Chapter 127: About to Become Bandits Again

Gu Sha felt a pang of regret for his impulsiveness.

Just then, his phone rang. He picked it up to see that it was a call from the First Elder of the Longzhou Cabinet.

Gu Sha answered, and the tired voice of the First Elder came through: "Gu Sha, how have you been lately?"

"I'm doing fine," Gu Sha replied.

"That's good," the First Elder said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. After a long silence, he added, "I’m sorry, Gu Sha. I can no longer control the public opinion against you online."

"It doesn't matter."

Gu Sha answered, but then he realized something seemed off about the First Elder’s tone. He asked skeptically, "Elder, has something happened on your end?"

There was a pause on the other side before the First Elder replied, "Gu Sha, there’s no need to call me Elder anymore. I have stepped down. The federal government is about to become a thing of the past as we enter a new era. Whether this is a blessing or a curse, I cannot say."

"What do you mean?" Gu Sha asked, puzzled.

The First Elder explained, "The attacks against you online were deliberately orchestrated. Their purpose is..."

"To build momentum for those so-called gods?" Gu Sha asked.

"Yes," the First Elder said. "Ordinary people don't know the truth; they all think these 'gods' have come to help us. Of course... one cannot deny that they did indeed help us survive this catastrophe. But the price is that Earth has been carved up by them."

"These 'gods' come from other civilizations in the universe, and each has its own faction behind it. Earth is merely a hunting ground they have taken an interest in. Take Longzhou, for example; it has already been partitioned by thirty or forty different divine factions, each claiming their own territory."

"They have forcibly dissolved the official government and are rebuilding a new civilization based on self-governance through sects and clans. The federal government didn't oppose it—there was, of course, little room to oppose it. However, from another perspective, perhaps what they are doing is a good thing for humanity as a whole, because they do have the power to preserve the seeds of our species. My only concern is whether they will drain Earth of all its value and then leave, abandoning us to rot in the ruins they leave behind!"

Gu Sha fell silent.

He had actually known that this would happen to Earth. In his several visions of the future, he had seen the landscape of the planet change.

Those who called themselves gods and the strange beasts established various factions, occupying sacred sites and crazily plundering the opportunities on Earth.

Yet, from another point of view, they were indeed resisting the invasion of the Light Clan from the Tianyuan Realm. The gods referred to the Tianyuan Realm as the Dark Clan and called the invasion the "Dark Invasion." While the situation elsewhere in the universe was unclear, on Earth, these gods held absolute control and were constantly working to restore the human homeland.

In the short term, their actions were beneficial to humanity.

The First Elder chuckled softly. "I didn't call you just to complain. There are two reasons: first, to say goodbye to you, as I don't know if we’ll ever have the chance to meet again. Second, I received news that you are in the Taihang Mountains. I wanted to warn you that those divine factions are gathering personnel and will be exploring the Taihang Mountains in the coming days. Please, take care of yourself."

Gu Sha raised an eyebrow.

Although he had foreseen the future several times, he truly hadn't known exactly when those beings from the upper realms would begin their exploration of the Taihang Mountains.

"The Taihang Mountains are special," the First Elder continued. "The gods have divided up their territories, but they haven't touched top-tier landmarks like the Taihang Mountains yet. The reason, presumably, is that the opportunities within these mountains are too rich, and none of them are willing to yield. It will inevitably be a bloodbath. I know your temper, but if you can, try your best to avoid conflict with those divine factions. Their foundations are terrifying."

"Understood. I will be careful," Gu Sha said.

"Sigh," the First Elder exhaled. "Gu Sha, you must stay safe and keep living. I don't know why, but I always feel that those divine factions aren't right. Even though they seem to be resisting the Tianyuan Realm now, and I can't put my finger on the problem, I have a feeling that Earth will eventually be abandoned by them. When that time comes... the last hope for Earth might just be you!"

Gu Sha didn't know how to respond to this.

He wanted to tell the old man that he had no interest in being a savior and that he didn't care whether Earth’s future ended in life or destruction.

However, remembering the scenes of his time with this man, Gu Sha didn't want to leave him in despair even after he had stepped down.

Before Gu Sha could speak, the First Elder seemed to read his mind and laughed. "I know you have no interest in being a savior. I know you are someone with both divine and demonic natures, and I don't expect you to save humanity out of the goodness of your heart. But just like when you came to J-City, I supported you unconditionally even though I knew you were cold-natured. It’s because, regardless of whether you care about humanity, the very fact that you are human destines you to be in natural opposition to the camp that seeks to destroy us. Therefore, as long as you live, humanity will not go extinct."

Gu Sha was slightly stunned. The First Elder had a point.

"Gu Sha."

"Yes?"

"My surname is Qin, the Qin of the Qin Dynasty," the First Elder said. "If we have the chance to meet again in the future, I’ll treat you to tea... ah, never mind, that would be a waste on you. I’ll treat you to a soda!"

"Alright, Elder Qin. I'll keep that in mind," Gu Sha replied.

"Good, that's all then," Elder Qin mused for a moment. "Keep living. I know you don't need hope, but as long as you live, countless others will have hope. Child... keep your indifference. Only then, no matter how the world changes, will you never grow tired. Warm-hearted people are always burdened with responsibilities they never wanted to carry!"

...

After hanging up, Gu Sha narrowed his eyes slightly and muttered, "Is it starting? Then... I suppose it's time to be a bandit again!"

Immediately, Gu Sha ran to the plaza where he had parked his aircraft—he had moved it there a few days prior.

From his backpack, he took out a map of the Taihang Mountains. This was a map he had spent a great deal of time compiling before the Scarlet Descent, marking locations that held high-quality heavenly treasures.

That night, the shrill cries of beasts echoed throughout the Taihang Mountains.

And this was only the beginning.

Ever since the hidden realms of the Taihang Mountains manifested, countless strange beasts and mutated monsters, relying on their powerful innate instincts, had poured into the ranges, guarding the immature, rare flowers and fruits. After brutal slaughters, the most powerful beasts had carved out their own territories and were diligently guarding their own opportunities.

And then, their guard was broken by Gu Sha, and their treasures were stolen!