Chapter 470: Yu Er Shen

"The Yu'er God? What kind of deity is that?"

Li Huowang wracked his brain, trying to place the strange name, but even Hong Zhong's extensive knowledge held no mention of the Yu'er God.

As Li Huowang pondered, the villagers in the distance began to change their behavior again.

The people in the circle gradually quieted down. They extinguished all candles and oil lamps, then, in complete darkness, prostrated themselves on the ground, silently bowing forward.

"What are they bowing to?" Li Huowang changed his body's color to blend with the earth, making himself invisible as he slowly moved towards them.

Li Huowang initially thought they were bowing to the giant banyan tree, but then realized that wasn't the case. The direction their heads faced was clearly nothing but darkness.

"Wait a minute, darkness?!" Li Huowang's gaze fell upon the black cloths draped over their shoulders; these cloths now seemed to hold a new meaning.

"Oh, Yu'er God!" All those who had been bowing suddenly cried out in unison, raising their hands and lying flat on their backs, gazing excitedly at the dark sky above.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!" The ground began to tremble.

A nervous Li Huowang swallowed hard and reached out to gently push down Li Sui's head beside him.

The trembling of the ground grew stronger, but when Li Huowang saw panic spread across the faces of those in the distance, he instantly realized this great commotion was likely not caused by their so-called Yu'er God.

"Kill!!!" A thunderous roar suddenly erupted, and a flash of white light from the darkness on the left seared into Li Huowang's eyes, making him feel as if his eyes had been slashed by a knife.

As he took a half-step back, rubbing his eyes and slowly opening them again, he saw a line of black-armored soldiers on steaming warhorses, plowing through the crowd like a razor.

When the last horse's tail swept past, not a single living person remained; not even a complete piece of clothing could be seen on the ground, only a steaming mash of flesh mixed with shattered bones.

Only then did Li Huowang realize that the earlier trembling of the ground was caused by these military cavalry.

There were only a little over thirty riders, yet their charge made Li Huowang feel as if he were facing an army of thousands.

"Swoosh!" The cavalry in the distance abruptly turned, pointing their massive mounted weapons directly at Li Huowang.

Li Huowang glanced at Li Sui beside him, his heart sinking. "It's over. They've found us!"

The ground trembled again, rapidly approaching Li Huowang. Just as he was about to flee, he had the unsettling sensation of being targeted, feeling that he couldn't escape no matter where he went.

Just as they were about to charge him, he pulled out the Supervisor of Heaven's badge from his pocket and held it high.

"Boom!" Li Huowang's hair and clothes flapped wildly, and the cavalry instantly split into two, roaring past him like two raging rivers on either side.

When Li Huowang turned around, he saw a single armored rider had stopped directly in front of him.

The rider was tall, carrying a massive Guan Dao, and stood there with an imposing presence like a small mountain.

Even looking up, Li Huowang couldn't see his face, only the rising heat emanating from the heavy helmet.

As Li Huowang pondered what to say, the rider "clanked" his Guan Dao onto the horse's back, then pulled out a piece of yellow silk. Holding it taut at both ends, he began to read aloud.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor receives! Recently, within the borders of Daliang, there have been occasional resurgences of deviant sects. These evildoers, with their deceptive words, provoke celestial disasters and human calamities! They are to be utterly exterminated, their entire lineage wiped out! Let this be known to all under heaven!"

After loudly proclaiming the imperial decree, the armored rider turned and departed without waiting for any reaction from Li Huowang.

After a short while, only Li Huowang and Li Sui remained standing alone.

Li Huowang slowly turned his head to look at the vast expanse of gore in the distance. "Deviant sects? Sacrificing to celestial disasters? So these people were worshiping celestial disasters? Does that mean the Yu'er God they spoke of is..."

Li Huowang stopped abruptly, his face turning pale. He felt as if his voice was again on the verge of transforming into a crane's cry.

"Father, are you alright?" Li Sui asked worriedly, tugging at Li Huowang's red Taoist robe.

Li Huowang clutched his head and shook it vigorously. He was beginning to understand why Daliang would deploy military forces against these seemingly minor groups. It wasn't about their strength, but about whom they worshipped.

"How can this be... How long has it been since the celestial disaster occurred, and there are already sects worshiping it? This is too fast."

"And what exactly do these deviant sect members hope to achieve by worshiping the Yu'er God? No, that's not right. I need to think about this in reverse: what does this so-called Yu'er God intend to do?"

Pondering the question, Li Huowang slowly looked up at Zhuge Yuan. "Brother Zhuge, why do I feel so uneasy? Do you know anything about this?"

Zhuge Yuan, his brows furrowed, looked at the distant gore, tightening his grip on his folding fan. "Brother Li, I don't know. I am merely a mortal. Let us hope this celestial disaster is not just the beginning."

Hearing those words, Li Huowang's heart felt as if a heavy stone had been placed upon it.

"Then, Brother Zhuge, about that Yu'er..." The moment Li Huowang uttered the name, he felt a sharp pain deep in his left ear and instinctively grimaced, covering it.

"Brother Li, don't ask any more. Asking further will only lead to trouble. Even if you knew about matters beyond the heavens, what could you change? Nothing."

"Furthermore, if you know, you become a part of their body. You'll be entangled in their karma."

"I can't talk about this, I can't talk about that. Is there anything I *can* talk about?" A hint of irritation crept into Li Huowang's mind.

"Yes. Of the Great Dao's fifty, forty-nine are derived from Heaven, and one is hidden by man. The only thing I can tell you now is that while one Destiny Controller has died, at least those overseeing the Heavenly Dao are temporarily unharmed."

"If something truly went wrong with those Destiny Controllers of the Heavenly Dao, if a Heavenly Dao were missing, you would surely know before I would."

Various chaotic scenes flashed through Li Huowang's mind, making his expression grow even grimmer. "This insane world is truly no place for humans!"

"Senior Brother Li? What's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao, wrapped in her clothes, stumbled towards him.

Li Huowang glanced at the distant gore, then quickly stepped forward to help her walk back.

"Nothing, just came out to relieve myself."

The ominous feeling of impending trouble made Li Huowang very uneasy. Even with the Supervisor of Heaven's department, he wasn't sure if they could withstand it.

There wasn't much he could do now. The only thing was to cultivate diligently and reach Great Accomplishment in his Taoist cultivation as soon as possible, so he could protect himself and those he cared about when facing various crises and tribulations.

With that thought, Li Huowang held Bai Lingmiao, who was in his arms, even tighter.