Descendants of the False Gods - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Curiosity Killed the Cat (1)

Liang Shan arrived at the intersection, glanced at the temporary checkpoint to the west, and urged his horse northward.

This was the fifth checkpoint he had encountered today. The road leading to Four Winds Valley seemed to be completely sealed off.

But Liang Shan was not one to give up so easily. He was curious—why was the Divine Clan’s Fury Armor Army escorting someone through Four Winds Valley? And why had the valley been locked down?

He wanted to find out the truth. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

Liang Shan traveled north for nearly a mile before turning into a dense forest along the roadside.

Deep in the woods, he pulled his horse to a stop and scanned his surroundings. Satisfied that the area was well-hidden and unlikely to have passing villagers due to the roadblocks, he decided this was the perfect place to conceal his horse.

Dismounting, he tossed the reins over a branch and tied them securely. He then removed the saddle and his backpack. From the pack, he retrieved a camouflage outfit, a handheld crossbow, and three bolts.

The camouflage suit was made of woven hemp ropes, covered with various colored fabric strips. Tossed aside, it resembled nothing more than a pile of dead grass. The three bolts were also unique in shape and color.

The first bolt had a black, barbed, tri-edged arrowhead with silver trim—clearly a wolf-fang arrow. The second had a sharp, elongated conical tip that shimmered blue, a color left by quenching. The third was a willow-leaf arrow with a flat, triangular head dyed green—an anesthetic arrow soaked in a medicinal solution.

These were his personal weapons from his days before retirement. He kept them close for emergencies, though he hadn’t expected to use them today.

Liang Shan stashed his backpack and saddle behind a large rock, covering them with dried grass. He donned his camouflage suit, loaded the three bolts onto the crossbow’s rack, and drew his machete. Eyeing the mountain ridge ahead, he resolved to infiltrate and uncover the truth.

Liang Shan was a native of Daliang County, Central Plains. His ancestors had been founding marquises, ruling over the entire Daliang Province, where they built Daliang City.

Over two hundred years, the empire gradually lost control over many feudal territories, save for national decrees and taxation. The major fiefdoms began operating independently, growing in strength and vying against one another.

Fifty years ago, due to mismanagement and external pressure, Liang Shan’s ancestors lost their land to the neighboring Dong Province. The Liang family was left with nothing but a few barren mountains and a so-called ‘hundred acres of fertile land.’

This ‘fertile land’ was a valley encircled by mountains. While it seemed sizable, it was actually a lowland area—turning into a swamp during the rainy seasons of spring and summer and a muddy wasteland in the drier autumn and winter months. The only exit was a narrow mountain path, isolating the Liang family completely and rendering them powerless in the outside world.

Liang Shan was the youngest of three brothers. Even this useless stretch of land became a source of bitter rivalry between his elder siblings.

He held nothing but contempt for the valley—and for his family.

At eighteen, he left without hesitation. The empire’s northern army was recruiting at the time, and he enlisted, dreaming of earning military merit and restoring his ancestors’ former glory.

Liang Shan’s diligence and willingness to learn helped him rise quickly. He trained hard and soon became a scout.

His unit was stationed at the northwest border, where the Zhao family’s domain met the northeastern territory of the Li family. The region was notorious for smuggling and illegal crossings. Here, those willing to risk their lives had no shortage of opportunities for military merit. Within three years, Liang Shan was promoted to scout captain, equivalent to a deputy company commander.

With a few more years, he could have advanced to a staff officer’s position in the camp. But fate had other plans.

During a smuggling raid, he recklessly crossed the border in pursuit of fugitives, only to be surrounded by the Qinglang Nation’s troops. He suspected both armies were secretly involved in smuggling and that he had been sold out—but by then, it was too late.

His superior had no choice but to request aid from the Divine Clan’s Fury Armor Army, which happened to be passing through. Their commander agreed without hesitation and dispatched two hundred warriors across the border to rescue them.

The Fury Armor Army launched a two-pronged assault—one group engaged the enemy, disrupting their formation, while the other broke the encirclement to extract Liang Shan’s squad. In the end, seventy Fury Armor soldiers perished to save the dozen survivors.

From that moment, Liang Shan felt indebted to the Divine Clan. The camouflage suit he now wore had belonged to one of the fallen warriors.

Although he returned alive, the incident caused a massive scandal. He was demoted all the way back to an ordinary scout and remained in that position until his retirement.

Not wanting to return to his hometown, he pulled some strings to stay in the military as a courier.

Unlike civilian messengers, military couriers transported classified orders and urgent documents, often receiving substantial rewards for their missions.

Liang Shan took up the job for those rewards. Having lost his chance at military glory, he now sought to earn enough money to buy land, find a wife, and live a peaceful life.

Five days ago, an urgent letter from the Empire’s Internal Affairs Department needed to be delivered to the Divine Clan’s territory—Star-Moon Valley—within three and a half days, covering over eight hundred miles. No one wanted the job. Liang Shan took it, both out of gratitude and for the hefty bonus.

Riding tirelessly, he delivered the letter on time.

Yet, while receiving his payment, he was also handed a reply addressed to the Qian family in the southwest. Wasn’t the Internal Affairs Department supposed to receive the response?

Even stranger, as he rested briefly in Star-Moon City, he overheard that the Divine Clan’s army was first detouring through the Qian family’s territory—Four Winds Valley—before proceeding to Si Lanping for an escort mission. That was highly unusual.

Of course, state affairs were beyond his concern.

After delivering the letter to the Qian family’s capital the next day, he went to the stables to retrieve his horse. Exhausted, he dozed off in a haystack.

Not long after, voices stirred him awake. Years as a scout had trained him to be a light sleeper.

“It’s done. Inform Four Winds Valley to prepare,” said one voice.

“I’ll go immediately,” another replied.

Soon after, someone entered the stable, took a horse, and rode off.

Liang Shan sensed something was amiss. Once the area was quiet, he climbed out of the haystack.

After ensuring no one was around, he casually led his horse out of the Qian family’s headquarters, even exchanging a few idle remarks with the gatekeeper.

The moment he turned a corner, he leaped onto his horse and galloped toward Four Winds Valley, shouting at the city gate, “Military courier! Urgent eight-hundred-mile dispatch!”

Without stopping, he sped out of the city.

That led to the events described earlier.

Now, Liang Shan had circled past the ridge and begun his descent. Ahead, another ridge marked the entrance to Four Winds Valley. Climbing it would bring him to the valley’s cliffs.

Though the road below was guarded, the mountain itself was unmonitored. However, he could already spot patrols on the ridge beyond the valley. Cavalry units moved along the mountain paths between the peaks.

Just then—

Boom!

A thunderous explosion shook the air.

Lightning?

No. That was the sound of explosives—either for demolishing mountains or the unmistakable blast of a siege cannon.