booktalesy Chapter 357 - 330: Creating a God [3]
Chapter 357 - 330: Creating a God [3]
Still, to spread the faith, he would first need to build and refine the basic structure.
A glint appeared in Hu Qi’s eyes.
These three hundred-odd script actors would be the foundation of his first believers.
His next task was to have them spread word of the Sun God.
This would allow him to gather believers and form the Foundation of Faith as soon as possible.
...
Fengyu Country was a small, remote nation near the Far North.
It was a vast and sparsely populated country.
However, it boasted unique natural landscapes such as glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls, and black sand beaches.
These features attracted many who enjoyed outdoor activities and nature exploration.
Moreover, thanks to its sparse population, the natural environment was free from large-scale industrial pollution, and the air was crisp and clean.
Combined with a comprehensive social welfare system, people didn’t have to worry about their basic needs. The pace of life was very slow, and social interactions were remarkably simple.
As a result, it also attracted many people from other countries to settle there.
"My dear An Ning, are you sure you want to leave?"
Her landlady, a well-preserved woman in her seventies, asked as she looked at the young girl in the wheelchair before her.
Her voice held a hint of reluctance.
"Yes, Lady Brown. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. Due to some personal matters, I’m afraid I have to leave."
Wuan Anning nodded.
She looked very young, perhaps in her early twenties.
She had amber eyes and delicate, smooth skin the color of warm ivory.
She had a high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes.
However, she had long black hair—a common feature among Yu Country People—suggesting she was of mixed heritage.
Unfortunately, there seemed to be a problem with her legs. She was unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.
"Well, that’s a shame, An Ning. I hope we have the chance to see each other again."
Lady Brown looked wistful.
Afterward, she returned An Ning’s security deposit in full, along with the rent for the remaining half of the month.
Then, she pulled a wad of cash from her bag and pressed it into the young woman’s lap.
"An Ning, thank you for keeping this old woman company all this time.
Take this. Consider it a small token from me. If you ever have the time, just remember to come back and visit."
"I can’t take this."
She tried to refuse.
But the older woman intentionally put on a stern expression.
"If you don’t take it, you’re not treating me as a friend. Sigh, when people get old, nobody likes them, not even..."
"Alright, I’ll take it."
Hearing this, Wuan Anning no longer refused.
After spending half a year together, she knew what kind of person Lady Brown was. Once she gave money away, she would never take it back.
She thought for a moment, then said,
"Lady Brown, if you can, you should probably leave for a few days. Go stay somewhere else for a little while. I’ve heard a major storm might be passing through soon..."
Upon hearing this,
Lady Brown just waved her hand dismissively.
"We hear news like that every year. I’ve lived here for so many years and been perfectly fine, haven’t I?"
Seeing this, Wuan Anning tried to persuade her a little more.
Unfortunately, the older woman paid her no mind. Seeing this, An Ning didn’t press the issue.
The two of them chatted for a little while longer.
As dusk fell and the wind and snow grew stronger,
Wuan Anning wheeled herself to her car, said her goodbyes to Lady Brown, and left.
Although she was disabled, her car had been specially modified for her condition.
These modifications included the installation of manual controls, such as hand-operated accelerators and brakes, to replace the function of foot pedals.
It was also equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems, so she could drive just like anyone else.
...
Night fell, and an inky blackness spread across the sky like a rising tide, plunging the world into gloom.
Large, goose-feather snowflakes drifted down from the sky, spinning as they fell.
As far as the eye could see, the world was cloaked in silver.
At that moment, streetlights on either side of the road cast a feeble glow.
Wuan Anning drove alone down the cold, desolate, snow-covered road.
To keep from skidding,
she drove very slowly.
Her tires crunched softly on the packed snow.
The windshield wipers swung in a steady rhythm, clearing the glass, but new flakes immediately followed, quickly coating it in a white veil once more.
Due to the sparse population, houses were spaced far apart, and there was little traffic on the road.
Just then, Wuan Anning lowered her window halfway.
Instantly, a gust of cold wind and snowflakes blew inside.
Her hair whipped wildly in the wind, and a few damp strands clung to her pale cheeks.
She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
’Where in this world is truly safe?’
she murmured to herself.
A deep-seated fear flickered in her amber eyes.
Her gaze drifted out the window.
Lead-gray clouds were piled in dense layers, like a heavy quilt smothering the world.
The biting wind howled like a sharp blade, stinging any exposed skin.
She had been born in the Yu Country.
For as long as she could remember, her world had been the cramped confines of an orphanage.
Her memory of her parents was a complete blank.
She had only heard the director mention it occasionally: when she was abandoned at the orphanage’s gate,
a note had been tucked into her swaddling. On it was her scrawled name and a few scant details about her parents.
Apparently, her mother had been a university student, only eighteen or nineteen.
In a naive romance, she had gotten involved with a foreign boyfriend. She became pregnant out of wedlock, and after her boyfriend left due to visa issues, he never returned.