Crown of Silence

Chapter 372 Goodbye

If it wasn't already late at night, Ye Qingxuan would definitely rush to Elder Caligula's house to ask Elsa how to get in.

But Elsa's memory is only five minutes, I'm afraid she can't explain it clearly, right?

But why is the double snake emblem here?

There is even one on her wrist...

Ye Qingxuan held the pocket watch and thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out, and suddenly became depressed: the cruelest thing in the world is that the door is right in front of you, but you can't find it, and you can't get in.

With a sigh of regret, he looked back at the broken statues on the ground and shook his head slowly.

"It's been so many years, I guess Romulus has forgotten everything, otherwise this place wouldn't be so broken, and even the holy fire would be extinguished."

He shook his head and turned around, ready to leave, but his body froze in place.

Holy fire...

Holy fire!

The Romulans originated from the Thebes Oasis, established the City of Seven Wolves, and opened up their own empire.

At that time, countless tribes from all directions came here, integrated into Romulus, and brought their gods into the empire. Therefore, the temple of Romulus is called the Pantheon.

It’s just that the folk beliefs of the Romulans have always maintained a relatively primitive ancestor worship - they believe that the souls of their ancestors live in the family’s flames, so the family fire must always burn. The people of a family must worship the same family fire, and this connection is closer than blood ties.

The patriarch of a family is also a sacrifice to the family fire, and each family even has different prayers and rituals.

When the bride of the family gets married, there must be a musician in front of the family fire to witness on behalf of the ancestor’s spirit. From then on, the girl will be separated from the family fire and join the family fire of another family.

Therefore, the sacred fire in the temple, representing the gods, must not be extinguished.

Even in this temple, the original remains of the saint played the role of the "fire watcher". When he revived, he absorbed the holy fire and turned it into his own power, so the flames were no longer there.

"Then... I'll light another one for you!"

Ye Qingxuan turned back and stood in front of the fire altar, cleared the ashes in it, directly dismantled the rotten chair and threw it in, rubbed out the flames, and threw it in.

Then in the darkness, the fire lit up.

Ye Qingxuan took off the Eye of Silence and stared at the temple in front of him.

In the weak burning of the fire, there seemed to be a solemn atmosphere on the broken statues of the gods. Hundreds of years ago, the Romulans came here and opened it up as a cemetery for heroes. They also built the residence of the gods here and burned slaves and sacrifices.

When the flames burned again, the gods seemed to have returned from the darkness, staring at Ye Qingxuan with their broken bodies, staring at this foreign worshiper.

Before the faint fire, Ye Qingxuan only felt the pocket watch tremble. After taking it out of his pocket, he saw that the double snake emblem slowly lit up and then quickly went out. Even the dark emblem disappeared.

The mirror-like pocket watch shell reflected the light of the holy fire. There seemed to be some small depressions on it, so it cast a rectangular outline on the wall.

The trace of light drifted on the wall with the fine adjustment of Ye Qingxuan's wrist, and finally moved between the two statues, like a door.

A door...

Ye Qingxuan stared at the pocket watch in his hand dully, then looked at the light and shadow door on the wall, put away the pocket watch, but the outline of the door still remained there.

"Is this okay?"

He walked over doubtfully, pushed it, and it opened at his fingertips.

It really works!

He stared at the open door dully, and the brightly lit space behind the door for a long time, and then stepped into it.

Behind the door, in a secret room, a statue holding a flame stood. On its base, there was a line of dark golden words, which were cast from a mixture of lapis lazuli and brass, immortal for a thousand years.

In the reflection of the fire, the teachings from the ancient priests shone brightly.

‘Disteminoremquodgeris, imperas’

- Because you fear the gods, you rule the world.

Just in front of the teachings, someone abandoned a worn-out robe. The robe was covered with dust, but Ye Qingxuan could see at a glance that it was the clothes that the Yellow King had worn.

He abandoned this thing here, just like abandoning the glory and throne that countless people dreamed of.

But Ye Qingxuan didn't have time to take a closer look, he was attracted by the things next to the robe.

Suddenly, he wished he had never been here.

He wished he hadn't discovered the secret behind the door, and he wished he had never been to this place.

He felt regret from the bottom of his heart and almost wanted to run away!

He stared at the thing in a daze, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, trembling all over, and almost fell to the ground.

Facing so many powerful enemies and so many terrible monsters head-on, even when fighting against natural disasters, he never hesitated. Ye Qingxuan once thought that there was nothing in the world that would make him lose his composure like this.

But looking at it, Ye Qingxuan felt a sense of fear from the bottom of his heart.

"What the hell is this...?!"

--

Late at night, on the top of the holy city.

The heavy and sad bell sounded, spreading in all directions.

Outside the Holy Spirit Hall, several archbishops in red robes looked solemn, staring at the flames in the hall from a long distance, like a candle in the wind.

In the sad bell, they sighed softly and lowered their eyes.

The Holy Spirit Hall is the most important place in the Holy City, one of the cores, and even more important than the Pope's bedroom. There is no strict security here, even the guarding knights are gone, only the gray priests come and go.

In this hall, all the saints who enshrined their consciousness in the ether after death and transformed into the Holy Spirit are enshrined. Those holy spirits sleep in this hall, delaying their own decay, waiting for the moment when they need to step onto the battlefield.

Compared with the world, human consciousness is too small and short-lived after all.

When the delayed death finally comes, the bell will ring, announcing the death of the Holy Spirit.

This is the sixth in a hundred years.

Outside the hall, several archbishops whispered softly.

"Is it finally going to go out?"

"Although he is a saint, it has been six hundred years after all. There is a limit to the number of people, and nothing can escape it."

"But he is different."

Someone sighed, and everyone stopped talking.

In the temple, the one who is about to go out and fall is the great musician who created the Romulus era six hundred years ago, the eternal emperor of the Romulans.

——Holy Spirit Aeneas.

In the temple, someone pushed the door open.

The traveler from afar passed the long sarcophagus on both sides, and finally stood in front of the altar. On the altar, in the weak flames, the blurred face of the Holy Spirit slowly raised his head and stared at the face of the visitor.

The visitor can no longer be seen in the past, nor the handsome and feminine look he once had, only the long hair is still shining like gold. In just a few months, he has become as old as a middle-aged man, looking vicissitudes of life, but still fat.

Only the emblem of the twin snakes on the staff was still shining.

Seeing the Holy Spirit in the fire, he smiled.

"Hermes?"

In the flames, Aeneas looked at him, his eyes becoming clear: "Long time no see."

"Yes, long time no see."

Hermes sat next to the altar, leaning against the stone pillar, and whispered: "I'll see you off."

"Thank you."

Aeneas nodded, Hermes lowered his head, took out the pipe from his pocket, and lit it, but unfortunately the pulley lighter was soaked in water and couldn't be lit. He tried for a long time, sighed helplessly, and cursed.

Aeneas stretched out his fingers and pressed on the pipe, and the weak embers lit the tobacco.

"Thank you." Hermes grinned, took a deep breath, and let out a long breath: "I'm so tired after sitting in the carriage for several days."

Aeneas looked at him, hesitated, and asked softly:

"Are they... okay?"

"Of course they are fine."

Hermes said lightly: "These days, being alive is a good thing, right? Besides, as a group of homeless refugees, it's good to have a piece of land for them to stay.

What about you? Staying here is like being in prison. Don't you want me to take you out for a walk?"

"Before you came, I had a dream."

Aeneas said: "I woke up and saw you coming. What a coincidence."

"It's a good thing to have dreams. What did you dream about? Tell me."

"I dreamed of my home fire."

He sighed softly, "I dreamed that I left here, returned to the home fire, and reunited with my ancestors. But after waking up, I felt scared: I did so many wrong things, I don't know what they will say to me."

"Don't worry, you did the right thing. There are many things. "Hermes said, "If there is a world after death, you will definitely enjoy the blessings."

"Is there really a world after death?"

"No."

Hermes shook his head: "You have lived so long, Aeneas, don't you understand?

Humans are what you see, 70% water, calcium in the bones, blood flowing in the body, breathing when alive. Dead? Nothing is left. "

He pointed to his head and said softly: "There is no little man called 'soul' here, Aeneas, sorry, there is no world after death."

"Is that so."

Aeneas sighed lightly, as if he had settled down: "Thank you."

"You're welcome, this is what I should do. You are the first person I know, and I have the responsibility to witness your death. I just didn't expect that this day would come so late, six hundred years late. "

"It's coming soon, it's coming soon... In a blink of an eye, it's been six hundred years. "

Aeneas smiled and closed his eyes.

In the flames, the Holy Spirit half-knelt on the altar and bowed his head to the person in front of him:

"I once embarked on the road of destiny due to the guidance of the gods, and achieved great deeds due to fate. Now, six hundred years have passed, and the traces I left on the earth are no longer visible, and I am about to disappear.

-From beginning to end, you have witnessed me."

Hermes lowered his eyes, "Aeneas, you have also witnessed me."

"People like me, when they are alive, because they have power and have done some things, they are called heroes and emperors. Unfortunately, what I can do is limited. I have lived for six hundred years in vain, but I always hope to do something for those displaced people. Unfortunately, I can do nothing now.

I hope you can guide them, Hermes, just like you guided me back then."

"Everything has its fate, Aeneas, and it is fate that guides you." Hermes smoked his pipe and whispered, "I will take care of them for you. Don't worry, there is an old man with a good brain inside, and they will probably not have a bad time in the future."

"That's great."

Aeneas smiled with relief. In the flames, the dim figure fluttered, gradually dissipated, and turned into ashes. In the ashes, the old face gradually broke apart. This was the last farewell:

"Goodbye."

"Well, goodbye." Hermes closed his eyes.

The flames went out, and the embers flew up to the sky like birds.

Hermes reached out and caught the falling ash and held it tightly.

"Goodbye."

——

I finally updated a chapter after rushing~ It's the end of the month, I'm asking for monthly tickets, friends~

And, by the way, I'll take a day off...