For the Dried Fish!

November 15, Sunday, clear skies. Karen prepared lunch. Because the parlor had been booked from the fourteenth to the seventeenth, yet no word had come regarding the "guests," the household was currently enjoying what amounted to paid leave. With Aunt Winnie and Aunt Mary helping out in the kitchen, Karen put together an exceptionally lavish lunch. There were three centerpiece dishes: braised pork trotters, steamed scallops with minced garlic and vermicelli, and Zigong-style tender ginger rabbit. Every single dish came in enormous portions. The trotters and scallops were piled high on large platters, while the tender ginger rabbit was served in a massive basin. This was an adjustment Karen had made to suit his family's eating habits. Perhaps because they were still nowhere near tired of his cooking, whenever they encountered delicious food—heavy or light—they simply loved to gorge themselves. Moreover, having grown up eating plenty of sweets and meats, they possessed an impressive tolerance for rich foods. Take the braised pig's head from last time: Karen had merely craved a taste of home and stopped after a few pieces, but Ron and Uncle Mason, who returned that evening, had gone at the plate with forks without stopping, shoveling bite after bite into their mouths. By contrast, the side dishes were served in smaller portions: shredded pork with celery, sliced pork with bitter melon, cucumber salad, chilled sliced tomatoes sprinkled with sugar, and cold tossed kelp. The soup was crucian carp and tofu soup. Karen stood by the kitchen door, wiping his hands with a damp towel as he watched Mina, Chris, and Mina's classmate Sarah—a girl she had brought home for the day—bustle in and out carrying dishes and arranging the table setting. Uncle Mason looked over the table laden with food and sighed with emotion. "Ever since our Karen started cooking, I've almost wanted to cancel breakfast just so it doesn't take up valuable stomach space for lunch. Come, come, everyone sit down. Sit, please. Darling, bring out our red wine. Today is our company's first dinner together since our new employees joined us!" "Right away." Aunt Mary brought out a bottle of red wine and uncorked it. Mina took it eagerly and began pouring a glass for each person. Naturally, the children were served orange juice. Even so, Mina quite casually filled the wine glass in front of Karen's seat. Alfred, clad in gray overalls, craned his neck forward with exaggerated drama, took a deep breath, and cried out in marvel, "Heavens, it smells so magnificent, and it looks utterly irresistible!" Beside him, Ms. Molly, dressed in maid's attire, nodded fervently in agreement. Then both of them turned almost simultaneously toward Karen at the kitchen doorway, making no attempt to conceal the awe in their eyes. Yet seeing them standing there made Karen feel half-full already—and not from inhaling cooking oil fumes. Just then, Diss came down from the third floor. Everyone who had been seated immediately rose to their feet. Karen clearly saw Diss's gaze sweep over Alfred and Ms. Molly, but his grandfather said nothing and simply took his seat at the head of the table. "A sumptuous lunch indeed. Enjoy yourselves, everyone." They all sat back down. At the long table, Diss sat at one end, with Uncle Mason directly opposite him. Along one side sat Aunt Mary, Aunt Winnie, Chris, Mina, and Mina's classmate Sarah. Along the other side sat Ron, Alfred, Ms. Molly, and Lunt. Karen tossed his towel aside and took a seat beside Lunt. The feast began. It unfolded amid a chorus of compliments and ravenous devouring. Karen was already well accustomed to this scene. Even his grandfather, whose table manners were by far the most refined, never ate with exaggerated gusto, yet his pace remained remarkably brisk whenever Karen's food was served. As for Alfred and Ms. Molly, who were tasting a meal "personally prepared by the Great Being" for the very first time, their reactions were all the more dramatic. Alfred ate with tears glistening in his eyes, while Ms. Molly sobbed softly as she stuffed braised trotter into her mouth. "Is it good?" Mina asked her classmate. Sarah nodded. "Mm, it's delicious." Mina used a serving spoon to dish food onto Sarah's plate. She knew this classmate was shy and reserved and would be too embarrassed to reach for dishes herself. Karen sampled a bit of everything before turning to his soup. Sipping the broth, he watched his grandfather. Grandfather was once again the first to finish. Part of the reason, of course, was that having him at the table made everyone else feel a bit constrained. He seemed aware of this, which was why he always excused himself so promptly. "I am finished. Take your time, everyone." Diss rose and headed upstairs. The moment he left, Uncle Mason and Ron took the lead, standing up to help themselves freely. "I've eaten roasted rabbit before, but I've never had rabbit cooked like this. It's so tender!" Uncle Mason marveled. "Karen, I'm almost regretting it now. If I'd known, I should have used the money for acquiring the crematorium to open a restaurant on Mink Street!" "Yes, absolutely!" Ron nodded repeatedly, finishing off his eighth scallop. Alfred declared, "This is the first time I have ever tasted such magnificent food." Ms. Molly added, "Yes, so magnificent that I cannot help but weep... as though it has been years since I last had a real meal." *You truly haven't eaten a meal in years,* Karen thought. *And you don't even have an organ to digest it anyway.* Uncle Mason chuckled. "Don't worry. As long as we're not busy, this will be our staff meal from now on. I can guarantee that working anywhere else won't get you staff meals of this caliber!" Sarah took dainty, demure bites, her eyes constantly stealing glances toward Karen. An older boy who was not only extraordinarily handsome but also a superb cook possessed an undeniable attraction for the opposite sex, regardless of age. Karen ladled a bowl of fish soup and placed it before Sarah. Sarah blushed. "Thank you, Karen." Mina leaned in and whispered a few words into Sarah's ear, making her face flush an even deeper crimson. Her cousin had always been handsome, but now that he had grown poised and dependable, his charm was on another level entirely. Mina was certain that if Karen went back to school, his desk drawer would be stuffed full of love letters every single day. Karen offered a polite smile to everyone at the table and stood up. "I'll go brew a cup of tea for Grandfather." He walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door of Diss's study. "Enter." Pushing the door open, Karen walked inside. Diss was cleaning a pair of spectacles. Karen rarely saw him wear them, so he presumed they were only used in the study. Karen stopped before the desk and remained standing. Having wiped the frames clean, Diss set them aside and glanced up at him. "What is it?" "Grandfather, don't you have anything to say?" "Say about what?" "For example, about the two new employees who just joined our household?" "I heard from your aunt that you gave an excellent presentation on our family's corporate culture." "That isn't what I mean, Grandfather. They are two aberrant demons. Uncle hired them without knowing their true identities. One of them will be riding with Uncle to transport corpses, and the other will be down in the basement helping Aunt prepare the deceased for viewing. Don't you think this is a serious problem?" Diss shook his head. "I don't see it as a problem. Aberrant demons sometimes need employment, too. Some might not require food, but they enjoy driving, they enjoy wearing nice clothes, and they have ordinary expenses to cover." "No problem?" Karen froze. "Truly no problem at all? Grandfather, you are an Inquisitor of the Church of Order!" "Yes, I am aware." Diss lifted the lid of his teacup. Karen picked up the kettle and poured tea for him. "An Inquisitor of the Church of Order is tasked only with maintaining order. We are not obligated to slay every aberrant demon that crosses our path." Only then did Karen realize the crux of the issue. He had made a fundamental cognitive error. He had previously thought of his grandfather as akin to a Taoist priest, someone who took it as his sacred duty to slay demons, defend the orthodox path, and purge the realm of evil. But in reality, that was neither Grandfather's duty nor his interest. "The last time I paid Alfred a visit was over Jeff's matter," Diss continued. "However, after learning that Jeff was a thief who was frightened to death, I forgave them. Under Ruilan law, a homeowner who kills an intruder or burglar is acting in justifiable self-defense and bears no legal liability. Afterward, I gave them a warning to behave themselves, and they agreed." "And now? They've moved right into our home." Diss smiled and spread his hands. "In truth, most Inquisitors keep several aberrant demons in their households as helpers. God's Servants and God's Revelations can only run errands and handle paperwork, while God's Shepherds, who might actually be of use, typically have far brighter futures and are sent early on to regional offices for advanced training. We simply never had any before. Having them now is hardly unusual." "What about Purr?" "Po'er... Purr. That new name you gave him has practically corrected my own tongue. In truth, Purr doesn't really count as a kept aberrant demon..." *** Outside the study door, Purr had been standing on his hind legs, eavesdropping through the crack. Hearing this, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. *I am family.* "In truth, Purr doesn't really count as a kept aberrant demon. Who would bother intentionally keeping an aberrant demon this weak?" "..." Purr's jaw dropped! *** "Before I was even born, Purr already had ties to the Inmerlais family," Diss said. "When I was still young, he turned into a cat. So now, to meet the requirements of an Inquisitor's work, I have merely added two assistants in accordance with standard Church of Order procedures. The two of them came to see me before their interviews; they only went to Mason once I granted my approval. Furthermore, I will issue them two certificates verifying that they belong to the Rojia City Tribunal roster under the Ruilan Region. Aberrant demons working for the church with official church credentials are quite common—not only in the Church of Order, but in the other orthodox great churches as well." What Purr had once said flashed through Karen's mind: *The orthodox great churches are nothing more than aberrant demons walking beneath the sunlight.* "But Grandfather, if you didn't need demonic assistants before, why do you suddenly need them now?" "Because I have grown old." "Uh..." Karen truly had not anticipated an answer so utterly unassailable. Seeing his grandson's expression, Diss chuckled, took a sip of tea, and said, "I know what you fear and what worries you. Aberrant demons are much like humans; not all of them are wicked. To be sure, possessing powers beyond ordinary people makes it difficult for mundane law and morals to constrain them, but there are plenty of criminals among ordinary folk as well. Since they are willing to work in this house, I believe they pose no danger to our family. In all my years as an Inquisitor, the truth I've come to see is that humans are far more terrifying than aberrant demons. "As for your other concern... they revere you as the descent of a Great Being, and you worry that having them around you every single day will make it impossible to keep up the act?" "Yes." "You don't need to act," Diss replied. "You are flawless." "..." Karen was speechless. What Diss did not tell Karen was that the second sweeping investigation into the Belwin god descent ritual had already begun. With the entire Church of Order effectively endorsing his identity, what was there to fear? Old Hoffen was still stubbornly clinging to his last breath, likely unwilling to die until he saw Karen dead. When everyone believed you to be an evil god's descent, your own opinion could safely be ignored. "They merely want to secure a seat beside you early on. It's just like when Mason traded stocks—what was the term? Ah, yes, buying the dip. Since they are willing and eager, let them be. Mason lost his entire house and still came home to drive the hearse and live his life as usual, didn't he? When you gamble, you must accept your losses." "I understand, Grandfather. Still, I think I'll need some time to adjust." "I have no doubt in your ability to adapt. Truly." Karen stepped out of Diss's study. Purr slipped into the room immediately, leaping onto the desk and addressing Diss. "'When you gamble, you must accept your losses'? Why do I feel they might actually have a shot at winning?" Diss glanced at Purr and opened his palm. Purr instantly leaped off the desk, putting distance between them. "That night, don't tell me you didn't feel it—that pure power. No accidents, no turbulence. Though faint, it was remarkably pure. Diss, he hasn't even undergone purification yet. He isn't even a God's Servant!" Diss remained silent. "Diss, do you really have no intention of letting Karen receive purification? What if he isn't an evil god? To be honest, you wouldn't even care whether he is or isn't, right? But with such exceptional raw potential, if you could recruit him into the faith and set him on the path of Order, the talent he would unleash..." "If memory serves," Diss said, "last month you were persistently urging me to kill him." Purr flicked his tail. "That was instinct! My human instincts took over." "And now?" "Now I've finally realized something—I'm a fucking cat!" Purr raised his head and continued, "Even if he is an evil god, he's an evil god willing to braise little fish for me! As a cat, what reason do I have to hate him?" "Bought off by a bit of food?" "That's because you've never experienced what it's like to eat cat food for a hundred years! Diss, it's easy for you to talk when it isn't your stomach!" "I will not let him undergo purification. I have already warned Alfred and Molly not to interfere with Karen's development, on pain of severe punishment. Now I give the same warning to you, Po'er... Purr. If I learn that you have secretly performed purification on Karen, not only will your century-long bond with the Inmerlais family be erased in an instant, but I will make you taste true agony." "How could I possibly perform purification? I'm such a weak aberrant demon—no, right now, I'm practically the disgrace of all demons!" "If it comes to performing purification, Purr, I doubt one could find a higher-grade sacred relic than you in the entire Ruilan Region." Hearing this, Purr flopped languidly onto the floor and asked with curiosity, "Diss, do you still care about that vow of yours? That after you, no Inmerlais would ever enter the faith? Yet today, two aberrant demons have entered your household as hired hands. Either you send Karen out of Ruilan to study abroad, or else, by letting him remain exposed to all of this... Heh, I believe the day will come when he walks up to you of his own accord and asks for the purification ritual. Besides, I don't believe you truly care about vows. Have you made few vows to the Church of Order? Yet when it was time to perform a god descent ritual, didn't you go right ahead and do it anyway? "Most importantly, as a grandfather, your willingness to yield to your grandson is practically bottomless. Damn it, I even feel you're far more willing to compromise for this Karen than you ever were for Mina, Lunt, or Chris... Well, though I suppose I am the same." "The second grand investigation into the Belwin god descent ritual has already begun," Diss said. "Rasma has come from the General Council to the Ruilan Region to oversee it personally. Inquiries by other churches and organizations are undoubtedly underway as well. As long as Karen remains unpurified, he is merely an ordinary human before any priest—unless he deliberately reveals his power. That means he is absolutely safe. What comes later can wait. For now, we must at least ride out this storm." "Understood," Purr said, rising to his feet. "However, there is one thing I must remind you of. Alfred and Molly will certainly guard the secret for what they hope to gain. No reward from the Church of Order or any other faith could compare to accompanying an evil god as he rises. The same goes for me. But there is still one other person—Mr. Hoffen, who simply refuses to die." "He only hopes that I will kill Karen with my own hands. He would never betray my grandson to outsiders so that someone else could kill him." Purr reached the study door, then paused once more. "Diss, there is one more thing I've been holding back from asking. A god descent ritual of that magnitude usually demands an enormous price from the one who conducts it. I know you are powerful—far more powerful than most people believe. But I truly wish to know: what was the price you paid?" "When one is sufficiently powerful, the price becomes trivial." "Then there's nothing to worry about. I'm off to eat my sweet-and-sour Mandarin fish. "Ah... I've already been blinded by that damn evil god, ensnared in his seductive web. This damn evil god... this damn fish... and worst of all, I think I've actually fallen in love with this feeling of corruption."