To be Free from Aging and Death, part 2 (before battle)
I don't wanna go inside... I'm scared...
Baoyu, our little Baoyu, the gem of our family...
How many times must I tell you that you mustn't fear? It was always your destiny to be the precious jade of our family and the elders. That was decided the moment you were born...
The revered Xianren await your arrival. Y-you mustn't make them wait...
Silence. Your craven behavior is unbecoming before the presence of a precious object.
... My humble apologies.
Little Baoyu, you are not like the others.
I'm... not?
Only those who are blinded to the true forms find themselves delighted or repulsed by material beauty and malformation.
They are the past and the future of Daguanyuan.
It is only thanks to their deeds and good karma that such luxuries of Daguanyuan are permitted to us; you must always maintain a most grateful heart. Am I understood?
But... but...
They're... so scary.
... I'm here.
Welcome, little Baoyu.
We have waited long for your arrival.
Gwehh... Keh... Gunngh...
Oh, today must be your molting day.
Young master... please... save me...
If... if I'd known... I'd never have... volunteered...
Gwuh... Gnh...
Ha ha, I see that you're enjoying it down to the spinal marrows.
I must remind you to hand its flesh over to me, once you have drunk it in full.
Your greed in claiming extra chunks of its flesh almost harmed the integrity of my body.
Baoyu, oh Baoyu... we cannot await the day you are fully grown...
We eagerly await the day you are to depart Daguanyuan, to see far and beyond, to witness and hear things of great worth.
... Okay. Thank you.
Welcome, little Baoyu.
Is it not too early an hour for you to greet the elders?
The ascension of the new Family Hierarch is yet to be completed.
Gah... Xi-Xichun!
Before Jia Mu was Xichun, lying unconscious on what looked like an altar.
And...
Hmmmh... They are...
Despite our sudden arrival, they all turned to us at once without even a hint of mild surprise.
…….
They're.... the 'revered' Xianren that all of Daguanyuan venerate and worship so profusely...?
... Indeed. I knew this would happen.
Ooh, come hither! Come hither!
Ahh, it is them. We have been looking forward to meeting you all.
You... recognize us?
I must say, the blood-crafted rides at the amusement park made for quite the interesting show.
…!
I was aware that the Bloodfiends are imbued with rather unique powers... yet it was most enticing to witness the manifestations of their might myself.
Even I did not know that a higher Kindred commands such overwhelming might. His abilities were quite distinguished from that of the Bloodfiend Elder of Hongyuan.
We'd be remiss to not mention the laboratory at the basement of that manor.
Hoho, it truly was a most wonderful sight.
We were most delighted to watch that man melt into nothingness... only to be remolded and reborn as something new. You should have been here to hear our thunderous applause!
And I would like to commend you all.
For the sheer hatred and ferocity you have demonstrated when you rowed so valiantly into the Pallid Whale's belly.
Truly a most dramatic moment. We could almost feel the heat of your determination to take a life from here - the fire of hatred and vengeance.
... Thou hast been watching us all along, then.
Indeed, through Baoyu's jade...
... we have witnessed this journey of yours from beginning to now.
What a priceless offering you have all been!
It was a wise decision to make Baoyu depart from this place.
We did not have a moment to feel even an inkling of tedium.
I find it quite exciting to see you all, those we had only peered through the jade... so up close and in person.
It is said that in recent years in the City, some subset of the population would see the present circumstance as an occasion to receive their 'signatures' to a mysterious end.
Mm... it seemed that 'subset of the population' are referred to as 'fans'.
What manner of insanity is this?
You have sought immortality so diligently, only to encase yourselves in this theater of fools where one does naught but leer at plays made up of the lives of others?
Eons of emptiness, filled with naught but struggle against tedium...
I have found true enlightenment in this life of eons: that the most important part of life...
... is pleasure, all along!
Every other emotion is fleeting and meaningless - we can no longer feel them.
Death is finite, yet boredom is infinite.
Big... big bro...?
Jia Xichun seemed to have regained consciousness. She calls out to Hong Lu in a faint, fading voice.
I see that you have come to.
Where am... I? W-where is thi - Ah, venerable Jia Mu...
The noblest land in Daguanyuan, where the revered Xianren reside.
You have but one more ritual to complete to become the Family Hierarch.
I... I...
Jia Xichun's face was contorted with sheer, unadulterated fear.
Now, present yourself with the utmost respect for our ancestor, our steadfast root, the one who has become an Anamnaworm for the sake of Hongyuan, the great families, and their descendants.
Ah, blessed be the Xianhuang Worm, the Anamnaworm of the Immortal Emperor!
<…!>
The trembling voices begin to swell with emotion as they begin to harmonize as one...
… Something squirms beneath the skin of Jia Mu's neck. It continues to quiver, slowly taking shape… sculpting into a face, then to a head protruding from her flesh.
Ahhh... Nope, no thank you, I'm not gonna look.
The face holds an expression so benevolent that it appears almost... eerie.
That thing... is that...
... is that the Anamnaworm?
Only by accepting his eminence into your body shall you have the honor of becoming one with the revered Xianren in both psyche and soma.
The unparalleled honor of receiving generations of knowledge, wisdom... all of which has been accumulated through our venerated elders.
Be honored to be in audience of such a great man.
The first to be metamorphosized into the form of an Anamnaworm - the founding Hierarch of Daguanyuan.
One could spend their entire lifetime venerating and exalting his greatness - and they would still fall short of all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
…….
He has never graced your presence until now, little Baoyu.
He is the one who has amassed the greatest quantity of deeds among us; know that his wisdom is without equal.
The plan to manifest the precious jade of Daguanyuan was formulated by magnificence.
Many, many years passed until the Family Hierarchs... both those who came before and after my reign... came to realize that what we needed was amusement.
Oh, the commiserator of our pain! Our suffering from tedium and meaninglessness, this all-consuming emptiness!
He has bestowed this royal palace with a peerless gem for us!
That is the day Tiekan Temple became complete. A land of endless amusement and pleasure... a land where we needn't empty our thoughts any longer.
Paradise on earth, is it not?
Revolting.
Revolting insects, scouring for morsels of satisfaction from peeping.
To sacrifice so many innocent lives for so little... All for these deficient forms of immortality...
So much for 'the Enlightened Ones', you vile ghouls... Hah, man.
….
Grandmother, I would like to ask you something.
What happens when the new Hierarch...
... accepts the Anamnaworm of the great ancestor?
She will be gifted with the accumulated wisdom of all Xianren here.
Then, she will be freed from this pathetic, disconnected body of an individual... Freed to share both her emotions and reason with all of us...
... and eventually, evolve into a transcendent being that exists solely to dedicate herself for the prosperity of Daguanyuan.
A being that exists solely for the prosperity of Daguanyuan....
Do all who accept the Xianhuang Worm... end up desiring immortality?
All those who have accomplished a certain degree of deeds naturally carry the desire for immortality. It is simply human.
Every Family Hierarch must find their own secret to immortality over the course of their reign to the day they abdicate the responsibility, as all Xianren have thus far.
... What's up with this weird obsession, huh?
You've all carried the mantle of Hierarch. Each of you was the top dog of a whole Wing. You must've all lived lives with all the bells and whistles it has to offer, so how come you all ended up living hidden away like this in some dank basement?
Insignificant worms destined to crawl their entire, miserable lives under our feet to their dying days, to depart this world having accomplished precisely nothing, shall not understand.
That we refuse to return to the void of nonexistence, leaving behind all of our labors and accomplishments that has brought Hongyuan to its present glory!
Were we to fall, so too shall Daguanyuan...
... and so too shall Hongyuan.
How are we to leave Hongyuan behind, our own creation?!
The life of a mere Hierarch, destined to peter out before it even reaches a century, is hardly enough time to truly lead.
We existed at Hongyuan's incipience.
Thus exist we shall, at the end of Hongyuan.
Blimey, ask one question and you get the whole bloody chorus.
We have tarried overlong.
To accept the Anamnaworm of the ancestor is very much like the experience of being reborn.
Is it not what you have sought so desperately, to stand before the masses in their undivided attention and awe?
Am I... am I going to be like them, too?
I remember him... He... he's my great-great-grandfather. I thought he'd left to meditate a long, long time ago.
He used to sneak me snacks... and told me so many old fables and stories...
Fear is fleeting next to the eternity of euphoria that awaits you, girl. I have experienced the very same myself.
Jia Mu slowly approaches Xichun.
... And...
... Xichun.
... Hong Lu takes a step toward her, too.
Remember what you... asked me earlier?
Is this even your call, brother?
Or are you just following their orders?
Back then, I didn't really understand why you asked me that question.
But now...
... I'd like to ask you the same thing.
…….
Xichun, do you really want to become the Family Hierarch?
I...
Wooo! Today's been so much fun, big bro.
Xichun gets to play with big bro aaaall day and get a present too, and she didn't even have to do anything!
I think it'd be so cool if we could play together just like this forever and ever and ever!
…….
No... no, no, I don't.
I don't... Not like this.
... Ridiculous.
Tsk.
What this child desires is of no relevance.
Tradition wills this sacred ritual, and tradition cannot be defied.
As our forefathers have... as we have...
... you need only do as you are told.
For that is the Hierarch's destiny.
Destiny? Sacred ritual? All I see here are a bunch of beyond geriatric bastards looking to turn her into just another tool in their hands to prop up their opulence.
You can't… force her into doing something she doesn't want.
My, my. Ha Yung, your friends certainly talk as though they're living in some dreamland. No wonder they are fellows of yours! Ha ha.
Foolish girl. The will of an individual is trivial in Daguanyuan.
Only by the acceptance of that truth shall you preserve your life. How dare you allow such insolence to guide your tongue?!
Hoho, be not agitated. That child, Ishmael, is a rebel by nature. Such recalcitrance is best allowed to slide as a puerile resistance of an immature thing.
What do children who have experienced less than half a century know to speak of wisdom?
We have watched your journey from its incipience to now; thus we know you better than anyone.
Their lives have been shaped by nothing but foolhardy, young, witless, and flawed choices.
Yet from their foolish choices, we have found amusement... And by their foolish choices, was this journey they call 'adventure' made possible.
Adventures are indeed luxuries of imbeciles; it was quite enthralling to watch as you made choices that we never would have made.
We have watched as you battled your way here; thus, we know what you have come here for.
Yet the answer is simple; you need only allow the Anamnaworm to enter Jia Xichun, help her assume the responsibility of the Hierarch, and all of this chaos, this adventure, shall be resolved! And we need only await our next amusement to begin!
Jia Mu, it would be thoughtless of us to not bring up the day of the Kong family massacre when discussing our finest amusements.
You honor me, revered Xianren.
Non-human beings of intelligence, birthed within the boundaries of the City... breeding... again and again...
The newborns, torn and ripped to shreds by the Head, before being swept away.
And the crème de la crème - our little witness, Baoyu's tears blurring his vision... and his most fascinating transformation from the day onward... we all experienced the heights of stimulation that day.
You have done well, Jia Mu. What an effort that must have been.
Now you may join us here in Tiekan Temple, join us in this eternal witnessing, to the last of your endless days!
And do look forward to the new amusement that Jia Xichun shall bring us...
…….
Young and foolish adventurers, dearest companions of little Baoyu!
Fulfill your purpose for having come here. Daguanyuan's survival hinges on the completion of the next Family Hierarch's ascension.
They weren't wrong. Our purpose for coming here...
... was to quickly certify the next Family Hierarch, have her remove the outside forces that have invaded Daguanyuan, and prevent the conflagration of war.
But...
Their other purpose for visiting Hongyuan was to obtain an artifact called the Golden Bough.
Aha! That nearly slipped my mind.
They have gathered under one banner to find the artifacts known as the Golden Boughs, and are motivated solely to acquire them.
Thus, show it to them. Show them the gift we have prepared.
Your wish is my command, venerable Xianren.
<…!>
What Jia Mu showed us was... the Golden Bough, shimmering in its familiar incandescence.
Baoyu, do as you have always done.
Accept this Golden Bough, and embark on your next 'adventure' for us.
This is our gift, our token of appreciation to you for the amusement you have and will continue to provide us.
…….
Hong Lu...
Sinclair looked at Hong Lu with a sad expression. I couldn't quite tell if he was worried about what choice Hong Lu would make, or if he was feeling a sort of sympathy for him.
<Sinclair.>
... Yeah?
<He's got it.>
But I think I already knew what Hong Lu's choice was going to be.
... Little Baoyu?
There is a light smile on his lips.
He stands still.
…….
Little brother, do not let me down another time.
Jia Mu has so generously presented this opportunity before you - seize it.
Grandmother.
What... will you do, if Xichun refuses to accept the Anamnaworm to the end?
The exalted Xianhuang Anamnaworm is too frail to have his form manifested outside a body for overlong.
Not to mention how the sacred ritual to accept him into one's body is a very precise procedure; continued resistance could pose a significant risk to her life.
And you would both do well to recall that there are many in Daguanyuan who desire the responsibility of the Family Hierarch.
The very same rabble who are willing to abandon their own flesh and blood if it meant that they could seize power.
So...
If Miss Xichun refuses to the end...
You're just gonna shove that worm into her ear, damned be the risk to her life...
... and if she dies in the process, you'll just swap her out with someone else?
That is why she must accept our exalted ancestor into herself with deferential welcome.
This whole… Family Hierarch war… the whole thing's a sham. It's all just a meaningless charade.
Like the contrived condition that you have to find the answer to immortality and kick all of your siblings off some stupid competition to become the Family Hierarch.
All of it, just for their filthy greed and this disgusting amusement…
Allow us to impart a counsel for you, O orphaned child of tragic stupidity.
What other method would there be, if not the Family Hierarch Evaluation, to determine if a prospective candidate is someone with enough wit to provide us amusement like this Jia Mu's destruction of the Kong family?
Thus the Evaluation is no meaningless charade!
…….
I'm sorry, grandmother.
I can't take that Golden Bough.
…….
Why do you choose this path, Baoyu?
The company that has taken you desires for nothing more than this Golden Bough.
Yeah, maybe. But...
Um... I don't have a wish or anything like that.
So as long as you help me continue to float away, I'll do whatever you ask of me.
…….
It is troublesome for us to employ you with an incomplete wish.
Then allow us to propose something. We promise to give you something to desire.
In other words, we will give you... something to want.
But what does it mean to... want?
It is a sensation that moves your heart...
A sort of hunger, or a yearning.
Once you have that, you will no longer simply float downstream, surrendered to the ebb and flow of the water currents.
I see. Now might be the time.
Even if it means that I must push against the currents... even if it means that I'll be abandoned...
I don't think I can sit here and watch as you force her to become a Hierarch she doesn't want to be.
You would rather walk away from this comfortable, treaded path and venture a thorny one?
You would rather have even more blood on your hands?
All you had to do was to let it happen. And we could have both gained what we came here for and left, ending this excruciating experience of having to look at your face.
What... what is your organization even after?
I also have a question for all of you.
Have you really walked a pristine path of no bloodshed? Can you really say that you've not caused anyone to suffer in your pursuit of Golden Boughs?
You have left behind countless deaths and sacrifices for that sole purpose. You've turned a blind eye to every single suffering in your wake.
So what's another death, another sacrifice? Is your little sister, whom you haven't even spoken with in a long time, mind, suddenly more important than the bough? Now that's some rich hypocrisy.
Pursue your interests, pursue the reward that lies right before your eyes. Why must you make things so difficult?
I wonder the same, brother. All this time, I had no qualms about simply watching things float away... so why is it so hard to let go all of a sudden?
Then... it would be reasonable to assume that this truce is no more.
... That insignificant girl has to accept the Anamnaworm before we are to acquire what we came here for.
... Hah. Disgusting as always.
As if on cue, Gubo, Jia Huan, and their subordinates began to assume a battle stance.