Cleansing!

Karen was not surprised by Daliwenluo's decision in the slightest, though his initiative did catch Karen somewhat off guard. Karen did not believe Daliwenluo was merely displaying convert zeal. This bald man from the Church of Life was not that shallow, nor would Karen have "Awakened" someone so petty. Perhaps Daliwenluo simply knew full well that even if he did not come forward on his own, Karen would seek him out. Knowing he could never bear the consequences of defying Karen's will, he chose to dispense with the awkward, pointless hesitation, cutting straight to the point so both sides could keep things more pleasant on the surface. Or perhaps there was a deeper reason, but Karen had no intention of probing into it. After all, he was here to fight a war, not run a psychiatric clinic. Karen said, "The rat hole will be where the tree roots are." Daliwenluo thought for a second, immediately grasping the meaning of "rat hole," and said at once, "That should be the case. After all, the tendrils at the roots can help their command post perceive the battlefield situation." "Your mission isn't just to pinpoint the exact location of the roots. I also need you to lead an assault squad to blow the place up." "Of course, Young Master—ah, no, Corps Commander! Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have begged you to give this assignment to me!" Karen nodded. "I will assign you men. If you have anyone in mind, you can pick them yourself." "Understood, Corps Commander." "What coordination do you need from me?" "I hope you can stage another feint attack tomorrow, just like today's." "No problem." "Very well, Corps Commander. I have no other requests. Please rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission." "I've always had confidence in you." "This subordinate takes his leave." "Mm." Daliwenluo stepped out of the command tent, drew a deep breath, and licked his lips. In his mind surfaced that memory from childhood—kneeling before the family gates, while up on the balcony of an opulent building, an older boy was always munching on snacks, looking down at him with a smirk. Later, that boy had even come to his home, saying to his half-crazed mother: "As long as you let me walk the path my uncle once walked, I can help you enter the family." His mother had been toyed with and deceived. The boy had only thought it amusing, pursuing what their circle considered a higher level of life experience. "Hehehe..." Daliwenluo chuckled aloud. Standing in place, he looked down at the orderly encampments all around him. Originally, in his blueprint, he was going to climb step by step within the Church of Life until he reached a position high enough to look down and erase that nauseating family from the Church of Life's history. That dream had vanished like a bubble, but he had not failed. Because strictly in terms of revenge, Order could serve his purpose far better. Earlier on the battlefield, when Daliwenluo's sapling drove into the earth, he had sensed that familiar aura. That person was the core of the array—the very root of that tree. Straightening his clerical robes, Daliwenluo whispered, "Bilien, perhaps I should show you what a truly higher level of life experience looks like." *** When Karen walked into Neo's tent, Neo was bent over a map making markings. Without looking up, he asked, "Sorted out so quickly?" "Mm." "Alfred's ideological work really is top-notch." "It might not be because of that. I think Daliwenluo had his own internal urgency, though I didn't press for details." "No need to press. As long as he does his best, that's fine. I don't think that bald guy will betray you; he's actually pretty interesting." "Because you beat him up?" "Maybe. It's always hard to despise someone you've bullied." "He needs us to launch another feint tomorrow to coordinate with his localization." "No problem. If everything goes smoothly and both the rat nest and the roots are destroyed, the feint can instantly turn into our full assault." "He'll need an assault squad." "Hm?" Neo paused, stood up, and looked at Karen. "Don't tell me you want to lead that squad. Are you insane? You're the corps commander; charging the front line isn't your job." "I didn't say that." "Oh, really?" "Your attitude is weird, though." Neo said as if it were obvious, "I think I'm the most suitable person to lead this assault squad, aren't I?" Karen asked, "If something happens to you, what will this corps do?" "Have some faith in yourself, Karen. You are an outstanding Corps Commander." "Don't even think about going." "Tsk..." Neo tossed down his pen. "Damn it, suddenly lost the mood to draw." "I just came specifically to remind you, because I was worried you'd harbor some inappropriate delusions about this." At this moment, Muri, who had been assisting with the mapping nearby, spoke up on his own initiative: "Commander, Deputy Commander, let me lead the squad." Neo immediately shook his head. "No way. If you, our puppet, get killed, it'll severely disrupt our work down the line." Muri: "..." Neo sighed. "If only Philomena were back. Speaking of which, Karen, can't you sense her? At least confirm whether she's dead or... dead?" Muri reminded him, "Deputy Commander, Philomena didn't get into a coffin. The Corps Commander can't sense her." "Oh, right, I forgot. That girl walks around with a grim face all day, makes me feel like she's already lying in a coffin, haha." "Heh... heh..." Muri forced an awkward smile. "So this is a reminder for you too, Muri. Try your best to die in a conspicuous place, and choose a death that preserves your corpse to the greatest extent possible, understand?" "Understood, sir." Karen said, "I believe she's still alive." Neo shrugged. "Sure, she's alive, she's just lost her way—your cousin repeats that phrase every single day. Frankly, it shocked me. Seems marital discord between parents really does twist kids in certain ways." Karen said, "They were always partners on the squad, that's all. Their relationship is just a bit closer." Neo said to Muri, "Did you hear that? No boss ever wants to see subordinates dating, because it hurts work efficiency." Muri did not dare reply this time. Karen asked seriously, "If everything goes smoothly tomorrow, how will the battle develop?" "If everything goes smoothly, tomorrow night we can have a midnight snack in the canyon. I'll make you an Order hotpot." *** At dinner, Kaixi brought food she had cooked in her tent to visit her son. Inside the military camp, hierarchy was strict and areas were sharply divided, but outside of combat, cross-area visits were permitted. After all, many members of original squads had been broken up and dispersed into various combat echelons; they needed occasional opportunities for brief reunions. Still, visits were limited to chatting and could not drag on too long, as everyone had to be ready to handle unexpected contingencies at any moment. Because of this, Lucie and Dake, though husband and wife, could not share a tent like Aisen and Kaixi. Lucie was in the Array Master Battalion while Dake was in the Cavalry Battalion, so they could only try to meet during meal times. Richard was the same. As the Corps Commander's dispatch officer, he could not go and sleep in his parents' tent either. Stopping some distance away, Kaixi paused. She saw her son holding magic eye binoculars, still watching the camp gate. A mother possessed a special intuition for her son; she knew exactly what was on his mind. That girl from the Felscher family had gone missing while leading a reconnaissance mission. At times like this, "missing" was practically synonymous with "dead." Under ordinary circumstances, if Kaixi learned of this, she would probably have offered some superficial sympathy for the girl, then breathed a long sigh of relief while lying in bed at night. At least she would not have to endure another student of her mother-in-law carrying on the same oppressive reign after finally surviving her mother-in-law's. Yet now, she could not think that way, because that girl from the Felscher family was also her comrade-in-arms. Kaixi figured there were probably very few mothers-in-law in the world who shared a bond of comradeship with their future daughters-in-law. After hesitating for a moment, Kaixi walked over to Richard. Richard lowered the binoculars, stood up, and smiled. "Haha, Mother, you're here." "Here's food for you. I saved some for your father." "All right, Mother." Camp rations were poor, so those with the means and the willingness could cook their own meals in their tents. Those who couldn't be bothered had to settle for mush of various colors for all three meals. Handing over the food container, Kaixi turned and walked away. She was busy, and her son was busy. As a mother, she did not want her son, after exhausting himself as a dispatch officer, to have to put on a bright, cheerful front to play the dutiful son. Richard waited until his mother was gone before sitting down again. He ate while raising the binoculars every now and then to look toward the gate. He always felt that through the lenses, in the very next moment, he would catch sight of her returning silhouette. But she seemed to be doing it on purpose, always saving that anticipation for the next time he lifted the binoculars. *** "Went to see our son?" "Mm." Kaixi entered the tent and fetched a basin of water for her husband to wash his face. Aisen put down his pen. He had been modifying defensive array plans based on today's battle. As the commander of the Array Master Battalion, he had to provide the best possible array proposal whenever orders came down from above. Taking the towel and wiping his face vigorously, Aisen asked, "How's our son?" "Like you were after I left home to work in Sangpu City." Hearing that description, Aisen pondered for a moment, then said, "Then he's fine." Kaixi turned her head, looking at her husband. Aisen picked up his pen and continued working as he spoke: "Back then, we both thought spending some time apart was best. You knew my condition at the time." "So, are you still in an episode right now?" "I don't know." "Sigh, can't you find some time to go see your son?" "See him for what?" "Comfort him." "Go tell him, 'Son, it's fine. Your mother's been gone for so many years, haven't I survived too? You need to look on the bright side'?" "Hey, Aisen!" "My dear, our son is very strong and optimistic. He'll be fine. And not just him—you and I, Lucie and Dake, and the vast majority of soldiers here, all have companions here. "Perhaps it sounds cruel, but our grief can only be indulged after the war." Kaixi knew her husband was right. Unable to refute him, she chose to go rest first. Three hours later, Aisen finally finished revising the plan. He packed his things and stood up. On the bed, Kaixi was "startled awake" by the movement. Lately, she had grown accustomed to keeping her husband company while he worked; she was also his adjutant. "Where are you going?" "Oh, taking this plan to the Corps Commander for review. Right, give me some of our cigarette rations. We don't smoke anyway, so leaving them there is a waste. I'll take them to Richard on the way." "Did you forget? All our cigarettes were confiscated by your sister to give to Dake. She said the cavalry battalion goes through a lot, and her husband needs to hand out smokes to his men." Aisen looked at his wife and said with utter certainty, "Given the harmony between you sisters-in-law, there's no way you'd let her take all of them." Kaixi shot her husband an annoyed glare. "I did stash away a few packs." *** *Gurgle... gurgle... gurgle...* In the boiling cauldron, bright red broth was simmering. Cooks continually poured reagents into it. It was dragon blood; after boiling, a thick, gamey stench permeated the entire kitchen. In addition, inside this kitchen situated deep within the cavern, there was a massive food-waste pit where all kinds of kitchen scraps accumulated. In short, the hygiene was appalling. If a vagrant from Yorktown saw this scene, they probably wouldn't dare accept food alms from it. Skipping a meal only meant being hungry for half a day, but eating a meal here might mean never having to worry about hunger again for the rest of your life. Still, there was no helping it. The Church of Order outside had to subsist on mush for all three meals. Here underground, conditions were even worse, so hygiene was out of the question. This was practically the limit under their current circumstances. A priest in vibrant clerical robes walked in, pinching his nose, and asked, "Is Lord Bilien's medicinal broth ready?" The head chef immediately reported, "Almost ready, almost ready!" "Mm, quickly send a bowl over. Keep simmering the rest; another bowl must be delivered tomorrow morning. Everyone else's food can wait, but Lord Bilien's meals must be served on time! His lordship's eyes are watching those Order scumbags across from us every second!" "Yes, yes, yes, we understand, we understand!" After the priest left, the head chef told his assistant, "Go take this bowl up to Lord Bilien." Then he shouted to the other workers, "Come on, come with me to the storeroom to get more reagents and ingredients. God knows how those Church of Earth fellows dug these tunnels—why is the storeroom so far from the kitchen?" Once the cooks had all left, from the food-waste area, Philomena's figure slowly emerged. She was covered in filthy scraps, with maggots and rotting matter crawling across her. This was the safest hiding spot, because even the soldiers on routine patrols would never come near here, lest it ruin their appetite for the next three meals. At this moment, not a hint of disgust could be seen on Philomena's face. Instead, a distinct, relieved smile showed, because she had thought of a way to resolve the inner torment caused by her baffling actions over the past few days: "Only meritorious service... can wash away my stupidity."