[Year 3181 of the Holy Light Calendar, April 5th of the Spring Calendar, cloudy.]
[Old John and Hans were arguing fiercely at the town entrance.
Hans accused Old John's collection bucket of crossing the line and stealing sap from his sugar maple tree.
Old John cursed Hans for being cruel and deliberately lowering the price when selling candy to steal his customers.
Those vicious words...are like knives.
Did maple syrup bring gold, but also suspicion and greed?
[Year 3183 of the Holy Light Calendar, January 1st of the Winter Calendar, a bitterly cold wind.]
[Aunt Mary sat on the church steps crying.
Her family had the best harvest this year, and the sugar cubes they made were of the highest quality and sold at the highest price.
As a result... her barn was set on fire at night. Although rescue efforts were made in time, all the best candies were destroyed.
She suspected it was Tom's family next door, because Tom once said sourly that she was "lucky."
My heart ached as I looked at Aunt Mary's red eyes and her frozen purple hands.
People are rich, but their hearts are cold.
Is this the result I want? 】
…
[Holy Light Year 3185, Autumn Calendar October 20th, light rain.]
[Quarrels, suspicion, jealousy...even theft occurred.]
The atmosphere at the harvest festival was not as good as before, and calculations were hidden behind the smiles.
Why?
The Holy Light bestows upon us the sweet rain that relieves hunger, but why do the hearts of men become bitter even in the midst of honey?
I pray every day, asking the Holy Light to grant the townspeople understanding, tolerance, and contentment.
But looking at faces distorted by jealousy and dissatisfaction, my prayers seem so pale and powerless.
Happiness...why is it so fragile?
How can we make this hard-earned sweetness truly nourish our hearts instead of breeding toxins?
The brilliance of ideals gradually dims in the mud of reality.
Luo Ning Feng's confusion and pain are clearly conveyed through the pages.
He was like a hard-working gardener who grew sweet fruits, but sadly discovered that the fruits attracted competition and harm.
Monica's fingertips lingered at the end of the page.
Deep in her wine-red pupils, the light of the identification array flickered slightly, as if capturing the extremely faint emotional fluctuations remaining on the paper.
A deep sense of powerlessness and a strong obsession with "happiness".
She turned to the next page.
The handwriting suddenly changed!
It was no longer as neat and clear as before, but became hurried, sloppy, and even had a hint of nervous trembling.
The ink marks vary in depth, and in some places they penetrate through the back of the paper, as if the writer is experiencing a fierce struggle in his heart.
[3187, Autumn 10.3, Gloomy!!!]
[I think I found... a way!]
A possible path to "eternal happiness"!
It’s in the interlayer of the last few pages of “Ancient Scrolls on Northern Scenery” which records the secret recipe of maple syrup!
An...ancient battle formation!
The description is vague and full of taboo words——
"Sweetness of the soul", "The honeycomb of oblivion", "Offer sweetness in exchange for an eternally clear heart"...
It is like the devil's whisper and also like a life-saving straw in despair!
I studied it for two whole years!
It doesn't seem to be a sacrifice to an evil god, but more like an...ancient reconciliation ritual?
It can smooth out the wrinkles of the soul and forget the roots of pain -
Jealousy, resentment, greed...these thorns poison happiness!
The price... is to offer the "sweet" fruit, and... some memories that come with the source of pain?
For eternal peace, a little oblivion... is it worth it? 】
…
[3189, Winter, Starless Night!!!]
I can’t stand it anymore!
Watching the once simple folks tearing each other apart in the quagmire of money, watching the children's eyes prematurely stained with worldly sophistication, watching the light in Aunt Mary's eyes extinguished...
This is more desperate than poverty!
Holy Light, please forgive my transgression!
If the teachings of the Holy Light cannot warm a frozen heart, if the rules cannot restrain inflated desires...
Then let me bear this sin!
…
I decided to try that formation.
Deep in the largest sugar maple forest south of the town, on a natural boulder called "Sugar Heart Stone".
With the purest maple syrup, with all my faith...
For Maple Leaf Town, offer a "sweet oblivion".
Pray... that the painful memories that brought strife would be forgotten, leaving only contentment and peace.
Let happiness... truly take root!
…
May the Holy Light... forgive me.】
The last few words were almost blurred, blurred by a circular water stain that had long since dried up but whose shape was still discernible.
The notes end here.
The process of the ceremony is not recorded, and the consequences of the ceremony are not described.
Only Luo Ning Feng, on the edge of the painful abyss of disillusionment, with the courage to save his hometown and the fear of usurping the divine authority, finally chose the forbidden path and made a resolute confession.
"Forgetting... is for happiness?" Mark's voice was dry and hoarse, and the badge on his chest seemed to understand the notes and gave off a chilling breath.
Although Luo Ning Feng's notes were not very detailed, a lot could be seen between the lines.
He finally understood the source of the strange "happiness" in Maple Leaf Town, and also understood the horrifying price behind that sweetness.
Not just the moment of oblivion after the food sacrifice, but the entire town.
After that starless night more than 20 years ago, a desperate bishop used a forbidden formation to permanently "prune" his soul!
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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