Cremation and Language

Although these are vegetarian buns, they are much cleaner than the previous pastries and are safe to eat.

Since he was already out, Su Ming bought some fruit as well.

"The Death Knell is approaching, change positions immediately!"

The voice from the dispatch center came through my earpiece.

The patrol routes and patterns of the Death Knell were closely monitored by the support team at the rear. In the event of any risk, an early warning would be issued immediately.

"Receive!"

Su Ming walked to the roadside and, together with Yise, boarded a cart.

Orcs have a very rough lifestyle; they can carry people on a cart with just a soft cushion on it.

Standard dual-use for both people and goods, suitable for mixed loading of various items.

The driver was a half-deer, with broad shoulders, long waist and legs, and short hair covered in dust.

Su Ming casually tossed him a few copper coins.

The other person's expression immediately warmed up after receiving the package. Su Ming and Yise, however, maintained aloof expressions and sat down directly.

Yuye jumped onto the car and gave the name of the next block.

The half-deer coachman responded and immediately started pulling the cart, his hooves making a crisp sound on the stone slabs.

"[There's a Intermediate Rank shaman on the left ahead.]" Jinxiu reported.

Yuye moved to the front of the cart and sat down, patting the driver on the shoulder to signal him to change routes.

The driver was somewhat puzzled.

But the customers paid well this time, so he didn't complain. He turned around, pulled the cart, and went into another alley.

The roads in Cloud Fang City are not smooth.

The cart bumped along, tumbling over Crushed Stone and potholes, the soft cushions barely offering any support.

Yise sat very steadily, but Su Ming was rocked and swayed along with him.

This made him very envious.

Gradually, Su Ming actually began to feel a sense of leisure, like she was on a trip. This went on for a while until even the wyverns of the Death Knell were tired, and she ordered them to retreat.

Throughout the entire process, there were no threatening approaches.

The support team erupted in cheers of victory.

Su Ming and his group ended their "stroll" and returned to their hideout in the slums.

The Yugan were awakened and then began to happily enjoy the food they had brought back.

****

As night fell, the Yuye suddenly perked up their ears.

The faint sound of a bone flute drifted on the wind; it was not melodious, but rather like a low sob.

The flute music was interspersed with the dull, muffled sound of wooden objects being struck.

The Yuye were identified.

"It's a funeral," she explained to Su Ming.

Death is a normal part of life, whether in a slum or not. Of course, it's more concentrated here.

Poverty, disease, fighting—all sorts of causes of death are not uncommon.

But tonight the music grew louder and louder, and the crying grew more and more frequent, interspersed with a large number of orcs' roars and howls of pain.

The scale of the operation is clearly getting larger and larger.

Su Ming opened his tablet and, through the satellite imagery, discovered eleven corpses laid out in a small open space in the slums.

Yuye went to inquire and quickly learned the relevant information.

It's the Blackstone Mine outside the city. There was a collapse today, and about thirty or forty people died.

What Su Ming saw were corpses that had been returned from the slums.

"Mr. Graves, I'd like to see him off," Yuye requested.

Were any of the deceased people you knew?

Yuye shook their heads.

"I don't know them." "It's a custom among the orcs that they'll participate if they encounter someone they don't know."

"Wait a moment," Su Ming said.

He gathered Jinxiu and Yise together and pointed to the satellite imagery.

"I intend to use these corpses as material to cast ' Comprehend Languages ' on ourselves."

When navigating orcish territory, not knowing the orc language is always a problem.

The interval for "Comprehend Languages" has passed, and Su Ming can quickly learn the orc language through this method.

Jinxiu raised her little hand.

"I am second to none when it comes to magic related to spiritual memory."

"But--"

She paused.

"Comprehend Languages" is not very suitable for the current situation.

"It's slow and inefficient; eleven corpses are only enough for one person to study."

"Do you have a better way?" Yise asked.

"Of course, use ' Memory Grasp '!" Jinxiu replied.

Su Ming and Yise were both startled.

"Wouldn't absorbing too many of these orcs' memories corrupt one's own personality?"

The "Comprehend Languages" spell, in the process of absorbing language knowledge, removes the emotions, experiences, and personality flaws from the source material, which leads to poor transmission and retention.

Jinxiu was somewhat smug.

"I am Star Fairy!"

"I can withstand a large influx of memories, which can then be categorized and processed."

****

The four of them went out the door.

Besides Su Ming, Yise, and Yuye, they also brought their younger brother Yuganr. Upon arriving at the funeral site, Su Ming discovered that a lot of branches had already been piled up in the center of the open space.

Eleven corpses, wrapped in coarse cloth and grass, lay to one side.

The deceased's family members were wiping away tears as they chopped firewood.

Someone was chopping wood when they suddenly stopped, squatted down, and cried bitterly.

[cremation?]

"Yes, the cheapest way," Yuye explained. "The cemetery plots and coffins here are very expensive."

Beside the deceased, an elderly orc bowed his head and mumbled incoherent prayers, while a woman tended to the deceased's remains.

Many orcs helped.

They dragged scrap planks from behind the shack, chopped down the old, worm-eaten beams, and threw them into the woodpile.

Some orcs were still discussing it indignantly, their tone filled with intense anger.

Su Ming inquired about the content of the conversation with Yuye.

Yuye told Su Ming that according to regulations, those who die in mining accidents are entitled to a compensation of five gold coins. However, in the end, only one coin is paid to the family.

However, this is common practice, so there's nothing strange about it.

****

Yuye didn't lead Su Ming and the others closer. Instead, she left the slum first and bought two large bundles of firewood at a nearby market.

Afterwards, the group returned to the scene.

They placed the firewood into the large pile in the center, and a family member quietly expressed their gratitude to them.

This is the local custom.

No need to know them. If you're able, send a bundle of firewood; if you're not, just gather a few branches. It's all a token of your goodwill.

This can be considered a farewell to the deceased.

Looking at the crowds coming and going around him, Yugan suddenly asked in a low voice.

"Sister, what if we die like this?"

"Will strangers help gather firewood too?" Yuye rubbed the head of Yugan.

Yes, it will.

Su Ming squatted down and helped arrange the firewood.

An imperceptible ripple passed by, sweeping over the surrounding corpses.

It was the Jinxiu residing on her forehead that began to cast its spell.

"[I'm reading memories.]" the Star Fairy said. "[Hmm, after I'm done, I need to go into a deep sleep.]"

"[Then, we'll wait for you to wake up?]" Su Ming asked.

Jinxiu replied.

[Need not.]

[You can go to sleep in a few hours.]

[Yise, don't stray too far from you.]

[I will draw you into a dream world to complete the transfer of language knowledge.] ****

During the conversation, a pebble rolled over. Su Ming picked it up and found that it was very different from the ones around it.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a piece of freshly excavated Shanyan.

He looked around and realized that these were brought from the corpses of the dead.

Many more pills were still attached to their mutilated bodies, and their families were removing them one by one.

Many of them were stained with blood.

So, outside the city, are they excavating a volcano?

Su Ming picked up a few more small stones, carefully put them into his purse.

He suddenly remembered a question.

[Once the three of us are all asleep, who will keep watch?]

Jinxiu smiled gently.

[Can't you tell? Yuye really enjoys working for us now, right?] From a work perspective, Yuye has been genuinely happy these past few days.

It ensures that both siblings are well-fed and don't have to do strenuous labor that would exhaust their bodies.

It might be dangerous.

But these dangers may not actually be worse than the life they used to have.

Anyway, people at the very bottom of society like them could become a pile of firewood at any time for various reasons.

That was assuming someone was there to collect the body.

Su Ming couldn't help but glance at the Yuye siblings.

They look much better these past few days, and the bloodshot in their eyes has faded.

I will no longer experience frequent tearing and itching.

The wounds on the siblings' hands, knees, and other parts of their bodies finally started to scab over and heal, outpacing the rate at which new wounds were being created.

Su Ming sighed.

"But for us, it's a huge reward." "Whether she can actually get it or not," Jinxiu scoffed.

The compensation payments for those who died in these mining accidents are an example.

Five gold coins might be enough to get one, but if it were fifty gold coins or more, the recipient would probably lose their life.

"Yuye is a smart child; she wouldn't do something so foolish."

Su Ming shook his head.

He cannot base the crux of the matter on the absolute rationality and clarity of others.

****

The "Memory Grasp" spell was nearing its end; the Jinxiu Sea of Mind was now full, and consciousness began to sink.

See you later.

"I've already thought of a way," Su Ming said to her. "Goodnight."

"Good night."

Jinxiu's voice fell silent. Su Ming looked around.

The sound of the bone flute still echoed.

The torch illuminated the orc's rough face, his eyes filled with suppressed weariness.

And a helpless numbness.

Su Ming looked again at the unfortunate dead.

"Excuse me for borrowing your language," he thought to himself.

****

Amidst cries and howls, the orcs lit the pile of firewood.

A crackling sound erupted, and waves of heat surged outwards, causing the crowd to take a few steps back.

The sound of the bone flute grew higher.

The coarse cloth was quickly set ablaze, and the outline of the corpse became blurred in the firelight.

The Martians were swept up by the night wind and rose in swathes into the dark sky. Su Ming and his group were not present.

They had already returned to their shack.

Su Ming gathered the materials, summoned a camera, hung it on the roof of the shack, and connected the battery.

He set up several abnormal situation wake-up mechanisms and also synchronized the monitoring data and images to the dispatch center.

Afterwards, Su Ming arranged for Yuye keep watch at night and made it clear to her that this "alchemy watchdog beast" would be with her.

"Yes, Mr. Graves," Yuye replied.

His expression remained unchanged, showing no intention of asking any further questions.

Then, Su Ming closed his eyes.

A flash of blue light appeared on his forehead—"Deep Sleep, Deep Dream!"

Su Ming was quickly pulled inside by Jinxiu, his body emitting even breathing sounds.

Yise drew water from the well, wiped her face and hair, then put her long hair up and changed into a nightgown.

She made a face at the camera and gave a peace sign. "Auntie Bay Owl, I'm so sorry!"

After that, Yise went straight to Su Ming's side and lay down next to him.

The light emanating from Su Ming's forehead spread to Yise, pulling her into the dream as well.

At the dispatch center, Katharine was taken aback.

She quickly turned her head and, sure enough, saw Zijin staring at the screen with an expression as cold as frost.

"This, Yise, is to enter the spell's range—"

Zijin rolled her eyes at her.

You think I don't know?

"... So, you won't hold it against her, will you?" Katharine asked anxiously.

"Of course not," Zijin smiled slightly, "At most, when Yise comes back, he'll break his legs!"

****

Scene change. Su Ming is now wearing the same short-sleeved shirt and casual trousers he wore on Earth.

This was his typical attire during his student days.

With a slight thought, Su Ming's clothes transformed back into a set of work clothes, the ones he wore when he worked at the Iron Ox Machinery Factory.

He simply put on a pair of sunglasses.

He had discovered these things in the Emerald Dream, so he was naturally adept at them.

The surrounding spiritual sea manifested.

What appeared before Su Ming was a matrix composed of countless memories.

Su Ming had actually seen something similar before.

That was in the Northern Lands, after he and Zijin defeated the Lords' Alliance Army and captured the opposing Feather Race mage, Zijin began to revisit and read his soul memories.

But this time is different.

Jinxiu read deeper layers of memory, and the orc's memories were fully listed.

And because there were as many as eleven people, this sea of consciousness felt completely full. Moreover, these memories were dynamic.

Standing here, Su Ming could feel the surging emotions within each memory.

Hunger, exhaustion, pain, fear...

It was as if I were being irradiated.

No wonder direct memory-reading spells can corrupt one's personality.

A flash of light appeared, and the illusory figures of Yise and Jinxiu materialized.

Su Ming's eyes widened.

He subconsciously checked himself and found that his clothes were normal.

So is Jinxiu.

Only--

Su Ming's reaction finally alerted Yise to the unusual situation.

She let out a sharp cry and then hugged herself tightly. Jinxiu looked at Yise and was also somewhat surprised by the situation.

"This happened in a dream, driven by my own will."

She guided Yise.

"Just imagine yourself wearing clothes!"

Yise tried his best to concentrate.

Sure enough, a faint light appeared, and the Rose Set materialized on her.

Su Ming then turned around and spread his hands to show his innocence.

****

Yise was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, but had no way to vent his anger.

She could only shift her attention and look around.

"These are the orcish language memories we're meant to absorb?"

"Actually, you've arrived a bit early," Jinxiu said. "I haven't completely cleaned out all the 'impurities' yet." "But since you're here—"

Jinxiu didn't mind having two more assistants.

She decisively led the two of them to another part of the memory space.

This area is much more spacious now.

"This is the area where the orc's childhood memories are preserved."

"I've been cleaning up until I was eight years old."

"Just smash those memories that have nothing to do with language."

Jinxiu originally wanted to wait for Su Ming to ask her how to smash her memories.

But then they saw that Su Ming had already conjured Thorn Long Whip at his waist.

He waved his hand.

The long whip flashes, striking through a memory.

The image of the orc child fighting with a human shattered into fragments of light, leaving only the language elements, which hovered in the air like tiny runes. "Not bad, you're very familiar with it!" Jinxiu said.

"Because of the Zhimeng Weaver," Su Ming explained, "I've visited the Emerald Dream many times."

There have been very few attempts to repair his emotional damage.

He mainly came into contact with the assassin Nastaya through dream-induced interrogation.

"Good luck!"

****

Su Ming started working.

Having confirmed that he didn't need any instruction, Jinxiu took Yise to another place for further teaching.

Yise was quite quick to learn and picked it up very soon.

In her dream, she manifested the Rose Set umbrella weapon, its surface swirling open to swiftly erase the parts of the orc's memory unrelated to language.

When some memories are shattered, a short, sharp cry escapes.

Some pieces burst open with joy. In some fragments, one might even see the image of parents, with gentle eyes, handing over half a hot pancake.

Yise paused in his movements.

"Don't be soft-hearted," Jinxiu said.

"These are not souls, but merely traces imprinted from the brains of the deceased."

"The more we leave behind, the higher our risk of contamination."

"Understood!"

Yise took a deep breath, gripped the umbrella tightly, and continued cleaning.

****

Su Ming and Yise both had strong wills, showing no signs of being tainted by the fragments of their memories.

Jinxiu was very satisfied with what she saw.

"Then I'll get started too!"

She raised her little hand, and a beautiful wreath appeared above her. Petals wrapped around the vines scattered and danced in all directions, clearing a large area in an instant.

Yise found him very familiar.

"Is this Immortal Spirit Prism Shadow's ' Unfallen Garland '?"

"It's just a copy of the weapon's appearance," Jinxiu said. "I think her weapon is really cool!"

"There are so many different kinds of dreams," Yise remarked.

She silently cleared away a few fragments of memory, her expression hesitant for a moment.

Finally, Yise couldn't help but ask.

"Is that situation... something that everyone experiences the first time they enter a dream?"

Jinxiu shook her head.

"No, that won't happen."

"This is the first time I've ever encountered someone like you walking in completely naked."

Yise was very confused. "Then why am I doing this?"

Jinxiu rested her head on her hand and thought for a moment.

"Perhaps it's related to the fact that you don't have any reservations about Su Ming."

"Or, it's simply that you're subconsciously tempting someone..."

Yise's face flushed red.

But this is her body in reality, while she is asleep.

In the dream, this manifested as a surge of emotion in Yise's spirit, almost causing him to withdraw from the Jinxiu unfolding dream world.

"Calm down, calm down!"

Jinxiu quickly comforted her.

Yise struggled to suppress his emotions and managed to calm himself down.

"I wouldn't do such a thing!" she said angrily.

"You're just restrained by morality, that's why you don't do it," Jinxiu chuckled. "It's not like you've never secretly entertained such a thought." "..."

This time, Yise had no rebuttal.

"So it's normal that dreams and subconscious thoughts sometimes reflect suppressed ideas."

"Relax, relax."

Jinxiu patted Yise on the shoulder.

"This is true of all living things."

Don't blame yourself for things you can't control.

"It's not a mistake."

Yise sighed.

What else can we do?

She murmured.