Chapter 80: City of Redemption (15) End: Sea of Flowers
As soon as he finished speaking, someone else's exclamation was heard at the door.
He seemed stunned by the scene before him. After a long while, he let out a few shrill screams.
"ah!!"
“Holy Son…Lord Holy Son!!!!!!”
The two of them were still intertwined on the jade in an ambiguous posture. Wen Yin ignored the continuous licking and kissing on her ear, and looked towards the door through Gasiel's falling golden hair.
As expected, I saw several stiff and gradually angry faces.
But before those people could even open their mouths, their figures vanished in the surging holy light, turning into pieces of shattered light spots, and finally dissipated into the air.
Wen Yin's expression also froze.
"how?"
Gasiel lingered at her neck, seemed to notice Wen Yin's stiffness, raised his head, moved closer, and touched his eyebrows to Wen Yin's.
The suddenly enlarged perfect face impacted Wen Yin's visual nerves.
The face still belonged to the Holy Son Gasiel, but it was strangely tinged with a sinister expression that had only been seen on the dark version of Gasiel's face.
Gahil was gentle and affectionate towards her.
The pale golden eyes are like flowing gorgeous golden sand.
"Are you scared?"
He gently rubbed the tip of Wen Yin's nose, his tone ethereal and lazy, as if what was being wiped away was just an insignificant speck of dust.
"Didn't you say you felt sorry for me?"
"Or do you also feel pain for the fate of others?"
Gasiel stared at Wen Yin's eyes, his golden and black hair entangled on the jade surface, inseparable.
028 noticed something was wrong and spoke in Wen Yin's mind.
[Gasir is like this... could it be that after the fusion, the dark version has the upper hand? ?]
Wen Yin looked at those eyes as bright as golden sand, and her tone returned to calm after a brief moment of surprise.
[It's not necessarily a simple matter of who has the upper hand. After all, the 'impurities' that constitute the dark side all originate from within him.]
[So, is he...out of control now?]
028 is a bit confusing. Human emotions are too complicated, and it can only interpret the little bit that floats on the surface.
[Perhaps, this is precisely a kind of control after 'awakening'.]
[Whether it's the temple representing 'light' or the gray fog representing 'darkness', their ultimate destinations...are they actually the same?]
028: [Huh?]
[The Holy Light devours under the guise of 'purification'; the Black Mist, under the guise of 'erosion', also drags people into the abyss.]
Wen Yin's voice was very soft.
[They are all destroying, just in different guises.]
[And perhaps it was precisely because the 'Son of God', Gahir, was bound by the pure essence of light and unable to directly violate the 'order' of the temple, that he could only subconsciously use this seemingly infallible 'purifying' light... to fulfill his innermost desire for ultimate revenge and destruction against this hypocritical temple.]
"If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't be coming back."
Wen Yin raised her hand and gently put it around Gasiel's shoulders, her action carrying a tentative comfort.
"I just don't want to be here..."
Wen Yin paused and rubbed Gasiel's nose in the same affectionate manner.
"Gasir... take me to your hometown."
"I want to see with my own eyes the place where you grew up."
-
People were coming and going on the streets of the holy city, but the depressing gray sky was still overhead.
Until an extremely bright light burst out from the highest spire of the central temple.
The light was like real water waves, sweeping around at an astonishing speed. Wherever it passed, the thick haze that had accumulated above the head for who knows how many years was slowly dissipated.
The long-lost, almost unfamiliar clear skylight suddenly fell over this city that has been shrouded in gloom all year round.
Countless passersby stopped in astonishment, looked up, their faces filled with disbelief and confusion, and then burst into deafening cheers of joy:
"Light! Holy Light!"
"The Holy Son has awakened! It must be the Holy Son who has awakened!"
"A miracle! This is a true miracle!"
A wave of hope surged among the crowd.
However, this joy did not last long.
When the initial burst of light slowly faded away, people were horrified to discover that the temple at the core of the light was actually ablaze with flames from within!
The flames took on a strange golden and red color, and with a resolute and swift attitude, they started from the temple at the core of the temple and spread madly to the surrounding buildings.
Flames shot up into the sky and thick smoke billowed.
Countless devout believers cried and ran, trying to fetch water to put out the fire, or rushing into the blaze to save the sacred objects. But the flames seemed to have a will of their own, forming an invisible, blazing barrier that isolated everyone.
They could only kneel down helplessly in the distance, looking at the flames that devoured their faith and spiritual support, and wailing in despair and collapse.
Faith collapsed before my eyes, and the destruction of the spiritual world was more devastating than physical pain.
This strange fire lasted for a full thirteen days.
When the last flame finally died out, the once magnificent and solemn temple, a symbol of supreme power and faith, was completely reduced to a charred ruin.
-
In the early morning, the simple market in Jila Town had returned to its former bustle and vitality. Without the oppression of the gray fog and the temple, even the air seemed much lighter.
The sounds of hawking and conversation came one after another.
Wen Yin and Jiaxier walked side by side in the bustling crowd, preparing to buy some daily necessities for their residence.
The conversations of people around them inevitably drifted into their ears.
"Have you heard? Over in the Holy City... Alas, such a huge temple was gone just like that..."
"Not only is it gone, it was burned so cleanly! I heard there's not even a single intact stone left!"
"The weirdest thing is, the fire was so big and burned for more than ten days, but guess what? Not a single body was found inside!"
"That's right! Those bishops and priests seemed to have vanished in that initial burst of light..."
"Is this... a punishment from God?" Someone speculated in a low voice with fear in his voice.
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense!" The people next to him hurriedly stopped him, but their eyes were also filled with the same surprise and suspicion.
But some held a different view, muttering in low voices, "Let me say... it's a good burn! Haven't you noticed? Ever since the fire, that damn gray fog has completely disappeared! It's even daylight now!"
"That's right! Now that the temple is gone, those arrogant charlatans are gone, and the fog is gone, maybe life will be better..."
"That's what I said, but in the end... Alas..." The sigh was mixed with confusion about the unknown future and a hint of secret expectation.
Wen Yin stopped in front of a cloth stall, her fingers brushing across a piece of thick dark blue cloth. As if she hadn't heard anything, she turned her head and spoke to the tall and slender young man beside her.
"How about this color?" She said in a natural, homely tone, "White gets dirty too easily and is hard to maintain."
The stall owner, a shrewd middle-aged man, immediately agreed with a smile: "This lady has good taste! This color is calming and attractive!"
His eyes fell on Gaxier, and he admired him sincerely, "But then again, this gentleman has an outstanding temperament. In my opinion, he will look good in any color."
The stall owner looked at the two men and spoke enthusiastically, "Are you two from outside this town? You look unfamiliar."
Gasiel's gaze was originally on the cloth that Wen Yin's fingers were stroking, and he paused slightly when he heard the words.
He was silent for a moment before he spoke: "No, I was born here."
He raised his eyes and looked around at the street scenes that were both familiar and unfamiliar.
"It's just... I've been away for a long, long time."
The stall owner was very astute and immediately noticed the heaviness and depression in Gasiel's tone and expression that was inconsistent with his age.
He quickly laughed and cleverly changed the subject. His eyes moved between Wen Yin and Jia Xier, and his smile became more enthusiastic:
"Oh, look at what I'm asking! Sir, you're obviously a nostalgic person! It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"
He picked up a piece of soft, apricot-colored muslin and recommended, "Sir, why don't you pick out some fabric for this lady? The color complements her skin tone, and she has a beautiful face. Standing next to you, they're a perfect match!"
The stall owner's words "Madam" and "well-matched" made the air subtly stagnant for a moment.
Wen Yin was stunned for a moment and subconsciously glanced at Jiaxier.
However, he did not refute, but instead cast his eyes on the light apricot cloth, and gently stroked the texture with his fingertips.
"This is fine too."
He whispered, without much emotion in his tone, but he naturally took the cloth from the stall owner and put it together with the dark blue one.
Seeing this, the stall owner's smile became even brighter, and he wrapped the cloth skillfully.
The two of them bought some grain, oil and sundries.
Gasiel took over all the heavy objects naturally. With his tall and slender figure, even when he was carrying the most ordinary sundries and walking on the dusty streets of Jila Town, he still had an indescribable distance from his surroundings, but he was strangely integrated into the bustling atmosphere of the city.
They returned to a simple house with a small courtyard.
This is the house they bought. Although it is simple, it is quiet and tidy enough.
The afternoon sun shines through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the clean floor.
Wen Yin stood in the courtyard, her thoughts in a trance for a moment.
She didn't expect that Gasiel would leave with her so smoothly.
And started living with her...
"What's wrong?"
The door of the courtyard was closed, and Gasiel gently embraced Wen Yin from behind. The tall black shadow spread on the ground, and also entangled the figure of Wen Yin projected on the ground.
"Is it last night... Are you tired?"
Gasiel's lips naturally fell behind Wen Yin's ear, and he skillfully sucked her earlobe.
Wen Yin's whole body tensed up at the wet touch, and she immediately thought of the short ten days she had spent in this small town, but it was also a tiring ten days of nights.
Wen Yin felt a little sore in her waist, so she shrank her neck, took a step forward, and shook the fresh vegetables she had just bought in her hand.
"No, I'll go get something to eat first."
[Host, the target's energy fluctuations are very stable. One could even say... it's the most stable it's been in the past hundred years.] 028's voice carried a hint of the rigor of an analytical report, yet it couldn't conceal its relief.
[Yeah.] Wen Yin responded softly in her heart and ran forward with the vegetables.
Gasiel was left standing there, looking at her back.
-
In the evening, Wen Yin was busy lighting a fire in front of the stove to prepare dinner.
Gasiel came over at some point, stood behind her, and watched her "struggle" with the unruly flint.
He frowned slightly, as if he didn't understand why such a simple thing would make her feel embarrassed.
He stretched out his hand, and lightly stroked the air with his slender fingers. A cluster of gentle and stable flames jumped into the stove accurately, igniting the hay, and the fire was just right.
Wen Yin was stunned for a moment and looked back at him.
Gahil met her surprised gaze.
"Just... a tiny application of energy."
The tone was flat, as if to say that the weather was nice today.
If those fanatics knew that the power once used to purify or destroy was now used by the Son of God to make fire and cook, who knows what expressions they would show.
Wen Yin couldn't help but laugh: "It's really practical. You can light the fire next time."
Dinner was a simple porridge with side dishes, served with coarse flour bread bought from the market.
The two sat opposite each other at a small wooden table.
Gashir hadn't eaten real food in over a hundred years, and he didn't need to eat, but he still sat at the table.
After all, in his memory, his father and mother also accompanied each other like this, talking and laughing at the dinner table.
Gasiel tasted the side dishes made by Wen Yin herself, chewed them carefully, and finally nodded with a smile.
"tasty."
"Eat quickly."
After saying that, his eyes remained fixed on the corner of Wen Yin's lips, motionless.
Wen Yin's scalp tingled under that gaze, and her lower abdomen seemed to feel a little sore under that gaze.
She finished her dinner slowly, and as usual, it was Gashir who was responsible for clearing the dishes.
As night fell, the night sky of Jila Town was no longer covered by the gray fog, revealing a clear deep blue and dotted with stars.
Wen Yin stood under the low eaves, looking up at the bright starry sky that was particularly clear as the gray fog had dissipated, and couldn't help but utter a true whisper:
"What a nice view."
The night wind blew past at this moment, ruffling the soft black hair in front of her forehead, revealing her amber eyes reflecting the starlight.
The moonlight and starlight flowed on her fair face like mercury. Wen Yin seemed to have merged into the quiet night, becoming the most lively and warmest stroke in this starry night painting.
Gashir was standing not far behind her, staring at the scene quietly.
He had seen the world's most extreme light and had also fallen into the purest darkness. He himself had even been the embodiment and container of these two extreme forces.
He had seen the "goddesses" and "holy scenes" painted in the temple murals by the most outstanding painters with great effort.
In the long intervals between sleep and wakefulness, countless illusory scenes have appeared in my consciousness.
But it seems that none of them can compare to the touching feeling brought by this ordinary scene before my eyes.
There is no sacred halo, no majestic power.
Just an ordinary human being, standing under the eaves of a simple house on an ordinary night, sincerely admiring the beauty of the starry sky.
Her figure is so small, yet so real and vivid.
The hair fluttering in the night wind, the glimmer in the eyes, the fragile neck slightly raised...
They all carried a warmth that he had long forgotten.
An inexplicable sense of peace came over me.
The pain that has been entangled for a hundred years, the resentment that was forcibly separated and then merged again, the confusion and questioning of one's own existence...
At this moment, it seemed as if all of them were gently blown away by the night wind.
He didn't say anything, just slowly approached.
He hugged the girl who looked up at the starry sky and whom he also looked up at.
-
In a field full of flowers, Wen Yin and Jia Xier were walking hand in hand.
Half a year has passed, and Wen Yin's black hair, which originally just reached her shoulders, has grown a lot longer.
Gasiel was picking a small orange flower and putting it next to Wen Yin's ear.
"You are prettier than flowers."
[Host, the transmission channel has stabilized and can be disconnected at any time.]
028's childish voice and Gasiel's ethereal voice rang in Wen Yin's ears at the same time.
[Target 'Holy Son Gasir' correction rate 100%, mission completed.]
Wen Yin said "hmm" softly, and it was unclear whether she was responding to Gasiel or 028.
A gentle breeze blew through her hair, bringing with it the coolness of a summer evening.
She spent much longer here than expected, so long that she almost forgot this warm and peaceful daily life. After all, it was a mission.
"Gasir, do you see that rainbow-colored flower over there?"
Gasiel looked in the direction of Wen Yin's finger, and at the edge of the sea of flowers bathed in the sunset, he indeed saw a flower with a rainbow-like luster, which was particularly special.
"I'll pick some for you."
Gasiel let go of Wen Yin's hand, turned around and walked towards the rainbow flower. His pure white sleeves brought with them a delicate fragrance as they brushed past the flowers.
Wen Yin stood there, watching his tall and slender figure gradually blend into the gorgeous sea of flowers and sunset, with the small orange flowers swaying gently on her temples.
[Host, the channel is fully open and the energy is stable. Do you want to leave immediately?]
028's voice confirmed again.
Wen Yin stared at Gasiel's back, gently closed her eyes, and took a deep breath of the air filled with the fragrance of flowers.
[Let’s get away.]
Just as she gave the order, Gahil happened to pick the rainbow flower.
But before he could turn around, he sensed a strange energy distortion.
He turned around suddenly!
The scene before him caused his pale golden pupils to shrink suddenly.
The sky, which had been painted a gorgeous golden red by the sunset, was now covered with dense cracks, like broken glass.
The cracks spread silently, swallowing up the gorgeous rays of light wherever they passed. The entire sky seemed to have become a huge, shattering canvas, presenting a breathtaking magnificence and despair.
And against the backdrop of this broken sky, in the center of the wilderness full of flowers, Wen Yin still stood there quietly.
The evening breeze blew up her black hair, which had grown quite a bit longer, and the white hem of her skirt. The small orange flower that he had put on her temples trembled in the wind, its color so bright that it was dazzling.
She was looking at him, with no panic, no fear, not even a hint of surprise on her face.
She was just laughing.
The corners of his lips curved gently, his amber eyes still clear, reflecting the wonder of the world shattering, as well as his instantly pale and shocked face.
That smile was exactly the same as every time he had seen it in the past six months, warm and pure, even with a hint of nostalgia.
But in this situation, this smile was sharper than any blade, piercing his heart fiercely.
He understood.
That rainbow flower was just an excuse to get him away.
He knew that he was born a loner, unlucky for his parents, and no one would be willing to spend their whole life with him.
What's more, Wen Yin was so special and suddenly appeared in his life.
The warmth of the past six months, the daily walks hand in hand, the closeness of whispering in each other's ears... Perhaps, from the beginning to the end, it was all just for the farewell at this moment.
"Wen Yin!"
Gasiel opened his mouth, but his voice got stuck in his throat, trembling with disbelief.
He subconsciously wanted to use his strength to seal off this space and force her to stay!
But when he activated the power of light and darkness in his body, he felt a more powerful force of rules enveloping Wen Yin. That power blocked his detection and touch, and was "erasing" her from this world in a way he could not understand.
A look of despair appeared on Gasiel's face that Wen Yin had never seen before. He ran towards Wen Yin in a panic, and grabbed Wen Yin's wrist, which had become transparent, with trembling fingertips.
He hugged her tightly in his arms.
The force was so strong that it seemed to merge Wen Yin into his bones and blood.
"Wen Yin, you taught me what it means to have something... Now, you want to teach me what it means to lose something?"
He raised his hand tremblingly and pressed Wen Yin's palm tightly against his left chest.
"You are the only person who has been able to touch this place in the past hundred years."
“Don’t go…”
Gasiel's voice was hoarse and low. He buried his face in Wen Yin's neck. Wen Yin even felt a wet liquid wetting her skin.
Scorching and scalding.
"I should have known earlier that you, who could awaken me, could not be an ordinary person."
"Wen Yin, are you going back to the world you came from?"
"What is that world like?"
The air around him began to distort slightly, and an invisible sense of detachment began to envelop Wen Yin.
The aura around Gasiel began to fluctuate again, like an invisible tide, tightly lingering around Wen Yin, not hurting her, but stubbornly unwilling to let go.
The countdown to 028 has already sounded in Wen Yin's mind.
Wen Yin tilted her head and placed a gentle kiss on Gasiel's ear.
"That's not another world," she said softly, yet with a strangely soothing power, "that's just... where I come from."
"Gasir," she called him softly, hugging the man crying silently in her shoulder. "Soon, everything will be reset, and all your suffering will disappear."
"You will become a truly free and happy person."
"What about you?"
Gasiel looked up, and his desperate and unwilling voice overlapped with the childish voice of 028 counting down.
"Will you still appear in my truly free and happy life?"
Wen Yin didn't say anything, but just pinned the rainbow-colored flower in Gasiel's hand on the golden hair behind his ear.
"Yes."
"Really?"
[Host, leave.]
The two voices completely intertwined at the last moment, and it was impossible to tell whether it was the system's announcement or his final wish.
Wen Yin felt her consciousness being suddenly pulled away, and she fell into a dazzling tunnel of time and space.
All her experiences in the City of Redemption flashed back before her eyes like images being rewound rapidly.
From the peace of the two people shopping for cloth side by side in the market, to the silent gaze in front of the ruins of the temple;
From the drastic change and awakening when he integrated that ball of light into his heart, to that first cold and probing kiss in the Book Hall;
From the dark confinement and empathy in the black and white temple, to the beginning... in that narrow alley, she looked up at the gray sky and felt bewildered when she first heard the name of "the Son of God".
Time flies back to the starting point of everything.
Finally, the picture freezes on a sunny valley slope full of wildflowers.
A little boy with light blond hair was clumsily chasing a butterfly.
He staggered as he ran, but his face was filled with the purest and brightest smile, and his light golden eyes were as clear as morning dew.
Not far away, his gentle mother was sitting on the picnic blanket, looking at him with a smile, weaving a beautiful wreath in her hands.
His father, the honest carpenter, made a delicate little rabbit out of dogtail grass and shook it towards the boy, causing him to giggle happily.
"Gasir—run slower, be careful not to fall!"
Mother called softly.
The little boy stopped walking when he heard the voice, turned around, and showed his parents a bright smile that could make the sun pale in comparison.
Wen Yin quietly looked at this extremely precious picture frozen in the depths of time, and a silent tear fell from the corner of her eye.
She gently closed her eyes, letting the last bit of her consciousness completely merge into the end of the passage, leaving this world belonging to Gashir.
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