Permanent madness…!
These four words made Shen Lin’s heart skip a beat. He asked KP, “Can you tell us what he did?”
“This is part of the exploration. You need to discover it yourselves. I can only tell you that permanent madness means you have permanently lost this teammate.”
Shen Lin thought, “Only when sanity is completely depleted will one fall into permanent madness. Each of us has tens of sanity points, how could they all be depleted? What did Xiu Wen encounter? Could he have confronted the so-called deity?”
In the twilight, Lisa finally returned. She was covered in mud, with a dirty face, but her violet eyes were bright. She walked up to Shen Lin holding a bouquet of lilies and said, “I’ve prepared Mrs. Funnell’s body. Would you like to come with me to pay respects? She liked you; your gaze was like that of her child. If you are willing, I believe she would be very happy.”
Shen Lin nodded, taking the lilies from Lisa, and they walked together into a dark and deserted alley.
In the alley, a tattered blanket enveloped a thin corpse. She maintained the appearance of her final moments, with wide-open eyes, an expression of disbelief still on her face.
Lisa cleaned Mrs. Funnell’s blood-stained face with clean water, closed her eyes, and said softly, “Mrs. Funnell had mild cleanliness obsession. She would never let her face be covered in so much dust and blood. If she had to leave, her body would be clean.”
Shen Lin hummed, “She was a great lady.”
Lisa said, “Actually, sometimes I can understand what Mrs. Funnell was thinking. She believed that the town’s sins originated from outsiders, yet she couldn’t do without the supplies from outsiders. She sought equal distribution of resources, but in reality, it only made the townspeople more entangled with the outsiders. Everything is wrong—the sacrifice ritual, the outsiders, and the townspeople of Moon-sinking Bay. But no one is willing to change.”
Shen Lin furrowed his brows, “Psychology.”
KP rolled the dice in secret.
Shen Lin felt a great sadness from Lisa. Her usually spirited voice now sounded subdued, “Sometimes, I see Benson standing under the town’s archway, staring outside, especially when the messenger leaves. He eagerly anticipates leaving here, but he knows that once he leaves, he will lose everything in Moon-sinking Bay, including the bond with the deity. He is greedy and selfish. I understand why the deity chose him as the messenger. He possesses powers so close to the deity but never prays for the town.”
“And the mayor,” Lisa continued, “you’ve seen him too. Like Benson, he wants Moon-sinking Bay to return to its roots, to break free from the control of outsiders, to return to the era where everyone respected the deity, and the deity was close to us. But he also gave up the mayor’s position and the convenience brought by outsiders. He is more of a coward afraid of Benson; he dares not bring any change. Oh, right. He is also an irredeemable foolish father! He excessively spoils his daughter, which is truly enviable.”
Shen Lin listened quietly as Lisa spoke, as if Mrs. Funnell’s death had brought out all of Lisa’s emotions. “Mrs. Funnell, too,” she said, “she only pursued equality in material possessions, stopping at surface-level equality, but she never thought the fundamental reason was that we couldn’t break free from the control of outsiders. Everyone is guilty, everyone will die, because of the scarcity of resources, because of increasing greed, increasing selfishness.”
Shen Lin asked her, “Have you ever thought of resisting? Changing the situation here?”
Lisa hesitated for a moment and then said, “Of course, I sometimes think I might be the special one who can break free from the curse of Moon-sinking Bay, leave this place. But I don’t have that courage. This world is just like this. Many people have thoughts of breaking free but lack the corresponding courage. I am just a flower seller without courage.”
Shen Lin said, “Psychology.”
KP rolled the dice in secret.
Shen Lin noticed that Lisa’s emotions were not fully revealed. The bright eyes still hid something cold and metallic.
Shen Lin could feel that she was lying.
Lisa smiled and said, “I should say these things in front of Mrs. Funnell’s grave. I’m sorry. She was a great person. Mike, offer the flowers in your hands to her; she will surely be happy.”
Shen Lin bowed his head to pray for Mrs. Funnell and offered the flowers.
He asked Lisa, “Why did you help Mrs. Funnell prepare the body? She was shot by Benson’s people, and most of the people in the town are now bewitched by Benson. No one dares to do such a thing.”
“Isn’t it pitiful for the body to be exposed on the street?” Lisa said sadly. “Mrs. Funnell took care of me and helped me a lot. She allowed me to regain something very important to me…” Her voice softened as she lightly touched upon that aspect, then continued, “I am grateful to her and feel sorry for her.”
Shen Lin looked at Lisa with confusion. “Why do you say you feel sorry for her?”
Lisa remained silent for a moment and then said, “Because… because I didn’t stop her. I should have stopped her.” She showed a sorrowful expression, wiping the reddened corners of her eyes. “Mrs. Funnell was a good person… she was really good.”
Shen Lin sighed, patting Lisa’s back gently, comforting her, “You are also a good girl, Lisa. My friends and I really like you.”
“Really?” Lisa looked at Shen Lin with wide eyes in disbelief. “Do you think I am… a good girl?”
“Yes,” Shen Lin said, “You’ve helped us many times, and you are very gentle. The lilies you grow are beautiful. It is said that only those with a pure and kind heart can grow such lilies.”
“Thank you,” Lisa hugged Shen Lin, “You are really nice.”
The tall and cold man stood not far away, looking at her with icy eyes.
Lisa shrank back in fear and whispered to Shen Lin, “Your friend is really frightening.”
Shen Lin: “He may look fierce, but he’s actually a good person. You don’t have to be afraid of him.”
Lisa hesitated and nodded.
After they finished mourning Mrs. Funnell, they cautiously returned to Lisa’s room.
The kerosene lamp had completely run out, so Lisa took out a candle and lit it. In the dim light, she sat on the edge of the bed, her golden hair cascading down, and her fair skin flawless, making her look like an exquisite porcelain doll.
“Mike, are you worried about your friends?” she asked.
Shen Lin nodded, saying, “I got separated from them, and I want to find them.”
She clutched the bedsheet with both hands, and her feet swayed slightly.
Shen Lin said, “Let’s conduct an investigation.”
35/15
Success.
Shen Lin sensed that Lisa was grappling with something. She seemed to want to tell him something but was hesitant or struggling to find the right words.
Shen Lin’s eyes glinted, and he said, “They are good friends of mine. We came here for a vacation, and in case of an accident, we agreed to make sure we all return together. When we go back, we plan to climb snow mountains, attend horse races, watch sunrises and sunsets, participate in school gatherings, and there will be a grand fireworks show on Imperial Christmas Day, with the river adorned with sparkling lights. They also said they would come to see the play I perform together.”
Lisa looked somewhat dazed, her gaze unfocused in the air. After a while, she asked longingly, “Is the Celestial Hall still as magnificent as ever?”
Shen Lin nodded, “Yes, neon lights are on all night long, and almost every moment, distinguished ladies and gentlemen walk through the long corridor covered with a red carpet.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Lisa said, her legs curled up as she hugged her knees, her cheek against her knees. She said softly, “Actually, when I went out this afternoon, I overheard something for you. Your friend, the young man with thick glasses, was considered a heretic, tied to a cross, and sacrificed to the deity. He died in the raging fire. Before that, he summoned the deity using the wrong methods and sacrificed his own soul.”
“What wrong methods?”
“It was told to him by Benson. He was Benson’s experiment. I’m not very clear about the specifics; only Benson knows those mysterious and divine formations. I can only tell you this, but…” Her purple eyes, mysterious and radiant, reflected Shen Lin’s figure. “All sins will be cleansed. On the day of the God’s Sacrifice, everyone will become as pure as newborns, and your friends will surely come back to you.”
Shen Lin furrowed his brows, asking, “What does that mean?”
“As long as you accept your sins calmly, traverse the black abyss, what awaits you is eternal magic and glory.”
Lisa left behind these mysterious words and pulled the blanket to lie down. She blinked at Shen Lin, saying, “This is a song that the elderly often sing. I don’t know exactly what it means, probably similar to the idea that everyone who has passed away will meet in heaven. I hope you can find comfort in it. I’ll go to sleep now. Good night, Mike.”
Seeing that Lisa didn’t intend to continue the conversation, Shen Lin could only say, “Good night, Lisa.”
He extinguished the candle on the table.
Shen Lin closed his eyes, carefully reviewing recent events.
Lisa had access to far more information than her identity suggested, and her knowledge was broader than that of an ordinary flower seller. What was her true identity? How was she related to the sacrificial offering lost ten years ago?
If she was the sacrificial offering lost ten years ago, what did she want? Did she know Dorena? Had Dorena come to find her? Why hadn’t he shown up until now?
KP’s voice suddenly sounded, “Roll for an insight.”
Shen Lin: “…”
Shen Lin rolled the dice.
70/5
Great success.
KP: “…”
At this moment, Shen Lin suddenly remembered that when he was very young, the priest had taken him to the Celestial Hall, the most top-tier opera house in the entire empire, gathering numerous elites.
At that time, he met a beautiful sister with golden hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink and white cake dress, her waist cinched into slender lines. When she saw him, she quietly raised her index finger to her lips as a warning, “Hey, little guy, don’t make a sound, or I’ll be discovered by someone. Let me watch for a while longer. I’ll leave soon.”
She stood on the railing, gazing at the magnificent stage from afar.
A classical opera was being performed on the stage.
The girl’s expression was full of yearning.
“How wonderful,” she murmured softly, reaching out to embrace the brilliance.
