Chapter 211
The Heavenly Tablet had emerged not long ago, and the previous Thunder God had likely vanished long before.
Even the temple had spoken of the loss of celestial beings.
This statue… it must be a relic of ancient faith, but in Ban Shan City, there should be no more tales of divine manifestations.
It was clear that this cult leader was a cautious man—he even knew to check if he could provoke the temple.
"And I!" the cult leader proclaimed loudly, "Bestowed by heaven, I wield the thunder, and I am the new Thunder God!"
With that, he gently clasped his hands together, and arcs of electricity flickered at his fingertips.
Seeing this "miracle," the followers behind him fell to their knees, fervently chanting:
"Thunder God!"
"Thunder God!"
"Thunder God!"
Though their bodies were frail, their shouts were powerful, and the scene of thousands crying out felt like a tempest, causing Xiao Qing, who stood at the temple entrance, to take two steps back.
"Did you see that?"
"This... this is the heart of Ban Shan City!"
"I am the god of Ban Shan City!"
...
The Thunder Cult marched grandly to the temple, attracting many residents of Ban Shan City.
They trailed behind the crowd, encircling the temple, their gazes fixed on Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing appeared somewhat frightened.
Before her stood thousands of Thunder Cult members, and she was all alone.
She scanned the crowd, seemingly seeking help.
These people were not from the Thunder Cult; in fact, most had suffered at its hands.
Some had their fishing grounds taken over by the cult.
Some had their mountain goods stolen.
And some had daughters who never returned home.
Yet those she looked at either turned away coldly or lowered their heads in shame.
The cult members gradually closed in, led by a group of burly men. They were imposing, and Xiao Qing, appearing merely a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, seemed even more insignificant.
"Once I ascend to godhood, everyone in the Thunder Cult shall enjoy peace and prosperity!"
Behind this group, the cult leader softly chanted, and upon hearing his words, the excitement in the eyes of the burly men was palpable.
Their gazes toward Xiao Qing grew even more predatory.
It was as if they were eyeing their next meal.
Xiao Qing trembled slightly, wrapping her arms around herself, exuding uncertainty, yet there was a glimmer of yearning in her eyes as she prayed to the statue:
"O Thunder God, above, your might is boundless."
"Today, a faithful maiden offers her sincere wishes."
"May the heavenly thunder descend, punishing the wicked and promoting the good."
"Teach the world, and let your divine grace bless all."
Her body was frail, and her voice was barely above a whisper.
Yet the cult leader seemed to have heard her; he laughed heartily, "You are lost in your delusions; I am the true Thunder God!"
With that, arcs of electricity surged around him, giving him an air of solemnity.
"In the days to come, I shall command the thunder! Let the clouds, rain, and lightning in the sky heed my call!" He pointed at the heavens, brimming with confidence.
The followers, hearing this, were even more fervent.
"Command the heavenly thunder!"
"Command the heavenly thunder!"
"Command the heavenly thunder!"
Suddenly, a magnificent golden lightning bolt descended from the sky.
The thunder's brilliance illuminated all of Ban Shan City, causing people to squint.
The heavenly thunder shot straight toward the cult leader's outstretched finger, reflecting the fear and bewilderment on his face.
In a flash, the cult leader's figure vanished.
The followers looked around, searching for their leader, but he was nowhere to be found.
"This heavenly thunder..."
"It must have been summoned by the leader! Didn't he say he could command the thunder?"
"But what about the ashes?"
"…"
"The leader has become a god!" Among the burly men, one clever fellow, sensing something was amiss, quickly exclaimed, "The leader has shed his mortal form and has become the Thunder God!"
"As long as we serve the leader well, we too shall become gods!"
Another bolt of lightning flashed, leaving behind a pile of black ashes on the ground.
"…" The nearby burly men exchanged glances and began to retreat, showing no desire to become gods.
(End of Chapter)
---
**Chapter 203: True Brothers**
After taking control of the Divine Record, Zheng Fa could see the good and evil in the people of the Heavenly Tablet realm.
Good people radiated a golden light, while evil ones were shrouded in a hint of bloodlust.
The burly men of the Thunder Cult appeared to him as dark red figures, their souls stained with the lives of countless women. Even by the standards of the Divine Record, these men were truly wicked and deserved to be obliterated.
To become the core of the Thunder Cult, none of these men were fools; they scattered like birds and beasts. Zheng Fa summoned ten bolts of heavenly thunder in rapid succession, not stopping until his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
On the ground before the temple lay several piles of black ash, remnants of those burly men.
Xiao Qing stood inside the temple, her expression dazed. She turned to look at the statue, which still bore no features, yet at that moment, she felt as if it had eyes watching her, sending shivers of excitement through her heart.
She gazed outside the temple.
The Thunder Cult's followers, who had come to seize the temple, had mostly fled, while those who remained seemed too frightened to move, kneeling on the ground with their heads pressed to the dirt, trembling as they bowed toward the temple.
The townspeople who had come to watch also knelt in droves. They were bolder than the Thunder Cult members, able to lift their eyes to the temple.
Except for Xiao Qing, no one else stood; her small frame suddenly became the tallest among the crowd.
"O Lord Thunder God?" She seemed overwhelmed by the scene, speaking softly, "What should we do now?"
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before replying:
"To do good is to worship me; to do evil is to blaspheme the divine. You may all leave now."
Hearing Zheng Fa's words, the people exchanged glances, seemingly torn between wanting to enter the temple and their fear, ultimately retreating in silence.
...
Ban Shan City remained utterly quiet for five days.
No, it should be said that aside from Zheng Fa's thunder, no one else ventured outside.
The main reason he hadn't kept all those burly men behind was that Zheng Fa himself lacked the spiritual energy; summoning ten bolts of heavenly thunder in a day was his limit.
He wasn't anxious, though; he had even made a plan in his mind, intending to bestow ten bolts of thunder upon the fortunate each day.
At first, those burly men hid in their homes, but the power of the heavenly thunder was immense; no roof could withstand it.
Some even tried to escape Ban Shan City, but within a thousand miles, all was Zheng Fa's sealed land. They had nowhere to run, and to prevent any accidents, Zheng Fa would even allow them to form a line.
To be honest, Zheng Fa found his days somewhat dull—
It was just thunder, recovery, thunder, recovery...
It felt like the grind of a worker.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qing's days were quite colorful—though Zheng Fa didn't care for the faith of the townspeople, the daily ten bolts of thunder only deepened their devotion to him.
At first, only one or two brave souls entered the temple to pray.
As others saw these individuals with nothing to do, more people began to come.
Xiao Qing noticed the temple growing more prosperous, and her smile brightened with each passing day.
Zheng Fa even felt that the more aloof he acted, the more devout these people became.
It wasn't until he studied their sentiments that he understood—they believed the Thunder God was angry.
They wanted to mend their broken relationship.
...
After nightfall, Xiao Qing gazed at the bountiful offerings on the altar, her eyes darting around.
She was no longer worried about having nothing to eat.
Now, Xiao Qing was the only one who could communicate with Zheng Fa, and sometimes the visitors to Ban Shan City would slip her a little something—though not much, as the city was indeed poor, it was enough to keep her half-full.
However, the offerings for her and for the Thunder God were of different quality.
The food on the altar included fish and meat, making her gaze linger.
"Want to eat?"
She suddenly heard the voice of the Thunder God.
"No! This is your offering, Lord Thunder God!" Xiao Qing shook her head vigorously, "I can't enjoy this!"
"Didn't you used to eat quite well?"
"…"
Zheng Fa watched as Xiao Qing fell back, her face filled with terror, seemingly shocked that the Thunder God knew about this.
She stammered, covering her head with her hands, as if fearing a bolt of lightning from above would strike her down.
Yet inside, she was screaming, "Is this… is this the Thunder God truly manifesting?"
Zheng Fa found it amusing but didn't mind; he simply continued, "Go ahead and eat."
Xiao Qing was stunned, her voice barely a whisper, "Eat?"
"Consider it my reward."
"Reward?" Xiao Qing dropped her hands and jumped to the altar, saying, "Then I… can I have just a little?"
Zheng Fa had tried this before—he seemed unable to enter the mortal realm of the Heavenly Tablet now; at least, he hadn't found a way, and could only descend through the Divine Record.
Thus, the offerings on the altar were of no use to him.
So he casually replied, "You can eat it all."
Table of Contents
