call on the black cat again in the future, Song Xuanqing naturally had no intention of souring their relationship.
As for the remaining Incense Value, Song Xuanqing planned to put it toward his Cultivation a little later.
The black cat received her Incense Value and happily began absorbing it on the spot.
Song Xuanqing could sense that the black cat's Cultivation had grown somewhat.
It wasn't much, but Cultivation was always a long, gradual process of accumulation — even this small increase was an exceptionally rare gain for the black cat.
Not to mention that Incense Value could also temporarily sharpen her comprehension.
After a while, the black cat finished absorbing it and stretched out in a long, satisfied yawn.
Going by how things usually went, this was the point where the black cat would take her leave, with no telling when she'd show up again.
But this time, Song Xuanqing didn't simply let her go in silence.
The black cat had barely finished stretching when Song Xuanqing suddenly spoke.
"That villain who called himself Mu Tong said that there are no gods in this world, and that I don't seem like a divine idol. Little demon cat — what do you think I am?"
The black cat blinked her round, bright eyes, her pupils clear and untroubled.
She tilted her head, gazing up at the time-worn, slightly blurred idol within the shrine.
"Esteemed divine lord, what this little demon thinks you are doesn't really matter. As far as I'm concerned — you bear me no ill will, and you're willing to give me benefits. That means I'm willing to stand on your side and work for you."
"No matter what kind of existence you are, you are far more powerful than I am, and that has nothing to do with me. What matters is that you're willing to give me opportunities and rewards, and I'm willing to work for you and stand in your camp."
"And besides… I've heard that in the legends mortals tell, the gods are powerful beings who cherish all living things and shelter them from harm. Isn't that exactly what you are?"
So — how could Song Xuanqing not be a god?