World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 294 [The Four Living Gods] (Part 1)
The teenagers couldn't wait and started sharing the honey with their hands. The herbalist's attention was focused on Lin An, and he didn't bother to stop their impatient behavior. He asked a pointed question.

Hearing their conversation, someone enthusiastically chimed in.

"A ghost named 'Zai' is possessing me—Awooo!"

The herbalist's pupils contracted. Before the group of boys could finish speaking, they were stung by bees and screamed in pain. Without hesitation, they shook the hive, threw out their little guardians, and fled with the hive in their arms, pursued by the bees.

"We'll bring you olive oil and some shellfish tomorrow!"

The energetic young man disappeared into the sweltering alley. Lin An and the herbalist exchanged a glance for a moment before Lin An broke the silence.

"Your monetary system is not very clear."

"The economy collapsed a long time ago. Although official transactions use Dole or Youle as the currency, I haven't seen real banknotes for years." The herbalist dusted himself off. "Come with me. What herbs do you want?"

“Exorcism, and…” Lin An paused, “…spiritual communication.”

A few hours earlier, Zai had told him about the origins of the Bantu family's "Four Living Gods".

According to Bantu tradition, Nzambhi, the creator of the universe, created the four worlds in which humans live.

When a person dies, he enters the underworld according to Musoni time, cares for and protects the living from the spirit world, until he re-enters the primordial chaos of conception, and is then born, grows, and dies again to join the cycle of reincarnation.

Enzambhi is depicted in the form of a cross, extending one finger to each world. Mythology mentions that four thousand years ago, he left the material world through a reed that reaches to the heavens, leaving four fingers to his successors—the Four Living Gods.

Zay inherited the finger called "Prophet," the current president is "Chief," and there are two other members: "Witch" and "Sorceress."

The Bantu family has a long history, guarding this ancient land long before the unification of the ancient kingdom in the 15th century, until the Portuguese explorer Diego Cao landed on the Cúba River in 1484.

The ancient kingdom and Putuosa began trading, exchanging ambassadors in the then capital Mbambuca (Portuguese for San Salvador). The Western Continent family also infiltrated the Bantu Kingdom.

Then, neighboring countries from the east rose up and invaded this ancient kingdom, tearing it to pieces. The colonial boom of the 17th century transported 1300 million people to the New World, leaving little of the once glorious civilization.

Ultimately, at the Pelin Conference that divided the southern continent, the Bantu were assigned to the Flemish.

Despite the Four Living Gods' best efforts to save them, they were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the attacks from other aristocratic families in the Southern Continent and the Western Continent, and were forced to go into hiding.

Until the 20th century, a religious movement called Kimbanguist became a springboard for anti-colonial sentiment. It was a church that combined the Saviour Church, Evangelicals, and Bantu indigenous beliefs, and later developed into the Pentecostal Church.

The missionaries taught the Mosaic Law and opposed superstition, fetishism, and polygamy, which garnered widespread support. Even internationalists from across the ocean invested in them, making them a formal non-governmental organization that enjoyed a great reputation in central South Africa.

The Four Living Gods took the opportunity to infiltrate the group, using the "shell" of the Five Destinies Sect to evade the targeting of the Western Continent families, while blending into society to rebuild civilization, and with the help of the Eagle Kingdom, gradually moving towards independence.

Eagle country?

Was it done by Xi Yong?
Lin An seemed to be deep in thought. He remembered what the countess had casually mentioned earlier: Xi Yong's goals were different from most aristocratic families, and they were not allies of Hei Du.

After the Western Continent Clan left, the Four Living Gods once again stepped onto the historical stage, orchestrated the first election, and appointed a number of reasonably capable presidents.

Everything was thriving until Chief Qiseqdi Kumasi, one of the Four Living Gods, betrayed them.

Dissatisfied with his low-profile behind-the-scenes work, he secretly accepted an offer from [Black City].

Tshisekedi collaborated with the Red Poppy Merchants Association to incite ethnic conflicts throughout the Bantu region, creating divisions between tribes and encouraging them to believe that the current president is a Tutsi, an outsider, and the culprit behind poverty.

Just as the Four Living Gods were attempting to remedy the situation, Qisekedi brought the forces of the Black City into the Four Living Gods' stronghold.

Except for the "prophet" who managed to escape, the "sorcerer" and the "witch" both died on the spot.

The remaining members had no choice but to surrender.

Tshisekedi quickly orchestrated an assassination, killing the then-president, and joined forces with neighboring Lacoão to carry out a massacre, purging disobedient factions throughout the country, and ultimately winning the election amidst the chaos.

Currently, Zisekdi has obtained the fingers of the "Witch" and the "Sorcerer," but has very few relics of the "Prophet."

The Four Living Gods are called Living Gods because when the "Commes" overlap, they can enter the spiritual world of the Creator Enzambhi through their fingers, gaining the wisdom of the sages, as if their ancestors were brought back to life on earth.

Moreover, these fingers are "antique relics" similar to the Shroud of Turin, which the four living gods can use to lay the foundation for godhood and take the first step in controlling the "Lady with the Lamp".

Lin An is the only one in the world who can skip the step of absorbing the "Lady with the Lamp" into his body, because the alien's spirit gave him 100% of his potential limit.

Having not yet collected all four fingers, Qisekedi could only observe the wisdom of the three realms and could not stand shoulder to shoulder with the creator god. He also lacked more ways to obtain the Lady of the Lamp.

Due to the growing demand in the Black City, the president had no choice but to cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce to capture Zai and find out the whereabouts of the last finger.

This led to the series of troubles that Lin An encountered.

Zai said that if Lin An hadn't killed the Countess in time, once she caught him, no one could have stopped Qisekedi from becoming a god.

Before the Red Poppy Chamber of Commerce and the president could react, he hoped Lin An would retrieve his "finger" to prevent any unforeseen complications.

The herbalist before them was one of the few former members of the Four Living Gods who had refused Zisekdi's offer of service and evaded the Countess's thorough search.

He led Lin An toward the pharmacy. Its imposing neo-Romanesque exterior stood out among the low, dilapidated, and chaotic buildings, giving the impression that it was giving away its secret.

Is the most dangerous place the safest place?
Pushing open the door of the pharmacy, the aroma of herbs wafted out. The interior was very bright, complete with modern lighting, walls, and floors. Dark-colored merchandise was displayed in glass cabinets. The herbalist took a deep breath.

"Gentlemen, the prophet has returned."

The shop assistant who was tidying up the shelves looked up and silently stared at Lin An for a long time. Soon someone turned off the lights and closed the door, changing the "Open for Business" sign to "Closed".

Hello everyone, I am—

Before Lin An could finish speaking, the herbalist beside him suddenly began to have epileptic-like convulsions, emitting incoherent cries.

The other shop assistants remained unmoved, but Lin An calmed himself and carefully observed the herbalist.

As "Comers'" energy dissipated, his facial features and body shape changed; he became shorter, his features distorted, and he became a different person.

Zai had told Lin An that for the mystics on the side of prophets and magicians, their spellcasting was often accompanied by a trembling zakama, which was a sign that they were communicating with the spirit world.

It turns out to be a "shapeshifter wizard".

Bennett's mystery also originated from the Southern Continent, and this prototype is quite common here.

Whether he had returned to his original form or become a different person, the herbalist calmed down and nodded to Lin An.

"Excuse me. Please come with me."

The shop assistants followed him, devoid of emotion, appearing numb and indifferent. Lin An found this strange, yet also felt that it might be a habit they had developed through years of hiding and pretending.

To be on the safe side, he observed his surroundings the entire time using "God's One Eye" and a state of complete mental blankness.

The darkness deepened, and a rare cool breeze whistled across Lin An's face, carrying a damp scent and the sound of dripping water.

His foot slipped, and he descended the steps into a basement. "Is this where your 'fingers' are hidden?"

“No one can access it without a ritual approved by me,” Zai explained. “It is not in the ‘present world’.”

Is it similar to Doris's "Hidden Space"?

The herbalist at the front turned on his flashlight, illuminating the view from the basement.

This is a low-ceilinged space with a flat, round ceiling and a square floor. The rough walls have small holes everywhere, allowing wind and water to leak in and make a pattering sound.

Wooden crates of varying heights were piled in the corner, crammed with medicinal herbs, pigments, animal carcasses, and old ritual implements.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary warehouse.

Seeing Lin An looking around, the herbalist said, "The successor designated by the prophet, please lie down and hand everything over to us."

Lin An's eye twitched. This sales pitch sounded like both a kidney-tonifying massage parlor and a gold chain massage parlor.

With two fingers bent, the Devil's Dice spun around.

Am I being misled by the mindset of a prophet?

"no."

The dice rolled a negative answer.

After searching again, Lin An found nothing unusual, so he lay down on the stall that the herbalist had laid out.

The assistants picked up small drums and sat down, while the herbalist placed a witchcraft talisman on the cushion. The yellowed paper was covered with ancient characters that Lin An had seen in the invitation to the Ancestral Spirit Totem.

The herbalist chewed a cola nut, spat the residue into his palm, scattered it around the cushion, then lit a candle. The smoke rose through the incomprehensible little holes and disappeared.

At the same time, the group of assistants were banging small drums and shouting:

Ndumba gata diaku, nge udi e
e ngwa samuna Nzambe, kesi kum
With my all-powerful mind, I will clean up this space.

This is the essence of the ancestral world, and it will also benefit you.

The herbalist took out a black, egg-shaped bead and placed it on Lin An's navel. It felt cool to the touch and went directly through his clothes to his skin.

Suddenly, Lin An felt a sense of disorientation.

The empty warehouse underwent a strange transformation; colorful murals painted on the gray, bare walls floated like the aurora borealis or a mirage.

Solemn and dignified, the men and women with dark skin wore prayer robes in strikingly contrasting colors, with patterned animal skins around their waists and ostrich and peacock feathers on their heads.

No matter what meaningful pose they strike, their eyes are fixed on the audience, and they raise one finger of their right hand, except for their thumb.

The Four Living Gods of All Dynasties?
Even though it was just a portrait, Lin An always felt a chill down his spine when he looked into their eyes, as if he were being spied on.

He turned his gaze to the herbalist, who was fiddling with a box filled with various ingredients and fitted with lids, opening each lid three times and sniffing the inside very hard.

Finally, the herbalist selected a box and took out a bag of fragrant herbs.

He then opened two boxes, scooped out a spoonful of water and a little palm sap from each, mixed them with the herbal packet, and tied them to the soles of Lin An's feet.

Similar to the black beads, the soles of the shoes felt almost empty, and a cold sensation went straight to the soles of the feet.

The assistants continued singing:
E Nzambe, nkosi mbungu zi menga tala yuna nleke nge kunsimbidi,

mono k'insimbidi ko.
Kimpaka-mpaka udia mwaka,

bioko iziola mu nitu, kakala nkonso, kakala ngolo, Nzambe unyambula,

kaleka bwo, kasikama ntangu nlungu.
Bleeding Nzabi, look at this man.

He longs to eat one of your fingers.
So you've caught him.

Make him strong, make him energetic, and don't leave him;
Let him sleep and wake up when the sun is at its highest!

As the singing ceased, the murals of the four living gods that filled the sky suddenly came to life. Several people covered in white patterns gathered together into one entity, extending a finger as if in the Creation of Adam.

Lin An tentatively touched his two fingers together.

A flash of inspiration suddenly entered Lin An's mind, and he instantly realized that there was a bit of obscure and unclear fog in his memories.

“You now possess the knuckles of a ‘prophet’,” the herbalist said, and his assistants stopped drumming and singing, all looking at Lin An.

In the darkness, the whites of their eyes looked particularly eerie.

"Does that mean... the ceremony was successful?" Lin An frowned slightly.

"It's just one of the prophet's fingers. Please wait 24 hours before retrieving the second finger."

As the herbalist spoke, he led Lin An up the steps on the other side. The group of assistants with vacant stares were tidying up the rest of the ceremony, like shadows wriggling in the darkness, sending chills down one's spine.

Strange guy...

The basement exit leads directly to the outside world. Bathed in the scorching sun, Lin An felt a sense of unreality and dazedness.

"That'll be fine?"

“Yes,” Zai confirmed. “What was just injected into you is the finger inherited from the ‘Prophet’.”

The herbalist took the opportunity to give some advice: "During this period, you should pay attention to some taboos. Do not eat pumpkin or peanuts, poultry or caterpillars, any animals that died without an obvious cause, and do not visit corpses or assist with funerals."

"OK."

Anyway, Lin An wouldn't have done these things in the first place.

As he watched his figure disappear around the street corner, the herbalist's body trembled violently again, as if in a spasm. His eyes rolled back, his whole body convulsed, and he recovered completely after five seconds.

"call……"

As the energy dissipated, he exhaled a stale breath, turned to look at the mirror, and revealed a mysterious smile.

A face exactly like Lin An's was reflected in the mirror.

“I’m sorry, ranger, but for me, nothing is more important than preserving the civilization of the Bantu people…”

感谢liekkas、AlvMolak、憾地者三火、书友 20231202935_aA、今日支配者、尺子cz、锦虚、书友 20221025161732814、一只傻狗兔子、书友20220528132552420、书友161125154306882、书友20230612203808474的月票，感谢各位的推荐票和订阅～
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(End of this chapter)