Why would you, a cactus, run away to the rainy and humid Phantom World?
Every time he was confronted with this question, Sagat would give the same answer.
“To follow Mr Matthews and learn to write under him.”
Lying is a necessary skill for writers, and one must open one’s mouth.
The truth was, for the sake of a high allowance.
Ms Mina, or Ms Jodi, who offered a very high price for an accompanying assistant for a period of five years. The aide’s job was to organise books on a daily basis, and she was required to be able to write and read, have a flexible mind and be hardworking.
The total remuneration for five years was enough to buy a decent house in a big city like Yao City.
Shagga loved money, the more the better.
That feeling of extreme material abundance made it very much yearn for it.
Originally, the opportunity for this kind of work did not belong to Shaga. In Sand City, there were hundreds, not to say thousands, of people who fulfilled this condition.
However, the employer, Lady Mina, demanded that it had to be a backbox cactus.
Only later did Shagga realise that it was to keep it a secret for Mr Matthews. That was why Lady Mina only looked for pure locals from Sand City, the Backbox Cactus.
Shaga specifically went to learn many words, including his own name Shaga, the name of this city Shacheng, the Yao Clan …… and of course the most important Yao God.
It wrote crookedly, but eventually got the job. In terms of other requirements, it definitely counts as quick-witted among the cacti.
After obtaining this job, Sagat felt weak again.
He wasn’t really able to write, and he would definitely reveal himself in five years time.
What to do?
Shagga could only pray silently in his heart, Lord Yao Shen, please bless me and get enough money before being fired.
When it learnt that the destination was the Phantom Ghost Realm, Shagga was anxious.
Going to that kind of place, wouldn’t it be suicidal for the cactus?
I heard that the Spectre Realm was always rainy, full of puddles and quagmires, with water seeping through the humid air, and that the sun could not be seen all year round. In the eyes of the cacti, it was an extremely dangerous hell.
Sagat said he couldn’t go.
Matthews told it, “Don’t worry, I know your clan can’t touch too much water and need light and warmth. That’s why this time we brought a fire steamer with plenty of black ooze, so there’s no need to be afraid of water or cold.”
“Also, after we go over there, the place we’ll settle is not in the Spectral Ghost Realm, but Pillar’s Mountain. It’s dry and sunny there, and there are also Calamity Beasts …… that can create droughts so those aren’t a problem.”
Sagat still stiffened and said he couldn’t go.
Matthews smiled and said, “You’re perfect to be my assistant. I was worried before that the Backbox Cactus clan was too mute and honest, but it seems that there are also those like you who have a flexible brain and are bold.”
Sagat then realised that his inability to write had been seen through from the start.
“Of course, I respect your choice.”
The writer clad in brass armour stomach said slowly, “But this could be an okay opportunity for you.”
“Do you know why there are heroes and prophets?”
Shagga replied, “Because of God Yao’s gift.”
“That’s right, God Yao sent down the grace to let the names of prophets and heroes spread in all directions. But not everyone has this qualification, heroes are heroes because they do what others cannot.”
“The courage to go to the Phantom Realm is not something most of your kind would have. Just like most people, wouldn’t go to live in a backward and poor godly country like my wife and I did.”
“You did the impossible in the eyes of the common man when everyone didn’t see it as a good idea, and that’s the path to becoming a hero.”
Matthews said with his hands behind his back, “We Yao Clan have conquered the earth, crossed the sea, entered the desert, explored the underground, and I’m sure we’ll even fly into the sky. That’s what we’re doing, not because they’re easy, but because we’re about to do what no man can do.”
“This means that we are the Yao people, we are the ones who make the impossible possible, this is our nature, and this is where our guts and talents lie.”
“You must consider if this will be your only chance in this life, not all young people have the power to make this choice.”
Sagat chose to give up his only chance in this life.
Matthews was silenced by it and the scene was awkward for a moment.
Lady Mina raised her index finger, “I’ll add another chest of gems, enough for you to buy a detached cottage by the river with a garden in Sanilo.”
Sagat immediately patted his chest, “Mr Matthews, Ms Mina, Sagat is definitely your most loyal and reliable assistant. Whether it’s rainstorms or flames, nothing can stop Sagat from following you!”
……
Money was Sagat’s source of motivation.
Lady Mina settled its pay every week, and when there was an extra pearl in its hand, or a piece of gold, Shaga could feel the satisfaction tangibly.
It didn’t love spending money, but it especially loved making money.
As for work, Shaga had no interest in writing, at least in the beginning. Shaga acted more as Matthews’ life assistant, with all the odd jobs contracted to it.
Hard work was certainly hard work.
But Lady Mina gave so much more.
With all those shiny gems in his pocket, Sagat worked harder and harder.
Mr and Mrs Matthews’ residence was built in a flat area of the Mountain of Pillars, and this house had its foundation built by the Funeral Clan. They built the main body of the house out of stone and clay with exquisite engineering skills, and it was an elegant and refined three-storey castle.
The windows of the castle were all made of coloured glass shipped from Sand City, which were said to have been made by the craftsmen of Crystal City in the City of Radiance, each piece costing a fortune and emitting a colourful halo of light under the sun, making it very eye-catching.
The mansion was surrounded by a large grove of trees and a surprisingly large garden, with avenues of arches laid out that were made of bamboo, light and close to the forest.
Sagat worked in such an environment.
All it had to do on a daily basis was to keep watch over Mr Matthews, to make sure that it was at his beck and call. As for Ms Mina, she spent most of her time in the garden, which was filled with a variety of roses, and she loved growing flowers.
One day, Matthews slumped in his chair in annoyance and said, “Sagat, here’s your pen, you write!”
“Huh?”
The cactus assistant froze, “But sir, I don’t know anything.”
“It’s okay, not knowing is sometimes an advantage.”
At Matthews’ whim, Sagat cluelessly picked up the feather quill, dipped it in ink and wrote the first line of the story on the paper.
That line it felt it would never forget for the rest of its life.
–The teacher told Sagat that the gods are calling you. Go, Sagat, to the distant and evil Black Abyss, where you will shine.
Why it was written, it doesn’t remember.
But what Sagat remembers more clearly is that when it saw the words unfold on paper, it had a dreamlike feeling, as if it was unfolding another life.
Over the next few days, Shagga officially became Matthews’ writing assistant. The things it did included reading the manuscript, giving comments, as well as organising it and carrying out the tools needed to check it out.
The castle displayed almost every important book on the Yao market, covering an entire wall.
In this year, Matthews opened a new novel, The Book of Graves. The book tells a tale of what happens in a grave, very different from the dark horror that one might expect, and for the first time spell casting and combat are formally described in detail.
]
More than its predecessor, The Crystal Empire, The Book of Graves was a transformation, pioneering a new way of writing that made everyone curse Matthews a little less.
Three years after the publication of The Book of Graves, a slim volume called The Templar was circulating in Sandtown.
The book described a mysterious high-ranking profession [Templars], which were powerful transcendents that could only metamorphose after receiving revelation and summoning from Yao God.
The Templars existed to defend the faith and majesty of the gods and eradicate all kinds of rebellious monsters, and the Templars were even strong enough to fight against Apostles and Evil Gods.
Most of the time, they live like ordinary people, cooking, drinking, and having a lot of troubles.
Only when the most difficult enemies are confronted are they called upon, arriving at the temple from the four corners of the earth, donning the divine armour bestowed by the gods, and entering battle in the form of a templar.
As soon as the book appeared, it caught everyone’s attention.
Shagga, the mysterious author of Templars, also turned into an object of contention for the Yao Clan. Everyone only knew that Shaga was a Backbox Cactus, but it had disappeared for several years.
It was said that it had gone to the Phantom Ghost Realm.
This claim caused many people to question it.
The Ghost Realm was humid and rainy, with a constant black fog that was like a torture prison for the Backbox Cactus, so who would go to a place like that?
Sagat did not know how to write, something that was well known to the backbox cacti.
Many believe that the author who wrote the book, most likely knew the templars, or was an eyewitness to the battle scene. That’s why he was able to write those massive battle scenes, and the powerful and detailed circumstances of the Templars, so realistically.
Because it was true!
Many people even asked Mayor Slymod specifically for this.
This apostle had only one reply.
“No comment.”
The Templars entered Yao City and Salt City from Sand City, creating a new storm in the Yao Clan world, where everyone was curious about the Templars and excited about this mysterious profession.
……
The simulator shows.
[Shagga wrote The Templars.]
[The Yao Clan has developed a fervent worship of you due to The Templars, and their beliefs have been drastically boosted.]
[The Templars gave rise to a new wave of thought never seen before, creating a whole new genre of pop culture.]
This fervent worship resulted in an increase in faith in the upper right corner to reach 520,000, even exceeding the current population limit of the Yao Clan.
Lu Yao was a bit bewildered.
What was the situation with this book?
