Chapter 3: The Godslayer, Xu Ying

 Xu Ying stood dumbfounded on the street of Jiangjiatian Village, while villagers scattered in panic all around him.

Not far away, at the corner of the street, a snake demon with black and white stripes pointed at him with the tip of its tail, hissing and screeching while watching the villagers flee in terror, its tongue darting out long.

The villagers were utterly terrified. Some scrambled and rolled their way outside to report to the authorities, while others, with their wives and children, hid inside their homes, locking the doors and trembling with fear. The bravest ones peered out cautiously from behind windows or doors.

Xu Ying stood alone in the street, the body of the green-robed deity at his feet.

After a moment, the young man came to his senses and looked around.

These were once familiar villagers, who used to joke with him and affectionately call him "Little Ying" or "Ah Ying," and some even teasingly referred to him as "Soft Xu." But now, they feared him as if he were a god.

"I was standing up for you all, you shouldn’t be afraid of me..."

Xu Ying silently thought to himself.

We’ve been oppressed by the officials, but even worse, these wooden and clay statues of gods—they eat what we offer, drink what we give, enjoy our worship, yet still oppress us.

They treat us like livestock, but we are not livestock!

We are human!

We can fight back, we can seek revenge!

“But why are you afraid of me?” Xu Ying couldn't understand.

After a while, Xu Ying stepped over the body of the green-robed deity and walked behind the offering table in the ancestral hall. Without saying a word, he grabbed the roasted chicken and duck on the table and began to eat.

He ate carefully and deliberately, a habit from his days as a snake catcher.

To catch snakes, one must be patient and brave, but most importantly, never go hungry.

An empty stomach means a lack of strength, and without strength, mistakes are bound to happen—and those mistakes could be fatal when facing a venomous snake.

Xu Ying had caused a huge commotion and knew he couldn’t leave on an empty stomach. He needed to be well-fed and ready.

He finished a whole roasted chicken, ate half of the roast duck, stuffed the remaining half into his coat, then ate a few pieces of fruit and put some more into his pockets.

Standing up, Xu Ying dipped his finger into Jiang Yuanwai's blood and wrote a line on the wall.

"Godslayer, Xu Ying!"

After wiping the blood off his hand on Jiang Yuanwai’s corpse, he left the ancestral hall and returned to his home.

His home was bare and had little in the way of possessions. There wasn’t even much rice left in the jar, only some cooked rice flour to use as dry rations.

As a snake catcher who ventured deep into the mountains, there was no need for rice or flour—only dry rations were required.

Xu Ying packed enough dry rations for three days. He glanced at the scrolls of scripture he had collected, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to bring them. He left his home and started walking toward the outskirts of the village.

When he reached the village entrance, his eyes suddenly stung with tears. He turned back and knelt toward Jiangjiatian Village.

"Thank you all for taking care of me all these years. I, Little Ying, have caused you all... a great deal of trouble!" He bowed deeply.

Xu Ying stood up, turned, and left.

"Ah Ying—" A woman's voice called out from behind him.

Xu Ying turned to see a girl dressed in bridal attire, sitting at the entrance of the ancestral hall, holding the body of Jiang Lu in her arms.

"Ah Ying, thank you!"

She shouted loudly, “You must live well!”

“Take care!” Xu Ying waved his hand and left Jiangjiatian Village.

“I was born an orphan,” he thought to himself. “Godfather raised me like his own son, and the villagers have treated me well.”

I will slay the gods to repay their kindness.

And for their safety, I will leave.

With this departure…

I shall never return!

“Hey—”

Suddenly, a voice called out to him. Xu Ying followed the voice and saw a large black-and-white snake sticking its head out from the willows by the roadside—it was the same snake demon he had once captured.

Xu Ying glanced at it but kept walking without stopping.

“Xu Ying, wait for me!”

The snake demon hurried down from the tree, its tail slithering quickly as it followed behind him, laughing. “You've killed a deity, you're doomed! Let me tell you, all the deities in Lingling are under the command of the City God. Once the City God learns that you killed one of his own, he definitely won’t let you go! There’s nowhere in this world for you to hide!”

Xu Ying ignored it and continued walking.

The snake demon had once raced against Xu Ying, and Xu Ying had chased it through the mountains for three days and nights before finally exhausting the snake and capturing it. Now, trying to shake off the demon was no easy task.

The snake demon followed closely behind, laughing, “You killed Jiang Yuanwai, and the authorities won’t let you off either! You know what the government is like—they have the most powerful people in the world, called Nuo! These people who practice Nuo techniques, hehe, even gods fear them…”

When Xu Ying heard the word Nuo, he frowned.

According to The Rites of Zhou, those who open secret vaults, communicate with the heavens and earth, command ghosts and spirits, and drive away plagues and demons are called Nuo (written as 难 in the text). Later generations referred to them as Nuo Masters.

Throughout history, Nuo Masters were highly valued by the imperial court, and those who excelled were often selected to serve in the local governments of various provinces and counties.

For common folk, the Nuo masters among the officials were even more terrifying than gods and demons.

"It's better to provoke gods and demons than to cross a Nuo master."

"If you offend gods or demons, at most they'll kill you. But if you cross a Nuo master, you'll be forced to die again, even as a ghost!"

“The authorities will definitely send a Nuo master after you. You've offended the gods, and now you've angered a Nuo master. You're as good as dead!” The snake demon kept babbling on.

Xu Ying was furious. “If you don’t stop following me, do you believe I’ll turn you into a dried snake carcass?”

The snake demon laughed, “You can turn me into a dried snake all you want, but are you going to use me to pay your taxes? You've got a murder on your hands now. If you go to the yamen, you’re just walking into a trap.”

Xu Ying quickened his pace, trying unsuccessfully to shake the snake demon off. In the end, he had no choice but to ask impatiently, “What do you actually want from me?”

The snake demon grinned wide — well, as much as it could without any eyebrows — and said, “I want you to teach me the Elephant Power Bull Demon Fist.”

Xu Ying kept walking, surprised. “I’ve only just started learning the Elephant Power Bull Demon Fist, yet you have a well-established, inherited technique. Why would you want me to teach it to you?”

The snake demon fell silent for a moment, then said, “I've been practicing it for 120 years. I’ve reached the third level but can’t break through to the fourth. Neither my father nor my grandfather ever made it to the fourth level either.”

Xu Ying snorted, “You don’t have arms or legs. Of course, you can't master it. Now stop following me!”

The snake demon chuckled, “The world is vast, but is there any place where you, Xu Ying, can truly settle down? My cave in Qin Rock is still a good hiding place.”

Xu Ying's eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Brother Snake, dear Snake Bro, how do I get to Qin Rock?”

---

On the first day of the lunar month, the City God Temple in Lingling was bustling with activity, as many devout believers came to offer sacrifices to the City God.

The City God of Lingling, named Xue Lingfu, had long since awakened from his statue form, becoming flesh and blood again, and now enjoyed the incense and sacrificial offerings.

Suddenly, a plume of blue smoke rose from the ground and transformed into a two-foot-tall Earth God. He quickly scurried over to Xue Lingfu, whispering something into his ear.

Xue Lingfu’s face twisted in fury. “Killing an official of the underworld violates the laws of heaven! This behavior cannot be allowed to continue. Xu Ying deserves to die a thousand deaths! Send out my command—search every inch of Lingling's 800 mountains, 500 rivers, and all 1,200 villages and towns. All gods, big and small, are to find and kill Xu Ying on sight to serve as an example to others!”

“Hold on!”

A voice came from outside the temple. Xue Lingfu looked toward the sound and saw County Magistrate Zhou Yang entering the temple with a group of officials in tow.

One of the officials stepped forward and said, “Xu Ying is a living person. He committed a crime by killing Elder Jiang, so it is the laws of the living world that will judge him. This case falls under the jurisdiction of Lingling County's yamen. Xue City God, you can retract your command now.”

Xue Lingfu sneered. “Xu Ying killed a divine official from my underworld court, violating our laws. He will naturally be judged by the laws of the underworld! Magistrate Zhou, please take your leave.”

Zhou Yang burst into laughter, flicking his sleeves as he turned to leave. When he reached the temple gate, he paused and looked back, saying, “Ever since the rebellion of the Duke of Dongping, the underworld has been creeping into the affairs of the living, interfering more and more. But in this piece of Lingling, this land still belongs to the Zhou family. The underworld has no business here! Men!”

His subordinates all bowed in unison.

Zhou Yang's expression turned cold. “Capture Xu Ying and bring him to justice. If he resists or if anyone, human or god, tries to intervene—kill them without mercy!”

“Yes, sir!” The officials quickly dispersed.

Xue Lingfu snorted, waving his hand. The Earth God on his shoulder immediately leapt down, turning back into a wisp of smoke as he disappeared underground to follow Zhou Yang.

---

Before long, Zhou Yang arrived at Jiangjiatian Village with his officers. The villagers, more terrified of the officials than of gods, all knelt on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.

Zhou Yang and his officers walked through the kneeling crowd. He glanced at a statue of the Green-Robed Deity on the ground, comparing the size of the hole in its forehead with his hand.

“This is a kind of demon art. It can make the body grow much larger, a martial technique,” he murmured with amusement. “This Xu Ying is just a commoner, yet he practices demon arts. How interesting.”

Waving his hand, he sent the officers to handle the matter and then sat on the back of a villager, smiling warmly. “Yubo, how was the harvest this year?”

Jiang Yubo, the village chief of Jiangjiatian, replied cautiously, “It was a good harvest this year. We brought in three more dou of grain than last year.”

Zhou Yang nodded, his face full of kind smiles. “How are the crops growing?”

“The crops are growing well,” Jiang Yubo replied, forcing a smile.

Zhou Yang’s face darkened suddenly, and he barked, “If the harvest is good and the crops are growing well, why is it so difficult to collect your taxes? Are you trying to make my life harder?”

Jiang Yubo knelt lower, too afraid to speak.

Zhou Yang snorted. “I don’t collect taxes for myself, you know. It’s for the imperial court! Do I take even a grain of your food? No! My salary comes from the court! Everything I eat and drink is bought with my salary. I don’t take a single thing from you commoners!”

Jiang Yubo nodded repeatedly, kowtowing. “You are a righteous and just official!”

Just then, an officer approached, holding several scrolls in his arms. “My lord, Xu Ying has fled, and we couldn’t find him. But we found these.”

The scrolls were Xu Ying’s collection of Daoist techniques, which he had left behind in his haste.

Zhou Yang casually picked up a scroll and flipped through it. At first, he seemed indifferent, but as soon as he saw Xu Ying's notes, his expression changed.

He quickly snatched up the other scrolls, scanning through them with growing urgency.

Each scroll was filled with Xu Ying’s critiques of various demon techniques, his personal insights, and concise, profound comments. His understanding of these techniques was astonishingly deep.

The villagers held their breath, not daring to move.

“This Xu Ying,” Zhou Yang muttered, “I thought he was just a god-slayer. But I never expected him to be practicing demon arts and collecting all these demon techniques!”

Zhou Yang’s anger flared, and he let out a cold laugh. “This man harbors ambitions to bring chaos to the world. If he isn’t stopped, he will become a great threat! Send out my orders: If anyone encounters Xu Ying, do not take him alive—kill him on the spot!”

The officers accepted the command and quickly left Jiangjiatian, setting off to track down Xu Ying.

The villagers exchanged uneasy glances. Was the man Zhou Yang described truly the same Xu Xiaoruan they knew?

Zhou Yang then gathered the remaining scrolls and returned to the county office.

In the backyard of the county office, an elderly man sat in a pavilion, sipping tea. Zhou Yang placed the annotated scrolls next to him and stood respectfully by his side.

The old man picked up one of the scrolls, flipped through a page, and chuckled. “These are merely Qi-gathering techniques of the demon race, and there's no follow-up. Why bring them to me?”

Zhou Yang quickly responded, "Father, look at the annotations."

Zhou Yihang, the old man, raised an eyebrow in surprise. He opened the back of the scroll, his expression growing serious as he read Xu Ying’s annotations. He rapidly scanned through one scroll, then another, and soon finished them all.

After a brief moment, Zhou Yihang's face became grave. "The person who wrote these annotations has an extremely deep understanding of demon techniques. I'm afraid even our family's elders, who have long studied such arts, may not compare! Where did you get these scrolls? And who wrote these annotations?"

Zhou Yang replied, “It was a fourteen-year-old boy, a snake catcher.”

Zhou Yihang looked up in shock. "A fourteen-year-old boy?"

Zhou Yang quickly added, "He's a snake catcher from Jiangjiatian, named Xu Ying. Somehow, he learned demon techniques and killed the deity that Jiangjiatian was worshipping. He’s currently on the run. I found these annotated scrolls while searching for him."

Zhou Yihang stood up, disbelief etched on his face. “For our family elders to study demon techniques, they've had to venture into forbidden zones and ancient ruins, suffering heavy casualties! Yet this boy’s understanding surpasses theirs? Yang'er, you must find this person and bring him back alive!”

Zhou Yang hesitated and replied cautiously, "The City God is also hunting him. I'm worried he might fall into the City God's hands, so I’ve issued a kill order."

“The City God, Xue Lingfu?”

Zhou Yihang’s expression shifted slightly. He thought for a moment and said, “If he falls into the City God's hands, then it's better for him to die. It would be a shame to lose such talent... Since the City God is involved, I’ll handle this personally. If we can capture Xu Ying alive, that’s ideal. But if not, I’ll kill him myself. I must ensure he does not fall into the hands of the City God!”

Zhou Yang bowed deeply and replied, "Understood."

Zhou Yihang swiftly departed.

As Zhou Yang straightened up, a look of confusion crossed his face. He muttered to himself, “Are demon techniques really that important? Why are my ancestors and the elders of our family so obsessed with them?”

The history of the ancient times was too distant to trace, and few written records remained. Today, most humans practiced secret arts, believing that the human body contained six major hidden treasures. Unlocking just one of these treasures allowed someone to become a nuóshī (exorcist) with incredible powers.

The Zhou family was one such lineage of nuóshī, one of the most powerful families in the land. But Zhou Yang still couldn’t understand why his family was so fixated on demon techniques.

“Our elders' obsession with demon arts is one thing, but why is the City God so interested?” Zhou Yang pondered.

He had heard some rumors within the family—whispers that their ancestors had used demon techniques in some mysterious research. Some said it was connected to the secret of ascension.

However, Zhou Yang was on the periphery of the family and knew little about these matters.

Back in Jiangjiatian village, the villagers were cleaning up the aftermath, sweeping the streets. Inside Xu Ying’s home, a wisp of smoke suddenly drifted up from the ground.

Within the smoke, a small figure with a high hat and a deer-headed staff emerged from beneath the earth. It was the local earth deity, no more than two feet tall, holding a scroll in his hand.

When the officers had come to search earlier, the earth deity had grabbed one of the scrolls and quickly hidden underground to avoid detection. Now that they had left, he dared to show himself again.

The tiny earth deity unfolded the scroll and, stroking his beard, shook his head and muttered, “Nonsense! Xu Ying’s annotations are complete nonsense! I’ll take this to the City God.”

With the scroll in hand, the deity leapt back into the ground and vanished.

Not long after, in the City God Temple of Lingling, Xue Lingfu unrolled the scroll with Xu Ying’s annotations. His face changed as he carefully studied the contents, then suddenly closed the scroll.

“Xu Ying wrote these annotations? Such profound insights!”

Xue Lingfu immediately gave orders to the earth deity, “Send word to all the gods in the surrounding areas of Lingling. Capture Xu Ying alive—he must not be killed!”

The earth deity quickly replied, “Most of the local gods have already mobilized and are out searching for Xu Ying. It will be difficult to notify them, especially since Zhou Yang's nuóshī have also been dispatched to track him down!”

Xue Lingfu frowned, rising from his seat. As he walked outside, he said coldly, "Never mind, I will go personally. Xu Ying’s situation is of great importance. If the Zhou family wants him too, I must ensure that, even if he dies, his body never falls into their hands!"

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