Chapter 476 - 411: Time Anchoring! God of Nations and Conquest

Chu Bamboo stared, dumbfounded, at the familiar surroundings, feeling as if his brain had shriveled.

’What happened?!’

’Wait...’ Chu Bamboo began to recall everything that had just happened...

’The me in this worldline is... the Crown Prince? The Saint?’

’What the hell is a Crown Prince... In other words, the outside world is still under an imperial system! But why would I be the Crown Prince... And as for Saint, does that mean a Saint of a Divine Being?’

Chu Bamboo sorted through the information he had, and his scalp tingled with dread.

But after piecing it together, he was starting to understand the situation...

’If the Divine Being has been watching me all this time... No, that can’t be right. He can’t have been watching *constantly*! Otherwise, he would have shown up at the speed of light the moment I questioned Nuwa...’

’Or maybe, he noticed something was wrong when I questioned Nuwa, but he just kept observing. It wasn’t until I mentioned Daqian that he decided to formally reveal himself?!’

’Wait, if that’s true!’

Chu Bamboo’s eye twitched. ’Does that mean I’m being watched right now?’

Closing his eyes as countless thoughts flashed through his mind, Chu Bamboo made a decision. He didn’t call out for Nuwa. Instead, he rose to his feet and said with a grave expression, "Great God, please reveal yourself to me!"

Chu Bamboo couldn’t even be sure who that person—or rather, that Divine Being—was. The voice that had rung out earlier had been impossible to place, its exact timbre indiscernible.

However, he had a terrifying suspicion about that person’s identity.

"? What can I do for you?" a bewildered voice suddenly asked. At that moment, a brilliant Divine Light began to swirl, coalescing into a semi-corporeal figure.

Chu Bamboo’s expression remained unchanged, but he sighed inwardly. ’Just as I thought. This guy is watching me right now... I just don’t know if he just started watching me, or if he’s *always* been watching... If it’s the latter, doesn’t that make him a Peeping Tom?!’

"...Are you God?" Chu Bamboo asked bluntly. ’Since God isn’t dead, and humanity is still ruled by an Empire, then God is probably the Emperor now... So even if this person in front of me isn’t God, he’s probably a Clone of God? Or at least some being connected to Him?’

"...HOLY SHIT!" The figure’s calm demeanor instantly shattered. It shrank and solidified into a terrified-looking man, who immediately lunged forward and slapped a hand over Chu Bamboo’s mouth. "You little devil, are you insane?! Great Ancestor... I... I absolutely meant no disrespect! Even if you saw... if you’re going to punish someone, punish this little devil here."

The man prayed in terror, spouting a series of familiar slogans, from "I wish only to believe in God" to "May Your light shine upon the earth..."

Chu Bamboo: "..."

The sliver of hope in Chu Bamboo’s heart finally died.

He stared blankly at the familiar man...

Su Po!

Yes, the Emperor of Daqian, Su Po!

’Well, this was one of the possibilities that had flashed through my mind.’ After all, he had long since realized that his powers seemed to have some kind of anchoring and convergence effect.

No matter how he changed history, the people he knew always seemed to show up eventually. They would even experience similar events, possess similar personalities, and hold positions that weren’t too different from before. For example, in The Matrix Line, Li Kang was still the captain of Zone Three. Su Po had become the Grand Commander!

It was because of this that a large portion of the intelligence Chu Bamboo possessed remained useful, even after changing the worldline.

’Logically, the massive impact of the butterfly effect should lead to different birth times, meaning they shouldn’t be the same people. For instance, if someone was born in 2026 before my influence, but then born in 2027 after my influence, would they still be the same person, even if they had the same name?’

’Obviously not!’

’As time went on... this kind of discrepancy should only grow larger!’

But crucially, this rule didn’t seem to apply to the people Chu Bamboo knew.

’So, if the Emperor wasn’t God, then based on this anchoring effect, the most likely candidate for Emperor was someone I already knew... the Emperor of Daqian!’

’Could it be!’ Chu Bamboo had a sudden realization. ’Back then, I was about to stage a rebellion, and I could have used Nuwa to become emperor in a single day... Now, I’m the Crown Prince. Is this a hint that if I want to achieve the same thing, I just need to give this guy in front of me a "fatherly kindness, filial son" send-off?’

’But...’

"What is the relationship between us?" Chu Bamboo couldn’t figure it out. He clearly remembered being an orphan in this life...

"? Are you insane?" Su Po looked completely bewildered, a hint of concern appearing in his eyes. "Do you need me to get a doctor for you?"

Chu Bamboo said nothing, simply staring calmly at Su Po.

"You’re not just messing with me, are you... You little brat! Whatever. If you’re fine, don’t come bothering me! I’m busy. I need to focus my energy on politics." After cursing, Su Po turned to leave. The shift from playful intimacy to cold dismissal was instantaneous.

Chu Bamboo showed no emotion as he watched Su Po disappear. A flicker of understanding appeared in his eyes as he mused to himself, ’I see... his personality is more or less the same as the other Su Po’s!’

He had spent time with Su Po in the Imperial Palace, so he understood this man’s character all too well.

To put it bluntly, when he loved you, he loved you so much he’d want to cradle you in the palm of his hand. When he hated you, he’d want to grind you into paste. It was even possible for both to happen within the same day.

He seemed like a madman, but he was also the epitome of a pure Emperor. If you were useful, he would be incredibly close to you. The moment you weren’t, he would cast you aside like a worn-out shoe. If you performed a great service, he would reward you handsomely. If you made a grave mistake, he would have your head, regardless of your status.

A political machine that seemed emotional and valued sentiment, but was, in reality, a cold and ruthless machine.

"Nuwa No. 17," Chu Bamboo suddenly asked, "what exactly is the relationship between Su Po and me?"

Since Su Po was unwilling to answer, he would ask someone who was.

"You are the heaven-sent child of the God Worship Sect, born of no mother or father, appearing from nowhere on the day of God’s nativity. You are regarded by the God Worship Sect as a miracle manifested by God..."

"You are the Saint of the God of Nations and Conquest, the Crown Prince of the Human Empire! After a chance encounter with the Emperor Selection Stone, you triggered the Light of the Holy Son, defeated numerous other Imperial Princes, and became the Crown Prince, the one destined to inherit the Human Empire."

The corner of Chu Bamboo’s eye twitched as a flicker of doubt crossed his face. ’Su Po... is the God of Nations and Conquest?’

’How is that possible... He wasn’t in the previous worldline!’

’Oh.’

Chu Bamboo suddenly understood. ’Right. The rule that the Heavenly Monarch cannot cultivate, or rather, that he must bear the pollution of the entire nation, was something King Wen of Chu created. But the history of this world is completely different from the last one!’

He pondered this for a moment. ’The Heavenly Monarch is considered a descendant of both myself and God, so under these circumstances, it’s perfectly reasonable for him to remain the ruler of the Human Empire! But as for King Wen of Chu... I’m afraid that even if he were still born in this timeline, his role would be drastically diminished, wouldn’t it?’

’But, just by touching that stone... the one who’s acknowledged becomes the Crown Prince? Is that related to God?’ Chu Bamboo’s gaze was unsteady. ’Or could it be...’

’Considering that Su Po is a Divine Being in this timeline, and... given his volatile personality... is there some kind of plot or scheme targeting me?’

Chu Bamboo didn’t believe for a second that Su Po genuinely treated him like a Crown Prince and doted on him. After all, the man had just forced him to reload a save!

That alone was enough to prove how serious Su Po’s intentions were. Even if he wasn’t trying to kill him... from the perspective of his reloading ability, it was no different from being killed.

"Nuwa No. 17!" Chu Bamboo clenched his fists. "Given my unique status, is there really no way for me to contact God? Wasn’t I supposed to be the one chosen by Him?"

"I have no such channels," Nuwa No. 17’s voice replied, as monotonous as ever. "Please find the mainframe for confirmation!"

"Celestial Court God!" Chu Bamboo called out, his face impassive. There was no response. After a moment of thought, he closed his eyes and prayed for a moment before finally muttering, "You should recognize me, too... if you truly inherited the legacy of the Celestial Court!"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Chu Bamboo suddenly gave a bitter laugh. "Doesn’t this just prove it? Something’s happened to God."

He had just called out randomly, and Su Po appeared before him in a flash. He highly doubted God couldn’t do the same. ’Of course, it’s possible Su Po was monitoring me constantly while God wasn’t. But the chances of that are slim...’

Chu Bamboo understood his own unique nature all too well. Besides, even if God didn’t know, wouldn’t Nuwa? Even if something had happened to Nuwa now, it was highly likely she would have discussed this matter with God before she went dormant.