Hearing Jiang Baimian's words, a hint of surprise flashed across Song He's face.
The question raised by the other party was very strange, and it had a clear direction, as if trying to explore something.
As a clergyman of the Vigilance Sect in a remote corner, Song He had rich life experience and sufficient experience, but his vision was ultimately limited to such a small place as Redstone Town, at most involving some personnel changes and doctrinal disputes of the sect. He knew almost nothing about the ruins of the city across the mountain, which led him to clearly hear that Jiang Baimian wanted to investigate a secret, but he couldn't guess what it was.
While his thoughts were surging, Song He smiled bitterly:
"To be honest, I only met Dimarco's great-grandfather, Montis. At that time, I was just a nobody, hehe, and I still am now. In short, I had no more than five contacts with him.
"He would leave the Ark from time to time and go to the surface, to different places. As for where he went, I don't know.
"Later, he converted to our sect and believed in the Year Star. He never left the 'Underground Ark' again until he died.
"His son and grandson, that is, Dimarco's grandfather and father, were the same."
Perhaps because he had stayed in Redstone Town for too long and needed to use Red River language to preach to believers from time to time, Song He occasionally carried the grammatical features of this language in his speech.
Uh, he didn't convert to your sect and believe in the Year Star, he was forced to submit... Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said:
"What kind of person was Dimarco's great-grandfather, Montis?"
"Proud to the point of arrogance, majestic to the point of being unapproachable, with a very intimidating gaze." Song He answered frankly, "As for his specific character, I said just now that I didn't have much contact with him, so I don't know much about him. Rather than asking me, you might as well ask the old servants and old guards of the Ark, or flip through Montis's collection of books. Maybe he had the habit of writing diaries?"
Shang Jianyao laughed:
"Who in their right mind would..."
His subsequent words were interrupted by Jiang Baimian:
"If Montis was hiding a secret, he certainly wouldn't record it in a diary, unless he hoped to inform others at the right time and in the right way."
"What if he had diary-writing OCD?" Honest Shang Jianyao argued.
Song He's expression did not change, and his tone was still gentle:
"I'm just suggesting a direction for investigation."
"Understood." Jiang Baimian said sincerely, "Thank you."
Then, she bid farewell and led Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen, and Long Yuehong towards the door.
When the corridor was almost within reach, she suddenly turned around and asked, seemingly unintentionally:
"Did your church send anyone to check the books in the 'Underground Ark' at that time?"
After forming the Ark Management Committee, the "Old Task Force" did not let go of the underground collection of books. However, at that time, they did not know that there was a Buddhist holy site in the ruins of Tieshan City next door. They were not very interested in what kind of person "Dimarco" used to be and what experiences he had. Their focus was mainly on the part of the books related to eschatology.
——The ancestors of the Dimarco family were fanatical enthusiasts of eschatology, and they built the underground ark for this purpose. The family's collection of books would naturally not lack relevant content.
Song He's eyes moved slightly, and he nodded lightly:
"A few clergymen were sent, because there are many technical materials and valuable books involving the Old World civilization in the 'Underground Ark' collection, which is quite important for the future of Redstone Town and for mankind to welcome the arrival of the New World.
"This is the wealth left to us by our ancestors, the humans of the Old Calendar."
Speaking of this, Song He changed the subject:
"However, we did not take away any unique copies, but only made copies of them."
His other meaning was that for books with more copies, the Vigilance Sect took one or two of them.
"Hmm." Jiang Baimian nodded slowly, "Did you find any noteworthy records?"
Song He shook his head.
…………
Inside the Ark, on the second basement floor, in the previous reception room.
The "Old Task Force" brought in Ulrich, the former Ark butler.
"What kind of person was the first owner of the Ark, Dimarco's great-grandfather, Montis?" Jiang Baimian asked straight to the point.
Ulrich recalled for a few seconds, deliberating his words:
"He had already died before I was born, but my grandfather was an appointed deacon under him, and he mentioned him to me.
"His personality was very similar to Dimarco in all aspects, but he wasn't as manic and tyrannical."
That's because he hadn't been locked in the Ark for many years yet, unable to go out, and his psychology hadn't been completely distorted... Long Yuehong "helped" explain in his heart.
"What about things other than personality?" Jiang Baimian asked further.
Ulrich looked at Shang Jianyao, who was still wearing the monkey mask:
"He used to be a believer of an ancient religion in the Old World, and he often carried the religion's 'Holy Scripture' with him. Dimarco and his father and grandfather's hobby of wearing Old World clergy attire was directly or indirectly influenced by him.
"However, he eventually believed in the Year Star and joined the sect, finding peace in the last few years of his life."
That's because the same person has a consistent aesthetic preference for clothing... Long Yuehong replied in his heart again.
Religion... Scriptures... Jiang Baimian muttered silently.
Bai Chen then asked:
"Is that 'Holy Scripture' still in the library, the one Montis often carried with him?"
"Yes, the sect only took away a few other holy scriptures." Ulrich was quite certain.
Because Shang Jianyao had reached the point of drowsiness and was barely holding on, Jiang Baimian, who didn't need to worry about the topic deviating, said "Hmm":
"Do you know which books Mr. Montis read most often? Did he leave behind a diary?"
Ulrich shook his head:
"He wasn't a person who liked to record things.
"Moreover, he and Dimarco's father, grandfather, and even Dimarco himself, hated others snooping into their privacy and never let anyone know their reading preferences."
Jiang Baimian was silent for a few seconds, then asked:
"By the way, is the family autobiography we looked at last time still there?"
That was the autobiography of the Dimarco family written before the destruction of the Old World. The "Old Task Force" had previously flipped through the parts about the apocalypse and the Ark and found that it was indeed that ancestor who was too fanatical to think about building an underground ark, rather than receiving any news in advance.
This time, Jiang Baimian decided to go through it again, carefully reading the parts that she had skipped or skimmed through before.
"Yes." Ulrich replied steadily.
…………
Inside the library on a certain floor of the Underground Ark.
Ulrich picked up a dark red covered "Holy Scripture" that was placed on the desk in the middle and handed it to Jiang Baimian:
"This is the one Mr. Montis often carried with him."
While Jiang Baimian took it with one hand, she looked at the surrounding bookshelves and felt that this place was more like a library than a repository.
"You can go back and rest." She said to Ulrich.
Ulrich did not insist on staying here, because he did not know whether he was suitable to participate in what was going to happen next.
After Ulrich left the library, Jiang Baimian said to Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Shang Jianyao:
"I'll read this 'Holy Scripture', you reread those few volumes of the Dimarco family autobiography. Hey, if you feel too dizzy, lean against the bookshelf and sleep for a while."
"Okay." Shang Jianyao said with his eyes closed.
His whole body slowly slid to the ground, and he fell asleep on the spot.
He's really informal... Long Yuehong grumbled as he picked up a volume of the autobiography that Ulrich had placed on the desk.
Time passed quietly, with only the slight sound of rustling pages.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Baimian saw the part of the "Holy Scripture" about hell and demons.
Suddenly, she found a passage written in dark blue ink at the bottom of a blank space on a certain page.
The passage, which was made up of Red River text, was:
"I woke up from the darkness, and the devil opened his eyes."
For some reason, this straightforward sentence with slightly scribbled handwriting made Jiang Baimian feel a little cold down her spine.
She quickly flipped through the following pages and found no new "annotations".
There seemed to be only this extra bit of "content" on the entire "Holy Scripture".
"Take a look at this." Jiang Baimian said as she beckoned Long Yuehong and Bai Chen to come over, while making guesses, "The words Montis left behind when he first woke up in the Ark after the destruction of the Old World? He had already figured out what abilities he had acquired at that time, and his mood was complicated and difficult to restrain, so he wrote this sentence, feeling that he had become a demon?"
Long Yuehong was about to get up and walk towards the team leader when his eyes suddenly swept over a sentence in the autobiography:
"In order to develop the family's construction business, the eldest son, Montis, was sent to Tieshan City in the neighboring country to participate in the bidding for the old city renovation..."
Long Yuehong's pupils dilated instantly, and he exclaimed:
"Team Leader!
"Montis went to Tieshan City! Before the destruction of the Old World!"
There was actually a certain connection between the two!