Chapter 770: Echoes of the Silent Chapel

After exchanging a glance with his family, Lu Xin stepped forward, inching closer to the church.

In this chilling small town, the church was unusually silent compared to the frenzied, violent townsfolk. It seemed to be the sole place devoid of any living soul. Yet as he approached, Lu Xin could feel countless invisible ghosts and shadows swirling around him, as if they were theatrically orbiting his very being.

He could even sense their faces brushing against his nose with shrill cries, and the chilling scratch of fingernails along the back of his neck.

But Lu Xin ignored them as he calmly walked to the church, paused for a moment, and then raised his hand…

…to knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock…

He gently rapped on the church’s creaky, half-open wooden door and politely asked:

“Is anyone there?”

…

…

At the very moment the knocking resounded, all the phantom shadows vanished as though frightened away.

Yet Lu Xin stood serenely in front of the door.

His knocking was soft and his inquiry courteous.

After all, Mom had taught him to approach with respect before force.

As he knocked, he noticed even his Father’s shadow trembling with nervous energy. Normally, his father exuded an imposing aura that could swallow a whole city in a heartbeat, but now, facing this tiny, decrepit church on the verge of collapse, he appeared uncharacteristically timid.

Inside, there was no response.

After a brief pause, Lu Xin gently raised his hand and pushed the door open.

“Squeak…”

The rough hinges emitted a sharp creak as the cold wind surged in behind the opening door.

Lu Xin took a deep breath and stepped inside.

He observed the modest interior of the church.

The small church contained only a dozen or so empty chairs, arranged in compact rows within the lobby.

Further ahead stood a statue of a deity, its upper half swallowed by darkness and its head drooping to the left like a soul in despair.

There was no electricity inside; only three or four short rows of white candles illuminated the space under the statue.

As the wind from outside blew in, the flames flickered wildly, casting disordered light all around.

Lu Xin’s gaze wandered until it landed on the sole occupant of the church.

An elderly man, clad in missionary garb with hair turned silver, sat quietly on the third row of benches, his head bowed in prayer.

After catching sight of him, Lu Xin shifted his view toward the statue.

Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noted the peculiar appearance of the statue…

…it had no facial features.

It was unmistakably an idol without a face.

The old man, dressed like a missionary, sat alone in the empty church, praying before the faceless statue.

…

…

“So it is you…”

Before Lu Xin could decide how to address the solitary missionary, a voice filled with resentment suddenly sounded from behind him.

It was Father.

He had quickly followed Lu Xin inside and soon caught sight of the old man’s back.

In an instant, his eyes blazed with seething hatred.

The black shadow by his side swirled crazily, like a cloak whipped up by a furious storm.

Lu Xin could even feel the palpable aura of hatred radiating from him, pouring relentlessly toward the old man.

“After thirty years, to think you’d still be clinging to life…”

“After you betrayed me, ambushed me, usurped my power, and sullied my reputation, did you ever imagine I’d come for you?”

…

Once Father began his roar, his anger could not be contained – it was as if he were unleashing a street brawl.

“Were you ambushed by him?”

Lu Xin filtered out Father’s curses; within his words, an intriguing secret emerged.

It sparked a sudden curiosity about his Father’s past.

“Of course it was him…”

Hearing Lu Xin’s words, Father promptly turned to him, his tone thick with anger: “It was that despicable fellow who ambushed me…”

“Otherwise, how could those humans have undermined my abilities and trapped me?”

…

“I…”

Father’s roar shook the entire church, as if the structure might collapse: “I was once the King of the Night…”

“It was his ambush that turned me into the Night Prisoner!”

…

“King…”

Lu Xin was taken aback; he had not realized that even the code for the Thirteen Ultimate concealed such subtle nuances.

Once, his Father had embraced the title of a nocturnal king. What kind of being was he back then?

And why would someone so exalted be ambushed, stripped of honor, and reduced to a prisoner?

Looking at it from another angle, what sort of entity was this missionary to have the capability to strike Father down?

…

…

“I never expected you’d be hiding here…”

At that moment of curiosity, Mom sighed softly and entered the church.

She glanced at the elderly man facing the faceless statue, her expression tinged with melancholy, and after a pause she whispered:

“When we first descended, you were the first to recognize your identity – the very first to know what needed to be done. We all believed you would become the most influential Ultimate, perhaps even ascend to a new throne…”

“But I never imagined you’d end up hiding here, reduced to what you are now…”

…

Lu Xin, curious, looked toward Mom.

Her words seemed to hide many secrets of the past.

“Sigh…”

The old man, who had remained silent amid Father’s furious diatribe, exhaled a long, heavy sigh upon hearing Mom’s words. Slowly, he turned and said, “Hiding here might just be the one decision I made right.”

“Hmm?”

When Lu Xin saw the old man’s face, he couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.

His face was in constant flux.

Sometimes it appeared as that of a weeping infant, then a numb woman, a sorrowful girl, a remorseful boy, at times laced with a chilling irritability or a fierce hatred – countless expressions all overlapping on one face.

It seemed they changed without pause, yet there was an unchanging core amidst the fluctuation.

Seeing him, Lu Xin felt he hadn’t truly grasped the man’s true self.

The only impression was of profound weakness and age.

Even when his face resembled that of a toothless infant, it conveyed an impossibly ancient aura.

“You…”

Seeing the old man’s condition, Father hesitated briefly before regaining a measure of composure.

Mom looked at him in surprise, then after a long, thoughtful gaze, sighed softly:

“No wonder, before our arrival, she even set three conditions so that we wouldn’t harm you…”

“I never expected you to be so feeble now…”

…

After a brief pause, she furrowed her brows in curiosity and said, “A proud fire-thief, an Ultimate in pursuit of truth…”

“When you were the first to descend and recognize your existence, why are you so weakened now?”

…

“Fire-Thief?”

Lu Xin’s eyes narrowed. This aged missionary was apparently one of the Thirteen Ultimate – the Fire-Thief?

Yet from his appearance, it was hard to associate him with such a supreme title.

Before he turned, the impression he gave was that of a living man rather than a spectral being.

“Probably because I’ve been ensnared by endless conundrums…”

The elderly missionary – or rather, the Fire-Thief – did not hide his truth as he replied softly.

“And you?”

Then he lifted his gaze to Mom and softly asked, “Kuimeng, have you found the right destiny?”

“Kuimeng?”

Lu Xin’s heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but glance back at Mom.

At that moment, Mom’s expression was tinged with sorrow, yet there was no sign of her identity being exposed.

Her sadness reminded him of the melancholy she once mentioned about the Sword-Bearer, though this carried something deeper.

It surpassed the sorrow of the past.

After a long silence, she shook her head slightly and said,

“I’ve concluded one thing: there is no singular, correct destiny – every crossroad holds its own justification…”

“However…”

After a pause, she turned to Lu Xin, her eyes softening as she said, “I truly have found mine.”

…

…

As Mom looked at Lu Xin, the aged Fire-Thief returned her gaze.

A gentle smile appeared in his eyes as he softly said, “Hello.”

Lu Xin paused in surprise, then nodded politely at the old man and replied, “Hello.”

The old man’s smile deepened, and he suddenly said, “If in this world you had to choose the most important thing…”

“Then what would you pick?”

…

“?”

The unexpected question caught Lu Xin off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He glanced at Mom, searching for a hint of an expected answer, but she remained silent, content to let him answer on his own.

Thus, after a moment of careful thought, Lu Xin looked up at the old man and softly replied, “Life.”

…

The old man’s question left little room for further explanation.

So, Lu Xin’s reply was brief.

In truth, he had much more he wished to express.

For instance, the desire to live a dignified and prosperous life in an orderly, civilized world.

Or to enjoy a relaxed life in a realm where everyone was happy, free, and safe – spending money wisely or earning it with honor.

Such a life required order, civilization, and universal joy and freedom.

Even if it wasn’t perfect, it at least provided direction:

“With effort I could become rich, and without it, I wouldn’t starve on the streets.”

These were the lessons the Old Director had repeatedly shared about life during the Pre-Civilization Era.

…

…

Lu Xin’s answer was simple, as if those two words could hardly capture his complete meaning.

Yet the old man seemed to understand, nodding with a smile.

Then he turned to Mom and said, “I never expected Kuimeng – the seeker of fates – to choose such a plain, unadorned life.”

Mom replied coolly, “Ambition is dangerous; it leads to trouble and can hurt the innocent.”

The old man pondered for a moment and smiled, “Indeed.”

As he spoke, he rose to his feet.

Only then did his gaze shift over Father and to the Sister carrying a small gray backpack.

A hint of a smile danced in his eyes as he approached the statue and opened a hidden compartment beneath it.

Inside, a faint outline revealed a black box, from which a thick darkness emanated.

“That is mine…”

Seeing the box, Father’s throat emitted a suppressed, fervent roar.

“So, come on…”

The old man stood silently before the box, his hands naturally clasped in front of him as he smiled at Lu Xin and his family.

At that moment, the church erupted into a frenzied roar, as if a beast from a realm perilously close to ours had unleashed a scream that scrambled the mind.

In the midst of that madness, the old man’s voice rang out calmly and resolutely:

“Let me see if you have the strength to reclaim it.”