Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-593

As they walked to the elevator after leaving the reception room, Shang Jianyao—who was clearly dizzy—continued to use his excitement to defeat his frailty as he walked beside Jiang Baimian and continued chattering. "You were born in October, which happens to come under Eidolon Nun. Furthermore, you have sensed 'Her' gaze. This means that you two are fated. It's time for you to pray…"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Jiang Baimian stopped Zen Master Redemption from preaching.

In order to match his persona, this fellow had recently watched a lot of relevant Old World entertainment. This made him appear strange and garrulous.

Is it really a good idea to mention Eidolon Nun's gaze at the bottom of the Vigilance Cathedral? Do you want to be trapped in the Ark like DiMarco, never to leave or enter the New World? As Jiang Baimian muttered inwardly, she changed the topic by adding angrily, "You were born in September, but you don't seem like a believer of Mandara."

Shang Jianyao didn't answer and silently took off his tactical backpack.

"What are you doing?" Long Yuehong couldn't keep up with this fellow's train of thought.

Shang Jianyao frankly replied, "I'll take out the Six Senses Beads and wear them. That way, I'll be a qualified Mandara believer."

As he spoke, he even raised his finger and caressed his lips.

This was the Church of Spiritual Transcendence's etiquette. Shang Jianyao had learned it from his good brother—the Blackshirts' second boss, Terrence.

"Manners!" Jiang Baimian chose a reason that Shang Jianyao would find most acceptable. "I wonder how many people there will be later."

"Yeah." Shang Jianyao strongly agreed and unzipped his tactical backpack.

At this moment, Bai Chen muttered to herself, "I was born in May, which comes under Monitor. Little Red was born in November, and it comes under Shattered Mirror…"

"I don't think the relationships between the Kalendarium and the months are that strong. At least I don't have the belief: 'everything is but a dream; why so serious?'" Long Yuehong immediately discussed the topic Bai Chen raised.

Jiang Baimian silently rolled her eyes. She then pressed the button to 'summon' the elevator.

After arriving at the Vigilance Cathedral's basement one, they put on their masks again and walked up the relatively familiar path.

The hall here was still what Jiang Baimian remembered. It was deep and wide, and it was mostly red in color. It gave off a very dangerous feeling that required vigilance.

Gold was mixed in with the redness, exuding a strong sense of holiness.

On the walls deep in the hall, the gigantic symbol formed by the white, half-closed door, the darkness behind it, and the female silhouette instinctively made every person who entered want to lower their heads and escape the unknown existence's gaze through the mysterious door.

At this moment, two groups of people were sitting on each side of the gigantic symbol, communicating across space. Their tones were sometimes intense and sometimes slow.

Long Yuehong looked over and felt that the seven to eight people on the left of the Sacred Emblem likely belonged to the Vigilance Cathedral. This wasn't because he recognized these fellows but because they were wearing iconic masks and hoods.

The five to six people on the right side of the Sacred Emblem were huddled closer to the back, almost hiding in the darkness that the evening brought to the hall.

They didn't wear masks. From time to time, they would tremble in fear like a group of frightened quails.

Perhaps it was because they were too focused on arguing, or perhaps it was because the sky was almost completely dark with only a few candles shining in front of the Sacred Emblem in the cathedral hall for illumination, but the two groups didn't notice the Old Task Force's arrival.

Shang Jianyao tip-toed and sneaked over with his hide-and-seek professionalism forged from his youth.

Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen followed behind without hiding themselves. However, the two groups of people didn't even look at them.

Wariness! Where's your vigilance? Jiang Baimian chuckled inwardly.

At this moment, she saw Shang Jianyao—who had already arrived near the Sacred Emblem—quietly sit down.

Wearing the monkey mask, he sat close to the Vigilance Church members, so close that it seemed like he was one of them.

The corners of Long Yuehong's mouth twitched. He was glad that he was wearing a mask and not embarrassing himself.

As the distance shortened, Jiang Baimian and the others heard what the two groups of people were arguing about.

An ordinary clergyman from the Vigilance Cathedral said in a serious tone, "This world is too dangerous, and all kinds of disasters might happen at any moment. Therefore, we have to be vigilant and face life with such an attitude. Only then can we completely survive the Old World's destruction and welcome the opening of the New World. This is what the Kalendaria really wants to warn us about."

A middle-aged man—who looked like he was trembling from fear—shouted shrilly, "Yes, that's right! But your focus is wrong—the focus should be on fear! Terror is humanity's oldest and most primitive emotion; it has helped humans survive to this day. Only by knowing how to fear deities and everything worth fearing will we naturally develop vigilant emotions and make the necessary preparations. Therefore, vigilance is only an inevitable outcome when we strictly adhere to the teachings, not its essence!"

Another Vigilance Cathedral personnel in a muslin hood retorted sharply, "The goal of fear is to make you vigilant, not to immerse you in fear and chase after your fear pathologically. You guys are putting the cart before the horse!"

This seemed to be an Ashlandic.

Upon hearing this, Long Yuehong came to a realization and immediately criticized inwardly. Therefore, you wear masks and hide while acting as if a gun is pressed against your waist…

Jiang Baimian listened with relish and sat down a distance away. Frankly speaking, she felt that the two parties' debate standards and theoretical standards weren't too high. From the many books she had read, the debates regarding the teachings of the Old World's religions—which had been passed down for more than a thousand years—had reached a philosophical level. They each took a side, citing the scriptures and debated with eloquence.

Of course, this didn't stop Jiang Baimian from listening seriously. Such matters were rare in the Ashlands.

"That's right, that's right. How can you use the conditions as a conclusion?"

"No, no, no. This isn't a relationship between conditions and conclusions. This is a relationship between the source and its outcome!"

"…"

Jiang Baimian suddenly felt that something was amiss. She found some of the words in the conversation familiar.

She subconsciously looked at Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao had straightened his neck and echoed loudly. The next second, he quietly shrank to the ground and crawled to the other side, away from the illumination.

After sitting down again, he took off the monkey mask with the furry face and protruding mouth and retorted his own words.

He's having a swell time… I can't tell that he's sick… Jiang Baimian was almost amused in exasperation.

At this moment, a loud boom sounded in midair. It was the first thunder in this year's spring at the Lake of Wrath.

After the thunder subsided, the group of people who promoted fear had already fled the hall and hidden back in their rooms.

The Vigilance Cathedral each found a place to hide, preventing themselves from being exposed to outsiders.

In just more than ten seconds, only Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Shang Jianyao—who was sitting alone near the Sacred Emblem—were left in the hall.

After a while, Jiang Baimian slowly exhaled. "Let's go and visit Harbinger Song."

In Song He's room, the Old Task Force met this acquaintance again.

He was still the same. His eyebrows were slightly sparse, and his sideburns were a little white. His beard was shaved clean, and he didn't look a day older.

"May your vigilance last forever." Song He raised his arms, crossed them, and took a step back.

"Distance is our friend!" Shang Jianyao replied in the same posture.

Song He didn't have any change in expression as he looked at October Xue—who was wearing a graceful monk mask—and asked with a smile, "Why are you guys back at Redstone Collection?"

"We are planning on going to Iron Mountain City Ruin and rendezvous with the smart bot here," Jiang Baimian replied simply. Without waiting for Song He to ask again, she curiously asked, "Harbinger Song, what's going on with the people in the lobby?"

Song He smiled bitterly. "Parishioners of the same roots are debating the teachings."

He then explained, "After the Old World was destroyed, the first batch of Blessed who received the Kalendaria's revelation proselytized and established the religion. But as time passed, there were differences among them. One group believed that the Kalendaria was the embodiment of vigilance, while the other insisted that fear was the root.

"Neither could convince the other. After arguing for a few years, they each pulled their supporters into their own factions. The original Eidolon Nun Church split into the Vigilance Church and the Terror Church. After that, they will choose representatives to meet at particular locations every few years to continue their original debate."

"That explains it…" Shang Jianyao looked enlightened. Unfortunately, he was wearing a mask.

Jiang Baimian continued asking, "What about the group of people that promotes friendliness?"

"That's something else." Song He's expression darkened, clearly unwilling to say anything else.

Upon seeing this, Shang Jianyao raised a question that he couldn't figure out. "Doesn't the Kalendaria point out which side is wrong?"

Was the teacher not giving an answer for reference or marking the test scripts?

Song He smiled gently. "Even now, the two Churches still receive the Kalendaria's response—occasionally, every year. Therefore, in my opinion, both are actually reasonable. They have both fulfilled the Kalendaria's teachings to a certain extent, but they are reflected in different aspects. Heh heh, I can't say anything else. Don't tell anyone either, or the bishop will punish me by making me copy the Vigilance-related teachings."

Since Song He had said so, Jiang Baimian naturally couldn't ask further. After all, this was the Vigilance Cathedral, and it was under Eidolon Nun's watch.

She deliberated and said, "Harbinger Song, did DiMarco's father, grandfather, or great-grandfather leave the Underground Ark back then and head to Iron Mountain City Ruin?"

Ah… What does Team Leader mean? Why is she asking such a strange question? Long Yuehong was stunned before he suddenly jolted.

DiMarco—or rather, the Awakened who had 'played' DiMarco, his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather—was in the Subhuti domain!

Iron Mountain City Ruin were just a mountain away from one of Buddhism's five Great Holy Lands! This seemed a little coincidental.

It was only then that Long Yuehong truly understood why his team leader insisted on waiting for Genava in Redstone Collection and not in the area near Iron Mountain City Ruin.

Not only did she want to see the fruits of the Ark Management Committee's work, but she also planned on investigating Yama Tiger's problem as well as DiMarco's relationship with the Buddhist Holy Land in Iron Mountain City Ruin.