# Chapter 5: Morros' Wonderful Life
Morros in the compartment remained silent. In truth, the Kodo School's stance and philosophy were quite vague; they seemed more like they were exploring what the Ancient Gods truly were, where they came from, whether they had weaknesses, and so on.
"A discarded old man like me, how could I possibly know where the Light King is? Are you planning to go on a pilgrimage? Better give up."
Morros sat very relaxed on the wooden chair, with an expression of having seen through everything long ago.
"Old man, you've got quite a background."
"Not really, I had my glory days for a while. The previous generation's Holy Maiden of the Kodo School almost became my wife."
Saying this, Morros seemed quite emotional and began narrating his experiences.
Originally, Morros was one of the High Priests of the Kodo School, until he became infatuated with the previous generation's Holy Maiden and took action.
The result was that, having nearly succeeded, he was tied up and "circle-kicked" by a group of believers. The previous generation's Holy Maiden, still wearing her wedding dress, was shaken—she had almost been forced into completing a wedding ceremony.
What happened afterward was simple. Morros had indeed contributed to the Kodo School, and he hadn't harmed the previous generation's Holy Maiden, at least not physically. Spiritually, that was another matter.
After deliberation among the Kodo School's high-level members, they decided to exile Morros to the godforsaken place of "Old Royal Capital·Talo" to guard the already empty branch.
That was over 30 years ago. The former High Priest Morros had now become a hunched old man.
Listening to Morros' narration, Baha felt something was increasingly off.
"Aren't you just coveting her body? You talk about mutual affection—I almost believed you."
"I was being bold and taking action. And I didn't disrespect the Holy Maiden."
"Pfft, you're despicable~"
"How can you, a bird, curse people?"
Morros and Baha stared at each other. After a moment, Morros sighed.
"Do you think someone like me would possibly know where the Light King is?"
"It's possible. You believe in the Ancient Gods."
Baha stared at Morros. Through its observation, it felt this old fellow probably knew something, but not much.
"I believe in nothing. I've been here for over 30 years, a discarded person. Let me give you some advice—don't go looking for those people from the Soul Bell Tower. They've completely gone mad. Those people twisted their own souls, trying to use this method to resist corruption. They've also created who knows how many defective containers. If you find the Light King, you might see the fragments of those defective containers."
"Oh ho ho? You know all this."
"This mouth of mine."
Morros slapped his own mouth hard. He looked at Baha for a moment, then examined Su Xiao, and said, "If I don't say anything, what will happen to me today?"
"Guess. Use your imagination as much as possible."
"Sigh, I'll just talk. A small fry like me naturally doesn't know where the Light King is, but this generation's Holy Maiden does. That's all I know. You can leave now."
Morros made a gesture of seeing them out.
"Morros, it seems you're troubled by hair loss."
"Hahaha, impossible. I'm someone who has stepped into the transcendent realm. Hair loss is nothing at all."
Morros seemed amused by Baha.
"I have a secret recipe for hair growth. Not just the top of your head—even if you apply it to your butt, hair will grow."
Baha took out a small bottle, dipped its eagle claw in, and flicked it onto the edge of Morros' hairline. Dozens of graying hairs gradually grew, extending a few centimeters before stopping.
Morros touched the top of his head, his eyes widening. Then he said, "About this generation's Holy Maiden, let's discuss it carefully. You probably don't know where the Kodo School's headquarters is, otherwise you wouldn't have come here."
Morros' face beamed with a warm smile. He had a strong obsession with hair—this was precisely why the previous generation's Holy Maiden hadn't taken a liking to him back then.
"You say kidnap the Holy Maiden? Is that okay?"
Baha looked at Morros with some "concern."
"I'm familiar with this. I did it once decades ago."
"Then you plan this operation, and we'll execute it."
"Fine, but this matter has nothing to do with me."
"Of course it has nothing to do with you."
Baha extended its eagle claw. Morros reached out and shook hands with Baha.
"Let's go, Morros. Time to kidnap the Holy Maiden."
"?"
Morros looked at Baha with confusion. He was only prepared to provide the plan, not participate in the practice. Moreover, once Su Xiao and the others left, Morros would make a run for it. But judging by Baha's intention, it clearly wanted Morros to come along.
"Don't go too far. I'm only providing opinions..."
Before Morros could finish, Baha took out a recording pen, pressed the button, and it played back the conversation between it and Morros. The content was as follows:
Baha: "You say kidnap the Holy Maiden? Is that okay?"
Morros: "I'm familiar with this. I did it once decades ago."
...
"Morros, what do you think would happen if I gave this to the people of the Kodo School?"
The recording pen flipped in Baha's claw. Morros across from him was stunned—he had suffered from the disadvantage of being uneducated.
After a moment, Morros let out a long sigh. He was considering whether to fight it out, but whether he could win was a big question.
"Wait for me a while. I'll pack my things and we'll set off. It's been a long time since I've been back to Dunk City."
Morros slapped his thigh, a smile on his old face, but inwardly he was cursing Baha's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Half an hour later, Old Royal Capital·Talo, South District, at the base of a metal tower dozens of meters high.
Looking up, the metal tower was both magnificent and uniquely intricate. The layer upon layer of entwined iron strips were only finger-width, yet they formed this massive structure—this was the architectural style of the bugs.
Morros pounded on the metal gate. This building was constructed by bugs centuries ago, called the Bug Tower, distributed in many places across the continent. All Bug Towers were connected to each other. As long as the Hollow Humming Bugs inside were still alive, long-distance teleportation could be completed, though the transmission speed wasn't fast, and there was some danger for those not strong enough.
The Hollow Humming Bug in this Bug Tower had originally died, but the local gang bought a new one at a high price from the Bug Kingdom to facilitate trade between the two sides.
With Morros' vigorous pounding, the Bug Tower's metal door opened from inside.
"Got Crystal Resin?"
A voice came from the darkness inside the door. Hearing this, Morros looked at Su Xiao and said:
"Using the Bug Tower once costs 30 Lang of Crystal Resin (Lang: unit of weight, 1 Lang = 0.972 grams)."
"No."
"No? How can you not have Crystal Resin? Don't be so stingy."
"..."
Su Xiao took out a Soul Crystal (Medium) and tossed it inside the door.
"Soul Stone? Please, come in, several of you."
The man's tone changed. Gangs like this weren't actually arrogant; on the contrary, they kept a low profile. They adhered to the principle of avoiding trouble whenever possible, but once they made an enemy, they would fight to the death.
Su Xiao walked into the Bug Tower. In the dim light, he could make out the man's appearance—his eyes were yellowish, and his face was covered in black patterns. This was a sign of corruption.
After careful observation, Su Xiao noticed that deep into various parts of the man's face, over a dozen pieces of Crystal Resin had been embedded. This slowed the rate of corruption but certainly didn't stop it.
The man ahead turned and walked up the spiral staircase. Every few steps, his head would tilt to the left and then tremble at high frequency, as if having intermittent spasms.
"This is a technique developed by the Soul Bell Tower people. Those who have stepped into the transcendent realm won't be instantly corrupted. By embedding Crystal Resin under the skin, the corruption slows down even more. Many people think the transcendent can't be corrupted, but that's not true. Everyone has moments of weakness and vulnerability."
Morros sounded somewhat emotional. The man walking ahead cursed under his breath, disliking others discussing him.
Soon, Su Xiao reached the middle section of the Bug Tower. There were no more spiral stairs above—only crisscrossing metal supports.
The surrounding metal walls were uneven, showing a dull iron-gray color. One by one, beetles emitting white light were half-embedded in the walls. These were the Hollow Humming Bugs.
"Where are you going?"
The corrupted man stood before several metal discs, adjusting the precise scales on them.
"Dunk City."
Morros' eyes showed some nostalgia. He wasn't actually opposed to or in favor of this Holy Maiden kidnapping. He had stayed in "Old Royal Capital·Talo" for too many years. The unchanging surroundings gave him a feeling that if he continued like this, he wouldn't be far from being corrupted.
"Press your hand on the wall. Gently. Don't crush the Hollow Humming Bugs. Crushing one costs 50 Lang of Crystal Resin."
The corrupted man put on a pair of magnifying glasses. After adjusting the magnification, he inserted both index fingers into the grooves of the metal discs and began adjusting the precise scales, producing faint clicking sounds.
"It's about to begin. Next time you travel, remember to prioritize our One-Legged Gang. Other gangs can't be trusted."
The corrupted man pressed the metal disc downward. Almost simultaneously, the Hollow Humming Bugs on the surrounding walls all opened their carapaces, their transparent wings vibrating, producing a buzzing insect sound.
A vibrating sensation came from Su Xiao's hand. The vibration of sound waves made the world before his eyes blur, and the surrounding spatial fluctuations gradually intensified.
Large patches of tiny light particles appeared before Su Xiao's eyes. He felt himself being rapidly pushed forward. When the world before him was no longer blurry, the buzzing sounds beside his ears gradually stopped.
"Several of you, welcome to the Bug Tower of Dunk City. If you feel nauseous and want to vomit, make sure to hold it in until you're outside."
A woman with a long braid leaned against the wall, pointing to an iron sign that read: "Vomiting at will: fine of 1 Lang Crystal Resin."
Su Xiao walked down the spiral staircase. He needed to get some Crystal Resin quickly—using Soul Crystals for every Bug Tower teleportation was too wasteful.
Exiting the Bug Tower, the sky was still overcast. The street ahead had many pedestrians. Unlike the Old Royal Capital, "Dunk City" had much better public order. The pedestrians no longer had faces full of despair and numbness. This place wasn't particularly dangerous, much less so than the Old Royal Capital.
"Morros, tell me your plan."
As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, he disappeared from his spot, penetrating space back into the Bug Tower. Baha opened an alternate space, Amu charged in, the somewhat confused Beini was kicked in by Bubu Wang's hind leg, while Bubu Wang blended into the environment.
"We..."
Morros was about to explain the plan when he found no one around. A cold wind blew, stirring the few remaining graying hairs on Morros' head.
Su Xiao had run into an acquaintance. Dark Star was indeed an Eighth Rank world, but its danger level ranged from Lv.55 to Lv.76. This meant that Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Rank contractors could all enter this world, but their initial entry areas and received missions would differ. Previously on Demon Spirit Star, Su Xiao had even encountered friendly Sixth Rank contractors.
A figure with short pink hair walked down the street. Beside her were three women and two men. Judging by their expressions, everyone was in a good mood.
"Senior Molei, is it really okay for us to come to Dunk City? This is a Seventh to Eighth Rank area. We should be mining in the Sixth Rank area."
A young man carrying mining tools spoke, glancing around vigilantly as he talked.
"Don't worry. I'm familiar with this place. I've come to Dark Star three times. As long as we don't go to the Old Royal Capital, the Last Green Land, or the Bug Kingdom, we'll be fine. Apart from occasional Willpower checks being annoying, this world isn't too bad."
Molei was full of confidence. Ever since she had gone into seclusion after the last World War, she hadn't entered fully open Primordial Worlds. Instead, she entered worlds belonging to the Apocalypse Paradise. This place was relatively safe.
As long as she didn't encounter old yinbis like Crazy Doctor, Bai Ye, or Shenfu, she, Molei, was still a Seventh Rank powerhouse!
Thinking of this, the corners of Molei's mouth curved into a graceful arc. She couldn't laugh—she was now the big shot of this team and needed to maintain a strong presence. Unless she was just too happy and couldn't help it.
"A world without old yinbis is truly beautiful."