Embers Ad Infinitum

Hearing Jiang Baimian's words, a flash of surprise flashed across Song He's face.

The questions asked by the other party were very strange and had a clear direction, as if they wanted to explore something.

As a clergyman of the Vigilant Sect in a corner of the country, although Song He has rich life experience and sufficient experience, his vision is ultimately limited to a small place like Hongshiji, which at most involves certain personnel changes and doctrines of the sect. Disputes and little understanding of the ruins of the city across the mountain led to him clearly hearing that Jiang Baimian wanted to investigate a certain secret, but he had no way of guessing.

As his thoughts surged, Song He smiled bitterly:

"To be honest, I have only met Dimarco's great-grandfather Montes. At that time, I was just a small person, haha, and I am still now. In short, I did not come into contact with him more than five times.

"He would leave the Ark from time to time and come to the surface and go to different places. As for where he went, I don't know.

"Later, he converted to our sect and believed in Zhi Sui, and he never left the 'Underground Ark' again until his death.

"The same goes for his son and grandson, who is Dimarco's grandfather and father."

Perhaps because he stayed in Hongshiji for too long and needed to preach to believers in Honghe language from time to time, Song He occasionally brought in the grammatical features of this language in his speech.

Well, how could he convert to your sect and believe in Zhi Sui? He was forced to win... Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said:

“What kind of man was DiMarco’s great-grandfather Montes?”

"Proud to the point of arrogance, majestic to the point of being inhumane, and his eyes are very intimidating." Song He replied calmly, "I have just mentioned his specific character. I don't have much contact with him, so I don't know him well. Instead of me, you might as well ask the old servants and guards of Ark, and look through Monteith’s collection of books. Maybe he has the habit of writing a diary?”

Shang Jianyao laughed:

"Who is a serious person..."

His subsequent words were interrupted by Jiang Baimian:

"If Montes had a secret he wouldn't record it in his diary unless he wanted to tell others about it at the right time and in the right way."

"What if he has obsessive-compulsive disorder for keeping a diary?" Honest Shang Jianyao became angry.

Song He's expression did not change, and his tone remained gentle:

"I'm just proposing a direction for investigation."

"Understood." Jiang Baimian said sincerely, "Thank you."

Then, she said goodbye and walked towards the door with Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen and Long Yuehong.

Seeing that the passage was close at hand, she suddenly turned around and asked casually:

"Did your church send anyone to check the collection of books in the 'Underground Ark'?"

After forming the Ark Management Committee, the "Old Tunes Group" actually did not let go of the books in the underground collection, but at that time they did not know that there was a Buddhist shrine in the ruins of Tieshan City next door. They had no idea what kind of person "Di Marco" once was. I am not very interested in what experiences I have had, and my focus is mainly on the books on doomsday theory.

——The ancestors of the Dimarco family are fanatical enthusiasts of doomsday theory. They built an underground ark specifically for this purpose. Naturally, the collection of books at home will not lack corresponding content.

Song He's eyes moved slightly, he nodded slightly and said:

"Several clergymen were sent because the collection of books in the 'Underground Ark' contains a lot of technical information and valuable books related to the civilization of the old world. This plays a very important role in the future of the Red Stone Collection and in helping mankind welcome the arrival of the new world. .

"This is the wealth left to us by our ancestors, the humans in the old days."

At this point, Song He changed the subject:

"However, we did not take any of the original copies, we just copied them."

Another meaning he meant was that among the many identical books, the Vigilant Sect had taken away one or two of them.

"Yes." Jiang Baimian nodded slowly, "Have you found any records worthy of attention?"

Song He shook his head.

…………

Inside the Ark, on the second underground floor, in the previous reception room.

The "Old Tune Team" again found Ulrich, the former Ark steward.

"What kind of person was Mr. Montes, the first owner of the Ark, Di Marco's great-grandfather?" Jiang Baimian asked straight to the point.

Ulrich recalled for a few seconds, then carefully considered his words and said:

“He died before I was born, but my grandfather, one of his ordained deacons, mentioned him to me.

"His personality is very similar to DiMarco's in all aspects, but he is not as manic and violent."

That's because he hasn't been locked up in the Ark for many years, unable to get out, and his psychology is completely distorted... Long Yuehong explained "helping" in her heart.

"What about situations outside of personality?" Jiang Baimian asked.

Ulrich looked at Shang Jianyao, who was still wearing a monkey mask:

"He was once a believer in an ancient religion in the old world, and he would often carry the Holy Scriptures of that religion with him. Di Marco and his father and grandfather always wore the attire of old world clergy, which was directly or indirectly influenced by him. Come.

"However, he eventually believed in Zhi Sui, joined the sect, and found peace in the last few years of his life."

That's because the same person has a consistent aesthetic tendency in clothing... Long Yuehong replied in her heart again.

Religion... classics... Jiang Baimian muttered silently.

Bai Chen asked further:

"Is that Holy Book still in the library, the one Monteith always carried with him?"

"Here, the sect just took away a few other holy books." Ulrich was quite sure.

Because Shang Jianyao was already so drowsy that he could barely hold on, Jiang Baimian, who didn't need to worry about the subject deviating, said "hmm":

"Do you know which books Mr. Monteith reads most? Does he keep a diary?"

Ulrich shook his head:

“He’s not a record-keeper.

"Moreover, he and DiMarco's father and grandfather, and even DiMarco himself, hated others snooping into their privacy and never let anyone know their reading preferences."

Jiang Baimian was silent for a few seconds, then asked:

"By the way, is the family autobiography we read last time still there?"

It was an autobiography written by the Dimarco family before the destruction of the old world. The "Old Tune Group" had mainly looked through the parts about the end of the world and the ark, and found that it was indeed the ancestor who was too fanatical to think about building an underground ark. Rather than getting any news in advance.

This time, Jiang Baimian decided to go over it again, carefully reading the things he had skipped and roughly scanned a few times.

"Yes." Ulrich replied calmly.

…………

Located in a library on a certain floor of the underground ark.

Ulrich picked up a dark red-covered "Holy Scripture" that was placed on the middle desk and handed it to Jiang Baimian:

"This is the one Mr. Monteith always carries."

While Jiang Baimian took it with one hand, he looked at the bookshelves lined up around him and felt that this place was more like a library than a library.

"You can go back and rest," she said to Ulrich.

Ulrich didn't insist on staying here because he didn't know if he was suitable to participate in what was going to happen next.

After Ulrich left the library, Jiang Baimian said to Long Yuehong, Bai Chen and Shang Jianyao:

"I'm going to read this "Sacred Book", and you guys will re-read those volumes of the DiMarco family's autobiographies. Hey, if you feel dizzy, just lean against the bookshelf and take a nap."

"Okay." Shang Jianyao said with his eyes closed.

He slowly slid to the ground and fell asleep on the spot.

It's so informal... Long Yuehong grumbled and picked up an autobiography that Ulrich had sent to the desk.

Time passed quietly, accompanied only by the slight rustling of books.

I don't know how long it took, but Jiang Baimian saw the part about hell and devils in the "Holy Scripture".

Suddenly, she discovered that someone had written a paragraph in dark blue ink in the blank space at the bottom of a certain page.

The passage composed of Honghe script is:

"I woke up from the darkness and the devil opened his eyes."

For some reason, this sentence written in a flat and slightly sloppy handwriting sent a chill down Jiang Baimian's spine.

She quickly flipped through the back part, but couldn't find any new "annotations".

There seems to be only this little extra "content" in the entire "Holy Scripture".

"Look at this." Jiang Baimian called Long Yuehong and Bai Chen over and began to speculate, "After the destruction of the old world, what words did Montes leave behind when he first woke up in the Ark? I have figured out what abilities I have acquired, and my emotions are complicated and difficult to contain, so I wrote this sentence and feel like I have become a devil?"

Long Yuehong was about to stand up and walk towards the team leader when her eyes suddenly caught sight of a sentence in her autobiography:

"In order to develop the family's construction business, the eldest son Montes was sent to neighboring Tieshan City to participate in the tender for the reconstruction of the old city..."

Long Yuehong's pupils suddenly dilated and she blurted out:

"Team leader!

"Montis went to Iron Mountain City! Before the old world was destroyed!"

There is actually a certain connection between the two!