Chapter 118: Persuasion

"A few mortals dare to disturb my friend's physical form? I am not as soft-hearted as those heavenly deities. If you do not vanish from my sight this instant, you shall meet the same fate as those before you!"

Perched atop a coffin of red copper and steel stood a colossal humanoid figure. Clad in black armor with eyes burning like embers, it glared down at Fang You and his companions with raw, murderous intent.

"If I am not mistaken, are you the Hou God?" Fang You added the title of "God" to show respect for the mythical creature. Though the Hou was a beast evolved from a jiangshi, its power surpassed that of any heavenly deity; adding the honorific was well-deserved. Moreover, if this truly were the Hou, not even the complete spirit of Yang Jian residing within his own body—backed by a legion of heavenly soldiers—would be enough to defeat such a monster.

The Hou, however, showed no interest in pleasantries. It swayed its massive frame and stepped down from the coffin. "I have no mood to exchange words with you. Are you not going to leave?"

"I am the third disciple of Maoshan—"

"Sir, watch out!"

In an instant, before Fang You could finish his sentence, the Hou struck!

Scarface reacted with lightning speed, throwing himself forward to block the blow. But in the next heartbeat, his body was shattered; the upper half of his torso crumpled to the ground. "Run, sir," he gasped, his life force fading. "Our clan of tomb raiders must not drag you down with us." With those final words, he drew his last breath.

"Mr. Fang You, look out!" Bai Ling retreated in panic.

"The Night Wanderer once said that beyond the Dragon God Mountain there are guardians of the earth, and within, there are guardians of the mountain. Could this beast, the Hou, be the guardian of this very place?"

There was no time to think. The Hou, having evolved from a bloodthirsty, cruel zombie, possessed a naturally savage temperament. Fang You finally understood why the ancestors of the tomb raiders had all vanished here—they had likely all perished at the hands of this divine beast.

"Since you dare to disturb my friend's remains, you shall all die here to be buried alongside them!" The Hou launched another attack.

"Oh no, sir!" Bai Ling screamed in terror.

Fang You knew he could not escape this strike. He spoke inwardly to his own body: "Lord Yang Jian, if there is a way to escape, please do so! I am likely meeting my end here. There is no need for you to be scattered into oblivion along with me!"

Yet, the voice within him responded: "I hid within your spirit precisely because your soul is tougher than any other power. This time, you are the one who must protect me, little Taoist of Yin and Yang!"

"I am to protect you?" Fang You was stunned.

The next second, as the soul-shattering blow came crashing down, a surge of black mist erupted from Fang You, instantly enveloping him. This immense, dark power formed a protective barrier that actually repelled the Hou.

As the mist swirled, Fang You emerged, his face expressionless, radiating an aura of overwhelming miasma and filth. He seemed like a different person entirely. "It has been a long time, little Yin beast. How have you been?"

Upon seeing Fang You wreathed in black mist, the Hou’s eyes widened in shock. It immediately knelt. "So it is you, Heavenly Lord. I have eyes but failed to recognize greatness. I beg for your mercy!"

"Do not destroy this physical vessel. I still have use for it," Fang You said, his voice dripping with arrogant, deathly chill.

"Of course, of course!" the Hou replied, trembling with reverence.

Fang You nodded. A moment later, the black mist dissipated, and he collapsed to the ground. The Hou, in a complete reversal of its previous behavior, hastily cleared a path for them.

"Mr. Fang You!" Bai Ling rushed forward to catch him. The only remaining tomb raider, Little Bean, was so terrified by the spectacle that he dared not approach.

"What just happened?" Fang You slowly opened his eyes to see the Hou still standing before them. Terrified, he grabbed Bai Ling’s hands. "You must run! I will hold him off!"

But the Hou merely said, "I shall not touch you today. Do not be afraid."

Fang You looked at the beast, now appearing strangely amicable. The Hou was a creature of legend, a beast so fierce that even the Celestial Emperor could not tame it. Yet here it was, its murderous intent vanished, its tone gentle—it was almost impossible to believe.

Bai Ling whispered to him, "Just now, you were shrouded in black mist and acted like a completely different person. This divine beast was actually frightened by you. It is truly incredible!"

"I was not frightened; I was showing respect," the Hou interjected, trying to save face. "Your past life and I were once friends."

"Back then," the Hou began, "when I was still the Drought Demon, I was fierce and cruel. On a whim, I scorched the earth for a thousand miles, watching the land burn with wicked delight. But then, a man who called himself the Heavenly Lord—a god even more evil than I—appeared before me."

"The Heavenly Lord told me to cease my power. He did not care for the lives of the people, but rather claimed I was encroaching upon his duties! I was furious. I feared not even heaven and earth, let alone this petty god who dared call himself Lord."

"I intensified my power, setting the land truly ablaze. 'And what can you do about it?' I laughed."

"The Heavenly Lord only smiled. 'It seems you have great confidence in your power. Shall we have a contest?'"

"'A contest of what?' I asked. Most gods sought to slay me, but this one was different."

"'Let us see who can slaughter more people in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn,' the Heavenly Lord replied calmly."

"Slaughter?" The Hou recalled the shock it felt then; such words from a god were unheard of.

"'Yes,' he repeated. 'If you win, I shall leave you be, and this land is yours. If I win, you shall surrender yourself to the Celestial Emperor. I will not kill you myself.'"

"I hesitated for a moment, then laughed. 'I may have my weaknesses, but in the art of slaughter, I bow to no one!'"

"'Then it is a wager?'"

"'Of course!'"

"I began my work. As my hands touched the ground, the earth cracked, turning to charcoal. Village after village was swallowed by flame, the screams echoing in the distance. I looked at the Heavenly Lord, triumphant."

"But he only offered a faint smile. With a wave of his hand, a massive cloud of black miasma spread across the entire continent. Everyone it touched withered into bone, without even a chance to struggle."

"'It seems the victor is decided,' the Heavenly Lord had said. 'You should go to heaven and confess. If you survive, we shall drink together another day. My talent for slaughter is second to none, ha ha ha!'"