Xiao Xu, the man in the suit, thought for a moment before speaking.
“It was a dance performed with masks. It was a bit eerie, different from any dance I’ve seen before. It had a unique charm that made it very easy to get lost in.”
“What kind of masks?”
“I can’t quite say. They looked somewhat like ghost masks, with green faces and long fangs. The material seemed to be wood.”
Uncle Shan lightly cracked his knuckles, the sound crisp in the quiet room.
“Nuo opera masks?”
“What’s Nuo opera?”
Uncle Shan took out his phone, searched for an image, and showed it to the man.
“Was it this kind of mask?”
“Yes, yes, yes! The details were a bit different, but it’s basically the same.”
Uncle Shan nodded. He stood up, took a car key from a nearby drawer, and tossed it to the man.
“The car is in the basement. There’s a box in the passenger seat with a new identity inside.”
“Follow the navigation route. No surveillance equipment will capture you. Whether you can make it out of Huanggang now depends on your luck.”
“Thank you, Uncle Shan!”
“Thank you, Uncle Shan!”
The man in the suit knelt and kowtowed twice more before getting up and rushing out.
After he left, Uncle Shan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
“Huanggang can only have faith in one deity.”
...
The sky grew increasingly dark, and the air in Huanggang felt as if it had frozen solid.
Even the veteran sailors took on solemn expressions.
They knew a storm was coming!
Because of this, they were even more convinced by Yin Yang’s earlier words.
That man in the suit had definitely enraged the Sea God!
At the shore, Yin Yang and Canned Food were on the boat.
The waves were growing larger, and the small boat began to rock.
Yin Yang held a pen, drawing incantations on the deck.
“Phew~ That should do it.”
Yin Yang put away his ink and brush. As he infused his spirituality into them, the incantations on the deck emitted a faint fluorescence.
“Meow~”
“Yeah, with these incantations, the boat should be safe.”
After speaking, Yin Yang called out to Canned Food, and the man and cat decisively headed back to shore.
When a storm was approaching, it was always more reassuring to hide inside a building.
Just as the two stepped off the boat, they saw Lu Ming, the boy they had saved, approaching with his family.
His sister, Lu Zhao, looked at Yin Yang with bright, searching eyes.
“Are you also a believer of the True God?”
Yin Yang looked up at the grey, heavy sky and replied.
“I suppose so. Is something wrong? If not, I need to find a place to take cover.”
Hearing this, Lu Ming’s mother hurriedly spoke up.
“We heard that you were the one who woke Xiao Ming up. We came specifically to thank you.”
“Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can come to our home.”
Yin Yang and Canned Food exchanged a glance.
“Would it be an inconvenience?”
“Not at all, not at all. We are all believers of the True God.”
It was Lu Ming who said this, his eyes sparkling with fervor.
Yin Yang looked at him with a bit of surprise, thinking to himself, Is he a believer already?
If it was this easy, then recruiting believers might not be so difficult after all.
He looked at Lu Zhao and then at Lu Ming, quickly summarizing the key to recruiting believers.
Free them from their current ‘predicament,’ and you can gain a believer.
The group returned to the Lu family home. It wasn't far, as the house was also by the sea.
The house wasn't large, and the interior could be described in four words.
Nothing but bare walls.
Lu Ming felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head.
“Our house used to be quite nice, but then something happened.”
Yin Yang, however, didn't show the slightest hint of judgment.
He had only three criteria for what defined a home.
First, it could provide shelter from the wind and rain and offer warmth.
Second, it could provide a hot meal.
Third, someone was waiting for you.
As long as it met those three criteria, it was a home.
As for how big it was, how it was decorated, or where it was located—none of that mattered.
“Come, come, have some tea.”
Mrs. Lu brought over a large teapot and poured a big bowl for Yin Yang.
Yin Yang smiled and said thank you. Just as he was about to take a sip, he vaguely sensed something and turned his gaze toward Lu Zhao’s room.
Seeing this, Lu Zhao smiled.
“You really are a believer of the True God. You can even sense that.”
Hearing her say that, Yin Yang knew—without a doubt, there was a shrine to the ‘Lord of Rebirth and Communion’ inside that room.
Yin Yang tapped his chest a few times, vaguely tracing the pattern of a ginkgo leaf.
Lu Zhao’s eyes brightened even more. Outsiders wouldn't know that gesture.
Lu Ming pulled up a stool and sat curiously next to Yin Yang.
“What does it mean? What does that gesture mean? Is it a gesture for praying to the True God?”
Yin Yang shook his head.
“It is a gesture to praise God.”
Canned Food looked around, then jumped onto Yin Yang’s lap, stretched, and prepared to sleep.
...
At the Command Center.
The controller of Huanggang, Mr. Huang, was frowning deeply.
The storm outside had come too suddenly, and the unruly mob had gathered just as unexpectedly.
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock on the office door, and the secretary’s voice sounded.
“Sir, Mr. Yang Shan wishes to see you.”
Mr. Huang rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before long, Yang Shan entered, dressed in a formal suit.
Mr. Huang looked at him and sneered.
“What? Are you here to plead for your subordinate?”
Yang Shan shook his head.
“He’s already gone. Given his mindset, he’s probably been caught by your people by now. None of that is important. What matters is that someone who understands sacrifice has come to Huanggang.”
Mr. Huang frowned at him, not understanding the point of his cryptic remark.
“That person believes in the Sea God!”
Mr. Huang’s expression finally changed, his eyes narrowing.
“The Sea God? Everyone in Huanggang believes in the Whale God now. Who still believes in the Sea God?”
“And yet, someone has come to preach about the Sea God, and the Sea God even gave a response!”
Yang Shan’s expression was grave.
“You should know what this implies, right?”
“Starting from your predecessor’s predecessor, Huanggang has been promoting the Whale God. There are even dedicated sacrificial activities and festivals.”
“If the Whale God is negated, it means your political track record is negated. To put it more seriously, your entire faction will be negated and could even become a breakthrough point for your political enemies.”
Mr. Huang’s face turned completely solemn, for he knew very well that Yang Shan was not being alarmist.
What were political enemies best at?
Finding a flaw and magnifying it infinitely!
Yang Shan leaned forward, increasing the pressure of his presence.
“We’re in this together!”
“This precedent of the Sea God cannot be allowed!”
Mr. Huang looked troubled.
“But the person promoting the Sea God is one of the Baleful Star’s people!”
“A Baleful Star! Do you understand?”
Yang Shan’s expression grew even more serious.
“One of the Baleful Star’s people would absolutely never promote a god!”
“If he did, there are only two possibilities. First, this is just a temporary mission; he needs to promote a god to achieve a certain goal, and this won't last long.”
“Second... that Baleful Star of his is a fake!”
Mr. Huang fell into a long, brooding silence.
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