At these words, a flicker of surprise crossed Chu Muyunâs eyes.
"Oh? Are you also interested in the Path to Godhood?"
"A little. And since Iâm planning to become a law enforcement officer, I thoughtâŠ"
"Law enforcement officer." Chu Muyun nodded. "So, youâre planning to walk the âPath of the Soldierâ?"
"I guess so⊠Isnât that the only path for law enforcement officers?"
"Who told you that?" Chu Muyun chuckled lightly. "While the majority of law enforcement officersâor rather, law enforcement judgesâfollow the âPath of the Soldier,â since itâs the only divine path controlled by the Aurora Domain, there are also other divine paths among the judges in Aurora City. Those who walk other paths can also become law enforcement judges."
"I donât have any special talents. I might not even have a chance to become a
[Divine Favored]
." Chen Ling sighed. "Most likely, Iâll just have to wait until Iâve been a law enforcement officer for three years and try my luck at the âSoldierâs Ancient RepositoryââŠ"
"Brother, who says you donât have talent!" Chen Yan immediately put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Youâre so amazing. Iâm sure many of those⊠divine paths would fight to have you!"
Chen Ling smiled bitterly.
Chen Ling was telling the truth⊠From his previous life, he had always been an unremarkable drop in the ocean of mediocrity.
As a child, his parents had forced him to learn some arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but he hadnât excelled in any of them. By the time he grew up, he had forgotten it all. His academic performance was average, his physical fitness poorâhe was the kind of person who knew a little about everything but was truly good at nothing.
The Chen Ling of this life was no different.
With two lifetimes of mediocrity stacked together, Chen Ling didnât believe he had the potential to be chosen by any divine pathâŠ
"Talent is hard to predict," Chu Muyun said thoughtfully. "Some people might possess a certain talent but never reveal it. Perhaps the right moment just hasnât come yetâŠ"
"If itâs the Path of the Soldier, how can I know if I have the talent for it?"
"Thatâs simple."
The smile on Chu Muyunâs face gradually faded, replaced by an extremely indifferent tone. "Go kill someone⊠If one isnât enough, kill ten. If ten arenât enough, kill a hundred⊠If you kill a thousand and the Path of the Soldier still doesnât favor you, then you can be sure you donât have the talent."
Chen Lingâs chopsticks paused, and the living room fell into dead silence.
"Just kidding." Chu Muyun laughed, as if the icy atmosphere had melted, and a warm breeze once again swept over the dining table. "If you donât want to kill, then youâll just have to enter the Ancient Repository⊠Three years might seem long, but youâre still young. You can afford to wait."
KillingâŠ
Chen Ling looked down at the rice in his bowl, recalling the scene of the red-paper monster killing the two law enforcement officers that night. Suddenly, he felt nauseous.
Chen Ling was an ordinary person. Even though he had killed countless people in video games in his previous life and watched plenty of bloody movies, the thought of actually picking up a knife and killing someone was something he couldnât stomach⊠He couldnât cross that line in his heart, the line built by reason and compassion.
"Then what are âpathsâ?"
Chen Ling remembered the
[Dance of Slaughter]
he had extracted from Han Meng, which came from the
[Judgment]
path of the Path of the Soldier. But he didnât understand what "paths" actually were.
"You even know about âpathsâ?" Chu Muyun looked at him in surprise.
"Let me put it this way. If becoming a god is like climbing a mountain, then besides the main road, there are also âsmall paths.â The divine path is the main road, while âpathsâ are the branching routes that extend based on each personâs personality and talents.
For example, Han Meng is quite stubborn and has a strong sense of justice, so he follows the
[Judgment]
path⊠Accordingly, the abilities he gains at different stages of ascension might differ from other paths, reflecting his personal characteristics."
Chen Ling pondered this. "How many paths are there for a single divine path?"
"Thatâs hard to say. Some divine paths are more popular, so naturally, more branching paths have been explored. For example, the Path of the Soldier has seven known âpaths.â But for some of the more obscure divine paths, there might only be a few."
"Dr. Chu, are you also a practitioner of a divine path?" Chen Ling thought of Dr. Linâs evaluation of him and asked curiously.
"Yes," Chu Muyun admitted openly. "I walk the âPath of the Healer.â"
"Path of the Healer? Is the Healer's Ancient Repository also in the Aurora Domain?"
The moment he asked this, Chen Ling realized something and exclaimed in surprise, "You⊠are a
[Divine Favored]
?"
Chu Muyun smiled without answering.
Although Chen Ling had guessed that Chu Muyun followed the Path of the Healer, he hadnât expected him to be a
[Divine Favored]
⊠Wasnât this supposed to be extremely rare? How had he stumbled upon one so casually?
"What does it feel like to become a
[Divine Favored]
?" Chen Ling couldnât help but ask.
Chu Muyun thought for a moment.
"Hmm⊠Itâs hard to describe. Itâs like suddenly feeling transcendent, as if a gaze from the beyond is watching you⊠Then, the environment around you changes, and a path leading into the void appears before youâŠ"
"The divine path? Itâs a real road? Not an illusion?"
"Itâs real, at least in that moment. But before you step onto it, it floats in the sky, swaying constantly, like⊠likeâŠ" Chu Muyun struggled to find the right word.
"Like a ribbon?" Chen Yan, who had been quietly eating, suddenly spoke up.
"A ribbon?" Chen Ling looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, a ribbon." Chu Muyunâs eyes lit up, and he continued, "Then, the moment you step onto it, it solidifies and disappears⊠Even though you canât see it, it remains within you forever."
Chen Ling looked at Chen Yan in confusion, but the latter shrank his neck and whispered, "I just⊠said it based on his description."
"âŠAlright."
Chen Ling sighed. "I hope Iâll have the chance to step onto a divine path one day."
After finishing the meal, Chen Yan dutifully rolled up his sleeves to wash the dishes. Chu Muyun, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a book and sat by the kerosene lamp, reading by its faint light. His expression shifted between frowns and confusion, as if deep in thought.
As the night deepened, the three of them retired to their respective rooms.
Chen Ling was the last to leave. He blew out the candle on the table, and with a flicker of flame, the room plunged into darknessâŠ
His gaze turned toward Chen Yanâs room.
Chen Ling slowly walked to Chen Yanâs door and pulled out a broken talisman of peace from his pocket. Just as he was about to knock, his knuckles froze mid-air.
[âI⊠I⊠After I woke up from the surgery, I waited in the hospital for you to come get me⊠Then, I heard people outside talking about an âApocalypse' Calamity invading, and I got really worried.
[I sneaked out of the hospital when no one was looking, planning to come home and find you⊠Then I saw you hanging from a monsterâŠâ]
[âThe law enforcement officers seemed short-handed. They only sealed off the outer areas of Districts Two and Three, but there werenât many people guarding the area between the two districts. I sneaked through.â]
[âBrother, arenât we going to run?â]
[âBrother, itâs okay even if you turn into a monster⊠As long as⊠youâre still you.â]
[âThat doctor seems really skilled. I recovered quickly.â]
[âI donât know⊠Maybe I lost it while running back.â]
Chen Yanâs words kept flashing through Chen Lingâs mind. His knuckles clenched tighter and tighter⊠He looked at the talisman in his hand, his eyes filled with confusion and doubt.
Ever since finding this talisman in the ruins of Ice Spring Street, Chen Lingâs heart had been on edge. Even after walking back for two hours, his mind had been preoccupied with this one thingâŠ
Thinking carefully, there were many things about Chen Yanâs appearance that couldnât be explained.
The timing and location of his appearance were just too coincidental⊠Could a boy who had just undergone a heart transplant really sneak past the law enforcement blockade and walk for over two hours to the back mountain?
Or⊠was he no longer human either?