After the Undercurrent

Something had changed. Things were no longer the same. Over the past few days, many believers in the Eastern Parish's Central City had felt, to varying degrees, that something was slightly off. It was like returning from a long business trip only to find oneself suddenly unable to read the office atmosphere, or coming back to school after a severe illness, bewildered by the dynamics among classmates... Though everything on the streets seemed unchanged and the hymns inside the sanctuaries remained as resounding as ever, those who were perceptive could faintly sense a subtle difference... When people met, they were still warm and polite; when they spoke, they remained courteous. Yet why was there an inexplicable distance and alienation in certain people's smiles and gazes? Occasionally, why did their eyes even hold a trace of pleasant relief, or even... relief and pity? How strange. It was as if something wonderful had happened, yet you were the only one kept in the dark. "It's so weird. I keep feeling like everyone's been avoiding me lately." "What are you talking about? That's ridiculous." "Last night, your tone on the phone sounded really strange." "I was listening to the priest's sermon at the sanctuary. I had a bit of a cold, sorry." "What about Joanna?" "She was there too, yeah. We were listening to a lecture at the mutual aid society together. Afterward, we all went jogging to exercise... It's normal to be out of breath, you know. People sweat." "A mutual aid society? I haven't joined one yet. Could you bring me along?" "Ah... uh? Well, maybe some other time. By the way, how's work lately? Still envious of the others?" The hesitant young woman equivocated, smoothly steering the topic away. The naive young man chuckled foolishly, pulled out the opera tickets he had fought tooth and nail to snag, and extended an invitation before walking down the sanctuary steps shoulder to shoulder with her. A lovely time was about to begin. Unfortunately, a voice called out from behind them. "Don't forget the afternoon prayer!" The kindly priest at the main doors smiled in gentle reminder. The young woman snapped back to reality at once, an apologetic expression washing over her face. "I'm sorry, I might..." "N-No worries, next time will be just fine!" The young man forced a smile, standing forlornly in place as he watched the girl and the priest enter the sanctuary and vanish around the corner. For a long time, he lingered, unwilling to leave. Scenes like this played out all over, in varying degrees. There were oddities everywhere, but if one looked upon them with an open and upright mind, what problem could there be? Everything was getting better, wasn't it? Everyone had grown far more devout. Smiles were seen far more often in streets and alleys, and a cheerful atmosphere permeated the entire city. Even those who used to neglect their holy duties had begun listening to the priests' teachings. Yet, for some reason, the streets and alleys had also seen an influx of idle loafers. They glanced about furtively, wearing ambiguous, strange smiles, waiting for someone who shared their secret. Together, they would slip into deserted alleys, where thick stacks of indulgences changed hands in tacit understanding to purchase tiny packets. Shoving the packages into their pockets, they would hurry home with desperate urgency. Beneath this peaceful everyday veneer, very few noticed the invisible tide rising, spreading, and surging in the dark. When every person guarding the sluice gates thought they were being restrained by letting down just a little extra water, what gathered downstream would swell into a hair-raising flood... "—Our holy work is flourishing day by day!" At the end of the month, during the Eastern Parish's summary meeting, the archbishop looked over the data compiled from each sanctuary and the final reports, unable to contain his ecstatic dance. "A miracle! A bona fide miracle!" The octogenarian archbishop flushed red with excitement, his breath coming in ragged gasps, making everyone worry he might drop dead right in the conference room. But facing such staggering progress and achievements, who could possibly keep their composure? Over the years, as the oldest parish, the Eastern Parish's growth in faith had grown conservative, even suffering occasional declines, leaving it ranking dead last among the four great parishes year after year. Yet who could have imagined that in just one short month, the surge in faith would shatter records and reach brand-new heights! Even if the increase from each individual sanctuary was not overwhelmingly outrageous on its own, once combined, the total volume of faith contributed had risen by an astonishing eighty-nine percent compared to last month! A surging leap! A violent spike! An absolute explosion! Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray! The archbishop threw his head back and roared with laughter, his face glowing ruddy. With such terrifying growth, who could possibly challenge or defeat them now? If they could maintain this momentum, then by the end of the year in another month, overtaking the other parishes was no longer a pipe dream! When that time came, wouldn't he sit at the top of the rankings and enjoy the supreme honor of the Holy God's blessing?! Yet in the middle of his raucous laughter, he suddenly felt something was amiss. Snapping back to his senses, he realized the conference room was dead silent. Everyone was frozen dumbstruck. "Hmm? Why is nobody saying anything?" "..." In the awkward, rigid silence, the Hierophants seated below stared blankly at the reports projected on the wall. The reserved, self-satisfied smiles tinged with subtle superiority that had promised a sure victory were now completely frozen on their faces. Unbelievable. In particular, the six Hierophants who had posted the most outrageous numbers snapped out of their initial daze and shock, only to suddenly realize the truth. They could no longer stop themselves from glaring furiously at one another... —*Damn it, you were cheating too?!* In that instant of crossing glares, colors shifted across their faces in a kaleidoscopic blur, turning from flush red to livid green like traffic lights—*how did you get a piece of it too?!* There was no helping it. When everyone used cheats, it was equivalent to nobody cheating. When every single person packed their bags to leave, all they achieved was getting stuck bumper-to-bumper on the highway... Each had thought they would stand out and dominate the field, having even rehearsed their acceptance speeches, only to reach the podium and realize that everyone got a participation trophy. After grinding their hearts out for more than half a month, they had simply run in place! Conversely, the senior Hierophant, who had typically held the clearest advantage, was left entirely in the dust this time, swallowed up by the crowd. Right now, he was utterly dumbfounded, staring in disbelief. Watching those faces that looked as if they were suffering from severe constipation, the old man flushed scarlet with rage, nearly biting his teeth to powder. He endured until the meeting finally ended. Only after the archbishop hummed a tune and departed did the senior Hierophant slam the table in fury, his voice squeezing out through clenched teeth. "I don't know what kind of tricks you lot have been pulling in secret, but you'd better remember—crooked schemes and wicked paths are not fit to serve the Holy One!" "Pardon me, but I have no idea what you're talking about." The accused Hierophant's expression changed instantly, and he flatly rebutted, "I don't know anything about crooked schemes. All I see is talent and hard sweat!" "What? Can't stand seeing others do well for once? Ever heard of accumulating strength over time before making a breakthrough?" "My results today were earned purely through my own hard work!" "Hmph, if you ask me, you were just blinded by past glory and slacked off on your holy duties!" "Exactly! Watch your manners. Did you really think you alone could monopolize holy grace? How grotesque!" The Hierophants, who had each harbored their own guilty secrets just moments before, instantly banded together into an ironclad front, launching a unanimous barrage of criticism. As if an unspoken alliance had formed among them in secret, they turned their collective guns outward. In the end, after a heated quarrel, everyone parted on sour terms. Meanwhile, the Hierophant who had been the very first to cooperate with the resistance camp rushed back to his sanctuary. The moment he contacted Ji Jue for a meeting, he could no longer hold back his fury. "What is going on with the other sanctuaries?! "Why did this happen!" "Oh my, I thought you already knew... A blind spot in distribution, I suppose. I didn't pay it much mind..." Ji Jue lay sprawled in the Hierophant's chair, sampling the fine wine and delicacies before him. After a careless string of brush-offs, he actually turned the tables and blamed him instead. "When it comes down to it, your order volume was just too small, wasn't it, Hierophant? "Our camp has mouths to feed too, you know. We're all doing our best just to survive!" "What in the world do you want?!" The Hierophant's face contorted as he spat the words through his teeth. "I'm warning you—if this blows up, it won't end well for anyone!" "Then why don't you go tell the Tribunal?" Ji Jue grinned mockingly. "Let's see if the Tribunal believes you. Setting everyone else aside for a moment, don't forget to calculate our little friendship first... How many lifetimes in Limbo do you think that's worth?" "You... you..." The Hierophant froze on the spot, cold dread washing over him. Staring at that gently smiling face, he felt as if plunged into an icy abyss. His vision swam with darkness, and he could barely catch his breath. "Relax, relax, Hierophant. Everything is negotiable. We want to abandon the darkness and turn toward the light too, don't we? Weren't we just eager to prove our value?" Ji Jue's tone shifted abruptly, growing tender. He solicitously supported the Hierophant and guided him back into his luxurious armchair. The soft, plush seat that used to wrap comfortably around him now felt like a gaping abyss, poised to swallow him whole. Amidst waves of dizziness, the Hierophant hesitated several times, only managing to squeeze out a feeble whimper in the end: "What you're doing is far too reckless! "If the sacred seals keep spreading like this and alert Tiancheng, none of us will survive!" "The whole point is for them to spread, Hierophant." Right behind him, Ji Jue rested his hands lightly on his shoulders, his smile growing increasingly radiant. "Not only must they spread, but they must also proliferate into other sanctuaries and parishes. We need everyone to grow accustomed to the convenience of the new sacred seals, so that every single person can pray anytime, anywhere, and draw closer to the divine... "Don't you think such a sight would be wonderful?" "..." The Hierophant seemed turned to stone, staring blankly ahead. Looking up, he gazed at the reflection in the ornate silver mirror: Ji Jue standing behind him looked like a genuine demon. Listening to the wonderful picture Ji Jue painted, the Hierophant could no longer restrain his trembling and terror, letting out a sharp shriek. At last, realization dawned on him. "Y-You... you're trying to... dig up the Order's roots?!!" "Hmm? Dig up the roots? Where did that come from? We're merely helping the Order raise its efficiency by a tiny bit, aren't we?" Ji Jue countered with feigned confusion. "Besides, if we're talking about undermining foundations, haven't you been doing that from the very beginning? "When you harbored those resistance camps and even secretly funded them just for the honor of reporting and purging heretics to tear down your rivals, weren't you undermining the Order's foundation then? "If we truly tally the score, the harm you've caused is far greater than one or two resistance camps, isn't it?" "Then let's die! Let's all die together!!" The Hierophant was consumed with rage. "I'm going to be locked in Limbo and burned for eternity anyway! Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!" He struggled violently, trying to rise and lash out, but it was entirely futile. The hands resting on his shoulders had abruptly turned into iron clamps. No matter how he resisted, once caught in that grip, escape was impossible... Immediately after, he heard the breezy words spoken behind him. "Die? Where did that come from?" Ji Jue chuckled softly, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "You are our camp's most precious partner. We're still counting on you to rise through the ranks, take charge of an entire parish, and ascend to the position of archbishop. "With victory already within your grasp, surely you wouldn't want to throw it away now?" The fury on the Hierophant's face froze, replaced by volatile suspicion. "What... what do you mean?" "Haven't you been doing splendidly all along?" Ji Jue offered a considerate compliment. "Using the sacred seals on a small scale, concentrated on just a few believers—even if they're completely consumed, you just bury them somewhere, and nobody is the wiser. "Your colleagues, however, don't seem nearly so cautious—well, perhaps that has something to do with not knowing who we really are. "Right before I arrived, every single one of them placed new orders, looking ready to go all out in their own sanctuaries. "A few other Hierophants are even secretly hunting for channels as we speak. "Tell me... what if someone were to subtly fan the flames from the shadows, giving things a gentle push to spread further...?" The Hierophant remained silent, staring blankly, his facial muscles twitching in spasms. He finally understood what Ji Jue was driving at. Genuine terror welled up inside him, yet alongside it, an irrepressible impulse of sheer excitement surged to the surface. "Y-You... you want me to report them?" He trembled instinctively, shaking his head. "N-No, that won't work. The fallout would be too massive. If Tiancheng is enraged, not even the archbishop could withstand it..." "Doesn't that give you your chance, then?" Behind him, the devil's laughter grew increasingly cheerful. "Besides, why the pretense? Isn't this exactly what you've done before? "All you're doing is changing your targets from the resistance camps to your colleagues... You'd be purging the source and cleansing the stream for the Order. What is there to hesitate about?" "I... I..." The Hierophant could barely speak, drenched in cold sweat. "Make your choice, Hierophant. Choose." Ji Jue sighed softly and gave his shoulder one last pat. "You don't have much time left." —Either burn alongside them for eternity, or tread upon their ashes to ascend, step by step, to the very pinnacle! In the dead silence, the figure behind him had vanished without a sound. Leaving only the Hierophant, panting heavily. For a long, long time. In those darkened eyes, a hungry flame ignited in silence. Eager to act.