Embers Ad Infinitum

On the night after his night duty, Shang Jianyao took the elevator and arrived at the 478th floor.

Before this, he and Jiang Baimian never asked anyone about Xiong Ming’s looks, where he would most often go after work, and where he lived.

They were worried that they would bump into a secret member of Life Ritual and attract unnecessary trouble or overreaction by rashly asking such questions.

Shen Du’s death was an example.

Therefore, Jiang Baimian suspected that one of the Order Supervisors back then was an Awakened from the Life Ritual parish.

Unfortunately, Shang Jianyao had ‘secretly’ observed that nobody in the Order Supervisory Department on this floor had any obvious abnormalities. The price one had to pay for their abilities would often appear on the surface.

Since there was nothing to focus on, Shang Jianyao didn’t consider such matters. He went straight to the Rec Center on the 478th floor, planning to stay there until Newspoint began.

Like the 495th floor, the Rec Center here was also the busiest place at night. Some people played cards, some chatted, and some gathered together to knit sweaters.

Shang Jianyao swept his gaze around, but he didn’t find Xiong Ming—who had relatively obvious characteristics. He found a corner without many others and carefully made observations.

After about 20 minutes, his back tensed up.

At this moment, a man entered through the door. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and wore a black, well-tailored top. His hair was styled very short, and every strand seemed to be facing the ceiling vertically.

His face was rather clean, and he had very slight stubble. He had nice facial features, exhibiting the aesthetics of a carving. It was obvious that he was from the new generation that had undergone genetic enhancement since they were embryos.

However, something seemed to be wrong with the man’s eyes. They were lacking in vitality as if they were made of wood. They were fixed in place with no mobility to the left or right.

Shang Jianyao stood up and walked over.

“Xiong Ming?” he called out hesitantly.

The man stopped. He was clearly standing slightly askew from Shang Jianyao, and his eyes could clearly see the other party with a slight twitch. However, he ended up turning his entire head over.

“You are?” The young man indirectly admitted that he was Xiong Ming.

After meeting Xiong Ming’s eyes, Shang Jianyao could sense the anomaly in his eyes more directly. This allowed him to confirm the other party’s identity completely.

He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him. Therefore, he smiled and said, “I came specially to find you.”

“Oh?” Xiong Ming narrowed his eyes.

Shang Jianyao smiled warmly and said, “Look, you have special powers, so do I.”

Xiong Ming’s expression sank when he heard that, and his gaze turned extremely dangerous.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe, and his heart was about to stop beating. He maintained his smile and continued, “You are a member of a secret organization, and so am I.

“So…”

Xiong Ming stared at Shang Jianyao for a few seconds without moving, and his expression gradually softened. He nodded slightly and said, “So you’re also a Blessed of the Kalendaria, a fellow parishioner.”

He turned his head to look at the noisy environment and pointed outside with his chin. “Let’s go out for a walk.”

“Alright.” Shang Jianyao was a little disappointed.

He imagined that, given their ‘close’ relationship, the other party would invite him to eat some pumpkin seeds or drink some orange soda.

After leaving the Rec Center, the two of them strolled to a relatively quiet corner.

Under the white light from the ceiling, Xiong Ming—who was slowly walking forward with his hands in his pockets—suddenly asked, “When did you awaken?”

“This year.” Shang Jianyao was very calm.

Xiong Ming nodded slightly. “Beginning of last year for me.”

His expression gradually became solemn. “Even with the Arbiter of Fate’s blessings, only one or two people can successfully awaken each time, sometimes even none. People like us who can awaken are undoubtedly the Blessed of the gods. We are unique and outstanding beings. That’s why I’m willing to tell you so much. No one else is worthy.”

Xiong Ming turned around and pointed at the Rec Center. “Do you see those people? If I want them dead, they will die immediately. They are so average, ordinary, stupid, and vulgar. Their only use is to allow us to stand out.”

At this point, Xiong Ming smiled faintly and turned his head to Shang Jianyao. “A new world is prepared for Neo-Humans.”

“A monk once said the same thing,” Shang Jianyao replied with a smile. “But at the very least, he doesn’t have to rely on ordinary humans for labor. He also doesn’t pee, fart, or poop…”

Xiong Ming frowned. “There’s no need to say that. Machines will eventually replace old humans.”

He then asked, “Have you entered the Sea of Origins?”

“I just entered.” Shang Jianyao didn’t hide anything.

“Pretty talented.” Xiong Ming turned around and continued walking toward a quiet corner of the street.

The rooms on both sides were densely packed together like pigeon-rearing cages.

Xiong Ming looked around by turning his head and body and then raised his chin slightly. “We Neo-Humans shouldn’t just live in such places. Don’t worry. It won’t be long before we take our rightful places.

“Only the Arbiter of Fate can be above us.”

Shang Jianyao looked at Xiong Ming’s wooden eyes for a second and suddenly asked, “Your ability is to cause cardiac arrest?”

Xiong Ming did not answer immediately. He sized up Shang Jianyao with a deep gaze for a while.

This made Shang Jianyao’s heartbeat seem abnormal. The suffocating feeling was almost tangible.

“You guessed it from Wang Yafei’s death?” Xiong Ming finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Shang Jianyao asked with a smile.

Xiong Ming smiled. “Actually, I could have used a more obscure method, but there’s no need. He’s not worth my time.”

Shang Jianyao nodded. It was unknown if he agreed or was just casually nodding. He then asked, “Did the Doctor of the Church send you to kill Wang Yafei?”

Xiong Ming tersely acknowledged it. “That person isn’t much usually. He likes to short-weight his employees. He only likes to stock up on things with little supply. He will only sell them to you when you beg him. Therefore, I took on this mission.

“In order to kill him, I applied for sick leave a day in advance. After breakfast, I entered the Rec Center and stayed by the wall that separates the Supplies Allocation Market. I did this because I heard an employee of the Strategy Committee mention which surveillance cameras are still usable.”

Within Pangu Biology, the surveillance system was managed by the Strategy Committee. This was to restrict the Order Supervisory Department’s authority and prevent imbalances in power.

“Strategy Committee…” Shang Jianyao repeated the name. He remembered that Ren Jie—the Guide on the 495th floor—was also from the Strategy Committee.

Xiong Ming didn’t repeat Shang Jianyao’s words and continued speaking. “Around 9 a.m., I heard Wang Yafei’s voice. I confirmed that he was next door and confirmed his exact location.

“It only took a few seconds to kill him. It was very simple.

“It quickly became chaotic. I took the opportunity to change locations and distanced myself from the wall. Then, I borrowed a book and read it until noon before heading to the canteen for lunch.”

Xiong Ming spoke in detail as if he was pleased with the success of his mission, something he had always wanted to share with someone.

Shang Jianyao quietly listened and smiled. “The parish has always claimed it as divine punishment.”

“Isn’t this a divine punishment?” Xiong Ming tilted his head slightly and said, “Is such a deity-like method not worthy of being called a divine punishment? Besides, this itself is carried out by a deity’s Blessed.”

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and asked seriously, “Is the dance performed by a Blessed called a divine dance?”

“What are you talking about?” Xiong Ming frowned.

Shang Jianyao didn’t explain and asked, “How many people are like us?”

“I’m not sure.” Xiong Ming shook his head. “Every Doctor of the Church has a small number of Awakened under them. They might not know each other’s existence.”

“Every Doctor of the Church?” Shang Jianyao grasped the crux of the matter.

Xiong Ming looked at him in surprise. “Don’t you know? There are several Doctors of the Church in the company.”

He paused and said, “We are also strong contenders for the position of Doctor of the Church.”

At this point, Xiong Ming looked at Shang Jianyao suspiciously. “Which Doctor of the Church are you under?”

Shang Jianyao did not panic at all and replied seriously, “The Doctor of the Church who has always been paying attention to us.”

“Him? He’s the most mysterious of the Doctors of the Church. I’ve never seen him directly either.” Xiong Ming came to a realization. “No wonder you know so little… Won’t it take a long time for the people who follow him to receive an order?”

“At least that’s the case for me,” Shang Jianyao said ‘truthfully.’

Without waiting for Xiong Ming’s response, he questioned, “Which Doctor of the Church made you kill Wang Yafei?”

Xiong Ming’s expression changed slightly. “All Doctors of the Church use certain words of the Old World as their title. The one I’m following is called ‘Deceased’s Return.'”