The roots of these gods had long since decayed over time, but none of the high priests associated with them suffered greatly because of the gods' disappearance.
Some of them were even bound to the gods when their minds were still immature, becoming high priests, trapped in that high tower for their entire lives, becoming a symbol of the city, but never venturing out to explore like free birds.
Yin Xiu's principle was that it would be too tragic for someone who had already endured so much hardship to die without ever experiencing even a little happiness.
Because he is this kind of person, he no longer wants to see people like himself.
Gods may die, but high priests cannot.
All their evil deeds, the mistakes they made in their confusion, and even some of their flawed thinking were almost entirely caused by God, and God is the one who most needs to be slain.
Another sharp slash cut across the sky, and this time it was the God of Oblivion who fell.
She accepted her death calmly, and as white ashes fell on this pristine land, she showed little reaction, too silent, too peaceful.
Until, the familiar sounds of conversation rang out again.
"The people of the Forgotten City are a pitiful bunch. Once they lose their memories and their sense of self, they go mad. They need shackles. I want to choose you to be another shackle for the Forgotten City. Lock away their memories and prevent them from disappearing."
"I can help God become the shackles of the Forgotten City, but I don't like being shackled. The High Priest sounds so restrictive. I want to live my life like an ordinary person, get married, have children, and live the life I want."
"Of course you can. Aside from your identity as the High Priest, you are just an ordinary person. You don't have to live in the main city; you can also seek your own life elsewhere."
"I am the god of the Forgotten City. As long as I do not forget you, the Forgotten City will be forever at peace, and you will all be able to live the lives you desire."
"God is so gentle. I love the gentle God, and I am willing to give for the gentle God. Please protect the City of Oblivion and keep it at peace forever."
"Okay...okay, of course."
With the god's light, airy reply, the pure white land returned to silence, with only the god of misfortune floating alone in the air.
Of the four great gods, only she remained, and she was the most stubborn of them all. She stared intently at Yin Xiu and Li Mo opposite her. She knew very well that she could not kill them, and she had restrained her killing intent, but the disgust and vigilance in her eyes never left her.
But her attention was no longer on Li Mo, who had transformed into a monster; instead, she stared intently at Yin Xiu.
"Alright… alright, I admit you are indeed extraordinary, an overly powerful human being, coupled with an overly powerful evil god." The dark god of misfortune swept between the two. "You grew up amidst misfortune, and came together by fate. The misfortune on you is far more profound than that on many others I have seen."
"Since there is no escape, I will, as a god, deliver your final judgment." The God of Misfortune raised his hands again, his eyes reflecting Yin Xiu's image. "Human, return to the turning point of your destiny. The greatest misfortune in your life is what brought you here."
"If I were to erase that misfortune, would the happiness you were destined for have surpass what you have now?"
This time, unfortunately, the god's body turned into black smoke, obscuring everyone's vision, including Yin Xiu's.
He instinctively raised his knife and swung it forward, trying to break through the black mist. The sharp blade easily sliced through the air, creating a sliver of light.
But at the same time, everything around him twisted and spun, as if he had fallen from the black mist into an abyss.
But everything around him was completely illusory, and Yin Xiu couldn't tell where he was at all. He felt his memories rapidly slipping away until he fell into the place he knew best.
The setting sun cast its light on the dilapidated courtyard, where beautiful flowers climbed and grew outside the wall. From the house in front of him came the sounds of children laughing and playing, and in the courtyard stood the woman he knew so well.
Yin Xiu's stubborn little figure stood in the courtyard, exhausted and filthy. His eyes drooped, and he asked the woman in a low, weak voice, "Has Xiaoxiao not come back yet?"
He looked exhausted, as if he might collapse at any moment, and desperately wanted to see his support to keep him alive.
As the sun began to set, the woman standing in the courtyard smiled and said, "Xiaoxiao is back. She's inside, washing her hands. She said she's going to cook something delicious for you."
As she spoke, she took two steps forward, ruffled Yin Xiu's messy hair, as if to soften his defenses, and said with a gentle smile, "You must be tired after a long day. Come in and rest. How about we take a day off tomorrow?"
Yin Xiu's eyes trembled slightly as he looked at the gentle woman bathed in the soft, beautiful sunset. His heart skipped a beat, and his consciousness wavered.
He instinctively prepared himself for a full-blown attack, as if subconsciously awaiting some massive assault, but everything around him was quiet, and what descended upon him was a gentle warmth and the happiness he had been anticipating.
is that so?
Is this how it should be done?
Was there a moment in his life when he was able to let down his guard and embrace happiness without reservation?
Yin Xiu's consciousness wavered, and he inexplicably felt that this should not be the case. He had already tasted too much suffering in this place, so why would he suddenly be given a piece of candy?
Yin Xiu fell into a rare silence, his expressionless face masking a turbulent inner turmoil, which was then interrupted by a small head peeking out from the doorway.
"Brother! You're back?!" Accompanied by a cheerful voice as clear as a bird's chirp, Xiaoxiao peeked out and saw Yin Xiu, then quickly ran out of the house, threw herself into Yin Xiu's arms, and rubbed against him.
"Brother must be tired! You worked so hard today!" Xiaoxiao took his hand and nodded earnestly. "To reward you for working so hard today, I'm going to prepare a big meal for you!"
Looking down, he could see a dirty but exceptionally cute little face with a bright smile circling around him like a little sun. Yin Xiu silently lowered his guard and reached out to rub Xiaoxiao's head.
As his fingers touched the warmth of a human, felt the gentle touch of soft hair wrapped around his fingers, and heard a lovely, radiant smile in his palm, Yin Xiu heard the sound of the scales tipping.
It was enormous and heavy, as if it would crush a person to death.
"Yes, yes, what can comfort people the most is human body temperature and soft, gentle creatures. People need warmth, not to depend on cold creatures."