In the name of the true god

Chapter 114 The Ascetic Retreat (Bonus chapter for the 'Kind and Amiable Teacher Zhang' Alliance Leader)

"How is it?" In the eerie space where black and white meet, Edmund, wearing a fleece-lined coat, asked about Jude's future.

Jude said with a hint of exasperation, "Why didn't you do as I suggested?"

Edmund was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening: "I'm still dead?"

"Yes! Nothing has changed in the future!"

Edmund's usual faint smile faded:

"Sorry, I don't know what happened either."

Jude vented his dissatisfaction slightly before calming down.

It will be nearly seven years and six months before Edmund is arrested by Leonard.

During this period, unexpected situations may arise at any time that could disrupt their plans.

It's pointless to question Edmund now.

only----

He was still somewhat angry.

How strong is Edmund's execution ability?

It can be seen from Vincent Monroe's waiting and from the tunnels of the heresy prison.

How could someone who is so reliable be so indifferent to matters of life and death?

“I went to my brother and Vincent Monroe to inquire about the past,” Jude reiterated to Edmund. “They said you disappeared for more than half a year in the year 426 of the Divine Calendar, and then disbanded everyone in the year 427 of the Divine Calendar.”

"I—" Edmund didn't know how to answer.

"Later, Leonard captured many implicated wizards and resonance sorcerers. He used these people as bait to deliberately lure you into a rescue. You were ambushed alone and eventually captured."

"That's something I can do—" Edmund said softly.

Jude earnestly advised, "You are clearly a person with a long-term vision. Since you knew it was a trap, you shouldn't have obediently jumped in."

"Since you have such a long-term vision, there must be a reason for disbanding the organization. Can you find a way to find out the truth about this?" Edmund asked.

"I'm checking. I'll let you know as soon as I have any information." Jude nodded impatiently.

"You should have been rotated to the Heretic Ward by now, right? How's it going? Any tunnels?" Edmund didn't dwell on his own affairs, but instead inquired about Jude's situation.

When the topic came up, Jude's expression finally softened: "Yes."

"real?"

"Really. You did it. The rescue will take place late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Avoiding a direct confrontation with the priests and prison guards, there should be no further casualties."

Edmund smiled, a weight lifted from his shoulders: "I never imagined I could help so many people in the future. Thank you."

"Why thank me? This whole thing was truly made possible by you." Jude didn't shamelessly claim all the credit. "Let's get back to your story. How are you doing?"

Edmund's smile widened: "The Elliott City Heavy Prison is heavily guarded, and I haven't acted rashly yet. However, according to the information in the brochure, I've already helped five implicated wizards and resonance sorcerers evade the Church's pursuit. Now that we have enough manpower, we can plan a prison break."

Jude felt a little relieved of the knot in his heart.

Except for Edmund's inevitable demise, everything else is going well.

This, to some extent, proves that both the past and the present can be changed.

There is still hope for Edmund.

"Jude, could you tell me more about my story?" Edmund asked. "I want to know what else I did during those eight years besides being arrested and executed."

"You—" Jude recalled the earth-shattering prophecy, "When you were publicly executed, you foretold the future in front of tens of thousands of people."

"Predicting the future?" Edmund narrowed his eyes. "Could this be a power of the third level of the Law of Contact?"

"You said that the gods worshipped by the four holy churches are all false gods, and that the only true God will descend to earth in the year 450 of the Christian calendar to kill the true heretics."

"False gods? True gods?" Edmund muttered to himself, then his eyes lit up. "That makes perfect sense—the priests' elemental power comes from the four gods, and our laws of contact and similarity should also originate from some mysterious being. Since they claim we are heretics," we can certainly consider them heretics as well."

Jude seemed to be deep in thought.

Edmund's logic is not problematic.

But—if the laws of contact and similarity were also given to them by another god, then where is that god now?

Even if they are truly henchmen of the "evil god," shouldn't the "evil god" at least offer some revelation to guide them?

It also endows it with power.

And they neither inquired nor cared.

What is this?

"Your words have enlightened me." Edmund's eyes became even brighter. "Our struggle against the Holy Church is not necessarily about securing a chance for ourselves to live with dignity. If the four Holy Churches are truly worshipping false gods, then we must not only vindicate ourselves, but also exterminate those false gods."

Jude had a bad feeling after hearing this.

Edmund declared on his deathbed that the God worshipped by the Holy Church was a false god. Could it be because of what Edmund himself had told him?

Given the ambiguous cause and effect of Evelyn Monroe's imprisonment, it's not entirely impossible that this possibility exists.

"Ahem—" Jude had to emphasize, "We'd better not jump to conclusions about this kind of thing without solid evidence."

"But it really makes a lot of sense."

"I know----"

"False god—" Edmund seemed to have a sudden realization and fell into deep thought.

Jude reluctantly rummaged through his memory and added a few more details: "Also, I learned that the second major level of the Law of Similarity is called simulation." He continued, "I'll tell you more after I ask Guild Master Frost for details. If you encounter any Resonance Mages, you can share this with them."

"False God————"

"Edmund!"

"Um?"

Jude repeated his words.

"Simulation? Interesting—" Edmund quickly analyzed the difference, "Imitation is like focusing on the result, while simulation is like focusing on the process."

process?

Jude pondered this further: "So 'simulation' is a form of resonant behavior?"

"Perhaps," Edmund said, not entirely sure. "You'll know once you've asked Frost."

"Um."

"Speaking of which, they'll definitely be the focus of a manhunt after the prison break, so the only way to ensure their safety is to temporarily leave Montorus. What about you?"

Should we go with them, or stay behind? Edmund put aside the question of "true gods" and "false gods" for the time being.

I want to stay.

"Do you have any other plans?"

"Hmm—" Jude thought for a moment, "The main thing is that I won't expose my identity during this prison break. Escaping with them would put me at a disadvantage. Besides, the fat wizard's identity still needs to be investigated. Staying in the capital will definitely provide more opportunities for investigation than hiding outside."

"Indeed," Edmund agreed with Jude's idea. "Stay."

Jude stretched: "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Not at the moment. What about you?"

"Probably not."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Edmund will be busy for at least the next three or four months, thanks to the information in the booklet.

With Jude and the others' rescue operation concluded, life would return to normal. Without urgent tasks, they could immerse themselves entirely in studying the laws of contact and similarity.

Edmund.

"What's wrong?"

It is unknown when the mysterious space will suddenly close.

Jude could only seize the moment and solemnly said, "Remember what I said, Leonard will hunt you down for three whole years. During those three years, you will always find an opportunity to ambush him. If you can kill him, you must kill him."

"I will," Edmund agreed.

"Repeat my words."

"If we can kill him, we must kill him."

"Very good," Jude said sincerely. "I hope that after leaving the mystical space, we can meet again in reality."

Edmund knew it would be a disappointment, but he still asked, "What if I still die?"

Jude's expression turned serious.

This is the last thing he wants to see, but it is indeed possible.

"It's alright. Even if I die, I will give it my all." Jude cut off Edmund's words of comfort, and said in an unquestionable tone, "There are still more than seven years left. We can definitely turn the tide."

"Hehe—" Edmund wanted to say "Just do your best," but what came out was gratitude, "Thank you."

October 12, 448 (Monday), 2:28 AM.

Wangdu Heavy Prison, Special Cell Block Building, Temporary Rest Room for Prison Guards.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Colin, the "vain guy," was snoring loudly.

Jude put down the newspaper somewhat dejectedly.

He went through his memories.

Edmund's death did not change anything —

He was still arrested by Leonard himself in May of the same year, 427 of the Divine Calendar, and was publicly executed three months later in the square of the Kingdom of Florence.

Still not listening to what I said?

Shouldn't.

Edmund knew how to prioritize.

Is that still an irreversible, predetermined outcome?

very good--

"At worst, we can work backward from the answer to find a way that would allow Edmund to survive!"

Whether it's a faked death or something else.

As long as I can survive.

"You, you, you all want to know the mystery of death, but, but if, if, you don't seek it within life, how, how, can you, you, you find it? The owl's night eyes are blind in the daytime; it, it, it, cannot see through the mysteries of the light. If, if, you truly wish to understand the soul of death, then, then, open your, your heart to the flesh of life. For, because life and death are one, just as rivers, rivers, rivers and seas originate from the same source—"

(Note 1)

The poet Anders' recitation reached Jude's ears.

He turned his head to look.

Life and death are one —

Rivers and seas share the same origin —

Very insightful.

At seven o'clock in the morning, it was time to empty the sewage buckets again.

Jude arrived at the heretics' section, squatted down in front of Vincent Monroe's cell, and pulled back the partition: "Need to empty the sludge bucket?"

"I don't know why Edmund claimed that the gods worshipped by the four holy churches are false gods. But he must have his reasons for saying that." To make sure they didn't miss the meeting, Vincent Monroe stayed up all night, his eyes now dull with exhaustion. "As for where the others went after the disbandment—some returned to their hometowns, some joined the holy churches, and some—they established different organizations, or continued to fight against the churches, or changed their way of life."

The destinations of these people are all within reason.

Only————

"What does it mean to live a different way?" Jude couldn't understand.

"There is an organization composed entirely of entanglement wizards who claim to have seen through the mysteries of the Law of Contact and have devoted their lives to deciphering causality."

Can you see through the law of contact?

Deciphering cause and effect?

Jude, deeply troubled by the concepts of "time" and "cause and effect," became intrigued. Ignoring the fact that he might be lingering too long outside the cell, he quickly pressed on, asking, "How do they view the law of contact? How do they view cause and effect? ​​And where are they now?"

"I don't know—I'm a Resonance Mage, and I haven't had much contact with them since Edmund disbanded everyone—" Vincent Monroe wasn't very knowledgeable about the Law of Contact, "but I've heard of their organization's name since then."

"What's your name?"

"The Ascetic Society".

7:30 in the morning.

After finishing his shift, Jude, who intended to keep his distance from Allen, did not forget Chairman Frost's instructions and went to Connor's office alone to ask Connor for a floor plan of the Royal Capital Heavy Prison.

Connor was unusually cooperative in finding him a picture, and took the opportunity to subtly inquire about the progress of their rescue plan.

Jude considered that no further cooperation from Connor was needed in this matter, and that Connor should not show any abnormality during this sensitive period, so he simply told him to do what he needed to do recently.

Go home.

President Frost was already waiting in the living room.

If Jude hadn't known that the Divine Descent Society was about to leave the capital, he would have been planning to give Frost a key to his own house: "President, map."

"Thank you for your hard work. Please tell your brother how much you appreciate it." President Frost took the map and immediately began to examine it.

"President." The words "Ascetic Society" kept flashing through Jude's mind.

"What's wrong?" President Frost asked, looking up.

"Have you ever heard of an organization made entirely of sorcerers called the Penitent Order?"

"The Penitent Society?" President Frost's eyes shifted almost imperceptibly. "You've had contact with them?"

Jude shook his head: "No, it was Vincent Monroe, who is in prison, who told me."

Why is he telling you this?

"I'd like to know if there are any other organizations besides the Descent of Gods."

President Frost mistakenly thought Jude wanted to seek refuge in another organization after the Descent of Gods left: "It's understandable to stick together for warmth, but you'd better not set your sights on the Penitentiary."

Jude's curiosity grew even stronger: "Why?"

"Those people are a bunch of complete lunatics." A hint of disgust appeared on President Frost's face.

madman--

Could it be that he went astray while studying the law of contact and causality?

"Have you ever seen a fool who deliberately seeks trouble?" President Frost asked himself, answering, "That's the kind of person you find in the Penitentiary."

Note 1: Kahlil Gibran, *The Prophet: On Death*

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