musicians of old

Chapter 961 Going to Complete the Procedures
“Everything is absolutely true now, there’s no doubt about that.” Fanning swirled his wine glass, the red liquid leaving brief streaks on the glass before slowly flowing down.

"Is it really true that there are some 'things I haven't thought of yet'?" Roy pressed him.

Hilan couldn't help but think of that inexplicable and terrifying dream again. In retrospect, it felt very "close," as if it wasn't something she "dreamed" of, but something she suddenly "noticed."

After a moment's consideration, Fan Ning said, "The three of you will be the first to remember, and it won't be long, maybe next week or the week after—because that frosted glass of memory of 'dedicating one's spirituality to a noble purpose' truly exists there, I can guarantee that. The secret history will only be covered up, but the secret history itself will not be forgotten, and every other musician who participated will also have their due share."

"So you're saying that you've actually remembered? Or maybe you never had 'frosted glass' in the first place?" Joan's fingers twirled a strand of hair.

“What are you arranging, Fanning?” Roy keenly caught the unusual certainty in his voice. “I have a feeling you’re hinting at or setting up a countdown.”

“The countdown does exist,” Fan Ning said after a moment of contemplation.

"What's the countdown about?" "A farewell?" Everyone chimed in with their own opinions.

"It's not a farewell, it's more like a goodbye."

What are the differences between synonyms?

“There are many distinctions.”

"a lot of?"

"Of course, the meaning is more complex and proactive, and the target is also different. It's not just about me and you, but maybe about me and others, us and others, or even the world saying goodbye to us. It's just that we may be in a slightly different order."

"Wordplay, in short, is the opposite of gathering."

Fan Ning pondered for a longer time, and this time shook his head more slowly and seriously: "Actually, it might be quite the opposite."

“That ‘path’—you will soon understand its meaning—was not intended for separation or reunion, but to ‘lead us and the world together into eternity.’”

"Its original intention was a kind of 'perfect eternity,' while the current situation is that 'the world is full of imperfections'—this is the gap that needs to be addressed now. We have already won; the disappearance of the abnormal zone and the 'worm' is the sign of victory. However, the last gap in the gap has not been closed. It cannot remain in this state indefinitely. This is why this last small step problem remains. As for the 'gathering' and 'separation' mentioned at the beginning, these two pairs of antonyms are actually of very low concentration and insufficient weight in this world."

"So, what exactly is this 'last little problem' about?" Roy couldn't help but ask. "Is it Mr. F, who's been staying in the attic all this time?"

In their conversation a few days ago, they confirmed their premonition with Fan Ning. This mysterious figure with an unpredictable appearance was the dangerous member of the Divine Descent Society. However, according to Fan Ning, his current strength was far enough to suppress him, with only some concerns about stability.

“Not necessarily, I’m not entirely sure.” Fan Ning shook his head. “I can’t figure out his motives right now. I feel it might be related to him, but I also feel it’s not the main reason.”

"Isn't the main issue the situation 'above'?"

"Carol, are you also considering taking that step?"

"You said you would resolve the imperfections and 'ascend to eternity.' The 'final small step' you mentioned must be referring to your ascension to the position of Witness Lord."

The three of them asked questions one after another.

“I can only say that this is one aspect to consider, but it is not the same as the other.” Fan Ning’s tone was gentle and low. “Becoming a being at the level of a Witness Lord does not necessarily mean ‘seeing the radiance.’ If the veil could be easily lifted, there would be no concept of ‘great achievements.’ Those beings in the dwelling would have already achieved that. It is precisely because there was a problem above the dwelling that there were abnormal zones, and that there was dictatorship, control, catastrophe, and conflict.”

“Now we have achieved a great victory through another ‘path,’ a ‘path’ that you will soon understand. The final step in accessing this path is actually due to two ‘detailed considerations’—the considerations I have made—which involve my own ascension to the position of Witness Lord.” “One is, as before, I will give it to him.”

“Unlike the ‘great achievements’ of the Holy Sun Church or the Descent of God Society, the ‘path of three insignificance’ that we have won can be described as a gentler and more collective path.”

“There are core nodes in this path, but they are not me, they are you, and it is you who lead the ‘uncountable collective’.”

"Theoretically, I can just go and see it off. Theoretically, it can indeed bear more. And the one who should bear the ultimate responsibility is it, not me."

"But another consideration is that I'll stay with it."

“I’ll even take a look at it from the front first.” Fanning picked up his glass and took a sip.

“You’re more inclined to think this way, so you want a promotion.” Roy understood by this point.

“So you’re not actually confident about this,” Shilan and Joan said.

“Actually, that’s not what I thought at first.” Fan Ning shook his head. “But when it comes to having a grasp of things, how much ‘certainty’ can one have at most? Is ‘very high certainty’ or ‘extremely high certainty’ enough?”

"The path of 'ignoring the three' involves the potential collective risks above. I cannot afford even the slightest of them. I cannot afford to lose. Otherwise, all the sacrifices I have made will become a joke. For a period of time, I felt that even every breath I took was heavy. I had to go and 'knock on the door' to confirm what the real future of this 'path' was."

The three of them finally understood why the word "separation" or "farewell" seemed so thin and limited.

Everything is uncertain. Who is saying goodbye to whom? Who comes first and who comes last? What exactly does the word "eternity" mean? Who can say for sure?

Only the "countdown" truly exists.

"What if... what if the situation 'above' really has a problem, or is even worse than we imagine?" Roy asked directly.

Fanning remained silent for a moment.

The hustle and bustle of the tavern seemed to have vanished from their corner at this moment.

"No matter what, you all want me to 'stay with you,' but that's exactly what 'staying with you' means. It's not the first choice."

“You clearly said you would look at it first,” Roy said.

“That’s because…then I’ll know how much force to use to ‘knock on the door,’ or…” Fanning paused, “…what kind of method to choose to finalize the subsequent ‘farewells.’”

Fanning finished the last sip of wine in his glass.

“It’s almost dawn,” he said. “Come with me to the Special Patrol Department.”

“Special Patrol Department?” Hillan was still caught up in her emotions. “Now? What are we going there for?”

Fan Ning had already stood up, and her figure disappeared outside the curtain of the partition.

"Come with me to complete some formalities."