286 Stars Named Sun

"Pilgrimage?"

Caramel Snail asked blankly, "You mean that Rock and Roll Girl Xia Beiluo went on a pilgrimage to the beach?"

Ring ring—

The newspaper vendor, carrying large and small bags, waded through the streets and alleys, hawking his wares. "News from September 19th! News from September 19th, 109th year of the Wandering Souls Cult calendar, half a Lingge per copy, have one!"

A passerby standing in front of the Caramel Snail was fanning himself with a fan that had the word 'KINO' printed on it in large letters; he seemed to be a fan supporting Xia Beiluo.

"Yes. You're a record fan, but you've never heard her live, have you? At the end of a rock concert in this city, she held up her blonde hair and excitedly announced to the audience: 'Next, we're going to the south of this continent, which is— the Garilinov Stone Valley, for a pilgrimage.'"

"Pilgrimage?"

"Garilinov Stone Valley, one of the eight wonders of Violet Star, is a place where artists go on pilgrimage. It's just that the route is quite remote and dangerous. I really hope she is safe and sound."

Seeing that Caramel Snail had asked so many questions, the passerby became interested. "I have a master tape here, would you like to listen to it?"

"Record?"

The Caramel Snail was even more unexpected.

"Yes, people have been recording it ever since [Source Abyss Celestial Lord]'s parish performance. She's such a good girl, beautiful, eloquent, and her singing is absolutely superb. It's a pity— Rock and Roll Girl Xia Beiluo has been traveling all the time and hasn't had a chance to send her the earnings. I wonder if she'll make it safely to the Holy Land, braving all the wind and rain along the way."

As the passerby spoke, he casually turned on the player next to him. "Come on, listen to this latest song - ' Green Sunlight '."

Just as Caramel Snail was about to listen to a song, Li Aoz suddenly said, "We're in a hurry to find her, let's go quickly."

"Hey, don't you guys listen to music? Xia Beiluo's songs are amazing, okay?"

"Wouldn't it be better to hear the real person sing?" Li Aoz casually brushed it off, then turned and left with Caramel Snail.

"Oh, what a pity. I can't share these great items anymore."

The passerby shook his head, plugged in his earphones, and began to hum along freely:

Gray snow, leaping in my pulse.

The mirror reflects a hidden childhood.

The pencil fell into the sofa cushions, like time itself, never to be seen again. To those moving forward, may your path be accompanied by sunshine.

The emerald green sunlight shines through the blood vessels.

You shouldn't back down, the wind will bring failure back. You shouldn't back down anymore, don't come back.

The green sunlight will illuminate your future.

From now on, never talk about failure again...

Xia Beiluo rode his bicycle, pedaling slowly along the railway line.

"Why not use the Soul Casino?"

Igor suddenly appeared in the back seat and questioned:

"Aren't you short of money? Use a part of your soul as a bargaining chip; it'll be better than your current financial luck. At least you'll receive more performance fees and tips."

"Oh? Cui, you actually know I'm poor."

Xia Beiluo glanced back at the male ghost with his back to her in the back seat and chuckled, "That's rare."

"I don't understand why you'd rather feed pigs, rummage through trash cans, or collect empty bottles than take a gamble."

Igor didn't look at her. "How are you going to make it to the Holy Land like this? You say you want to change people's impression of rock and roll, to bridge the gap between tradition and change—that sounds nice, but what are you going to do to change them?"

"Because I am a believer after all, even though I Taoism has become terrible, people still need the church at this stage—you don't disagree with that, do you, Cui?"

"Hmm, so what?"

"I don't like gambling, and I don't agree with the idea that just to go against traditional conservatives, we should be completely different from them and oppose what they support. I don't think change should be like that."

Xia Beiluo gripped the handrail, the autumn wind brushing past her ears, the coolness bringing her immense pleasure, and her tone softened. "You're an extreme person, and your thoughts are always so extreme. You only see the dark side of this world; black and white is wrong. Most people live in the mundane gray. If we follow Cui's methods and ideas, then there's only one path left for us."

"War."

Igor said:

"War, change requires violence, and the most thorough form of violence is war."

"What kind of talk is that? Do you think those aliens are waging war? With such advanced technology, they must be living a wonderful and peaceful life, and there are no heretical barbarians to wipe out."

"How would I know? I've never been to heaven."

Igor, propped on his knees, his expression hidden behind Sunglasses, lazily and perfunctorily delivered his lines:

"But what you said is quite interesting: since aliens can fly around everywhere, they must have resolved the war, and they certainly wouldn't do things in such an extreme way."

"Yes, that's what I think too."

Xia Beiluo squinted contentedly, his cheeks bathed in the purple sun. "My parents were low-level laborers. They worked hard all their lives and died in gang warfare. But without the church, they might not have been able to find work, let alone raise me to where I am today."

"There are traitors and corrupt flies in the church, but there are also idealists and noble warriors who are working to maintain the current order and environment. That is why I want to protect the church, because people need the church."

"But on the other hand, I met you, Igor Tsoi. Your rock and roll awakened people's hearts and made them more than just numbers in the eyes of the church. So I need you, people need you."

Igor looked up, gazing in the direction the train was coming from.

"It seems I misunderstood you. You are not so naive, but you are still innocent. Change never happens without bloodshed. This is not a tea party. Once you embark on this path, you will be at odds with the church and the entire traditional power."

"But that's why I did it."

Xia Beiluo struggled to pedal, trying to move forward up the slope:

"If anyone could easily overcome such difficulties and move forward, wouldn't the world have become a better place long ago?"

She added:

"The Garilinov Stone Valley, one of the eight wonders of the Violet Star, is so unique in its geological structure and rock characteristics that every fifty years, the sound of someone standing at the bottom of the valley shouting at sunset in autumn will be heard throughout the world."

"I want to go to the Holy Land, to play the guitar there, and let the songs of the soul be sung for the whole planet through the structure of the Holy Land."

"I once heard a priest say that there are countless races, hundreds of millions of people, and three religions in this world. Everyone has their own beliefs and speaks different languages. Due to language, cultural and geographical barriers, people cannot understand each other."

"But understanding music does not require language."

"I want to do what Cui didn't do—make Rock and Roll popular all over the world."

"I will not fight for power, but I will resist with music. I am not a warrior, nor do I deserve the glory of fighting. This is the only thing I can do."

Crunch, crunch, crunch—

The secondhand bicycle made a metallic crackling sound as the train sped along the tracks, whipping up a noisy gust of wind.

Igor raised his head, looked at the sky, and said, "Crowds are always afraid of getting hurt, so they always stand still and watch, but when someone chooses to step forward, the person who goes against the tide is always called a hero."

"Eh? What? Igor, can you say that again?"

Xia Beiluo turned his head in surprise and laughed loudly:

"The train is too loud! Say it again, what did you just say?"

"I told you something and you're all smiles; give you a little sunshine and you'll be beaming."

"Be honest, you just think I'm amazing, right! A 17-year-old genius dropout girl, traveling with a broken guitar, saving the world at the same time—wow, our story could be made into a silent movie, right?"

"Great! You can now entrust your soul to the guitar, then make movies, become a star, and do commercials. You'll immediately achieve financial freedom and embark on a successful life. Then you won't need to save the world anymore. Let whoever wants to save this broken planet do so."

"Hehe, I don't gamble."

Xia Beiluo straightened his chest. "As a believer, I will follow the Tao and uphold morality."

"As a singer, I should be as unrestrained as possible."

"As an ordinary person, I want to show everyone how far I can go through all by my own efforts."

Xia Beiluo rode his bicycle, embarking on this pilgrimage route that no one else had ever visited.

The sun cast its warm rays, making the stones scorch.

The sun is fair; it bestows its light equally upon everyone. However, trees, in the name of protection, block out some of the light, which is why we have shadows.

There's nothing wrong with shade, because excessive sunlight can also burn lichens to a crisp.

It is because of the interplay of light and shadow that this world is full of life.

It must be said that this is also a kind of ironic peace.

creak—

The secondhand bicycle stopped moving forward.

Xia Beiluo raised his head, squinting in the blazing sun as he looked at the person standing before him: he was wearing a heavy white coat and a heavy black shawl, and his spiritual energy surged like a storm.

"Xia Beiluo, 17 years old, female. Former student of Anliana Church Middle School in Suro City."

"Black hair, short men's haircut, androgynous appearance, about 1.6 meters tall, carrying a fancy guitar that doesn't match his wealth, riding a second-hand bicycle, wearing worn-out, faded jeans, a brown men's jacket, and a worker's vest."

"Xia Beiluo, you are spreading forbidden music everywhere, which violates the doctrine of the Lord of the Undead."

The newcomer raised his head, his golden mask revealing only a weeping face. He slowly raised his hand, and the Wandering Souls around him, driven by spiritual power, transformed into a scythe:

"September 19th, 049th year of the Wandering Souls Cult calendar."

"Special Class Hunter of the Spectre Church - Farman Lupin".

"By order of my Lord, I hereby deliver a verdict on heresy!"

The golden mask reflected the sunlight, the scythe devoured the radiance, a chilling aura swept by, and its sharp edge cut across the earth.

Waaah——————

A train in the distance whistled as it sped past.