The surrounding lights flickered, stretching Nabu's shadow long.

Yu Xie's response made her eyes tremble slightly, as though she had glimpsed a possibility in the heart of a mortal.

Humans are fragile, and so they need the guidance of deities.

But humans are also strong, their courage capable of creating miracles that are truly astonishing.

The night breeze gently brushed past, and Nabu's long hair fluttered in the wind. She reached up to smooth the stray strands of hair from her face, and the sadness that had lingered in her eyes just moments ago seemed to disappear.

"Yu Xie, we've been walking around for a while now. Are you hungry?" Nabu asked.

"Not too bad, but I am a little hungry," Yu Xie replied. "Shall we get something to eat?"

"That's exactly what I had in mind," Nabu said with a light smile.

The two of them then arrived at a restaurant.

Perhaps because of the arrival of the King Deshret, many people had also come to the restaurant, and it was much busier than usual.

Yu Xie and Nabu waited for a while before a seat became available.

Several dishes were brought to the table, releasing an enticing aroma.

"By the way, Nabu," Yu Xie said. "It seems like those two have something they need to discuss. Don't you need to go?"

"They're discussing some plans for future cooperation," Nabu replied. "I've already talked to Buer about it, so there's no need for me to go over it again."

"I see," Yu Xie nodded. "Well then, let's eat."

Dinner came to an end as the two chatted, and Nabu left.

Yu Xie walked back along the road, and the number of people on the street gradually thinned.

A few people with bronze-colored skin approached, likely from the desert.

The group of people leaned on each other for support, swaying as they walked, clearly smelling of alcohol—they had probably drunk quite a bit.

"Long live the King Deshret!"

"Under the leadership of the King Deshret, we will surely prosper!"

Yu Xie brushed past the group, sensing their unwavering faith in the King Deshret.

He watched them disappear into the distance before turning and continuing on his way.

Just then, a man with bronze-colored skin appeared in front of him.

The man had a tall, lean build, with sharp facial features, and his presence exuded an air of distinction.

He looked like a seasoned warrior, different from an ordinary mortal.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Sensing that the man seemed to be approaching him, Yu Xie furrowed his brows slightly and asked,

"Hello, are you looking for me?"

"Buer mentioned you to me today. She said you're different from most people, so out of curiosity, I came to see for myself." The man's voice was deep and slow.

From this response, it wasn't difficult for Yu Xie to guess the man's identity.

"King Deshret?"

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Al-Ahmar," the man smiled.

Yu Xie couldn't help but examine him. The man's smile didn't carry the arrogance of a deity, but unlike Buer and Nabu, who exuded a warm, gentle aura, Ahmar had a unique sense of solemnity about him.

"Mr. Al-Ahmar, is the only reason you're here to satisfy your curiosity?"

"That's right. After all, Buer rarely speaks so highly of others," Al-Ahmar said. "Since she gave you such a rare compliment, I naturally wanted to see what kind of person she was talking about."

"I didn't expect a deity to be curious about me," Yu Xie chuckled.

"Just as Buer said, you really are different from most people," Al-Ahmar said, looking at Yu Xie.

"What's different about me? I just think of myself as an ordinary mortal."

"Most people, when they meet me, won't even dare to look me in the eye. My subjects tell me that there's a blade in my eyes that can pierce the heart, so they avoid my gaze," Al-Ahmar paused. "But you're different. Since just now, you've been looking directly into my eyes."

"When talking to someone, you should look them in the eye. It's basic manners," Yu Xie said casually.

"I agree with you," Al-Ahmar smiled. "If you have time, you're welcome to visit the desert. I'll arrange the best guide for you."

"Well... maybe another time. It's hard to say when I'll have a lot of free time."

"Alright, then. We'll meet again if fate allows," Al-Ahmar said as he turned to leave. "I believe we'll see each other again soon."

"Safe travels, Mr. Al-Ahmar."

The moonlight was bright, and Yu Xie waited until Al-Ahmar's figure disappeared from sight before shrugging his shoulders and continuing on his way home.

Yu Xie hadn't expected to meet all three of the current God-kings of Sumeru in such a short period of time.

"The era of the Three God-Kings..." he muttered softly as he walked, "I wonder how it will end up, but I hope there will be some change."

Days passed, and soon over a month had quietly gone by.

During this time, Buer hadn't come to the little house.

Yu Xie thought it was a bit strange—normally, Buer would visit every few days, but this time it had been a while. This made Yu Xie feel a bit bored.

He didn't have many friends here, and without Buer coming, there was no one to talk to.

Furthermore, a vague feeling of unease had begun to form in his mind.

One day, an idea suddenly popped into Yu Xie's head.

He locked the door to the little house and made his way to the residence of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—the magnificent palace.

There were naturally heavy guards at the entrance of the palace, but Yu Xie felt that there seemed to be more guards than before.

It wasn't easy to see the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata without a legitimate reason.

Yu Xie thought for a moment and walked forward.

"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata asked me to come see her. Please report this."

"And you are?" the guard at the door looked at Yu Xie.

"My name is Yu Xie. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sent me," Yu Xie emphasized.

"...Alright, please wait a moment. I'll go inform Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."

Such matters were not something the guards could decide on their own. If they were to turn away someone that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had actually sent, it would be difficult for them to explain.

Although showing up unannounced was somewhat impolite, the uneasy feeling in Yu Xie's heart hadn't disappeared. He needed to confirm things with Buer personally.

After a short while, the guard returned.

"Apologies, Mr. Yu Xie. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata says she is too busy today and cannot spare the time. She will visit you personally another day."

"I see... Well, that's fine," Yu Xie said, thoughtfully, as he turned to leave.

But he didn't go far. Instead, he came to the side of the palace near the wall, where there were few people.

"Too busy"—Yu Xie was a bit skeptical of this excuse. He still had to ask Buer directly.

If something had truly happened, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

For an ordinary person, the high walls would be insurmountable, but Yu Xie lightly stepped and easily climbed up. Then, he did his best to conceal his presence, moving silently and quickly.

With his sharp "senses," it took him about ten minutes before he saw Buer through a half-open window.

A gentle breeze blew in from the window, rustling Buer's silver hair.

She stood by the window, looking out, seemingly lost in thought.