Chapter 183 Seize the Moment of Laughter

"Grandpa, you can't catch up with me~" "Stop right there, you idiot!" "Xiaoye, isn't it rude of you to pour wine on the altar?" "Huh? But I saw that in comics..." "That's a worship service, you idiot."

The banquet hall was in turmoil, filled with noise and chaos. Amidst the noise, someone noticed the writing on the floor and paused, stunned. Then everyone fell silent, their gaze fixed on Shi Zhong's speech.

Chu Hengkong, Ji Huaisu, and Fander rushed over: "What did you say?!" X3

Shi Zhong's tone weakened a bit: [If everything goes well, maybe, we should be able to get in touch with him in a short time...]

"You said we can contact Huilong City?!" Ji Huaisu said excitedly, "Are you serious?!"

"Will there be any material support?" Chu Heng thought more deeply.

Fander's eyes widened and bloodshot. "What's the principle? This is impossible. How can you communicate across Dust Island?"

[It seems you don't know about the settlement's sacred pillars yet (laughs)]

Finder slammed the table and stood up. "Nonsense! How could I not understand such a standard three-in-one wartime fortress structure? The discipline seal of the glimmer core creates a protective barrier, the order energy of the ancient dragon totem is transformed into auxiliary power supply, and the sacred tree network provides communication and material supply for each battlefield... Oh oh oh oh! The sacred tree network!"

"Exactly," Shizhong wrote. "After ascending to Sephiroth 2, I can attempt to enter the Webway. The routes to Huilong City are essentially the result of post-war optimization of Webway technology. It's possible to establish contact with the local area."

This description reminded Chu Hengkong of the towering tree in the center of Huilong City, which stretched through the upper, middle, and lower levels. He pulled Fander aside and asked, "What is the Webway?"

"It's the root of the Divine Tree Clan," said Fander. "The Senluo Divine Tree Clan took root in the Shendong Realm. Their physical roots consolidated the Dust Island into the Earth, while their ethereal roots interconnected like blood vessels and nerves, forming a 'network' that spanned the world. Your Huilong City should have had a Divine Tree back then, too, but it most likely died during the war..."

It pondered to itself and began to speak in a way that no one could understand: "So, Youyou used the webway and vortex to construct a route... He cleverly exploited the driving force of fate's current to provide energy, creating flowing beads to circumvent fate's gift, and reversely used the interaction to generate divine power... So the purpose of this plan is..."

Finder muttered quietly, lost in his own world. Everyone else showed little interest in the Eye Demon's whimsical ideas, but were more concerned with the feasibility of establishing contact. If they could truly contact the City Lord and Youyou, everyone in the wilderness would have a better chance of escape.

Chongming banged his bowl loudly: "Okay, everyone who has finished eating, please look here. Now I will announce the battle plan for the next phase.

You all know the situation in the settlement. The power of the Holy Pillar will increase after the Stone Seed is upgraded, and there's also the possibility of seeking help. Therefore, our next priority is to find that Guli Bobo and upgrade the Stone Seed to Sephiroth 2."

"And you newcomers are so weak! Your basic skills are so superficial!" He pointed at the faces of the three outsiders one by one and poked Chu Hengkong's forehead hard. "Especially you, kid. You have as many hidden dangers as pores. You don't even need an enemy to hit you to fall apart."

"A lucky battle like that of Waklo won't happen again. When we get to the settlement, take the time to recuperate and practice cultivation. Until the situation progresses further, you are strictly prohibited from going out and seeking death! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Commander Chongming..." the newcomers answered weakly.

"Very good, we'll disband after dinner!" Zhongming waved his hand. "Silar, find a place for the newcomers to stay."

Everyone devoured the sumptuous meal with undivided attention, not even a bone was wasted—everyone knew that such a delicious meal would be hard to come by again. Then, leaning on his cane, Silar led the group to the settlement for rest. The previously bustling venue fell silent.

Chongming stayed behind, sitting before the empty bowl and chopsticks, leaning on his sword, lost in thought. No warrior dared to disturb him without his permission. This was because he had brought up the High Priest Silar, and he had brought up the warriors' grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and ancestors dating back hundreds of years.

Chongming had been a member of the Allied Forces since the Great War. He was the most senior member of the Despair Field and truly a "commander-in-chief."

What happened? Shi Zhong asked.

"Nothing..." Chongming held a straw in his mouth. "I'm just curious. How does it feel to speak with words?"

"It's similar to ordinary 'speaking,' but different from telepathy. I'm still breathing... still making sounds... but in a completely different form, a very unique feeling." Shi Zhong wrote, "You should try it if you have the chance. No matter what level you reach, this innate feeling of life cannot be imitated."

"Forget it, I don't have such refined interests." Chongming sneered, "Seeing you talking nonsense makes me want to laugh. And the Divine Tree Net Dao."

"I really need to borrow the sacred tree network. You can see how bad I am right now. Without the little ones' support, I would have died in the sea long ago." (Sigh) The stone seed sighed in an attempt to express himself through words. "Let's talk about Finder. What are your thoughts?"

"It's harmless at the moment," Chongming said. "Without it, countless idiots would have died. I don't intend to interfere."

I'm very surprised, Chongming. Your temper has improved a lot.

"If all you have to say is nonsense, I'm going to sleep." Chongming stood up, leaning on his knife.

"Before you leave, tell me the truth. Do we still have hope?"

Chongming raised his hand and pointed to the sky, his flaming cloak fluttering behind him.

"There is always hope ahead," the man said lazily, "as long as there is love and courage in our hearts!"

He left the venue in a dashing manner, carrying his sword. Shi Zhong looked at the man's back and for a moment he seemed to be back in the past.

At that time, everyone talked about hope and the future. At that time, everyone still believed in victory.

·

"We're here." Silar stopped in front of a three-story building. "If you want a room each, that's fine, but I think you'd be more accustomed to living together."

"This will make me feel more at ease." Chu Hengkong took the key and said, "Thank you very much."

The old man smiled kindly in response. Though he was the previous warrior leader and a highly respected high priest within the settlement, his features held no trace of authority. His oversized, rabbit-like appearance and the youthful demeanor of a forest dweller made him look more like a cunning scout or a small vendor setting up shop early.

Ji Huaisu and Qingye entered first, while Chu Hengkong stood still. He pulled out a green leaf—a fallen leaf from the despairing wilderness—and handed it to the old man.

"Do you recognize this?"

"My weapon from back then?!" Silar was shocked. "How did it end up in your hands... Did you pick it up from the tide?"

Chu Hengkong nodded: "It saved me more than once, but it's a pity that it broke."

"This is a weapon made when the Holy Pillar still existed. After Qingxia succeeded me, I sent it to the sea." The old man took the leaf, his eyes full of nostalgia. "I didn't expect to see it again... I guess that's what fate is."

"Can you see the sea in the wilderness?" asked Vander.

"The whole world is at sea, let alone a mere battlefield." Silar smiled. "If you're interested, I can teach you the art of leaf throwing. I'm not bad at it either!"

"I know." Chu Hengkong nodded. He had seen Qingxia's skill in throwing hidden weapons, and he figured no matter how talented she was, she couldn't have learned it without a teacher. She must have been taught by the old man. And the reason why the old man had stepped aside was obvious without even asking.

His legs were severely injured, and he was currently using wooden prosthetic legs like stilts to move around. A weapon handler who was no longer agile could not lead the troops as a "warrior leader."

Silar put away the leaves and turned to walk away. Chu Hengkong hesitated for a moment and called him.

"Old man."

"how?"

"The settlement is in poor condition. Why bother throwing us a party?"

"It's precisely in dire circumstances that we should seize every opportunity to celebrate," Silar said with a smile. "The wilderness of despair has existed for a long time. Failure, regret, and tears fill everyone's heart. The failure of the 34th counterattack left us devastated... But are we just going to continue to shed tears and wallow in past setbacks?

There have been enough fear and tears here, we warriors must laugh at all times!

So we must celebrate, make a big show, and publicize our newfound military achievements. We must use this newfound hope to make those around us smile. Even if we lack strength, we must resist with a smile.

Silar walked away on his crutches. Chu Hengkong turned and walked into the small building. It had three floors: the second and third floors were bedrooms, and the first floor was the living room. Qingye sprawled on a long wooden chair, rolling around in boredom. Ji Huaisu rested his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling in a trance.

"You don't look very energetic at all," said Vander.

"I'm not like you. You wake up, eat, and then go back to sleep." Ji Huaisu yawned. "What are your plans for tonight?"

"Going out on a date." Chu Hengkong shrugged.

"Hey~" Ji Huaisu screamed strangely.

Qingye raised his hand: "If you see any clothes, please bring me one, thank you."

"well."

Chu Hengkong laughed, closed the door, and went out. He walked alone in the settlement at night, and saw that the surrounding bone houses were lit with fires. In this last remaining safe zone, people could finally hold on to some light at night.

Many families had only just begun dining, and their diet was simple: half a semi-liquid "pancake" per person, with some pickled vegetables. The food seemed to be provided uniformly by the settlement, with no differentiation. There were not many people dining together, mostly the elderly and children, with few young adults.

Occasionally, a child living alone would bring his own food and knock on the door of a nearby house. The elderly or woman next door would quietly welcome him in and put another stool at the table. But the house abandoned by the child would soon be extinguished by the cold wind. From then on, it remained an uninhabited house, an empty house that could be rented out to outsiders.

Outside the house, some people lingered for a long time. They were dressed in rags, looked distraught, and their attire was completely different from the people in the settlement. Seeing Chu Hengkong, a new face, they all gathered around him, sizing him up with cloudy eyes.

"A newcomer?" one of them said, "Did Qingxia bring him?"

Chu Hengkong nodded.

“——” the man kept saying, “————”

They seemed to want to remind someone, but the natural barriers of the Fog People prevented them from expressing anything. After a while of effort, the group dispersed dejectedly, sitting and lying under the eaves with their heads drooped. Unlike the cheerful researchers, the Fog People within the settlement seemed to have lost their will, like the walking dead.

"Don't you think they're a bit creepy?" Vander said, "Just like those people in Yingshi Town."

"There are some more familiar ones." Chu Hengkong smiled.

Chu Hengkong led Fander to the outskirts of the settlement. Qingxia had previously instructed him to visit the house, but his primary goal tonight wasn't there. While Qingxia was chatting with him about this and that before the banquet, he took a quick glance and saw a building that didn't fit in with the overall settlement.

The building was located on a low staircase, with a towering Gothic spire and long windows inlaid with black and white glass. It was a church that looked very familiar.

"Come on, buddy," Vander murmured.

Chu Hengkong walked into the church and saw the blurred image of the deity. Several benches for the faithful were missing, and the ground still bore the marks of him dragging them. He went to the basement and found the long table where he had dined. He entered a guest room and saw small ornaments made of grass leaves and stones placed on the bedside table and desk.

Everything was exactly as it was when they left, except for the monks who had been in the church.

Chu Hengkong walked back to the first floor of the church, and just then the heavy wooden door opened. A man dressed as a priest walked out from the darkness, nodding and smiling at the two of them.

"Nice to meet you again, Chu Hengkong." Bernfa said.

(End of this chapter)