Chapter 64: Chapter 63 - People Are Like Trees

Chapter 64: Chapter 63 - People Are Like Trees

Ji Jingqiu asked the question that had been on his mind.

Lin Donghe smiled but instead of answering, he asked, "I heard that Commissioner Ji took on a mission from City Hall and rescued an unknown girl?"

Ji Jingqiu didn't deny it.

Lin Donghe's eyes held a look of pity, or perhaps schadenfreude, as he said, "Commissioner Ji, you should reconsider your actions and make amends. Don't get too close to City Hall."

Just then, the sound of gunfire erupted from ahead. The Municipal Security Agency had begun their operation, and a swarm of drones followed their predetermined route, quickly identifying and locking onto the targets. They fired in unison, creating a barrage of bullets.

Amidst the drone fire, the abandoned factory building was engulfed in dust. The gang members, caught off guard, retreated in defeat until a piece of rubble shot out from the dust and shattered several drones.

A robust figure leaped high from the second floor, drawing the attention of the drone swarm.

It was a burly man with sharp eyes like a hawk and well-defined muscles on his arms. He swiftly destroyed several drones and withstood the barrage, buying time for his subordinates behind him.

Lin Donghe glanced at him and smiled, "This guy is quite capable. Commissioner Ji, it's our turn to take action. Shall we compete to see who kills more?"

Ji Jingqiu didn't respond and instead accelerated towards the target.

From Lin Donghe's words, he had a rough idea of the truth, but he wasn't going to overthink things just because of a stranger's words.

He could always ask Yang Shi later.

As for Lin Donghe's suggestion, he ignored it.

He wasn't a bloodthirsty killer, and he didn't think killing should be turned into a competition.

This raid didn't hold much suspense.

The specially marked "Eagle Claw" met his end at the hands of Ji Jingqiu and Lin Donghe.

As soon as Eagle Claw fell, Lin Donghe eagerly raised his knife and beheaded him, then turned to Ji Jingqiu with a smile, "Commissioner Ji, you're too slow. I took the lead."

Ji Jingqiu's expression turned peculiar.

Shouldn't the credit be evenly distributed? What was he rushing for?

As soon as the leader fell, the remaining gang members scattered and fled. Ji Jingqiu and Lin Donghe began capturing them based on the personnel information they had.

For those with a criminal record who resisted fiercely, Ji Jingqiu didn't hesitate to send them on their way, believing that an early death would lead to an early rebirth.

Suddenly, he noticed Lin Donghe's actions.

A boy, around seven or eight years old, cowered in the corner, terrified as a ruthless man kicked at him from a distance.

A shadow fell upon the boy.

Ji Jingqiu grabbed Lin Donghe's foot with one hand, a foot strong enough to kick down a wall. He glanced at the boy in the corner and said firmly, "Commissioner Lin, our mission doesn't include killing innocent children."

Lin Donghe let out a dry laugh, pretending to retract his leg, but his eyes betrayed his true intent. He exerted force with his caught right leg, determined to kick away Ji Jingqiu, who had dared to grab him.

Yet, Ji Jingqiu remained as immovable as a mountain.

His right leg was firmly held in mid-air by Ji Jingqiu, and no amount of force from Lin Donghe could dislodge it.

Lin Donghe's face turned bright red, not from embarrassment but from a mix of surging blood and shame.

"You..."

Ji Jingqiu flung Lin Donghe backward and, glancing at the drones behind him, said, "Commissioner Lin, let's stop the jokes and get to work."

Lin Donghe took a few steps back, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Ji Jingqiu.

With his First Limit cultivation and True Seed, how could he possibly lose to Ji Jingqiu in terms of strength, even without having forged his Essence Body?

Ji Jingqiu took out the Municipal Security Agency's personnel detector and scanned the boy, confirming his clean identity and that he wasn't a gang member. Then, he led the boy outside, intending to hand him over to the agency.

As soon as they stepped out of the abandoned factory, the boy suddenly took off running, agile as a little monkey.

Ji Jingqiu hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lin Donghe who was exerting force to sweep away the gang members.

The next second, Ji Jingqiu decided to follow the boy's trail.

After all, the credit would be evenly divided, so let Commissioner Lin try his best.

He trailed behind the boy, entering the depths of the lower levels.

The lower levels were divided into different zones. Some areas housed legal residents who were simply poor, while others were home to undocumented citizens, black accounts, whose status had been compromised since no one knew when. They lacked opportunities and couldn't find decent jobs.

Ji Jingqiu once read a quote online: "The Federation's chronic diseases have accumulated over ten thousand years, making them difficult to cure."

Of course, this wasn't something he should worry about.

The boy ran into a residential building.

It was a dilapidated building with peeling paint on its exterior walls, covered in moss like a patch of ringworm in the city's corner.

As they entered the building, a musty smell mixed with the fermentation of unknown substances hit them. The stairwell was chaotic and cluttered with garbage, making the already narrow space almost impassable.

The boy ahead ran swiftly, seemingly familiar with the route.

Along the way, Ji Jingqiu encountered residents with disheveled hair and haggard faces, their eyes filled with weariness, fear, and a sense of numbness.

He had heard rumors about the lower levels, but he had never ventured close before.

Upon reaching the boy's home, he found the door ajar with no lock.

Ji Jingqiu stepped inside, and the sunlight from outside illuminated the room, which lacked any lamps. Sparse rays of light entered through a small window.

The room was cluttered with many items, but they were neatly arranged, indicating the resident's attitude towards life.

An elderly woman with a hunched back emerged from within, leaning against the wall. She looked at Ji Jingqiu, who had intruded unannounced, with confusion, then started at the sight of the boy who had rushed in earlier.

The old woman's voice trembled as she spoke, "Sir... What has Cheng'er done now? Did he steal something? I'll repay it for him..."

She hurriedly turned around, her hands shaking as she searched and pulled out a plastic bag.

Inside was a large bundle of paper money, a rare sight in modern times, mostly consisting of small change.

In the lower levels, some fugitives or undocumented individuals, due to their personal accounts being blocked, could only use paper currency.

Ji Jingqiu glanced at the money.

The amount the old woman had gathered was probably only a few hundred, a small sum, but it was all their family's possessions.

The original text is available in Chapter 6, Book 9, on the official website!

He gently pushed away the weathered hand of the elderly woman, shaking his head to indicate that it was fine.

He turned to the boy and asked, "Were you abducted by them, or did you want to join the gang yourself?"

Hiding behind the old woman, the boy pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Ji Jingqiu had carried out many tasks these days, and he was well aware of the lives of gang members' children.

One of the cruelest things he had heard from others was that gangs, in a sense, served as a tool to consume the ever-growing population of the lower levels, especially those without identities, the undocumented.

The old woman slapped the boy's shoulder hard.

The boy shrank back and said, "They needed someone to run errands, and I know the nearby terrain well, so..."

Ji Jingqiu nodded; it was not an unexpected answer. This was the boy's way of survival.

"I'm Ji Jingqiu," he said. "There's a temple at the Seventh Street Intersection. You can help with errands and cleaning. There might not be a salary, but we can provide food for two. The temple has a small library where you can read and expand your knowledge."

In this era, temples were somewhat similar to churches in his previous life. Neighbors who were believers often visited to help, and the temple would distribute items, hold events, and attract incense offerings.

The boy bit his lip, his eyes filled with uncertainty, still unable to believe.

The old woman's eyes were filled with gratitude, and she repeatedly thanked Ji Jingqiu.

He stopped the elderly woman, as he hadn't really helped much; he had just given in to his curiosity and come to take a look.

As he walked downstairs, Ji Jingqiu avoided looking at the haggard figures peering out from the windows.

He looked up at the residential building, where a deformed tree, barely bathed in sunlight, stubbornly grew taller, reaching for the sky.

Often, people were like trees; the more they yearned for the heights and brightness, the deeper their roots had to delve into the soil, into the darkness, into the depths, into evil...

But how many could endure this endless descent into darkness, this infinite sinking towards hell, without being pulled into its depths, as they reached for the sky and touched the sunlight? Compared to this place, Ji Jingqiu, who had once been loved and cared for by his parents, was indeed fortunate.

Ji Jingqiu strode away.

With this task completed, he was ready to return and prepare for breaking through the third limit.

---

Folklore, Mythology, Exploration

Secular World -

Demons and malevolent spirits thrive, and human lives are treated as insignificant.

On the altar, the orange-red flames turn blue, and incomplete ghostly figures emerge from the sacrificial fire, passing by you, sending a chill to your bones.

As a non-believer in ghosts and gods, you are startled by the sight.

The village chief calls upon the spirits of the netherworld, and you awaken with the awakened talent of 'Feast on Incense Offerings'.

Feast on Incense Offerings - The Power of Stealing Gods for Personal Use

The living cannot receive incense offerings; only the dead can become gods.

In the face of crisis, you set your sights on the village's Earth God Temple, home to a weak god. You begin to nurture him, stealing his divine power to overcome the danger.

But as you embark on the path of cultivation, you discover a family curse—a life expectancy of only forty years. Your father fakes his death, and your wife, whose surname was originally Fan, becomes enraged.

The situation unfolds beyond your expectations. The curse that befalls you, the mysteries surrounding your father's faked death, and your wife's background—all are shrouded in enigma.

You immerse yourself in the world of the three teachings and nine currents, a realm of demons, taboos, and the Jianghu. Thus, the God Stealer's reputation spreads far and wide.

From being a God Stealer to becoming the only god in the secular world, your life is filled with both praise and criticism. Yet, you merely say, "If the gods won't save me, I can only become a god myself."

"Even if it's a stolen god!"

---

The synopsis falls short, so please refer to the main text.

Also known as:

Folklore: I Truly Didn't Know My Wife Was the Black Impermanence!

Folklore: Steal Their Divine Power, Forge My Path to Divinity!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end