Chapter 39

“Welcome. I hope you enjoy your time on Earth,” Bo Jingyun said warmly.

Yueyin narrowed her eyes at him, as if seeing something familiar. “Nodens?”

Bo Jingyun nodded with a composed smile. “The merciful and majestic light of the ‘Great Abyssal Lord’ illuminates the world. I follow in the Lord’s footsteps, heeding his will to save humanity.”

Yueyin raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. Nodens was the revered leader of the ancient gods, worshipped in illusions and an old adversary of the Outer Gods.

Most of Yueyin’s colleagues hated Nodens, they’d either toy with or outright attack his followers on sight.

Yue Yin was no exception.

In a flash, she was beside Bo Jingyun, leaning close to his ear and whispering, “How about joining the Moon Cult?”

Her movement was so swift that none could follow; she now hovered in mid-air, a ghostly gray mist spreading behind her like an apparition. “Become my follower. Come into the embrace of the Thousand-Faced Moon, and I’ll give you everything you desire—power, mystery, dominion over thousands, and the forbidden secrets you’ve dreamed of. What you gain will far surpass what you have now.”

Her voice was hypnotic, her eyes bright as stars, with the mist behind her swirling in tandem.

Bo Jingyun drew his hand back, placing both hands behind him in polite refusal. “I’m honored, but I believe you can find a more suitable follower than me.”

Yue Yin’s eyes narrowed further. “Why? Don’t you believe I’m stronger than Nodens?”

Her aura turned darkly menacing, and the mist behind her thickened, revealing vague, writhing tentacles within. She floated ominously, covered in blood, her delicate yet eerie face fixed in a cold stare at the Vice Minister.

It was a terrifying sight. Xiaojun and the others were tense, barely breathing, beads of sweat gathering at their noses.

“It’s not that,” Bo Jingyun replied calmly, his demeanor steady. “You are indeed powerful, but I have already dedicated everything to the Great Abyssal Lord, and my will cannot be swayed.”

Yue Yin moved closer, locking eyes with him. “Even if I were to kill you?”

Her pupils had expanded to fill her eyes, unnerving in their dark depth. In their reflection, Bo Jingyun saw a vast, boundless cosmic abyss, writhing limbs, and anguished faces silently screaming.

An immense consciousness from the depths of Earth responded to Yue Yin’s presence, casting an indifferent gaze upon the scene through dimensions of emptiness. Any ordinary person would have lost their mind under such a direct, unspeakable gaze, yet Bo Jingyun remained unfazed, his eyelashes fluttering slightly but his composure unbroken.

Under Yue Yin’s oppressive aura, the others were trembling with unease. Yet, Bo Jingyun, standing in the very eye of this storm, maintained his poise, showing no trace of fear or panic.

Even in the face of this dreadful, otherworldly power, he remained upright, his back straightened, embodying the dignity of humanity. He could even meet Yue Yin’s gaze head-on, glimpsing a fraction of the unfathomable presence within her, his expression as clear and unruffled as ever.

With a calm smile, he replied firmly, “Even if you kill me.”

At that moment, he stood tall, embodying humanity’s highest spirit and his unwavering loyalty to Nodens.

“Faith is truth,” he intoned.

“The Great Abyssal Lord chose me in my youth through a vision. Since then, I have devoted my life to him, willing to give him my all.”

As he mentioned the Great Abyssal Lord, Bo Jingyun’s hair seemed to sway slightly. His ever-serene eyes turned fervent, his voice steady and sincere, looking off into the distance as if to connect with his god.

No one had ever seen this side of Bo Jingyun, but even Captain Li and the others could feel the change in his presence.

In the stifling silence of the underground plaza, a faint breeze stirred from the passageway.

The breeze drifted through the pitch-dark corridor and entered the blood-soaked center of the plaza, carrying with it a unique scent of seawater. It wasn’t the usual salty tang of the coast, but the fragrance of sunlight in the deep ocean.

“Where did the breeze come from?” someone murmured, bewildered.

Bo Jingyun looked up, his gaze filled with uncontainable fervor. “Great Abyssal Lord,” he murmured, “faith is truth.”

As everyone pondered the strange breeze, the terrifying aura around Yueyin faded without a sound.

She floated back to the stone platform and sat back down with an air of indifference.

Cross-legged on the stone platform, one hand supporting her chin, the other idly twirling her crescent blade in the air, she muttered, “Boring.”

“Fanatics. Another fanatic.”

From the moment she’d seen Bo Jingyun, Yue Yin knew he was a follower of Nodens. Nodens, as the god of hunting and the sea, marked his followers with an irksome scent of seawater and sunlight.

Nodens was known as an Outer God’s archenemy. Though Yueyin wasn’t as actively hostile toward his followers as her colleagues, she couldn’t ignore how Bo Jingyun’s strength made him no ordinary believer—he was deeply favored by Nodens.

Indeed, the love of a god was direct: those they liked were gifted with luck, and those they favored gained more power.

In essence, the strength of supernatural beings depended on how much favor their gods granted them.

That was why many worshippers of false gods devoted themselves fully to their deity, striving to earn more power by doing its bidding.

Such methods, however, held little sway over true gods, who had countless worshippers and fanatics to spread their word and serve. True gods were capricious, choosing followers based purely on whim.

There was no doubt that Bo Jingyun, an S-rank ability user, was greatly cherished by Nodens.

Yue Yin glared at Bo Jingyun, annoyed, pounding her fist on the table. She marveled at how Nodens had such good taste.

Bo Jingyun, clearly intelligent and far from the mediocrity of other ability users, was an ideal messenger for his deity.

Encountering such a devout follower of her adversary, Yue Yin couldn’t resist causing trouble.

She’d tried luring Bo Jingyun over, planning to kill him if he refused her offer—or even if he accepted, as a means to vex Nodens.

But Bo Jingyun was a fanatic.

Even if he lost his memory, his body, or even his life, even if he were reduced to a blank slate and ground down by the river of time, his soul would yearn for his god.

He would bow down, time after time, again and again, returning to the warm embrace of his deity.

In other words, Bo Jingyun’s faith was unbreakable. He was useless to her.

Yue Yin had considered killing him on the spot, but as she heard him say, “Faith is truth,” she suddenly thought of her own follower, Jiang Suliu.

He too had often spoken those words, with the same fervent gaze, worshipping her with an intensity that took her breath away.

And so, Yueyin changed her mind.

Casually, she considered that killing this human Vice Minister now might cause her some hassle later on.

It seemed she could no longer get away with what she’d done yesterday—showing up for her 8 a.m. class just to sleep through it, and pushing her new follower, Jiang Suliu, to do her homework for her.

But she wasn’t done having fun just yet.

As Yue Yin slowly retracted her gaze, the overwhelming, suffocating aura of terror finally dissipated, allowing the trembling humans around her to gasp quietly, catching their breath.

Seated high on the stone platform, the crescent blade in Yue Yin’s hand vanished, and her expression softened.

Her lips curled up in a familiar smile, making her look once again like the Yueyin that Xiaojun and the others knew. But no one dared to see her as the gentle high school girl they thought she was before.

Wiping the blood off her face, she smiled cheerfully at the group, tilting her head. “Can I go home now?”

Everyone: …Do you really need to ask us?

As if any of us would dare stop you?

At last, Bo Jingyun raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. “Of course, you’re free to leave anytime. We just have a few questions, and we’d appreciate your cooperation.”

“Oh,” Yue Yin’s smile fell a bit, making everyone tense up, fearing she might lose patience and start another bloodbath.

But she didn’t. She just lowered her eyes in thought for a couple of seconds before agreeing casually, “Sure. I’m a good citizen, after all.”

Suddenly, a thought struck her. “If I cooperate with the investigation, would it count as accepting a forum task? Could I get that certificate Captain Li mentioned?”

Seeing their confusion, she clarified by gesturing, describing it in detail. “You know, the official certificate you need to proselytize. Without it, if you preach online or hold prize giveaways, you get your account banned and get called in for a chat.”

As she spoke, a hint of sadness crossed her face.

Her cursed account was still suspended. Jiang Suliu was taking forever to buy out that company and get it restored.

Captain Li’s expression grew complicated; he never expected that even a supernatural being like Yueyin would be so… by-the-book, thinking about their Department’s certification requirements at a time like this!

Other team members looked admiringly at Captain Li, their gazes plainly saying, “Your department’s incredible!”

Even the vice minister hadn’t stood his ground, yet here was Captain Li’s team, brave enough to bring her in for a “chat!”

Standing beside him was an administrator from the Department, who, careful to stay in Captain Li’s line of sight, silently gave him a thumbs-up.

Nice!

Captain Li looked conflicted. …I had no idea at the time!

Never mind. No one would believe him now anyway. Besides, looking back, even he couldn’t help but feel a bit lucky to be alive.

Bo Jingyun pretended not to notice his subordinates’ silent interactions. In response to Yue Yin’s question, he maintained his composure and replied, “Of course. Miss Yue Yin’s destruction of the City A cult’s major sacrificial site certainly qualifies her for an official certificate and commendation.”

“By taking down the Life Association’s stronghold in City A, you’ve completed a mission of great significance, and we’ll be applying for a commendation and a bonus in recognition of your contribution.”

Yue Yin immediately stood up, speaking with sincere fervor. “It’s not about the money. I’m simply a good citizen, and I like cooperating with leadership.”

She was, in fact, wondering how she’d get back the 199 yuan deposit from the bike-sharing company…

She hadn’t expected this kind of good fortune.

Yue Yin’s expression was resolute, like she was ready to join a cause. She clenched a fist. “Leader, ask me anything. I’ll give you my full cooperation!”

Bo Jingyun’s eyelid twitched ever so slightly.