Embers Ad Infinitum

When Genava touched the mummy-like Yama Tiger, Jiang Baimian gave maximum focus. She also used the auxiliary chip in her left arm.

She paid close attention to Yama Tiger’s weak electric signals. As soon as she discovered any changes happening to the sleeping deity, she would stop Genava.

Shang Jianyao stood beside Genava and assumed a posture as if he would push him away at any moment.

Genava’s finger quickly touched Yama Tiger’s dry skin.

At this moment, Jiang Baimian sensed a faint change in the bioelectric signal and felt that something was about to grow out of the void.

She was just about to get Genava to retract his palm when the change vanished as if it had never happened.

Everything returned to its original silence.

As the target is a smart bot and not a human, the anomaly wasn’t able to proceed on? I wonder if the latex gloves will result in the same effect… Jiang Baimian closed her mouth and continued observing.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao sighed regretfully and said to Genava, “I thought I could save the beauty in distress.”

He seemed to sense Yama Tiger’s remaining consciousness acting up for a second.

“Beauty? The gender set by my main module is male.” Genava used his silver-black metal palm to search the sleeping deity’s body for something valuable while pointing out Shang Jianyao’s error in his choice of words.

Shang Jianyao said seriously, “The beauty here refers to beauties. There’s no differentiation between men and women when it comes to beauties. It doesn’t matter if they are purebred humans, mutated humans, or smart bots.”

He used the term ‘mutated humans’ as a substitute for ‘Subhumans.’

“It can even be a car,” Jiang Baimian subconsciously added. Just as she said that, she began to condemn herself. Why did I join in on such a random topic at such a serious time?

Genava was very satisfied with Shang Jianyao’s explanation. He didn’t retort and did his best in the task entrusted to him.

Frankly speaking, Jiang Baimian felt that Yama Tiger was more terrifying than a real corpse when she saw his dry skin, protruding bones, and skull-like head. It was more nightmare material.

She knew that she had to mentally prepare herself for dozens of seconds before she dared to examine the terrifying body of this sleeping deity. Furthermore, she would always feel a little disgusted.

Genava didn’t feel any discomfort at all as if it were an ordinary item made up of 0s and 1s like other items.

After a careful search, Genava concluded, “The target only has a yellowing pair of underwear and a white linen shirt. There are no other items, nor are there any clues.”

“…” Jiang Baimian felt that this description was a little strange.

Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm. “These clothes and underwear might also be mystical items. It’s a set with the tree branch laurel and tree branch bracelet.”

The corners of Jiang Baimian’s mouth twitched as she analyzed the situation seriously. “I don’t think so. They are located in obvious spots. If they were taken out from the Mind Corridor or were items condensed by Yama Tiger himself, the Terror Bishop from the Vigilance Church would definitely have taken them away.”

Shang Jianyao shook his head. “I know the reason—because I won’t take them either.”

“Why?” Jiang Baimian wanted to hear his unusual train of thought.

Shang Jianyao replied seriously, “That’s rude. Like a pervert.”

Jiang Baimian ignored him and said to Genava, “Touch Yama Tiger’s body again and see if there’s anything under him.”

Genava followed her suggestion and stretched out his silver-black metal palm again, inserting it between Yama Tiger’s body and the bottom of the coffin.

After some searching, he shook his metal head. “Nothing.”

“Nothing…” Although Jiang Baimian didn’t find this answer surprising, she felt that something was amiss.

“Those believers are too insincere. They actually didn’t pad the bed for the deity they believe in. It’s so uncomfortable lying on such a hard wooden plank,” Shang Jianyao expressed his opinion.

“Maybe it’s the folklore or religious habits here.” Genava tried to analyze the reason why the believers did so.

Jiang Baimian’s eyes suddenly lit up when she heard their conversation. She thoughtfully asked, “Do you think Yama Tiger took the initiative to lie in this coffin when he sensed that he was about to fall asleep, or did his believers carry him into this coffin after they discovered that he had fallen asleep?”

“Without sufficient data, it’s impossible to reenact the situation back then. It’s suggested that we use hypothetical analysis,” Genava replied frankly.

Shang Jianyao smiled and said, “He definitely didn’t lie in here himself. If it were me, I would definitely pad it with a blanket since I know that I’m about to enter a slumber. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel comfortable lying down for so long.”

“That’s true in theory. Yama Tiger wasn’t sufficiently prepared. This also reflects the fact that it took decades for the murloc Oracle to arrive and take away the laurel.” Jiang Baimian left some leeway for her hypothesis. “Yes… It’s also possible that the situation was sudden and urgent and that Yama Tiger didn’t have the time to do anything else.”

She continued, “Let’s first analyze the situation of the believers carrying Yama Tiger into this coffin. They should’ve completed the arrangement according to Yama Hall’s religious habits or Yama Tiger’s usual instructions. There are many things that can be inferred, but let’s put them aside for now because there’s a very serious and important problem. That is: where they carried Yama Tiger into this coffin from.”

Genava directly deduced the answer. “There are two possibilities. The first is where Yama Tiger suddenly fell unconscious, and the second is his room. He unknowingly fell into a predicament while sleeping.”

“Yes, it’s very likely that he was lying in bed when his consciousness entered the Mind Corridor to explore it and search for the New World’s door. In the end, he obtained something but also encountered a problem.” Jiang Baimian speculated based on Shang Jianyao’s usual performance as an Awakened and Yama Tiger’s words, which he had carved with his nails.

Yama Tiger left some bloody scratches on the inside of the coffin, forming the words ‘A brand new world.’

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao to ask strange questions that might derail the topic, Jiang Baimian flipped her wrist and looked at the electronic watch. She smiled and said, “Then, where’s Yama Tiger’s room? It’s unlikely he uses this coffin as a bed usually. There’s nothing to pad it, so it’ll definitely be uncomfortable sleeping here. No matter how much Yama Tiger doesn’t like enjoyment, there’s no need to torture himself like this unless he has such a hobby or has paid the corresponding price.”

Shang Jianyao nodded heavily, indicating that it was indeed so.

Awakened weren’t ascetics. There was no need to strain oneself like that.

“From a religious perspective, since Yama Tiger is a living deity, the place he lives in can only be this temple. Or rather, a portion of the space where he lives will definitely transform into a temple.” Genava analyzed the past similar data and gave his conclusion.

Jiang Baimian looked around and said, “But we’ve already searched this place last time; we didn’t find a place where people can stay…”

As she spoke, she suddenly turned around and cast her gaze at a spot.

Shang Jianyao smiled at the same time. “We didn’t search somewhere.”

He pointed at the coffin.

A more accurate description was the stone slab under the coffin.

Genava analyzed the situation and understood what the two of them meant. He immediately activated the corresponding inspection module.

In just a few seconds, he pointed below the coffin and said, “There’s a large hole underground… Preliminary analysis results show that it’s a small room.”

Jiang Baimian smiled under the elegant monk mask. She had just analyzed a bunch of things and only made bold assumptions. Now, she had finally obtained proof!

“Please push this coffin away,” Jiang Baimian said to Genava. “Be careful. I might call for you to stop at any moment.”

Just like before, she raised her focus and used the auxiliary chip. Shang Jianyao also readied himself, prepared to ‘save the beauty in distress.’

Genava pressed his hands on the edge of the coffin and pushed forward with controlled force.

During this process, Yama Tiger’s bioelectric signals didn’t change.

As the coffin was removed, a black hole appeared at the corresponding stone slab. It was very narrow and small, allowing only a slender person to pass normally. Below was a staircase that could be vaguely seen. People like Genava had to turn sideways to enter.

Jiang Baimian flipped her wrist to look at the time and allowed Genava, the all-rounded robot, to ventilate the space below the cave entrance.

Shang Jianyao—who was wearing a monkey mask—watched enviously as if he felt that it was very cool to have so many devices and modules on him.

Genava quickly completed the handling of the environment and checked the situation inside in passing. “There’s no toxic gas, bombs, radiation, or dangerous creatures. The building structure is also very stable.”

Shang Jianyao switched on his flashlight the next second and walked underground using the stairs.

Jiang Baimian and Genava followed closely behind.

The flight of stairs only had seven to eight steps. It didn’t take long for Shang Jianyao to reach solid ground.

This was a small room with only one bed, one table, one wardrobe, and one chair.

It wasn’t completely devoid of light. On the old desk was a bead that emitted a yellowish-green glow.

It was very small, only the size of a normal fish’s eyes.

“A night pearl…” As Jiang Baimian muttered, she stopped Shang Jianyao from going forward to search and got Genava to do the corresponding procedures.

As time waited for no one, Genava completed his tasks as quickly as possible.

The cabinet was empty, and the clothes seemed to have been taken away. There was only a mattress, a pillow, and a thin blanket on the bed. The chair was nothing special, but it appeared very clean due to the temple’s environment. On the table was the small night pearl, and there was a piece of paper in the drawer.

“Paper…” Jiang Baimian followed the light from Shang Jianyao’s flashlight and looked at the yellowish piece of paper.

On it were some numbers and symbols: “1210,√

“757, √

“935, √

“314, √

“329, √

“102”

If she hadn’t been to Tarnan, Jiang Baimian would definitely be left at a loss by these numbers. But with the matter regarding the Superior Heartless, the number ‘503,’ and Abbess Zhou Yue’s explanation, she naturally had a guess.

“These are the Mind Corridor rooms that Yama Tiger once entered? The tick indicates that the exploration was completed? Finally, he obtained something in Room 102. It’s suspected to be related to the New World, but he also encountered an accident?”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shang Jianyao hit the side of the flashlight with one hand as a form of clapping.

The silver-black smart bot, Genava, was stunned for a moment. In order to fit in, he also clapped.