Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: The City of Wish Power

However, the problem lay in this: if this Divination House truly possessed such extraordinary powers, why would it be located in such a remote area?

Someone with these abilities ought to find themselves rich beyond their wildest dreams.

“It’s not particularly troublesome… Or rather, your divination results have been quite accurate, and I’ve benefited greatly from them.”

The old man said with a smile, “That’s good to hear.

“Can I get another reading?” Shi Dong asked after pondering for a moment. “For example, my fortune in the future…”

The other party stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I can sense that you no longer feel any impending concerns weighing on your shoulders. Once you lose something like that, blind divination will only lead to more blind results. Moreover, I must warn you, child… Prayer always comes with a price, one that is akin to a snowball. It may be easy for anyone to bear initially, but once it begins to roll, it becomes increasingly difficult for most people to extricate themselves.”

Shi Dong suppressed all sorts of thoughts from his mind and let out a long sigh. Whether it was coincidence or not, this man had helped him nonetheless. In a sense, the old man could be considered as the savior of his sister; he couldn’t afford to suspect the stranger.

Shi Dong reached into his waist pouch, pulled out three silver coins, and placed them on the small table. “Here’s your fee.”

“Wait, there’s one more thing,” the old man called out before turning around with a thin sheet of paper. “We agreed that the Divination must be sealed by contract, so only when you sign will this matter truly be settled.”

“Hm? I’m not going to put my name or seal on something like this.” Shi Dong frowned. During their first meeting, the old man did mention a similar request, but he hadn’t taken it seriously at the time. After all, wasn’t the point of coming here for work to earn money? If the money is paid, then everything is fine; what are these rules for? “How about paying an extra Seryl?”

“The deal is what it is; contracts cannot be changed.” The old man’s direct rejection took Shi Dong by surprise. “Of course, I understand your concerns as well, so there is no need to sign with either your name or seal. As long as you’re sincere, any mark will do, including your fingerprint, personal belongings, or even a strand of hair.

Was this man truly insane, willing to exchange silver for a single strand of hair?

Since he wasn’t required to sign anything, Shi Dong wasted no more time on pleasantries and plucked a strand from his head, pressing it onto the paper. With one last word, he completed the contract: “The contract has been sealed. Is that good enough?”

The elder gave him a satisfied look and said, “The contract has been sealed.”

Shi Dong was unwilling to stay another moment longer, so he stood up, bent at the waist, and walked out of the tent. The instant the curtain fell back down, he felt an invisible pressure dissipate, and even the scent of the air in the West Street district seemed much fresher. At the same time, exhaustion crept over him, causing his steps to lose their usual steadiness.

I hope I’ll never have to return here again.

He cast a deep glance at the banner above the tent before striding toward the city wall.

***
“Phew, is this what it feels like to receive Wish Power feedback? It’s way too good…” Chaoyang closed his eyes and felt the warmth filling him up, unable to help but sigh with admiration. This sensation was akin to that of someone who had gone hungry for seven or eight days encountering delicious food once more, without worrying about overindulgence.

Unfortunately, the amount of this wish power wasn’t particularly large, so the surging warmth quickly subsided. Although it temporarily relieved his most pressing need, after deducting various expenses, he estimated it would only be enough to sustain him for another half month at best—far from enough to guarantee a worry-free life.

“I still have to keep searching for customers,” he murmured, licking his lips.

Even Chaoyang found it difficult to believe when he said it aloud: less than a month ago, he was just one of countless workers, yet now he had become a “demon” capable of traversing between two worlds.

All these unbelievable changes stemmed from the morning of his awakening.

That’s right, he had awakened, becoming a demon—the legendary species that survived solely on Wish Power. Just as mammalian infants instinctively sought out their mother’s milk, Chaoyang understood in that instant the key to his own existence.

He was a demon who sought out those with fervent desires, fulfilled their wishes, and collected their souls—in other words, extracted the power contained within their souls.

But Chaoyang soon discovered that the world he now lived in-no longer had such things.

Despite the fact that Eastern temples were still crowded with worshippers and Western churches filled with believers, he could not absorb even the slightest bit of Wish Power. This situation wasn’t merely disheartening—it was utterly bleak.

Of course, there were still some exceptions.

For instance, when children made birthday wishes or pet owners searched for lost cats and dogs, he occasionally managed to catch glimpses of the faintest traces of Wish Power. But this meager feedback couldn’t compare to the cost of fulfilling these wishes; it barely covered the expenditure required to sustain the process itself.

Demons without Wish Power would gradually weaken until they ultimately met their demise—just like someone afflicted with some mysterious terminal illness as far as outsiders were concerned.

Even more terrifyingly, Chaoyang had no way of resisting this fate.

At themoment of his awakening, Chaoyang also learned the true nature of demonic blood: it wasn’t inherited through blood relations but awakened at random, much like buying lottery tickets. This phenomenon had been present throughout human history, regardless of time or place. Perhaps when humans first conceived the notion of making wishes, this ability already existed.

During these past few weeks, Chaoyang quit his job and wandered all over the world, searching for someone with powerful Wish Power—or even another like himself would suffice

But alas, his efforts proved fruitless; he found neither, and his body continued to weaken.

It was easy to deduce that every unfortunate soul who awakened as a demon had met their demise by now.

Just as Chaoyang began fearing he’d meet the same end, an unexpected opportunity presented itself—his Spiritual Eyes didn’t lead him to find his kind, instead discovering a strange fissure. With nothing left to lose, he exerted all his strength to pass through the rift, thus arriving at this mystical land known as Glorious Fortress.
…
Chaoyang emerged from the shed through the back door.

The moment he stepped out of the Divination House, old age and emaciation swiftly retreated from his body, like peeling off a layer of skin. In less than a few seconds, he became a completely different person.

Of course, even though Chaoyang had taken on the appearance of a young man, he was not his original self. Chaoyang knew that it was best to conceal his identity as much as possible; after all, as an outsider in this unknown world, caution should be exercised in everything done. Besides, there was something more terrifying than his new status—

Chaoyang stepped out onto the street and looked up at the cityscae.

Under the gaze of the Spiritual Eyes, countless pillars of light burst forth from within the city limits, piercing straight into the heavens like columns. They glowed in myriad colors: some blue as satin ribbons, others red as dusk’s glow.

These were the wonders wrought by Wish Power.

They illuminated the city, making it shine bright—even without the glittering neon lights, Glorious Fortress seemed far more resplendent than the large metropolis with which Chaoyang was familiar.

For it must be known that what Chaoyang saw most often behind the fissure was gloomy gray, as if the entire world had been enveloped by icy concrete.

Unfortunately…he could not take possession of these enticing wishes for himself.

Because every pillar of light belonged to someone else.