Chapter 3: Opening the black stone wall inside the Redemption Church, in the remaining two-thirds of the church, there would definitely be plenty of gains.
These matters needed to be handled one by one. Priority was dealing with the Killer Bees, and at the same time, consideration could be given to advancing toward the central area of Doom Town to find the Ash Furnace there, since the Killer Bees' goal was also the Ash Furnace.
As for opening the black stone wall inside the church, that should be done last. After completing these three tasks, the progress on the main mission should be about right.
For now, it was exploration plus tracking down the Killer Bees. With the goal clear, Su Xiao sat on the circular steps in front of the small wooden door.
"Holy Maiden."
"Lord Bai Ye, I am here."
"Have you seen the god in this town?"
"Yes."
The Holy Maiden nodded slightly, her expression unchanged.
"The Redemption Church has gained quite a lot from the Ancient God, hasn't it."
"Apologies, Lord Bai Ye, I don't understand your meaning."
The Holy Maiden looked a bit confused; she genuinely didn't understand, not pretending.
"How do you open that wall?"
"Sir Qisier Man's bracelet can open the stone crystal wall. That lord is guarding the Ash Furnace and hasn't returned to the church for a long time. Sir Qisier Man is very short in stature; when you meet him, please do not mock his build."
The Holy Maiden answered without reservation. The Ash Furnace wasn't easy to obtain, but from her words, it seemed not too difficult either. Qisier Man was also a member of the Redemption Church.
"Give this to Sir Qisier Man, and he will hand over the Ash Furnace to Lord Bai Ye. The town is shrouded in doom; the furnace... no longer has meaning."
The Holy Maiden took out an old-fashioned gold pocket watch. The pure gold chain was already broken, and on the back cover were engraved a few words.
'Lake, Qisier Man, Blacksmith.'
Lake was the Immortal One, Qisier Man was the 'Furnace Keeper', and as for the Blacksmith, he hadn't been seen yet.
"Follow Penitence Street north all the way, and you will find Sir Qisier Man."
The Holy Maiden sat sideways beneath the stone pillar, her voice growing softer. Before long, she began to doze off. In her sleep, her eyelashes trembled, and her body gradually curled up.
Progress was going smoothly. Taking this pocket watch and finding the short-statured Qisier Man would yield the Ash Furnace.
Su Xiao walked out of the Redemption Church, with Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha following closely. Based on the Holy Maiden's directions, Su Xiao crossed the small square and arrived at Penitence Street.
Penitence Street was about ten meters wide. The buildings on both sides were dilapidated, most already collapsed. The stone slabs on the street were covered in withered leaves and bloodstains that had dried to black.
Looking out, almost the entire Penitence Street was filled with kneeling town residents. Their clothes were tattered, their bodies reduced to skin and bones, and in their hands, each held an iron whip covered in thorns.
Seeing this scene, Su Xiao could almost picture a scene from hundreds of years ago, or even further back. The power of the Ancient God was eroding this town. The residents began to act abnormally—some went mad, while others grew black tentacles from their bodies.
The doctors had no solution, and the Redemption Church, which believed in a benevolent deity, was also helpless. In this desperate situation, the town residents knelt prostrate on this street, lashing their own backs with thorn-covered iron whips, trying through this means to confess to the unseen, unnamed existence, begging for forgiveness, even though they had no idea what they had done wrong.