Zhong Mu exuded confidence and spoke with a strong, resonant tone. His overt self-assurance made it impossible for him to sound like a liar.
He didn't think he was fooling people. An evil god, well, it's not a god after all! There's nothing wrong with that!
These weighty words stunned not only the members of the Forgotten Society in front of them, but also the residents hiding in the buildings in the distance.
A god? Really? After all the gods of these cities have vanished, will a god actually descend upon their Forgotten City?
"You're lying!" the fortune teller from the Forgotten Society immediately retorted, glaring angrily at Zhong Mu. "He's not a god! He's an evil being! And you're a liar! A liar who came into this world with that evil being!"
Zhong Mu crossed his arms and stared coldly at the person. His face remained expressionless, but he was a little flustered inside. This fortune teller actually knew that they were not from this world, and he even had some real skills.
"Hmph, slandering the gods as evil beings, I think you're courting death." Zhong Mu quickly calmed down, trying to regain his composure, so he raised his hand and shouted loudly to everyone: "This city is a city abandoned by the gods! Because you have done too many things that have disappointed the gods, the original gods no longer wish to protect you."
"God will never return to this filthy place. Any god who comes here will be corrupted by your filthy hearts!"
"Now a new god has come here at the High Priest's summons and is willing to bless this place. How dare you say that such a kind-hearted god is an evil being? I think this Forgotten City has no reason to continue to exist! You should continue to follow the leadership of this liar and follow him to destruction."
This series of statements left everyone present dumbfounded.
Priest: What summons?
Li Mo: What kind of kindness?
Resident: Ah? A filthy place? Our filthy hearts?
Fortune teller: ...a lie.
Everyone stood there stunned for a long time, going over Zhong Mu's words in their minds again and again, until they finally understood what he was talking about.
The reason why this Forgotten City has become like this is entirely the fault of its inhabitants. Because their hearts are filthy, the place has become corrupted. The original gods no longer wanted to protect them, so they left. Later gods who came to this place were affected and corrupted. So being abandoned by the gods is all their own fault!
After everyone sorted things out, they became even more silent. This huge burden had fallen on them, and they simply couldn't bear it.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" The rational diviner glared fiercely at Zhong Mu. "The disappearance of all gods is a calamity from heaven. It's not just the gods of our Forgotten City who have disappeared, but the gods of other cities have also disappeared. How can you explain this? Are all the people in all the cities corrupt?"
"That's right!" Zhong Mu answered confidently, then sneered, "After the gods disappeared, which city didn't descend into chaos?"
"The gods of every city have been affected. If there is nothing wrong with the people themselves, why are all the cities in such chaos after the gods disappeared? Would the gods who have been watching over you disappear for no reason? Is it the gods' problem? Or is it your own problem?"
This huge accusation has been dumped on my head again. Anyway, the gods aren't around now, so let Zhong Mu spout whatever nonsense he wants.
Do believers dare to question their own gods?
If not, then the problem lies within oneself.
The diviner didn't know why the gods had disappeared, and he couldn't answer Zhong Mu's rambling remarks either. There were too many questions to ask, but none of them were answerable, because questions related to the gods were all unanswerable.
Whether Zhong Mu said yes or no, it was up to the residents to decide who to believe.
"Is it because of us? Is the disappearance of the gods really because of us?" Some residents have already begun to doubt themselves.
"Is God going to disappear because we ourselves have disappointed Him?"
"God certainly wouldn't abandon us without a reason; there must be some explanation. Since he said that person was also God, could we find the answer to the reason for God's disappearance from him?"
Suddenly under the spotlight, Li Mo's smile faltered.
Zhong Muhui would say, but he wouldn't say, how would he know the reason for God's disappearance?
Zhong Mu, who was standing nearby, quickly took over the conversation and said seriously, "Don't look at him like this! He used to be a sacred and beautiful god from another world, with many believers who loved and respected him."
Li Mo: ?
"Because I noticed some changes in this world, I came here to investigate. As soon as I entered your Forgotten City, my original sacred appearance was instantly affected by the filth of this place, and I became uncontrollably strange. This place is truly terrifying!"
Li Mo: ...
Does this mean that no matter what his true form looks like, his people will always think that his strange appearance is due to the influence of this place, and that he wasn't like this originally?
"Wait!" The diviner sensed something was wrong and interrupted Zhong Mu, not wanting everyone to be led astray any longer. "Before you launch into your long-winded explanation, you must first prove to us that he is a god! Not an evil being! You must know that no matter how chaotic the City of Oblivion is, it is impossible for a false god or an evil being to become the ruler of this place."
Zhong Mu shook his head slightly and sighed, "You actually need a god to prove it? You, a fortune teller, can't even see the identity of a god. I don't think you're very capable."
Suddenly attacked, the fortune teller turned pale. "I don't think he's a god at all!"
Zhong Mu glared at him coldly, then turned and strode confidently to Li Mo's side. He gave a perfunctory bow, then leaned close to Li Mo and whispered, "Li Mo, you should play along and act like a god."
Li Mo asked, puzzled, "How do I pretend?"
"Let me think... Anyway, don't reveal your true form yet, and just be imposing to put some pressure on them," Zhong Mu simply instructed.
After a complex process of thought, Li Mo slowly nodded, "I understand."
Before the residents of the Forgotten City could react, a sudden, earth-shaking tremor shook the surrounding area. Terrified, they turned pale and clung to the surrounding buildings, shouting in panic, "What's happening?!"
"The house is shaking, and the ground is moving! Is the Forgotten City about to collapse?!"
"No way? How could this happen so suddenly? Wait, I feel like something's about to pop out of the ground!"
Before anyone could understand what was happening, the ground suddenly cracked open, a house was lifted off the ground, and the entire area where everyone was was instantly thrown into the air.
The sudden drop in pressure made it hard for everyone to breathe. Their faces turned pale, and they clung to whatever structures they could to prevent themselves from being thrown off the building.
The once orderly group of Forgotten Society members scattered and fled in an instant, leaving only the fortune teller standing there bewildered.
Dodging seems like surrendering to this strange noise, like being afraid of the other side; not dodging seems like you'll really die.