All resources on this site are made and uploaded by members of this site, purely for personal interest and for the exchange and learning of the vast number of netizens. The copyright of all works belongs to the original copyright owner.

  This site respects others' intellectual property rights. If the copyright owner believes that placing your work on this site will harm your interests, please indicate and we will delete it immediately after confirmation.

  This site only provides storage space and is a network service provider that only provides information storage space as stipulated by relevant laws and regulations, and does not directly obtain benefits through charging methods.

  Provisions applicable to deletion after notification from the right holder to exempt liability.

  All works collected on this site, community topics, book reviews and advertisements made by this site are personal behaviors and have nothing to do with the site's stance.

  What? 2013263 Chinese All rights Reserved Copyright execution time: 0.394447 seconds

  ICP Filing No.: Xiang B2-20100081-3

  Internet Publishing License: Xin Chu Wang Zheng (Xiang) Zi 11 Hao

  Network Culture Operation Permit: Wen Wang Wen [2010] 129 Hao

  The four city guards of Balin stood in the four directions of east, south, west and north, not retreating a single step from start to finish. Standing at the forefront, the flames illuminated their faces with a deep red glow, as if their blood was boiling. The people in front saw the evil spirits gushing out from under the ground, but the South City Guard looked at the burning sea of fire and keenly discovered that the fire was weakening, with a speed equivalent to that of the evil spirits emerging.

  He was worried in his heart, worrying that the river god's magical powers would not last long. Although he didn't understand cultivation, he knew much more than ordinary people. It's just that now it can't help at all, and even if anxious, there is none. Turning back to look, it was discovered that the rear of the city was quiet and black, as if the whole city only had this circle of flames around, and the distant ones had been swallowed by darkness. The darkness also had a few sparks, but with a strange color, like ghost fire. He suddenly felt a shock in his heart and ordered someone to go to the back to see what happened.

  Gu Mingwei walked home, but the familiar road beneath her feet suddenly became strange. Just two or three meters ahead, everything was unclear, and in the thick black fog, there seemed to be many "people" darting about, only those people appeared particularly eerie, their bodies seemingly weightless, their feet not touching the ground, moving eerily silently. This made Gu Mingwei involuntarily think of ghosts, and evil ones at that. Beside her was Gu Mingyu, also returning to the Gu Manor together with her.

  Two people walked quickly, the only bustle in the city center had gone far away, as if it had never existed. As Gu Mingwei walked on the road, she felt a gloomy feeling, and the houses on both sides looked terrifying to her.

  "Ah!" A strange cry suddenly rang out, and Gu Ming's fine hairs stood on end, his whole body chilled, and he shivered.

  She glanced at Gu Mingyu, who was also pale-faced.

  "What thing." Gu Mingyu hastily pasted talismans all over his body, but this couldn't calm him down.

  Gu Mingyu and Gu Mingwei looked around cautiously in the original place, and there was no sound around them again. They walked forward again and walked for a while longer.

  "Bang!" Suddenly a door opened, and a man came out. He held a dim oil lamp in his hand, walking slowly towards them. Under the faint yellow light, his face was incredibly old, like dry tree bark.

  Gu Mingwei and Gu Mingyu exchanged a glance, then slowly walked forward. Although they grew up in this city, there were many people they didn't know, and this person was one of them. So they didn't greet him, but instead parted to let him pass.

  As he walked closer, Gu Mingwei suddenly felt a chill for no reason, as if something was staring at him. Looking at the old man holding the lantern, he found that his eyes were gloomy and icy cold.

  She felt a chill in her heart and stopped in her tracks. Just as she did, the old man's lantern suddenly went out.

  "Hah... " The lights went out at the same time as this cold laugh sounded.

  Gu Ming's eyes closed involuntarily as he let out a loud cry, clutching the small pouch in his arms and holding it up in front of him, inside which was the sword token Chen Jing had given him.

  She felt as if someone was sizing her up in front of her, and her whole body turned cold, as if a chill wind had blown. A moment later, however, she found that nothing was wrong, but the old man on the side had already fallen to the ground and died, his body broken into several pieces like rotten wood.

  Gu Mingyu leaned against the wall on one side, his mouth agape, his eyes filled with horror.

  The two of them exchanged a glance, but neither spoke, as if afraid that speaking would summon an evil spirit. They steeled themselves and continued walking forward, with Gu Ming holding the bundle in his hand, which contained the sword symbol.

  Two people walked to a corner of the wall, turned around, and Gu Mingwei's eyes saw someone crouching there eating with a human heart in their hands. She instantly thought of hellish evil spirits, panicked and retreated, while the evil spirit also discovered her at the same time. Gu Mingwei saw greed and cruelty in its eyes, she retreated in horror, screaming loudly, as if wanting to scream out the fear in her heart, but also like trying to scare off the evil spirit with a sharp cry. However, after retreating only a few steps, she had already bumped into the wall, unable to retreat any further. At that moment, the evil spirit had already thrown away the human heart in its hand and pounced on her.

  Gu Mingwei didn't dare look and closed his eyes, shouting loudly: "River God save me!"

  Just as she shouted this, a faint flame flashed on her body, which was the flame of will. The evil spirit was burned by the flame of will and let out a miserable cry, retreating in surprise, turning around and pouncing on Gu Mingyu, Gu Mingyu's heart was filled with horror, but the talisman in his hand couldn't be used to drive it away calmly, he turned around and ran, that evil spirit instantly plunged into his body and disappeared.

  When Gu Ming opened his eyes, he saw Gu Mingyu struggling to get up. Although they had been at odds all along, he couldn't help but ask: "Are you okay?"

  "It's...it's nothing." Gu Mingyu said.

  "What about that evil spirit?"

  "No, I don't know."

  Gu Mingwei thought Gu Mingyu was a bit off, but didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that he had been frightened by the evil spirit's voice. They continued on their way to the Gu Mansion and arrived after a while.

  At this time, the Gu mansion was pitch black and cold, with no one in sight from outside to inside.

  Gu Mingwei walked directly to the front, where was the only place with light in the entire Gu Mansion. Now everyone in the mansion had gone to the altar in the city center, leaving only Old Lady Gu behind. Gu Mingwei came to call for Old Lady Gu, while Gu Mingyu ostensibly came to persuade her to go to the altar in the city center, but secretly had other plans, which Gu Mingwei could somewhat guess, as rumors said that Old Lady Gu possessed a precious treasure.

  "Ming Wei, is that you back?" Grandma Guo's voice had already come from inside the house before Ming Wei even entered.

  "It's me, Grandma." Gu Mingwei replied as he quickly stepped forward and pushed open the door. Inside, his grandmother sat in a chair with a lamp lit beside her. This made Gu Mingwei think of the person who had been carrying a lantern while walking on the road and suddenly died.

  "Grandma..."

  "Clear and subtle."

  Gu Mingwei called out "Niang" again, her voice had just escaped, but it was already choked with sobs. She quickly came to Grandma Gu's side and leaned against her leg.

  "Ah, Mingwei, it's good that you're back." Grandma Gu patted Mingwei's back and smiled: "Don't cry, don't be afraid, I'm here." As she spoke, she looked up at Mingyu who had followed Mingwei in, sizing her up from head to toe, and suddenly asked: "Mingyu, you're back too?"

  "Ah!" Gu Mingyu responded with a low voice, standing in the dark shadow where the light couldn't reach, his head lowered, his answer vague and his words slightly unclear.

  Grandma Gu closed her eyes and sighed, saying nothing more.

  Gu Mingwei calmed down and looked up: "Grandma, let's go to the altar below, the River God is there."

  "Hehe, grandma is old, why bother going there?"

  "Here, in the city... " Gu Mingwei thought of saying that there were evil spirits lurking about, but ultimately didn't say it out loud, fearing she would scare her grandmother.

  "Grandma Gu patted her hand and said, 'We believe in the gods, sincerity is enough, all external behaviors are superfluous. We believe in the gods, but we don't need to kneel down before them.'"

  "But why do we need to build an altar, and why do we have to burn incense, bathe, and kneel in the ancestral worship rituals that have been passed down?" Gu Ming argued back, she was the only one in the entire Gu family who dared to argue with Grandma Gu face-to-face.

  "All these actions are just to make people more reverent and pious towards the gods, with the purpose of making people truly believe in the gods. But I already do, with a sincere heart, it's already at the end, so why still go through that process." said Grandma Gu.

  Gu Mingwei didn't know what to say, but shook Grandma Gu's hand and said in a soft voice: "Grandma, grandma, everyone has gone, you should go too. Besides, you still know the River God, don't you want to see how he is now?"

  Grandma Gu couldn't help but laugh and patted Gu Mingwei's hand, saying: "What kind of look is that?"

  Gu Mingwei tilted his head to one side, as if Chen Jing was standing right there, and said quickly: "The appearance hasn't changed, but the feeling is completely different."

  "What did you feel before and what do you feel now?" asked Grandma Gu with a smile.

  "There used to be some mystery, some ethereal quality, as if it came from the wind, and might disappear with the wind at any moment... Ah, Grandma..." Gu Ming's soft voice trailed off as she shook her head, her tone dragging on indefinitely.

  Grandma Gu patted Gu Mingwei's hand and smiled: "Is it a safe feeling? Like the sky is falling, he can hold it up?"

  "Yes, yes, that's the feeling. You don't know, at that time when all the other city gods had left, he stood in the void and said to the people of the city: 'As long as you believe in me, I can protect you from harm.' How dazzlingly brilliant he was, how confident. His eyes shone with a light that could break through any chains, this is what a true god looks like. In calm times, he never competes with other gods for faith, but when people are in trouble, he dares to draw his sword and slay demons and monsters, protecting all who believe in him." Gu Mingyu's voice grew louder and louder, her small fists clenched tightly.

  Gu Mingyu stood on one side, seemingly standing still quietly, but his eyes were moving around, as if searching for something.

  Grandma Gu smiled, and Gu Ming turned around loudly saying: "Grandma, let's go, let's go..."

  Grandma Gu shook her head, stroking her hair and smiled: "Ming Wei, you go, Grandma is old and can't withstand the cold night dew, just stay here. You go, the River God needs faith, needs willpower, in this city of Ba Ling he is like a rootless water lily, may fall at any time, our 2 million lives in Ba Ling are his foundation, the stronger the willpower, the stronger he is, otherwise, he will be weaker.

  Gu Mingwei had never thought that Chen Jing's situation would be like this, and asked nervously: "Then how can we make the willing power stronger?"

  "What can be done to guard the city has been done, and he has also tried his best to bring the hearts of all the people in the city together. What else can be done, I don't know." Old Lady Gu said softly, her eyes looking out the window, where a figure was unexpectedly crouching on the windowsill in the lamplight.

  Gu Mingwei felt a sudden stiffness as Grandma Gu grabbed her hand, and she quickly looked up to see Grandma Gu staring straight out the window. Just as she was about to turn back, Grandma Gu hugged her head tightly and whispered in her ear, "Mingwei, do you still have the Dao Sword Symbol given by the River God?"