“The finger of the God of Light summoned the will of the God of Order, and then that will completed Young Master’s purification? I truly don’t know how to put my feelings into words right now! This is nothing short of a miracle! A genuine miracle! As expected of Young Master; Only his purification could manifest such a terrifying spectacle.”

Pu’er lay on her back with both paws resting on her belly, eyelids drooping as she watched Alfred. She was exhausted and desperately wanted to go sleep.

Which made this radio demon, who was so eager to hear the story, unbearably irritating.

Woof! Woof! On the sofa beside them, Kevin the golden retriever barked twice in dissatisfaction at Alfred.

Kevin was also exhausted and desperate for some sleep, yet Alfred kept holding onto one of his legs, shaking it up and down, forcibly driving away any hint of drowsiness.

Alfred looked at Kevin and laughed. “When listening to such a great story, how could one possibly endure not having a heretical god beside them? That would be such a pity.”

Woof! Woof!

Alfred turned to Pu’er. “What is it saying?”

Pu’er replied, “It says you’re the real dog.”[1]

At that moment, the bedroom door was pushed open and Karon walked in.

“Oh, my dear Little Karon, hurry up and unplug this radio demon! I’m dying of sleepiness! Meow..”

Instead, Karon picked Pu’er up and carried her to the billiards table. He opened the floor-to-ceiling window, allowing the cold, damp wind to rush in, flattening Pu’er’s fur against her body.

“Bede is a believer of the Wall God Church.” Taking advantage of Pu’er’s forcibly awakened state, Karon said it directly.

The man had believed Karon would keep his secret, and Karon certainly intended to do so, but Pu’er was not an outsider. Everyone present was part of Karon’s inner circle.

Pu’er’s groggy feline face scrunched up when the cold wind hit her, but Karon’s words caused her face to immediately relax again. “Oh? There’s such a good thing?”

Sure enough, she was not angry that a family member had abandoned their ancestor for a heretical god.

“You once told me that Bede said he sent Ms. Jenny and Eunice to Roja City in his place because he wanted to attend an art exhibition.”

“Yes. Master Anderson said that during a family meeting. Bede went to Mulberry Port to see an exhibition,” Pu’er answered quickly, but then paused. “Hmm? Did he not go to Mulberry Port?”

“No.” Karon set Pu’er atop the ball rack and turned to Alfred, who was standing at the steps below the table, “Alfred, bring me my notebook.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Karon did not keep a diary, but he did make a habit to record certain thoughts and images. Since moving into Allen Manor, while his clothing and daily necessities had been handled by the staff, his personal belongings had always remained under Alfred’s care.

Very soon, Alfred returned with the notebook.

Karon sat on the steps by the billiards table and started flipping through the pages, turning to several consecutive pages that were filled with drawings, all of which were his “copies” of Linda’s paintings.

Alfred and Kevin leaned in to look together, while Pu’er, perched up above on the ball rack, stretched her neck out to peer down.

After seeing several of Karon’s drawings, Pu’er smacked her lips. “Oh, Karon, your artistic skills are truly... quite abstract.”

Alfred immediately said, “Young Master has never studied art. Being able to draw like this already speaks to his talent.”

Pu’er just rolled her eyes.

Karon found the page he was looking for and tapped it with a finger. It was a painting he had copied from Piaget’s studio.

The painting was of Piaget standing on a rooftop, while Linda flew in the sky above him. Deeper within the dark clouds loomed the silhouette of a giantess, the heretical god Rilsaar.

At the very bottom of the painting was an enlarged altar.

When Kevin saw “Rilsaar,” he leaned his head forward again and began to grin. Woof! Woof! Woof!

Clearly, the golden retriever recognized Rilsaar. While Karon’s drawing was indeed vague and abstract, as Pu’er had said, the key details had been emphasized.

Especially Rilsaar’s hands. Her left hand held a pond flowing with shifting colors, while her right held a massive multicolored feather.

“What is it saying?” Karon asked.

Pu’er translated, “It’s mocking Rilsaar for being an idiot.”

Kevin nodded vigorously, confirming the translation, and continued barking. Woof! Woof! Woof!

Pu’er continued, “An idiot who dared to paint the end of the God of Order while he was still in his prime.”

Karon glanced at Kevin. “Pu’er, Tiz once told me that after the grand divine descent ritual was completed, someone else came along to help clean up the aftermath and completely erase all suspicions.”

“Huh? Wasn’t that Linda?”

“You already knew about Linda?” Karon asked.

“I... I didn’t know that much. I helped a little, but the one who really put in the most effort was little Hoffen.”

“So what did you know?”

“I just knew that Tiz must have prepared a backup plan. He would never let his grandson remain trapped by an investigation and suspicion.”

“And Hoffen?”

“He probably knew more than me, but Tiz has always had a habit, which is the same as yours. Unless you ask directly, he usually won’t tell you his plans. Maybe he thinks that you don’t need to know, or that knowing or not won’t make any difference, since things will proceed the same way regardless.”

Hearing this, Karon unconsciously rubbed his nose. It was true, he had not told Pu’er about his conversation with Earl Rekar, for the same reason.

Unless the Allen family faced a truly unresolvable crisis, Karon had no intention of waking that arrogant earl again.

“Alfred, would you like a drink?”

“Yes.”

Alfred quickly brought an ice water and handed it to Karon. Holding the cool glass, Karon continued, “When Bede came to Roja City, he met Ms. Jenny, a local.”

“Yes. And?” Pu’er asked.

“If he was already capable of courting someone, he must have already been an adult at that time.”

“At least older than Lent,” Pu’er agreed.

“Bede told me that he became a believer in the Wall God Church at a very early age, which cut off any chance of awakening your ancestor’s bloodline thereafter.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Pu’er said lazily. “His father and brothers don’t seem particularly talented either. Even our ancestor himself probably wouldn’t want his descendants to hang themselves on a single tree.”

“Tiz met Bede in his study.”

“Of course. Tiz has always been very patient with the fools of the Allen family. I used to think it was out of consideration for me, but later, I realized he’d actually taken a liking to the Allen bloodline. That child Tiz was scheming from a very young age, hmph.”

“So Tiz would have noticed that Bede had already changed his faith when he sat across from him back then?”

“Absolutely,” Pu’er said decisively. “Tiz condensed three godhead fragments across three periods. When the Temple elders sat face to face with him, if Bede had already changed his faith at that time, Tiz would certainly have seen it.

“Oh, I see now, Karon. You mean—”

“Exactly,” Karon said. “I believe Tiz had another reason for choosing the Allen family, and that reason was Bede, my prospective father-in-law. I always believed that the one Tiz was referring to who cleaned up after the grand divine descent ritual was Linda.

“After learning about her identity, I even went to Tiz’s study in the afternoon and told him: Grandpa, I know who the powerful demonkin is, the one you mentioned would help us clean things up.

“And Tiz only replied with a single word: ‘Oh.’ In fact, Tiz never explicitly told me that person was Linda.”

“It was Bede?” Alfred asked immediately. “He didn’t go to see an exhibit?”

Karon shook his head. “No. He did go to see an exhibition.”

Karon ripped the drawing page free and held it up in front of them. “Look, what if we don’t treat this as a painting, but as a photograph? This is clearly a scene drawn from the observer’s perspective.”

“So Bede was also in Roja City at the time, and he witnessed Linda using the altar to conduct a grand divine descent ritual to summon the Wall God Rilsaar?” Alfred asked.

“Grandpa said that the grand ritual demanded an enormous price,” Karon replied. “And also that it could not succeed.”

Alfred said slowly, “So the one who cooperated with Tiz to clear the Immers family of all suspicion related to the divine descent was him... And Linda was the price he chose to pay?”

Karon lowered the paper. “That’s why there was another reason for me to come here to the Allen family, and also why there was an additional reason that Grandpa insisted on me being with Eunice. It’s because, in Tiz’s plan, my prospective father-in-law is indispensable.”

Pu’er immediately cried out. “Meow!!!”

She began wildly swiping her claws at empty air, cursing, “My god, Tiz really has plucked every last hair off the Allen family!”

Still, the cat soon turned to the side and laughed. “So this means that the Allen family did produce a decent one after all! Bede, huh? Ohoho, he hid it very well. I didn’t see it at all. Karon, how did you notice?”

“After my purification, I saw one of his unfinished paintings,” Karon replied.

“Terrifying atmospheric perception,” Pu’er said enviously. “Is this the effect of a purification personally overseen by a god?”

Alfred immediately added, “I think it’s because Young Master has always had the heart of an artist, which allowed him to notice such details.”

Pu’er gave Alfred another roll of her eyes. “Well then, it seems that this generation of the Allen family has another who might amount to something. They’re not as hopeless as I feared; He just prefers to hide.”

From Pu’er’s perspective, this was indeed something to celebrate. From a group of fools, one non-fool had finally emerged, one capable of cooperating with Tiz.

“There’s something I want to remind you of,” Karon said to Pu’er.

“Hmm?” Pu’er looked at him curiously.

“Many times, when a family falls into decline, its trajectory resembles a form of slow death.”

“Yes, like the Allen family.”

“And in such situations, it’s easy for—”

“A genius,” Pu’er interjected.

“But most of the time, that genius can’t bring about a revival. Instead, he simply accelerates his family’s destruction.”

Pu’er fell silent.

“He’s been watching his family slide downward, constantly facing external threats , yet despite sitting in the position of patriarch, he’s done nothing. He’s only played the role of a pure observer, immersing himself in an atmosphere of an artist instead. Is that someone you can trust?”

Woof! Woof! Kevin barked twice.

“What is it saying?”

Pu’er translated, “It says veteran Wall God Church believers are all obsessive madmen, just like the Wall God Rilsaar they worship.”

Karon thought of Linda and of Piaget. “Let’s set this matter and Bede’s identity aside for now. He’s no longer the patriarch anyway, so let him continue to indulge in his artistic self-world. People like him may appear to enjoy family life, but deep down, they don’t actually care. If they did, Linda wouldn’t have done something like have her husband burn her corpse and use her ashes to make pigment.”

Pu’er flicked her tail. “Sigh. We finally find one with decent growth potential, and he’s covered in thorns, possibly even poison. The Allen family really has it hard.”

“Let’s leave it at that for now. Everyone rest. There shouldn’t be anything else today.”

...

Karon did not sleep well that night. Likely because he had just completed purification, his perception had become overly active.

When he did fall asleep, he clearly knew that he was sleeping, yet old memories continued to run through his mind, as if he were reexamining his past. There were scenes from his awakening. Scenes from the Immers household. Scenes from his arrival in Veyn. Finally, the image froze at his feet.

White stretched endlessly in all directions. Only the shadow beneath his feet belonged solely to him. The image froze there.

When Karon instinctively turned his head to look behind him, he woke. At the same time, dawn arrived.

He got out of bed, washed, and stepped out of the bedroom. Borg was already there waiting. “Young Master, shall I inform the kitchen to prepare breakfast?”

“Mhmm.”

Karon went straight to the study and opened his copy of the Light of Order on the desk.

He did not participate in the Allen family’s actual operations, so the luxurious study had truly become a study in the purest sense.

Soon, a bland yet nutritious breakfast was delivered. Karon ate expressionlessly, considering whether he should ask Master Anderson to set up a small private kitchen for him on the third floor.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

Karon pressed the bell, and Mike entered in his wheelchair.

Seeing him, Karon remembered that Pu’er had said she could help resolve his physical issues, allowing him to continue cultivating.

Now that Karon had undergone purification and become a Divine Servant, it was indeed possible to try.

“Young Master,” Mike said. “We just received a call. Early this morning, Prince Henry left the palace with over a hundred royal guards, and he’s heading for our manor.”

“Hm?” Karon asked. “What for?”

“That remains unclear. He got drunk last night and said a great many things, including complaints about the Allen family, which were probably related to Eunice.”

“Who called?” Karon asked. “Our contact in the palace?”

“No. The queen’s personal aide called directly to warn us. The palace has already sent people after Prince Henry, and the aide expressed their apologies, explaining that the queen dispatched people to retrieve her grandson.

“Under normal circumstances, Prince Henry should sober up halfway here and turn back. He wouldn’t actually go through with something so outrageous.”

“How low-class,” Karon remarked.

“Yes,” Mike agreed. “But rest assured, Young Master. Even if he truly arrives, the Allen family can stop him. We may have declined, we still have some connections.”

“Mhmm.” Karon pointed at Mike. “I’ve completed purification.”

“Yes, Young Master. Congratulations. The changes in the pool yesterday truly—”

“No. That’s not what I mean,” Karon interrupted. “My grandfather knows about your condition.”

“Sir Tiz knows my situation?”

“Yes. He cares about every member of the Allen family.”

“Truly... thank you, great Sir Tiz.”

“Grandpa taught me a method, and now that I’ve completed purification, I can help to resolve your issue. Your legs can’t be restored, but you will be able to cultivate again.”

“Young Master, truly? Truly?!” Mike exclaimed, gripping his wheelchair armrests as if to lift himself up.

There was another knock at the door.

Karon pressed the bell again, and this time, Bede hurried in. “Young Master, something’s wrong—”

“Prince Henry arrived?” Karon asked.

Bede froze. “You already know?”

Karon leaned back irritably in his chair. He had no desire to engage in a childish rivalry with a romantic rival. He found the entire thing juvenile. Perhaps it was his upbringing. Yes, the Immers family upbringing.

Just like the afternoon when he had gone to Tiz to explain the Sisso family’s situation, after analyzing the powerful figures behind the events, Tiz had simply replied, “What are they, exactly?”

Karon genuinely felt an urge to go all-in and awaken Earl Rekar to deal with this nuisance. Perhaps he could dig up Rekar’s coffin and secretly transport it to the palace walls of York City and awaken him there.

After that, it would depend on whether Rekar’s first impulse upon awakening would be to go home or to climb a wall and visit the descendants of an old lover.

“Did you do it, Young Master?” Bede asked.

“Hm?” Karon snapped back. “Do what?”

“Prince Henry,” Bede clarified.

“I won’t meet him. My identity isn’t suitable to be exposed. You can handle him, can’t you, Mike?”

“Yes, Young Master,” Mike replied.

“No, that’s not it,” Bede protested, spreading his hands open. “Prince Henry has already been dealt with.”

Mike laughed. “Father acted swiftly! Was he awakened by the noise?”

Karon let out a breath. “Thank you for your hard work, Anderson.”

All he wanted was some peace. As long as Prince Henry did not appear in the manor to fawn over Eunice, Karon couldn’t care less about the incestuous Gloria bloodline.

Bede sighed. “Because when Prince Henry entered the manor... it was only his head.”

1. In Chinese, “dog” is a common insult meaning “jerk” or “bastard,” and the joke here is the literal dog using it on a human. ☜