Chapter 1174: He Will Die

Danbie was somewhat speechless, and he sneered, "What kind of gibberish are you talking about? This is the Great Wilderness. The Great Wilderness has never had any 'Divine Lord' who preaches equality for all beings, as you claim."

Among the other guests from the Danque Tribe, some chuckled, "To say there's no difference between cultivation realms and spiritual cultivation—are you perhaps a fool? Cultivation realm is the foundation of the Great Dao, and spiritual cultivation is the essence of one's practice. Foundation Establishment and Golden Core are worlds apart; how could there be no difference?"

A buzz arose among the attendees. Some chuckled, some shook their heads, and some looked at Danzhu without speaking.

Once the discussion quieted down slightly, Danbie looked at Mohua and said indifferently, "My Danque Tribe is a major tribe; our ancestors once held high positions within the Vermillion Bird Royal Court of the Great Wilderness. We are not those crude, savage small tribes who will listen to your wild claims. We are very well-informed about the affairs of shamans. Tell me, where exactly are you from, Master Shaman? And who exactly is this 'Divine Lord' you believe in? What are your intentions in coming to my Danque Tribe?"

On the high platform, surrounded by beautiful concubines, the burly and majestic Great Chieftain of the Danque Tribe also looked over, his gaze, heavy with pressure, falling upon Mohua. There was not a trace of goodwill in this gaze.

Seeing Mohua being questioned, Danzhu began, "Father—"

The Great Chieftain of the Danque Tribe shook his head, not allowing Danzhu to continue. Instead, he looked at Mohua, his voice deep and authoritative, "According to tribal law, impersonating a shaman is a capital offense. The punishment is dismemberment by chariots, with the body thrown into the deep mountains to feed the black sparrows, denying rebirth—"

Mohua's heart sank slightly. These chieftains and elders of the Danque Tribe were indeed shrewd individuals, not easily fooled, unlike Danzhu, this "child," who was so honest and naive.

Hearing that Mohua was to be "dismembered by chariots," Danzhu suddenly stood up and urgently said, "Father, Master Shaman was specially invited by your son. He—"

The Great Chieftain waved his hand and said with a stern expression, "Danzhu, you are my youngest son, and I care deeply for you. But you don't understand the treachery of human hearts in this world. This man deliberately approached you and surely has ulterior motives. For your sake, and for the tribe's, we must be cautious."

Danzhu wanted to say that Master Shaman had not "deliberately" approached him. Rather, he had heard a "revelation" from a deity in his dream, which led him to seek out and find Master Shaman himself. Furthermore, Master Shaman didn't know him at all; it was Danzhu's fervent invitation that brought Master Shaman to the Danque Tribe. None of this was "deliberate."

But as the words reached his lips, Danzhu didn't know how to speak them. After all, the matter of a deity appearing in a dream indeed sounded mystical and would be hard to use as "evidence." Danzhu felt a pang of anxiety.

Mohua, however, maintained a serene expression, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

The Great Chieftain glanced at Mohua and asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

Mohua's gaze was firm as he replied, "My destiny has already been offered to the Divine Lord. If the Divine Lord wishes me to die, then I shall die. If the Divine Lord does not wish me to die, then no worldly mortal, heretical deity, or demon can harm me in the slightest."

Mohua exuded an aura of tenacious faith. It was as if in his eyes, his heart, even his soul, and in every aspect of his being, the only thing that existed was devout faith in the divine. This was also an alternative use of the "Dao Heart Seed Demon" technique. By cultivating the "Dao Heart Seed Demon" within himself, Mohua made himself devout, and thus he would believe himself to be the most devout person in this world. And his appearance, like one who had dedicated his life's efforts to the great cause of the divine, made him seem more like a true shaman than any ordinary "shaman."

Even though he was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, with the "belief" of the divine imbued within him, his entire being exuded an awe-inspiring and inviolable aura. For a moment, everyone present was secretly startled and felt unsettled. Even Danbie, for a moment, felt a tinge of self-doubt. "Could this mysterious, eccentric youth, whose origins are unknown, truly be—a shaman?"

Only the Great Chieftain on the main seat had eyes as deep as a hawk's. He neither affirmed nor denied, simply saying, "Prove your identity. If you are capable of proving you are a shaman, my Danque Tribe will naturally treat you with the highest tribal courtesies. Otherwise—"

The Great Chieftain's gaze sharpened. He didn't speak the rest of the words, but the meaning was clear. If Mohua failed to prove his identity as a shaman, he would naturally be considered a "heretic" by the Danque Tribe, a "schemer" who had infiltrated their ranks with ill intent, and would surely be surrounded and killed, or even suffer the punishment of dismemberment by chariots to feed demons.

Stated thus, it was indeed reasonable. Mohua's eyes flickered slightly. But how was he to prove his identity as a shaman? In the smaller, wilder places, he might have easily fooled people, but here in the Danque Tribe, it wouldn't be so simple.

Mohua's mind raced. Jade slips or documents from the Great Wilderness Royal Court? He was a fake to begin with; he didn't possess any such items. The deceased "Master Shaman" from the Canglang Sect in Lizhou also had nothing presentable to prove his shaman identity. Mohua did, however, possess the "Dragon Banner" of rebellion from the Great Wilderness. But he certainly couldn't produce that. What if the news leaked, or if some powerful cultivators discerned the karmic ties? Then his reputation as "Dao Court's Number One Arch-Rebel" would surely be solidified, and he wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

Other than that, the only option was the "Sacred Runes" of the Four Symbols formation system. However, the Danque Tribe was a large tribe, unlike the backward small tribes like the Wutu Tribe or the Heijiao Tribe. It likely possessed a relatively complete inheritance of Four Symbols formation techniques. But Mohua didn't know the approximate level of their Four Symbols formation mastery. Nor did he know what level of Four Symbols formation he needed to draw to perfectly prove his shaman identity, earn respect, and at the same time conceal his true strength. This "balance" was difficult to strike. If he drew something too simple, he would risk appearing to "teach a master." That would greatly diminish his standing as a "shaman" and fail to gain the trust of the Great Chieftain of the Danque Tribe. But if he drew something too complex, for instance, directly depicting the "Ten Thousand Beasts Returning to Dragon" type of formation patterns he was currently researching—this would involve the knowledge of "Dragon Creation Diagrams." Mohua was also unsure if this would violate the taboos of the Great Wilderness Royal Court. Would the Danque Tribe immediately consider him a "rebel" and cut him down on the spot? He needed to let these barbarian tribesmen of Danque know that he was proficient in Sacred Runes and formidable in formations, but without letting them know just how formidable he truly was. This would require a "gamble." Mohua was new to the place, didn't know much about the Danque Tribe, and found it difficult to gauge the proper measure.

"Besides Sacred Runes, what other methods are there—"

Just as he was pondering this, Mohua's peripheral vision caught something, and he glanced at the platform. His gaze involuntarily fell upon a guard standing at the foot of the steps, about ten zhang away, to the Great Chieftain's right. This guard, clad in barbarian armor, was young and handsome. However, his glabella was black, and intensely so.

Mohua's heart was slightly startled. After a moment's thought, his gaze turned serious. He pointed at the guard and stated solemnly, "This person will die."

The guard pointed at by Mohua looked startled. The Great Chieftain on the high seat, however, felt a slight tremor in his pupils. Danbie was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "Isn't that obvious? Who doesn't die?"

Mohua shook his head and slowly said, "It's different. Unless one achieves the Dao and becomes an immortal, everyone eventually dies. But this person is different; he will die very soon."

Danbie said coldly, "No need to be so mystical or make things sound profound. Tell us clearly, how many days until he dies?"

Mohua looked at the thick, almost unyielding black aura on the guard's glabella, calculated silently in his mind, and then said, "One day."

"One day?"

"Yes," Mohua nodded, "This is a revelation from the Divine Lord. This person will die within one day."

Danbie felt a bit surprised. He had thought Mohua would name a longer period, at least seven days, or even three. Yet Mohua only said one day. Wasn't he pushing himself to the brink of death?

"Good!" Danbie immediately declared, "One day it is. If this guard dies within one day, I shall honor you as a 'shaman,' and the Danque Tribe will treat you as our most esteemed guest." Danbie grinned. "But if he not only doesn't die but remains perfectly fine, then you are a false 'shaman,' guilty of impersonating and misusing a divine name, and desecrating the Royal Court—a capital offense. My Danque Tribe will surely execute you with extreme punishment."

Danzhu frowned and said, "Third Brother, this isn't fair."

Danbie sighed helplessly, "My brother, your Third Brother is worried about you, afraid that your kind heart will be deceived by this foreign 'shaman.' Don't you understand my good intentions, speaking up for an outsider instead?"

Danzhu shook his head and said, "Master Shaman is a 'guest' whom I invited. Where is the logic in inviting a guest only for them to be troubled and killed?"

Danbie's gaze was somewhat cold. "Brother, you are still young and unaware of human baseness. This person, upon coming to my Danque Tribe, likely harbored ulterior motives from the start. You've merely been deceived by him and become his pawn."

Yet Danzhu still shook his head, defending Mohua, "Third Brother, the facts haven't been clarified. These are not excuses for wanton killing."

Danbie, unwilling to waste more words with him, turned his head to Mohua and asked, "Are you willing to accept what I just proposed? Do you dare to stake your life for your Divine Lord, for your reputation?"

Mohua nodded calmly and said, "Very well."

Danbie's heart rejoiced. Danzhu anxiously glanced at Mohua, somewhat blaming him for being too reckless, for agreeing to this gamble so readily. This was clearly his third brother deliberately making things difficult. This Master Shaman also treated his own life too lightly. Mohua, however, remained completely composed.

Meanwhile, the Great Chieftain of the Danque Tribe on the high platform remained silent throughout. The atmosphere in the great hall was somewhat heavy. Danbie gave Mohua no chance to retract, saying, "Then this wager begins now."

He began timing in his mind. At the same time, he said to the young, handsome guard, "Come here and stand by my side." The guard obeyed and walked to Danbie's side. Danbie then summoned several Golden Core elders, who each activated their magic artifacts, completely encircling and protecting the guard. Magic artifacts floated in the air, spiritual energy permeated the space, and the aura was sealed off; truly, not even a fly could get in.

Danbie cast a wary glance at Mohua, a cold sneer forming in his heart. "Just by spouting empty words, you think you can determine life and death? If it were a newborn infant, or an old man with one foot in the grave, then perhaps—But this is a young, vigorous guard. Here in the main hall of the Danque Tribe's chieftaincy, guarded by a host of Golden Core cultivators, and still under my watchful eye, I'd like to see how this person will die within a single day."

Danbie watched Mohua with amusement. Mohua maintained his devout expression, making no move. Danzhu frowned, his expression solemn. All the barbarian cultivators of the Danque Tribe in the great hall had varying expressions, but no one spoke or made any other moves.

This was originally an ordinary family banquet. Those who could participate were all relatives and friends from the Great Chieftain's lineage. Everyone would chat, eat, and then leave once the meal was over. But now, a family banquet that should have long concluded was prolonged for an extended period due to Mohua, this unforeseen event. Yet everyone involuntarily remained; not a single person left. Even the Great Chieftain, embracing a beautiful concubine with a slender waist and eating jade-like grapes, showed no trace of emotion on his face, his thoughts unknown.

Inside the great hall, everyone had different thoughts. In the pervasive silence, time flowed by, second by second. Before anyone realized it, most of the day had passed. The young guard remained perfectly fine, standing in place. No one attacked him, he wasn't poisoned, he didn't fall ill, nor did he suffer qi deviation—there was no sign of impending disaster. Nor could Mohua personally kill him just to prove his "prophecy" was correct. Moreover, with so many people watching, it would be difficult for him to act. If he were to kill, he would also attract karmic retribution.

Thus, the agreed-upon one-day period drew to a close, with less than a quarter of an hour remaining before its end. The gazes of the crowd towards Mohua became laden with subtle meaning. Danbie's eyes held a cold glint; he was ready to suppress Mohua, this "failed prophet" and false shaman, as soon as the time was up. If Mohua dared to resist, he would be killed without question. In Danzhu's eyes, there was solemn determination; he was prepared to stand in front of Mohua and protect him completely as soon as the moment arrived. The atmosphere was heavy. The others looked at Mohua as if he were a dead man.

Just then, the Great Chieftain on the high seat suddenly stood up. To everyone's astonishment, he walked straight down from the platform, extended a palm as wide as a cattail fan, and with a single strike, shattered the guard's skull. The guard died in terror.

Everyone present was visibly shaken. Mohua's expression also subtly changed. The Great Chieftain, after killing the guard with a single palm strike, turned to Mohua, nodded calmly, and said, "Your calculation was very accurate. He did indeed die within one day."

Mohua's pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with bewilderment. The Great Chieftain had killed the guard himself? Why? He hadn't used the "Dao Heart Seed Demon" technique on him! Just at that moment, Mohua's peripheral vision flickered towards the high platform, and he happened to see a beautiful concubine in the crowd whose face was pale, her lips tightly pressed, her body trembling slightly, and her expression a mix of terror and fear.

In an instant, Mohua's mind became clear. Adultery?! This young, handsome guard, brazenly audacious, had actually been having an affair with the chieftain's beautiful concubine. That's why the Chieftain had personally killed him with a single palm strike. His "prophecy" had given the Chieftain an "excuse," and the Chieftain had, by his own hand, fulfilled his "prophecy." In a sense, this was also a "karmic" closed loop. Mohua felt a subtle complexity.

The Great Chieftain then looked at Mohua and said in a deep voice, "Master Shaman, from now on, you are an honored guest of my Danque Tribe."