Forge a path to success

Chu Hengkong entered the church and saw the indistinct statue of the deity. Several of the benches prepared for the worshippers were missing, and there were still traces on the ground where he had dragged the benches. He went to the basement, found the long table where he had eaten, and entered a guest room, where he saw small ornaments made of grass and pebbles placed on the bedside table and desk.

Everything was exactly as they had left, except that the monks who had been in the church were missing.

Chu Hengkong walked back to the first floor of the church, just as the heavy wooden door opened. A man dressed as a priest emerged from the darkness, nodding and smiling at the two of them.

“We meet again, Chu Hengkong,” Bernfa said.

Chapter 184 The Duties of the Funeral Director

“It has been a long time since we last met, and it would be only right and proper for me to treat you to a meal… However, I still have work to do.” Bernhard remained as calm and composed as ever. “If you are not in a hurry, please wait in the church for a while.”

“I’m also very interested in your work,” Chu Hengkong said. “Would you mind if I observed?”

“It’s alright.” Bernfar turned around. “Please come with me.”

The settlement had three routes leading out: to the west was the arena, to the south was the sealed-off Misty Forest, and further north was the battlefield leading to the Nightmare Capital. Bernfar didn't take the main road, but instead headed east. They climbed several layers of walled steps, then descended along a hidden green path until the dense foliage thinned, and the wind carried the salty scent of the sea.

To the east of the settlement lies a desolate beach. The illusory waves crash against the sand, creating endless, meaningless echoes. The rising tide surges onto the shore, submerging the blank tombstones. Unburied bodies lie scattered in the distance, draped in white sheets, silently awaiting their own funeral.

“They’re all newly built,” Van der said in a low voice. “These people haven’t been dead for long.”

The tombstones stood densely packed together, like a dike formed by the dead. So many dead that they could fill almost half the settlement, and the villagers realized this was why the settlement was so empty.

Bernhard picked up a shovel and began to work. He quickly dug a grave of suitable size, buried the body, then moved the prepared stone slabs, secured the soil, built the tomb, and erected a blank inscription. After doing all this, he opened the Book of Requiem and recited scriptures to pray for the deceased.

There were no bells or churches by the sea, and it wasn't a formal "funeral," but Bernhard still conducted himself with solemnity and dignified composure, conveying a deep respect for the deceased. Chu Heng imagined that if this man were on Earth, he would be very popular, and Western families would befriend him, hoping to have him officiate their or their family's funerals in the future.

After repeating the same process seven times, Bernfar released the fog of history, separating the unburied corpses from reality. He sat on the rocks and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the dust.

“I’m a bit tired after a day of work,” he explained. “If I’m not focused, I’m more likely to make mistakes during the funeral. The rest of the burials will have to wait until tomorrow.”

"It's impolite to leave people lying on the beach waiting," Vande said, making a rude remark.

"This is arguably the most important event of one's life. At this point, people don't mind waiting; they just want to get things done well."

They remained silent for a moment, listening to the waves crashing against the desolate sand. A cold wind blew across the shore, its mournful sound like the weeping of an abandoned child.

As the wind blew past the wordless tombstone, Chu Hengkong suddenly felt something leave. That thing was lighter than the wind and colder than the sea. It rode the wind and drifted away from this land, and the sound of the wind calmed down, fading into the distance with the sound of the waves, like the murmur of a huge child in his sleep.

He realized that the dead would not become ghosts, because they were dead.

Bernfar gazed at the waves, seemingly lost in thought.

"When the settlement was still known as Volcaso, they would bury the dead on the beach, hoping the tide would carry their souls away. The locals believed that after death they would embark on a new journey; those who did good deeds would drift to a peaceful and tranquil place, while those who did evil would be drawn into battle and suffer hardship," Bernfa said. "This custom has been passed down to the present day, and being buried on the coast is the greatest hope of the warriors."

"Does the dead have souls?" Chu Hengkong asked. "I'm not talking about Qi Su's kind of soul. I mean... what happens after 'death'."

“No. Once you’re dead, you’re dead. Nothing remains,” Vande replied dryly.

“Vander is right… If we were in Yingshi Town, I would have answered that way.” Bernfar said thoughtfully, “But you and I have both seen people come back from the dead. Like the sniper from your hometown, who came to other Dust Isles after his death. His resurrection is a phenomenon I don’t understand either.”

He flipped through the Book of Revelation from beginning to end, seemingly still without finding the answer. Then Bernhard laughed softly.

"I think neither of us should make too many pronouncements about the 'afterlife.' The mystery of life and death is the domain of the divine, and we should all maintain reverence, fear, and acceptance."

Chu Hengkong nodded, not pursuing the matter further. He changed the subject: "You are a heretic of death."

“That’s what you call me,” Bernfar replied casually.

"Then why don't you come and kill me?"

Vande let out a silent wail, thinking to himself, "Damn it, how can this idiot have such a foul mouth!" Yes, anyone with eyes can see that Bernhard is a heretic of death, but the atmosphere is okay right now and we don't have any mortal feuds. Wouldn't it be better to just tacitly let it pass, laugh it off, and go back to have some late-night snacks and sleep?

Why did he have to bring up the very thing he didn't want to talk about... and even specifically reminded him that it was time to get to work! This is a proper Bone-Praying cultivator, not some weakling like a Soul-Losing cultivator. If Bernfa were to tear off his face and start swinging his Residual Light Fist at us in the next second, what would become of us? We'd be lucky to find a new grave on the east coast of the settlement, buried on the spot and waiting to die!

Bernfa tapped his knee with his fingers, looking like he was deep in thought.

“Initially, I did act for this purpose,” he said slowly. “However, after arriving in this desolate wilderness, I had to abandon my original plans.”

"Why?" Chu Hengkong raised an eyebrow.

“There are far too many lives here that should have died but remain,” Bernfar said. “Naturally, you and Ji Huaisu, who have escaped death several times, are among them. The sniper is also one who escaped death, and Qingxia's existence goes without saying…”

But the messengers of the Nightmare City are also remnants of the dead, and the very existence of the Nightmare King, resurrected from the dead, is a profound mockery of fate.

“My duty is not to kill, but to uphold destiny. How can I be qualified to choose the ‘order’ to maintain?” Bernfar shook his head. “If your deaths cause lives in the community that should not have died to die, how can I say that I am upholding destiny, rather than committing evil in the name of God?”

He was a monk, and should have been helping all beings to resolve their troubles and find refuge in destiny. Yet at this moment, Bernfa was lost in confusion.

He had to reflect on his actions because he had made a mistake. The plan was simple: ask Vansalal to deal with Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu, and the course of fate would be corrected. The Nightmare King wouldn't harm ordinary people; it only cared about the "heroes" who interested it. Minimizing harm was the optimal strategy, a strategy even destiny itself approved.

He mistakenly believed that he could understand the character of the gods through records, and that the gods would act according to the predictions of fate. The moment Olek arrived in Golden Leaf City, the situation was completely out of his control.

Innocent people, unrelated to fate, died because of Olek's actions. Those who should have died survived this series of rampages. Just like Vansalal's mockery, the funeral procession, in trying to correct one mistake, always causes more deviations. He must carefully consider his next move, so as not to betray himself and the gods.

Chu Hengkong sneered: "To be confused in the face of a goal, it seems your faith in God is not devout enough."

“If one’s heart is devout and there are no worries, then all living beings should just believe in God.”

"Don't you have a destiny to guide you?" Chu Hengkong raised an eyebrow, "telling you who deserves to die and how."

"To think you can control your destiny is incredibly foolish!" Bernfar said thoughtfully. "I don't intend to interfere in your battle for now. There are still many souls on this land who need me..."

Let's meet again after work.

Chu Hengkong watched the cultivator walk away without saying a word. Fan De poked his head out of his pocket, his heart pounding: "Dude, seriously, can we not be so reckless next time? Life is precious, it's not worth it."

“It’s not in Yingshi Town anymore,” Chu Hengkong said. “Bern has revealed his identity. With an outsider with unclear goals by your side, who would dare to make a move? We need to figure out his attitude before deciding on our next step.”

“That’s true…” Vande scratched his head, “But what if a fight really breaks out?”

"It's not like he's fighting alone," Chu Hengkong raised his voice. "The knights protecting the settlement won't just let him run rampant!"

The sound of light footsteps came from behind, and long, blood-red hair flowed through the gaps in the leaves. Qingxia walked down the steps, leaving two hoofprints on the beach.

"You didn't listen to me again." Qingxia smiled.

"Because I don't trust you," Chu Hengkong said bluntly. "You've saved me many times along the way, and you've kept many things from me. Now that it's just the few of us, let's lay it all out."

"Okay." Qingxia sat down next to him. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened during the last counterattack?" Chu Hengkong stared intently at her.

"Well... it's not exactly something to be proud of," Qingxia said, looking at the nameless graves. "Do you know what the sacred pillars used to look like?"

"The Holy Pillar of the past was much larger than it is now, like a pillar of light reaching to the sky. It is a treasure left behind by the Knight King. Within the Holy Pillar's range, even warriors who are not Ascended can fight against heretics."

Every counterattack we launched relied on the protection of the Holy Pillar, and the 34th was no exception. It was the closest we ever came to victory in the war. Under Grandpa's rule, the settlement had recuperated and nurtured a group of powerful warriors. Among the newcomers was a powerful martial artist named Hun Xingzhe, whose skills were comparable to yours.

We devised a plan with Commander Chongming to divert some of the envoys, and then unleashed our once-in-a-lifetime secret technique: a desperate last stand. I and Hunxingzhe led the warriors in a direct assault on the Nightmare Capital. We were almost victorious; we had already reached the throne of Vansalal!

“But right at that moment, the sacred pillar went out.” Qingxia lowered her gaze. “You can’t imagine what that scene was like.”

He could imagine it. He had seen similar scenes before. Back in the final battle to defend Huilong City, the totem of leisure gave the team members the strength to fight against the enemy and helped the city survive the final crisis.

But what if that power suddenly disappears, what if the united people are suddenly betrayed, exposed to the heretics in their weakest state...?

"The warriors lost their protection and were killed on the spot by the heretics. The Wanderer also reached the boundary and had no choice but to head to the upper levels. I couldn't understand it at all and desperately rushed back to the settlement. It turned out that, just at that moment, a newcomer arrived in the wilderness... He took advantage of the chaos when the settlement's elite forces were all out and stole the core of the Holy Pillar. Our counterattack failed just like that!"

Qingxia smiled, as if she were talking about something unrelated to herself: "But things can't end like this! If that thief gets away, how am I supposed to face everyone who died? So when he used the power of the Holy Pillar to leave, I mustered my strength and followed him. I drifted along his scent all the way to a place called Golden Leaf City."

“I had to kill that person, and I had to bring back the power of the Sacred Pillar. But I couldn’t touch the Sacred Pillar. And Wu He hired powerful bodyguards to guard against my pursuit. To be honest, even I felt hopeless at that time!” Qingxia stared straight at him. “Fortunately, I was very lucky. There happened to be a Stone Seed in Jinye City. I heard my grandfather say that it could help us. I then discovered that Jinye City and the wilderness were connected. Just at that time, another group of powerful people came to this city…”

Qingxia said with a smile, "You know what happened after that!"

Chu Heng clenched his fist, then relaxed it. Vande instinctively sensed something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He heard the assassin say, "You knew all along that Vansalar might come to Golden Leaf City."

"Ah."

“You know that Wu He possesses the power of a knight.”

"Yes."

"You know about the underground ruins."

"It was discovered on the first day."

"Then you already knew what would happen in the end."

“Of course.” Qingxia smiled brightly. “I completely understand that piece of trash. I know it will drag you all into the wilderness because it loves people like you!”

“Even if we could retrieve the Stone Seed, the settlement would be doomed. That’s why I helped you survive, that’s why I went to save you when you went berserk, that’s why I deliberately kept everything from you. It was all so that you could enter the Wilderness of Despair and fight the Nightmare King with me.”

She spoke freely, revealing her long-held thoughts and the motives behind the many strange actions in Jinye City. She sat down in front of Chu Hengkong with her arms outstretched, completely unguarded, her face bearing her usual sweet smile.

“That’s it, I’m done,” Qingxia said. “You can hit me now.”

Chu Hengkong punched her in the face.

Chapter 185 Untrustworthy

The punch was so powerful that Qingxia fell sideways into the sand. Her beautiful face was covered in white sand like bone ash, and blood dripped from her lips.

Chu Hengkong withdrew his fist, his anger still lingering. Qingxia propped herself up, waited a moment, and then laughed, "Won't you hit me a few more times?"

"That's enough," the assassin said irritably.

“You can use a knife if you want, but please don’t go too far,” Qingxia continued. “A fight could break out here at any moment, and I need to be ready—”

"I've said enough!" Chu Hengkong roared, his voice so loud that even he was surprised.

Qingxia's eyes widened, as if she were frightened.

"Why do you think I'm angry?" he pressed, though he hadn't intended to get so worked up.

"I've put you in danger—"

"Who the hell cares about danger?" Vande screamed. Even it was angry, baring its teeth and brandishing its claws like a little monster. "You didn't consider anyone else at all!"

"If your settlement was in such a terrible state, you should have told us in the first place!" the assassin roared. "Then come and ask me for help! Ask us to help you get revenge! But you didn't even consider that possibility. You hid everything until it was too late. You could have solved the problem in a better way, but you chose to exploit it!"

“I don’t care how dangerous this place is, but I care about others! Your manipulation has dragged my companions into the wilderness as well!”

"Now you've got what you wanted; we're on the same side. But how can I trust someone who intended to use us from the very first glance?" he pressed aggressively. "How can I entrust my back to you?!"

Chu Hengkong stopped, forcing himself to calm down. He hadn't originally intended to say so much; such a long, emotional outburst wasn't his style. But in front of Qingxia, he always found it difficult to control his emotions, just like his previous panic and current anger.

Qingxia froze. Her eyes held anger, panic, and helplessness. She resembled a beast about to roar after being offended, or a child being scolded. Chu Hengkong suddenly realized that she wasn't as mature as she appeared; perhaps no one had ever reprimanded her so harshly before, leaving her unsure how to respond.

Finally, she lowered her head, her smile faded, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Apologize for what? Me? You saved my life twice, what right do I have to accept your apology?

“Go tell Ji Huaisu,” he said. “Go apologize to Qingye. Gulibo, Shizhong, even Shakes. Don’t tell me.”

He wanted to say that Qingxia should have told the truth much earlier, but frustration was like a stone stuck in his throat, blocking all his words. No one has the right to assume "should" as a premise. They met by chance in a foreign land, and it was only natural to sit idly by and do nothing, but to lend a helping hand would be an immense favor.

That concludes this topic; there's nothing more to say here.

Chu Heng abruptly changed the subject: "What did you originally want me to do?"

"Ah..." Qingxia finally realized, "That...it's not important. Let's talk about it another time."

The assassin turned and headed towards the settlement. Qingxia remained motionless for a long time, sitting alone on the beach where she was all alone.

"How am I supposed to apologize to so many people?" she muttered to herself. "I've never learned how..."

The wind, which should have gone far away, blew back again, howling past the wordless tombstone, reminding her of the soldiers' past laughter.

·

When I returned to the small building, Qingye was doing her bedtime warm-up exercises. She was hanging upside down from the roof beam like a bat, with her hands behind her head, using only her waist strength to sit up little by little, her body extremely flexible.

Ji Huaisu fiddled with a jade pendant, a relic of Wu He. Among the tribe's warriors was a skilled individual capable of opening spatial artifacts; she had deciphered this artifact while Chu Hengkong was out. She casually flipped through a notebook, her expression not very pleasant.

"That bastard is a beast." Ji Huaisu slammed his notebook on the table.

Chu Hengkong picked up the notebook, glanced at it, and his already unpleasant mood worsened.

"...Damn it! We fled the front lines and ended up in the fog. I knew the Black Moon's guidance couldn't be trusted! These heretics are a pile of filth; once you get even a little bit on them, you can never get rid of them. They were truly bewitched when they insisted on researching Black Blood back then."

I made up some excuse to fool those idiots and calm them down... Finding power above the Second Abyss would allow escape, but it's not that easy! I might as well treat this logbook as my will, damn it!

The following pages are filled with Wu He's scribbled complaints, but when you turn the page again, the notes suddenly become neat and tidy, revealing his cheerful disposition.

The initial findings of this exploration are as follows:

Honeydew Fruit: Level 3, replenishes vitality and prolongs life.

Blind Bird Egg: Level 2, strengthens bones and muscles, promotes strength absorption.

Massila Vine: Level 4, grows faster when hit, an excellent material for armor.

Void Sand: Level 6, solidified 'quiet void', remnants of the passing of the Void Angel.