Embers Ad Infinitum

Translator: CKtalon

Auntie Nan contracted the Heartless disease? Long Yuehong blurted out, “How can that be?”

How did the lady—who always tidied herself up and had her hair tied into a bun—suddenly contract the Heartless disease and bid farewell to the world?

But Long Yuehong fell silent again when he recalled that the Rec Center’s PIC on the 495th floor of the underground building—Chen Xianyu—had also contracted the Heartless disease without any warning.

‘This was the Heartless disease. It could happen to anyone, regardless of whether they had experienced suffering or if they had just seen hope in life.

Bai Chen was no stranger to such matters, so she didn’t show any signs of disbelief.

She fell silent for a moment before asking in a slightly deep voice, “She was then eliminated?”

Sigh, Little White asking this question means that she still has some hope… Jiang Baimian didn’t say a word. At the same time, she used her left hand to stop Shang Jianyao from interjecting.

“That’s right.” Ah Fu let out a long sigh. “The city defense forces came to deal with her.”

This was a choice that every faction would definitely make when facing Heartless patients.

Bai Chen pursed her lips and said, “That’s good too.”

The consensus among humans toward Heartless was that they had to clean up as soon as possible to prevent themselves and other normal people from being harmed. They also had to cut off any possible infection routes or capture them by force and send them to the laboratory to contribute to

humanity’s future treatment of the Heartless disease.

Compared to the latter, Bai Chen could accept Auntie Nan entering an eternal slumber after some short pain.

She paused and asked, “Where is Auntie Nan buried?”

“The cemetery outside the city.” Ah Fu smiled bitterly. “To be safe, I paid to have her cremated.”

‘Whether it was a cremation or a burial, money was needed. The former cost energy, and the latter occupied land close to the city. There was always a team of soldiers guarding the area.

If an ordinary family had someone pass away, they would often bring them into the wilderness and find a place to dig a hole to bury them. However, this might not necessarily allow the dead to rest in peace. Be it wilderness nomads or wandering beasts, they were all real and potential threats.

Bai Chen nodded. “Take us there tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Ah Fu agreed.

Shang Jianyao could finally speak. He asked in concern, “How are Auntie Nan’s girls now? Where’s An Ruxiang? What about the people who pooled money to hire her as a teacher?”

He asked three questions in one breath.

Ah Fu thought for a moment and said, “Ms. An finished teaching three classes here and later went to another courtyard to be a temporary teacher. She’s always being hired.

“Sister Gu and the ladies in the courtyard can read. Through the Hunter’s Guild, most of them have found new jobs. Some of them lead a good life, and some have relatively lower income. However, they can also upkeep themselves; they don’t have to be as worried as before. They don’t know when they will

contract a sexual disease or encounter guests with mental problems.

“Only a small number of people aren’t that lucky. They themselves or their families fell sick, had something happen, and are in debt. They still have to take jobs occasionally to replenish their family supplies.

“Over the past few years, the literate ones are able to feed their families in the city as long as they are willing to work.”

First, many people died in that uprising. Second, Weed City has been the most stable place in the past few years compared to other places in First City… Jiang Baimian nodded indiscernibly.

Shang Jianyao oohed and aahed a few times and was visibly happy.

Upon seeing this, Ah Fu said, “Perhaps it’s because of the heavens’ blessings. A few ladies didn’t know better and were mesmerized by the gang members who specialize in living off women. They led a life worse than death and were just short of throwing themselves to doom. In the end, those gang

members either died in a gunfight or were shot in the back; none of them ended up well. It seems to be the case for those who set up traps and coerce the girls.”

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a moment before she recalled something.

An Ruxiang’s previous job before she was a temporary teacher was a Ruin Hunter, and the job before that was as an assassin.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Shang Jianyao clapped—

He smiled and said, “How nice!”

That’s right. How nice… Jiang Baimian was abnormally gratified.

She took the initiative to say to Ah Fu, “Ask around later where Teacher An holds her class. We haven’t seen her in a long time.”

“Alright.” Ah Fu knew that this group of people had known An Ruxiang long ago—earlier than the ladies in the courtyard.

South Street, in the rented apartment.

Jiang Baimian casually found a seat and sat down. She thoughtfully commented, “Why does Weed City have the Heartless disease?”

“Why can’t Weed City have the Heartless disease?” Long Yuehong asked in confusion.

The Heartless disease might appear in any spot in the Ashlands with humans. Furthermore, there had been a few Heartless outbreaks every year since Weed City was established. The number of Heartless outbreaks was more or less of varying sizes. It was never a utopia.

Jiang Baimian looked around and said, “Our previous investigation results showed that the Heartless disease is related to the New World. It leaks to the Ashlands through all kinds of nodes and randomly infects the surrounding humans, but Weed City doesn’t seem to be a place with a New World node.

Yes, many human settlements don’t seem to be the case either; yet, there’s still the Heartless disease.”

They had previously denied the theory that the spread of the Heartless disease was a fluctuation produced by a collision of powers in the New World. Now, they had encountered an incomprehensible situation.

“That’s right… This is contradictory to our guess.” Long Yuehong nodded slightly.

As he spoke, he saw the nuclear warhead that Genava had placed in a comer of the room from the corner of his eye.

He felt strange chatting beside such an item, Although it was definitely safe and impossible to have it randomly explode, Long Yuehong felt like being in its company was tantamount to living with a tiger when he thought of its rumored power.

Bai Chen thought for a moment before saying, “The New World’s nodes can be either human or object. The former belongs to a relatively large faction or is sleeping in a secret place. It shouldn’t have anything to do with Weed City, but the latter might be everywhere and of various sizes. The effects are

also different.”

She meant that although there were no New World powerhouses in Weed City, it didn’t mean that there were no hidden and very small New World nodes here.

Jiang Baimian tersely grunted. “After paying our respects to Auntie Nan tomorrow, I’ll get Hey to wear the Six Senses Beads or the Life Angel necklace. We’ll wander the city and search for a New World node.

“If there is, we’ll use a high-voltage electric current to stimulate and destroy it so that this area won’t have to worry about the Heartless disease for a long time. If there isn’t, we might have to establish a new guess regarding the source and transmission mechanism of the Heartless disease or alter it.”

Jiang Baimian wanted to say, “In any case, Weed City isn’t large. I’ll plan the route. With Hey’s current perception range and his ‘friendship’ with Xu Liyan, it won’t be difficult to do a carpet search.” However, her good idea was caught in difficult circumstances; she could only look at Genava.

“Old Ge, work with Hey’s perception range to plan a route and try to cover every spot.”

“No problem.” Genava didn’t find it a problem at all.

“When are we visiting my good brother, Xu Liyan?” Shang Jianyao asked.

Xu Liyan might not want to see you… Jiang Baimian muttered and replied, “Without the Castellan’s warrant, we won’t be able to go to many places, much less search through your senses. Therefore, the first thing we have to do after paying our respects to Auntie Nan tomorrows to find your good brother,

Xu Liyan.”

Although Shang Jianyao could make friends and come and go freely in a small place like Weed City with his level and abilities, Jiang Baimian felt that there was no need to do so since there was a better and more convenient method.

Who knew if there were any dangerous parishes lurking here or which unfriendly Kalendaria they worshiped!

“The chef in Castellan Manor is rather good,” Shang Jianyao commented objectively. He then suggested, “Let’s go to Castellan Manor first before paying our respects to Auntie Nan.”

Hey, can you not be so pragmatic… Before Long Yuehong could say that, Shang Jianyao added, “This way, we can pack some delicious food and drink for Auntie Nan!”

Bai Chen pursed her lips and said, “This will only be a waste, right?”

Not really,” Jiang Baimian said. “In the Old World’s customs, the food used for rites is distributed to family and friends after the ritual is completed.”

Bai Chen tersely acknowledged it and nodded.

After discussing this matter, Jiang Baimian turned to Shang Jianyao and asked, “When do you plan on going to Room 506 again?”

Shang Jianyao said impatiently, “Now! I plan on going once every two hours in the future. I don’t believe she won’t sleep! After entering her dream, I’m prepared to use my abilities to see if it’s effective.”

“Okay.” Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, “We can also observe the room owner’s dream. If our abilities are useless, we can guess where she lives through the dreamscape and what kind of person she is. We can visit her in reality.”

“Alright,” Shang Jianyao agreed readily.

Tarnan, Serene Dream Hotel.

The lady boss, Aynor, sat in front of the laptop. She forced her eyes open and kept saying to herself, “I mustn’t sleep, I mustn’t sleep.