Looking directly at the ancient gods for a whole year

Chapter 2280 The Wheel That Cannot Be Looked At Directly
"The sun, or the wheel that cannot be looked at directly, has been an indispensable symbol since the dawn of human consciousness, and the long night is no exception."

Beijing, afternoon, a small shop on the street.

Ms. Yuan Shan, the chief of the Night Watchers, occupied the seat of a self-employed individual while examining the solar flares shining through the window from this perspective.

Although there was no passionate rousing, her voice was more serious than ever before, recounting the secrets of history in a deep tone.

A wheel too bright to look at? That's quite a fitting description.
He listened quietly and nodded slightly.

Because of this statement, I couldn't help but think of an item I had called "Pseudo-God Incarnation," which had a note inside when I obtained it—that it's not only gods who can look directly at gods.

"Then the name you asked me about seems to be closely tied to this concept."

“Eckerheart…the pure gold, the ancient one, and there are even more than one name for him. He is said to have been a highly respected and extremely devout apostle of the sun at the end of the mythological era.”

As it turns out, Chief Yuan is reliable when he gets serious about his work; he even remembers nicknames clearly, rattling off several in quick succession.

The ancients...

One of them, I remember more clearly before paying.

In the Elysium quest, the warehouse also directly referred to the target in that way.

This single word alone powerfully demonstrates the accuracy of the chief intelligence report.

"Thank you for your hard work. The efficiency is much higher than I expected."

However, Fu Qian did not rush to mention it, but instead praised this ability to get things done first.

The wording might sound a bit sarcastic at first, but after all this time causing trouble in the capital, Fu Qian believes that Chief Yuan wouldn't have such a silly misunderstanding.

……

"It's taller than I expected."

As it turns out, Chief Yuan's thick skin has indeed stood the test of time. He shook his head and sighed, expressing only a sense of the impermanence of life, without even a hint of taking credit.

"I thought it would take the teacher some time to reply."

And indeed, the odd wording in it was not something I had overthought beforehand.

It seems that Chief Yuan has once again brought up his teacher, Henry.

"I'm ashamed to have disturbed the old man's meditation again. How is he doing now?"

With a soft sigh, Fu Qian couldn't help but recall the last time they met, when the Night Watcher retired to the second rank.

“They’ve already started going to church, so don’t worry.”

Yuan Shan clearly recalled the same thing: her teacher and the person opposite her had a misunderstanding that led to their initial conflict, culminating in a chaotic scene... She found it all surreal.

"The teacher actually asked about your situation a few times later, but I didn't tell him too much..."

"Including this time, I only said that because of the recent series of accidents, I learned about some ancient stories and unintentionally came across a name."

The next moment, she even emphasized that even with her own teacher, she still maintained the required level of confidentiality.

"Thank you for your kindness. I will visit you again when I have time."

Fu Qian nodded. Although he hadn't physically assaulted the old man during the last experience in Night City, Henry's condition had still become somewhat serious.

Given that person's magnanimity, they probably wouldn't hold a grudge over this, but being curious is only human nature.

Don't forget that during their very first meeting, the person was curious about his business plans and even whether he could drive.

"...Really, there's no need to force yourself..."

Unfortunately, even though Fu Qian was polite, Yuan Shan's brows were still visibly furrowed.

There may have been some friction, but she wasn't worried that the two would fight again when they met.

On the contrary, given that both of them are somewhat unreliable, the thought of the two of them meeting without actually fighting is actually more daunting.

"In short, the teacher replied to my message quite quickly, emphasizing that the 'sun' of the mythical era had indeed fallen long ago, so Eckhart's act of sacrificing himself for his faith was not so foolish in comparison."

Clearly not wanting to continue discussing that idea, Yuan Shan firmly steered the conversation back on track and quickly explained the process of gathering intelligence.

"So what's even more foolish? To sacrifice oneself for one's faith while the object of one's belief actually doesn't die?"

Her retelling of a certain statement clearly piqued Fu Qian's interest.

"Yes, in the face of death, God and man are far from being fair. One can go mad or fall into slumber, but they are often not completely annihilated."

Yuan Shan's answer was quite straightforward.

"But the Wheel of Impossible to Look At Has Destroyed So Thoroughly That There Is No Risk of Recovery?"

The concept of a superior being symbolized by the sun, regardless of their specific title, is indeed a classic one.

Even during this trip through the Nightmare Corridor, the prisoner "Li the Persuader," whose mental state was the most beautiful, left a deep impression on Fu Qian with one of his lines: "The moon is not just the moon, but ignorance is true ignorance."

Leaving aside philosophical speculation, the meaning represented by the disappearance of the "sun" and "moon" in the long night did indeed give Fu Qian some deeper feelings.

Theoretically speaking, the sun and moon are just two stars, but due to human perspective, they have been elevated to an exaggerated status.

So why do the stars still twinkle in the long night, but these two are missing, still signifying the end of the world?

Simply put, the concept of "moon" has long surpassed that of the lunar moon.

Think of the darkness that the witch created with her own hands.

The on-site assessment at the time was a direct manifestation of the dark side of the universe, beyond the unknowable horizon.

The witch executed three such attacks without batting an eye, rendering the powerful figure utterly incapable of further madness.

From this perspective, the meaning behind the name "sun" seems to go far beyond just a fireball of light and heat.

“Absolutely not. The teacher said he was very certain, and it was an undisputed view even among the senior members of the council.”

Yuan Shan nodded firmly.

“Eckhart’s greatest fortune was that, as one of the most devout members of the sect, he chose to end his own life because he received no response… and the superiors who did not respond to him did so not because they did not want to, but because they simply could not.”

Fu Qian felt that the last sentence was repeating someone's tone, and he was once again impressed by the old man's firm belief in this view.

"What, you still think there might be doubts?"

However, Yuan Shan interpreted this silence as a sign of disagreement and couldn't help but confirm it.

No, actually I'm quite certain of this too—because the Lord of Heaven is no longer here.

Fu Qian thought to himself, but he did indeed raise questions.

"But back then, Ariel, it seemed like we saw the sun descend upon him?"

　I'm sorry I came to another city unexpectedly, so I'll have to break my promise and only post one update today. It's also quite late, so I apologize.

　　(End of this chapter)