Chapter 313: Waiting for a Social Beating

Xu Zhi sat in the bar, watching Sheila, who looked determined to work hard, and couldn't help but smile. He continued recounting the long history.

If the era of Gilgamesh marked the origin of humanity, whose rise was not arduous due to the Hero King's overwhelming strength, then the era of witches was the age of ordinary people. This chapter, "The Three Witches," was a very tragic story.

Without the Hero King's protection, ordinary people had to defend themselves. They had lost their heroes; the men had all but perished protecting their tribes. A group of women then stepped forward, sacrificing themselves. The mural, "The Three Witches," depicted history etched into its surface: three figures holding torches, having taken up Gilgamesh's torch of civilization, becoming the next generation of human heroes, and recording their immense courage in battling nature and beasts!

He quoted, "After countless days and nights, we have suffered enough. Our husbands are dead, our fathers are dead, and our sons will die in the future. What do we have left? We have only ourselves. No one can protect us anymore; only we can protect ourselves."

This passage contained so much bitterness that many in the bar shed tears, deeply moved by the emotions.

"This is the meaning Emperor Messiah tells us: 'Granting civilization the gift of ages.'"

"And isn't it the same now? Our war on the front lines touches everyone's heart; it is also a hymn to history!"

Over the next few days, Xu Zhi continued his narration, progressing through history. He had reached the part about the grievances of the Three Witches, describing how, in their old age, the three gradually passed away, and then the God of Wisdom, Hermes, descended with three great miracles.

"A monument of flowers from the sky? Blood rain? And the Lament of the Gods?" The powerful individuals throughout the bar were utterly stirred up.

The entire city of Wil was now almost entirely filled with foreign travelers and many powerful individuals from the continent, gathered nearby. Although they weren't inside the bar, some powerful figures used magic to project an image of the storytelling youth within. Upon hearing this, their faces were already filled with shock.

"The legendary God of Wisdom, Mercury, God of the Church of Light, finally appeared in history for the first time!"

"How terrifying! Three great miracles, miracles that changed the entire land, covering the whole world... Even the current Emperor Ermin of the Underworld would find it difficult to easily perform such terrifying miracles!"

"So, the God of Wisdom was not depicted as a perfectly proportioned, unparalleled female figure?"

Listening to the discussion, Xu Zhi's face darkened. He aimed to correct such historical misconceptions and clear his name by recounting the entire long history of two civilizations to the current era.

Someone immediately asked again: "So, where did the God of Wisdom and the vanished Land of the Gods go?"

"Indeed! They only appeared in the Witch era and disappeared in the Potion era..."

With the war on the front lines, the three great kingdoms had set aside their former grievances, and now the powerful figures from the various Potion Kingdoms coexisted peacefully. Some powerful individuals were chatting, while two skeleton mages played Go, a game that had spread from the Ancient Desolation Realm.

"The story is over for today," Sheila said, "I need to think of a plan." Sheila, who had some experience managing a merchant caravan, would stutter when nervous—an unchangeable congenital flaw—but that didn't mean she was foolish. She quickly began communicating with these powerful individuals, mentioning things about "Uncle Messiah." The others listened very attentively, some even wanting to learn about this mysterious, ancient Emperor. She then inadvertently communicated with these powerful figures about her own predicament.

"I never thought your human cities could be so despicable!" scoffed a powerful orc.

"Those individuals disregarded your father's years of nurturing, like ungrateful wolves," said Yuk, his face cold. "They seized control of the entire caravan after his death and even intended to kill you. They deserve to be executed! They bring shame upon our humanity!" Those around continued to voice their opinions.

Normally, they would help based on their mood, but now, it was naturally an opportune moment to offer assistance.

"Your aptitude for integrating with potions is too poor," an elder mused, "but there's a hidden profession that doesn't require aptitude. As long as you have enough financial resources and work hard, you can succeed." Sheila soon formally became a disciple of a Human Empire's Quasi-Emperor.

Sheila was moved to tears. Looking at the powerful individuals around her, she realized that after all the hardships she had suffered in life, someone was finally helping her. "My great vengeance," she thought, "which seems so monumental to me, is just a trivial matter to the major powers in the nearby cities." She turned her head to look at the young man arranging bottles on the liquor shelf, a look of immense gratitude on her face. She knew whose influence this was.

In less than half a month, a group of powerful individuals in the bar generously shared their experiences in teaching disciples and incidentally guided Sheila, providing all sorts of resources. She quickly advanced to a Tier 2 professional.

"Go on,"

"Go get your revenge."

"Come back, and we'll drink together."

In the bar, powerful individuals drank, their hearty laughter resounding, as they watched the maid who used to serve them, seeing her off as she left the bar. They exchanged glances.

"The world of mortals is simple," one said. "Their loves and hates are clear, not so complicated. If they want revenge, they strive for it."

"Wasn't it the same for us back then?" another added.

"Many of us here only reached where we are today because of hatred, rising from ordinary mortals to become awe-inspiring throughout the kingdom and gaining immense fame throughout the era."

"She doesn't know how great the fortune she carries is. In our era, the three great kingdoms have only twenty-odd Emperor Monarchs, and below the Emperors, we are the strongest... But too many have reawakened over a thousand years of history."

"In this era, everyone is vying for godhood, igniting their divine flame. Emperor Messiah is too mysterious..."

"But no matter what, listening to history is enough to enlighten us about many things."

The powerful individuals conversed calmly. After seeing the girl off, some turned their heads to look past the bar's entrance. Their bodies involuntarily trembled slightly; each time their gaze fell upon the understated storyteller, a mix of fear and admiration appeared in the depths of their eyes. Emperor Messiah completely defied everyone's imagination.

"I finally got my revenge!"

On the other side, Sheila looked at the corpses of her enemies, weeping loudly, feeling as if it were all a dream.

That night, Xu Zhi comforted the despondent Sheila, silently organizing his thoughts and conserving his energy.

"The harsh lessons of society should be coming soon, shouldn't they?" Xu Zhi rested his chin on his hand, looking calm. "Ermin and Medusa both know about the existence of Bai Xiaosheng," he mused. "Since I'm so openly talking about history, knowing past and present, they should guess that Bai Xiaosheng... is with me."

Xu Zhi, meanwhile, lived his leisurely days, recounting a portion of history each day, though only for a short period. The remaining powerful individuals didn't leave, staying in the bar to drink and socialize. He needed to be tempered, meaning he needed opponents. Ermin and the others couldn't spare the time, so they would likely send some Emperor Monarchs to capture him. He had too few fights with those of the same realm, and his Dao Heart hadn't been tempered. He was waiting for the harsh lessons of society.

The Underworld.

Ermin and Phoenix Daojun were playing chess. Ermin's brow suddenly twitched as she heard a telepathic message. She smiled and said, "Something has come up; please excuse me for a moment." Phoenix Daojun nodded with a smile and continued watching the chessboard.

Emperor Ermin stepped out, arriving at the Elysian Garden, where she saw one of her subordinate Emperors. It was Albert from back then, the first professional to establish the potion system and a disciple of the Holy Book of Light and Saintess Linda.

"Are you saying that Emperor Messiah, who enlightened you back then, has reappeared?" Ermin listened slowly, her brows gradually furrowing. "He knows of ancient and modern times. Perhaps he carries a great secret?"

"Yes," Albert replied.

Bai Xiaosheng! That was Ermin's first thought. That Emperor Messiah might have found Bai Xiaosheng and obtained too much information from him. Since she knew who had him, she had to retrieve Bai Xiaosheng!

"But is it really that simple?" Ermin's heart sank. If anyone else had displayed such peculiar, all-encompassing knowledge of ancient and modern times, she would certainly have concluded they had obtained Bai Xiaosheng and immediately sent someone to capture them and reclaim him. "But Messiah, this Emperor Monarch, is indeed mysterious and unfathomable," Ermin gradually said with a serious expression. "How could he live for a thousand years and still possess such a fresh, young body? Why did he, of all people, find Bai Xiaosheng and not someone else?"

Albert spoke, "I have met Emperor Messiah before, and we have an old acquaintance. According to the transmitted images, it is indeed him. Should we send a few Emperors to capture him?"

Events seemed to be developing exactly as Xu Zhi had envisioned.

But...

"Absolutely not!" Ermin suddenly showed an unprecedented look of alarm and exclaimed sharply, "This Messiah is too mysterious! Unless we thoroughly investigate, we must not act rashly. We must not make a move against him!"

Xu Zhi was perplexed. Why aren't they attacking me? He was already lying down, ready, waiting for society's harsh lessons and tempering...

At this moment, Ermin dismissed Albert and couldn't resist writing a letter to Medusa.

[Do you remember a thousand years ago, when we tirelessly explored the sky, searching for the 'Eye of the Storm, Gygas,' that my master Granthem had explored, hoping to enter the Land of the Gods, 'Achilles'? Unfortunately, we found nothing. It was as if the God of Wisdom, Mercury, and the other gods had vanished into thin air with the Land of the Gods. We were horrified back then, and it became a thorn in our hearts.]

[Today, I connect the two: the omniscient and omnipotent Bai Xiaosheng, and the thrice-great God of Wisdom, Mercury. Perhaps I've already guessed the answer... This Messiah, he is Bai Xiaosheng; he is Hermes!]