Chapter 62: Whoever Utters His Name Shall Surely Be Known

Inside the settlement, the night passed uneventfully...

At dawn, the crowing of roosters outside roused Song Qi from his sleep.

He first expressed his thanks to Lu Bu, then dismissed him back into the system. After a simple wash, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and briskly drew back the curtains.

Brilliant sunlight spilled onto his face—warm and comforting.

“Ah... another peaceful day,” Song Qi said, hands on his hips, eyes closed, savoring this rare tranquility.

He basked for a while before opening his eyes in satisfaction to look downstairs.

The first bus shuttling between the city and the settlement had just arrived.

After checking his belongings and confirming nothing was left behind, Song Qi went downstairs. But instead of boarding immediately, he sat nearby, making sure the first bus departed without incident before boarding the second.

...

Over an hour later...

Song Qi finally returned to the Seventh District.

Without delay, he headed straight for the twelfth floor of the Lord’s Manor.

The city lord, as always, reclined leisurely in his chair, sipping tea. Seeing Song Qi’s return, he asked, almost absentmindedly, “Why are you back so soon? Didn’t you say you were heading out to hunt monsters and level up? It’s only the second day.”

Song Qi didn’t waste words. He took out the Demon Cult’s statue from his system inventory.

The city lord’s brows furrowed as he glanced at it; his previously nonchalant expression sharpened instantly.

He recognized the statue’s origin at a glance.

“The Demon Cult? Where did you get this statue?”

Song Qi pointed outside the city. “At the Endless Snowfield settlement.”

...

A dozen minutes later, Song Qi recounted his entire experience.

The city lord held the eerie statue, pondering for a long time.

After a while, he sighed. “The Demon Cult... Those bastards have extended their reach to the Seventh District? And I hadn’t heard a word of it...”

He stood up and paced, deep in thought.

“From your account, it seems they haven’t established themselves here yet. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be randomly grabbing professionals by the roadside and forcing them to join.”

“That means they’re still desperately short on resources—at the earliest stage of their operations.”

“That, at least, is good news for me.”

“But if they’ve brought a bust of their lord here, it means they attach great importance to the Seventh District. I fear my rule won’t be peaceful for long.”

“Troublesome, indeed.”

Hearing this, Song Qi felt puzzled. “City lord, this statue is of the demon race, right? Who is it carved after? And what does a bust signify?”

“It is indeed of the demon race, but as for who...” The city lord shook his head. “That’s not something you can access for now.”

“Whoever so much as thinks his name will be noticed.”

“Being targeted by him is not a fate you want.”

Just thinking the name will draw his attention? Song Qi admitted he was unsettled.

Was that horned figure really so monstrously powerful? Such abilities he’d only heard attributed to gods.

Could the horned one be an outer-world demon deity?

The city lord paused, then continued, “The statue is their means of conveying crucial orders, containing information only their own can decipher.”

“There are two types—busts and full figures. Busts mean they’re to act covertly, while a full figure means there’s no need for restraint.”

“But no matter which, the appearance of a statue means the mission is of utmost importance.”

“As for this particular statue, aside from the figure being somewhat special, there’s nothing else remarkable about it.”

Song Qi had a flash of understanding. “I see.” He nodded, then suddenly realized something.

“Wait! The statue contains information? Information only they can decipher?”

“Could Ying Zheng interpret it?”

He remembered that Ying Zheng possessed a skill called Unified Script.

[Unified Script: Ying Zheng can read any written language and understand its meaning.]

“City lord, let me have a look at the statue.”

“Go ahead.”

Song Qi took the statue. Running his fingers over it, he noticed rows of tiny, dense bumps. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but after the city lord’s explanation, he realized these could be something like braille.

“Braille should also count as a form of script, right? That means Ying Zheng probably can read it!”

A pleasant surprise!

With a snap of his fingers, Ying Zheng appeared out of thin air and saluted.

“Sir, why have you called for me?”

“Take a look at this statue. Can you decipher the writing upon it?”

“I can give it a try.”

Ying Zheng took the statue, ran his fingers lightly over it, and soon fell into thought.

“Well?” Song Qi asked, tense.

Ying Zheng smiled and nodded. “As you wished, I’ve understood it.”

“There are three lines of script on the statue. The first two are prayers, with little practical meaning.”

“The third line says: ‘The Gate of Obes is about to open. The fourth key has emerged in the depths of the Endless Snowfield.’”

“The Gate of Obes? The key?”

The city lord was taken aback. At first, he doubted Ying Zheng’s ability, but upon hearing the name “Gate of Obes,” he was convinced. Among the human race, only a select few knew of this name.

“The Gate of Obes... what is it?” Song Qi was at a loss—he’d never heard of it before. Was it some unique treasure crafted by a great figure?

“The Gate of Obes translates as ‘Abyssal Gate,’” the city lord replied, cutting in before Ying Zheng could speak. For once, his expression was grave.

“The Abyssal Gate is a passage connecting to the world’s negative will. Open it, and endless legions of demons will flood out!”

“But the issue is...” He paused, his brows knotting.

“Isn’t the Demon Cult supposed to worship extra-dimensional demons?”

“Though the Abyssal Gate unleashes demon armies, they and outer-world demons are entirely different.”

“One is a negative entity born of this world’s will; the other is an invader from beyond.”

Despite his doubts, the city lord’s demeanor relaxed somewhat at the mention of the Abyssal Gate.

“Song Qi, aside from the statue, did you find anything else on them?”

“Their equipment and storage rings—I brought them all back.”

With a wave of his hand, a heap of gear appeared between the two of them.

Armor, weapons, boots, and protective gear formed a small mountain.

The city lord glanced at it and lost interest. “Can you glean anything from this junk?”

“Give me the storage rings. I’ll open them for you.”

He took the four rings from Song Qi, wiped them with a casual gesture.

In an instant, the spiritual imprints were erased and the contents emptied, piling up together.

Digging through the pile, the city lord soon fished out a tattered piece of parchment.

The parchment was smooth, bearing an extremely crude map with three marked points. From the adjacent notes, the location could be identified as the Endless Snowfield.

“If I’m not mistaken, this should indicate the hiding place of the fourth key.”

A satisfied smile appeared on the city lord’s face.

“Though I have no idea what those Demon Cult bastards are plotting—”

“But whatever the enemy aims to do, our task is to destroy it!”