Chapter 399 - 9.18 Second Blue Star - Fox God, Hu Yue.
In an unknown countryside village. Morning. Xue Yan is doing the task with Ou Ya which his clan gave to him. The task is simple. They just need to help the villagers to talk to their God. When he arrived in the village he saw them busying around about something. There are paper lanterns all over the village that were placed. A white and red garland hanging by the tree lining a certain way towards the largest tree within the village.
Seeing the scenery before them Ou Ya beside Xue Yan murmured, "What is this? A festival?" without him noticing someone approaching him from behind. This person wears a fox mask on his face, hiding half of his face. Only he is wearing a stripe patterned, russet Japanese kimono, Xue Yan could only see his curly short black hair.
The fox masked man said, "This is rare. There are outsiders. By the way, this is not a festival but a ceremony for the Tree God which the village serves."
"Wow~ Your mask looks nice. Can you let me see it for a bit~" said Ou Ya.
Xue Yan looked back at the man with vigilance in his eyes while intently observing him. He also didn't forget to pull away from the oblivious Ou Ya who wanted to ask for the man's interesting mask. He looks expressionless but based on his body gestures his guard increases tremendously at this masked man's presence. After all, Xue Yan has always been spiritual since birth. His Spiritual Qi is not bad, and his sight is open. Though this fact is hidden from his father due to his mother's warning,
Xue Yan the moment he noticed this masked man's presence knew that he was not human. Though according to what he is feeling and seeing, this masked man is neither a ghost nor a human as well. The aura around him is creepy but at the same time not completely evil. Once he noticed the divinity in his aura, Xue Yan recognized the identity of the fox masked man.
Xue Yan with a frown on his face said, "Are you the Fox God?"
Once Xue Yan asked him that question the fox masked man's mouth turned 'O' in disbelief. It is obvious that he was stunned by his question, only for the man to suddenly laugh after his silence left him. Ou Ya who was caught off guard unexpectedly by meeting an unknown God was stunned to where he is standing. He can see that masked man disappearing on his own.
Hahaha~ The Fox masked man didn't answer his question, instead, he gave him a warning, "I advise you to leave. That thing you've wanted to meet has been corrupted already."
Xue Yan watched as the man's figure slowly turned to white mist and disappeared before him. He tried to reach out unconsciously towards the man but retracted it back while looking confusedly at his reached-out hand. He couldn't understand why he reached out his hands towards the man as if he feared the figure of the man disappearing. Only when he heard someone calling from behind did the end of his thoughts.
Ou Ya spoke, "Yanyan, you know that God? Is he really the Fox God? He doesn't feel like one though~"
"He is indeed the Fox God but..." Xue Yan's thoughts: 'There is something familiar coming from that person. Is he Wuye? If it is indeed him does that mean they found Lord Hei?'
Thinking about System Yue who had the authority to check through over the worlds they've entered, Xue Yan thinks that they must have checked on them while he is not in the city. According to the plot, Lou Lan would definitely get Lord Hei's vessel to substitute him for the Ghost Marriage.
"Is the vessel of the Lord God is that Ghost King?" mumbled Xue Yan
Ou Ya who heard words from his friends that seemed like nonsense to his ears said, "Yanyan! There is someone from the village coming over. Have you finished talking to yourself?"
Xue Yan glanced coldly at Ou Ya and said, "Hmp! Where?"
"Come on, don't get angry~ I'm just playing with you. But the villager indeed arrived," said Ou Ya.
The Village Chief approached them wearing ragged black robes only worn for burial ceremonies. The other two villagers following behind him wore the same clothes. They were staring at Xue Yan and Ou Ya with friendly expressions on their faces but unfortunately, the two villagers behind the talkative Village Chief are unable to hide the mirth within their eyes and look at them as prey.
"Sirs you must be the one dispatched by Lou Clan? Please help us speak with our God!" The Village Chief said as he was pulled inside the village. Xue Yan's face remained expressionless though his eyes were observing everything around him silently.
Not far from them, the fox masked man was seated on a tree branch watching Xue Yan's figure get dragged inside that ominous village. Hu Yue, the Fox God that serves the Ghost King, Xie Mo remembered his lord's orders. He came all over her to check whether Xue Yan or Ou Ya is an outsider like them? But the interaction just now showed no indication of someone going out of character.
Neither Ou Ya nor Xue Yan showed any signs of recognizing him as Warden Lou. But things about his prisoner who is already a well-experienced actor, he might have been doing his job as a character in this world without showing any tails of his real personality.
After all, without any permission from Lord Hei or the Lord God Ye Xiajie going out of character is forbidden by the heavenly laws of this world. They would be taken as destroyers and their names would be recorded to the God Systems as illegal world hoppers to be eliminated. They were only able to avoid those events because Lord Hei had always been there to change their authority and remove their restrictions. Unfortunately, the only person who can help them does not have memories in this world. The restrictions were still left on their vessels and they could only act out their roles in this world.
Few foxes approached Hu Yue, the Fox God, and morphed into their human form. These were his servants. Unlike him, they all wear a white veil covering their whole face. They bow their heads in his presence.
"Master, why did you warn those humans?" asked a fox servant.
"Hmm~ do you not see it? One of those humans' souls has a white gold shade. It's the purest soul I've seen in my life." replied Hu Yue.
Fox servant, "But master it's still a human."
"Haven't you heard the legend? They say souls which glow pure gold are the strongest and are said to be God's soul. Even I as a Demigod only have a light shade of gold. Right, White Gold is like what that human has…" said Hu Yue.
Fox servants said, "Does the master wish for us to save those humans?"
They saw their master looking at the huge tree placed at the center of the village. But unlike before the trunk of the tree has turned black. It's obvious that it's been long tainted by filth and beyond saving. He knew what kind of ceremony the villagers were planning. He was just planning to watch and didn't wish to get himself involved but… since his chosen bride was taken as the next sacrifice for the Demonic Tree, this Fox God decided to punish them for it.
Fox God, "I want to observe him for a bit longer. If he's able to escape with his life against the Demonic Tree then… I will choose him as my bride. By the way, why are you guys here?"
"Master, you have missed the Ghost King's wedding. The Ghost King is in rage!" replied the fox servants as they started to tremble in fear. They can see that even their master's expression turned ugly. The Ghost King's strength is well known. He is even stronger than the Fox God who is at Demigod's stage.
Frowning Fox God, "H-He's married? He married someone!? That fickle King really married someone?! Who was it? The Ghost King's Bride, who was it?" he asked. In his mind, Hu Yue is more than calm as ever, if there is indeed someone his Lord God would marry in this world that person can only be the vessel of Venerable Lord Hei. This only means that he had found him.
"M-Master… we don't know. They only say that the Ghost King's Consort is an extremely beautiful human. Not only that, they say that the Ghost King pampers and spoils his consort so much that he can even pluck stars for him." replied a fox servant.
Stunned the Fox God looked at his servants in incredulity. "Pamper? Spoil? That's the Demon King of Hell. Ghost King Xie Mo is pampering a human being!? By the way, what is the name of the Ghost King's Consort?"
"M-Master… That's not the problem. Because the master didn't attend his wedding, the Ghost King is mad at you. A message was received this morning with the Ghost king's crest. The message said that the Master would be killed if he appeared before the Ghost King without giving him something he wanted."
Fox God Hu Yue asked, "What does he want?"
A fox servant passed a scroll painting to their Fox God, "The message said to look for this human and bring him back to the Ghost King's Palace."
The Fox God muttered as he received the scroll painting, "He's already married. Why would he need me to look for another human if he is cheating on his wife?" but once the Fox God saw the painting on the scroll, a shaken expression appeared on his face. "D-D-Did he says who… is the one on the painting?"
Fox Servant answered, "The Ghost King said that the one on the painting is his Consort's Elder brother. The Consort wished to see his brother and tasked the Master to look for him. Is there a problem, Mas---?"
"Fuck!" The Fox God cursed out.
Once he saw the picture of that person on the scroll, Hu Yue finally realized that the person had been looking for was the same person who had recognized him as Fox God. He should have noticed it when that person mentioned his identity, there are no mortals in this world who can see auras clearly as Gods do. That human named Xue Yan is Prisoner Yun Ming who was supposed to be under his supervision as a warden but he didn't recognize him which left him bewildered. Their souls are supposed to be connected but when he met the person he didn't recognize him at all. He could only follow after the two and prevent their deaths, especially the life of Xue Yan.
Before the servants could explain further they heard their master curse loudly and saw him run towards the village in a hurry even leaving the opened scroll painting behind. Once they saw the painting of the Consort's Brother, these fox servants urgently followed their master. The figure of the human painted on the scroll is the face of that human dragged inside the village to be sacrificed. The one that is supposed to be sacrificed by the Villagers to their corrupted God is none other than the person they were tasked to look for.
Within the Village. Xue Yan and Ou Yan were now wearing a pure white robe which the Villagers said that their God's Messenger wore. As someone who was supposed to speak with their God, Xue Yan and Ou Ya were asked to wear these funeral robes. Xue Yan only felt something was wrong with the village when he got out of his room wearing the white robes and saw the other villagers looking at him with dead eyes. They don't seem to see them as human at all. Only the Village Chief welcomed him with a smile. Suddenly with a single hand gesture from the chief, a few men holding a knife surrounded him from all sides.
Ou Ya whispered from beside him, these guys also noticed the weirdness of the people in this village especially when he and Xue Yan came out wearing funeral clothes.
"Yanyan, this village is strange. Let's retreat for now," said Ou Ya.
Xue Yan who looked around their surroundings noticed that all their escape routes were being blocked by the villagers as if they were afraid that the two of them would run away.
"Too late, Ou Ya," said Xue Yan.
Village Chief, "Esteemed Sirs from Lou Clan. As someone sent here by your clan as sacrifices for our God, please do your last task."
Xue Yan looked at the Village Chief with an expressionless face. "My Clan sent me as a sacrifice, is that it? Who said it?"
"As thanks for your sacrifice, I shall give answers to your questions. It was Lou Clan's Scion, Young Master Lou Lan, who sent you here. He said since your little brother would be given to the Ghost King as his substitute sacrificial bride and that like his elder brother, you will be given to our Tree God as a sacrificial pawn." Answered the Village Chief with a lunatic grin on his old face.
Ou Ya exclaimed, "Lou Lan!? That evil brat again!!!?"
Once Ou Ya and Xue Yan saw the fanatic expressions of the villagers surrounding them, they felt what it is like to be encircled by cult lunatics. Those excited and extremely happy expressions on their faces paired with their dull eyes made it even creepier.
Ou Ya shrieks and says, "Oh my god~ They are a cult. A cult that serves a demonic being! Yanyan, what should we do!?"
"Calm the fuck down and don't separate from me if you don't want to die," said Xue Yan.