Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The crow looked up at Lin Yi and Su Xiao, its face expressionless.

The silence lasted for several seconds before it finally spoke. Its voice was still indistinguishable between male and female, but now it carried a complex and enigmatic meaning.

"A bunch of lunatics."

This is the assessment given by Black Sea King Agati.

For a legendary pirate captain who has roamed the Viking Seas for many years, this is the highest recognition he can give.

In the eyes of ordinary people, "madman" is a derogatory term, but in the world of pirates, the word means unpredictability, danger, and something best left untouched.

Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this assessment.

Su Xiao also did not react.

This reaction caused Shangyue's lips to twitch slightly.

Looking at Lin Yi and Su Xiao's expressionless faces, and then at the crow, she suddenly felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.

madman.

Yes, they are crazy.

The specialty of the Paradise of Reincarnation is madmen, and Shang Yue knows this all too well.

She had met all sorts of contractors in the Feather Clan—some cunning, some treacherous, some crazy, and some calm.

Without exception, those who can survive in a place like the Paradise of Reincarnation and reach this level all possess a kind of obsession that outsiders cannot understand.

That kind of obsession allows them to make the calmest judgments in life-or-death situations, and also to bet themselves when necessary.

In Lin Yi and Su Xiao's view, Black Sea King's comment was no different from saying "The weather is nice today".

But Mond almost burst out laughing when he heard that.

He strained to hold it in, his face contorted with rage, and the demon's tail swayed behind him, revealing his true feelings.

He recalled the expressions on the faces of the elders in his clan when they talked about the Paradise of Reincarnation.

It was a complex expression that mixed with apprehension and a sense of relief that "luckily, we have a pretty good relationship with these lunatics."

Having dealt with the Paradise of Reincarnation for many years, the Demon Race has long since summarized an ironclad rule—never try to judge the behavior of the Paradise of Reincarnation contractors using common sense, because they are simply not normal people.

Now, the Black Sea King himself has proven this ironclad rule.

Shangyue noticed Mond's expression of wanting to laugh but holding it in, and the corners of her own mouth also curled up slightly.

However, she quickly suppressed her smile, as it was inappropriate for a representative of the Feather Clan to show a mocking attitude towards their opponents in this setting.

The crow took in all of this.

Its dark eyes swept over Shangyue and Mondstadt's faces before finally settling back on Lin Yi and Su Xiao.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Fine," the crow's voice returned to its previous calm. "Since you're determined to die, I won't stop you."

It paused, then continued, "Go find Feld. He's on this island, in the thatched hut on the south side. Feld is a fanatic of that thing. There are many fanatics of that thing, and he's just one of them."

A cold glint flashed in the crow's eyes.

"I'll repay this favor later."

After saying this, the crow's body began to tremble slightly.

The light in those dark eyes gradually dimmed and finally went out completely.

puff.

The crow tumbled off the wooden table and landed on it, where it remained motionless.

Black Sea King Agati's consciousness has left this temporary host body.

A brief silence fell over the tavern.

The Black Sea King's final line, "I'll pay you back later," was clearly just to save face.

It was clearly intimidated by Lin Yi's mark, but it insisted on making it sound like it was doing him a favor.

Lin Yi was all too familiar with this kind of mentality.

A common problem among those in positions of power.

It's okay to lose, but you can't lose face.

Su Xiao stood up, and the Dragon Slayer Flash returned to its sheath with a soft clang.

"Let's go."

His gaze drifted to the night outside the tavern.

The fanatic named Feld is on the south side of the island. Now that we know the clues about the ancient gods, there's no need to waste time here.

Lin Yi nodded and stood up from his chair.

He looked down at the little boy who was still sitting next to him.

Lin Yi met his gaze, said nothing, but simply raised his hand and gently patted him on the head.

"Stay here and wait for us to come back."

Red Crow paused for a moment.

Then he nodded vigorously.

Lin Yi withdrew his hand and turned to walk towards the entrance of the tavern.

Su Xiao followed beside him, with Bubuwang and Baha close behind.

Mond stood up and strode after him, his face full of excitement.

Shangyue remained seated without moving.

Lin Yi stopped at the door and turned to look at her.

Shangyue met his gaze and shook her head.

"I won't go." Her voice carried a hint of helplessness. "My skin has gotten worse from being exposed to the sea breeze lately. I need to stay on land for a while and rest."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and touched her cheek, a hint of weariness flashing in her silver eyes.

The winged race's concern for their own image is ingrained in their very being.

During this time, I've been adrift on the Viking Sea, with the sea breeze blowing day and night. Forget about taking care of myself, I haven't even had a proper freshwater bath.

Lin Yi nodded without saying anything more.

He pushed open the door and disappeared into the night with Su Xiao and the others.

Shangyue watched them leave, then turned her gaze back to Hongya, who was sitting in the same spot.

Red Crow was looking down at the glass of wine Lin Yi had poured for him on the table.

Shangyue looked at him and suddenly asked, "What's your name?"

Red Crow raised his head, looked at her, and remained silent for a second.

“They didn’t call me by my name,” he said, his voice hoarse. “They all called me Red Raven.”

Shangyue nodded.

She had already heard that name.

"And then?" she asked. "If you leave here someday, what would you like to call yourself?"

Red Crow paused for a moment.

A hint of confusion flashed in those overly bright eyes.

He had never thought about this question.

After being branded, he never thought there would be a "future".

He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“Alai,” he said. “My mother gave me this name. But no one has called me that for many years.”

Shangyue nodded.

“Alai,” she repeated the name, a slight smile playing on her lips, “is better than Red Crow.”

Alai held the glass of wine, lowered his head, and his eyes were a little sore.

Outside the tavern, the night was as dark as ink.

The barren grasslands on the south side of the island are quite different from the rest of the island.

There were no noisy taverns, no chaotic streets, and no drunken pirates wallowing in the mud.

Only waist-high wild grass swayed in the night wind, making a rustling sound.

The leaves of those wild grasses are broad with sharp edges, leaving tiny cuts when they scratch the skin.

Tall tropical trees are scattered across the wasteland, their trunks covered with vines and parasitic plants, looking like menacing monsters in the night.

There is no way.

Or rather, there used to be a road, but it has been completely covered by weeds.

Bubuwang walked in the lead, its nose close to the ground, quickly weaving through the grass.

Its white fur was particularly conspicuous in the night, but it was agile enough to skillfully avoid the sharp blades of grass.

Baha flew in mid-air, keeping watch from a high vantage point.

Su Xiao followed behind Bubuwang, the Dragon Slayer Sword hanging at his waist, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding darkness.

Mond strode behind, his eyes wide and burning with excitement.

He lowered his voice, his tone full of anticipation: "An ancient god! I've never seen one in person! I've only ever seen descriptions of them in textbooks!"

Lin Yi's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.

textbook.

Yes, for long-lived races like demons, knowledge about the ancient gods does indeed need to be passed down through textbooks.

After all, while those things were powerful in the void, they were still far inferior to the demon race, so they naturally wouldn't go out of their way to provoke the demon race.

"When we get there later," Lin Yi's voice came through the night breeze, "don't kill them outright."

Mond was taken aback.

"Huh?" He scratched his head, his rugged face full of confusion. "Can't I kill him? Why?"

"We need information."

Mond said "Oh" and nodded vigorously.

"Understood, ask first, then kill."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiao turned her head and glanced at him.

The gaze was calm, but when Mond met it, he felt a chill run down his spine for some reason.

He chuckled awkwardly and lowered his voice, "Just kidding, just kidding, I know what I'm doing."

Bubuwang let out a low growl.

Wang.

It means we've arrived.

Lin Yi stopped and looked ahead.

On the wasteland ahead, the outline of a thatched hut can be vaguely seen.

The thatched hut was small, about twenty square meters, and was built entirely of thatch and wood.

The roof was covered with a thick layer of thatch, some sections of which had collapsed, revealing dark, gaping holes. The walls were made of rough, pieced-together planks, their surfaces covered in moss, and in a few places, mushrooms could even be seen growing from the cracks.

There are no other buildings around the thatched hut.

There was no farmland, no fences, no wells, and not even a path leading out.

It stood there all alone in this wasteland, surrounded by waist-high weeds, like a monster crawling in the darkness, waiting for lost travelers to come to it.

Bubuwang nestled close to Lin Yi's legs and barked softly.

It means: The people in the thatched hut are sleeping.

Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he understood.

Su Xiao took the lead and walked forward.

He walked through the waist-high weeds, stopped in front of the thatched hut, and listened for a few seconds.

Even snoring could be heard coming from inside the thatched hut.

The snoring was heavy, with a sickly dullness, as if something was stuck in his throat.

Su Xiao reached out and pressed her hand on the dilapidated wooden door.

The door was unlocked.

He gave it a gentle push.

crunch--

The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly jarring in the silent night, as if something had been startled awake.

The snoring inside the door stopped abruptly.

Su Xiao stepped into the thatched hut.

He placed the oil lamp on the ground, and its dim light instantly illuminated the small space.

The thatched hut is about ten square meters in size, with a ground made of rammed earth that feels hard but slightly elastic when stepped on.

In the corner were piles of junk and rubbish whose purpose was unclear: broken fishing nets, rusty iron hooks, half a boat oar, and a few empty wine bottles.

The most conspicuous thing is a bed made of withered grass.

There was a person lying on the bed.

He was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with slightly dark skin, a color left by the long-term erosion of sea breeze and sun.

He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of tattered linen trousers.

瘦。

So thin he was skin and bones.

Each rib was clearly visible, and the skin on his chest clung tightly to the bones, rising and falling slowly with his breath.

His upper body was wrapped in tattered strips of cloth, which were covered with dark red stains, dried blood.

His face was sallow, as if he had been painted with cheap paint, his lips were dry and cracked, and his eyes were sunken.

He was lying on the withered grass, his eyes fixed on the doorway, his pupils filled with terror.

His body was trembling slightly.

It wasn't an act; he was genuinely trembling.

Lin Yi followed him into the thatched hut, his gaze falling on the middle-aged man.

Feld.

This is the fanatic that the Black Sea King was talking about.

But his current state is completely unrelated to the word "fanatic".

He lies here, on this pile of withered grass, on the verge of death.

Feld's terrified eyes swept over Lin Yi and Su Xiao, finally landing on the Dragon Slayer sword at Su Xiao's waist.

Although the sword was not drawn, the faint aura of bloodlust already made him sense danger.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a broken, breathy sound came out of his throat.

Su Xiao walked up to him and squatted down, her gaze falling on the tattered strips of cloth wrapped around his body.

The wound was visible beneath the strip of cloth.

He reached out and tore one off.

A putrid stench emanated from the wound.

That was the smell of infected wounds festering and mixed with the stench of blood, permeating the cramped thatched hut.

The wound was about the size of an adult's palm, and the skin around the edges was necrotic, showing a dark purple, rotten appearance.

Deeper in, white bones can be vaguely seen.

The wounds left by lead bullets.

Moreover, it was the kind of infection that became severe if not handled properly.

Su Xiao stood up and looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi stepped forward, squatted down next to Feld, raised his hand, and pressed it against Feld's forehead.

The light of the healing spell fell simultaneously.

Feld's body began to tremble violently.

He felt a warm energy surge into his body from the top of his head, spreading through his blood vessels to his limbs and bones.

The pain that had tormented him for half a month began to lessen under the influence of this energy.

A strange, tingling sensation came from the wound, a signal that the cells were regenerating rapidly.

A few minutes later, Lin Yi withdrew his hand.

Feld lay on the withered grass, panting heavily.

His complexion was no longer the deathly sallow color, but had regained some color.

However, Lin Yi's healing spell was very weak this time. He was only afraid that Feld would die halfway through the questioning, so he did not completely cure Feld.

He struggled to sit up, but as soon as he moved, his body went limp.

Lin Yi looked at him: "Feld?"

Feld paused for a moment, then nodded.

"You have finally arrived."

Feld spoke weakly, his high fever, caused by the dim light and severe inflammation of his wounds, leading him to mistakenly believe that the others were also believers of the ancient gods.

After all, Lin Yi had just treated Feld, and Feld believed that only his own people would do that.

Su Xiao was puzzled for a moment, but after glancing at the blood-stained strips of cloth on Feld's body and the other's trembling body, she immediately guessed that the other party had mistaken her for someone else while having a high fever.

“Felder, you’ve done very well.”

Although Su Xiao didn't know what was going on, she was absolutely certain that praising him would be the best course of action.

"Ok!"

Feld choked up a little. He had suffered a lot, and now that he had been recognized, his satisfaction and pride were written all over his face.

"Come back with me, you're too badly injured."

"No, I haven't finished what Lord Spirit Sacrifice entrusted to me. The pirates here still need me. The goodness in their hearts can surely be awakened."

"You received new guidance?"

"Guidance? Yes, guidance. The god of twilight is guiding me, the night will protect me, I will not die, I will not die."

Feld muttered to himself, unaware that he had already betrayed the ancient god he worshipped. Su Xiao had learned crucial information: the God of Twilight.

"The spirit priest asked me to tell you something."

Although Su Xiao didn't know what the position of 'Spirit Priest' was, judging from what Feld had said before, it was most likely a leader or something similar.

"what?"

After a moment of blankness, Feld, who was in a daze, gently pressed his index finger to his forehead.

“I am ready.”

Feld struggled to sit up.

“Something has happened to Lingji. He only trusts you, so you must return immediately.”

"What's wrong with Lord Spirit Priest?!"

Feld was so excited that he almost fainted from his weakened state.

"he died."

"Impossible! Lord Spirit Priest is a great figure in the Kingdom of Fuinding, how could he be dead, how could he..."

Upon hearing Feld's words, Su Xiao learned an important piece of information: the 'Kingdom of Fuinding'.

Although Feld was not fully conscious, he instinctively concealed the true identity of the 'Spirit Priest,' only saying that the other party was an important figure.

"The cause is the ownership of a gold mine. The kingdom went to war with the Black Sea King three days ago. The Spirit Priest holds a high position in 'Ferdinand,' and he has become the first target of the pirates' assassination. He trusts you, and the others in the 'Ferdinand Kingdom' need you, so you need to go back now."

"me……"

Felder, who was running a high fever, was a little dazed and lightheaded. For the first time, he felt that he was so important.

“I’m going back now. Take me back to Siren Harbor, right now.”

“I am just a fisherman, without skill or ability, even worse than others at catching fish. But God did not despise me; He made me His believer and allowed me to hear His voice. So I want to repay Him; I want to get more people to believe in Him and make His power even stronger.”

As Lin Yi listened to these words, he quickly sorted through the information in his mind.

Feld certainly knows a lot.

Those believers hidden in all levels of society, the influence spread in secret, and that so-called god.

But that was all he knew.

He was merely a tool, a pawn that could be discarded at any time.

He couldn't possibly know the real core information, the secrets held by those high-ranking believers.

Lin Yi stood up and looked at Su Xiao.

Su Xiao nodded, her meaning clear: that's enough questions.

"it is good."

puff.

Mond stood at the doorway, watching this scene, his rugged face filled with complex emotions.

He had expected a fierce battle, that he would see a fanatical cultist rush up and fight them to the death.

The results of it?
The result was seeing a dying fisherman and hearing a tragic story.

Is this over?

He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "These ancient god believers... they're not quite what I expected."

Su Xiao ignored his mutterings.

"The Kingdom of Fuinding, Siren Harbor, Spirit Ritual, the God of Twilight." This was the last place Feld mentioned, and also the location of the church. It's highly likely that the other party knows the location of the Ancient God.

Su Xiao stepped out of the thatched hut. As soon as he left, flames began to rise, and soon the raging fire engulfed the hut. (End of Chapter)