Embers Ad Infinitum

After some thought, Jiang Baimian said seriously, “There are two problems with that. First, your Church’s Dream Protector might take two to three days to arrive. An accident might happen at any moment during this wait, causing our defense to fail.

“Second, we don’t know what other changes the Superior Heartless has undergone. Maybe he only has a few days left to live. Maybe that’s why he stubbornly wants to enter Tarnan and find Nanke Convent to inform his fellow parishioners of the critical information.”

Zhou Yue nodded slightly, but she still didn’t make her position clear.

Jiang Baimian continued, “Besides, we don’t have to take too many risks. We just have to shrink the defense perimeter. Even if our guess is wrong, it won’t affect our subsequent actions.”

Zhou Yue finally spoke. “What do you want to do?”

Long Yuehong couldn’t help but look at Shang Jianyao when he heard that. He suspected that his team leader had learned Shang Jianyao’s Inference Clowning!

She actually convinced Abbess Zhou so quickly!

Shang Jianyao had a solemn expression and nodded at Long Yuehong as if he were saying, “Yes, that’s right.”

Jiang Baimian seized the opportunity and struck while the iron was hot to reveal the Old Task Force’s plan. “After dawn, evacuate everyone in Tarnan to River West and set up defenses there. It’s winter now. As long as everyone brings along important supplies, there’s no need to worry about any losses. The Superior Heartless won’t destroy houses, trample on farmlands, or damage equipment. There are plenty of empty houses in River West that are well maintained.

“On River East, we’ll leave two to three observers behind. Under the mirrors’ protection, we can confirm if the Superior Heartless’s target is a place in Tarnan or someone in Tarnan. In short, even if the verification fails, it won’t affect Tarnan’s safety. We can still wait for your Church’s Dream Protector to arrive.”

She couldn’t be sure that the Superior Heartless was here for Nanke Convent. What if Jiang Xiaoyue was still alive and hiding in Tarnan?

After so many years, her face had definitely changed greatly. It was understandable that it would be difficult to recognize her.

Zhou Yue quietly listened and nodded. “We have to obtain Officer Genava’s permission.”

“We will try to persuade it,” Jiang Baimian replied without hesitation.

“It’s our friend,” Shang Jianyao added.

“Friend?” Zhou Yue repeated the term in confusion. She didn’t ask any further and said, “I have to report this to headquarters and see what the higher-ups say.”

“Please, go ahead,” Jiang Baimian said sincerely.

“Be careful not to have the telegram’s content distorted,” Shang Jianyao deliberately reminded her.

As for how the telegram could be distorted, it was definitely when the Clam Dragon Church didn’t support the Old Task Force’s plan.

Zhou Yue smiled when she heard that. “Don’t worry. Our Church has a way to verify its authenticity.”

With that said, she turned around and walked into a door at the side of the hall.

The four people from the Old Task Force patiently waited.

“Seriously, how impolite.” After a few minutes, Shang Jianyao grumbled, “Shouldn’t they offer a cup of honey water and a few biscuits at a time like this?”

Long Yuehong subconsciously gulped and had an idea. “Everything is but a dream. Why so serious?”

Whoa, Little Red has learned how to counterattack… Jiang Baimian found it funny. From the corner of her eye, she saw Bai Chen nod indiscernibly as if she were a little relieved.

Shang Jianyao nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”

He then said, “I previously used the name ‘Gu Zhiyong’ to eat Glorious Scale’s fried chicken wing on your behalf. Remember to join them later and fulfill your obligations.”

“Wait, why me?” Long Yuehong asked in surprise. You were clearly the one eating the fried chicken wing!

Shang Jianyao smiled and glanced at him. “Everything is but a dream. Why so serious?”

How vengeful. This fellow… Long Yuehong shut his mouth and stopped provoking Shang Jianyao.

After waiting for a few minutes, Zhou Yue returned to the hall and said to the four Old Task Force members, “The higher-ups say that we can give it a try.”

From the looks of it, the Clam Dragon Church’s Dream Protectors also want to know what information the Superior Heartless will deliver… Jiang Baimian heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “Shall we go to Officer Genava together?”

Jiang Baimian was rather proactive in this matter because it very likely involved one of the Old Task Force’s main missions. This was also one of her ideals; she wanted to figure out the cause and transmission mechanism of the Heartless disease and remove the sword of destruction that hung high above humans.

Furthermore, she might even be able to take the opportunity to resolve the latent dangers brought about by the Superior Heartless and complete Genava’s commission to obtain the qualifications to speak to the Source Brain.

When the time came, the Old Task Force might be able to take a step further in investigating the cause of the Old World’s destruction.

Zhou Yue thought for a moment and said, “No rush. Who will stay in River East and take on the role of an observer?”

Just as she said that, the tall young man opposite her replied with a smile, “Me.”

You look very confident… Zhou Yue subconsciously asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”

Shang Jianyao nodded seriously. “He’s my friend.”

“Huh?” Zhou Yue was confused. “You guys knew each other in the past?”

“We just became friends,” Shang Jianyao explained.

The more Zhou Yue listened, the more confused she became. In the end, she gave up on asking. In any case, everything was but a dream; why so serious?

She deliberated for a moment and said, “I’ll stay too. In Nanke Convent, I have the Kalendaria’s blessing and the mirrors’ protection. I don’t have to worry about the ‘death experience.'”

Jiang Baimian looked at her left arm. “Me too.”

She then said to Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, “As a backup team, you are to be prepared to provide support at all times.”

This was a way to comfort Long Yuehong. In the massive illusion created by the Superior Heartless, her philosophy was ‘don’t move if possible.’

This was equivalent to Zhou Yue’s ‘the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make.’

…

River West, Genava’s house.

Jiang Baimian and Zhou Yue cooperatively described the ‘observation plan’ with the same reasons as what was previously mentioned.

Genava—who was still in its military uniform—stood up and paced back and forth. “Indeed. The longer this drags on, the more likely an accident will happen. However, it won’t be a simple matter to initiate a mass evacuation to River West. Something might happen in the middle…”

The silver-black smart bot walked in silence for a while before saying, “I’ll report this to the Source Brain.”

With that said, it stood there motionless.

In just a minute or two, Genava opened its mouth and spoke in a mellow, masculine voice. “The Source Brain has agreed to the attempt, but I have to bear all the consequences.”

Jiang Baimian opened her mouth in a bid to persuade it, but she didn’t make a sound in the end.

She looked at Shang Jianyao and realized that her companion had a similar performance.

It was better for Genava to make a decision on this matter.

Genava looked around and glanced out the window at the lawn that was bathed in the night. It then said in a deep voice, “Give it a try.”

At this moment, Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and the others actually felt a sense of trust from this smart bot.

Shang Jianyao stood up without hesitation and replied, “Don’t worry.”

…

After a night of rest, Tarnan’s local residents, foreign hunters, and caravan members retreated to River West with the corresponding supplies under the organization of a large number of robots the next morning and moved into the temporary housing assigned to them.

This matter didn’t end until noon.

After that, the teams in charge of the various defense zones retreated and spent a certain amount of time reconstructing the defense line.

At Nanke Convent, Zhou Yue looked at the empty street and sighed with emotion. “Compared to the past, it’s like an illusion now.”

Although many areas on Tarnan River were previously uninhabited and quiet, it was still very lively here. People came and went endlessly.

Now, the fallen leaves fluttered in the wind, becoming the only protagonist.

“How do you know that it wasn’t an illusion in the past? Maybe what’s happening now is real?” Shang Jianyao asked.

Zhou Yue frowned. “That’s true.”

She then corrected Shang Jianyao. “It’s all an illusion and a dream.”

Jiang Baimian stretched her left arm and said, “Let’s go in and wait.”

At this moment, the sky was a little dark. The Superior Heartless was about to arrive.

Under the sunlight during the day, there were too many buildings in Tarnan that had mirror-like effects. Therefore, Zhou Yue believed that the other party would wait for a better opportunity unless there was no other choice.

After entering Nanke Convent, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao each found a futon and sat cross-legged because the rows of black recliners were gone.

Jiang Baimian smiled at Zhou Yue and casually chatted with her. “Abbess Zhou, actually, this is pretty good. Why did you create an illusion previously and set up something that doesn’t match the style here?”

Currently, there were only pillars, shrines, mats, and three people in Nanke Convent. The extreme emptiness gave off an austere sense of holiness.

Zhou Yue sighed and said, “On the one hand, it’s to practice my abilities and discover the tricks involved. On the other hand, many believers aren’t that pious nowadays. I have to put on a show to show that there are many Clam Dragon Church parishioners and that we are worth joining.”

She looked as if she had deep thoughts about this.

Shang Jianyao suggested, “I think the Holy Communion needs to be reformed. Honey water and small biscuits are good, but they’re only suitable as desserts…”

Zhou Yue didn’t find it odd and smiled. “Every time Glorious Scale makes fried chicken wings on the street, even I want to line up. However, I’m afraid of being recognized.”

“You can wear a mask,” Jiang Baimian said before Shang Jianyao could.

“No, that’s just burying one’s head in the sand.” Zhou Yue shook her head.

As the three of them chatted, the sky gradually darkened, and the wind slowly turned cold.

Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Zhou Yue simultaneously stopped talking and focused.

After a while, the sky turned darker, and the wind became stronger. Even with Jiang Baimian’s courage, she became much more tense.

Zhou Yue raised her body and slightly spread her arms. She looked into the void and muttered to herself, “Clam Dragon, thou art supreme!”

After praying, she saw Shang Jianyao look over and heard him ask with a smile, “Can I sing?”

“Sure, but…” Before Zhou Yue could finish speaking, Shang Jianyao—who was sitting cross-legged—tapped his thigh and hummed a song.

The strong winds howled, and night was about to descend. A clear melody sounded in Jiang Baimian’s ears.

“One roar of laughter over the sea, both shores’ tides washed and cleaned…”

Note 1: ‘One Roar of Laughter Over the Sea’ by Mr. Huang Zhan.