# 262
**Chapter 262: Atonement**
Cangnan City, Old District.
In a small, run-down house, the aroma of home-cooked food drifted out. Auntie carried a steaming dish to the table and called out loudly:
"A Jin, time to eat!"
On the balcony, Yang Jian stood alone, his gaze fixed on the distance, as if lost in thought.
When Yang Jian didn’t respond, Auntie wiped her hands on her apron and muttered as she walked toward the balcony, “You silly child, I’m calling you to eat!”
Only then did Yang Jian snap out of it. “Got it, Mom.”
He walked to the table and looked at the dishes, pressing his lips together.
“That little black rascal’s gone off somewhere again. Still not back, and with all that thunder outside, I bet we’re in for a heavy rain soon,” Auntie chattered as she sat down. Seeing Yang Jian still dazed, she asked in confusion:
“Eat up! What are you spacing out for? What’s wrong with you today? You’ve been distracted all day.”
“N-nothing.” Yang Jian slowly sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and scooped a bite of food…
Then placed it into Auntie’s bowl.
“Mom, eat more.”
Auntie was taken aback. “I’m eating. You eat more.”
Yang Jian nodded and began eating in silence.
Thunder rumbled outside the window, lightning flashed across the sky, and on the horizon, faint golden specks began to rise.
“What’s with the weather today?” Auntie said between bites. “Thunder and earthquakes, and not a ray of sunshine all day.
Who knows when the clothes on the balcony will dry? I need to wear them to the factory tonight… Oh, right, you’ll have to cook dinner yourself tonight. I’m on the night shift, I won’t be back.”
Yang Jian gave a soft “Mm.” After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:
“Mom.”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve worked so hard raising my brother and me for over ten years, living a tough life… Do you regret it?”
Auntie froze, then laughed and scolded, “What nonsense! Having two sensible sons like you and your brother makes me happier than anything!
And so what if life’s hard? I grew up poor. If you stuck me in some big fancy house now, I wouldn’t feel right.”
She looked around the cramped, familiar home and smiled.
“I feel at ease here.”
Yang Jian stared at her smile, stunned, then a gentle smile appeared on his youthful face.
“Then… after everything ends, after Brother comes back, let’s return to this old house and live together again, okay?”
“I’d love that,” Auntie said with a laugh and a shake of her head. “But you and your brother will both marry someday. How could you keep living with an old woman like me in a place like this? Just come visit often and I’ll be happy.”
As she spoke, Auntie suddenly froze, staring at her fingertips.
Tiny golden motes were drifting away from them.
She stared blankly. “W-what’s happening?”
Yang Jian’s lips trembled. His face pale, he forced a gentle smile. “Mom, don’t be afraid… Everything will be fine.”
Auntie watched the specks spread from her fingers to her palm, confusion deepening in her eyes.
“A Jin… Is Mom… leaving?”
Yang Jian opened his mouth, but no words came. He clenched his fists and slowly lowered his head…
A hand gently lifted his chin.
Something new flickered in Auntie’s eyes. Sealed memories opened; understanding her fate, she wiped the tears from Yang Jian’s eyes and smiled, weathered yet tender.
“A Jin, it’s time for Mom to go.”
Yang Jian couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears streamed down as he stood and hugged her, choking out:
“Mom, Mom… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…
Ten years ago, we were still caught in the cycle of reincarnation. We couldn’t arrive in time, couldn’t stand before you all and stop the tragedy…
We failed to save those million lives… and we couldn’t save you.
I’m sorry…”
Auntie held him, bewildered.
“A Jin, you are…”
Yang Jian raised his head, crimson eyes glinting with a faint divine light.
Auntie whispered, “So that’s it… You’re actually… My life has held such a special child.”
Yang Jian clenched his fists so hard his nails drew blood. He stepped back, knelt before her, and bowed deeply.
“Your child Yang Jian, on behalf of the Gods of Great Xia… begs forgiveness from every victim in Cangnan City!
We… arrived too late.”
Auntie stood, lifting him up. Gazing into his guilt-ridden eyes, she smiled gently and pulled him into an embrace.
“Silly child, coming back is enough.”
“Mom, don’t worry.” Yang Jian drew a steady breath, resolve shining in his eyes. “Ten years ago, we couldn’t make it in time… Thanks to Brother, today we’ve been given another chance.
A chance to save everyone.”
Silver light flashed in his hand, revealing a gray cloth pouch. “This is the Soul-Binding Bag, a treasure of the Heavenly Venerable. It can hold every victim’s soul in this city.
Now that the divine realm has shattered, the souls retained in the mortal world are separating again. I’ll gather them all in this bag. Once the Venerable rebuilds everyone’s bodies, we can revive you.
Then Cangnan will reappear under the heavens!”
He looked into her eyes. “Mom, please endure the bag for a while. One day, our family will reunite.”
Auntie smiled softly. “Mom believes you.”
Golden motes covered her entire body; she began to fade. She stepped forward and caressed his face one last time.
“A Jin, take care of yourself and your brother.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. Brother will be fine.”
She nodded, her form dissolving into golden light. A faint echo lingered:
“Wait for you both to come home…”
The specks drifted out the window, rising to join the golden torrent in the sky.
Yang Jian walked to the window, opened the pouch, and a deep voice rang through every corner of the city:
“—Return, O souls!”
The golden flood found its destination, pouring into the Soul-Binding Bag. In moments, every soul was gathered.
He tied the bag shut, looked back at the empty house, and after a long silence, stepped outside.
As he opened the door, a six- or seven-year-old boy in a fiery red hoodie stood waiting.
“Nezha.” Yang Jian regarded him calmly. “What are you here for?”
The boy shrugged. “Whatever you’re going to do, I’m doing too.”
Yang Jian narrowed his eyes. “How much of your power have you even recovered? Here to die?”
“Going alone is dying too.” The boy spoke slowly. “Among us gods, you’ve recovered the most, but even you can’t kill a full-strength foreign god.”
“I still have a hundred years of reincarnation power,” Yang Jian said flatly.
Nezha frowned. “Burning your divine rank? Do you know the price?”
“It doesn’t matter… All I know is, I am Great Xia’s Erlang Shen.” Yang Jian advanced step by step. “We vanished for a century. We must announce to the world in the most direct, most shocking way—
The gods of Great Xia have returned.
And right now, only I can do it.”
He glanced at the boy. “As for the rest of you… recover your strength slowly. In the future, this nation will still need you to guard it.”
He strode forward, placed two fingers to his lips, and whistled.
A black, ferocious hound trod through the air, its body stained with the blood of two giant beasts, aura terrifying beyond compare.
It was Little Black Rascal!
Yang Jian stroked the hound’s head. With his other hand he grasped emptiness, and a three-pointed, double-edged spear wreathed in silver lightning appeared.
Spear in hand, he lifted his gaze to the Chaos lightning in the distance and took the first step.
With the first step, he entered the "Lantern" realm.
Second step, "Pool" realm.
Third, "River" realm!
Fourth, "Sea" realm!
Fifth, "Boundless"!
Sixth, "Klein"!
Seventh… he became a god!
Monstrous divine pressure erupted. Silver lightning danced around him as he gripped the spear, the Howling Heaven Hound at his side. A mystical vertical eye opened upon his brow!
A beam of divine light pierced heaven and earth.
“Howling Heaven…”
Amid the roaring lightning, Yang Jian glanced down at Little Black Rascal and spoke softly:
“Come… we’re going to kill a god.”