Friend? Can you collude with me to do great things?

In the emergency exit of the shopping mall, few people come here, so it can be said to be the safest and quietest place.

"Friend, I wonder which powerful deity you believe in? The divine power on you is almost as strong as that of the deity I believe in," said the Taoist priest, circling around Deng Ru and marveling.

Deng Ru was no longer the weakest deity at this moment; he was now at the level of a county-level deity. The Taoist priest's remark suggested that he was also a follower of a county-level deity, one who governed millions of people.

"The deity I believe in is a provincial-level deity, governing the faith of hundreds of millions of people. The divine power emanating from him every day is so vast that all of us, his devout followers, cannot absorb it all even if we try our hardest," Deng Ru said, deliberately misleading the Taoist priest.

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest became excited and patted Deng Ru on the shoulder. "Friend, would you dare to conspire with us for a great cause?"

Deng Ru caught a blind spot in the Taoist priest's words. The use of the phrase "us" implied that there might be more than one deity behind the Taoist priest.

"Us? Does that mean there is more than one deity involved?" Deng Ru asked for confirmation.

The Taoist priest clapped his hands together, looking pleased. "Friend, you are truly astute. Yes, there are more than just our deity. In fact, the deities of Ping'an County, Dong County, and Lin County are all conspiring with our deity."

Deng Ru raised an eyebrow. The three deities mentioned by the Taoist priest were all strong contenders to be promoted to the municipal level. Especially the deity of Ping'an County, who governed over nine million people. Given the chance, he could easily be promoted to a municipal-level deity within a year.

The fact that these three county-level deities were conspiring with the deity the Taoist priest believed in suggested that this deity was also a powerful one. However, Deng Ru was not concerned. After all, he was now a devout follower of a provincial-level deity, not some small-time county-level deity.

"So, the four of you, county-level deities, are conspiring to overthrow the deity of H City?" Deng Ru probed. If his hunch was correct, he would have a better chance of defeating the deity of H City.

The Taoist priest frowned. "Friend, that is not a pleasant way to put it. The old deity is corrupt and tyrannical. You must know that H City was once a province, governing hundreds of millions of people. But now? Barely ninety million! It has been demoted from a provincial level to a municipal level. Although we are devout followers of deities, we are still human beings at heart. The deity of H City has been cruelly harming young girls, terrorizing the people of H City. Although we do not have the power to overthrow a deity, as humans, we must do something for our fellow citizens."

The Taoist priest's expression was sincere, and there was anger in his eyes. It was clear that he had long harbored resentment towards the deity of H City for his cruel actions against young girls.

"The way you speak, it sounds like you have persuaded these four deities to oppose the deity of H City," Deng Ru said, feeling a certain amount of admiration for the Taoist priest. The deity of H City was powerful, and even as a deity himself, Deng Ru was not confident in facing him directly. Yet this Taoist priest, merely a follower, had dared to take action and try to persuade other deities to stand up against such atrocities when all others remained silent.

"Hehe, one must do something for their fellow citizens, right? Friend, I ask for your help in convincing your provincial-level deity to report the atrocities of the H City deity to his superiors. In return, my deity is willing to offer five million units of divine power to him every day," the Taoist priest said with a forced smile, patting his chest to reassure Deng Ru.

Deng Ru did not make any promises he could not keep. He was not yet sure if he would be able to defeat the H City deity in a month's time when his ant colony reached two billion. "I will do my best to persuade my deity, but I cannot guarantee that he will agree to your request. After all, the H City deity is on the verge of being promoted to the provincial level. It would be difficult for another provincial-level deity to intervene."

"Your willingness to try is enough for me, brother. Here is my social media account. Add me, and in about half a month, we will be holding a gathering where all of us and our deities will be present. I look forward to hearing good news from you then," the Taoist priest said excitedly.

He did not need Deng Ru's provincial-level deity to make a commitment; Deng Ru's mere presence at the gathering as a devout follower of a provincial-level deity would be enough to bolster the confidence of the wavering county-level deities.

Deng Ru did not refuse. In half a month, he would have a better idea of whether he could defeat the H City deity or not. By then, he would have a solid plan whether he attended the gathering or not.

Deng Ru added the Taoist priest on social media. The Taoist priest's profile picture showed a pure and innocent-looking young girl, a stark contrast to his burly and bearded appearance. Deng Ru did not think much of it, as people often used avatars that did not reflect their real-life appearance.

"Your name is Qing, right?" Deng Ru asked, pointing to the Taoist priest's social media handle.

The Taoist priest nodded. "That's my name. My master gave it to me when he found me as a baby at the foot of the mountain. I have kept it even after becoming a follower of my deity."

"Friend, I have matters to attend to now. It was a pleasure talking to you today. I know that we humans still have the courage to resist the deities, or at least, the courage to take action. I will leave now, and I will contact you on social media in half a month," the Taoist priest said before hurriedly departing. Deng Ru understood the urgency and caution required in their situation, as they were plotting against a powerful municipal-level deity with nine million followers.

After the Taoist priest left, Deng Ru headed to the furniture store to buy his target items: seven or eight ancient-style cabinets that would fill up the rooms in his rental house. He had two bedrooms, and in the past, when Qiu Yuan came to talk to him and stayed late, she would sleep in the other bedroom. As a deity, Deng Ru did not need to rest, so he could easily clear out his own bedroom and fill it with these cabinets for his precious ants.

When he returned home, Qiu Yuan was still standing outside, staring into the sky. Deng Ru remembered her earlier smile and looked at her now, realizing that she was probably not as optimistic as she seemed. After all, she was only eighteen, and the horror of what was happening in the city was not lost on her.

Deng Ru had been about to walk away but stopped and approached her instead. "What's wrong? You look upset," he asked gently, intending to give her some comfort and reassurance for the next month, regardless of the outcome of his battle with the H City deity.

Qiu Yuan looked up at him, her eyes brightening slightly. She nodded and did not hesitate for long before blowing out a breath and saying, "Of course, I'm upset. Out of ninety million people in H City, why did they have to choose me? How can I not be upset?" She sounded like a normal eighteen-year-old girl reacting to such news, finally showing the emotions one would expect in such a situation.