In My Name, I Shall Guide You Home

"Sister, what is that?"

"Perhaps... a miracle."

As Sunday played, brilliant light illuminated the once desolate, oppressive chamber, filling it with warmth and comfort.

The music healed those the Bald Man had abused, and they all raised their heads to look at the enormous figure in midair.

Dominicus waved his baton rhythmically, moving to Sunday's music.

Across from him, countless Echoes of Old Dreams danced gracefully with each sweep of Dominicus's baton.

The children gazed at the golden sky and the dancing notes, forgetting the fear in their hearts as a spark of childhood innocence awakened within them.

The women, of course, understood what had happened. Someone had saved them. In their hearts, perhaps this moment truly was a miracle.

When the piece ended, Sunday waved away the piano and seat, his gaze gentle and compassionate as he looked at the people below.

"My name is Taiyi. With Order as my guiding principle, I forge the Seven-Hour Paradise and help all living beings leave suffering behind and find joy.

In my name, I shall guide you home!"

With that, the golden shadow behind him dissipated, and Sunday descended to the ground.

"Our benefactor."

Seeing Sunday come down, they all kowtowed in gratitude.

"Teacher."

Ning Rongrong and the others, who had been waiting outside the valley, entered after seeing the extraordinary sight within.

The sight of these people in their ragged clothes stirred a hundred emotions in their hearts.

"Rongrong, take them to town. Afterward... find them somewhere new to start their lives again."

Ning Rongrong nodded. Such things required no more than a wave of her hand.

They stepped forward to help the survivors walk back to Soul Hunting Town.

"Big brother, will I ever see you again?"

Just after Ning Rongrong and the others had arranged their rooms, a little boy stood in his doorway and timidly asked Sunday the question.

Sunday crouched down, patted his head, and smiled.

"Don't worry. If you miss me in the future, you can find me in your dreams. Beneath the Golden Hour of sweet dreams, I will wait for everyone promised an answer."

The little boy nodded at his words and returned to his room with a smile.

"Whew, I'm exhausted."

Yu Feng and the others had finished settling everyone else in, and they walked over, stretching.

Osler looked at Sunday, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Osler, if you have a question, ask. I'll answer your questions."

Noticing his unusual expression, Sunday urged him to speak.

"Teacher, does doing this mean anything? Even if we saved them today, tomorrow and the day after, one Soul Hunting team after another will still come here."

Hearing Osler's doubts, Sunday looked at Yu Feng, Ning Rongrong, and the others and asked with a smile.

"What about you? Do you feel the same way?"

They exchanged glances and nodded. It wasn't as though they had never done anything like this before,

but even when they saved these women, the women would still be sent back the next day and auctioned off at others' whims.

"You are right to feel uncertain, and that gives me great comfort.

At the very least, you haven't become the same kind of people as those exploiters."

As he spoke, Sunday headed outside.

"It's almost dawn anyway. Come take a walk with me."

They walked down the silent streets, their footsteps especially clear in the night.

"How about I tell you a story? Once it's over, perhaps you'll understand."

At Sunday's words, the others, who had been feeling rather dejected, raised their heads to look at him.

The corners of Sunday's mouth lifted, and a touch of reminiscence entered his voice.

"I have a friend who once visited a city called Belobog. It was a city shrouded in bitter winds and solid ice."

"Like the Far North?"

When Ning Rongrong heard Sunday mention solid ice, she immediately thought of the Far North, where snow lay all year round.

"More or less. Something happened there-the story of a Young Female Officer..."

They talked as they walked, continuing until the sky gradually brightened and the rosy glow of dawn spread across the horizon.

Sunday and the others stood at the entrance to Sunset Forest.

"In the end, together they defeated the Former Guardian, who had been bewitched by evil thoughts,

and the young Supreme Guardian took up the heavy burden of ensuring their survival upon that frozen land, walking toward tomorrow with apprehension and hope."

After finishing, Sunday turned to the others, who stood lost in thought. He did not disturb them, simply waiting quietly.

After a long while, Osler raised his head and looked at Sunday.

"Even if the same mistakes will still be repeated tomorrow?"

"Sometimes, success doesn't come in a single stride. Back then, I spent a very, very long time preparing for my ideal,

so long that... for a moment, even I wondered whether I could succeed. After all, it was too mad, too elusive.

But once, one of my subordinates came across me. He said I was mad, more frightening than he had imagined.

Still... at least it didn't seem like a bad thing. So I asked him a question."

Hearing Sunday say this, Ye Lingling asked curiously.

"Teacher, you have a story like that too? I've never heard anything about it. What did you ask?"

"I asked, if we failed, could we really bear the consequences?

If we failed, everything before our eyes would turn into drifting clouds, and everything would only get worse.

Would that really be right?"

"Then what did he say?"

Before Sunday could finish, Ning Rongrong asked impatiently.

Seeing Ning Rongrong's eagerness, Sunday smiled and shook his head.

"He said, how could we know the outcome without trying? Things couldn't get any worse anyway, could they?

If we really failed, he would take some beer, skip a day of work, and hide on his balcony until he had drunk it all.

After all... if we'd already failed, why not raise a toast to an imperfect tomorrow?"

They all laughed at that. How could he find the leisure to go drinking?

"What I want to tell you is that a happy home must have its foundations tamped firm, one blow at a time. That process is arduous.

You might finish tamping it down today, only for a downpour tonight to send everything back to square one. What matters is not giving up, holding firmly to your convictions, even if you fail."

"We understand, Teacher."

The uncertainty in Yu Feng's and the others' eyes was gone. They had done nothing wrong, and that was enough.

"Don't worry. Later, I'll arrange a trial for you. When the time comes, you'll know what you should do."

As Sunday spoke, he glanced back at Soul Hunting Town, which was beginning to bustle, then headed toward Sunset Forest.

"Let's go. Rongrong has made all the arrangements for them, and someone will come to pick them up. Let's get your Soul Rings."

They followed Sunday into the lush forest.

"Teacher, what kind of trial is it?"

"Yeah, are we going to fight in the Soul Fighting Arena?"

Faced with their questions, Sunday shook his head.

"In this world, there are things more important than strength. You can cultivate in the Soul Fighting Arena, but learning how to be a person happens outside it.

We're going somewhere far away-to villages, into the mountains, into the fields-to see the true face of this world."