Up to now, a total of several boards had been updated: the Art Board, Family Board, Scheme Board, Happiness Board, Evil Arts Board, Assassination Board, the Ruthless Board updated last night, and now the Culprit Board that was about to be updated.
Although Yaxiu had played a role in all seven preceding boards—sometimes even getting more screen time than the featured protagonists—he had never legitimately been ranked on any of them. His only appearance in the rankings had been as Miss Annan's "artwork," as though his only positive value within the Gospel's evaluation system was being Annan's property.
Last night, when the Ruthless Board updated, Annan and Yaxiu had been busy with serious matters and didn't watch it. Afterward, that proved to have been the right choice—there was indeed no new information.
Rankers on the Ruthless Board had nothing to do with strength, ideals, or even personal willpower. The sole qualifying threshold was "luck." However, whether that luck was good or bad remained a massive question mark. Without exception, every single one of those people was destined in the future to endure eighty-one grueling trials yet still stubbornly survive. Becoming disabled was a basic prerequisite, amnesia was far from rare, and quite a few had even lived through multiple Art Board incidents—perhaps people had already forgotten, but one of the major reasons works on the Art Board made the list in the first place was that nothing remained at the scene of the incident except the works of art.
Looking back, while all members on the Family Board had turned into undead, they were at least half-alive and half-dead. Many had died on the Scheme Board, but added together, they wouldn't fill a single city. As for the subsequent boards, they were hardly worth mentioning—no matter how formidable the Echoes on the Evil Arts Board were, how many people could they possibly kill in a lifetime? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand?
By comparison, the backdrop of the works on the Art Board was the fall of city after city, each boasting a population in the millions. It was precisely because of these colossal sacrifices that those works of art achieved their historic stature. The total casualties from all the later "evil boards" combined couldn't even match a single work featured on the "benevolent board," the Art Board... Rather than calling this the Gospel's dark humor, it was truer to say that personal inclinations toward good or evil were merely insignificant echoes against the torrent of history.
The Ruthless Board was the same type of benevolent board as the Art Board.
Although every person ranked on it would ultimately survive, they would all personally live through natural and man-made disasters that claimed the lives of millions, even tens of millions. The "ruthless" in the name referred both to how ruthless they were toward themselves in order to survive, and to how relentlessly cruel fate was toward them.
Incidentally, although the Ruthless Board had also been invalidated by "Gospel Yaxiu," he had not killed the rankers. Instead, he had slightly altered their destinies in the future, allowing them to be submerged in the torrent of catastrophe alongside their loved ones, partners, and friends.
It was difficult to pass judgment on what "Gospel Yaxiu" did regarding the Ruthless Board. Perhaps some would rather cling to life at all costs, while others felt that dying happily was better than struggling through an apocalypse. The only certainty was that as the boards were woven, "Gospel Yaxiu" was gradually becoming neither good nor evil—all that remained was a lofty detachment, like a god looking down upon the mortal world.
Because of this, everyone was curious about what the future Yaxiu would truly become. Up until now, Yaxiu had only appeared in other people's storylines; the Gospel had never updated a main plotline with Yaxiu as the protagonist.
And now, perhaps the Gospel was finally ready to advance the main storyline and unveil the answer.
"Wait. If Papa is on the board, will the other fake Papa come to kill him too?" Lisi suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility.
"The Isu royal family sent someone disguised as Yaxiu to carry out assassinations to fulfill the future. Therefore, as long as the Gospel hasn't fabricated such a future, the Isu royal family naturally won't cause senseless trouble." Annan touched her earring and smiled. "And no matter how wildly the Gospel makes things up, it can't possibly fabricate a logic as riddled with holes as 'I kill myself.'"
Her eyes flickered with a thought, and wrapping her arms around Yaxiu, she said, "Still, we can't be too careful. Who knows? Yaxiu, share a room with me tonight. I'll protect you."
Lisi flared up. "Why isn't it me sharing a room with Papa?!"
"Can you protect him?" Annan countered.
"Then Uncle Banjie—"
"Banjie is the condemned target himself. Putting him in the same room as Yaxiu—are you trying to save the fake Yaxiu the trouble of making two trips?"
"Then Aunt Bogin and Uncle Harvey—"
"Igola has to protect Banjie. As for Harvey... Lisi, do you have the heart to make Yaxiu sleep in the same bed with Harvey?"
Lisi's wide eyes darted back and forth between Harvey and Annan. Her little face scrunched up, as if wrestling with an agonizing decision. "It's... not impossible..."
"Hey, hey, hey, hold on a second," Yaxiu couldn't help chiming in. "Why are you all so certain I'll be on the list? The qualifying criteria for this board are obviously things like 'causing world-shaking upheaval,' 'operating a terrorist syndicate from behind the scenes,' and 'having countless followers' as the chief culprit. And compared to those factors, I—"
"Fit the description to a tee," everyone—including Alice—chimed in simultaneously.
Just as Yaxiu was muttering incomprehensible complaints like "workplace bullying" and "office ostracization," Igola raised an eyebrow. "Well, right off the bat, it's someone we know."
"What?"
Everyone looked down, and their expressions instantly turned peculiar.
"Culprit Board Rank 10: Havoc-Wreaking Red Hat"
"Charge: Azura Red Hat Captain Cleios Baimu collaborated with Annan Dolan to secretly release Yaxiu Heath, Igola Bogin, and Archibald Harvey."
"Evaluation: Grave Sins"
"Sinner: Cleios Baimu"
"Cleios received the reward 'Lawbreaker Silver Handcuffs.'"
...
Azura Red Hat Sub-bureau.
"Captain, Captain, please don't cry."
"Everyone knows it wasn't your fault, Captain. The higher-ups definitely won't blame you."
Cleios was sprawled across her desk, her shoulders heaving as tears soaked through her sleeves. Whimpers like the wailing of a kitten spilled from her throat. This time, her tear ducts hadn't been triggered by her Crying Curse—she was crying from genuine heartbreak.
How could she have known back then that these people from an outside domain would poke such a massive hole in the Gospel Country?!
By right, even if the Red Hats didn't execute outsiders on the spot, they were supposed to arrest them, subject them to detention and education, and observe them for an entire year before granting them formal citizenship and releasing them back into society. But that was only a guideline; usually, people just killed them right away to save themselves the trouble—Red Hats liked to cut corners too. Back then, to bust the Four Pillar Cult, she had a prior contract with Annan. Those outlanders were considered spoils of war, and handing them over to Annan complied with every regulation in the book. What right did the Gospel have to convict her?!
If she had known this would happen, she would have waited until the Four Pillar Cult sacrificed those bastards before barging in to make the arrests!
...
"Culprit Board Rank 9: Incompetent Duchess"
"Charge: Family Harmony Agency launched an overnight raid against Funeral Agency but returned empty-handed, allowing all members of Funeral to depart safely."
"Evaluation: Deserving of Death"
"Sinner: Aina Aldo"
"Aina Aldo received the reward 'Mech Spirit Ring +3.'"
Inside her agency, the Red Cicada Duchess was completely dumbfounded.
To be honest, sending people to raid the Funeral Agency back then had been far from righteous. The wanted notices hadn't even been issued yet. While her people had had a pretext to break into a private residence, procedurally it had been completely improper; it was only because Cleios also wanted to capture Annan at the time that no one looked into it too closely. Regardless of how one framed it, that raid had been an evil, illegal, bullying act of violence.
Yet now, the Gospel was sentencing her to eternal infamy on the Culprit Board for "failing to wipe them out completely and carry through with her villainy to the very end"?!
Over the past several decades, the Duchess had exploited Gospel loopholes to make countless targets suffer in silence and take the fall. Even though those victims knew perfectly well that the Family Harmony Agency was behind their ruin, they had no legal recourse to retaliate, nor could they even plead their innocence.
Now, the Duchess finally understood just how aggrieved those people had felt.
...
"Culprit Board Rank 8: Lustful Clan Leader"
"Charge: The Sennheiser Clan Leader, whose judgment was clouded by lust, conspired with the other Six Crest clan leaders to sabotage the Red Hats' capture operation, resulting in the successful escape of Yaxiu Heath and his accomplices from the Red Hats' encirclement."
"Evaluation: Utterly Heinous"
"Sinner: Qinna Sennheiser"
"Qinna Sennheiser received the reward 'Shared Sorcery Spirit.'"
"...Qinna, did you really let Yaxiu Heath go for a reason like that?"
Inside the clan leader's office in the Sennheiser Building, Nona spoke in a calm tone, but anyone could hear the anger seeping between her words.
"How could that be? You know as well as anyone how wildly the Gospel makes things up—why are you choosing to believe it now?"
Qinna remained calm and breezy, looking down at the sorcery spirit she had just received. "Still, for a future board to actually award a sorcery spirit is fairly rare in history... Hmm? This seems to be a specialized sorcery spirit tailored specifically for me by the Gospel. It has two effects. The first is that it can actually share category attainments with blood relatives! Nona, you have a shot at breaking through to Sanctuary!"
"Don't change the subject!" Nona spun Qinna's chair around to face her. "You say the Gospel is making things up, but in what way? That you never lusted after Yaxiu, or that your judgment was never clouded?"
"The second effect of this sorcery spirit is sharing senses with blood relatives. Let's give it a try..."
"Qinna!" Nona took a deep breath, grabbed her shoulders, and said earnestly, "I was in contact with Annan last night."
"Mm-hmm?"
"She said that once the Weaving Ceremony ends, she and Yaxiu will be together." Nona stared at her sister. "You understand what I mean, don't you? Don't do anything unnecessary."
Qinna blinked. "Did you forget that I have a contract with Annan too?"
"Huh?"
"As the price for letting them go, once the Weaving Ceremony ends, Annan has to return and become a member of the Sennheiser clan." She spread her hands. "Of course I won't do anything unnecessary. If she wants to be with Yaxiu, let her. She's coming back to live in Sennheiser anyway."
"You know that's not what I meant by unnecessary things!"
"Then what did you mean? How would I know if you don't say it?" Qinna rocked in her chair, looking at her with an innocent, puzzled expression.
"You're playing dumb with me, aren't you?" Nona gritted her teeth, but the flush spreading all the way to her ears betrayed that her bluster was all bark and no bite.
"You're talking so strangely, little sister. I'm your sister, after all—as long as you state your request, I will certainly grant it." Qinna smiled. "Growing up, when have I ever refused a wish of yours?"
Nona's mouth twitched. She took a deep breath and said, "What I mean is, if Annan and Yaxiu really do come back to Sennheiser..."
"Mm-hmm."
"Don't you go behind Annan's back to seek out Yaxiu... and pulling petty tricks in the open isn't allowed either!"
"Mm-hmm. But what would I seek Yaxiu out for?"
"To... to hook up, to do..."
"Do what? Bake a cake?"
"Ngh..." The aloof vice captain of the Red Hats blushed crimson, glaring at her sister in speechlessness.
Qinna sighed. "All right, all right. Perhaps this is why the Gospel rewarded me with the Shared Sorcery Spirit. It's not just category attainments—you need to share and learn from my sense of shame too. Being so thin-skinned and easily embarrassed, it looks to me like you're the one whose judgment is more easily clouded by emotions."
"I wouldn't deign to share anything with you!"
"Enough." Qinna said calmly, "Right now, the clan needs Sanctuary-level combat power more than ever. Within a year, do you have the confidence to break through to Sanctuary using my category sharing?"
Hearing her sister turn to serious business, Nona could only suppress her embarrassment and anger. She said earnestly, "I will do my utmost... Eek!"
At the same time, Qinna's body stiffened instantly as well, letting out a cute nasal hum: "Mmh~"
Chapter 473