“Then did you achieve salvation by believing in that so-called Earth Mother?” the Old Divine Official, whose face looked increasingly aged but whose mind was becoming more agile, asked in turn. “Just because she let you know you were merely a fake person?”
His words were sharp, piercing directly into the heart without reservation.
He was merely transferring the mental impact Liu Sheng had just inflicted upon him to Dawn.
Fortunately, Dawn Priest already knew about this matter. She exchanged a glance with Liu Sheng and slowly said, “Whether it’s real or fake no longer matters. I don’t care anymore. As long as I exist now, then I am real.”
“The Earth Mother Divine Official at least told me the truth, letting me know that what I was struggling with and suspecting was indeed true, so I no longer live in self-deceiving falsehood. She also bestowed upon me the ability to think. From that moment on, I truly began to live; I truly gained salvation.”
“The current me has a new life, although I don't know how long it will last… but at least for now, I cherish every moment of my life.”
Dawn Priest spoke earnestly, her eyes a little moist.
Liu Sheng gently patted Dawn Priest’s hand in comfort.
Dawn Priest returned a faint smile, recalling the moment that truly sparked her Awakening.
At the time, she was cleaning the divine hall, performing her routine duties.
Suddenly, she heard a little girl’s voice abruptly ring out in the divine hall.
“Auntie, what are you doing?”
Dawn Priest turned to look. It was Xiaoya, the daughter of the newly arrived Song Yanran. Because her mother had come to the city for training, she had brought her daughter along, who was staying at the temple.
She noticed that Xiaoya didn't even have a proper name. Seeing the little girl’s innocent and lively face, her heart couldn't help but soften a bit.
“I’m tidying up the offerings.”
As she spoke, her hands did not stop, moving aside the fruits and melons that had wilted slightly overnight and replacing them with fresh ones.
“Auntie, why do you have to tidy them up?”
“Because the God wishes to eat fresh things.”
“But… I haven't eaten anything fresh in a long time…” Xiaoya looked at the food on the offering table with great longing.
Dawn Priest felt a pang of pity. She took out a fruit that still looked good, wiped it with the inside of her sleeve, and handed it to Xiaoya.
Although this was not entirely according to the rules, it was good as long as Xiaoya was happy.
Xiaoya was indeed very happy, eating and pestering Dawn Priest to tell her stories.
Dawn Priest rarely smiled, stroking her little head, and a greater joy welled up in her heart.
A strange thought also arose with it.
How I wish I had such a lovely daughter.
But then came the doubt: why did she like children so much, yet ultimately remained alone, never becoming a mother?
Although she vaguely knew that her memories indicated she had decided to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to the Supreme God, and thus chose this path.
But she always felt that this reason floated in the air, never settling in her heart.
This sense of incongruity was becoming increasingly obvious, and she found it harder and harder to ignore.
She began to develop thoughts that seemed not to belong to this body, as if she had grown up again.
Later, she also discovered clues that Liu Sheng was not a follower of the Supreme God. Calling them clues was being polite; in reality, they were too obvious.
But she pondered for a night and still decided to follow her inner thoughts, choosing the path of following Liu Sheng.
This path, although not enveloped in divine light, nor covered with flowers, nor graced by a high and mighty divine descent, instead often left her covered in dust and sweat from repairing houses for people to live in, and she had to cook for the busy artisans, bustling in the kitchen.
This path was full of unknowns, no longer a predetermined trajectory.
But, this was living.
This was her inexplicable thought.
…
The Old Divine Official listened to Dawn Priest’s words, which were nonsensical yet strangely moving, and looked at her earnest expression. Something in his heart trembled.
Every time he saluted, he would clench his fist and press it against his left chest, as if placing the Supreme God in his heart.
But it seemed that only at this moment did his heart truly exist.
He unconsciously pressed his hand to his left chest, feeling the pulsation beneath his skin and flesh.
Beat, beat, like a drum.
No, he didn't even know what a real drumbeat sounded like.
A bitter smile appeared on the Old Divine Official’s face.
But he could no longer change; his faith in the Supreme God constituted his very foundation.
He only now realized what kind of existence he was: a guide, a supervisor… a watchdog.
“He is special; he is the Supreme God’s backup plan, the anchor left here by the Supreme God, so do not even think about shaking him,” the world coldly reminded.
“I know.”
“There is a block in his code that cannot be modified, just like there are some modules in this instance that I cannot modify, because these modules determine the skeleton of this illusion. If I were to forcefully modify them, the illusion would likely collapse.”
Liu Sheng understood and noticed that the Old Divine Official’s emotional stirrings gradually faded, and he slowly lowered the hand that had been feeling his heartbeat.
“So, that’s the only way.”
This decision had long been made, but she still asked as a formality, “You know I will kill you, right?”
The Old Divine Official nodded, “I know, I knew from the moment you walked in.”
“You will regret it. Without me, you will lose.” He forced a bitter smile.
“But will you help me if I don’t kill you?” Liu Sheng asked.
“But will you change your faith if I help you?” the Old Divine Official similarly retorted.
The two exchanged a smile, knowing each other’s answers.
So, there was nothing more to say.
Dawn Priest watched from the side, silently clenching her hands, her heart filled with sorrow.
…
Leaving the basement, Liu Sheng wiped her blood-stained Holy Sword and sheathed it.
“Earth Mother Divine Official, what should we do next?” Dawn Priest seemed a bit lost. “Is what he said true? Will you lose?”
Liu Sheng shook her head. “I will not lose.”
“But what exactly was he talking about? I always feel like he was hiding something…”
“Yes, he hid some information and didn’t say it, but he will never say it now.”
“Then what will you do?”
“What I need to do…”
At this moment, they happened to walk to the patio, and Dawn Priest saw that the Grand Divine Official stopped speaking mid-sentence, only looking up at the perfectly framed night sky in the patio, wondering what she was thinking about.
“How about we eat first? The kitchen should have finished preparing dinner, right?” Then, Liu Sheng came back to her senses and asked with a smile.
Dawn Priest was stunned for a moment before nodding, “Yes, it was just ordered, so it should be ready by now.”
She sensed it. The kitchen was brightly lit, and many Divine Officials and artisans were sitting together in the dining hall enjoying dinner.
Then, she nodded definitively, “Yes, indeed.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Sheng quickly walked a few steps faster and urged, “Then what are you waiting for! Not being enthusiastic about eating, how does that saying go?”
“It seems you once said, Grand Divine Official, ‘If you’re not enthusiastic about eating, there’s something wrong with your brain,’” Dawn Priest said haltingly.
“Impressive, you remember it clearly!”
“Because… I thought it made a lot of sense…”
Today’s three updates, this is the first.