A Brush with Death

"I don't have time for your boring rocket launch procedure; I have a ton of work to do."

Judas lay sprawled in a magnificent palanquin, carried aboard by eight blood-bearing palanquin bearers. As a religious icon of the Immortals Alliance, he had to maintain his dignity at all times.

I have to leave tonight.

Mr. Wood dropped us off at the intersection of Changfeng Avenue in the Aizong Mausoleum area and didn't intend to follow us any further.

He didn't intend to explain a single word of the battle reports around Baibei Port to the leader—including the reconnaissance soldiers of the Gate of Wonders and Quick Blade, as well as the recent sudden death of a Star Official; he would conceal it all and swallow his anger.

The old man was filled with trepidation, fearing that in a few days, the anonymous man who had learned of Judas's whereabouts would come knocking on his door. If Judas continued to linger at the Aizong Mausoleum, his deep-hole drilling complex would also be reduced to ruins—his ideals would be shattered, becoming nothing but a pipe dream in the flames of war.

"That's not a rocket launch procedure, my leader." Although he secretly hoped his boss would get out of there, he still stubbornly replied, "That's a deep-hole drilling project. I didn't mean to accuse you. That's it."

"Who cares?!" Although his expression wasn't visible under the mask of Yakin, Judas's impatience was evident from beneath the cloak. "Aren't they all just money-wasting junk?"

"If only you had focused your energy elsewhere, Wood! Your spiritual power is immense, and your intelligence and talent could have created something far more valuable! But you have disappointed me time and time again."

"How many times is this? How many times have you tried?"

"Tell me, starting from the surface and going underground, from selecting a site in District 67 to District 77."

"How much money did you cost me? How many people did you take away? How many blood sacrifices did you waste?"

Judas's voice grew louder and louder; he wanted to maintain his leader's demeanor in front of the cadres.

"You, your Blessed Holy Blood, and the latest version of the Lightning Star genetic configuration have indeed helped the Alliance a great deal, but what was the price?"

"This deal is a losing proposition—to be honest, I feel like I'm doing charity."

"Wood Abby, my dear Feather Lord."

"Axue has taken over Gloria Sebastian's position this time. I believe you should understand that my protective feather is not irreplaceable. Don't think that just because you have a little talent, you can rest easy and do whatever you want."

After delivering this outdated version of PUA rhetoric, Judas felt incredibly relieved. Looking at old Abby, who was bowing her head and repeatedly agreeing, he was certain that she no longer harbored any rebellious intentions. The suspicious and anxious Judas finally put his heart back in his stomach, and the anxiety brought about by Gloria's death gradually dissipated.

"And you keep emphasizing, keep talking about that gunsmith."

Wood immediately replied, "Yes, in your opinion, he's long dead."

"That's right!" Judas delight. "That's right! That's right! Abby! My dear Abby! That's how it should be! How did he die?!"

Wood: "The frail Homo sapiens could not withstand the passage of time. Everything unfolded as you predicted. The weakened and powerless Night Demon was wounded by the Stormhawk and died on the train to Balason. He died right beside Ming De's bed."

Judas: "That's right!"

Wood: "My lord is wise and will surely lead the alliance back to Eureka."

Judas: "And what else?!"

Wood: "We will definitely return to the Nine Realms, completely reshuffling the underground order. The beginning of civilization will be determined by the writers of history, and the end of civilization will be determined by you."

Judas had to leave around four in the morning, before the sunrise in Shambhala.

Wood's words made him feel elated and ecstatic—this was exactly what he wanted to hear.

Fay Foroisin, his sweet little darling, would sing to Judas every day, but after a while, he grew tired of it—after all, if you soak in warm water for too long, you lose the warmth.

His mind needed stronger stimulation; a lonely soul that had traversed the river of time needed to constantly confirm its spatiotemporal coordinates and had to make more changes, such as changing Wood's thinking.

Even just a few words of flattery, enough to make old Abby grovel before the alliance leaders, would be sufficient.

Now is the critical moment when the alliance is on the verge of collapse and its very survival is at stake. The contact in Eureka Volcano City has sent a message that as long as the cause of the "True God Cult" continues to be operated and maintained, it will not be long before this prosperous port returns to the control of the Wings of Light.

He was completely unaware of Marshal Krozo's strategic intentions. The four major ports, including Eureka, and even the capital of the agricultural region of Zura, were being harassed by Protestants. The decision-making bodies in these cities gradually began to devote themselves to charity and launder money through church-run funds—this was only the first step. The second and third steps were the reconstruction of Zero Platform.

The carriage set off again, Judas sat lazily in his chair, still dreaming of his eternal dominance.

Hahahaha

He couldn't help but chuckle, and once again thought of the loss of the cave dwellings of various units in the Southeast War Zone, and suddenly felt a strong sense of relief.

"Ming De! I laugh at your eagerness for quick success! You dare to come to Shambhala and fight me after just finishing a major battle!"

In the year or so since Pellegrini's death, all the intelligence Judas received pointed to one conclusion.

The Guangling Zhixi Battle Group is undergoing a large-scale downsizing. Soldiers who were used to the army's government stipends and had a secure job will have to return to blue-collar positions to participate in post-war reconstruction. The political challenges brought about by this ideological work are not something that can be resolved in a short time.

Judas naturally projected his own perspective onto Ming De, trying to think from the opponent's point of view.

This is the Post-Gunsmith Era, a time when the underworld is recovering from serious injuries and needs to bide its time.

Given his own administrative capabilities, maintaining the normal operation of 62 regions under the restrictions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is an extremely difficult task. This is because the United Nations Security Council does not allow the establishment of a nation Ming De. Without a mature political ideology and a strong religious body, the different laws and customs of these administrative regions will become the source of various conflicts.

The loss of Zero Platform signifies a significant return of power to local officials, resulting in a dramatic increase in management costs for the Transportation Department. The previously relatively stable, brutal order established by the cannibals has been shattered, and restoring balance to prevent a devastating civil war and chaos is proving extremely difficult – Ming De has likely already exhausted all its efforts.

This time, a large number of battle groups emerged in the southeastern Guangling Zhixi, Judas's intelligence indicated that at least 13,000 armed troops had caused multiple armed conflicts in various parts of the southeastern state.

In reality, Keshua only has a little over 2,400 men at his disposal, including two-thirds of the logistics and supply personnel. The only ones truly participating in this offensive operation are 1,200 mixed-strength brigade soldiers, mainly composed of quick-strike fighters.

This data, with its extremely large errors, made Judas increasingly convinced of his judgment.

He believed that Ming De must have lost his mind, and that the members of the think tank had fallen into a methodological error and a trap of inertia and rigid thinking.

"Everyone in the various administrative districts under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Department believes that everything will be fine as long as the Madness Butterfly Sect is driven away."

"It was this very idea that led to this long-range amphibious landing operation." Judas scoffed, "What's the point of attacking Shambhala? Is it just to solve the employment problem for the combat groups? Are you worried that the elite soldiers in various regions won't be able to find the enemy and will lose their jobs, leaving the problem of overproduction on the military industrial line unresolved?"

"Hahahaha! Ming De, you're nothing special."

"A powerful fortress is always breached from within. Don't you understand such a simple truth?"

Whether it's the words "The Gunsmith is dead" or the emptiness in their hearts, these are all symbols of the Gate of Death constantly opening and closing, repeatedly unlocking. This series of tactical intrusions initiated by [REMIX·Mixing], with its successive designs, has created the current predicament of the Immortals Alliance.

Judas believed that the problem he could not solve, neither could Ming De.

Judas believed that if a monstrous flood appeared in the Shambhala, then the Nine Realms and even the mortal world would also appear.

Because society is made up of people, and society is what its people are like—regardless of how times change.

He was trapped in a cage that had been there for ten years and had never changed.

Through the gaps in the bars, he could see a miniature version of what lay outside the cage, but he had never fought the tiger outside the cage, nor had he ever faced the threat of death—no matter how Judas, he would never confront the gunsmith directly. In the leader's mind, he always believed that the one sitting across the chessboard could only be the supreme leader of the underworld.

As for gunsmiths, these violent machines are merely pawns in a game of chess, tools in the game.

His subordinates, though ineffective against this pawn, were merely experiencing a temporary setback and could be salvaged through various operational methods.

He was more confident than ever, and more vulnerable than ever.

When he sees the gunsmith's spirit in the Hell of Traitors, he will become hysterical and lose his mind; he will be confused and astonished.

Why was this chess piece able to come directly to him, to attack him, the chess player?

Aside from being suspicious and creating his own troubles, Judas had no other thoughts. Everything proceeded according to plan, and he was not surprised at all when the army of Guangling Zhixi marched all the way to Shambhala.

All living beings on this land are like meat dogs. If a meat dog in one's household dies, it's merely a loss of property; it doesn't harm the core of the being. On the contrary, the smooth sailing and steady progress of religious undertakings in the ports of various administrative regions are the true core assets.

The more fiercely Ming De wreaked havoc in the southeast, the more anxious Judas saw it as the Black Cat —unable to catch the unseen enemy, it could only vent its anger on the banner of the Immortals Alliance.

For Judas, all of this was something that could be discarded. This alliance could change its flag, take another form, and transform itself in countless ways. It could find a suitable host and spread its branches to another land. All of this was acceptable. As soon as the enemy became obsessed with destroying a certain symbol or smashing a certain idol, they often overlooked Judas's true intentions.

For thousands of years, this has been the way of survival for alliance leaders.

Meanwhile, Wood Abby also breathed a sigh of relief.

There are only three hours left before the deep-hole drilling project officially begins.

After seeing off the leaders of the alliance, he devoted all his energy to his cause and his ideals.

While organizing resources and mobilizing construction workers from various departments, Mr. Abby could still feel a strange calling—

That was the breath of Death God, the gunsmith's call to him, a strange spiritual pressure constantly influencing his thoughts.

His days are numbered; perhaps in a few days, or perhaps just an hour or two, the gunsmith will come to him.

He only hoped that Soul Might could help him again, to delay the Night Demon and stop the advance of Death God.

Seeing her great-uncle's gloomy expression, the niece asked another question.

"Mr. Wood, are you alright?"

"He's coming. I can feel it." Wood looked out the observation window at the deep-hole drilling rigs rising from the underground palace of the complex, which represented all his hopes.

Marlene's little niece asked, "Who?"

Wood: "Death God is coming."

Marlene wasn't ready to die. Although she had tried to hypnotize herself, when she actually heard those words from her great-uncle, she still felt she hadn't lived enough and wasn't willing to leave this world like that.

"But... the Dean just left."

Wood covered his wrinkled forehead; his face resembled a dying, withered tree.

"We all have our own careers and our own ideals, whether good or bad. The priest doesn't understand, he just doesn't get it."

"When you're engrossed in your work and moving towards a goal, you don't even notice the passage of time or the changes in your environment."

"I have to get rid of him. The nameless man followed me by his scent. To ensure the plan goes smoothly, today is the last day."

"Today, I must drill down; I need to see the Earth's core."

Judas didn't know, and there were many, many things he didn't understand.

The alliance uses pure self-interest to win people's hearts and minds and build an immortal secret society; this is the core demand of most of the alliance's cadres.

But on the eve of the Immortals Alliance's imminent collapse—

--None of his three protective feathers thought that way.

While Judas was weak and powerless, Zero Platform of the Madness Butterfly Sect was uprooted by the Nameless One, Gloria Sebastian had long since established her own independent faction, seemingly waiting for this day.

To resist the emptiness brought by a long life, she wanted to pursue a brave and free life and find joy.

While Judas needed appeasement, regrouping to rebuild its corporate image and reclaim its core power in the council, Wood Abby was working hard on deep-hole drilling and didn't have the extra energy to take care of the leader.

Similarly, in order to resist the emptiness brought about by a long life, he wanted to pursue his ideals and complete his exploration.

As for the newly promoted Feather Master?

Axue is an out-and-out fanatical cultist of the Madness Butterfly, and a highly pure Guiyi Sect.

Judas couldn't rely on or confide in such a traitor with a weak will to survive.

--The Stormhawk who understood him best is dead.

Even if this Qingjin Wolfdog that ate human flesh were transformed into a noble guardian feather, its mental state might suddenly collapse one day, and it might shout "Return to One" before crashing headfirst into its Flash Butterfly body and dying.

So we hand the camera to Billy the Kid, to Fuyanni, and temporarily pan the camera to a location 16 kilometers downstream on the Mist River, where a passenger boat is sailing downstream in the turbulent waters.

Will there be any problems with Judas's last guardian feather?

"I've always been pursuing something, like butterflies and bees chasing flowers, seeking nourishment in nature in order to survive."

"Having solved the most basic problem of survival, many thoughts arose that went beyond simply eking out a living."

"Judas, if we simply continue to live, what is the meaning of living itself?"

Fay Foroisin was Judas's last feather, and also his closest, most trusted, and safest insurance policy.

At this very moment, she was sitting on the second floor of the passenger ship, directly above Billy Horn.

She wore a grey smock, concealing her face in shadow, and clutched a photograph in her hand—a picture of her with Billy Horn on the train.

--This photo is from a while ago. If your memory isn't good, then go back to Chapter 15, "Small Town Girl," in Volume 25, "Rural Life."

In this section, you can find some clues.

Fay listened to the recording of WALKMAN over and over again, focusing on what Wang Xiaomei, the announcer at the board counter, had said.

"The first love in life is like a chance encounter on a train; there will always be regrets, and youth will always be imperfect. Such a thing also happened on the journey from District 54 back to District 1 of the Nine Realms."

"To avoid disturbing my good friend's sleep, I decided to sit separately from Fuyanni and went to another carriage, where I randomly found a seat."

Another unfamiliar young woman found a seat, and I sat next to her without saying a word.

"Perhaps it was the nameless craftsman's badge that gave the girl a strange sense of security, because she actually fell asleep on my shoulder."

"So many people are coming and going, travelers are moving between the carriages, and they'll glance at me as they pass by, but I can't move an inch."

Two hours later, she stood up with a strange expression, still without saying a word, and hurriedly ran into the distance, heading towards a small town I had never heard of or seen before. And so we were separated forever, but we would meet again someday.

Fay cut off the audio from the Walkman, then stretched, yawned, and yawned.

"It's a good thing he didn't recognize me. It shows that my ability to disguise myself and my role-playing skills are already superb."

"Master, I don't understand. I can't comprehend my own actions. Why do I still want to steal a glance at him even after the mission is over?"

"Quietly approach him, spy on him from afar, or be bolder and take a nap on his shoulder."

"When I left, I felt an emptiness in my heart. I don't know, I don't understand."

"I have many [lovers]. In order to gain their favor and to obtain resources for survival, I can hypnotize myself, switch to various personalities, and change my appearance—this is how women have depended on men to survive since the time I was born."

"Sun, can you answer me?"

The great god Amon outside the window had just flown over Shaoyun Peak and over the second ridge.

The sunlight shining through the waterfall did not harm the Blood-giving Monster; on the contrary, it made her blood and energy vigorous, and her complexion became better and better.

"Billy Horn, you're not a particularly outstanding person."

"You and Fuyanni are from Bolivia. You moved to South America with your Mexican ancestral drug-traitor family."

"I know everything about you. Your father was a down-on-his-luck journalist. By his generation, the drug trade had ended. Because he frequently reported on Mexican politics, he was hunted down by gangsters hired by political parties. He fled to Brazil with his wife and children."

"You were young and ignorant, you understood nothing, you knew nothing—all you knew was that telling the truth would cost you your life, that there was no justice in this world. Your father was just taking pictures of the coastline, of the resorts and the slums, and you, an innocent child, had to say goodbye to your hometown forever."

"The life of wandering caused you to lose this family. Your mother divorced your father, taking your two younger brothers with her. You became your father's solace, until he began to fight for his own survival."

"It was a chance, unintentional reminder."

"Billy Horn, after your father had diarrhea for three months straight, you occasionally reminded this stubborn 51-year-old man that he should go to the hospital for a checkup."

"So old Horn was diagnosed with rectal cancer, which was a devastating blow to your family."

"Horn's father quit his job at the distillery, picked up his pen again, and took his camera to expose the truth of society. He returned to the US-Mexico border once more, and in the last moments of his life, he wanted you to know why he did it, to understand what this country bases its election of a president on, and what determines how millions of people live."

"In order to get medicine for your critically ill father, you followed the directions on your train ticket to the underworld, but he died before you could deliver the medicine."

"You followed this frail, sickly child to the very end, until he died in the motel, and you still didn't understand, didn't comprehend, couldn't understand—why should a twelve or thirteen-year-old child suffer like this?"

"Perhaps this money can be used for medical treatment, or as an inheritance, at least allowing little Horn to live a carefree life for a while and receive a normal education like his peers."

"You always say that if I had a more amazing dad, I would definitely become an outstanding person."

"I know everything, I've investigated it all, and I care about you so much."

"You say you want to find a rich woman to live with, regardless of whether that person is good or bad, but by following behind an unknown person, you've become a fearless anti-counterfeiting crusader."

At this point, Fay began to chuckle, a strange smile that carried a hint of mockery and envy.

"I can't believe it, I find it hard to convince myself, you're really stupid, you don't listen to advice when you do things, and you never consider the consequences."

"Getting close to you is so easy. Just pretend to be a victim, shed a few tears, and you'll see me in the slums."

"You're so excited to introduce me to everyone you know, it's really getting to me—it's making me panic."

"Every key member of JoeStar has met Fay Foroisin, this fictional character. I'm going to tell the story I've told, the life I've made up, over and over again, as if I actually believe it myself, as if I actually believe it myself."

"It seems I do have a father from a gang of thugs, an unfilial older brother, and a miserable mother."

"It seems I really am that person, Billy. I was almost scared to death when you led me to Ming De."

"You seem to have conquered all of Europe, treating me like a trophy, strapped to your motorcycle, to your horse. When you see familiar faces, you'll say—'This is my love!'"

Even when you meet strangers, you'll say, "This is my love!"

"I suddenly overlooked something."

Fay Foroisin was the feather that protected Judas.

Her true name as a spirit is [Skyborn], and her specific ability is to bring things from another world to FE33031—which is also the power of the Goddess Aio.

In other words, Judas's ability to run his business in Shambhala and maintain a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with Fay Foroisin is also a result of signing a contract with the Goddess Aio and the sun of Shambhala.

[Fay Foroisin | Dedicated to My Rose Fairy]

The description of the protective feather is a blessing that Io gave to this incarnation.

The Goddess Aio takes her name from the word "Rosery," derived from Saadi's "The Rose Garden," which primarily describes the author's more than thirty years of wandering. It portrays a diverse cast of characters, including tyrants and high-ranking officials, judges and officials, saints and priests, scholars and writers, artists and singers, merchants and travelers, lovers, woodcutters and fishermen, and more. The overall theme is a celebration of the brilliance of life.

The same applies to Lady Fay's soul power. As Judas's sentinel, this soul power has no destructive power. However, it has extremely strong vitality. Fay can pull otherworldly beings into this universe and summon another version of herself from another world.

The mission to infiltrate the Transportation Department to gather intelligence was extremely challenging for Fay, and she couldn't possibly escape unscathed every time. Qingjin, Guangling Zhixi, and many VIPs with supernatural abilities had captured her more than once, but Fay always managed to escape before the trial proceedings could begin—by dying.

As long as she dies, she can return to Shambhala "safely." Although she is no longer the previous "Fay." Not the specific Fay Foroisin herself, but another rose fairy from a parallel universe. To put it more abstractly, let's use a different metaphor.

Within the endless branches of time, countless Fay Foroisin live in different moments. They have different lives, different personalities, and some may even be men.

However, [Skyborn] allows her to be "resurrected" and "reborn" repeatedly, which is somewhat different from a clone.

Upon arriving at FE33031, the clones first had to undergo the Inspiration transformation inspired by the Goddess Aio. The newly arrived rose fairies had to gradually accept the deceased Fay, and their personalities were gradually assimilated.

Do you still remember Wen Bucai? If Wen Bucai Gaia's eldest son, then Rose Fairy is the darling of Goddess Aio. This sun imitates the Original Seed, using Fay Foroisin as a test seed to experience every detail of the material plane.

Each time Fay dies, a new "Fay" will take over her life.

Similarly, Judas regarded Fay his protective feather because of the superpower of [Skyborn], which allowed him to pull another Judas from another world, resurrect the leader of the alliance, and slowly accept his old life.

Judas would not use the power of the Rose Fairy unless absolutely necessary, Judas never believed that consciousness could be transmitted in this way—the otherworldly guest summoned by [Skyborn] was definitely not himself.

But Judas had no choice. If he were to meet with misfortune one day, [Skyborn] would become his last resort. He had to keep the banner of the Immortals flying and allow another "Judas" to live on.

Not only Fay Foroisin, but also otherworldly visitors like Wood Plark and Wang Damin were summoned by the superpowers of [Skyborn].

Returning to what Ms. Fay said—

"--I overlooked something, I think I made a mistake."

She always believed that getting close to Billy Horn was to complete a mission. The Fay, after obtaining detailed information about the gunsmith, had already committed suicide and returned to Shambhala as quickly as possible.

But things started to go strange when the next Lady Fay was summoned by [Skyborn].

She was no longer focused on the cause of the meeting and did not want to hear Judas's complaints.

She mistakenly believed it was just a side effect of her work, a chance transference, after all, she had lived for so long and knew that love was an illusion brought about by hormones.

However, after changing several bodies and altering the structure of several physical elements, Fay almost unrecognizable.

She then realized how terrifying this curse was; it wasn't just a fleeting moment in the long journey of life.

Even if she had a thousand different faces and ten thousand different bodies, she would still fall in love with this person.