Embers Ad Infinitum

In a room on the sixth floor of Sikhara Temple—the Old Task Force’s prison.

“Could it be that the Chief prophesied something and deliberately left us this piece of paper before entering the New World?” Long Yuehong originally wanted to look around to confirm the situation before discussing this problem, but after some thought, he felt that it was meaningless. Anything could be heard in the Crystal Consciousness Church’s base. No matter how he guarded against it, they would be heard.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and smiled self-deprecatingly. “What makes us deserving of that?”

In terms of strength, the Old Task Force could barely be considered average in First City’s muddy waters. In terms of closeness, not to mention the monks in the temple, the Old Task Force would never stand a chance with the relationship between the Crystal Consciousness Church and First City’s officials.

They couldn’t possibly say that it was because they were backed by Pangu Biology, the ‘villain’ faction, right?

Pangu Biology had plenty of intelligence personnel in First City and teams that carried out other missions!

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and said seriously, “Perhaps he foresaw that we would save all of humanity and is willing to provide some help before entering the New World.”

“…” Long Yuehong didn’t mock Shang Jianyao for his self-aggrandizing thoughts. After all, these monks who were good at Prophecy were all strange. It wasn’t surprising for them to do such an action for any reason.

Zennaga was a living example!

“Are we really that important?” Jiang Baimian replied to Shang Jianyao in a joking tone.

Bai Chen raised another question. “If the Chief really left that piece of paper behind, why didn’t he write down the relevant information more clearly? Just knowing the locations of the Five Great Holy Lands will allow us to make more guesses at most, but it won’t be of much use.”

Shang Jianyao walked toward the shadows in the corner of the room, making his face half-hidden in the darkness. He then said gloomily, “Maybe something bad will happen if he wrote it clearly…”

Although Long Yuehong knew that this fellow was doing this on purpose, he couldn’t help but shiver. The bloody scene of the Crystal Consciousness Church’s Chief jumping down from the top of the temple and falling to the ground with his brains splattering surfaced in his mind again.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao and raised another possibility. “It’s also possible that the Chief doesn’t know what secrets the Five Great Holy Lands are hiding. He only prophesied that this was very important, so he deliberately left it to the nearest outsider.”

Team Leader’s words are quite in line with the style of these charlatans… Long Yuehong used words learned from Old World entertainment to describe the monks who were good at Prophecy.

Jiang Baimian swept her gaze and saw that Garibaldi had already calmed down. He was lying there and listening to their conversation dazedly.

Her heart stirred as she gestured for Long Yuehong to help Garibaldi up. He leaned him against the headboard and took out the cloth that was stuffed into his mouth.

“What do you know about the Crystal Consciousness Church?” Jiang Baimian asked Pangu Biology’s First City intelligence agent.

Garibaldi looked around. “So we’re in Sikhara Temple… No wonder there are so many monks.”

He composed himself and recalled. “I’m mainly in charge of intelligence regarding the nobles. I don’t know much about the religious factions. According to what I know, the Crystal Consciousness Church appeared not long after First City was established. It used this place as its base to preach to the surrounding settlements.”

“This is the headquarters of the Crystal Consciousness Church?” Long Yuehong was shocked. He originally thought that Sikhara Temple was a relatively important branch of the Crystal Consciousness Church, but he didn’t expect it to be the headquarters!

This was no different from being captured by the mechanical monks and brought back to their so-called ‘Pure Lands!’

Garibaldi nodded. “It’s likely the case. Although the Crystal Consciousness Church preaches and recruits believers, they aren’t that proactive. They place more emphasis on self-cultivation. When recruiting monks, the method they use is very similar to the Old World’s master-disciple system. Therefore, the Crystal Consciousness Church isn’t that famous in First City. Many people don’t know about it.”

“Right, if they had often handed out food, First City’s bottom-level citizens and foreign wanderers would’ve long treated this place as a holy land.” Shang Jianyao believed that Garibaldi was right.

“The Crystal Consciousness Church monks are different from the Monks Conclave’s mechanical monks. They still need to eat and drink. Their food might only barely be enough for themselves, so they can only provide alms to outsiders occasionally.” Jiang Baimian laughed.

Furthermore, the Crystal Consciousness Church’s relationship with First City might not be as harmonious if they actively recruited believers and were passionate about preaching.

Jiang Baimian looked at Garibaldi and deliberated for a few seconds. “Do you know which faction in First City is close to the Crystal Consciousness Church?”

Garibaldi said with uncertainty, “They seem more interested in maintaining order than in enacting changes. In any case, as long as the environment allows them to survive, they will focus on their own cultivation so as to enter the New World.”

From the looks of it, they’re more inclined toward the Conservatives… Long Yuehong interpreted what Garibaldi was trying to say.

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Garibaldi added, “The ‘Crystal Consciousness Church’ isn’t entirely united. Their Enlightened have their own ideals and ideas. Oh, their upper echelons are called Enlightened.”

“Is that so…” Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “What else do you know about their hierarchy? By the way, how should I address you? I can’t keep calling you Garibaldi, right?”

“Just call me Giuseppe,” Garibaldi said casually.

That didn’t seem to be his real name either.

He paused for a moment and continued to talk about the Crystal Consciousness Church he knew. “I really don’t know much. There are specialists in the company that are in charge of this. Yes, they call believers People of Five Senses. Above them are Hexion, Heptadite, and Enlightened…”

After Giuseppe gave them all the relevant information, the summer night finally fell.

It was time for the Old Task Force and company to send and receive telegrams. They took out the radio transceiver and sat on the edge of their beds, patiently waiting for Pangu Biology’s reply.

After a few minutes, the radio transceiver responded—there was quite a lot of content this time.

Jiang Baimian took a while to translate it. She held the piece of paper with the telegram’s contents and looked at Garibaldi. “The company already knows about your situation and doesn’t think you’ve done anything wrong. Under such circumstances, nobody can withstand it apart from a few people with unique traits.

“You have two choices. The first is to stay in a city-state or other faction under First City and continue serving the company. Someone will bring you the corresponding treatment medicine. The second is to return to the company and get transferred internally.”

Having been exposed in First City, Garibaldi couldn’t stay.

Giuseppe was dazed for a moment. “Return to the company…”

Upon seeing and hearing this, Jiang Baimian asked emotionally, “Have you never been to the company?”

“Yes, my father is an employee of the company. He sacrificed himself in First City, and I took over as the company’s intelligence agent.” Giuseppe slowly exhaled.

Most of the company’s outfield employees are married… Long Yuehong muttered inwardly but didn’t say it out loud.

Jiang Baimian’s eyes flickered as she asked, “How many years had your father been in First City?”

“Almost 20 years.” Giuseppe recalled and said, “He went back to the company every few years to provide a report. I haven’t gotten my chance.”

Doesn’t the company’s outfield employees have a cycle of three to five years? Unless someone applies for it, they shouldn’t be sent outfield for the same mission… Long Yuehong remembered the relevant rules.

Jiang Baimian didn’t say anything else and sincerely suggested, “You can take this opportunity to return to the company to provide a report. After that, you can decide whether to stay or be deployed elsewhere as an intelligence officer.”

Giuseppe was silent for a moment before he slowly nodded. “Alright.”

After settling this matter, Jiang Baimian said to Shang Jianyao and the others, “The company said that they would negotiate with the Crystal Consciousness Church as soon as possible.”

Negotiate? Long Yuehong repeated this word in his heart.

Jiang Baimian continued, “The company also provided some information regarding the Crystal Consciousness Church. Their religious leader is known as Buddha’s Nirmanakaya. He has long entered the New World and relies on his divided consciousness to maintain his body in the Ashlands. Therefore, he sleeps all year round and occasionally shows activity.”

“Sleeps all year round?” Long Yuehong couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling.

Since Sikhara Temple was the Crystal Consciousness Church’s headquarters, the Buddha’s Nirmanakaya was theoretically sleeping in a room here.

“This is similar to Yama Tiger,” Shang Jianyao said with interest.

Upon hearing this, Bai Chen’s expression froze as she repeated the corresponding words. “Do not spend more than 15 minutes in the temple. You can’t exceed half an hour in the temple’s vicinity, and you can’t exceed three days elsewhere on the island.”

Th-these were the precautions the company gave when exploring Yama Tiger’s temple… I-if that Buddha’s Nirmanakaya shares a similar state as Yama Tiger, then these precautions should also be applicable… W-we’ve already been here for a day and a half! Long Yuehong’s heart tightened as his imagination ran wild.

“There should still be a difference. At the very least, the monks in the temple are fine,” Jiang Baimian consoled her team member.

Shang Jianyao then looked at Long Yuehong and solemnly said, “Don’t speak.”

Long Yuehong shut his mouth.

Jiang Baimian lowered her head again and read the contents of the telegram. “When the Buddha’s Nirmanakaya sleeps, the Crystal Consciousness Church’s specific matters will be handled by the Enlightened’s Chief.”

The Chief who passed on last night? Bai Chen, Long Yuehong, and the others finally understood what ‘Chief’ meant.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said with a solemn expression, “In other words, that person was the strongest person in the Crystal Consciousness Church on the surface. His death is a huge blow to the fragile balance of First City…”

The telegram ended there as the Old Task Force members busied themselves with other matters.

…

A solemn monk’s corpse with golden skin was being carried into the incineration furnace. Before the steel furnace door closed, the corpse’s face suddenly warped and became extremely ferocious.

Bang!

As the furnace door closed, a miserable scream came from inside.

Long Yuehong opened his eyes and broke out into cold sweat from the nightmare.