Interrogation

Dozens of meters away in the darkness, rustling sounds echoed continuously, interspersed now and then with crisp crunching bites that reminded Diluge of her favorite food, zhaliang. She had grown up in the Dust Calamitous Fire parish of the Calamitous Fire Sanctuary. Dust Calamitous Fire oversaw an entire Grey Fox farm, which supplied five percent of all food in the Senluo Wasteland. With food in abundance, people naturally put effort into their culinary arts. Diluge's top three favorite delicacies included a fried dough pastry known as "fried dough sticks," and steamed rice milk known as "steamed rice rolls." When a crispy fried dough stick was rolled inside a sheet of steamed rice roll, it became her absolute favorite—zhaliang. The savory richness of soy sauce seeped into the rice roll, whose skin was as silky smooth as milk, while the fried dough stick was crisp and sweet. Chewing it slowly, the fragrant aroma of deep-fried dough filled the mouth. Taking a bite of zhaliang, which brought the two together, one first felt the silky wrapper tenderly brush the lips like a kiss, followed by the salty savoriness of the soy sauce waking up the entire palate. Immediately after, the crisp dough stick burst between the teeth, its sweet wheat flavor permeating every crevice. Diluge loved eating a serving of zhaliang every morning when she woke up. Her dazed body, having just returned from the Void Realm, felt anchored back to the mortal wasteland by that delectable serving of carbohydrates. Even after she later tasted all sorts of more expensive and rarer delicacies, a plate of zhaliang remained what she craved most. However, the sounds coming from the darkness were not made by anyone eating zhaliang. They were green beasts gnawing bone and sucking marrow. The tens of thousands of corpses abandoned outside had drawn countless packs of green beasts. Fearing to approach by day, they only dared dig up the bodies to gorge on them at night—flesh, sinew, organs, bones... They even ate the blood-soaked sand without hesitation, as if consumed by a bottomless ravenous hunger that had drained all reason from them. Only because so many had died this time was there enough meat to last them two full days without finishing. Had only several dozen died, the ground would have been licked clean (quite literally) by the next morning. Diluge stood guard on a beacon tower. Dozens of meters away lay the Strangling Green night, deep enough to swallow even the light of faith. Behind her loomed the massive fortress that the Four Pillar Cult had erected over the past two days. Cast through the joint sorcery of thousands of earth sorcerers and Senluo sorcerers, it stood as a colossal city of blood-red bones and vines! Not a single necromancer was among the builders. The only reason the ramparts were laden with corpses was sheer local convenience—just three days earlier, this area had been occupied by the Harp Sun Alliance. But the Four Pillar Cult had suddenly launched an all-out assault, ignoring every other front to throw all its forces against this one point. Even the legendary sorcerer Extinction Pontiff Oreva had intervened, slaughtering the Harp Sun Alliance's coalition of thirty thousand sorcerers until rivers of blood flowed and corpses covered the field! Taking a deep breath, Diluge could smell the suffocating stench of decay in the air, thick enough to make her throat tickle. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, then twisted open the glass bottle on the table and drank deeply from the blood-red vintage within. Believers of Calamitous Fire were not permitted to enjoy life in the slightest. Good food was already the absolute limit; alcohol was strictly forbidden. Diluge had once thought there was nothing special about liquor, but after joining the Four Pillar Cult, she had fallen headlong into it until she could hardly go a day without a bottle in hand. Still, as an ascetic sorcerer, going between drunkenness and sobriety took only a thought, so it hardly mattered. She had even summoned a Wine & Beauty sorcery spirit as a result—the more she drank, the prettier she became. Even so, she did not usually take a sip while on duty. The Four Pillar Cult had few taboos, but dereliction of duty meant certain death. Everyone knew that Her Venerable Ladyship could descend upon any believer at any moment; at any second, she might seize your body to inspect whether your workload was saturated enough. Who would dare slack off under such conditions? It was just that this bottle of wine was truly extraordinary, so much so that Diluge could feel her Wine & Beauty sorcery spirit scratching at her heart and vitals. Moreover, battles had raged continuously in recent days. While the Harp Sun Alliance had suffered catastrophic losses, could the corpses packed inside this blood-red city wall be entirely free of Four Pillar Cult believers? She might die tomorrow anyway. Thinking of it that way, Her Venerable Ladyship's performance reviews did not seem quite so terrifying. Drinking her wine, eyes growing hazy, Diluge pulled a piece of black crystal from her pocket and rubbed its oleophobic coating, lost in thought. Suddenly, her consciousness blurred. By the time she came to her senses, she found herself held tight in an iron grip, completely unable to move. Instinctively wanting to shout for help, she could only force out a whisper as faint as a mosquito's hum: "Enemy... attack..." *Sorcery Spirit: Flashing Fire!* Since she served as a lookout, she naturally possessed the means to raise an alarm! This sorcery spirit could shoot a blinding white flame visible from a hundred meters away, bright enough to blind someone at close range! Yet the white flame never burst outward; it exploded directly in her face! Even as the master of the Flashing Fire sorcery spirit, the brilliant flare brought tears streaming from her eyes. Mind control! A Sanctuary! Seasoned by war, Diluge instantly realized she had been trapped in a Sanctuary. A Sanctuary could be used to protect oneself, and naturally it could also be used to trap others. A chill ran through her heart. She knew she was dead for sure—she was only a Silver Sorcerer, yet she had been targeted by a Sanctuary sorcerer! A few seconds later, her blurry vision cleared. Looking up, she saw three men, one woman, one beastman, and a black crow staring down at her. She turned her head slightly to look behind and saw a pale, striking young woman holding her fast. Not only was the girl unimaginably strong, but her limbs were also icy cold, almost unhuman. More importantly, that overwhelming stench of death kept drifting into her nose. In the span of a single thought, Diluge recognized them. "Undying Gospel Yaxiu?" "While that wasn't what I came to ask," Yaxiu squatted down and inquired with curiosity, "why is my title 'Undying Gospel'?" "Because you escaped from the Dead City," Diluge replied. "Her Venerable Ladyship gave orders that if we encounter the Undead Yaxiu, we may immediately abandon our mission and flee." "But I wasn't the only one who escaped." "I don't know the full details, but everyone seems to think you were the one who brought the others out of the Dead City. Combined with the fact that we've never been able to capture you, and you were previously regarded as the First Gospel, people started calling you Undying Gospel." Igola spoke up. "All right, let's get down to business—" "Then what are their titles?" Yaxiu asked. Diluge thought for a moment. "Ghost Knight Harvey, Evil Fire Chikala, Traitor Star Gwen, Slay All Crows, and..." She glanced at Igola. Yaxiu chuckled. "What, is his nickname terrible?" "No, Ig—Mr. Bogin's title is Gospel Feeder Igola." Gwen turned her head away and covered her mouth. Chikala clapped both hands over his snout, but laughter seemed to spill from the corners of his eyes. Even the deadpan, dark-skinned Harvey could not help biting his thumb, revealing a faint smirk. Only Igola and the black crow appeared outwardly unbothered. Yaxiu's face fell instantly. *Damn it. I'm called Undying Gospel, and Igola is called Gospel Feeder? Doesn't that make it sound like Igola is rearing me like livestock?! Even if that's practically what's been happening lately, this is treating me like a pet!* "This is just Mercury Trojan trying to sow discord between us," Igola said, sounding perfectly rational, though his voice was laced with rolling, sing-song amusement as he drew out the words. "You wouldn't mind, would you?" "Of course not. Mercury Trojan's perception is far too shallow. In my heart, we've long had a father-son relationship, and I've always considered myself your dad." Yaxiu patted Igola on the shoulder. Because the Blood Moon lacked the soil for father-son jokes, it took Igola a second to process Yaxiu's logic. But before he could curse, Yaxiu had already backed away and barked sternly, "We're conducting an interrogation here! Everyone get serious, stop chatting about this nonsense. Igola, you're up!" "You bastard..." Igola ground his teeth, too annoyed to bother bickering with him. He squatted down and pressed a hand against Diluge's head. "I can violently scour your memories, but the price will be permanent damage to your brain—such as losing normal bowel control. However, if you answer my questions truthfully, we might consider letting you go. Of course, you're welcome to try lying to a Mind Sanctuary." "We Four Pillar Cultists aren't that devoted," Diluge said at once. "Ask away." "Why is the Four Pillar Cult besieging the Silent Spiral?" Igola asked. "Is it truly because the Silent Spiral can help the Four Pillar Cult summon the Four Pillar Gods?" "How could a pawn like me know strategic decisions like that?" Diluge paused. "Though my impression is that it isn't." "Oh?" "We've been clashing with the Harp Sun Alliance around the Silent Spiral for half a month, but early on, the fighting wasn't particularly fierce. We were just keeping the Harp Sun Alliance from occupying it. It was only three days ago that Her Venerable Ladyship wiped out the nearby Harp Sun Alliance forces at any cost, and immediately erected this fortress to prepare against their counteroffensive." Just then, a patrolling Four Pillar Cultist walked past along the wall. But when Igola glanced at him, the man acted as if he could see nothing at all, walking right past them and continuing on his way. Igola asked, "Did anything happen three days ago?" Diluge shook her head. "I don't recall anything special... If I had to say, there seemed to be a minor tremor that night, but there wasn't any fighting around that time, which felt a bit odd. Still, it's very common for earth sorcerers to cause tremors, so it might have come from the Harp Sun Alliance's side." "And after you surrounded the Silent Spiral, what happened next?" This time, Diluge remained silent for a long moment, fear and hesitation surfacing on her face. In the end, she confessed, "Lord Oreva led a great many people down below." "Oreva?" Slay All Crows spoke up immediately. "The legendary sorcerer, Extinction Pontiff Oreva? As the highest combat force, he didn't remain on standby on the surface?" Yaxiu cast a surprised glance at the black crow, not understanding why he was so agitated. Hearing the news, a curious gleam sparked in Igola's eyes. "I saw him go down with my own eyes," Diluge said earnestly. "And before going down, he promulgated Her Venerable Ladyship's decree: we must hold this fortress to the death, never letting the Harp Sun Alliance retake the Silent Spiral, and everyone must submit to the command of the four surface bishops. "To boost morale, he opened the vaults to distribute lavish rewards and hosted a feast for the entire army. Ordinary sorcerers received at least one sorcery spirit, while two-wing sorcerers received two or three, not to mention countless gold and silver coins." Everyone exchanged glances, and Igola asked again, "When will Oreva leave the Silent Spiral?" "I don't know," Diluge said helplessly. "Though it shouldn't be more than a month." "Why?" "If Lord Oreva doesn't show himself for a month, the Harp Sun Alliance will definitely grow suspicious and dispatch god-hosters to raid the fortress. We wouldn't be able to hold them off." Diluge thought again. "It could even be half a month." It was simple logic, and everyone nodded silently. Yet for those who had traveled thousands of li to get here, it was hardly good news. Amid the vexing silence, the black crow suddenly picked up the wine bottle from the edge of the table and asked an odd question: "How did you get this bottle of wine?" Diluge was startled. "It was handed out during the banquet reward earlier." "Do you usually drink this kind of wine?" "No, this was the only time we were given such fine wine." Diluge shook her head, then remembered something. "Right, among the people Lord Oreva took down, there wasn't just a team of chefs—they also hauled a lot of wine. I caught a whiff when I passed by them. That wine smelled identical to this bottle." "In other words, they prepared long ago to stay down there for quite a while," Yaxiu mused, looking at the bottle in the black crow's hand with mild confusion. "Why do you care so much about this wine?" The black crow did not answer Yaxiu, pressing on instead: "Did you see a silver-haired woman about my height who likes to wear a face mask covering half her face?" Diluge shook her head. "I'm not sure. There are plenty of silver-haired women; I can't be certain which one you mean." The black crow stopped asking questions. Yaxiu gave him a thoughtful look, but tacitly skipped the subject. Opening his palm, he asked, "What is this?" Diluge peered closer. In Yaxiu's hand lay her black crystal card. She hesitated for a moment. "Could you let me touch it? Otherwise, it's hard to explain." Yaxiu looked at Igola, who watched Diluge for several seconds before slowly nodding. When Diluge touched the card, it suddenly lit up. But with his Sanctuary barrier in place, Yaxiu had no fear of any threat from it. In truth, there was no threat. Yaxiu lifted it to look, only to see the text inside the card flip around to match his viewing angle—it even had gyroscopic gravity sensing. Inside were row upon row of... the latest messages. *"The Fuyou City Department of Transportation and the Traffic Management Bureau of the Public Security Department remind you: The October holiday is approaching. Please drive safely. Do not cut in line, do not speed, do not overload, do not drive fatigued, and fasten your seatbelt. The autonomous driving system may only be engaged on expressways; unauthorized modification of autonomous driving system privileges is a violation of the law."* *"The Fuyou City Meteorological Observatory reminds you: Light to moderate rain is expected across most areas of the city from the 10th to the 11th, with heavy rain or torrential downpours in localized areas. Roads will be slippery in the rain, so drive with caution. All outdoor personnel, please take leave in accordance with regulations."* *"Major good news! Fuyou City has achieved full augmented-reality coverage and been awarded the title of Augmented Reality Demonstration City! Our company cordially invites you to experience our premium augmented-reality services. For event details, please contact..."* *"[Grey Fox Literature] Fox Emperor author Suoren's new book 'For a Dim and Lightless World' has been available for 77,302 days! Read it now!"* *"Fuyou Traffic Butler: Roads are currently flowing smoothly along the north-to-south section where you are located. Safe driving comes first; please abide by traffic regulations."* Yaxiu and the others looked around them. There was only the foul, reeking air, a city wall made of corpses, and the barren wasteland. Perhaps this place had once been Fuyou City; perhaps the ground beneath their feet had once been an expressway. But they could no longer see a single trace of the Grey Fox civilization. Yet the information system left behind by the Grey Fox sorcerers was still functioning normally. Countless signal waves invisible to their eyes were constantly crisscrossing the air. "This is a piece of Grey Fox heritage I obtained in the past," Diluge said. "Aside from receiving these messages, it has no use at all." "It's already very useful." Yaxiu returned the black crystal card to her. "Keep it safe." Diluge looked up at Igola. Expressionless, Igola pressed a single finger against her forehead. "I have placed a Fear Shackle in your mind. If you take the initiative to disclose our information, fear will corrode your heart until your spirit withers away." The Swindler said impassively, "If you manage to leak it passively, then there is nothing I can do." Before Diluge could speak, Igola covered her eyes. After another familiar bout of dizziness, Diluge found herself sitting back in her chair. The surrounding air was calm and quiet, as if nothing had happened. Yet the glowing black crystal card and the missing bottle of wine both proved she had managed to survive an encounter with a pack of Sanctuary sorcerers. She sat dazed for a long time, having no inclination to test whether the Fear Shackle was real or fake. Picking up the black crystal card, she stared at the stream of messages within. Her previous post at the Calamitous Fire Sanctuary had been as a ruins researcher, accompanying research expeditions to excavate Grey Fox ruins. This card was a relic she had unearthed from a Grey Fox ruin; because it was of no practical use, she had been allowed to keep it. Prior to that, although Diluge held the Calamitous Fire faith in her heart, she had never felt much reality behind the ideal of "restoring civilization." It had felt more like a hollow slogan, no different from "I want to unify the world" or "I want to slaughter everyone on the other side to win freedom." Yet after obtaining this card and receiving constantly updated messages day after day, Diluge had realized for the first time that this was the very civilization the Calamitous Fire Sanctuary sought to restore. This was the dream she was pursuing. From then on, she had thrown herself into her work with boundless passion. Though merely a Silver Sorcerer, she had become one of the premier ruins researchers in the Calamitous Fire Sanctuary. Until the Four Pillar Cult overran the Dust Calamitous Fire parish. After that, she abandoned ruins exploration and became a sentinel, drowning herself in drink every day after work to make up for all the pleasures she had missed over the previous twenty years. And yet... Diluge pulled another small flask from her trouser pocket, took several hefty gulps, and felt a rosy flush rise to her cheeks as her mind drifted into a pleasant daze. "Ah." She exhaled a breath of liquor, slumping lazily back against her chair. "I'd still rather drink in the ruins, and then have a plate of zhaliang."