Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 213 - 108: Summoning Thunder (4K)

Chapter 213: Chapter 108: Summoning Thunder (4K)

Xiaoqing, the temple priest, had just regained consciousness.

She lay on the ground dazed for a while before seemingly remembering Zheng Fa’s voice. She squinted at the towering statue, and cautiously spoke, "Lord of Thunder God, are you there?"

"I am."

The temple priest shuddered again, this time without fainting, her face showing an expression of fervent reverence, "Lord of Thunder God, you have finally revealed yourself!"

But Zheng Fa could hear her heart murmuring:

"It’s all over, if I had known that the Lord of Thunder God would reveal himself, what my father taught me to offer as tribute...uh, it’s not his fault, it seems my grandfather taught him...that’s not right, the Lord of Thunder God just woke up, he probably doesn’t know..."

Watching her disingenuous demeanor, Zheng Fa found it somewhat amusing.

"What is your name?"

"Me? My name is Xiaoqing," said the temple priest.

"What is your family name?"

"Family name?" Xiaoqing replied a bit perplexedly, "What is a family name? I am just called Xiaoqing."

Zheng Fa realized that this world was probably very different from the outside world.

Moreover, the people of Half Mountain City, from top to bottom, likely all share the same ancestor.

"Do you know about the Thunderbolt Sect?"

"Thunderbolt Sect?" Xiaoqing seemed relieved that Zheng Fa did not trouble her for stealing tributes, her expression becoming more animated, "Everyone in the city knows about it..."

"The Sect Hierarch of the Thunderbolt Sect, it’s said he has had a strange illness for over a decade—that later allowed him to control Heavenly Thunder. He then founded the Thunderbolt Sect, and nobody in the city dares to defy him."

Controlling Heavenly Thunder...

Listening to Xiaoqing’s words, this person seemed unlikely to be perpetuating a hoax.

It was clear that Xiaoqing was loquacious, and there was no need for Zheng Fa to continue inquiring as she forthrightly added:

"But he is not a good person," Xiaoqing indignantly said, "Our Half Mountain City relies on gathering mountain goods and fishing for a living, but now the river with the most fish at the mountain’s base has been occupied by the Thunderbolt Sect. The people who gather mountain goods have to give them half a basket of their collection, and sometimes even nine-tenths, they are utterly ruthless—the Sect Hierarch himself used to gather mountain goods!"

Zheng Fa was aware of this, his previous visit was mostly about observing his own fiefdom.

In the Heavenly Stele Realm, most of the people’s sources of food in Zheng Fa’s territory relied on two things—mountains and marshes.

Or more precisely, the relentlessly frequent thunderstorms brought about constant rainfall.

Whether plains or basins, they had become marshlands, with at least the mountains being temporarily spared.

His territory had only these two types of landscape.

The mountains host numerous fungi, some edible plants, and small animals, the larger animals are indeed scarce—mainly because nature itself could not sustain them.

The marshes, however, had more abundant fish and some aquatic plant life—like the fabric of the clothes Xiaoqing wore, which likely came from the fibers of an aquatic vine.

Listening to Xiaoqing, it seemed that the Thunderbolt Sect had already taken over Half Mountain City, even starting to levy taxes...

"What else is there?"

"There’s more..."

Suddenly, Xiaoqing turned pale, fear evident on her face, her lips trembling, unable to continue speaking.

There was only one thought in Zheng Fa’s mind, causing him to even doubt what he had heard:

"They...eat people."

Seeing the frightened Xiaoqing, Zheng Fa also fell silent—

He had always thought the Xuanwei Realm was problematic, but in the current era governed by the Immortal Sect, cannibalism was at least officially prohibited.

Yet, here he was hearing these two words.

At that moment,

A middle-aged woman entered the temple, holding two pieces of clothing in her hands, similar to the rough fabric clothes that Xiaoqing wore.

"Mrs. Yun?" Xiaoqing stood up, addressing the newcomer, "Did you come to worship the Lord of Thunder God? Let me tell you..."

She seemed about to mention the Lord of Thunder God revealing himself.

"Xiaoqing." Mrs. Yun looked even thinner than Xiaoqing, her face pallid, her lips covered in greyish dead skin, interrupting Xiaoqing’s words, "Take a look, do you want these two pieces of clothing?"

Xiaoqing glanced at the clothes in her hands, recognizing them.

"These belong to Xia, right?"

"They are hers."

"She doesn’t want them anymore?"

"She was taken away by the people of the Thunderbolt Sect."

Xiaoqing paused before responding,

"Taken away? What do they want with Xia?"

"The Sect Hierarch wants to become a God, they are celebrating," Mrs. Yun’s voice carried not a hint of sorrow.

"...celebrating."

Xiaoqing seemed to understand.

She looked at the two pieces of clothing and whispered, "Then, when Xia comes back..."

"She won’t be coming back." Mrs. Yun handed the clothes to Xiaoqing unceremoniously, "Keeping these clothes at home...I keep thinking of her, and you are about the same height as her..."

She left without finishing her sentence.

From her entry to her departure, she never once glanced at the statue.

Xiaoqing held the two pieces of clothing, looking down at them for a long time, gently placing them on the offering table.

She hugged her legs, sitting beside the table, speaking to the Lord of Thunder God as if muttering to herself, "Xia has taken care of me since I was little."

"She used to come every day to offer tributes to you, Lord of Thunder God, because she was afraid I would go hungry."

She paused, then suddenly said, "Lord of Thunder God, do you know? Actually, everyone knows that the Thunderbolt Sect captures women to torment for their amusement, and if they are young girls, they...they will eat them."

"Some people who lose their family members come to the temple to make offerings—they cry terribly, hoping that you, Lord, would reveal yourself to defend them. But when you don’t reveal yourself, they beg me."

"My father, my grandfather, my grandfather’s grandfather...from generation to generation, were all temple priests; they thought I would have a way to make you reveal yourself, to administer justice, but I cannot, I don’t even remember the last time you revealed yourself, Lord."

"Later they understood, and fewer and fewer people came to the temple...and more and more went to the Thunderbolt Sect."