Chapter 600: Confrontation and Reconciliation (Final Three Days—Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Night blanketed the earth, stars dotted the sky, and the celebrants of Sangtagang had all returned home, leaving behind scattered trash and the lingering scent of alcohol in the air.

The festival had officially ended; tomorrow would bring back the bustle.

Lu Mi stayed until the bar closed, and when he stepped out, the street seemed deserted except for him and a few flickering gas lamps.

The midnight air carried the chill of winter's approach; each breath filled Lu Mi's lungs with a crisp, refreshing sensation, while the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore echoed beside his ears, deepening the silence and stillness of the night.

Lu Mi, as if drunk or uplifted by mood, hands in his pockets, stepped lightly over the debris left by the revelers.

No one saw him; all was quiet.

In this manner, Lu Mi strolled back to the room he had rented under a false identity.

He had barely opened the door when he saw Lu Jianuo pacing back and forth in the living room.

"Still awake?" Lu Mi raised an eyebrow.

Lu Jianuo, looking like a man just recovering from serious injury, replied with a complex expression:

An hour ago, the Battle Sister's captain, Noaelia, came looking for you—she wasn't in her leather armor, but wearing a dazzling long dress; her figure was truly impressive…

"And then?" Lu Mi asked, amused.

Lu Jianuo answered, his voice tinged with envy:

"I told you weren't here, and she left, clearly disappointed."

"But what does that have to do with you? Why haven't you slept for a whole hour?" Lu Mi scoffed.

Lu Jianuo cleared his throat awkwardly twice:

"I just suddenly started thinking about my future—should I return to Trier and continue as a doctor, or choose a different life?"

Lu Mi smiled, ignored the "doctor," washed up briefly, returned to his room, and collapsed into bed.

He dreamed—a chaotic jumble of recent events wove into a stranger, more bizarre narrative.

At six in the morning, Lu Mi woke precisely, rolled over, and sat up.

His mind was clear; recalling the dream, he suddenly realized he had missed a detail:

Excluding the possibility that the Aurora Society might have an angel secretly watching, the most crucial part of the Prayer-to-the-Sea ritual was Amon's covert addition of the "Theft" ability to his "Lie" via the altar in Milo Village.

Otherwise, when the energy channel of the spaceship opened, the surge of deep forces would have reversed the situation, and without the sea's power, Lu Mi could not have used the authority of "Governor of the Sea" to trap the "Mad Woman" until the "Magician" Lady arrived.

Yet the Celestial Lord, standing at the apex of the paths of the "Fortune-Teller," "Apprentice," and "Thief," should have possessed profound and complete knowledge of the "Thief" path's abilities—he should have anticipated that an Amon-granted "Theft" power might be hidden within the altar.

His silence toward the "April Fools" could be understood; they were merely disposable tools, and too much knowledge might undermine their resolve. But for this oversight to cause the entire plan to collapse seemed unreasonable.

Was the Celestial Lord's intent deeper than it appeared, and had he already achieved hidden goals? Or had Amon and the one behind him done something beforehand, making such a scenario possible?

If Amon had truly been watching the Milo Village altar all along, the Prayer-to-the-Sea ritual would not have failed last year—though it's possible he simply wanted to watch the "April Fools" make fools of themselves.

But last year's tolerance of the "April Fools" sabotage was understandable; this year, the simplest, most efficient method would have been to quietly complete the "Ring of the Sea Queen" during the "Honoring the Ancestors" phase—then watch the fake "Governor of the Sea," disguised as "Salted Egg Man," stare in stunned confusion as the sea ritual succeeded!

Why go through such a convoluted, unnecessary process?

There must be something I haven't figured out yet…

Lu Mi rubbed his head and got out of bed.

He wasn't surprised or startled by these realizations; for a matter involving high-level, exalted beings, it would be abnormal if he instantly understood every detail and every participant's true motive.

His goal had already been achieved—the dangerous black hole inside the spaceship remained sealed; the rest was none of his concern. If he could understand it, fine; if not, he'd write to the "Magician" Lady—just a gentle reminder.

After jogging slowly around Sangtagang, still half-asleep, Lu Mi wrote a letter detailing his thoughts to the "Magician" Lady.

At that moment, Lu Jianuo returned from collecting breakfast for Ludwig.

Lu Mi thought for a moment, pulled out a thousand Jin Lisuo, and said calmly:

"I'm leaving for a few days. You'll take care of Ludwig. When I return, this commission ends."

Then, Lu Mi planned to sail to the Southern Continent, carry out minor schemes along the way, waste some time, and arrive at his destination prepared to face the final conspiracy to ascend to Sequence 5.

Lu Jianuo didn't ask where his employer was going; instead, he asked hesitantly:

"W-will there be danger these days?"

"The matter is finished," Lu Mi smiled. "If any real danger remains, just run to the Fertility Convent for protection—wasn't that exactly the scenario you hoped for?"

Lu Jianuo gave a sheepish grin, reassured by his employer's tone.

Sangtagang had bright sunshine, delicious food, and warm women—staying a few more days wouldn't hurt!

…………

A two-story stagecoach raced between rural towns nestled in green pastures, heading toward the foot of the Piraeus Mountains.

Lu Mi, maintaining the appearance of the great adventurer Louis Berry, sat by the coach window, quietly watching the scenery blur past:

In every green pasture, flocks of sheep scattered like clouds; shepherds, dressed in trimmed, practical robes, wandered everywhere;

Some lived in makeshift huts they built themselves, others in small, wheeled shepherd huts movable across the plains;

Occasionally, local villagers tried to drive away the transhumant outsiders, who either laughed them off or bribed them with money and supplies;

When faced with stubborn locals, the shepherds from the mountain pass had no choice but to move deeper into the wilderness, facing the watchful eyes of wolves and other beasts…

Scenes and stories once told by the shepherds of Keldu Village now unfolded before Lu Mi's eyes, etching themselves into his mind.

Two days later, the stagecoach reached the foot of the Piraeus Mountains and stopped at a small town outside the mountain pass.

Lu Mi donned a black wool greatcoat and entered the mountains alone.

On the mountain ridges, the cold wind grew stronger; the wilds were nearly deserted.

Lu Mi walked through the thinning greenery of the mountains, along paths trodden by shepherds and merchants, beneath a gray, birdless sky—no people, no animals, only withered trees and meager streams, everywhere the desolation of winter.

In this solitude, this cold, he spent nearly three days climbing over the Dali Ri Mountains until he reached the small river beside Keldu Village.

After circling the dense forest, Lu Mi saw at once the crimson pillar—though not tall, it felt like a mountain peak.

As he gazed, he heard footsteps approaching.

A middle-aged man, clad in a fur-lined coat, hands tucked under his armpits.

The forest warden shivered in the wind and called out:

"Don't go any further—the village is gone!"

Lu Mi's gaze passed over the warden, landing on the distant ruins—some collapsed, others charred.

After several seconds, he asked in a low voice:

"What happened to that village?"

The warden glanced around, then lowered his voice:

"They say they worshipped the devil—the whole village went mad, burned their own homes, and walked into the abyss."

"Look—would a normal village look like this?"

Lu Mi fell silent, saying nothing for a long while.

Seeing this, the warden said earnestly:

"The nobles told me to stop anyone from entering—it'll bring bad luck, attract the devil."

Lu Mi remained silent, asking no more.

He stared at the familiar-yet-strange ruins for a while, then turned away from the village entrance, walking step by step through the howling wind to the nearest highland pasture.

The grass here had withered completely, blown away, leaving only vast stretches of brown earth.

Lu Mi gazed at the ruins of Keldu Village for a long time, then found a shepherd's hut and lay down inside.

He closed his eyes, motionless.

If all of this had been a dream…

If only he could wake up—still green pastures, birds returning to the sky, the old tavern full of farmers and shepherds, his sister still scolding him to study, Raymond and Ava still worrying about their futures, uncertain what kind of lives awaited them…

…………

In Sangtagang, where the sun still shone brightly but the weather had turned colder,

Lu Mi suddenly appeared before Lu Jianuo and Ludwig.

"You're finally back!" Lu Jianuo blurted out, as if seeing a savior.

Ludwig's appetite had grown again—the thousand Jin Lisuo had been spent faster than expected!

If Lu Mi didn't return within a week, Lu Jianuo would have to consider using his own money.

He couldn't let the child starve—might even start eating people!

Lu Mi smiled:

"The commission is over. I'll pay your final fee now—do you want me to 'teleport' you directly back to Trier, or will you sail or cross the Dali Ri Mountains yourself?"

Lu Jianuo fell silent, as if struggling.

ps: Last three days—please vote for monthly tickets~

(End of Chapter)