Chapter 70: City of Redemption (V) Sing Again
The second night in the temple passed peacefully under the continuous and stable light of the room.
The soft light made Wen Yin lose her sense of time until the bell rang, and she realized that it was daybreak again.
Wen Yin sat up and subconsciously looked at the bed opposite.
Arya was awake, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, combing her long, pale blond hair.
Her movements were slow and steady. When she heard Wen Yin's movement, she turned her head with a faint smile on her face.
"Good morning, Wen Yin."
Her voice was still soft, but it lacked the excitement and slight trembling she had yesterday when she first entered the inner hall. It became steady, even... a little hollow.
Wen Yin's heart sank slightly.
She greeted back, observing Arya closely.
It’s hard to say what’s wrong specifically. Arya is still polite and her movements are still graceful, but she just gives people a strange feeling.
It's like... a breath of life has been sucked away.
It lacked the timid agility of a young girl and became like a piece of carefully polished porcelain, smooth but lacking inner warmth.
What made Wen Yin even more alert was that she found herself strangely peaceful when she woke up.
My original worries about my own situation and my urgency to discover the truth had apparently faded...
She felt like she was soaked in warm water, her body and mind involuntarily relaxed, and she even felt that staying here and bathing in the holy light seemed like a good thing.
As soon as this thought came to mind, Wen Yin felt a sudden chill on her back.
No. This was definitely not her normal state of mind.
Wen Yin immediately thought of what the deaconess had said about “cleansing the body and mind,” and all the people she had seen since entering the temple.
From the deacons to the temple guards, their identical calmness, emptiness, and lack of distinct emotional fluctuations were like...
It’s as if some force has formatted his emotions, turning him into a tool that only retains basic functions and devout beliefs.
[028?]
Wen Yin called out again, but there was still only silence in her consciousness.
The connection between the system and her is still severely disrupted.
But fortunately, Wen Yin can still use the item exchange function.
Without hesitation, she immediately exchanged her points for a one-time item called [Mind Guard].
The effect is to greatly enhance mental resistance in a short period of time, resisting external mental assimilation and emotional interference.
The moment the prop took effect, a cool feeling suddenly touched the depths of her consciousness, and the peaceful feeling like being soaked in warm water just now disappeared.
Her true emotions instantly took over.
Alertness, anxiety, and a strong desire to explore.
Wen Yin even felt slightly dizzy because of this sudden emotional contrast.
That was a close call.
If it was a few days, or even a few hours later, would she have become like Arya, becoming calm and submissive without realizing it, and eventually losing herself completely?
Wen Yin quickly calmed down, without showing any abnormality on her face. She still maintained the calm appearance after being "purified". Just like Arya, she quietly got up, washed, and made her bed.
In the following days, Wen Yin would secretly use props every day to resist the gentle erosion of the inner hall's light that penetrated every corner.
She carefully played the role of a girl who was gradually purified. Her eyes became calmer and more empty day by day, and her actions became more standardized and pious.
The changes in the girls around her are real and obvious.
Especially in her roommate Arya, the feeling of a selfless human-machine is becoming more and more obvious.
She spoke less and less, her smile became more and more stereotyped, and the light in her eyes was gradually replaced by a gentle blankness.
She no longer showed curiosity about her surroundings, but strictly followed the schedule and arrangements of the inner hall, like a chess piece pulled by invisible cables.
Until one morning.
Wen Yin woke up and saw Arya already dressed and standing in the middle of the room, waiting for the morning bell to ring.
She stood tall and straight, her expression completely calm, her eyes empty yet revealing an unquestionable and absolute piety.
The last trace of the individual "Arya" that remained yesterday has completely disappeared.
Just at this moment, the deacon pushed the door open and came in to inspect.
She saw Arya's condition, and for the first time, her face, which always had a hollow tenderness, showed an expression that could be called satisfaction.
"Very well, Arya."
The deaconess's tone remained calm, but with a hint of approval.
"You have cleansed your worldly distractions, your mind is pure, and you have truly merged into the glory of the Inner Temple. His Highness the Holy Son will be pleased with your piety."
Arya bowed slightly, her movements as precise as if measured with a ruler. "All glory to the Son."
Wen Yin lowered her eyelids to hide the coldness deep in her eyes.
-
A few days later, when the three girls, including Arya, had completely transformed into pious dolls carved from the same mold, the deacon brought news:
"The Holy Son has summoned you to chant today. This is a supreme honor. You must be careful with your words and actions, and demonstrate your purified piety."
Wen Yin, along with seven other girls, followed the deacon and for the first time headed towards the core area deeper than their residential area.
The light on the road became increasingly intense and pure, as if the air had solidified into a solid body of light, and every step felt like stepping into a sticky liquid of light.
Angel statues formed by light began to appear on both sides of the corridor. They had their eyelids drooped, holding various musical instruments or weapons, silently guarding the depths.
Finally, they stepped into a palace with brighter and purer light.
There is no roof here, and above it is a swirling and flowing band of light as brilliant as the aurora.
A transparent crystal column stood in the center of the hall, emitting majestic and cold energy under the brilliant light above.
The entire space was filled with a low and sacred hum, making people want to completely surrender to the temple.
Wen Yin quickly glanced at the girl traveling with her.
In a week, three of the eight people, including Arya, had completely turned into that empty and pious look, with only pure awe in their eyes.
The other four people, including Wen Yin himself, are still slowly "transforming".
They stood quietly and waited, like tiny dust particles, waiting for the arrival of the Supreme Being.
Endless pressure suddenly descended like a physical entity.
The Son has arrived.
He was still shrouded in the intense light that was too bright to look directly at, and his bare feet silently stepped across the shiny ground.
This time, he did not go directly to the main seat, but slowly walked past the girls who were standing quietly.
That cold, inhuman perception swept calmly over everyone.
The light did not pause as it passed the three girls who had been completely assimilated.
As it passed by four other girls who seemed to be still in the process of "transformation", the light shifted slightly, as if evaluating them.
When that gaze fell on Wen Yin.
There was a pause.
The overwhelming pressure stayed on her for a noticeably longer time, as if she had encountered something incomprehensible.
Although she couldn't see the face clearly under the light, Wen Yin clearly felt that there was a hint of... scrutiny and... doubt in that gaze.
There was even a very light, almost hallucinatory humming sound that rang directly in her ears.
...?
He seemed... confused.
Wen Yin's heart almost jumped out of her chest.
She used all her willpower to keep her body still and her expression empty and pious, not even daring to change the focus of her pupils.
The gaze finally shifted away, and the Son of God walked towards the largest cluster of crystals in the center of the hall and slowly sat down.
The accompanying bishop signaled for the chanting to begin.
The girls began to sing the song praising the Holy Light that they had practiced countless times.
The three assimilated girls sang extremely loudly, full of fervent and pure piety. Their souls seemed to be burning in the singing, becoming pure notes.
Wen Yin and several others tried hard to imitate that state and blend their singing into it.
The song ends.
The holy light still enveloped the entire venue, and the Son of God sat quietly in the light.
Then he raised his hand.
The slender and perfect fingers passed over the three girls who sang most devoutly, passed over the others, and pointed accurately at Wen Yin.
The ethereal and gentle tone echoes in the glory, leaving no room for doubt.
"You, stay."
"Serve you."
The deacon's eyes showed no doubt about the Son of God's decision, and she only spoke to Wen Yin.
"Supreme grace. The Holy Son has personally chosen you to serve him closely. Why don't you thank him?"
The other girls, including the three who had been assimilated, all looked at Wen Yin.
There was lingering envy in that look, empty congratulations, and jealousy that had not yet completely disappeared.
Under the gazes of countless people, Wen Yin slowly took a step forward, bowed her head deeply, and spoke with difficulty, trying her best to imitate Arya's empty and pious tone:
"...Thank you...Sir Holy Son...for your grace."
Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and her back was soaked with cold sweat.
She was left alone.
The other people present retreated silently, and the grand hall fell into an extreme silence in an instant.
She didn't notice it just now when there were so many people around, but now that only she and that shining light were left, Wen Yin truly felt what it meant to be "as small as dust."
The omnipresent holy light seemed to have weight, pressing heavily on her shoulders and seeping into her every breath, cold and pure.
She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the shiny ground, which reflected the brilliant bands of light flowing above, and also vaguely reflected the light source in front of her that was impossible to look directly at.
Time seemed to stand still.
A voice rang out.
It was not transmitted through air vibrations, but resonated directly in the depths of her consciousness.
The voice couldn't reveal age, gender, or even any emotion, only an ethereal and cold calmness.
"look up."
The order was simple and direct, leaving no room for doubt.
Wen Yin's heart suddenly trembled.
She tried her best to control her expression and slowly raised her head.
His gaze first fell on the other person's flawless bare feet, then on the hem of the white robe embroidered with intricate gold patterns, and then upwards...
The light was still strong, but it seemed that he was deliberately controlling it, slightly reducing the glare that was too dazzling to look at directly, and becoming softer, enough for her to see the face shrouded in light.
It was a face between a teenager and a young adult.
Extremely young, even with a slightly slender outline that seems to be not fully grown.
Her skin was a cold, bloodless white, as delicate as the finest mutton-fat jade, without a single flaw.
The light golden hair fell softly, framing the overly handsome face.
His facial features are so delicate that they don't seem real, and when combined together they present a pure and holy beauty that transcends gender.
His eyebrows and eyes are particularly eye-catching.
The eyelashes are a light golden color, long and thick, and when they droop slightly, they cast a small soft shadow under the eyes.
And when he looked up at her, Wen Yin met a pair of... indescribable eyes.
His pupils were a very light gold color, showing no curiosity, no scrutiny, no majesty, and not even the emotion that should have corresponded to the slight hum that had expressed doubt just now.
Nothing.
There was only a vast, calm, inhuman nothingness.
They are like two glowing gems inlaid on a perfect face, reflecting everything in the outside world but not reflecting any inner waves.
This face is holy and gentle.
It can even be said to be beautiful, and it carries a sense of divine compassion.
But beneath this extremely perfect skin, in the depths of those empty pale golden eyes, Wen Yin only felt a thorough and soul-freezing inhumanity.
He looked at her like a skilled craftsman examining an object made of special material and with slight flaws, which aroused his slight interest.
The voice in her head sounded again, still calm and still:
"Your singing voice. It's different."
His eyes fell on her lips, the same cold gaze he had at night.
"Sing it again."
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