Chapter 717: This Chapter is Very Filler

Chapter 717 This Chapter Is Quite Diluted

This was not Kallen's funeral, this was Neo's funeral.

Back then in the subterranean cavern, Kallen and Neo had successfully ambushed the redneck boy, creating an opportunity for everyone to escape, and those who could leave took the chance to go.

Only Kallen and Neo were dragged by the redneck boy by their hair and brought before Mr. Luther.

Then, Kallen stayed, and Neo left.

Before exiting the tunnel, Neo took off his mask, well, the face that belonged to him;

then he tore off the skin from his entire body, deliberately contracting some contamination to turn into a mass of complete suppuration.

The purpose of doing this was not to earn impression points from those above, but to confuse identities.

Because he did not go out as himself, but in the identity of "Kallen."

The purpose was to help Kallen preserve this official status within the Order.

Kallen fell silent.

Neo was certain that Kallen could return, and had anticipated in advance the practical problems Kallen would encounter upon returning, and was willing to sacrifice his own identity to help preserve Kallen's.

Most importantly, this decision was not carefully thought out; it must have been decided the moment he turned to leave after Mr. Luther selected Kallen.

Neo spoke up and asked, "Hey, did you cry?"

Kallen shook his head and replied, "No."

Neo raised his head again, facing Kallen with his bloody face, seemingly searching Kallen's eyes for any trace of moisture:

"How can you not cry?"

"Why should I cry?"

"If you cried..."

"What would happen?"

Neo raised his bandaged hand, gave it a gentle shake,

and said:

"I would laugh at you, what's there to cry about, what a trivial matter."

"And now?"

Neo pointed his hand forward and said, "Damn it, cry, cry your heart out for me!"

"Hehehe."

"Let's go, back to the dormitory building, it's time to hear your story, and most importantly, I can finally take off these bandages.

You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to be wrapped in these bandages every day, my body has a strong self-healing ability, new skin grows out every day and gets embedded into the bandages, every night I have to tear off a layer of skin all over again."

"That is too much of a waste of bandages."

"You brute."

"Aren't you going to attend the memorial service?"

"No."

"What a pity."

"What's a pity, have you attended few funerals?"

"I've attended quite a few, but there aren't many people in this world who can attend their own funeral, what a rare opportunity for an experience, isn't it?"

"It's fine, I instructed people to design the box for receiving condolence money to be transparent."

"Your greed is truly unsightly, aren't you afraid of people talking behind your back?"

"Hey, I gave the instruction in your name."

"Heh."

Kallen pushed Neo toward the direction of the dormitory building.

"So, what do you plan to do from now on?"

"What do you mean what to do?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Hey hey hey, it's fine if you don't cry, but please mind your tone of voice, the person in front of you right now is the guardian of your official identity, friend, you wouldn't want to start with a new identity and go through it all over again, right?

Moreover, even if you went through it again, are you sure you could encounter so many past trends and opportunities to climb this high so quickly?"

"I am asking about you."

"What can I do, isn't my memorial service being held right now."

"What about the future?"

"To be a wandering bard."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Sometimes, having no identity actually makes things more leisurely, one can... play however one wants to play."

"I'll create an identity for you, you wear a mask, promotion is very fast."

"Don't, I'm not playing on this track anymore, though I'd be willing to manage the remnants of the Light organization."

"I'm afraid if you go, it won't be to manage it, but to develop it."

"My heart always belongs to the Order."

"You've said this sentence many times, but have you noticed, the more you say it, the less confidence you have."

"That is slander!"

"You know it clearly in your own heart."

"Actually, if that identity is gone, then let it be gone, you don't know what I did before going down into the cavern."

"Went to play the stock market again?"

"Mm."

"How much leverage did you add?"

"The kind that cannot be paid back in a lifetime."

"Paying it back slowly, you should still be able to afford it."

"I don't mean that a lifetime of stipends can't pay it back, but even counting a lifetime of my own extra income, I probably still couldn't pay it back, unless you let me go plunder the vault of a small church, then maybe I could pay back the principal, not counting the interest."

"Is it that exaggerated?"

"Hey, I felt at the time that I might not come up."

"You weren't thinking about coming up, you made plans with the intention of dying inside."

"Fortunately, when I was making money before, I returned the vouchers I borrowed from Leon to him with principal and interest, otherwise if I had lost all of his family's coffin money, how embarrassing that would be. After all, that really was his whole family's coffin money."

"What else?"

"And... my car was transferred to Lemar in advance. He knows what I mean. That VIP car, have your manservant drive it back."

"So, you never intended to keep this identity either?"

"Anyone saddled with a debt they couldn't repay in a lifetime would want a change of identity, wouldn't they? The condolence money was collected in your name. Don't worry, the debt collectors won't dare snatch the vouchers from your hands."

"They wouldn't exactly dare snatch them from yours either."

"Paying debts with vouchers, isn't that only natural?"

"Then what do you call what you are doing now?"

"My identity is gone, so naturally they can't get the vouchers. Besides, do you think those black market private banks lent me vouchers to leverage stock trading out of charity? It's business, of course there are losses and gains, let alone this kind of business. Who told them not to manage their risks properly."

"In any case, I will not allow you out of my sight."

"Heh, don't worry, I wouldn't dare leave your sight either. I am just a remnant of the Light now. Without the protection of our Lord Director, I am not afraid of death, but I don't want to die a pathetic death."

"Let us be just as we were before."

"Alright."

Karen said no words of compensation or gratitude, and Neo had no need for them.

In the underground cavern, Karen had willingly triggered his hunger addiction to save him, and he was equally willing to sacrifice his own identity to preserve Karen.

Between the two of them, there had long been no need for such specific procedures to express anything.

When needed, it was enough to risk one's life to keep the other company.

"I say, don't you feel tired pushing me so slowly like this?"

"I am not tired."

"But I feel tired. Sitting in a wheelchair pushed by you isn't even as fast as me spinning the wheels myself."

"We are not rushing anywhere."

"Hey, did something happen to you?"

"We will talk once we get inside."

"Then hurry up, will you? Can we get a levitation spell?"

"There is no spiritual power left in my body."

"Injured?"

"It is gone."

Hearing this, Neo immediately reached out and grabbed Karen's arm. Though separated by bandages, his perception could still function.

"My god, it is completely empty. Did you request a new puppet from Lemar?"

"No, but the body is indeed new."

"The previous one, all gone?"

"Yes."

"Pfft..." Neo burst out laughing. "Damn, I really didn't expect that one day the grocery store could actually go bankrupt."

"Yes, all gone."

"It is nothing to you anyway, just pick it up all over again." Neo's eyes suddenly widened as he recalled the way Karen had walked all this way earlier, and he immediately growled, "Fuck! I am so damn jealous!"

"Hmm?"

"Karen, why didn't you just die inside?"

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Neo sighed and said, "Damn, then how terrifyingly fast will you walk this path a second time. This is unfair, this is so damn unfair. Genius attributes are already a discrimination against ordinary people, and now, a genius gets to take the exact same exam questions a second time."

"Walking a path already trodden, what is there to envy."

"Yes, what is there to envy. I say, can you be a bit more sincere? I think you are already calculating in your heart how to purify yourself back into a divine servant, right?"

"It is fine, I just need to prepare more. I plan to return to Allen Manor to purify into a divine servant. After all, it was there last time too."

"Then holy water on the market will be in high demand again? But I can teach you a method to save the trouble."

"Do tell."

"With your current identity, borrow a divine artifact from the Banished Space under the pretext of healing. You are a true rising political star now, it won't be hard to manage. Find a divine artifact that can produce holy water or holy light, and use it as an aid for your purification. Anyway, you have that little artifact girl who can help you deceive the artifact spirit."

"The risk is too high, I will ask Loya."

Karen suddenly thought of the harp of the Goddess Mils. Though Goddess Mils was the goddess of prostitutes, she herself was actually extremely pure. That harp could still provide divine protection in the volunteer mission this time, so providing holy water would be the simplest matter.

When the time came, the family dog could also share in the joy.

Pushing the wheelchair to the door, before Karen could reach for the doorknob, the door was opened from the inside.

A familiar, flattering canine face appeared. After opening the door, it walked over to Karen's leg and nudged him.

Karen reached out and patted its bald head.

Sitting in the wheelchair, Neo said, "Why do I feel that our Lord Ranedal treats you even better now?"

Kevin glared at Neo.

"Woof!"

Karen pushed Neo into the room, closed the door, and locked it.

Here, no one dared pry the door open unless they wished to attack the headquarters of the Whip of Order.

Neo prepared to tear at the bandages on his body, but Karen said, "Sit down, let me help you."

"Don't, no need, we don't need to be so melodramatic."

With that, Neo began to tear with a ripping sound, blood flying everywhere.

Kevin immediately backed away, terrified that his golden fur would be soiled.

Karen stood where he was, letting the bloody water splatter onto his clothes.

Because Neo's self-healing ability was too astonishing, if one were too gentle, the bandages could not be torn off, and doing it slowly would only cause more pain.

From the inner room, little Conna walked out upon hearing the noise, holding Pu'er in her arms.

Karen played no guessing games and actively removed his mask.

Little Conna smiled.

Pu'er in her arms was still fast asleep, likely from drinking wine. On its head, it wore a small white flower.

Kevin saw it and immediately went, "Woof, woof, woof."

Little Conna looked down, took off the small white flower, and said, "I saw many white flowers outside, so I picked some and came back."

At this moment, Pu'er finally woke up slowly. It looked at Karen with some confusion, blinked, then knitted its brows, and subsequently grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Dreaming again, meow."

Karen walked over and took Pu'er from little Conna's arms.

The familiar posture, the familiar position, the familiar chest. Pu'er began to stretch its fleshy paws while its feline face rubbed against Karen's chest. Its tail gave a gentle flick, quickly finding Karen's finger to wrap around it.

Then, it suddenly jerked its head up, looking up at Karen.

"You are back, meow!"

"Yes, I am back."

Puar pouted, leaping down from Cullen's shoulders. "Little Conna, come here and keep me company in the bath. I reek of alcohol, and this is hardly proper etiquette for hosting a guest."

Little Conna frowned and asked, "His return should be a joyous occasion, so why must you torture me?"

Despite her deep dissatisfaction, Little Conna followed Puar into the washroom. Once the door clicked shut, she turned around and saw Puar sitting on the edge of the bathtub, tears falling one by one like pearls from a severed string.

"You are crying."

"No, it is just the steam."

"But I have not turned on the water yet."

"Do not turn it on yet then, and hold your tongue."

Little Conna crouched down, peering closely at Puar. "Why are your emotions fluctuating so violently?"

"Because my little Cullen is truly back, meow!" Puar wiped at her tears with a feline paw, a smile breaking through.

"I never once thought he would die." Little Conna shook her head and picked up the showerhead. "Furthermore, I do not believe now is the time for a bath."

"A woman, when facing someone she cherishes deeply, will always subconsciously strive to keep herself dignified and proper."

"Is it the same during mating?"

"Where did you read about such things?"

"A few clerical couples live on the second floor."

"Do not peek at that next time."

"I did not peek; they are simply too loud."

"Enough, help me bathe first. I am in a hurry to go out and accompany my little Cullen, meow."

Little Conna lifted the showerhead, drenching herself first before showering Puar, and then they began to lather up together.

"You are using far too much soap, this will take forever to rinse off, meow!"

"I know. I did it on purpose."

...

Neor had originally intended to go to the washroom to rinse the blood and filth from his body, but the cat had claimed it first.

He was not fastidious; he simply walked into the kitchen, retrieved a large bowl, filled it directly from the tap, and poured the water over himself.

The sight of a flayed man twisting his body in the kitchen, rubbing himself down with dishwashing liquid, was, to put it mildly, thoroughly terrifying.

Cullen stood at the kitchen doorway, watching him.

Neor spoke up, "What are you staring at? Shall I slice off a piece of meat to make sashimi for you later?"

Cullen shook his head.

Once Neor finished washing, he propped himself up with both hands, closed his eyes, and let out a long yawn akin to someone rising in the morning.

A new layer of skin had already grown back completely.

Cullen tossed over a set of clothes he had just brought out. Neor caught them, and as he dressed, he remarked, "Do you know what has been the most painful thing for me during this period?"

"Imitating me?"

"Merely imitating you is actually not difficult. What is difficult is having to imitate your sense of propriety. Honestly, it cannot have been easy for you to grow up like this. How did you manage it?"

"I suppose I just got used to it."

"Then do you know what I have been looking forward to the most during this time?"

"My returning alive?"

"One step further than that."

Neor walked out of the kitchen and retrieved a large roll of bandages from behind the living room sofa. "Come, it is your turn to be wrapped."

"Is it necessary?"

"Do you have any idea how many people have come to see you every day? Do you know how many grand figures have traveled all the way from other archdioceses just to offer their condolences? Even though I 'died,' more people came to see you than me."

"After all, you were already dead, whereas I am still alive."

"True enough. People nowadays live very pragmatic lives. By the way, have you notified that band of subordinates of yours?"

"I have. Kevin helped me make the calls."

Neor turned his head and caught sight of the large golden retriever just as he was placing the telephone receiver back onto its cradle.

Cullen returned to the bedroom, stripped off his clothes, and began to wrap himself in the bandages. Neor tapped on the doorframe and asked, "Do you need my help?"

"No need."

After a brief moment, Cullen stepped out, fully wrapped in bandages.

Neor scrutinized him from head to toe and sighed with emotion, "So I looked this hideous all this time."

Cullen reminded him, "You need to pay some attention to your own image now."

Neor touched the ring that matched the Mr. Lemar series, transforming into the guise of another middle-aged man. As he sat down on the sofa, Neor asked, "Can a new body change its appearance?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, when weaving a new body, can the appearance be altered? For instance, making a few minor, localized adjustments?"

"I have no need for that."

"Heh." Neor flipped Cullen off. "However, it seems I must find myself a new skin and properly design my new image. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Just do not choose a female mask."

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from outside. Kevin, who had been lying on his mat, immediately arose and trotted over, skillfully flicking the door lock open with a canine paw.

Vick was the first to enter. He glanced at the unfamiliar man sitting on the sofa and shrugged.

Ventura, Muri, Leon, and Philomena followed in close succession. Some went to pour water, while others found places to sit and chatted among themselves.

Evidently, they all knew exactly who had been masquerading as the bandaged "Cullen" all this time; Neor had not hidden the truth from them in this matter, for they belonged to Cullen's direct lineage of believers.

Everyone shared the same conviction, which was that Cullen would undoubtedly return, a belief fostered by Alfred's daily sessions of ideological education, so there was not much grief among them.

Alfred was the last to enter, holding a pack of cigarettes.

Upon stepping inside, Alfred went straight to the bandaged figure sitting on the sofa and dropped to one knee.

This single action left everyone else stunned.

Alfred took a deep breath, lifted his gaze, and said, "Young Master, I knew you would surely return in safety. Any hardship or danger is destined only to become a stepping stone on your path to greatness."

Vick instantly shifted his gaze to the unfamiliar middle-aged man, Neor, and then back to the bandaged figure.

In that instant, as if springs had been installed beneath his thighs, he bounded up and knelt down upon one knee, his right hand clenched into a fist and pressed against his chest:

"Respectful greetings on your return!"

Vick was the most panicked of them all, because down in the cavern, it was he who had issued the command for the entire unit to retreat.

Though he knew what he had done was right, the most appropriate choice under those conditions, there were times when doing the right thing did not necessarily guarantee a favorable outcome.

At last, the others understood, their faces lighting up with a sudden, joyful wonder as they all dropped to one knee before Cullen:

"Welcome back, Your Eminence!"

"Welcome back, Your Eminence!"

Seated on the sofa, Neo made a show of standing up, smoothing his clothes as he teased, "Should I fit in with the crowd too, and give you a kneel?"

Cullen replied, "Then shall I join you as well?"

Hearing this, Alfred immediately led the way in rising, and the others quickly followed suit.

Cullen had instructed them many times before that within this team of his, there was to be no endless kneeling.

It was just that in the heat of emotion, coupled with this extraordinary occasion, nothing short of a kneel felt respectful enough; when the atmosphere reached such heights, it always demanded some form of expression.

"Everyone, please sit."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Some went to pour water, some to fetch ice, some to slice fruit, some to prepare refreshments, and some to open a fresh pack of cigarettes.

Only Philomena actually sat down right away.

Little Conna walked out of the washroom just then with Purr perched on her head; Purr then leaped onto Cullen's shoulder, her cat tail swaying restlessly, gently brushing against his neck.

"How about I hold you instead?"

Purr shook her head. "Not a good idea, meow. We are about to discuss serious matters. Look at that foolish dog."

Kevin, sitting on the rug, had already propped his gold-rimmed glasses upon his nose, bearing the distinct air of a canine scholar.

With everything prepared, Cullen lifted the glass of ice water before him with one hand, parted the bandages over his mouth with the other to take a sip, and spoke:

"Let me share with everyone what happened down in the cavern."

Alfred began to rummage through his pockets; Vic, Leon, Muri, and Ventura all did the same, and Philomena, mimicking them, joined in the motion.

Then Alfred produced a notebook, ready to take dictation, and the others brought out theirs as well; Philomena came up empty.

With a sweep of his tail, Kevin brushed a sheet of paper and a fountain pen over to her, flashing her a warm, doggy smile.

Next came the hour of Cullen's narration.

To these people, he had no need for reservations; he could afford to be as transparent as possible.

Furthermore, throughout the telling, Cullen strove to be as straightforward as he could, adding no embellishments and employing no grand rhetorical flourishes.

The trouble was, certain events, even completely stripped of rhetoric, remained far more staggering and exhilarating than any poetic devices could ever make them.

To everyone present, Cullen's account was nothing less than the reenactment of a miracle!

Alfred was already too breathless with excitement to breathe, and the faces of the others were flushed with a deep crimson.

Especially when Cullen reached the part: "I have finally mastered the method to sustain the Awakening..."

The moment Cullen opened his palm and a golden chain materialized, everyone in the room instantly surged to their feet, save for the cat, the dog, and the dragon.

Little Conna was simply bewildered; she possessed an innate, visceral aversion to miracles—no, to gods;

Kevin and Purr, however, had their tails standing straight up in sheer excitement!

Kevin knew exactly what this chain signified: it meant that the young man before him had truly embarked upon the very same path as *that* person from back then, inheriting the same mystical authority!

Purr's feline eyes widened to their limits; in that instant, the young mistress's thoughts transcended countless dimensions, the very first realization to anchor itself in her consciousness being:

"Oh my goodness, meow, the God of Order has truly become a son-in-law to my Allen family?"

The others stood in an awe-struck, solemn trance.

Previously, they had all undergone the baptism of the Allen Manor lecture hall, becoming Cullen's believers, with Alfred overseeing the doctrinal sermons; yet much of it had still felt like a grand, far-off hope for the future.

They were like the original disciples flanking a deity in the pages of mythology, the first generation of inner-circle followers, destined to be painted onto future murals... it was all a promise of tomorrow.

But now,

as Cullen displayed this golden chain of Order, everyone understood that the future... was no longer distant. At this very moment, what they were living through was the tangible texture of a mural they could actually touch!

Their superior, the master they followed, was now... the God of Order itself!

Yes, although Cullen had always emphasized to Alfred the rejection of the traditional concept of a "deity," and Alfred, as the preacher, would propagate that line, how could such a deeply ingrained concept ever be entirely rewritten?

One must remember that those seated here were all Priests of Order, most born into families devoted to Order for generations.

The concept of the God of Order had long been etched into the depths of their souls. Alfred understood this perfectly, which was why he occasionally chose to turn a blind eye, allowing the flock’s primal devotion to the God of Order to be transferred onto his young master, adding at most a new definition: the New Order.

Consequently, the hearts of the crowd were boiling over; the deity had awakened, and they were the god's innermost circle of disciples, their names destined to be carved forever into the annals of the Church.

Crossing his hands over his chest, Alfred intoned softly, "Praise be to Order."

Everyone rose as one, voices uniting: "Praise be to Order."

Cullen deliberately sought to dilute this heavy religious atmosphere, joking, "So next time you all find yourselves in danger, try to keep your corpses as intact as possible; that way, you can live a second time."

Alas, the jest failed to land as intended, sparking instead an even wilder fervor.

Philomena spoke up, asking, "If one dies right now, can they become one of the Twelve Knights of Order?"

Neo immediately clapped his hands. "Exactly. Spots are limited; I suggest you all swallow poison and commit suicide immediately."

Regaining his composure, Alfred sat back down and began to envision the scene before him, his fountain pen sketching rapidly in his notebook: the others surrounding the young master, with a golden chain of Order manifesting in the young master's hand.

In this singular moment, the ideal had truly broken through into reality.

Waiting for the collective excitement to simmer down, Cullen lifted Purr from his shoulder into his embrace, saying softly:

"Our symbiotic covenant has been dissolved."

Purr nodded. "Yes, meow."

Then her gaze shifted, her two paw-pads tapping together in front of her, adopting a posture that read entirely as, *'Well, what should we do about that then? You call the shots.'*

Cullen smiled. "Let us sign a new symbiotic covenant."

"Alright, meow."

Little Conna sidled over just then, tugging at Cullen's shoulder as she asked, "Why aren't you signing a symbiotic covenant with me?"

Purr looked at Little Conna and said gently, "Once signed, you must take a bath three times a day."

Little Conna frowned immediately. "And if I don't sign it?"

"Twice, meow," Purr added. "For a master-servant covenant, it is once a day."

Little Conna nodded. "Then let's sign the master-servant covenant."

This was not Purr tricking the little bone dragon; rather, Little Conna needed to undergo regular developmental checks at the research institute. If they discovered the master-servant covenant was gone from her system, her rations for the subsequent growth phases would be cut off.

The Church of Order would only continue to "provender" her out of regard for her status as Cullen's "thrall."

The harsh reality was that without the backing of the Church of Order, Cullen could not possibly afford to raise a dragon on his own right now, unless he was willing to accept the consequence of her stunted growth.

Seeing that the others had quieted down, Cullen swept his gaze across the room and spoke: "The primary task for the next phase is..."

Instantly, everyone held their pens, meticulously preparing to take notes.

If their previous notebook-keeping had carried a touch of mere formality, then now, the words flowing from the tips of their pens were suddenly infused with a profound sense of the sacred.

This recording was no mere notebook, but clearly a divine decree!

Everyone held their breath in rapt attention, waiting for the first commandment of God.

Then, the divine will descended, and upon everyone’s notebook appeared this incomparably solemn sentence:

[God said: Let me first become a servant of God.]