Are You Looking for Trouble?

In the Abyss, Harvey glanced down at the shackles on his wrists, casting an immensely aggrieved gaze toward Yaxiu. Lisi spoke with deep feeling, "'Look, this is what happens when you get dragged down by Yaxiu.' Even though he hasn't uttered a single word, everyone can understand Harvey's utter helplessness." Yaxiu pinched and tugged Lisi's little face back and forth. "Stop providing random narrations!" Igola gave a slight smile. "Harvey, you should look at it from another angle. The Gospel already knows what crimes you'll commit in the future, yet it didn't strike you dead on the spot—you've already made a massive profit. And now it has even given you a reward. I think you ought to be grateful to the Gospel." Yaxiu chimed in as well. "Yeah, exactly. Look, there's no chain connecting those cuffs. The Gospel has already shown you great leniency. You'd better reflect on yourself and turn over a new leaf from now on." Harvey's handcuffs indeed had no chain linking them, so they could hardly be called restraints; they looked more like novelty toys. Paired with his dark skin, though, they also somewhat resembled slave gear. The necromancer was only making a passing complaint. For someone who enjoyed walking around carrying a coffin, his aesthetic sensibilities were as rigid as marble, so naturally he didn't care about whatever visual flair the cuffs added. After a brief test, Harvey transformed himself into a mist spirit state, dancing with joy like a child who had received a new toy. He couldn't resist floating over to his coffin, knocking excitedly on the lid. "Alice, this form truly suits you so well! Just wait until I finish studying this stance, and I'll arrange it for you right away. Huh? You say you don't like white mist? Then I'll add a little variation and dress you up in blue mist..." Watching Harvey converse so passionately and heatedly with the coffin, everyone felt as though their sanity had been forced through another check. "All right," Annan closed the Book of Gospel. "We should get moving. We must find a safe place to rest as soon as possible—Yaxiu's injuries can't be delayed any longer either." "Please follow me," Banjie said. "I have already checked the route out of this Abyss." The Funeral Procession party walked along the Abyss passage. Once Harvey reluctantly brought his whispers with Alice to an end, Yaxiu asked, "So did you have a change of heart, or were you lying?" Harvey looked at Yaxiu, then at Igola. "Are you asking me? Not Igola?" Compared to a necromancer, words like "change of heart" and "lying" clearly suited a swindler much better. "The 'you' in the projection footage said that it was because of your deep love for life that you mass-produced those half-dead necromantic creatures," Yaxiu said. "Yet just now, you swore you would never commit such an act of desecrating life... Either the future you had a change of heart, believing that turning living people into undead doesn't count as desecrating life, or the present you was lying, and you don't actually adhere to that principle at heart. "After all, the Weaving Ceremony doesn't fabricate things out of nothing; it only extrapolates based on your current behavior." Annan and Lisi stared straight at Yaxiu, as if asking, *Then what was that about between you and Qinna?* Yaxiu wasn't embarrassed in the slightest—and truthfully, he had nothing to be embarrassed about. He hadn't done anything intimate with Qinna. At most, Qinna had licked his cheek... But he had blood on his face then, and he was Annan's fiancé, so that level of contact from Qinna was completely normal! Harvey pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I wasn't lying, but neither is it possible for the future me to have had a change of heart. "As long as I still cultivate the necromancy faction, I will firmly guard the boundary between life and death. The belief among necromancers that life and death are of equal importance isn't an empty slogan, let alone some vague, ethereal professional ethic. "After all, at the end of the day, is there any difference between a corpse and a lump of rotten meat? Why can a corpse be transformed into an undead, while rotten meat can only decompose? "Because a corpse is inscribed with the traces of a living being's entire life. "Because the living experience joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, weathering hardships and mental insights. After they die, most of those traces plunge into the underworld alongside their souls, but a small portion remains in their physical vessel. What a necromancer cares about isn't that lump of flesh and blood, but the information imprinted upon it, as well as the time, the spirit, and the power of various sorcery factions hidden deep within. "It is precisely because they once lived earnestly that their corpses can bloom with an even more dazzling new life in our hands, transforming into strength for the living. "Think about it carefully: any organization or country encourages its members to strive, fight, and live earnestly as much as possible. Although those members will eventually die, the fruits of their lifelong struggles turn into the strength of the organization or country, into a better life for the next generation... Isn't that precisely the necromancy faction? "Not just organizations and countries—this world is the same. We sorcerers will ultimately march toward death, and after plunging into the underworld, all our emotions will be washed away. Yet we leave behind pure memories and cultivation realms in the Void Realm, constantly accumulating the depth of the Void Realm to become strength for future living souls... Isn't that also the necromancy faction? "To me, the Void Realm is the greatest necromancer of all, and the operational laws of society are quintessential necromancy. "Would a farmer harvesting his fields reap unripe crops halfway through? Would a chef serve half-cooked food to his guests? Would a country stifle the aspirations of its youth?" Harvey spread his hands. "Explaining it like this, you should understand... Why are you all looking at me like that?" Harvey had grown a bit parched from talking. Turning his head, he only then noticed that everyone had stopped in their tracks and were staring intently at him—as if watching a cockroach molt into a rhinoceros beetle. After a moment, Annan suddenly asked, "What level of strength was Mr. Harvey in the projection?" Banjie replied, "Definitely not an angel, but to command a Five-Winged god with a mortal body, he must be at least in the Sanctuary realm if not a Legend, right?" "Sanctuary or Legend..." Annan let out a breath. "The rest might be misjudgments by the Weaving Ceremony, but on this point, its judgment is probably accurate." There was good reason for their shock. As fellow sorcerers, they could see the sheer height of Harvey's comprehension. If their sorcery factions were still mere 'arts,' then Harvey had already faintly touched the edge of 'Truth.' Harvey didn't treat the necromancy faction as a mere tool, but as a methodology to assist him in understanding the world and understanding himself. In truth, every sorcery faction was a path for a sorcerer to explore the world outward and seek within oneself. Even Yaxiu, a husky that had blended into this wolf pack of sorcerers, could vaguely sense this. Take the swordsmanship faction and the Sword Princess, for example. He didn't know whether her personality made her skilled in swordsmanship, or if the swordsmanship faction influenced her personality, but the end result was that she became increasingly sharp, incisive, and decisive. After spending so much time around the Sword Princess, Yaxiu always felt that if he ever wronged her in any way, she would stab him to death without a second thought. Yet the vast majority of sorcerers struggled to realize this—or even if they did, they couldn't bridge the gap. If you hadn't reached that height, you simply couldn't behold such a vast landscape, and could only speculate a little from the descriptions of others. Still, that didn't stop Annan and the others from grasping the grand scale of Harvey's vision. Because they could glimpse fleeting fragments of that splendor themselves, they knew the magnificence in Harvey's words was no exaggeration. Now, the only things barring Harvey from growing stronger were time, reality, and the Void Realm. For him, bottlenecks in comprehension and his faction no longer existed. Thus, Harvey could be certain he wouldn't have a change of heart. For him, the necromancy faction was practically equivalent to a political stance: if loyalty was not absolute, it was absolute disloyalty. If he ever changed his mind, it could only mean he had found a sorcery faction—a methodology—better suited to him, which meant he would inevitably abandon the necromancy faction entirely. "Could the Gospel's deduction really be wrong?" Yaxiu murmured. "Is it possible," Lisi, whose hand was held by Yaxiu, said, "that Uncle Harvey was actually forced into it?" "Huh?" "Like that question Dad asked me before: I'm holding the switch lever for a trolley. If the trolley keeps going, it'll run over five people, but if I switch tracks, it'll only run over one person..." Annan was thoughtful. "Whichever choice you make, the outcome is bad, so you can only choose the lesser of two evils..." Banjie looked at Yaxiu. "Is this what you normally talk about with Lisi?" Though his parenting skills were being called into question, Yaxiu remained calm. "Compared to my question, Lisi's answer was actually far more brilliant. She said she values fairness above all. Running over five people is unfair to those five, and running over one person is unfair to that one, so running over everyone makes it fair. Therefore, the two tracks should be connected into a loop." "..." The young butler could only give a tactful, high-EQ response: "The pupil truly outshines the master..." "Why don't you two just confess? Are you really biological father and daughter?" Annan glanced at them. "I won't blame you for hiding it." "So in all likelihood, something so egregious will happen in the future that even Harvey couldn't stand it, which is why the Gospel concluded Harvey would rather create an undead clan to take revenge on society," Yaxiu speculated. "Something so disgusting that even a necromancer can't stomach it... Harvey, do you have any clues?" Harvey thought about it. "For instance... if the Gospel Country instituted mandatory universal cremation? That kind of waste of resources would definitely make my blood boil." "Damn. Typical of you." Still, they didn't really care much about the prospect of 'Harvey becoming the root of all evil.' For one, they all knew this was the result of deceiving the Gospel; for another, it had nothing to do with them—it wasn't as if Harvey was turning them into undead. To say nothing of Yaxiu and his companions, who weren't even locals; as for Annan and Banjie... when Annan had Yaxiu in a cross armlock earlier, she had only interrogated him about why he was so intimate with Qinna. As for Harvey turning Sennheisers into mist spirits, she hadn't voiced any objection at all. Compared to Harvey's necromantic plan, everyone was actually far more curious about what could possibly happen in the future that even a necromancer couldn't stand. In addition, one of the Blood Moon Corpse King's traits was 'Immune to Miracle Weaving,' which gave Yaxiu a rather curious suspicion. Watching Annan and the others discussing up ahead, Yaxiu suddenly noticed that the Swindler at the back of the group had been walking silently with his head down the entire time, offering no opinions whatsoever. Thinking for a moment, he patted Lisi on the back. "Go find your Sister Annan. Remember to hold her hand tight. If you get lost in the Abyss, I'm not coming back for you." "Tch." Lisi pouted and went over to grab Annan's sleeve. "Auntie..." "Call me Sister." Annan flicked Lisi's forehead. Yaxiu slowed his pace to walk side by side with Igola, suddenly saying, "I think you probably ran away." "Hmm?" Igola asked with his eyes: *What the hell are you talking about?* "The Gospel probably figures that in the future, you'll flee to another country to break laws and stir up chaos, which is why you didn't appear in the projection footage," Yaxiu said. "Besides, didn't you say that once you're rich, you want to go exploring ruins? Harvey and I definitely have no interest in tourism, so going our separate ways is only natural." Igola glanced at him without a word. "The other leaderboards haven't been released yet. Who knows, maybe there'll be a Ruins Exploration Board, a Conspiracy Board, or a Mud Cafe Host Board, and then we'll get to witness your glorious style..." Igola still didn't say anything. "Actually, the most likely scenario is that some rich lady took you in as a kept man, so you don't need poor friends like us anymore... You get what I mean?" Igola finally nodded. "I get it. You're just looking for trouble, aren't you?" "Huh?" Yaxiu scratched his head. "What I mean is, you really don't need to dwell on why you didn't appear in the Weaving Ceremony. Setting aside the fact that you might appear on the next board, not showing up is actually a good thing. Look at the rest of us—every single one was framed by the Gospel until our reputations were in ruins. As the fish that escaped the net, you ought to be chuckling to yourself." Across the two leaderboards so far, Annan, Yaxiu, and Harvey had already appeared. Among those who hadn't appeared: Banjie was already in his sixties, so not appearing fifty years later was normal; Lisi was only around ten years old right now, and as the saying goes, a daughter can't be kept at home forever, not to mention teenage rebellion, so not traveling with Yaxiu after growing up was entirely expected. Only Igola, who ought to have appeared, had shown no trace whatsoever on the boards up to now. If Yaxiu and Annan might have had an affair and gone on a private tryst earlier, there was certainly no reason for Yaxiu and Harvey to act as a duo, was there? Yet Yaxiu and Harvey were the only ones who showed up, while Igola was nowhere to be seen. Though no one had said it aloud, a certain possibility had crossed everyone's mind— "You think I'm worried that I'll die?" Yaxiu blinked. "Why else would you be trudging along with your head hanging, not saying a word? Hey, being afraid of death isn't something to be embarrassed about. I won't mock you forever." As he spoke, he even patted Igola on the shoulder. "Ha, how could I possibly..." Igola trailed off, then suddenly chuckled. "Fine, maybe I was a tiny bit worried, but seeing you made me realize I was overthinking." "Why?" "Did you forget? The Contract between you and me is still intact; you still owe me a wish. If I truly ever face a life-or-death crisis, I'll definitely make you die in my place first." Igola swatted Yaxiu's hand away. "You'd better pray every single night that nothing happens to me, or else something will happen to you, too." Yaxiu only then remembered. "...That might not be true, though. Maybe when you die, I won't even be by your side!" "Hmm, that is indeed a problem. Look here." Igola suddenly snapped his fingers before Yaxiu's eyes. "There. I've placed a psychological suggestion in you. Once I die while the wish remains unused, this psychological suggestion will activate and expend the wish on my behalf." Yaxiu rubbed his eyes repeatedly, as if trying to rub the psychological suggestion out like sleep crust. "Wh-what kind of psychological suggestion?" "Very simple. This psychological suggestion will alter your memories, deleting all your superfluous ones." "What counts as superfluous memories?" "Memories unrelated to me." The corners of Igola's lips curved upward. "That way, only I will remain in your memories. You'll mistakenly believe that I'm your most cherished companion, and then even if it takes you your entire life, you'll find a way to drag me out of the underworld." "You can actually do that?!" Yaxiu was shocked, but soon shook his head. "Wait, no! Even if I only remember you, that doesn't mean I'd want to resurrect you! Why are you so sure I would?" Igola paused. Then the Swindler laughed. "I was only teasing you. How could there be such a convenient psychological suggestion in this world? Even if there were, it's not something a Two-Winged Sorcerer could pull off. I wasn't speaking earlier simply because I was thinking about what to do in the future. After all, you and Harvey have stirred up such massive trouble that even if I don't want to be, I'll definitely be dragged down with you." "R-really no suggestion?" Cold sweat formed on Yaxiu's forehead. "I suppose whether I say yes or no, you wouldn't believe me anyway. How about this: I'll use up that wish right now to alter your memories so you'll never be suspicious again—" "Then I won't disturb your thinking!"