Chapter 926: Chapter 923: [The Day the Highest Word Spirit of Qi Wish Was Established.]
The Old Day Church’s base is shrouded in black mist, covering a vast area, resembling a city.
Xiao Jingsan handed Su Ming’an a mask: "Put on the mask. There are too many madmen in the Old Day Church. If you expose your true face, it might be dangerous in the future."
Su Ming’an put on the mask. This mask was very similar to Xiao Jingsan’s mask, with a surface as ghastly white as bones and a pair of demon horns extending from the top.
"Why did you call me Deity Master just now?" asked Su Ming’an.
Xiao Jingsan tilted his head: "Because in my heart, you are like a deity. I’ve admired you for a long time, the First Dream Patrol Family."
Su Ming’an suspected this was a lie. If Xiao Jingsan truly admired him, he wouldn’t have been confrontational in "Louyue Nation," even revealing the true identity of the Eldest Prince intentionally.
The Old Day Church’s base was vast; the two of them walked for a long time before reaching the city center, which was a tall, looming Gothic building, its spire like a black blade piercing the sky, approximately thirty stories high, the power core of the Old Day Church.
Along the way, Su Ming’an saw many madmen. Some inexplicably went mad and shouted on the street side, some hugged ritual paper dolls yelling "wife," and there were even those who publicly self-immolated in the square, laughing as if saved, with people applauding them. Watching this scene, Su Ming’an felt his scalp tingle; indeed, the theme of this world was madness, and now he had walked into the pinnacle of madness.
"Vice Sect Hierarch." The guard at the door saluted Xiao Jingsan.
"Wensheng, follow me." Xiao Jingsan pushed open the heavy door, and a gigantic stained glass window greeted them with faint virtual sunlight streaming in. There was no ceiling above; instead, the distant thirty-story top was revealed, like a lightwell. Su Ming’an looked up and could vaguely see the distant starry sky.
Seeing the decor akin to a church, Su Ming’an found it ridiculous—an evil organization that slaughtered countless civilians also sought God’s forgiveness?
Xiao Jingsan said: "The past sins of the Old Day Church weren’t committed by me."
"Hmm?" Su Ming’an looked up.
"There was a former Sect Hierarch; those sins of civilian massacres were all committed by him. I am merely his successor, managing the Old Day Church when he vanishes," Xiao Jingsan whispered, "I just want to shape this place into Paradise and commit no sins."
"Vanish?" said Su Ming’an.
"Yes, the former Sect Hierarch always suddenly vanishes for a while, and I take charge of the Old Day Church during his absences," said Xiao Jingsan.
Su Ming’an was skeptical. If this was the case, then Xiao Jingsan bore no sins?
"Haven’t you noticed, First Dream Patrol Family?" Xiao Jingsan suddenly halted. He stood under the stained glass, looking at Su Ming’an: "The world has become Hell—people forcing smiles, rigid orders and hierarchies, ever-increasing survival resource prices, the gulf between humans and exotic species, increasingly riotous and deranged netizens, abused mentality drugs tobacco, one spiritually broken Dream Patrol broadcaster after another... The world has become Hell. It is the people’s fierce yearning to reclaim the homeland and obedience to God that has turned the land they depend on into Hell."
"...Mm." Su Ming’an responded, this wasn’t wrong.
"Everywhere is Hell, yet I hope there’s a Paradise somewhere in this world," Xiao Jingsan said, "The Old Day Church is a place the Union Government cannot reach, where humans and exotic species are equal. If the exotic species can control the radiation on themselves, they will live peacefully in this city. And those suspected to be exotic species, I save them from the execution grounds, let them live here. Even if they can never leave here again, everyone is happy."
—Is this happiness?
Listening to Xiao Jingsan’s ideals, Su Ming’an’s thoughts fluctuated—Xiao Jingsan saved those about to be executed, saved exotic species with nowhere to go, allowing them to live in a judgment-free place.
The Old Day Church had become the Peach Blossom Spring, yet the present world remained bound in countless legal constraints. Paradise and Hell’s positions seemed swapped.
At that moment, Xiao Jingsan had his subordinates take Xia Jiawen to a room, only taking Su Ming’an downward.
"I’m taking you somewhere," said Xiao Jingsan.
Su Ming’an followed Xiao Jingsan and entered the elevator.
"Ding." When the elevator door opened, Su Ming’an saw a bloody scene.
This was a torture chamber; several people covered in blood were tied to pillars, with Old Day Church members brutally interrogating them. Fire tongs, scalpels, and iron tools hung on the walls, and the air carried a metallic scent.
"Who are these people?" asked Su Ming’an.
Xiao Jingsan laughed: "Some people who resisted the Old Day Church, captured by us."
Su Ming’an looked at this horrific scene. He knew war invariably produced prisoners, but the Old Day Church’s methods of dealing with these prisoners were egregiously cruel.
"You say this is Paradise where everyone can be happy; can’t they?" Su Ming’an pointed at the bloodied captives.
Xiao Jingsan shook his head, his tone filled with naive cruelty: "Those who stand on the wrong side are not entitled to happiness."
Su Ming’an sneered internally. Apparently, Xiao Jingsan truly was an idealist, dreaming of creating a Paradise but only accepting those who don’t resist the Old Day Church. Members of the City Guardian Department, Human Self-Rescue Alliance, when captured face dreadful ends, unforgiven by Xiao Jingsan.
"In ’Divine Comedy,’ only by practicing in the Pure Realm can the guilty ascend to Paradise," said Xiao Jingsan, "But in my view, these people were born into Hell."
"You use ’Divine Comedy’ as a comparison, do you fancy yourself the ’mountain’ that records human sins?" asked Su Ming’an.
"No." Xiao Jingsan shook his head, "I’m just ’Virgil.’"
Virgil represents human reason, also represents "humans discovering evil through their reason, cleansing their souls, and purifying their inner selves."
Su Ming’an had made some judgment on Xiao Jingsan’s ideals, and said no more.
At that moment, a shout came from the corner, hoarse and filled with anger and hatred:
"Xiao Ying!!!"
Su Ming’an turned to look; a person kneeling on the ground, fingers cut off, his face covered in dark red blood, seemingly tortured for a long time.
"—Xiao Ying! You commit heinous crimes; you’ll die horribly! You killed so many of my brothers; you’ll eventually be punished; you’ll eventually pay! You’ll die horribly, die horribly!" The man’s face was bloodied, continually cursing Xiao Jingsan.
The interrogator beside him was scared out of his wits by these words, quickly covering the man’s mouth: "Vice Sect Hierarch, I didn’t expect him to suddenly curse you..."
"It’s okay," Xiao Jingsan shrugged, "This prisoner should be from the City Guardian Department, right? I remember, we fought a battle with them before and caught some prisoners."
"Yes, that’s right." The interrogator nodded.
...City Guardian Department.
Su Ming’an immediately recalled this righteous organization; the City Guardian Department was highly responsible, always protecting civilians. Now, there was a City Guardian Department member before him, tortured to a bloody pulp.
Xiao Jingsan took a revolver from his coat and placed it before the prisoner.
"..." The prisoner stared at the gun, not understanding what Xiao Jingsan was doing.
"You hate me?" asked Xiao Jingsan.
The prisoner’s mouth was covered, his bloodshot eyes resentfully gloating at Xiao Jingsan, fervently wishing to flay and dismember him.
"Let him speak," said Xiao Jingsan.
The person in charge of the interrogation immediately let go, allowing the captive to speak. He gasped for air, filled with resentment: "Xiao Ying. Your Old Day Church bombards cities, massacring innocent civilians. People like you deserve the pain of death by a thousand cuts—though I won’t see the day you die, justice will eventually punish you. You will die without a burial place sooner or later."
"Sigh, you people from the City Guardian Department, even when you curse, it’s so restrained?" Xiao Jingsan sighed: "nmsl, rnm, can’t you say those? Don’t even know how to release your own evil. Justice champion, eh..."
The captive stared intensely at Xiao Jingsan, fire almost erupting from his eyes.
"Just right, I met someone I really admire today, to celebrate, let’s play a game." Xiao Jingsan pointed to the revolver on the ground: "Come, pick up this pistol, and shoot me."
For a moment, everyone was stunned. The captive didn’t understand why Xiao Jingsan said that, but he knew the opportunity was rare. He immediately arched his blood-covered body, struggling to crawl forward, using hands that had lost all ten fingers to desperately try to grab the revolver, clamping it between his arms, aiming at Xiao Jingsan.
Xiao Jingsan watched him with a constant smile.
The captive’s fingers had been cut off, revealing mangled white bones. He endured the intense pain, using his bones to squeeze the trigger of the revolver, with a "click" sound.
Empty.
The captive was startled, immediately attempted to pull the trigger a second time, but the gun was snatched by Xiao Jingsan.
"My turn now." Xiao Jingsan aimed at the captive and pulled the trigger, making a sound with his mouth: "Bang."
Another "click."
Still an empty chamber.
"Alright, your turn." Xiao Jingsan said with a smile, handing the gun back to the captive, his voice full of anticipation.
Su Ming’an stood at the side and suddenly understood what Xiao Jingsan was doing.
...Russian roulette.
There were a total of six chambers in the revolver, five chambers empty, one loaded with a bullet. Both sides took turns firing; whoever hit the bullet would die. It was a game of life and death. Su Ming’an underestimated Xiao Jingsan’s insanity. He didn’t expect Xiao Jingsan to gamble life with a captive just on a whim.
"Click." "Click."
The next two clicks were both misfires. When the gun reached the captive for the last time, he held it, pointed at Xiao Jingsan, trembling all over.
A fifty percent chance, a fifty percent chance...
Now there’s one empty chamber, one bullet chamber, just a fifty percent chance would let him shoot Xiao Jingsan dead...
Please, please, for the sake of avenging his comrades, for killing the Old Day Church’s Vice Sect Hierarch who brings calamity to the mortal world, this bullet must...
The captive gritted his teeth, pulled the trigger.
Xiao Jingsan faced the gun without any dodging or defense. He seemed truly gambling with life, insanely making it incomprehensible. It was as if even if the bullet really fired and pierced his skull, he could accept it.
"Click."
Under the tense watchful eyes of the people, the captive pulled the trigger, a hollow sound echoed.
Empty.
The captive’s face instantly turned ghastly pale. He laughed bitterly several times, seemingly mocking his own luck, or perhaps ridiculing this world. Luck stood with the great evil, why.
Why.
Xiao Jingsan seized the gun, the barrel aimed at the captive.
"Well then, win or lose, your luck is regrettably poor." Behind his mask, Xiao Jingsan displayed a bright smile, his finger poised on the trigger: "Goodbye."
The captive, facing down the gun’s barrel, said coldly:
"You will fall into the Nine Serenities, enduring soul corrosion."
"You will be devoured by the Scarlet Python, reincarnate without rebirth."
"You will be cut down by the Judgment Angel, lost to the depths of the sea forever buried."
"Deities won’t redeem your soul, you will die without a burial place."
These words of the captive came from the teachings of The World of Old Days, something Su Ming’an hadn’t read before. But he recognized them as extremely vicious curses.
Underneath his mask, Xiao Jingsan’s expression seemed grim for a split second as if hit where it hurt. He pulled the trigger, "Bang," a bullet fired.
"Crash——!"
White tendrils abruptly sprouted, shielding the captive.
Su Ming’an had begun to master these tendrils. They weren’t very strong in combat power but were convenient, growing rapidly. He could make them extend or retract swiftly.
The bullet hit the tendrils, causing a slight sting. Su Ming’an withdrew the tendrils and stood in front of the captive.
"You’re saving him?" Xiao Jingsan asked.
"Xiao Ying, since..." Su Ming’an wanted to talk but suddenly heard a muffled sound.
...the captive suddenly collapsed to the ground.
The captive’s eyelids slightly opened and closed, seemingly showing gratitude toward Su Ming’an. Then, his final breath faded away.
He had already been tortured to the brink of death during interrogation. When Su Ming’an blocked the bullet for him, the last bit of his life force dissipated.
"Thank you, thank you..." His slightly reddened eyes looked at Su Ming’an, his voice torn and weak. Leaning his body toward Su Ming’an, he whispered in a very, very low voice:
"Alliance Hierarch... the stone wall’s code here is seven-three-two-six, inside there is, there is..."
After the trailing sound dissipated, the chamber fell silent.
Su Ming’an blankly gazed at the bloody corpse on the ground.
——He suddenly realized how great a sacrifice it took to resist an era. Even a captive could be a sentry placed in advance by Su Wensheng, able to inform him of the stone wall’s code.
"First Dream Patrol Family, what did this captive quietly say to you?" Xiao Jingsan approached him.
"He said." Su Ming’an paused for a moment, staring into the black eyes under Xiao Jingsan’s mask: "You will end up in hell sooner or later."