A Tale of Forgotten Gods

Chapter 91: Murphy Law

Mo Fei turned toward Kiyori and called out to her. ”Kiyori, I have something to talk about.”

She looked up, putting the pot of water aside, which she had taken from nearby. ”Hmm?” She blinked twice.

”I have to leave.”

Kiyori’s expression wavered slightly before she said in a tone mixed with confusion. ”That soon? I mean, if you’d like to.”

”I know it’s boring to walk alone.” Mo Fei’s gaze fixated on her face.

”When... will you leave?”

”In a while.”

Kiyori observed Mo Fei’s expression; he would rather not leave yet, but she understood that he couldn’t stay longer; that was what an Ascended being do. She gave her usual smile. ”Don’t look gloomy; just take care of yourself... but can we meet again?”

”Of course we can.”

She rubbed her head then spoke. ”I’ll find the shards myself, don’t worry.”

Mo Fei saw her expression which said that she was trying hard to keep her composure. By the time he had been with her, he had known one thing that she had been alone for too long, and now seeing that only the traveler was leaving would have definitely given her slight shock. ”How about I let you talk to my Serpent?”

Her expression instantly lightened in genuine joy as she heard about the Serpent, which she wanted as pet. ”You are giving me the Divine ser-rr-Serpent.”

”Don’t create ownership yet, but you can talk to it whenever you want. Maybe, through it, we can talk from around anywhere.”

She nodded quickly, half hearing his words. ”How to??”

Mo Fei rolled his eyes; seeing her sulky expression a while ago was now eager to get a pet. ”Wait a minute.”

Kiyori stared at him, waiting patiently without her eyes leaving him.

Mo Fei tried to focus but saw her staring at him made his eyes twitch. ”Could you stop staring.”

Hearing that, she quickly looked away while waiting for him to speak again.

Mo Fei called out to the Serpent in his mind. ”Divine Serpent.”

”Great Master. I have heard it.” The Serpent’s voice echoed behind the spirit world, and then it continued. ”Are you sure about it? She’d know about the spirit world and every meeting when you’d call your followers or angels there.”

”I don’t have any other options... let her talk to you.”

The Serpent nodded. ”Tell her your honorable names, which you can create your own once you call out your first gathering.”

”What were they again?”

The Serpent whispered, telling him the current honorifics, and then after finishing, its voice disappeared in the spirit world.

Mo Fei turned toward Kiyori. ”Repeat with me.”

She nodded again in excitement.

Mo Fei finally continued with a deep breath. ”The Lord Light That Walks Beyond the Sun.”

She followed his words and spoke in a softer tone than Mo Fei. ”The Lord Light That Walks Beyond the Sun.”

Mo Fei continued, his voice gradually increasing as he spoke the next words. ”The Keeper of Godless Heaven.”

She also spoke the same prayer then Mo Fei continued with the same tone. ”The Last God of a Dying World. The Lost Destiny of Time.”

Then the final names. ”I Call out to Your Great Honor to Embrace the Darkness.”

She followed next. ”I Call out your Great Honor to Em—E—Embrace the Darkness.”

As she finished the prayer, her mind instantly calmed down, and behind her mind the ancient, heavy voice of Serpent echoed.

”Great Mistress, your servant is on your duty.” The Serpent spoke in her mind.

Hearing that, Kiyori clapped both of her hands on her cheeks, thinking if she was hallucinating thought, but soon the sudden term slightly flustered her. ”I’m not your owner.”

”Pardon me, but at this moment, I can’t disrespect you by changing the truth of it, Great Mistress.”

She closed her eyes, removing her hands from her face. ”Ahh, okay, I get it.”

Mo Fei stared at her flatly. ”I know how embarrassing it seems; you’ll get used to it, I did too.”

She didn’t hear his words, staring down at the ground with a wide grin. ”I have a real pet.”

Mo Fei face-palmed, putting his hands on both of his temples. ’I believe she has some problem with that head.’

Mo Fei slowly stood up and grabbed his Glaive. ”Whenever you want to talk to me, you can call out to me in your mind.”

Kiyori also stood and nodded at him, she slowly gave him a hug as her hands reached for his shoulders. ”If this thing really works, then don’t forget to talk me whenever you free.”

”A good morning every day.” Mo Fei didn’t pull away for a few seconds, looking at her hair. ”Also, ask anything to the Serpent; it’ll provide you, but for limited things, you can’t ask for food or money yet.”

”I don’t need them either; a companion is enough.” She slowly pulled away and grabbed her bow and quiver. ”Be safe.” She patted his head then moved her hand toward one of her earrings, which was one of her family’s inheritance, yet she removed it and gave it to Mo Fei. ”You gave me your most important thing, I can’t take it for free without an equal exchange.”

Mo Fei took the earring before wearing it on his ear, then he raised his hand and poked her forehead softly. ”That was not my most important thing, but you definitely did give om.” He said with a small smile. Kiyori slowly turned away, her expression no longer upset. He simply watched her for a few moments. ”Oh, also that man, Jim Hermit is someone I knew, so you can trust him with your shards.”

With that, both of them walked away toward a different place.

Mo Fei stopped behind a stone and moved his Glaive to his throat a d closed his for a moment before taking a long sigh. ’I hate it as always.’ He slashed down his throat and, feeling pain for just a second.

***

He opened his eyes in the world six.

The rain had just stopped, the water reaching toward a drain.

Mo Fei found himself standing beneath an iron streetlamp, its weak flame flickering behind the enclosure. Water ran down unevenly against his boots.

Ahead of him, a carriage passed by. Its wooden wheel clicking against the surface with a soft rhythm of clack-clack. While the horse’s hooves splashed through the puddles. The carriage’s driver wore a dark frock coat with a black-brimmed hat, his hands gripping the reins. Mo Fei watched it go, then another carriage passed behind it.

Alongside the road stood a few narrow buildings, and shadows of people walking could be seen through the tall windows that glowed faintly behind the curtain. Their brick walls rose several stories into the fog. Iron balconies clung to the upper floors.

HOOOOO—

Somewhere nearby, a factory’s high-pitched whistle screamed. The sound rolled through the city while the chimneys rose beyond the rooftops, pouring the dark smoke into the evening sky.

A newspaper boy hurried past him, his hand holding the stack beneath his arm. ”Evening edition!! Another murder in the East End! The mysterious murders didn’t stop; do not go there!”

Mo Fei slowly narrowed his eyes. Behind the spirit world, the face of a spirit caught his attention. The name echoed in his mind; his lips curled in a small smirk.

Murder?

The Glaive in his hand twisted its shape, slowly shifting into a gun that tucked into a belt at his waist. The name of the spirit stuck to his brain. ”Interesting.” A hat formed on his head, and his eye colour changed into grey. The mask twisted into a different face which gripped onto his face and his posture and height increased further as his robe’s shape turned into a dark trench coat.

With a maddening voice, he whispered in a low murmur.

”Welcome to the mysteries, Murphy Law.”