harleyscars Chapter 46 Negotiation
Chapter 46 Negotiation
"You are a mortal being, a subject watched over with pity by the great temple."
"The icy and snowy roads along the way prove your determination. If you have any doubts, you can pray for the guidance of the light."
"And the light... is right before you."
The "immortal" shrouded in golden light spoke. Although there was no emotional fluctuation in his voice, it did not sound cold. Instead, it gave people a warm and approachable feeling.
His voice, like the true words of heaven and earth, rang out from all directions at the same time, echoing and buzzing repeatedly in this empty and desolate "temple".
Seeing this, Li Yuan's face showed a hint of amusement:
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you my question."
"I want to know...who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?"
He blurted out a "final three questions," as if expecting the truth within them.
"You are you, you come from where you came, and you are going where you are going."
The immortal's robes fluttered, and the golden light around him grew even more dazzling. His voice still sounded warm, and his replies were mysterious.
"That makes sense, that makes sense! The greatest truths are the simplest, and that's truly enlightening!" Li Yuan gave a thumbs up, his face showing admiration.
Then, his expression suddenly turned serious: "Let's get down to business. Why did you invite me here?"
The golden light surrounding the "immortal" suddenly dimmed. After a moment of silence, he spoke again:
"The divine way is dim, the great way is not flourishing, we wander on the wrong path, pointing to the mountains and rivers, our anger rising like the wind and clouds, our will to secure the nation, therefore..."
He read aloud a beautifully written article in a melodious and varied voice.
The meaning is simple: they hope Li Yuan can become the temple's messenger, secretly observe the world on behalf of the temple, and return to the temple at the appropriate time to report to the people in the temple.
"Oh? You've entrusted me with such a noble mission? That's an honor!"
But then, he suddenly changed his tone: "So, what benefit do I get from doing this?"
The "immortal" slightly bowed, looking down at Li Yuan from his superior position, his voice completely unwavering:
"When Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon someone, whether or not you are willing to accept this great and glorious mission is up to you."
"But please remember one thing: the temple never makes deals with mortals."
"Hahaha!" Upon hearing this, Li Yuan suddenly burst into laughter. "Not trading with mortals? What a fine way to say it!"
His voice suddenly changed, and the previous feigned respect was gone: "But as far as I know, there have been many such transactions, although you may not be willing to admit it."
He paused, then continued, "Do you still remember what your true mission is?"
"Because of that little girl who escaped from here back then, and that temple messenger with his eyes covered by a black cloth, the course of human development has undergone tremendous changes!"
"Are you sure you want to play these tricks on me?!"
As he spoke, he walked straight around the stone platform and headed towards the building behind it.
The "immortal's" body trembled, and countless bright spots flickered and dimmed repeatedly before he suddenly disintegrated.
The next moment, countless points of light converged in front of Li Yuan, and once again solidified into the body of an "immortal".
Then, the door in front of Li Yuan slowly opened. He glanced at it casually and walked in without fear.
This is a building that resembles an ancient temple, but the building material inside is not ordinary bluestone, but a material similar to metal.
The interior of the building was completely empty; apart from the murals on the walls, there was nothing unusual about it.
After looking around, Li Yuan turned to the "immortal" beside him who had become utterly silent:
"Speak up. Since you let me in, you must have something to say."
"For example... everything that happened back then? And what is the meaning of your existence?"
The "immortal" remained silent for a moment, and after the light spots that made up his body flickered several times, he slowly raised his arm and condensed a mirror of light in front of Li Yuan.
The scene slowly begins to play, and at the beginning, everything—land, sea, sky, and so on—seems to be on fire.
Countless creatures suffered annihilation, and countless lives perished during this period.
But as time went by and the environment gradually changed, life slowly revealed its tenacious resilience.
Ultimately, this once-destroyed world was reborn.
Many years later, humanity reappeared, but had forgotten everything from the past.
At this moment, a young man with a black cloth covering his eyes appeared. He began to teach the raw-eating humans to write, impart knowledge, and teach them skills to help them deal with those formidable beasts.
Subsequently, human civilization developed rapidly, quickly leaping past the period of ignorance that should have lasted for countless millennia, and entering the era of feudal dynasties.
He quickly learned about the development of this world. Although he knew the general process, seeing it with his own eyes still left Li Yuan quite shocked.
He looked at the "immortal" again and said, "Now, it's time to answer my question: what is your mission?"
The "immortal" calmly said, "The temple is a guardian, protecting the last spark of human civilization so that it can sprout again. Our mission is to allow the remnants of humanity to live on this world once more."
"But," Li Yuan suddenly spoke, "there should be a 'but'."
"Feudal dynasties have been established for thousands of years, yet human civilization has remained stagnant. This must be the result of your deliberate interference, right?"
"Let me guess, is your purpose in doing this because you fear that humanity will repeat the mistakes of the past and, with the advancement of technology, once again relive the catastrophe of nuclear war?"
After the "immortal's" body flickered for a while, he calmly and coldly spoke:
"The temple does not concern itself with worldly affairs, nor has it ever forcibly stopped the evolution of human civilization; we are merely trying to correct this process."
"But if there are external forces trying to forcibly accelerate this process, we will definitely stop them."
Li Yuan nodded: "I see, I understand your thoughts."
"But the problem now is that the little girl who escaped from here back then has driven the productivity and technology of the entire continent to move forward."
"Although you have sent messengers to kill her, everything she created has been preserved, and you cannot erase it all."
"Furthermore, the messenger with his eyes covered by a black cloth remains outside the temple and refuses to return."
"Even though you have sent many other messengers to try to bring it back to the temple."
"But the messenger with the black cloth covering his eyes is the most powerful of all the temple's messengers. You failed; you simply couldn't bring him back."
At this point, he finally revealed his true intentions: "So, now an opportunity is presented to you. Would you like to consider it?"