Knock knock… knock…
The dilapidated doors of the City God Temple groaned softly under a series of knocks.
Lucian Graves slowly opened his eyes, the mystical aura around him fading into the mundane.
In an era where gods were forgotten and demons ran rampant, faith had long since withered. The City God Temple had not seen a visitor in years.
"I'm coming," Lucian called gently.
Though his words were unhurried and his steps appeared slow, his form flickered, and in the next instant, he stood at the door.
He opened it.
Standing before him was an old woman with a head of silvery white hair, her eyes red-rimmed and cheeks still wet with the trails of recent tears. Her hair was messy, tangled, and told of a night spent in anguish.
"May I help you, madam?" Lucian asked softly, his voice like a balm on the soul.
At the sound of it, the panic in the old woman's eyes slowly faded, as if a summer breeze had soothed the storm within her.
"I'm here to offer incense… to the City God," she said with a forced smile, her voice trembling.
Lucian gave her a nod and swung the doors wide open.
Her name was Mrs. Wang, though most who knew her simply called her Granny Wang.
She had two exceptional grandsons—both elite exorcists in the capital's Demon Suppression Bureau—and she had always been proud of them.
But just last night, both had been hospitalized with grave injuries. Overwhelmed with grief and despair, Granny Wang had stumbled aimlessly through the city streets until, as if guided by fate, she found herself before the long-forgotten City God Temple.
She remembered a time, in her youth, when this very temple was the most vibrant and revered place in all of Huadu City.
Times had changed. The world had moved on. But faith—however faint—remained.
She walked briskly to the altar and lit three sticks of incense. From the basket she carried, she took out fruits, buns, and other offerings, arranging them reverently before the statue of the City God.
Then she knelt, clasping her hands together, and began to pray in earnest.
"City God, please protect my grandsons… I ask for no riches, no glory. Only that they may live and be well. I, Granny Wang, have lived my life kindly and righteously. I ask for nothing else..."
"I've offered incense to you every day in my home. I've never neglected you. Please… just this once, help me…"
As her prayers poured out from a heart heavy with love and desperation, Lucian saw golden wisps of merit flowing gently from her body toward his own.
Through the Six-Eyed Clairvoyance, her entire life unfurled before him:
A kind soul who had never committed a wicked deed.Her husband—once a soldier—died in battle defending the nation.Her son—a police officer—died in the line of duty saving others.Her daughter-in-law passed away young, leaving her with two grandsons to raise.
Those grandsons… they were none other than the brave young men who had stood trembling but unyielding before Lucian's ghost army the night before.
Such sincerity, such pure-hearted devotion—this was the essence of true virtue.
Lucian raised a hand.
A faint golden radiance pulsed through the temple.
"A virtuous family shall know no plague or misfortune," he declared.
Still kneeling, Granny Wang kept her eyes shut, continuing to pray fervently for her grandsons.
Suddenly, a serene and divine voice echoed softly in her ears.
Her knees—long burdened by chronic pain—felt suddenly light and painless. She shifted them slightly. The pain… it was gone.
Startled, she opened her eyes. The crumbling statue of the City God stood before her, unchanged.
And yet... somehow, it radiated an indescribable divinity.
"Could it be… the City God has answered?" she whispered, a hand over her mouth in awe.
She immediately bowed again, her knees hitting the ground in three loud, respectful knocks.
"Thank you, City God! Thank you, great protector!"
She had no doubt—it was divine intervention. After years of fruitless treatment, after dozens of hospitals and doctors, her knees had never once stopped aching… until now.
She would return home and tell her grandsons. If they dared mock her again, she'd knock some divine faith into them herself.
"I'll be back, City God. Next time, I'll bring my two foolish boys to offer you incense too!"
With another bow, Granny Wang rose. Her face glowed with warmth, no longer the broken woman of before. With light steps, she departed, full of newfound hope.
Lucian watched her figure fade into the distance, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Through his divine vision, he surveyed the entire capital.
Only a handful of homes still honored the City God—barely enough to count on one hand. Of those, only Granny Wang offered sincere worship daily.
In a world where gods had become a joke, and humans bowed only to power, faith was a rare and precious thing.
But for Lucian to grow stronger, to gather divine merit, he needed that faith.
Now that he had claimed the title of City God, then let him be one—in every sense.
"Send two ghost soldiers to patrol the streets near Granny Wang's home. Let the people see… that gods do exist," Lucian said quietly.
"Yes, my lord," a respectful voice echoed from the shadows.
And thus, it began.
From the city of Huadu… the age of gods would rise again.