"Actually, those evil gods all treat you as the second Balerion," Quixi sighed.
"You mean that 'Sheep Egg'?" Dany asked.
"We're used to calling him 'Balerion.'"
Quixi explained, "You are not the first Child of the Human Era. Six thousand years ago, Balerion was your predecessor.
At his peak, Balerion was far too powerful. The saying 'the Valyrian archmage is invincible in this age' began with him.
That 'invincible in this age' did not only refer to extraordinary wizards and demigods. Even true gods were no match for him. At least two true gods were defeated by him."
After a pause, Quixi carefully examined Dany and said uncertainly, "I suspect that even now, you might be able to challenge some weaker true gods.
True gods find it difficult to exert their full power in the material world, but you and Balerion do not have that limitation."
"I'm far from that level. I'm just a newly advanced lesser demigod. I can't even defeat veteran demigods, so how could I challenge true gods?" Dany waved her hands repeatedly in denial, then changed the subject. "Aside from the Mother of the Rhoyne and R'hllor, who else was defeated by 'Sheep Egg'?"
Quixi gave her a long look and said, "There were also the dark demon gods from the far eastern Lands of Shadow. Many of them have existed since the birth of the world. Their strength rivals that of true gods, yet they still suffered greatly at Balerion's hands.
Even if you bear no hostility toward them, they will not stand by and watch you follow Balerion's path of dominating the world. Not to mention, you want their lives."
Dany's expression hardened as she sternly refuted, "Don't talk nonsense. The conflicts between me and the gods have already been resolved.
Those rumors calling me the 'Twilight of the Gods' or the 'Long Night of the Gods' are all slander spread by my enemies.
Just as you said, some demon gods do not wish to see me rise, so they deliberately spread rumors to sow discord between me and the other deities.
They want to kill with a borrowed knife. Only the most foolish gods would fall for such tricks and allow themselves to be used."
Quixi was momentarily stunned, as if she understood something. A trace of admiration flashed in her eyes, and she nodded. "That's right. Certain malicious evil gods are smearing you."
"Then tell me, which evil gods are slandering me? If I go and eliminate them, will it cause resentment among the other gods?" Dany tactfully revealed the purpose of her visit.
Quixi caught the implication: she wanted to kill a few evil gods and was asking which ones could be eliminated without provoking the others.
After realizing this, the corners of Quixi's mouth twitched. She thought to herself: You claim you won't orchestrate a 'Long Night of the Gods,' yet now, without cause and with tensions already high, you're planning to kill several evil gods. One isn't enough, you want several. When the Long Night ends, when your strength surges, and when you have nothing better to do, you will most likely truly initiate the 'Long Night of the Gods.'
Of course, Quixi was no fool. She also guessed that Dany could gain benefits from killing evil gods, most likely in terms of increasing her strength.
"There is only one: the Black Goat of Qohor. Your conflict with it is well known in the supernatural world. It must be among those spreading rumors about you."
Quixi also issued a subtle warning: many evil gods are watching you now. Stay steady. Don't let yourself become the target of all.
Dany frowned thoughtfully, then asked, "Has the evil god in the underground palace of Thunder Isle been sealed? Do you want me to come help purify it?"
Quixi was startled and stared at her with wide eyes. "You—"
"I think it's worth a try," Dany said.
Quixi frowned, thought for a moment, and replied, "No one knows the true nature of that demon god, but one thing is certain: it is no weaker than a true god."
This time, Dany was also shocked. "How can you be sure? Can a true god be sealed by an ordinary transcendent?"
"Am I ordinary?" Quixi said unhappily.
Dany immediately corrected herself sincerely, "Sorry, you're not ordinary. You are among the younger generation in the East—"
"Alright, alright," Quixi interrupted quickly, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm just an ordinary shadowbinder. I only sealed its aura to prevent its whispers from affecting the Empress of Thunder Isle."
She added, "Think about it. Just a trace of its aura was powerful enough to affect more than half of Thunder Isle. How terrifying must its true strength be?"
"Then forget it, I—" Dany was about to take her leave when a thought suddenly struck her.
"What's the situation in Yi Ti now?" she asked.
Quixi sighed bitterly. "Just as we predicted. The Azure Dynasty, which originally had a hundred years of fortune left, collapsed overnight after the Long Night descended.
Aside from Yi Ti's capital and a few nearby prefectures that had experienced the grey plague, warlords across the land have declared that 'the Son of Heaven has lost virtue, and thus the Long Night has descended,' clearly trying to blame the disappearance of the sun on the imperial court.
This is also why the Bu clan is now strongly supporting the Faith of the Seven. Long before this, the septons had been proclaiming the coming of the Long Night.
The Faith of the Seven can prove that the Long Night has nothing to do with the Azure Dynasty. Moreover, the Faith performed admirably during the great plague and has a good reputation among the common people. They believe the Seven are respectable gods."
"Respectable gods?" Dany looked dissatisfied. "That evaluation is too low. At the very least, they should be labeled as gods of justice and compassion."
"That's already quite good. You should understand that no matter what cult it is, at the beginning it will always do some good deeds to attract followers.
Just like a scoundrel. No matter how despicable he is, when you first meet him, he will always be gentle and attentive, like the perfect lover."
Dany gave her a strange look. "Are you speaking from experience?"
"Do you think a shadowbinder deals with scoundrels by complaining?" Quixi replied calmly.
Dany shrugged and returned to the topic. "You said earlier that evil gods are rampant in Yi Ti, and the people are suffering?"
Quixi nodded. "Unlike your Westeros, Yi Ti has always been a region where supernatural forces are active. Many evil gods have established cults here.
And in times of chaos, heretical sects thrive.
When people suffer, their need for faith reaches its peak. Any deity, whether evil god, righteous god, demon, or spirit, as long as it can offer hope, even illusory hope, or numb their suffering temporarily, people will devote all their faith to it.
Even before this, Yi Ti was already at the end of a dynasty, with hundreds or thousands of warlords rising. Behind each warlord stands a supernatural force.
Now that the Long Night has arrived, the evil gods, monsters, and sorcerers that once hid in the shadows have all emerged.
To say that Yi Ti is overrun with demons is no exaggeration. Humans, gods, demons, spirits, and evil beings all coexist in chaos."
"This is also why I returned to Yi Ti. My homeland, my family, and my friends are all here," Quixi sighed wearily.
"That's wonderful!" Dany was visibly delighted.
Quixi stared at her, suddenly stiff as a statue.
Dany quickly explained, "I mean, the people of Yi Ti are suffering terribly.
The Faith of the Seven cannot stand by while evil gods wreak havoc. It's time for the Church's forces to act!"
"Your Church has no military. The Bu clan can barely protect its own holdings. Where would they find extra troops to assign to the Church?" Quixi said flatly.
"That's a problem…" Dany hesitated briefly, then smiled. "Quixi, look, our goals are the same. We both want to benefit the people and bring peace to society. To restore a bright and orderly world to Yi Ti, I think you should have a side profession."
"A side profession? Alchemy is already my side profession. You've even used my potions," Quixi said.
"No, alchemy is your path-supporting art—"
"I don't need a path-supporting art!" Quixi emphasized stiffly.
"Then where does your daily expenditure come from?" Dany asked dismissively.
"I have family assets and gifts from nobles," Quixi replied.
"Fine," Dany said, no longer arguing. "I think that, besides being a shadowbinder, you should also take on the role of a high priestess and find a powerful deity as your backing.
Like Melisandre, the Red Priestess of Asshai. She should be your role model."
Quixi asked in a slightly mocking tone, "You want me to become a priest of the Seven and help you manage the Church's affairs in Yi Ti?"
"A win-win situation," Dany said.
"Unfortunately, when I see your face and eyebrows, I find it impossible to believe in you," Quixi shook her head.
"What's wrong with my face?" Dany asked, touching it.
"The foundation of faith is awe, followed by admiration. I can do neither."
Dany thought for a moment with an awkward expression, then said, "Do you remember Tyrion? The dwarf who had greyscale."
"How could I not?" Quixi said through clenched teeth. "I heard he's your illegitimate brother. That means he also has king's blood?"
"What are you thinking?" Dany asked, confused. "After learning the truth about the Seven, he still restored his faith through the Seven-Pointed Star.
I think you could learn from him and start with the doctrine.
In the end, divine power, majesty, and sanctity all serve to spread doctrine. The foundation of a religion lies in its teachings."
"I think you should send the dwarf here to handle Church affairs," Quixi said.
Dany fell into thought.
Faith could not be forced. Since Quixi refused to believe in her, she would have to choose someone both intelligent and powerful to oversee the Church in Yi Ti.
After all, she only needed demon-hunting priests to eliminate monsters. Spreading faith was not her priority.
"According to the sacred oath, the Bu dynasty and the ten great noble families of Yi Ti will send their heirs to Slaver's Bay to escape the Long Night. In return, they will help me develop the Faith of the Seven. Where are their heirs now?" Dany asked.
Quixi replied, "They should be nearing Roaring City by now. After that, they'll likely travel overland, crossing the Dothraki Sea to reach Meereen."
Roaring City lies by the Jade Sea. Like Yi Ti's capital, it is one of the city-states surrounding the Jade Sea.
Dany paced around the room a few times, then stopped and said in a deep voice, "Go and tell Bu Cheng, Bu Tian, Bu Gai, or whichever member of the Bu clan is currently in charge: no matter what, they must dispatch a thousand elite knights to guard the Church's central seat in Yi Ti.
Also, have them establish the Faith of the Seven as the state religion and appoint the High Septon of the Yi Ti diocese as the State Preceptor."
Quixi was shocked and hesitated.
"What? At this point, why hesitate? Without me, the Bu Azure Dynasty is doomed.
With my support, even if their heir were a pig, he could still sit firmly on the throne," Dany said calmly, yet her presence was imposing.
Quixi sighed heavily. "With that statement alone, the Bu clan will agree to your demands. But have you considered how much resentment a state religion and state preceptor will attract?
Among the many cults of Yi Ti, none has ever become the state religion.
Even the Necromancers' Association, with its history of tens of thousands of years, maintains neutrality and rarely interferes in changes of power."
"Hahaha, if it doesn't attract envy, how can it grow stronger?" Dany laughed happily, her eyes gleaming with a strange light.
(End of Chapter)
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