Embers Ad Infinitum

The eyes behind the sunglasses were one big and the other small... Hearing Gnawa's words, Long Yuehong's mind suddenly echoed with Odik's murmur to himself in a crazy state:

“There’s a person on the left, a person on the right, and a small photo frame in the middle!

"You have one big eye and one small eye. You are not a good person. Let me dig them out for you!"

Was the man in a black trench coat wearing sunglasses just now the person Odik saw in his "nightmare" before he went crazy?

He came out of the building we rented before. Was he assigned by "Nightmare" to look for clues?

These thoughts were like muffled thunder, exploding in Long Yuehong's heart, making his head feel dizzy and his body tense.

If it were just one person with big eyes and one with small eyes, Long Yuehong would probably think it was a coincidence. After all, there are not many people with similar appearance and slight defects, but they are not so rare that there are only one or two people who meet by chance. The probability is not too low.

But it seemed too much of a coincidence that this person appeared in the place where the "Old Tune Group" rented before.

And too much coincidence often means there is a problem behind it!

"True Self Cult" just said that the "nightmare" has subsided and there is no need to worry anymore, we met someone who was suspected to be what Odik saw in his dream? Long Yuehong opened her mouth and found that the team leader, Bai Chen, and Shang Jianyao were all silent.

As if aware of his gaze, Jiang Baimian in the passenger seat turned sideways, glanced at him, then looked at Shang Jianyao and said:

"Don't rush."

Her voice was calm and soft, soothing the turmoil in Long Yuehong's heart.

The jeep kept its speed unchanged and drove towards the Red Giant Wolf District. Jiang Baimian glanced at the rearview mirror as if casually.

The blond-brown man wearing sunglasses and a trench coat had long since disappeared from this street.

When the jeep entered the Red Giant Wolf area and went around close to the Senate, Jiang Baimian asked about Gnawa:

"Old Ge, where did the target go?"

"After he left the building we rented before, he entered the alley diagonally opposite." Gennava answered truthfully.

He couldn't see where he was going further.

After all, he is just an intelligent robot. He does not yet have his own satellite partner, no corresponding auxiliary devices, and he has not yet awakened the "Heavenly Eyes" and "Heavenly Ears".

Jiang Baimian nodded and said:

"He probably lives not far away."

Long Yuehong finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked for confirmation:

“Team leader, is this the person Odik calls ‘one with big eyes and one with small eyes’?”

Bang bang bang, Shang Jianyao clapped his hands:

"Congratulations, you got it!"

He was very excited, and his whole body was filled with eagerness to try.

Jiang Baimian nodded gently and said:

“The suspicion is high.

“One, he coincidentally appeared at the entrance of the building we rented before;

“Two, he was wearing sunglasses, obviously trying to hide the features of one big eye and one small eye.

“Coincidence plus coincidence, there is a high probability that it is not a coincidence.

"I suspect that he is a minion of the 'Nightmare' and played a role in Odik going crazy."

Hearing this, Shang Jianyao clapped his hands and said with a smile:

"There is a person on the left, a person on the right, and a small photo frame in the middle. I don't know whether he is the one on the left or the one on the right..."

"Anyway, it won't be the middle one." Bai Chen expressed his opinion.

"That little photo frame represents 'nightmare'?" Long Yuehong reasoned.

Jiang Baimian said "hmm":

"Maybe."

She then explained:

"I just told you not to be anxious. The main reason is that I am worried that that area is under the gaze of the 'Nightmare'. Once we overreact, we may be exposed."

"Yes." Long Yuehong nodded to express his understanding, and even felt that the team leader did the right thing.

He turned to ask:

"What to do next?"

Jiang Baimian pondered for a moment:

“We still have to find the ‘True Self Teaching’. On the one hand, we alone cannot understand nightmares well enough, and on the other hand, we are restricted in the First City, so the risk factor is too high.

"In addition, through Mrs. Lauris, contact the church members of Odik, the people from the Dawn Star, to make two preparations."

She wasn't too sure that the "True Self Cult" would pursue the investigation.

"Okay, okay." Shang Jianyao, who was sitting on the left side of the back row, raised his hands and feet.

…………

Apart from asking someone to send a message to Mrs. Lauris along the way, bringing back feedback, and making an appointment to meet at a meeting place, the "old tune team" was cautious and did nothing.

It wasn't until afternoon that they drove slowly from their rental place to the Green Olive District.

Once again they passed the Hotel Ugo.

Long Yuehong looked sideways and saw an old man with indifferent expression and gray hair standing deep in the hall at the front desk.

The hotel has a new owner.

Long Yuehong looked away in silence.

The jeep of the "Old Tune Team" bypassed the hotel, crossed the street, and arrived at the stronghold of the "True Self Cult."

They met "Dream Breaker" Cliff in the innermost room on the left side of the first floor of the apartment quite smoothly.

Cliff, wearing an old burqa, asked doubtfully:

"Is there anything else?"

Jiang Baimian took a step forward and said in a deep voice:

"We have new clues about Nightmare and discovered one of its minions.

"I wonder if your teaching is interested in cooperating?"

Cliff fell silent.

Jiang Baimian deliberately said excitedly:

"Boss Ugo is an awakened person. Even in your sect, such a person should be equivalent to a bishop, and no sect is indifferent to the death of its own bishop."

Cliff was silent for a while and sighed longly:

"The 'nightmare' has subsided. If you provoke it again, you will definitely encounter a fierce counterattack, which is likely to lead to extremely terrifying changes.

"It took a lot of effort to restore peace to this area. Unless we are sure enough to completely eliminate the 'nightmare', we will not take the initiative to provoke disputes.

"I think Hugo, who has returned to Zhi Sui's arms, should understand our decision."

He said it tactfully, but his attitude was clear.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao, who did not hide his disappointment, lowered his head, laughed at himself and said:

"We were too active, I'm really sorry."

…………

In the Red Giant Wolf District, inside an apartment.

The "Old Tune Team" who came here as agreed knocked on the room on the left side of the seventh floor.

It was Lauris who opened the door. Compared with the last time we met, she looked much better and was in a good mood.

"Welcome to my home." The good-looking lady with brown hair and blue eyes said with a smile.

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a moment and blurted out:

"This is your and Odik's home?"

"Yes." Lauris looked confused.

What kind of weird question is this?

Jiang Baimian asked again:

"Odik was sick before, was he here too?"

"Yes." Lauris didn't know what to ask.

Jiang Baimian was silent for a few seconds, then turned to criticize Shang Jianyao and others:

"Really, how can you pile them up at someone else's door? This is so rude!"

Lauris laughed and said:

"come in."

Not far behind her, Odik stood there, smiling at several members of the "Old Tune Team" and waving.

"Let's go to the study and talk." He pointed to a room on the side.

Because he was at home, he no longer wore the dark pea coat, but a floral velvet shirt and black trousers.

Taking advantage of Odik's opportunity to walk to the study, Jiang Baimian lowered his voice and asked Lauris with concern:

"How has he behaved since he came back?"

"It's pretty good." Lauris smiled. "He occasionally gets irritable and wants to talk to himself, but he will deliberately avoid me, secretly pounding the table and shouting at the top of his lungs, so every week he still I have to go to a lunatic asylum for treatment and buy medicine.”

While she was worried, there was unconcealable happiness on her face.

Long Yuehong, relieved, looked at the home of Odik and Lauris.

This is an ordinary house with three bedrooms and one living room, which is quite spacious.

The study room was not big. It could only accommodate a desk, a short sofa and a few chairs, except for a bookcase and a bookshelf.

"Sit down." Odik pointed to the short sofa and the three chairs next to it. "Sorry, it's a bit crowded."

"You're too polite." Shang Jianyao responded politely.

Jiang Baimian sat down and asked:

"How long until your church members arrive?"

"Within ten minutes." Odik replied calmly.

After everyone sat down, Shang Jianyao asked:

"Is it far to the Golden Sea from here?"

"It's very far." Odik recalled, "It has to go through half of the 'Primary City', the entire 'United Industries' and the 'Gold Coast', and there are large areas of no man's land in the middle..."

Seeing that Odik and Shang Jianyao's questions and answers were reasonable and natural and fluent, Long Yuehong couldn't believe that this man was a lunatic not long ago.

After a while, Lauris attracted a lady.

This woman was wearing dark hunting clothes. She was about the same age as Odike. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and rough skin. She was a typical Red River person.

"Julia." She introduced herself briefly.

After Jiang Baimian and others finished introducing themselves, the lady smiled politely and said:

"Thank you for your 'treatment' for Odik, otherwise I would not dare to see Lauris."

She emphasized the word "therapy."

"It should be." Shang Jianyao said matter-of-factly.

Julia's expression straightened and she asked:

"How long can this last?"

"As long as he is indeed such a person, no one can really overturn this, always, always." Shang Jianyao replied with a smile.

After a few more pleasantries, Jiang Baimian took the initiative and said:

"We found clues to the 'Nightmare'. I wonder if you are interested in cooperating?"

Julia glanced at Odik and said:

"The matter has passed, and the dreamland returned to normal last night. There is no absolute certainty, and we don't want to take risks.

"There is no need for you to continue investigating. Fighting against similar nightmares is a long-term matter. It doesn't make much sense to find some clues by chance."

Jiang Baimian chose to remain silent.

After chatting for a while, the "old tune group" said goodbye.

Odik sent them to the door.

As the door closed, Long Yuehong saw a twisted smile on Odike's face from the corner of her eye.

He shouted blankly:

“There’s a person on the left, a person on the right, and a small photo frame in the middle!

"You have one big eye and one small eye. You are not a good person. Let me dig them out for you!"

Long Yuehong slowly withdrew her gaze.

Back in the car, everyone fell into silence at the same time.

After a while, Long Yuehong said angrily:

"It was their people who were killed and killed, and they didn't care!"

Jiang Baimian, Bai Chen and Gnawa didn't know how to respond.

At this time, Shang Jianyao suddenly sat up straight and said slowly but firmly:

"They don't care, I do!"

PS: Ask for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month~