Chapter 254: What Did You See (4K)

The underground sanctuary.

Herbert's somewhat unhinged expression gradually returned to normal.

Mm.

He really was in a rush, wanting to hurry back right now to mediate, shouting at them — "Stop fighting, you two! If you want to fight, go fight in the dance studio!"

But reality is cruel.

In a rush?

Being in a rush won't help.

Herbert couldn't just take his leave and rush back to stop them… that would be rather disrespectful to the old-timer right in front of him.

Back — he couldn't go back.

Things are what they are, and the situation is what it is.

By the time he reacted, it was already too late; what was going to happen had already happened, and what wasn't going to happen… was better off not happening.

Though, his gut feeling right now was denying his prayers.

He just prayed it wasn't the worst-case scenario — like Fu Leimei sneaking up on Valentina while she slept, only to be taken out by Hungry Dragon Young Lady's "I kill people in my dreams" move…

Herbert imagined that terrible future and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Don't want that to happen!

My Haki Dragon can't kill Haki Fish!

"No, no rush, maybe Valentina hasn't woken up yet."

He thought about it and figured things definitely wouldn't go that tragically.

"And even if she's awake, the two of them probably wouldn't fight… probably?"

Valentina might be hot-tempered, but at her core she was actually quite innocent and kind, not someone difficult to get along with.

And Fu Leimei likewise wasn't the type to quarrel with others, especially since she seemed to quite like Valentina.

"Could the two of them have ended up chatting about gossip together?"

Herbert thought this possibility was rather absurd, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like something reality would actually produce…

"Child, have you already made up your mind?"

In the end, the kindly voice of the Dedazhu Sect pulled Herbert back to his senses; he looked at the benevolent old man and gave a slight shake of his head.

"Your Grace, there is nothing I have forgotten."

Old-timer, stop asking.

Ask and the answer is no!

Even if there is, I won't admit it.

"Oh? There isn't?"

But the old man clearly didn't care about the little thoughts in his heart, smiling and nodding, pleased: "Is that so… heh heh, that's good then, that's good."

Herbert looked into the old man's kindly, courteous eyes, gave a slight nod, and several thoughts flashed through his mind.

There he goes again… clearly seeing something, yet saying nothing, impossible to read.

This old-timer — how much does he actually know?

Does he really know nothing? Or is he playing dumb while knowing full well?

What… does he actually want to see in me?

Or rather, what does the Dedazhu Sect actually want from me?

To these questions, Herbert could now find no answers, and no one could answer them.

To get the answers, he could only continue to explore on his own in the future.

Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Herbert gathered his spirits and asked softly: "Your Grace, would you like me to report on the experiences of this journey?"

He had reason to suspect this old fellow had been alone here too long and was feeling lonely, wanting to find someone to chat with to pass the time.

Yikes, what an empty-nest elder!

Sure enough.

Just as Herbert had guessed, the Dedazhu Sect brought up nothing else and cheerfully nodded.

"Mm, it's been a long time since anyone chatted with me like this — you go ahead and tell me all about it."

The Dedazhu Sect nodded with a smile, looking every bit a member of the audience: "Oh, and not just this time, but also what you saw and heard on your last outing."

"I heard from them that you caused quite a stir over at Frost Crystal? Heh heh, child, tell me all about it."

Even the Frost Crystal experience has to be told? Isn't that already… oh!

Herbert was briefly stunned, then realized that since returning from his rampage at Frost Crystal last time, he hadn't had another heart-to-heart with the Dedazhu Sect.

The Dedazhu Sect had not come out to speak with him.

Even the new ring had been entrusted to Bishop Rusty Nail to pass along to Herbert.

At the time Herbert had assumed the Dedazhu Sect was busy holding the fort and had no time to waste on him, but judging from his attitude now, there seemed to be more to it.

The Dedazhu Sect wasn't busy at all — there was no situation where he couldn't attend to other matters.

Was he waiting for the right moment?

Last time he didn't meet with him because the time wasn't ripe, and now some condition had finally been met?

But compared to last time, what's different about me now?

A few months' time — what big change could there be… mm, the change really was significant.

For others, a few months wouldn't be enough to change much, but for Herbert, this period had been the critical phase of his complete transformation.

Herbert thought for a moment and reminded him: "Your Grace, if you wish to hear it, I will naturally tell you everything without reservation, but it may take quite some time, and there are others waiting for you outside."

"You see… perhaps wait a while longer?"

Outside, Fa'ao and the others are still waiting for you—would you really want them to wait all this time?

Herbert didn't think this was a major issue, but it still cast a bad impression.

It made him recall his painful experience on Friday, waiting in the office hall until noon, only for the staff to take an early lunch break right after the previous person finished their business.

He could only helplessly starve, waiting until the lunch break ended, but the staff didn't return in the afternoon—only showing up again just before quitting time to clock out, looking at him in surprise, then casually telling him to come back next Monday, wasting his entire day.

Ugh, those people are truly terrible!

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.

Especially since Herbert held a certain fondness for Fa'ao and saw him as a promising talent, a potential target for future recruitment.

Herbert still didn't want to damage his impression of Fa'ao over such a trivial matter.

I'm not refusing to tell you—I'm just choosing another time—I'll use this chance to go back and check whether Fu Leimei and Nie Nasha have come to blows…

Plan successful!

Herbert the Master of Time Management's plan sounded ideal, but after hearing him, the Grand Archbishop gave a strange, knowing smile.

"You mean them?"

The old man winked smugly and asked, "When did you get the impression I hadn't received them?"

Herbert paused, momentarily confused by the Grand Archbishop's cryptic words.

But quickly, he realized and exclaimed, "Huh? You mean… just now?"

Did he already receive those people while I wasn't paying attention?

When?

Was it when I was trying to approach him just now?

"Heh."

The old man nodded with a smile, offered no explanation of the mechanism, only nodded to him, signaling him to begin recounting his story.

"I'd very much like to know—along this journey, what did you see? First, tell me: when you were in Frost Crystal, what did you see?"

What did I see?

Although Herbert found the Grand Archbishop's phrasing odd, he didn't dwell on it.

After a moment of thought, Herbert began slowly recounting what he had witnessed on that journey.

"That day, I set out with Sister Caplan and others, heading toward the Frost Crystal Dynasty…"

"I arrived at the banquet as agreed and met my old friend—she had changed from my memory, nearly turned into an icy, heartless block…"

"Later, I stirred the nobles' inner fears…"

"By the way, thank you for your help back then—your appearance successfully intimidated Bishop Laila, forcing her to cooperate."

In the holy sanctuary filled with divine power, the white-haired boy spoke slowly.

Recounting a revenge journey that fell short of satisfaction.

Recounting a cleansing that was far from thorough.

A path of salvation strewn with thorns and spikes.

His enemies were greedy, corrupt, blasphemous… their conspiracies thick as fog.

Unlike the choices made by heroes in other tales.

Herbert did not choose the righteous, glorious path to destroy evil.

He chose a more brutal method.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood.

Violence… to restrain violence!

Dark, bloody, cruel… kin killing kin.

When facing the noble oppressors, he became more terrifying, more merciless than those fallen creatures.

No matter how you looked at it, Herbert's story was not one that would please the righteous—even containing many acts that risked violating doctrine.

If heard by extremists, Herbert might be sent to the Religious Tribunal for judgment.

At best, he'd lose a layer of skin; at worst, he'd be sent straight to the pyre.

Yet before the Grand Archbishop, Herbert revealed almost everything without reservation.

He only omitted a few details concerning Nie Nasha… and his interactions with Valentina.

Especially the latter—those details couldn't possibly pass review!

Beyond that, he concealed nothing, added no subjective interpretation, and recounted everything entirely from the perspective of an observer.

Because he had no guilt.

Yes.

On this journey, he believed without doubt that he was a "companion of justice."

A gentleman judges by deeds, not intentions; if judged by intentions, no one on earth is perfect.

No matter what Herbert secretly planned or how dark or bloody his methods were… his every action ultimately served justice.

He indeed brought death to Frost Crystal Wang Cheng, but he also brought the kingdom a new order.

The decaying noble system of Frost Crystal was violently shattered; those arrogant old faces voluntarily reformed themselves, replaced by a new generation—younger, easier to control, and more timid.

The Xuenushen Sect was brought to the surface, becoming the third power alongside royalty and nobility, forming a delicate balance of three authorities.

The divine sect became a hidden counterweight against the nobles—and a final check on the royal house in critical moments.

Beyond these shifts in power structures, the changes among the common people were even greater.

Without oppressors, their quality of life soared dramatically; they no longer feared freezing to death in winter.

Looking at the final outcome, no one could accuse Herbert—those who disliked him were either permanently silent or gathered together playing Jenga.

Ah, what a bunch of lazy, playful fools~

"Finally, after all this was done, Archbishop Kaplan took the initiative to stay behind, and she continued cooperating with the Xuenushen Sect on the cleanup alongside the members of the knightly order."

"Since I was still responsible for guarding Valentina, it wasn't convenient for me to linger in Wang Cheng for too long, so I brought her back to the monastery ahead of time."

After nearly half a day of recounting, Herbert finally told the archbishop in full, faithful detail everything he had experienced in Frost Crystal Wang Cheng.

After finishing his account, he straightened up, sitting cross-legged with a perfectly upright spine.

The archbishop was curious about Herbert's experience, and Herbert in turn was curious how the archbishop would evaluate his conduct.

Would he criticize him like a stubborn old fogey?

Or offer praise like the rest of the monastery?

But the archbishop's reaction that followed was entirely beyond Herbert's expectations.

He neither criticized, nor praised, nor even had any intention of commenting.

He simply looked at the unremarkable boy before him and asked that somewhat strange question once again.

"Then… what did you see?"

Herbert:?

Old man, what kind of riddle are you playing at, exactly?

Quite the riddler, aren't you!?

"Your Grace, I don't quite understand."

"Child, think again. Do you truly not understand?"

Herbert:???

Wait, what exactly am I supposed to understand?

"Haven't I already told you? I saw everything…"

"No."

The old man gently cut Herbert off, shook his head, fixed his gaze on Herbert's utterly bewildered eyes, and said slowly, "I am not asking what your eyes saw."

"I am asking… along this entire journey, what did your 'heart' see?"

Heart?

Herbert's expression slipped slightly out of his control as he asked uncertainly, "My 'heart'?"

The old man gave a slight nod and said affirmatively, "Yes, precisely your… heart."

"Did anything you saw and heard along the way move you in the slightest?"

"Child, close your eyes. Recall everything from that journey, feel it with your heart—what do you 'see' now?"

What difference could closing my eyes possibly make?

Herbert grumbled inwardly, but outwardly he still went along with the archbishop's arrangement, slowly closing his eyes and beginning to recall the journey.

He closed his eyes, and before him was utter darkness.

But before Herbert could even start to grumble, a change truly did appear before his eyes!

He saw a ray of light.

Brilliant as a blazing flame, yet tinged with a crimson hue.

!!!

"This is…"

Herbert's mind jolted, and he snapped his eyes open—just in time to see the archbishop's kindly smile.

The old man gave a nod, signaling him to calm down and not make a fuss.

"…"

Herbert's lips twitched, and he closed his eyes once more.

This time he gave no reaction for a long while, sitting as still as a stone with his eyes closed, quietly resting his spirit.

The entire sanctuary was utterly still and silent, as if three statues—a youth, an old man, and a saintess—stood in the hall.

A mortal, a deity… and that being between the two, neither human nor god.

After a long while, Herbert opened his eyes.

A trace of hesitation first flickered in his gaze, then gradually gave way to resolve.

After a moment, he raised his head, looked at the archbishop, and said earnestly:

"I saw… fire."

"Boundless, endless fire!"

"Fire that will burn the kingdom to ash and bring the order to ruin!"

(End of Chapter)