Fiendkind's Arcane Archives

The connection between a Battle Soul and a sacred artifact was arguably the very first thing Du Chen learned about the Battle God World after his reincarnation! Sacred artifacts, impervious to loss, relied on this unique, wondrous ability exclusive to Battle Gods. Du Chen could now clearly sense the general direction of the Vanishing Snow Sword! Yet, this ability was not omniscient; it couldn't tell him the exact distance to the Vanishing Snow Sword or its precise environmental conditions.

Thus, Du Chen only harbored a vague suspicion, unable to confirm whether the Ninth-rank sacred artifact Chek spoke of was indeed the Vanishing Snow Sword.

Chek pointed out the direction, then turned to Heidi and said, "You should rest and eat something with these friends first. I'm going to see the old matriarch now to learn how she plans to resolve your issue!"

After Chek departed, servants promptly arrived to arrange lodging for Du Chen and the others. Heidi went to the master's chambers, while Du Chen and his two companions, led by a servant, ventured deep into an underground tunnel. They arrived at the entrance of two rows of 'bedrooms,' which were, in reality, merely subterranean chambers with slightly smoothed walls.

"Mr. Bell Glynn, please stay here!" The servant gestured to a room for Steve, then turned to Du Chen and Xue Ji, saying, "You two, as a couple, will be staying next door..." With a slightly suggestive chuckle, the servant added, "However, due to ventilation requirements, the soundproofing in these guest rooms isn't the best! Hehe, that's just how underground rooms are!"

Xue Ji, surprisingly, missed the suggestive hint. Instead, she gazed at Du Chen anxiously, her thoughts racing: *Are we truly meant to stay together?!*

Du Chen, ever perceptive, quickly interjected, "Tonight, I'll be staying with my Eldest Brother. We brothers have many matters to discuss!"

*Phew!* Xue Ji breathed a sigh of relief. *Thank goodness, Mr. Alex's character is truly upright; he never lets me feel awkward.* But then, what did the servant mean by "poor soundproofing"? Could it be...?

Xue Ji's face flushed crimson. She stole a glance at Du Chen's sturdy physique before lowering her head and entering the bedroom.

The 'bedroom' was essentially a cave. The floor was covered with a rug woven from Huhuhu Beast fur, and a large wardrobe was carved into the wall. It was only then that the two brothers donned white robes woven from Huhuhu Beast fur, shedding the awkwardness of their nudity. For illumination, they used common beast oil lamps, such as those found in human villages—needless to say, these were undoubtedly fueled by Huhuhu Beast fat...

Soon, food arrived. As the two brothers gazed at the succulent roast meat on their plates, Steve suddenly remarked, "Almost everything in this room is connected to Huhuhu Beasts. It seems without them, the people of the City of Penance simply couldn't survive!"

Du Chen's curiosity was piqued: *What did these Huhuhu Beasts, the lifeline of the City of Penance, truly look like?* Unfortunately, the Huhuhu Beast before him had already been transformed into delicious roast meat! As the brothers ate, a sudden shriek erupted from the next room. "Take it out! I won't eat it, take it out!" This was followed by a *CRASH*, as if someone had thrown a plate.

"Xue Ji?!"

Du Chen's brow furrowed, and he swiftly launched himself into Xue Ji's bedroom. He found Xue Ji utterly pale, her finger trembling as she pointed at a plate on the ground. The servant, looking aggrieved, tried to explain, "Mistress, you are our honored guest, but... but you can't waste food like this!"

"Food?! I won't eat *this* kind of food, oh gods!" Xue Ji, uncharacteristically agitated, pointed at the food on the plate, her face ashen.

Seeing Du Chen enter, Xue Ji rushed forward, exclaiming, "Alex, their food is simply too cruel!"

Du Chen followed her gaze...

*What's wrong with it!?*

On the floor lay the body of a small beast. Its appearance struck Du Chen as somewhat familiar. *Remember the Green Gourd Beast's adorable little head?* Imagine that same long-furred, short-eared, flat-faced, rabbit-like head, magnified more than a dozen times, the size of an ox's head. Its body was covered in long, soft fur, and it had no limbs, just this single, plump form. This was a Huhuhu Beast.

The Huhuhu Beast's back had been shorn of its fur, revealing a long strip of white meat, which appeared to have been roasted over fire. Yet, it was still twitching and bouncing, like a rubber ball.

Du Chen found this strange. *It looked like "live cuisine,"* much like the live fish or silkworm pupae often eaten by nobility. While consuming living creatures was somewhat cruel, it was still just a dish. *What was the big deal!?*

The servant complained, "Mr. Alex, your wife is our only female guest, so the kitchen specially prepared the finest roasted Huhuhu Beast to entertain her. But... but she threw the plate as soon as she saw it..." A look of profound regret crossed his face. "This is a delicacy only served during family celebrations!"

"Delicacy?! I don't want this kind of delicacy!" Xue Ji exclaimed, agitated. "Alex, look at its face!"

Du Chen consciously looked, and his heart involuntarily stirred. The expression on the Huhuhu Beast's face was both pained and fawning—an incredibly bizarre sight. Its large eyes were still shedding tears. He sighed inwardly: *Eating live creatures was indeed rather cruel. It would be better to have the kitchen prepare it as roast meat instead!*

As he mused, a humble, trembling voice suddenly echoed in his ears, "Esteemed guest, please, enjoy me! Hee-ga-ga!"

Du Chen's eyes snapped open wide. The Huhuhu Beast was staring at him, pleading, "Please, eat me quickly, won't you? My back is in such unbearable pain, just eat me quickly!"

Though simple, its words were clear, logical, and reasoned! *The Huhuhu Beast is a sentient being?!*

Du Chen's Adam's apple bobbed. His stomach acid churned, and he nearly vomited the roast meat he had just consumed!

*Heavens, I've eaten a sentient being!* His scalp tingled. This wasn't a mere pig, dog, cow, or sheep; it was a talking, sentient life form! He imagined a being conversing with him one moment, only to be chewed to bits by his teeth and swallowed into his stomach the next...

Du Chen's face turned ashen. Even Steve, despite his bloody memories of Flaying, looked extremely grim!

Glancing at Xue Ji's pale face, Du Chen asked, "Do you have any other food here?"

The servant wore a wry smile. "Mr. Alex, the people of the City of Penance only have one staple food... If you don't like it, you can eat some fungi extracted from the grey sand, but eating too much of that causes severe stomach discomfort..."

"Prepare a portion of fungi for Xue Ji!" Du Chen ordered, his face dark. The retching sensation in his throat hadn't subsided. *Damn it, eating sentient beings... Perhaps I should be grateful instead? Grateful that if not for the Huhuhu Beasts, the prisoners here would probably be eating people!*

A flash of insight struck him, recalling the day he had questioned Master Grape: *"When people are hungry, they eat food. If I protect the food and let people starve to death, is that still a good deed!?"* The moment this thought resurfaced, Du Chen felt a dizzy spell, his Mind Demon seemingly about to act up again. He violently bit the tip of his tongue, the sharp pain jolting his mind clear!

He couldn't continue pondering the relationship between the City of Penance residents and the Huhuhu Beasts. To do so would lead to an inescapable knot—for at first glance, it seemed neither side was in the wrong! If he continued, his Mind Demon would know no bounds!

Du Chen silently cautioned himself. Yet, another thought lingered: he couldn't clarify the nature of good and evil himself right now. But there was one thing he *could* figure out: how Master Grape defined good and evil! *Right! I can use the Precious Scroll to determine who is right and who is wrong. That way, I can at least grasp Master Grape's moral standards!*

With this thought, Du Chen touched his nose and declared, "Release this Huhuhu Beast!"

"Release it!?" The servant was astonished.

"Yes, release it, consider it eaten by me!" Du Chen said with a slight smile. "Do we not even have this much authority?"

*They're soon to be guest consultants,* the servant thought. *So I'll listen to you; release it is!*

Moments later, Du Chen focused intensely on... his own backside! Sure enough, after the Huhuhu Beast was released, his buttocks tingled slightly. *It seems preventing a sentient being from being eaten is a good deed. So what about the reverse!?*

Du Chen then asked, "Are there any people starving to death nearby? I mean those who don't belong to your family, who are isolated and unable to sustain themselves."

The servant chuckled. "The City of Penance lacks many things, but it certainly doesn't lack the kind of people you describe!"

"Good. Take the roast meat from my room and deliver it to one such person..."

"Ah!?" The servant's eyes widened. *This Mr. Alex's way of thinking... it's truly chaotic!* Helplessly, he complied.

Suddenly, Du Chen's buttocks tingled again!

He marveled inwardly, *How strange! Both sides are good deeds? How is that possible? Wouldn't that just make me indiscriminately benevolent!?* After much contemplation, a flash of inspiration struck Du Chen. *Yes, there must be an explanation for this situation; Master Grape wouldn't mislead me with this. There absolutely is!*

And that explanation was the key to breaking through his Mind Demon!

But what was it? Du Chen rubbed his nose, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Steve whispered to Xue Ji, "Ah, my younger brother is truly too kind-hearted. He can't bear to see Huhuhu Beasts suffer, nor can he bear to see people starve to death!"

Xue Ji nodded in agreement. "Mr. Alex is indeed a good man..."

Chek returned from outside, knocking on the door, interrupting Du Chen's thoughts. "Mr. Bell Glynn, Mr. Alex, our old matriarch wishes to see you!"

The head of the Brockman family, Helen's grandmother, resided in a bunker located more than ten *li* away. Her bunker was significantly larger than Chek's, yet its tunnels and living areas were decorated just as simply: nothing but Huhuhu Beast hides and Huhuhu Beast fur... essentially, all Huhuhu Beast!

The moment Du Chen entered the old matriarch's room, his eyes suddenly lit up. Compared to the ubiquitous Huhuhu Beast products outside, this old woman's room was surprisingly... entirely filled with bookshelves! At a rough glance, there were no fewer than ten thousand volumes!

As the two brothers marveled, a benevolent voice drifted down from a bookshelf. "Heh heh, surprised? When we were banished back then, all our sacred artifacts and armaments were confiscated. But I, this old woman, have loved reading my entire life, so I pleaded with the Supreme Council, on account of my family's generations of merit, to toss these books down as well!"

Du Chen followed the sound with his gaze, finding a white-haired old woman perched atop a bookshelf, holding a scroll in her hands.

Du Chen walked over, glancing at the bookshelves as he passed. The titles of several books left a deep impression on him: *Civil Engineering*, *Agriculture and Husbandry*, *Mechanical Engineering*... He couldn't help but nod inwardly. To be exiled with such knowledge, this old woman truly possessed foresight! It was conceivable that the Brockman family's ability to forge a dominant network of bunkers over a decade ago was largely due to these very books!

The old woman patted the bookshelf. "Come up and chat!"

The two brothers exchanged smiles and leaped up. She then said, "Thank you for saving Heidi. I heard you've also met Helen. How is that child doing these days? Does she have a husband?"

Steve was quick to reply, "I heard she does. Helen's husband is Francis, a Duke from the Aethelgard Continent. He's quite capable and handsome, and he's rich, extremely rich!"

"Oh?" The old woman grinned, her gap-toothed smile surprisingly radiant. "To think that girl married a Red-Blood! That's good; Violet-Bloods and Red-Bloods are one family anyway!"

*Eldest Brother's at it again,* Du Chen thought. He forced a smile and said, "Old Matriarch, you're quite open-minded!"

The old woman chuckled. "Since the day of my banishment, I've seen no distinction between races... You two are Red-Bloods, aren't you? You must be. All exiled Violet-Bloods come from the Central Atrium, while only Red-Bloods lost in the Labyrinth of Life would suddenly appear in the Great Wilderness."

She benevolently patted both their heads and continued, "Since you've come, make yourselves at home! For hundreds of years, no one has been able to leave the City of Penance. Even you two Eight-Star Battle Gods probably have no hope either. But don't worry, I, this old woman, will speak plainly and not deceive you young ones—if you serve as guest consultants in my family, I guarantee your livelihood and safety. What do you say!?"

Du Chen, the Titled Battle God, nodded with a hidden smile. He needed to first thoroughly understand the intricacies of the City of Penance before figuring out how to leave. Thus, the Brockman family was an excellent choice!

The old woman's eyes squinted with a smile. "Wonderful! Our family now has eight Eight-Star Battle Gods; we're certainly one of the top families in the City of Penance!" Her expression then turned serious. "Since you're joining my family, I, this old woman, will speak directly. You're aware of the Ninth-rank sacred artifact that suddenly appeared the day before yesterday, and its appearance was very close in time to your own... Does it have anything to do with you two?"

She looked at the two brothers.

Du Chen was confused himself. The timing of the Vanishing Snow Sword's separation from him wasn't an issue, but its location was a huge problem. He recalled the scene upon regaining consciousness—Du Chen and his two companions were sprawled in the mud, with only the small lock hanging from his waist, Steve's Flaying knife hidden in his mouth, and the tree seed clutched in his hand remaining.

In such a posture, Du Chen and his companions couldn't have fallen from the sky, as that would have killed the severely injured Xue Ji instantly! So, did they emerge from the ground? That wasn't right either; it couldn't explain why the Vanishing Snow Sword, Constantine, and the Green Gourd Beast were all far away from them, or why they didn't emerge from the same location!

*How they entered the City of Penance was a major mystery!*

Du Chen offered a wry smile. "Old Matriarch, do you truly believe two Eight-Star Battle Gods like us could possess a Ninth-rank sacred artifact?" Until he understood the situation, Du Chen would absolutely not reveal the truth!

The old woman nodded, silently concurring. Yet, that Ninth-rank sacred artifact was rumored to have an owner. *Could others have also arrived in the City of Penance?*

She slowly closed the scroll in her hands. "Very well then. However, the allied forces of the Nine Great Families are pressing closer, all for that sacred artifact. We will have to rely on you two brothers when the time comes!"

This was a subtle hint to leave, and Du Chen was about to take his leave when his gaze fell upon the scroll in the old woman's hand. He was startled. *"History of Legal Changes in the Supreme Council?"*

The old woman waved the book she was holding. "Heh heh, there are rules everywhere. I'm reading this to formulate a set of rules for my family to survive. Interested? Take it and have a look!" She handed the book to Du Chen.

Du Chen hesitated. "There should be many secrets concerning Violet-Bloods in here, shouldn't there? Is it appropriate for me to read it?"

"I've already told you, in my eyes, there are no racial distinctions!" she sighed leisurely. "The Supreme Council killed my three sons, two daughters, and four grandsons... This old woman holds a grudge, and she'd be thrilled to leak the Supreme Council's secrets to the four winds! Besides, even if you knew these things, could you get out and tell others?"

She hopped down from the bookshelf, smiling. "You'll know in the future. Anyone from the Brockman family can read any book here freely, but there's one rule..." She threatened fiercely, "Anyone who dares to dirty a single page, I, this old woman, will punish them by making them copy an entire bookshelf of books!"

After the old matriarch left, Steve joked, "If that old woman were fifty years younger, I'd woo her!"

"Eldest Brother, I don't care who you woo, but please stop trying to set me up with wives!" Du Chen grumbled, his face falling, as he walked towards the bookshelves. Relying on his superhuman vision and memory, he began flipping through the catalogs book by book.

Steve pouted. "If I don't find you a wife, who will!? Heavens, Third Brother, you're already eighteen; it's time to get married!"

Du Chen rolled his eyes. "Why don't *you* mention that you're already twenty-three? If you're not in a hurry, why should I be!? Damn it!" Du Chen suddenly cried out, thrilled. "This trip to the City of Penance wasn't in vain! Ha, Eldest Brother, quickly help me go through these books!" He hastily pulled out a thick stack of books according to the catalog, tossing them onto the carpet with a thud, and exclaimed joyfully, "I bet this place holds more secrets of the Fiendkind than anywhere else, aside from the Supreme Council itself!"

Steve's expression shifted, but he asked uncertainly, "What's so special about the Fiendkind's secrets!?"

Du Chen clicked his tongue in wonder, his gaze fixed intently on the books. "Only here, under all of heaven, could we possibly uncover so many secrets... Heavens above!"

Steve's curiosity was finally piqued. "What have you found!?"

Du Chen smiled mysteriously. "Do you know why our Maternal Grandfather disappeared? Do you know why the Fiendkind could rise again after Lans Island sank? Do you know the origins of Alex and Belmonde—my daughter and son!? Do you know the current whereabouts of our Maternal Grandfather, Byron-Gale...?"

He slapped a book with a *thwack*. "If you don't know, then come and read these books. Here lie most of the Fiendkind's secrets!"