Chapter 1732: Not Asking About Benefits, Only About Funerals
After resting nearby for one night, it wasn't until the next morning that Xu Huo and the others discovered that the retired high-ranking official from Heiss had driven himself out—the 019 District had an ample supply of free flying vehicles, so most families didn't own cars, and everyone was accustomed to this mode of travel. This Mr. Wei usually used free flying vehicles as well, but today he had driven himself.
"Isn't that a coincidence?" Zhao Yiming said. "He's going straight from home to the 'Seventeen Faces' activity lecture hall, won't even get out of the car halfway. No chance to make a move."
"Then let's go to the lecture hall first." Jiao Hongyuan checked the location. "It's still some distance from here. I can strike when that Wei guy gets out of the car."
This was the best plan, so the group of four headed to the lecture hall. Mr. Wei hadn't arrived yet. Zhao Yiming and Meng Xiaoman would handle the first step, with Jiao Hongyuan assisting from the side to avoid any mistakes. Xu Huo entered the lecture hall first.
At this time, the morning ceremony of "Seventeen Faces" had already concluded. Residents living nearby had returned home, and the only person still in the lecture hall was the lecturer hired by the religion—who was, of course, also a believer.
The lecturer was packing up to rest when he saw Xu Huo walk in. He stopped and asked him, "What troubles you, child?"
A very familiar routine.
Of course, aside from a few exceptions, most religions were quite polite.
"I'd like to wait for a friend here," Xu Huo said. "Sorry for the disturbance."
"No problem, you're welcome to use this place." The lecturer raised his hand, displaying the religion's magnanimity. "We welcome all friends, both inside and outside the faith."
The lecturer seemed in no hurry to leave. He walked toward Xu Huo. "Child, do you know what this place is?"
Xu Huo nodded. "The place where the 'Seventeen Faces Sect' holds its ceremonies."
"Would you like to learn about my faith?" The lecturer smiled, stopping in front of him. "Choosing to enter the lecture hall at this time—you and Seventeen Faces share a deep connection."
Xu Huo assumed an attentive expression.
The lecturer sat down two seats away from him and began to preach the doctrines of Seventeen Faces.
No religion remains static. Religions controlled by people, like people themselves, undergo changes in ideology. Over time, they gradually expand their doctrines to better align with the public's inner thoughts and attract more followers.
Seventeen Faces was no different. Its doctrines were nothing special—essentially, sin brings punishment, virtue brings reward, good and evil are settled after death, or the consequences of one's actions are passed down to descendants. In short, it taught the living to do good. Additionally, considering the overall situation of the 019 District, Seventeen Faces also served a psychological counseling function, emphasizing inner peace.
Xu Huo followed along, asking some questions. The lecturer answered them all, even expanding on them, and subtly touched on special professional identities and social circumstances, likely trying to attract more players.
"Is there really an afterlife?" Xu Huo asked again. "The 019 District has advanced technology, yet so many sophisticated instruments can't capture a person's soul. How can we be sure there's a world after death?"
"The living cultivate not only their physical bodies but also their souls. As for what the afterlife is like, only those with great insight can glimpse it during their lifetime, and it's very difficult to describe to others. What we obtain is merely a thousandth or ten-thousandth of what these people have revealed." The lecturer spoke with confidence.
Xu Huo nodded slightly. "Can I understand it this way: whether a person is alive or dead, their cultivation never ends?"
The lecturer smiled and nodded.
"If that's the case, then while alive, people cultivate the body; after death, they continue to cultivate the soul. When transitioning between these two states, the physical body is abandoned. Once abandoned, it is no longer a vessel for cultivation and becomes something unimportant?" Xu Huo continued.
"You can't say that," the lecturer replied. "The physical body supports us as we walk through the human world. Once the soul is cultivated, it can detach from the body, but that doesn't mean the body is useless. It should still be treated with care. Sending off the soul and burying the body marks both the end and the beginning of life—not only the conclusion of the deceased's journey but also a spiritual sustenance for others."
"One's own birth, aging, sickness, and death, as well as those of others, are each person's own lesson."
Xu Huo seemed thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "I have no relatives or friends in the 019 District. If I die, will my fellow believers in the sect collect my body?"
The lecturer showed a compassionate expression. "Don't be so pessimistic about your future... As long as you appear in the 019 District wearing the Seventeen Faces emblem, any fellow believer who sees you will take responsibility for all matters after your death."
"Can I apply in advance?" Xu Huo continued. "I can't live permanently in the 019 District, and the district won't approve a cemetery for an outsider. Can I apply to the sect for Seventeen Faces to handle my burial?"
The lecturer had probably never encountered someone who, instead of asking about membership benefits, first asked about funeral arrangements. Under Xu Huo's persistent questioning, he opened his notebook, registered his name, and gave him a Seventeen Faces religious emblem. "If that day truly comes, Seventeen Faces will do its utmost to arrange everything for you."
"Thank you." Xu Huo put away the emblem and turned his gaze to the entrance. Mr. Wei walked in looking displeased, muttering about bad luck. Seeing the lecturer, he said first, "A lot of my things have been stolen. Send a message to my family first."
The lecturer did as asked, briefly inquired about the situation, and then prepared to take him out of the lecture hall.
As they passed by Xu Huo, the lecturer told him to make himself at home.
Mr. Wei casually glanced at him, the same way one might look at a passerby walking toward them on the street.
Watching the two leave, Xu Huo looked at the religious symbol placed at the front of the lecture platform. He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.
At that moment, to anyone watching, he looked exactly like a devout believer.
The lecturer and Mr. Wei went to the office in the back.
Mr. Wei's main purpose for this trip was to make a donation.
After retirement, his salary was not low. Combined with the wealth he had accumulated in his youth, he lived a very comfortable life. His children were outstanding and sent him money regularly. Beyond his living expenses, he would periodically donate a sum to Seventeen Faces.
The lecturer knew the whole story and sighed. "We don't lack money here. Keep some for your retirement."
The two were clearly very familiar. Mr. Wei smiled and said, "I have plenty of retirement money. They've recently launched a new dessert—buy one for each of them."
The lecturer looked quite helpless. "Dead people really don't need to eat."
But Mr. Wei disagreed. "It's fine just to look. Life in the 019 District keeps getting better; they definitely wouldn't want to leave. When I was in my forties, they were in their twenties or thirties. Now I'm a hundred and sixty or seventy, and they're still twenty or thirty. They're all just children." (End of chapter)