Wandering Gods of Day and Night

An Alien Ghost, if their mind turns wicked, would treat Tangkou disciples like dogs.

But this Food Heaven has been treated like a dog by Mr. Feng instead.

An Alien Ghost reduced to this state—how utterly humiliating.

"I want to cooperate, I want to go to the Capital City, I want to skip the Judgement Ghost Bureau's assessment and gain recognition from Jing Country."

"If you're so eager to surrender, why didn't you accept it the moment you were born, instead of hiding in Mr. Dai's body?"

"If I can hide, of course I'll hide."

Food Heaven said, "The longer I hide, the more I mature, and the stronger I become. Even if Jing Country captures me, I can bypass the 'Judgement Ghost Bureau' directly, propagate doctrines, and establish a new Tangkou in Jing Country."

"Is that really the case?" Zhou Xuan asked the Painter.

The Painter nodded and said, "Any Alien Ghost who has evaded capture for over fifteen years doesn't even need Jing Country's approval. They can directly establish a Tangkou, and the God Traveling Department will just turn a blind eye."

"So, that's the loophole."

Only then did Zhou Xuan understand why Food Heaven was cooperating so readily.

Having evaded capture for thirty years, Food Heaven wouldn't face any consequences even if brought to the Capital City. Naturally, he'd rather cooperate with Zhou Xuan and avoid unnecessary suffering.

Food Heaven wasn't in an alliance with Mr. Feng or the Evil Gods. He had no reason to risk his neck for them.

After learning Food Heaven's reasons for cooperating, Zhou Xuan continued to ask, "Who was the other parent of the Cannibal offspring?"

"That was the lady behind Guangyin and them. She's also an Alien Ghost, very powerful. I don't know her true identity."

"How many Evil Gods are in Mingjiang Prefecture?" Zhou Xuan asked again.

"According to the conversations between Mr. Feng and Jing Deng, there are five in total."

"Five?"

Zhou Xuan did a quick mental count. Excluding Life God, Liu God, and Guangyin, that left two other Evil Gods.

"That lady used Jing Deng to lure Mr. Feng to Mopan Mountain outside of Mingjiang Prefecture. Then, inside Mopan Mountain, a dense fog arose. Within the fog, I felt a peculiar joy. That fog... was when that lady and I coupled.

I think the Cannibal offspring must've been conceived then."

As the discussion reached this point, Food Heaven suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter: "Hahaha! All the Evil Gods in Mingjiang Prefecture have conceived offspring with that lady. All their offspring have contributed to polluting the Ancestor Dragon.

But, unbelievably, those Evil Gods developed an infatuation for her! Hahaha! Isn't it hilarious?

They got reduced to breeding donkeys, yet thought she had actually fallen for them!"

"So that's the story behind it."

Zhou Xuan thought of Guangyin's worried demeanor regarding the Star Covering and finally understood the cause.

"Why would that lady conceive offspring with Evil Gods and Alien Ghosts like you? What's unique about their offspring that it can pollute the Ancestor Dragon?"

"The Divine's offspring are born from the coupling of Evil Gods, Gods, Alien Ghosts, or the Great Buddha,"

Food Heaven sneered. "Each Divine's offspring has one distinguishing trait... a Physical Body Dream."

Food Heaven smirked coldly and added, "This Physical Body Dream is completely different from the dreams of someone like you, a storyteller—it's intensely real."

Zhou Xuan agreed. Back in Qiye Temple, he had experienced the Buddha's Son "Six Desires" Dream. Had he not employed the storyteller's ninth-layer technique to seal his consciousness within his dream, he might never have escaped it.

"The Mingjiang Ancestor Dragon bestows Dragon Qi upon every person and every inch of land in Mingjiang Prefecture. Those six offspring, possessing Physical Body Dreams, can weave an enormous dreamscape encompassing all of Mingjiang Prefecture. None of you can perceive this dream."

Food Heaven's smile turned eerier as he abruptly posed a chilling question: "Can you determine if you're dreaming or in reality? Did Mingjiang Prefecture's Flood Calamity truly happen? And as for me—am I genuinely cooperating?"

The weight of the question sent cold sweat running down everyone's backs.

"What if everything is fake? What if I never learned the Kongming Realm? What if I didn't ascend to Eight Incenses?"

The Painter immediately began doubting himself.

The Music Master and Lady Hong Guan were no exception. After years stuck at Seven Incenses, had their breakthrough to Eight Incenses over just a few days also been a mere illusion?

Fortunately, Zhou Xuan struck the gavel to snap them back to reality, reminding them: "Truth or illusion, the biggest mistake is to doubt. Don't overthink."

"See, with just one sentence, you all spiral into such thoughts."

Food Heaven's grin grew colder as he said, "If dreams and reality are indistinguishable, then what difference does it make whether you're in a dream or reality?"

"If the dream is small, like this room we're in, where every detail is visible, then sure, dreams and reality blend seamlessly.

But this is a Mingjiang Dream. Your eyes can't observe every corner of Mingjiang Prefecture.

Perhaps the dream has already taken root in certain corners, and you have no perception of it. In the future, the people of Mingjiang Prefecture will either die in ignorant confusion or, like you bright minds, be consumed by endless doubt."

"Mingjiang Prefecture is doomed. Just send me to the Capital City—I don't want to die here."

"Then you'll share Mingjiang's fate."

Zhou Xuan said to the Painter, "If Qing Feng truly intends to replace the Peace Scale, he must strip the Incense. Why not do as Mr. Feng did and trap Food Heaven within your body, mastering Human World No Distance?"

Mr. Feng and Qing Feng—both carry 'Feng' in their names. How different can they be?

"Nonsense! That's against the rules! I've already surrendered, so I should be handed over to the God Traveling Department and taken to the Capital City."

"Rules? Mingjiang Prefecture is on the brink of annihilation—what use are rules now?"

Zhou Xuan chuckled, then left with Zhao Wuya.

The topic of why the Ancestor Dragon was polluted, and by whom, had come to an end. What remained was how to face Mingjiang Prefecture after the Ancestor Dragon's corruption.

Zhou Xuan and Zhao Wuya walked to the doors of the research institute.

"Young Master, please wait."

Qing Feng came running out and called after Zhou Xuan.

Turning back, Zhou Xuan asked, "Qing Feng, do you think imprisoning Food Heaven in Mingjiang Prefecture violates the God Traveling Department's rules?"

"Yes."

"So, you don't want to use your body to seal Food Heaven?"

"Not exactly," Qing Feng said. "I think, at this critical moment for Mingjiang Prefecture, rules matter less. I am upright, but I also understand what truly matters."

Qing Feng's attitude greatly satisfied Zhou Xuan. He asked, "Then why did you call me?"

"I hope when it's time to strip the Incense, Young Master can also attend the ceremony."

"You're removing Incense—why would I need to attend the ceremony?"

Zhou Xuan found this absurd. Removing Incense is one thing, but making a spectacle of it?

"I've been chosen by City God Qing Feng to become the Second Master of City God. After I strip the Incense, City God Qing Feng will leave my body. I know the City God Taoist Temple of the Temple Master and the City God Stele of Stele King are both within your Secret Realm. If you archive Qing Feng too, you'll have the complete collection of City God temples. This may be of some use to you."

Hearing this, Zhou Xuan became somewhat sentimental and replied, "When you remove the Incense, I will certainly attend."

"Thank you, Young Master, for granting this request."

"The one who should be thankful is me. You're handing me the final piece of Qing Feng I was missing."

Zhou Xuan waved lightheartedly and left with Zhao Wuya.

...

Within Zhou Xuan's Secret Realm, the eyes of the Temple Master observed Qing Feng's words and demeanor—and flew into a rage.

"Zhou Xuan, your luck is unbelievable. You're even collecting the last piece—City God Qing Feng."

"Oh, Temple Master, didn't you get beaten enough? Is it really my luck, or is it Qing Feng's integrity?

Tell me, you're the First Master of a City God, and he's the Second Master. Why is there such a massive difference in character between the two of you?"

"Go ahead, celebrate all you want. But remember, in the Mingjiang Dream, no one will survive... not even you..."

The eyes of the Temple Master, ignoring the punches from the others, muttered curses of resentment at Zhou Xuan...