Chapter 1197: “Divine” Guidance

Chapter 1196: “Divine” Guidance

That Iron Shugu… should he die?

Mo Hua thought it over and realized this man indeed had every reason to “seek death.”

He was the leader of the Shugu Tribe, a Golden Core cultivator of a hostile clan.

He had conducted rituals to worship evil gods.

He had “eaten” people.

He had spoken insolently before, his attitude toward Mo Hua far from respectful.

Even now, he likely did not truly harbor a heart of surrender.

These were all reasons to kill him.

And to kill him, Mo Hua didn’t even need to lift a finger—just a word, and the barbarian general Chi Feng would cut him down, avenging the clansmen of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe whom Iron Shugu had “eaten.”

Of course, Iron Shugu still had his uses, so for now, he could not be killed.

But the question was—why had Mo Hua never truly thought of killing him?

Mo Hua couldn’t help but glance at Iron Shugu.

Perhaps sensing something, Iron Shugu suddenly shivered, his chest burning as though set aflame. He lifted his head to meet Mo Hua’s gaze, only to lower it again in panic, not daring to meet his eyes.

His complexion was only slightly pale, nothing too unusual.

But the fluctuation of his divine sense was clearly disordered.

That made it all the more suspicious.

Mo Hua’s eyes grew deeper, and at the same time, his thoughts pierced through a haze, racing swiftly.

“Why… did I never think of killing him?”

“Was I careless? Did I overlook him?”

“I might ignore someone I only met once, but Iron Shugu has been by my side so long. With my Cause-and-Effect techniques, there is no way I’d be careless.”

“Then… did he influence my divine sense, altering some part of my cognition?”

Mo Hua’s heart chilled, his gaze sharpening further.

“This Iron Shugu… can he actually affect my divine sense and judgment?”

“No, impossible.”

“A Golden Core from a wandering Shugu tribe couldn’t possibly have that ability. If he did, then he should be the Great Wilderness’s shaman priest, not me.”

“Then where… lies the problem…?”

“What exactly is with this Iron Shugu…?”

Mo Hua’s black-and-white eyes flickered with golden light as he stared at Iron Shugu.

Iron Shugu felt as if some peerless beast was glaring at him. His very bones trembled uncontrollably, until finally he could bear it no longer. Bowing shakily, he croaked:

“L—Lord Shaman… do you have further commands? Subordinate will… carry them out immediately—”

Mo Hua was silent for a while, then slowly closed his eyes, withdrawing the divine aura in them. When he opened them again, his gaze was calm and gentle, his tone light:

“You’ve done well. Go.”

Iron Shugu exhaled heavily, replying: “Yes. Then I take my leave.”

He bowed and left.

Mo Hua watched his retreating back, thoughtful.

…

Deep at Night.

Iron Shugu returned to his own tent.

This was one of the Shugu Six Freaks’ tents, spacious, sealed, lined with luxurious furs. After the Six Freaks fled, the tents were repurposed. As a Golden Core, Iron Shugu was assigned one to reside in.

Only after ensuring he was alone did he release a long breath.

The boulder pressing on his chest finally eased.

As the saying went: “To serve a lord is like serving a tiger.”

That so-called “Mister Wu” might look like a pale scholar, but his eyes… more terrifying than a savage beast.

A merciful face, yet Yama’s methods—he was nothing like he appeared.

Iron Shugu had to keep bowing low, obeying utterly, never daring the slightest defiance, just to scrape by alive.

But today, for some reason, that “fierce god” seemed to harbor killing intent toward him. Had he noticed something?

Iron Shugu almost wanted to fall to his knees and pray, but he forced it down.

Here, he dared not.

He compelled himself to sit cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes to meditate, to disperse his fear and dread.

He said nothing.

He did nothing.

Or rather, he dared not say or do anything.

And so Iron Shugu remained seated, cultivating in silence.

But after a while, an obscure haze swept over him. His head grew heavy.

It was as if a gentle voice whispered:

“Sleep, sleep…”

“Once you sleep, you’ll fear nothing.”

“When you awaken, all problems will vanish.”

The voice was like spring rain nourishing the earth, filled with a power that compelled trust.

Iron Shugu believed. He unconsciously lowered his guard, and drifted into slumber.

And then… he dreamed.

In the dream, he saw his revered Barbarian God.

A figure shrouded in radiant gold, form and face obscured, but overflowing with blinding divine light.

That golden brilliance stretched skyward, condensing into a towering divine body.

Just looking upon it shook Iron Shugu’s soul.

Before the Barbarian God, he felt smaller than an ant, unworthy even to lift his head lest he profane the god’s majesty. He knelt.

Yet as his knees touched the ground, a chilling familiarity struck him. Hadn’t he done this before?

Twice before, in dreams, he had knelt—and each time, the Barbarian God’s head was severed, tumbling down.

One kneel, one head rolling.

Would it happen again this time?

Cold dread filled him.

But when he cautiously raised his eyes, the god’s golden brilliance still shone, the radiant form still intact.

The Barbarian God’s head had not fallen.

Relief surged in Iron Shugu’s chest.

“Of course—the true Barbarian God cannot be so easily beheaded.”

Yet just as he thought so—suddenly, a sword light gathered between heaven and earth.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

It was here again!

That sword light—it was back!

That “little fierce god”—he was coming to sever the Barbarian God’s head again!

Iron Shugu wanted to cry out: “Barbarian God, run! Your head—your head is about to fall!”

But even as the words rose, he realized… too late.

No warning could ever outrun the sword.

By the time his words left his lips, the god’s head would already be gone.

The Barbarian God was in mortal peril!

Iron Shugu’s heart burned with desperation.

But what he feared… never happened.

The surging sword light did not cut off the god’s head.

Instead, the Barbarian God merely lifted a finger.

Ten thousand rays of golden light erupted, dissolving the sword qi.

Iron Shugu froze, thunderstruck.

“This—this is the Barbarian God’s true power?”

“That little fierce god’s sword… it couldn’t harm him in the slightest?”

“But then…”

Footsteps echoed behind him. Iron Shugu turned—and nearly collapsed in terror.

It wasn’t the “little fierce god” at all.

It was a fearsome “Sword Demon,” wreathed in endless demonic qi, white skeletal body like a walking blade.

This Sword Demon wrenched out one of its own bones, turning it into a bone sword, advancing step by step toward the radiant Barbarian God.

Its intent was clear… to slay the god.

But no matter how boundless its demonic might, it could not outshine the divine radiance.

The divine light crushed the demonic qi.

The Sword Demon was forced to its knees beneath the Barbarian God’s brilliance, unable even to raise its head.

It was no match at all.

And that—was the last thing Iron Shugu saw.

The clash of god and demon tore the void itself. The dream began to shatter.

Iron Shugu felt his whole body crushed under divine and demonic pressure, as though about to be obliterated.

Not good!

I’m going to die!

He snapped awake, gasping, finding himself still seated on the fur-lined bed within his tent.

No gods.

No demons.

No divine light.

No sword qi.

Nothing.

It had all been… a dream.

He panted heavily, back drenched in cold sweat. Relief washed over him—survivor’s relief.

“All fake. Just a dream…”

But then doubt gnawed.

“Was it really just a dream? There are many kinds of dreams. Why did I dream that?”

“No… something’s wrong.”

The more he recalled, the more uneasy he became.

Especially that terrifying bone-sword demon.

“What was that?”

Dreaming of the Barbarian God made sense. His devotion was absolute. He prayed to serve, to become the god’s most faithful servant.

As one thinks by day, so one dreams by night.

So yes, dreaming of the Barbarian God—that was divine grace.

“But… that bone-sword demon?”

“I’ve never seen it before, so why did it suddenly appear in my dream, for no reason at all?”

“No one dreams of something completely unrelated. Since I dreamt of it, it means I must have encountered this Sword-Bone Fiend before, I must have known it…”

“It is…”

Iron Shugu shuddered violently, a realization striking him. “It’s that vicious god!”

In matters of self-constructed faith, Iron Shugu was quite the “talent.” His twisted reasoning quickly strung everything together.

That little vicious god used a sword.

This terrifying Sword-Demon also used a sword.

That little vicious god beheaded the “Barbarian God.” This Sword-Demon also sought to behead the “Barbarian God.”

This clearly proved that the golden-child-like vicious god and this fiend shrouded in demonic energy were, in truth, the same being.

The red-lipped, white-toothed “Golden Child” was just a disguise, a façade meant to deceive the world.

The grimacing white-bone “Sword-Demon” was its true form, its most primal appearance.

“But why would I dream of this fiend’s true form?”

Iron Shugu muttered, frowning, then suddenly gasped: “Because of the Barbarian God?!”

“It’s the Barbarian God, who sensed my loyalty. He gave me this dream, to reveal to me the true form of the White-Bone Sword-Demon, so I would know the truth: a sword-bone fiend of unknown origin lurks among the gods.”

“At the same time, the Barbarian God was telling me through the dream that the true Barbarian God could never be beheaded by such a fiend. On the contrary, with his golden radiance, he could crush that fiend with the turn of a hand.”

“Any Barbarian God who could be slain by this ‘Sword-Demon’… was fake.”

“In front of the true Barbarian God, this ‘Sword-Demon’ is nothing.”

“Yes, yes—that’s it! That must be it!”

Iron Shugu felt his heart lighten, his entire body relaxed.

He understood everything now, and a smile spread across his face.

Under the “Barbarian God’s” revelation, everything made sense. He saw all the causes and consequences clearly.

His doubts about Mo Hua were resolved as well.

Why was that so-called “Lord Shaman,” despite being so young and of low cultivation, able to wield such strange abilities?

Why, after spending time with him, did he—an established Golden Core—feel constant dread?

Because he wasn’t a “human” at all!

That shaman—he wasn’t human!

He was a terrifying Sword-Bone Demon Fiend, formed through some unknown means!

And more than that, he wasn’t just any fiend.

“He” for some reason had donned human skin—or rather, parasitized a body of flesh and blood—and walked the mortal world, even usurping the title of “Shaman.”

And “his” purpose was none other than to “slay the gods”!

To usurp “divine” authority!

“He” sought to transform from Demon-fiend into god!

Iron Shugu’s heart quaked with terror.

He had figured it all out. That was why “Mister Wu” had become even more terrifying in his eyes.

At that very moment, an ominous sense of danger welled up within him.

He suddenly felt his chest sear with a burning pain, as if set aflame.

This meant—someone wanted to kill him.

And that someone truly had the ability to kill him.

Even now, in this very moment—he was already being “killed.”

“Not good—!”

“Could it be that fiend wearing the ‘Shaman’s’ skin has realized I’ve uncovered its secret, and now wants me dead?”

Iron Shugu panicked. He rolled off his bed, knelt on the floor, clutched his chest, bowed toward the heavens, and muttered:

“Barbarian God, protect me…”

“Ancestors, protect me… protect your follower, protect your descendant, dispel disaster and avert calamity.”

“Let all disasters pass me by, let all karmic burdens fall upon others.”

“Let the straw-dog take my place; let the dead die in my stead.”

Quivering, Iron Shugu chanted in a low voice. A mysterious force enveloped his body. Soon, the murderous intent dissipated. The burning pain in his chest eased, until finally it vanished completely.

The death tribulation… averted?

No one wants to kill me anymore?

Iron Shugu collapsed to the ground, not relieved but instead filled with despair.

He didn’t know where this killing intent had come from, but it was surely connected to that Demon-Fiend disguised as a man.

And this was only the beginning. There were still many days ahead.

If he had remained ignorant of the fiend’s true nature, he might have muddled along, pretending not to know.

But now, he knew.

He knew that the so-called “Lord Shaman” of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe was no human at all, but a Sword-Bone Fiend.

A bold, reckless existence that even dared to challenge the gods.

Of course Iron Shugu was terrified.

And now—he couldn’t escape.

Not only could he not escape, but he would even have to serve beneath this “fiend,” obeying its commands.

The thought of offering himself as fodder to a “fiend” made his scalp crawl.

“No… no, this won’t do. I must do something.”

“But what can I do?”

“What can I do, without letting it notice that I already know its true identity?”

“What can I do to preserve my life under this terrifying fiend?”

Iron Shugu’s face was pale, his lips whispering these words.

Just then, a faint voice drifted into his ears, guiding his thoughts, making his mind clear in an instant.

Unwittingly influenced, Iron Shugu suddenly grasped the truth:

“That’s it! I was wrong to think only of myself.”

“I am a follower of the Barbarian God. I mustn’t only consider my own life.”

“Now that the Barbarian God faces such a ‘formidable enemy,’ I should be thinking about how to relieve the Barbarian God’s worries, how to slay this ‘enemy’ for him…”

“But… how can I kill it?”

“That fiend is far too terrifying. I am no match for it.”

“Its body may only be Foundation Establishment, but cloaked in the Shaman’s identity, and worshiped by those fools of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, I can’t touch it. If I strike and fail, I will die without burial, unable to ever serve the Barbarian God again.”

“What should I do…?”

Iron Shugu clawed at his head, the pain growing worse as he thought.

Suddenly, the scene from his dream resurfaced.

In that dream, the Barbarian God’s golden radiance filled the heavens, suppressing the Sword-Demon with but a hand. The image shook Iron Shugu’s very soul.

After a moment’s daze, he slapped himself hard, then exclaimed with sudden clarity:

“Of course!”

“The Barbarian God has already given me his revelation. He already told me clearly.”

“The dream was his way of telling me: the one who can suppress this fiend, this terrifying Sword-Bone Fiend, is none other than the Barbarian God himself. No matter how strong in swordsmanship, it cannot match the divine might of the Barbarian God.”

“As long as I find a way to lead this ‘Demon ’ before the Barbarian God, the Barbarian God will surely kill it, sparing me from calamity.”

“Yes… yes, the Barbarian God has already shown me the way.”

“No one dreams without reason. Every dream is a revelation. The Barbarian God’s dream was his guidance to me.”

“Yes, yes, that’s it.”

“But then…”

Iron Shugu frowned. “Where exactly is the Barbarian God? What form does the Barbarian God take?”

Iron Shugu was a devout yet ‘clever’ believer. This wasn’t hard for him to reason out.

Soon, he figured it out.

“The Barbarian God must dwell within a statue, feeding upon the faith of the tribesmen.”

“But the Shugu Tribe’s altars are many, its statues many, scattered across different tribes. I don’t know which altar, which statue, hides the true Barbarian God.”

“In that case—why not use myself as bait, and personally lure this ‘Demon’ there?”

“Wouldn’t that solve it?”

“Yes… lure this demon, who has taken the form of a Shaman, straight into the Barbarian God’s altar.”

“In this way, the great Lord Barbarian God will naturally kill this demon on behalf of me, His devout believer.”

“But… what if He can’t kill it?”

“What if even ‘Lord Barbarian God’ is beheaded in a single strike by this Sword-Bone Demon?”

Iron Shugu’s heart trembled, then he immediately shook his head:

“No, impossible, there’s no way He can’t kill it! Lord Barbarian God cannot fail to kill a mere demon—even if this demon is extremely, extremely strong.”

“The true Barbarian God can definitely kill it.”

“If He can’t… then it proves—He’s fake, He’s a ‘false god’.”

“And since He’s a ‘false god’, being slain by a demon is only natural.”

“As for me, what I must do is to keep leading it, and lure this ‘demon’ right before the true Lord Barbarian God.”

“When that time comes, Lord Barbarian God will surely reward my loyalty and bestow divine grace upon me.”

“Yes, it must be so.”

Iron Shugu’s eyes burned with fanaticism, and he nodded. “I am the most faithful believer of Lord Barbarian God!”

“All of this is guided by Lord Barbarian God.”

Iron Shugu sank into a frenzy of intoxication, drunk on his faith in the divine.

Not far away, within the thick darkness, Mo Hua—whose divine sense had already far surpassed Iron Shugu’s early Golden Core realm—silently stood with a white-bone broken sword in hand, his black eyes watching coldly.

(End of this Chapter)