# 1681
Chapter 1674: Seeking the Gods
Lin Qiye's consecutive speculations left the others in the study completely bewildered.
Only Wu Quan, who had also come from the future and could understand the vampire example, seemed to grasp part of what he meant. His expression immediately turned grim.
"Wait... you're saying that the thing I killed was actually the son of Kusuen's true body? And those spores it released before dying were like grandchildren of the true body?" Chloe asked tentatively. "Grandchildren copy ordinary people, sons copy Espials, and the true body copies gods?"
With Chloe's rather down-to-earth analogy, Yan Zhong and Huo Qubing also understood Lin Qiye's meaning.
"Gods? Do gods really exist in this world?" Huo Qubing frowned.
"Yes." Lin Qiye and Chloe nodded simultaneously.
"But that doesn't make sense. If that finger's goal was to kill you, why didn't it just bring the strongest true body over? Why send a son instead? Where did its true body go?" Yan Zhong questioned.
Lin Qiye seemed to think of something. He turned to look out the window, and his expression immediately grew complicated.
"No wonder... no wonder they've never appeared even though the world has fallen into such chaos..."
"They? Who are they?"
"The gods." Lin Qiye spoke slowly. "The gods belonging to Great Xia... no, to us."
Back when the evil calamities first erupted, Lin Qiye had wondered where the Heavenly Court and the Gods of Great Xia of this era had gone. The evil creatures were running amok everywhere, yet they made no move.
If he remembered correctly, in this era, Heavenly Court and some Great Xia gods should have already made their appearance, though perhaps not all the gods from later ages had been born yet... but at the very least, the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Emperor should exist.
Even if they could ignore the evil calamities, they should have intervened when [Chaos] and Kusuen descended upon Chang'an... yet Lin Qiye hadn't seen a single shadow of any Great Xia god from start to finish.
Now it seemed there was only one possibility... When [Chaos] was setting up the ambush to kill Lin Qiye, it had already taken the Great Xia gods into account, so it used Kusuen's true body to pin down Heavenly Court while bringing a first-generation descendant to Chang'an.
After all, as long as the Great Xia gods didn't intervene, the strongest beings in the mortal realm were nothing more than Huo Qubing, Lin Qiye, and Chloe—and none of them had ascended to godhood, meaning they could be replicated by a first-generation descendant. With proper preparation, killing Lin Qiye posed no problem.
The facts proved that it had indeed succeeded. Had Lin Qiye not awakened [Causeless Cause] and [Fated Fruit], he would have died at [Chaos]'s hands long ago.
"Then what should we do?" Huo Qubing pondered. "If we kill the true body you mentioned, will all the descendants disappear?"
"Probably, but if that's the case, its true body must be approaching Supreme God-level power, and without the laws of humanity, there's no way we can kill it... I wonder if the Great Xia gods of this era are even capable of killing it." Lin Qiye sighed deeply.
Two thousand years later, the Great Xia gods wouldn't fear Kusuen alone—even [Black Goat], one of the Three Pillars, wouldn't dare provoke them. But in this era, it was uncertain whether the Three Celestial Masters had even appeared yet, because in Lin Qiye's memory, Taoism only emerged during the Eastern Han period, which was still at least a hundred years away.
"In that case, let's go help them." Huo Qubing said.
"Marquis, those are gods!" Yan Zhong's eyes went wide. "When gods fight gods, is that something us humans can interfere with?"
"What of it? This marquis also wishes to see... just how far the gap between myself and the gods truly is." Huo Qubing's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp gleam flashing within.
"..."
Actually, the gap between you and the gods isn't that big... Lin Qiye thought to himself.
"A fine proposal." Lin Qiye nodded. "Coincidentally, my next plan also requires me to find them."
"You already have an idea?"
"Mm, the specifics, we'll discuss on the road."
"Alright, Yan Zhong, have someone prepare the carriages. We depart today." Huo Qubing immediately ordered. Though his expression appeared no different than usual, one could sense a hint of battle intent concealed within his gaze.
"The gods of the East... I truly haven't encountered them before." Chloe blinked. "If I go help them slay gods, perhaps that counts as a friendly exchange between Eastern and Western deities?"
Yan Zhong's gaze swept across the three people before him, all of them cracking their knuckles, and he wore an expression as if he'd seen a ghost...
Those were gods!
He knew these people were formidable, but as mere humans, declaring they were going to help deities do battle—didn't they think they were courting death?
"Don't be nervous." Lin Qiye patted Yan Zhong's shoulder. "Gods aren't as powerful as you imagine. I've killed one before... though I was just an assistant."
Yan Zhong: ???
Though a thousand objections raged in his heart, under the coercing gaze of Huo Qubing, Yan Zhong obediently went outside to prepare the carriages.
"You're coming too, Gongyang Wan." Huo Qubing turned to say.
Gongyang Wan, who had been minding her own business in a corner, was startled. "Why do you need to bring me along for your insanity?"
"This marquis will be absent. Who in Chang'an City could keep you under control?"
"...Hmph." Gongyang Wan冷哼一声，不再说话。 let out a cold hmph but said nothing more.
"Marquis, there's one more person I'd like to ask for." Lin Qiye seemed to recall something.
"Who?"
"Hu Jia."
Huo Qubing knew this name. Before arriving, Yan Zhong had already given him a full introduction, so he nodded without hesitation. "Agreed."
Half an hour later.
Two carriages had already stopped outside the residence. Hu Jia had been summoned back and climbed aboard one of them in bewilderment. The moment he lifted the curtain, he found Lin Qiye, Wu Quan, and Chloe already waiting inside.
"Meet again." Lin Qiye smiled and patted the seat beside him. "Sit here."
Though he didn't know what was happening, he老老实实地在Lin Qiye身边坐下。 sat obediently beside Lin Qiye. He'd been in such a rush that he hadn't even had time to change out of the clothes just distributed by the Bureau of Evil Suppression—he still wore that patched indigo robe, a stone xun hanging from his waist, looking utterly plain.
Zhan Yuwu, who had returned alongside Hu Jia, was also completely confused as Yan Zhong pulled him to the front carriage, where he would ride together with Huo Qubing and Gongyang Wan.
Once all eight people were assembled, Huo Qubing gave a light wave. The coachmen urged the two carriages forward, racing out of Chang'an City.
As the walls of Chang'an City gradually receded from view, Hu Jia lowered the carriage curtain and couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Lin, where are we going?"
Lin Qiye, dressed in a winter-green Han robe, sat in the center of the carriage. He spoke calmly:
"Seeking the Gods."
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I'm dealing with some personal matters today and tomorrow, so only two chapters will be posted ~~•̀•́✧