Chapter 19: Ascension

Ten minutes later, the four of them stood before the first mural. Ning Jing and Xiao Tian were still studying the painting.

"To think there would be a palace inside a cave," Ning Jing remarked with a sigh.

"Could it mean there are two Moon Gods?" Xiao Tian’s flashlight beam danced back and forth between the two moons.

"There are more ahead; we haven't seen them yet," Zhi Duoxing said, gesturing to the right.

The group moved to the second mural. Qian Cangyi looked up at it. With four flashlights at their disposal, they no longer needed to inspect the wall in small fragments as they had with the first. The entire scene was laid out before him. Compared to the first, this mural introduced new elements, and the postures of the two Moon Gods had shifted.

Under the same blue starry sky, a stream had appeared in the green grass. The two Moon Gods sat by the river with their feet dipped in the water. Unlike the first mural, where they stood at opposite ends, the distance between them had narrowed significantly. Behind them, there were many small animals—cats, mice, deer, sheep, and more. These animals all congregated on the side of the white Moon God, their expressions joyful as they frolicked about.

The side of the red Moon God was the complete opposite. There were no animals at all, save for a few lurking in the corner of the mural. These creatures were pressed flat against the ground, their faces twisted in sheer terror. The two deities possessed vastly different temperaments.

Qian Cangyi lingered on the animals in the corner. A feeling took root in his heart: as actors, they were no different from these creatures when faced with the Moon God.

"There's more," Zhi Duoxing said, continuing to the right. Qian Cangyi followed, and Ning Jing and Xiao Tian remained silent.

Soon, the third mural appeared. It differed from the others in a way that caught Qian Cangyi’s eye: it depicted traces of humanity. Although these humans were mostly naked and rendered with abstract features, the spears and clubs in their hands confirmed their identity.

In this scene, the humans were surrounding the two Moon Gods. Compared to the calm deities, the humans’ expressions and gestures were ones of extreme panic—the artist had even intentionally distorted the lines of the drawing to emphasize their terror. Behind the humans, weapons lay scattered on the ground, and further back, many figures were shown fleeing. The humans circling the gods were not hunting; they were sacrificing themselves so their kin could escape.

"What is this? A legendary encounter?" Zhi Duoxing placed his left hand on the mural.

"Are there more?" Ning Jing asked.

"There should be," Xiao Tian replied, moving further right.

Qian Cangyi shone his flashlight on the armed humans. Their faces were crude, lacking fine detail, but the artist had masterfully captured the look of grim resolve in their eyes. Even knowing they faced death, they showed no fear.

"Let’s go. Why are you spacing out?" Zhi Duoxing called out.

"Coming," Qian Cangyi replied, moving right.

The fourth mural came into view. Ning Jing and Xiao Tian were already observing it. This piece followed directly from the third. The background remained the same, but the humans surrounding the gods had dropped their weapons. Those near the white Moon God were prostrate on the ground, bowing their heads, while those near the red Moon God lay scattered in heaps, decapitated, their blood staining the earth crimson.

Qian Cangyi couldn't help but hold his breath at this sight. The left and right sides of the mural were like heaven and hell; each Moon God had its own way of handling things. He wasn't sure about the white one, but the red Moon God’s way of resolving disputes was, without a doubt, the total annihilation of anyone in its way. And the Moon God they were currently facing was the one of the scarlet blood moon, the ruler of Hefang Island.

"I wonder if there’s a way to solve this?" Ning Jing asked, though she didn't wait for an answer before hurrying anxiously to the next mural.

Looking at the gruesome scene of decapitated bodies, Qian Cangyi recalled the sights from the previous two nights, and a chill crawled up his neck. He touched his throat with his right hand, then followed the others.

The fifth mural was not much different from the fourth. The crowd around the white Moon God had grown, occupying most of the space, while the number of people around the red Moon God appeared smaller—though Qian Cangyi wasn't sure if that was true, or if it was simply because they had been dead for some time.

"Look at the white moon," Zhi Duoxing said, holding up his hand and gesturing with his thumb and forefinger. "The moon and the neck—let’s call it a neck—anyway, the distance is greater."

Qian Cangyi observed the area carefully. The white moon hung directly above the body, with no clear neck support, making it hard to tell, but once Zhi Duoxing pointed it out, he realized the gap had indeed widened.

"Indeed. What does this mean?" Qian Cangyi asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps the later murals will explain," Zhi Duoxing said, pointing to the right.

The sixth mural showed the same scene, but the figures of the Moon Gods had shrunk, and the scale of the mural had expanded. Countless humans still surrounded the white Moon God, occupying nearly ninety percent of the space. Unlike before, they were no longer kneeling; they were looking up at the sky, for the moon above the white deity was slowly ascending toward the stars. On the other side, the red Moon God stood alone in a crimson corner, surrounded by neither humans nor corpses. Its head remained unchanged.

"Is this... ascension?" Xiao Tian stared at the moon drifting toward the stars. "Could this be the origin of the moon?" His voice was full of doubt as he asked.

Qian Cangyi considered the possibility. After all, the starry sky in the murals had never previously featured a moon.

"A new myth," Zhi Duoxing stepped back. "If what is depicted here is true, it means the existence we are facing is truly a god."

"There seems to be more," Ning Jing said, clutching her chest, her expression filled with worry.

The seventh mural appeared. Qian Cangyi stopped in his tracks. The first thing he saw was the bright, clear moon in the sky, possessing a pure, soul-cleansing beauty. Then, his gaze dropped. The red Moon God was cradling a body dressed in white robes. On the grass around the deity, corpses were piled high. The once-green grass was dyed a deep, vibrant red—a literal river of blood.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

Qian Cangyi’s heart sank; his sense of foreboding grew stronger.

"It seems we cannot fight the Moon God head-on," Zhi Duoxing frowned.

"Is that even possible, no matter how you look at it?" Ning Jing couldn't help but retort.

"I wonder what happens next?" Xiao Tian murmured, lost in the painting.