Chapter 319: I Am the Chief!

Opinions on the Seven Deadly Sins varied widely. Some yearned for them, others feared them, but one view was almost universally accepted.

The era had changed. Whether or not Pride was truly the God of this new age, the era had genuinely shifted because of him. What was once the domain of the Seven Kings now harbored a deity who stood high above them all!

Beyond the Seven Deadly Sins themselves, King Chi's reputation was improving at a visible pace. The public was not blind. Comparing the two incidents made the difference obvious: the Seven Deadly Sins hadn't caused anywhere near this level of destruction in the Chiyan Empire. What did that mean? It meant King Chi was stronger than the Undead King!

At the same time, Sikong Zhen's prestige continued to soar. It truly seemed the title of the Empire's number one God of War had changed hands. Whenever the Seven Deadly Sins made big news, his reputation rose with them. No one dared question Sikong Zhen's prestige anymore—after all, he had been personally validated by the Seven Deadly Sins.

That was merely the reaction of the common folk. Among the upper echelons of the Seven Great Empires, the attitude toward the Seven Deadly Sins was entirely uniform: deep apprehension!

Countless spies mobilized, scrambling to investigate the massive battle that had devastated the Blood Moon Empire's Imperial Palace the night before. Every nation wanted to know why the famously proud Undead King had chosen to bow his head.

The major empires had even dispatched envoys to one another, preparing to hold a joint summit for the sole purpose of studying the Seven Deadly Sins.

The Seven Great Empires were accustomed to sitting high above the rest. Now, an entity calling himself a God had suddenly emerged, and the sheer power he displayed posed a severe threat to world peace. Naturally, these elites panicked. No one wanted to be the next Blood Moon Empire.

Beside a newsstand, Lin Canyang—heavily bundled from head to toe—stared excitedly at the newspaper in his hands, his eyes darting across the page as he searched.

Thick bandages were hidden beneath his cuffs.

"What about me? Where am I? I took part in the operation too; there has to be a picture of me."

After searching for ages, he finally spotted a blurry figure in the corner of the paper. Most of his body was obscured by rubble, but a Silver-White Mask bearing the number 3 was faintly visible on his face.

"Hahaha... I made the paper!" Lin Canyang cheered in ecstasy.

"Hey, are you buying that or what? If not, stop reading it," the newsstand owner snapped in dissatisfaction.

Lin Canyang hesitated again and again, but ultimately paid for the paper. It was his first time appearing in a newspaper—an absolute highlight of his life. It was worth the money.

He admired his own photo several times over before reluctantly setting the paper down on the table and continuing to eat his steamed buns.

As he ate, he suddenly noticed a strange bulge beneath the newspaper. He paused. Seeming to realize something, he carefully lifted a corner of the paper, and his pupils shrank instantly.

"This... this is..."

With trembling hands, he picked up the Silver-White Mask hidden underneath. Carved starkly across its surface was the number 1!

"The Leader gave this to me?! I'm the Chief?!"

This sudden windfall struck Lin Canyang out of nowhere, and the immense rush of joy made him lose his composure. Unable to stop himself, he took out the mask and caressed it gently in his hands, as if stroking a lover's skin.

Su Mu had sent him back to the Chiyan Empire yesterday. At the time, he hadn't dared bring up a promotion to the Chief position. He felt he had utterly failed during the operation—he had been beaten, chased, and even forced to hide in a sewer. It was incredibly humiliating.

Meanwhile, his peers had been slaughtering their foes with ease. How could he have the face to ask?

He never expected to actually receive the Chief's mask today!

Staring at the mask in his hands, he suddenly felt unworthy. He didn't deserve the title of Provisional Chief at all.

Learning from the paper that Leader Pride had destroyed the Imperial Palace single-handedly and intimidated the Undead King only made it worse. The massive gap between them made him feel he barely even deserved to be the Provisional Third Seat.

Of course, feeling unworthy was one thing. But if someone asked him to give up the Chief mask now, he wouldn't do it even if he were beaten to death.

'I need to work harder and grow stronger. Sooner or later, I, Lin Canyang, will be worthy of the Provisional Chief title!'

Lin Canyang made a silent vow. But just then, he felt a gaze lock onto him. He jolted in alarm. 'Oh no, someone saw the mask!'

He hadn't been able to resist taking the mask out, and now it had drawn attention. Just as he was trying to figure out what to do, a young man walked over.

"Hey bro, where did you buy that Seven Deadly Sins mask? It looks so realistic—way better than mine."

Lin Canyang blanked. He glanced at the Pride Mask in the young man's hand; it was a cheaply made, plastic replica.

"Mine's not for sale. It was custom-made."

A look of disappointment flashed across the young man's face. "Bummer, I really wanted to buy one. Your mask is pretty weird, though—why does it have a number one on it? Is there even someone like that in the Seven Deadly Sins?"

Lin Canyang smiled faintly. "This? This is the mask of the Provisional Chief of the Seven Deadly Sins."

With that, he slapped the Chief mask onto his face and swaggered out into the street.

Out on the street, the mask on his face drew a few surprised glances, but no one actually bothered him. He was far from the only person wearing one in public.

Many young people were wearing Seven Deadly Sins masks. There were even street vendors specifically peddling them by the roadside.

The Seven Deadly Sins had officially become a cultural trend, and Pride—hailed as the God of the new era—had gained a fervent following.

Walking under the sunlight in his Seven Deadly Sins mask, Lin Canyang felt every pore on his body open up. He felt completely euphoric, as if his life had finally reached its absolute peak!

"Hehe... Chief! I'm the Chief!"

Sometimes, a person's pursuit of empty titles far outweighs their desire for material wealth. That pure spiritual satisfaction is something no physical object can ever rival.

...

...

Inside the Longevity Daoist Temple, Jun Wushang, dressed in his Daoist robes, was reading a Female Pilgrim's palm.

"Daoist Priest, you've been rubbing my hand for ages. Have you seen anything yet?" the Female Pilgrim teased.

Jun Wushang rubbed her palm lines with utmost seriousness. "My dear laywoman, you bear a grave omen!"

"Oh stop it, Daoist Priest, don't scare me like that."

Jun Wushang's expression grew even more solemn. "Do you frequently experience a tightness in your chest? A shortness of breath? This feeling is especially pronounced when you lie flat on your back at night, but is immediately relieved the moment you turn on your side."

The Female Pilgrim's expression changed slightly. "You're exactly right, Priest. I really do experience that."

"Indeed. That is the grave omen."

"Can this omen be undone?"

"Naturally. A mere omen like this? I can undo it with a single hand."

"Then please, Priest, hurry up and undo it for me."

"Seeing how devout you are, I suppose I can reluctantly do you the favor of undoing it." As he spoke, Jun Wushang reached out his hand.

Just then, the space in the center of the main hall distorted slightly. Two figures wearing tailcoats and Silver-White Masks materialized out of thin air.