Embers Ad Infinitum

Previously, Jiang Baimian always felt that the necessary connection between what had already happened was lacking. Lei Yunsong, Lin Feifei, and the others didn’t have any interactions with the Anti-intellectualism Church on the surface. They seemed like two completely unrelated parties, but they strangely meshed together.

Now, she had finally found the missing point—the point that connected the two parties.

This point was Weed City’s Castellan and the local Hunter’s Guild president—Xu Liyan!

As she walked and thought, Jiang Baimian directed a question to Oudick, who was in front of her. “Were you invited by the Castellan?”

Oudick didn’t answer.

Jiang Baimian muttered to herself thoughtfully, “I want to meet the Castellan. This might help me figure out many things.”

Oudick remained silent and walked straight into the guild lobby.

…

At Weed City’s entrance, Bai Chen slowly drove the jeep out with Long Yuehong.

During their search for the temporary teachers, they discovered something worth paying attention to. A temporary teacher named Huang Mingtang was supposed to end his vacation yesterday and return to teach the children. However, he never appeared.

Every ten days, Huang Mingtang rested for one day. According to the parents, Huang Mingtang had already taught their children for almost a year. He charged reasonable fees, and he was responsible. There had never been such a situation before. Furthermore, they were often allowed to delay paying their tuition fees for a period of time when certain families had temporary financial troubles.

Originally, these parents had planned to wait for two more days. If Huang Mingtang still hadn’t returned by then, they would’ve gone to the guild and issued a mission to search for him. Although they couldn’t afford a high bounty, the mission could at least allow Ruin Hunters to accumulate some credit.

In Weed City, some of the matters—which should’ve been handled by City Hall and the city’s defense forces—had gradually been transferred to the Hunter’s Guild as missions.

After bumping into Bai Chen and Long Yuehong—Ruin Hunters that had come to investigate—the parents directly headed to the guild hall to create and entrust the mission to them.

The remuneration was 2 Oray and 10 credit points.

Bai Chen and Long Yuehong quickly found Huang Mingtang’s rented apartment based on the clues provided by the parents. From the guard, they learned that the temporary teacher had gone to his home outside the city the night before his official leave and had never returned.

Huang Mingtang’s parents were servants in a manor outside the city. He had grown up there, and he had learned how to read and write because of the manor owner’s benevolence.

Later, he accompanied the manor owner’s young son as a Ruin Hunter for a period of time and made some contributions. He was then granted freedom as a citizen.

Huang Mingtang didn’t like fighting or killing, nor was he willing to take risks in the wilderness. Finally, he chose to be a temporary teacher to support himself.

Without any delay, Bai Chen decided to head for the manor outside the city before it turned dark to inquire.

After spending a few minutes at the city gate due to a jam, the military-green jeep left Weed City.

In the passenger seat, Long Yuehong subconsciously looked out and was stunned by the scene in front of him.

There were many people.

There were many, many people outside the city.

They knelt or sat on the two sides of the road. They spread out into the distance—an uncountable number.

Further away were the burrows they had dug and the crude, temporary tents that they had pitched. It was as if they had become different wilderness nomad settlements.

These people looked ahead with pale faces and numb expressions. They trembled in the cold wind, but nobody spoke.

From time to time, the sound of children crying could be heard, making them appear all the more powerless.

Every time someone escorted by armed bodyguards walked in between them, coming back and forth to choose candidates, a hint of hope would appear on their faces.

After the lucky few were bought, the remaining people revealed looks of disappointment before returning to their numb expressions.

“Do all of them have infectious diseases? It doesn’t seem like it…” Long Yuehong muttered to himself.

He remembered that the nomads gathered here on the day they came to Weed city. They were allowed entry into the city to search for opportunities as long as they didn’t have any infectious diseases.

Bai Chen sped up the car a little. “There are too many of them. If so many people were to rush into the city, they are equivalent to countless bombs that could explode at any moment.”

Long Yuehong thought for a moment and understood. “So, they can only be left outside, and buyers will personally come out to choose?”

Bai Chen nodded. “Weed City can’t accommodate so many slaves. It depends on whether First City can send people over in time to gather them. Eugene’s slave hunters might’ve booked a batch, but it’s not clear now.”

Long Yuehong was suddenly surprised. “Are you saying that Team Leader and Shang Jianyao have ended up causing a group of innocents’ deaths by killing an evil person like Eugene?”

Bai Chen replied in a senior-like tone, “You have to get used to this. Although Eugene is a villain who deserves to be diced to pieces, and his only goal was to earn money, he can indeed bring life to many people in the current environment.”

Not everyone that was bought would be sent to the mines and die in a few years.

Long Yuehong fell silent for a long time before saying, “This f*cked up world!”

“Eugene’s slave hunters might have a new leader soon. They probably won’t let go of the opportunity to earn money.” Bai Chen also looked to the side. “There are so many people, and new nomads come every day. If this isn’t resolved in a few days, there might be a huge commotion…”

She had seen such things before. Back then, it was truly a tragedy.

As they spoke, the jeep finally drove out of the area and turned into the Turbid River.

After circling around a forest with withered leaves and driving for another four to five minutes, Long Yuehong saw many fields.

These fields similarly appeared desolate during winter.

The jeep soon arrived at the manor’s entrance and was stopped by a team of armed guards.

Bai Chen took out her Hunter’s Badge and explained that she was looking for Huang Mingtang’s parents.

They weren’t allowed into the manor, but a guard helped them send the message and found the couple.

Huang Mingtang’s parents looked to be in their fifties, and their hair was mostly white.

“Ah Tang didn’t go back? He left two nights ago!” Huang Mingtang’s mother was a little anxious after hearing Long Yuehong’s recount.

Bai Chen frowned and asked, “Did anything abnormal happen before he left?”

“No.” Huang Mingtang’s mother shook her head repeatedly. “I rushed him to find a wife.”

Huang Mingtang’s father looked honest. His exposed skin was a little tanned, and he had many spots with dry cracks. He recalled and said, “Ah Tang was in a rush to leave before five. It would take more than half an hour to walk from here to the city. There will also be some starving beasts after dark…”

At this point, Huang Mingtang’s father worriedly said, “Could he have encountered those beasts?”

Bai Chen and Long Yuehong looked at each other and said, “We’ll search along the way.”

Under the couple’s expectant gazes, they got into the car and returned the way they came.

This time, they drove much slower than before. They paid close attention to their surroundings and alighted from the car from time to time to inspect their surroundings.

After a while, the jeep returned to the forest.

Although most of the leaves had fallen during winter, it was still difficult to see clearly from the outside when the trees blocked the view.

Bai Chen stopped the jeep and said to Long Yuehong, “Watch the car.”

Long Yuehong was already very familiar with this. He held the Ice Moss pistol and stood beside the jeep, vigilantly guarding his surroundings.

Bai Chen also drew her gun and slowly walked into the forest.

After circling around a thick tree, her pupils immediately dilated.

In the forest’s depths, a man in a dark-red cotton coat hung from a tree branch that wasn’t considered high up but looked very sturdy. He was motionless.

The man had a brownish-yellow belt around his neck, and his pants seemed like they would fall off at any moment.

As the howling wind blew, the man gently swayed.

…

On the second floor of Ah Fu’s Gun Shop.

“Huang Mingtang hanged himself?” Jiang Baimian spoke with lingering fear after hearing Bai Chen’s report. “Zeng Guangwang’s luck is really good.”

Jiang Baimian then explained her investigation progress.

“The Anti-intellectualism Church seems crazy.” Long Yuehong sighed sincerely. He felt a little sad when he recalled the reactions of Huang Mingtang’s parents when they saw their son’s corpse.

Shang Jianyao glanced at him. “When did you have the illusion that they aren’t lunatics?”

“I-I thought they were just an illiterate organization that would burn books for no reason.” Long Yuehong admitted that he was inexperienced.

“Arson is already a serious crime,” Jiang Baimian said. She then reminded them, “You have to be careful. That Father is very, very dangerous.”

Long Yuehong felt his heart in his throat. “What should we do next?”

“For the time being, we can only see what Oudick can find. I hope he can find at least one Anti-intellectualism Church member.” Jiang Baimian was also waiting for Oudick to give them a reply about whether the Castellan was willing to meet them.

She then asked Bai Chen, “Any progress on the radio transceiver?”

Bai Chen nodded. “I found someone who can personally assemble one. It’s very cheap; I’ll negotiate tomorrow.”

Jiang Baimian heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong. “Look, look. This is your profession; learn something.”

“I can if I have enough spare parts,” Shang Jianyao immediately replied.

“What do you mean by enough?” Jiang Baimian asked sharply.

Shang Jianyao frankly replied, “Enough to give me a chance to practice.”

Jiang Baimian couldn’t be bothered with him any longer.

The sky had already turned dark. Due to Liu Dazhuang and Eugene’s deaths, the number of patrolmen outside had increased significantly.

After the Old Task Force had dinner, they returned to their rooms to maintain their weapons. They also discussed the Anti-intellectualism Church without any limitations.

After lights-out, they quickly washed up and went to bed, prepared to sleep early and wake up early.

At some point in the night, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao’s door was suddenly knocked on.

As the thumping sounds echoed, Shang Jianyao flipped off the bed and ran to the door. The hand behind his back gripped an Ice Moss.

Jiang Baimian also crawled up silently and aimed at the door.

Outside the door was Gu Changle, one of Ah Fu’s Gun Shop shareholders—who had pooled money to hire a temporary teacher.

The lady wore a thick cotton coat, and she seemed to have woken up in a rush. She didn’t notice Shang Jianyao’s abnormality and anxiously said, “Ms. An came to look for you. She seems to be injured; she’s downstairs!”

An Ruxiang? This name popped up in Jiang Baimian’s mind.