The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human? Chapter 1400 1400: This Chapter Will Be Updated Before 2pm Tomorrow, Thank You for Your Understanding

The Tomb Guardian spoke, his voice echoing.

"Pretend I said nothing."

Liu Zheng conceded defeat without hesitation.

What reason could he possibly have against a cemetery guardian? He was insignificant.

"Here, take this."

From the iron pot, the Tomb Guardian retrieved an envelope and tossed it towards Liu Zheng.

Liu Zheng unfolded the document within the envelope, revealing a sheet of A4 paper.

"Lin Zheng, a citizen of third-class standing, is hereby appointed to resolve the odor pollution issue plaguing the cemetery. The deadline is set for one week. All units and individuals within the Metropolis are instructed to render necessary assistance and are forbidden from obstructing this directive..."

A miniature depiction of the cemetery's grand archway served as the signature on the document.

"What is this?"

He pondered the paper, uncertain if it was an official notice or a letter of introduction.

"You can view it as an amulet, or perhaps a death sentence. Whichever it becomes depends entirely on your timely completion of the assignment."

The Tomb Guardian plainly outlined the stakes.

"In that case, I request an extension to two weeks."

Liu Zheng stated.

"Do not be excessively greedy, mortal. At most, I shall offer you another pot of soup as a gift."

The Tomb Guardian gestured towards the iron pot.

"It's not going to be another one of those bizarre, pungent soups, is it?"

He inquired, his lips twitching slightly.

"No, this is merely a standard, delectable cowboy stew. Though, naturally, it aligns more with the palate of the Dead than with you living folk."

The Tomb Guardian replied.

"Well, anything is better than nothing. What about the pot itself then?"

Liu Zheng pressed further.

"I have already shattered it to pieces."

The Tomb Guardian responded.

"Esteemed Tomb Guardian, you neglected to mention that you would destroy the pot."

He lamented.

"I too underestimated the stench of that particular soup."

Recollecting the initial impact, even the Tomb Guardian's expression shifted.

To be candid, the intensity was considerable, surpassing even the invigorating sensation provided by the earlier Sun God Fire.

"Please, think of something. If I cannot recover the pot, I will be processed into sashimi."

Liu Zheng sighed.

"Hmm... very well, I shall permit you to take some unique specimens with you."

After a moment of contemplation, the Tomb Guardian unfurled his whip from his waist and cracked it.

The whip's tip sliced into the fabric of reality, and shortly thereafter, it drew forth a stout, towering bull possessing curly chestnut hair and a rather vacant, simple-minded appearance.

-----------------

As Liu Zheng approached the archway, a profound premonition washed over him.

To cross this threshold would mean his entry into Hell.

"What is there to be done?"

He thought rapidly.

Acquiring biochemical protective gear now would undoubtedly be too late, and its efficacy was questionable even then.

"Forget it, if I die, I die."

Liu Zheng clenched his jaw.

Skinny Horse had been subjected to the foul soup because of him; he might as well face the hardship alongside him.

Taking a deep breath, he immediately activated his six-arm mode, shielding his eyes, nose, and ears.

However, the instant Liu Zheng stepped into the cemetery, he realized his preparations were futile.

An overwhelming, suffocating stench assaulted his senses, swiftly obliterating all perception.

It was foul to smell, foul to behold, foul to hear, foul to taste, and foul to the touch.

The foulness churned and roared; Liu Zheng felt an almost palpable hatred emanating from it.

Why was it foul, when the same thing, before, was not? Why was *it* fresh?

Attack! Attack!

Assault everything in this world.

Charge forward! Charge ferociously! Increase exponentially!

As long as the intensity is sufficient, all tastes become foul.

Just as Liu Zheng was succumbing to the pervasive stench, a flame erupted.

The fire coalesced into an enraged spectral visage, opening a gaping maw and exhaling fiercely towards Liu Zheng.

The smoke from the burning embers permeated his very soul, carrying a charred, foul aroma.

Though still foul, it possessed a distinct difference.

And this subtle distinction afforded Liu Zheng a fleeting moment of lucidity amidst the overwhelming miasma.

Seizing this chance, he unleashed a flame.

The brilliant Sun God Fire blazed, emitting the scent of scorched protein.

The two opposing stenches battled, finally repelling the uniform foul odor from the outside.

As Liu Zheng contemplated a means to escape his predicament, a rumbling sound of sour-smelling hooves reached his ears.

Subsequently, he felt as though he had been lifted from the ground, propelled forward ceaselessly.

After an immeasurable duration, Liu Zheng's senses gradually returned to him.

He opened his eyes to find himself situated within the Gobi Desert.

Resting on Skinny Horse's back, not far away, the Tomb Guardian was preparing a meal in a makeshift iron pot over a crackling campfire.

"How does it taste?"

The Tomb Guardian glanced up and inquired.

"Too foul."

A multitude of descriptors raced through Liu Zheng's mind, yet only these three words escaped his lips.

"The Metropolis's Most Foul Soup, indeed living up to its reputation."

The Tomb Guardian nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, it is quite potent. Brother Ma, do you not concur?"

He reached out to pat the horse's back, but the Skinny Horse remained unresponsive.

"Hmm?"

Dismounting his steed, he discovered the Skinny Horse's eyes were vacant and lifeless.

His fingers touched the horse, and he realized it had ceased breathing.

"Your Excellency, Tomb Guardian, might I inquire what has befallen the Skinny Horse?"

Liu Zheng posed the question with a discernible somberness in his tone.

Although it seemed improbable, these influential figures were known for their unpredictable actions, making it not entirely impossible that the Skinny Horse had been deliberately put to death.

"It is dead," the Tomb Guardian stated, his voice devoid of warmth.

"It was merely a Legendary Item, was it truly worth such a fate?" he inquired.

"Whether it was worth it or not is a determination I alone make," the Tomb Guardian replied, his gaze unwavering.

"May I be permitted to take its body?"

After a brief, charged silence, Liu Zheng asked.

"This is a cemetery. Where precisely do you intend to transport it?" the Tomb Guardian questioned.

"It is not only cemeteries that serve as resting places for the departed. I am aware of a verdant grassland, lush with tender grass, which would be a suitable place to inter a horse."

He was, in fact, referring to the expansive grassland that bordered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Even though the grass was not particularly palatable for consumption, the Skinny Horse would no longer be eating, rendering its quality irrelevant.

"I raised it from a mere foal, feeding it beans and hay with my own hands. Do you presume to simply take it away with a few spoken words?" the Tomb Guardian challenged.

"What is it that you desire then?"

Liu Zheng inquired.

"I require fire. The fire of Ra," the Tomb Guardian declared.

This was not the common Sun God Fire, but rather the very essence of Ra's Divine Power.

Furthermore, if this essence were to be taken, the "Ra's Grace" that had miraculously granted Liu Zheng a second life would cease to function.

In Ra's current diminished state, unless Liu Zheng achieved some monumental feat, it would be an insurmountable task to receive such a boon again.

"Very well," Liu Zheng agreed, his response immediate and without hesitation.

"A pity, it does not consent," the Tomb Guardian conveyed.

"Hm?"

As Liu Zheng was contemplating this perplexing statement, the Tomb Guardian drew a revolver.

Liu Zheng remained perfectly still, observing the scene unfold with quiet intensity.

Unless the Tomb Guardian had utterly lost his mind, it was inconceivable that he would have orchestrated the Skinny Horse's demise only to then seek his own life.

"Bang!"

The sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the air. A spectral projectile, resembling a galloping horse, erupted from the muzzle of the firearm. Upon closer inspection, it was unmistakably a phantom horse.

"Neigh~"

The phantom bullet struck the Skinny Horse directly in its forehead. With a snort, its eyes gradually flickered back to life.

"Brother Ma, you're not dead!" Liu Zheng exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.

"Neigh~"

The Skinny Horse lowered its head, nudging affectionately against his face.

"To be precise, it had indeed died. Faced with the choice of expiring from the stench or being shot, it elected the latter," the Tomb Guardian explained, holstering his revolver.

"I would have chosen being shot as well," Liu Zheng admitted, a tremor of lingering fear in his voice.

"You shall, if you fail to complete the assigned task," the Tomb Guardian stated ominously.

"What task is that?"

"The stench emanating from the gate has severely disrupted the cemetery's normal operations. As the one responsible, you are tasked with finding a means to eradicate these odors, or at the very least, reduce them to a level acceptable to living beings," the Tomb Guardian elaborated.

"...Can you not be a bit more reasonable?"

Liu Zheng found himself utterly speechless.

How could he be considered the initiator? He had no intention of bringing the pungent soup into the cemetery; it was the Tomb Guardian himself who had insisted upon it.

"Indeed, and you have, for the moment, won that argument. Now, it is your turn to engage in reason with the cemetery itself," the Tomb Guardian retorted.

"Never mind that I said anything," Liu Zheng declared, swiftly abandoning his complaint.

Reasoning with a cemetery? Did he even stand a chance? And what sort of chance would that even be?

"Take this," the Tomb Guardian commanded, retrieving an envelope from the iron pot and tossing it towards Liu Zheng.

Liu Zheng accepted the envelope, unfolding the sheet of A4 paper within.

"Hereby, third-class citizen Liu Zheng is appointed to address the cemetery's odor pollution issue, with a strict deadline of one week. Metropolitan entities and individuals are strongly urged to provide all necessary assistance and are forbidden from obstructing this directive..."

The document bore the signature of a miniature emblem, representing the cemetery's imposing gate.