Chapter 16, Soul Purgatory

I want to go! Orcus in the middle of the dark long street immediately sensed the position of the "Maple Star". He suddenly opened his eyes, put away the "eye of the sky" that consumed a lot of spiritual power, and strode to the direction of the "Maple Star" appeared. As soon as he took a step, he suddenly stopped again. At the end of the dark street, an invisible dark force poured towards him, which made him dare not act rashly.

In the vast night, a gray horse slowly stepped on the moonlight. On the saddle was a thin figure hunting in a black robe. The black cloak covered most of his face. The small half of his face exposed outside the cloak was as pale as a zombie, and the eyes hidden in the shadow of the cloak were like a black hole that devoured all the bright lights. There is no end.

"Did you hurt the wizard Batilla?" Orcus immediately saw that the other party was the murderer who injured the black wizard at a glance. This superfluous question was entirely because the other party was not a magician he knew at all. When did such a powerful magician emerge on this continent? This question shocked him.

"It's me." The visitor replied with a faint reply, and his voice was as cold as from the dark hell.

"What's your last name?"

"Yin Han."

"Dongxuan people?"

"No! I come from another world and am the messenger of God. There is a sense of joking in the words of the people.

"God's messenger?" There was a trace of ridicule on his white and handsome face, "If there are really gods in the world, then I really want to see his power."

"You will get what you want right away!" The dark magician fell lightly from the saddle, patted the horse's neck and let it go away, and then strode to Orcus. "I didn't have to pester you, but I really want to see you, the best magician in the continent of Atlandis and the most horrible magician."

"Horrible?" Orcus raised his eyebrows, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

"Yes!" The dark magician sighed gently and stood three feet away, "Your actions make me feel horrible. You are the first and only person in this world that makes me feel horrible."

The two stopped talking and only confronted each other from afar. Their clothes and robes were windless and bulging, and their beards also flew in the opposite direction. I saw a thin and short figure hunting like a hellish in a black robe; a tall figure, and a white robe floats like a fairy in heaven. The empty and quiet long streets were also covered with a strange and murderous atmosphere because of them.

"Is this 'soul purgatory'?" Xia Feng looked at the situation in front of him doubtfully and felt very surprised. After a hill less than two miles away from the dream country, Xia Feng saw a huge mudstone field, as big as four or five football fields. Like a huge scar in the green forest, it reveals the wet loess and the busy people in it. Although the sky is bright, people have worked hard in this huge deep pit like ants, digging out the soil in the pit and putting it in the back basket, and then climbing up the simple soil steps beside the pit to the rows of wooden sheds outside the pit.

This big pit is as deep as 20 or 30 floors, but people continue to dig down. From time to time, some people climb up the simple dirt ladder and roll down to the bottom of the mud pit with the dirt full of baskets, with a long and two long screams, constantly stimulating people's nerves. But the workers turned a blind eye to their fallen companions. Those who dug continued to dig the earth, and those who carried the soil continued to carry the soil. No one paid attention to those who fell or fell.

"What are they doing?" Xia Feng looked at it for a long time and still didn't understand. Those people were almost**, as dirty as clay figurines, men, women and children. If they are slaves in labor, they are more conscientious and conscious than any slave, and they work so hard that they can't even see any supervisor. But I don't know what's the use of carrying the dirt on their backs.

"This is a diamond mine," Jia Xinna hid in the tree and pointed to the deep mud pit and explained, "Those crystal diamonds and jade are buried in these soil. These people carry the soil on their backs to the ore field over there, and then filtered them little by little by others. About hundreds of baskets of soil can be screened out one or two. A diamond the size of a mung bean or one or two pieces of beautiful jade"

"That child is going to fall down!" Xia Feng suddenly exclaimed and instinctively rushed over, but Jia Xinna held her arm down. A child with a basket on his back had just climbed to the edge of the mud pit, as if he was too tired and suddenly fell weak. He rolled straight to the bottom of the pit with the basket and was immediately buried by the soil that slipped down with him.

"Dozens of people roll down here every day. You won't make a fuss if you read more." Jia Xinna looked indifferent, just like the movie scene she just saw. "There used to be two or three thousand people working in this mine, and half of them have died in a few months. Some of them died in accidents, but more of them died of heavy labor. There are more than a dozen mines like this, which create amazing wealth for the dream country and for Orcus.

"No wonder he dares to give Yan Gonghai huge financial support and build the whole continent of Atlanta into a dream country!" Xia Feng grew up in surprise and felt wrong. "If there were more than ten years in such a mine, there should be tens of thousands of people working. How can the dream country feed so many people? Where do these people come from?"

"The dream country you see is just a village in its northernmost, and people here call it a dream town." Jia Xinna pointed to the guide, "From there to the southernmost sea, this territory stretches for hundreds of miles and is full of dream countries, with a population of more than 100,000 and more than 10,000 hectares of land."

"Good boy!" Xia Feng's mouth opened wider, "It's simply a small country!"

"Why do these people work so hard?" Kunel, who had never said anything, saw the strangeness, "It seems that no one is persecuting them. Why are they so indifferent to the deaths and injuries of their companions? If they don't want to do hard labor, why don't they run away? There are no fences or guards around here.

"Because in the scope of their activities, the spell of 'painting the ground as a prison' has been applied," Jia Xinna said, pointing to the rows of wooden sheds as mineral deposits in the distance. "In addition, there are people there to record the amount of soil transported by everyone. Each of them has to complete the quantity every day. This quantity is very huge. Big, even if they only take three hours of rest a day like now, they may not be able to do their best.

"What will happen if it's not finished?"

"It will become a resentful flower tree!" Jia Xinna's voice began to tremble a little, and her indifferent expression could not hide her inner grief and indignation. "Not only that, even those who show a little sympathy for the death and injury of their companions will be enchanted and buried alive in the ground by Orcus and his disciples, so that his resentment will take root and bloom in the soil and grow into a plant. Resentment flowers and trees, contribute to the country of defending dreams with their last life.

"Nonsense!" Kunel retorted decisively, "The resentment flower is nourished by the body of the deceased, and the condensed resentment as a seed, which can only grow after a hundred years of depression. Orcus has been in this southern wilderness for only more than ten years. Will the mountains and trees of resentment come from him?

"That's why Orcus is a genius magician!" Jia Xinna sighed, "He invented this new resentment flower tree made of living people with his unrivaled genius in magic research, which can blossom in only one year."

"The resentful flowers all over the mountains" Xia Feng couldn't go on after saying half of it. He only felt that his spine was cold and his hair was straight upright. He suddenly remembered the child with flower stems on the skull he dug out, as well as his squirming and bleeding roots and lifelike appearance. How many people should be buried alive under the mountains and trees of resentment? How many grievances should there be? He, who has never believed in gods, can't help but secretly celebrate in his heart: God bless! Fortunately, all this is just a game!

Kunair's face also turned pale. Obviously, she also thought of the child who grew into a resentful flower tree. The strange situation is still fresh in her memory, so she can't believe it!

"Why?" The huge suspicion and inexplicable anger made Xia Feng almost lose his mind. He almost shouted at Jia Xina, "Why did Orcus do this? Doesn't he want to build an ideal world without slavery, killing and suffering? I'm sure he didn't deceive us, but why did he bring such a disaster to these people?

Jia Xinna couldn't answer, and Kunil was speechless. At this moment, she only heard a magnetic voice behind her answer leisurely: "Because all slavery, killing, disasters and inequality in the world come from human beings themselves, from the dirty, despicable, selfish and vicious desires in everyone's hearts. , an insatiable desire.

The three people hiding in the tree almost fell from the tree in shock. They don't need to look back. They also know who this magnetic and leisurely voice belongs to. Only one person in the whole continent has such a beautiful voice. That's the voice of Orcus!

Under the thin dawn, Orcus stood with his hands behind his back. His expression was still so calm, his figure was still so magnificent, and his silver hair was still so straight and elegant, but his originally white and handsome face was as white as a piece of mulberry paper at this moment. Xia Feng and the three of them jumped down from the tree and stood opposite Orcus side by side. Looking at Orcus's slightly sad eyes, as open as the vast moon, clear as the blue sea and blue sky, it is really difficult to connect him with any evil.

"I wanted to show you this 'soul purgatory' later," Orcus did not ask why the three of them were here, nor did he ask the whereabouts of the "Maple Star", but turned his hands to the huge pit, and his eyes were quiet and distant. "But since you have come here, I will just look at you now. Introduction, you can ask any questions and express any opinions.

"Why do you treat these people like this?" Xia Feng stared into Orcus's eyes and wanted to see the thoughts of this worldly genius, which was too difficult to imagine.

Orcus did not answer immediately, but approached the mud pit with his hands behind his back. As soon as his figure emerged from the bushes, the men, women and children who were working immediately stopped their work and saluted him with their hands together. They kept shouting "Father" with excitement and excitement, and even a huge surprise and happiness expression on their dirty and tired faces.

Okus waved his hand to everyone, and then looked back and said to Xia Feng and the others, "I just said that all the killings and disasters in the world come from human beings themselves, and the roots are in everyone's hearts." Speaking of this, Orcus pointed to his chest. "Everyone's heart is full of desires, all kinds of evil desires, power, domination, money, violence, extreme selfish desires, etc. The biggest difficulty in building a dream country is not to defeat all kinds of beasts, nor to eradicate any evil empires or dynasty. , and cleanses the sins of people's hearts. Only people with pure souls and no selfish desires can become qualified villagers in the dream country. Soul Purgatory is such a place, a melting pot that makes people feel full of their desires and stop all the evils in their nature.

"With heavier labor than animals?" Xia Feng asked, "Even their lives?"

"Labor is just a way to teach. It is far from simple as labor to turn a person into a qualified villager." Ocus sighed, "In order to achieve this goal, I even have to spread my thoughts to them in person. Even the villagers of the dream country should always accept my teachings and be alert to those dirty and despicable thoughts regenerating in their hearts."

"What if you can't teach them like this?" Xia Feng asked.

Orcus sighed helplessly: "There are always some uncultivable, hopeless and stubborn people in this world. For such a person, I can only turn him into a tree of resentment. In that case, he is at least contributing to the dream country with his life. Since all the sins in the world come from people's hearts, the establishment of a dream country should start with the souls of pure people. If 'soul purgatory' can't let them let go of their selfish desires, I have to bury them with his body.

Such words came out of Orcus's mouth so naturally, which made Xia Feng feel creepy. Looking at these workers in front of him who were more miserable than slaves, thinking about the endless resentful flower trees and the child with flower stems on his head and full of roots, Xia Feng asked sadly and indignantly asked. "For this purpose, are you going to enslave these many people and kill thousands of innocent people? Even a lot of children? What are their sins? What can't they be taught?"

"The evil desire in human hearts is innate. Even if it is just a child, the seeds of evil have taken root in his heart. In order to build the whole Atlandis into a dream country in my heart, in order for human beings to no longer have all kinds of evils, use labor to cleanse the selfish desires in people's hearts and eliminate some hopeless stubbornness, which is the price we must pay on the road of our dreams. Speaking of this, Orcus sighed sadly, "I don't want to kill, but for the noble dream of justice, for the right path of the world, violence and killing, sometimes it is also a helpless choice."

"Justice? Sublime? The right way?" Xia Feng only felt that the anger in his heart had reached its limit, which made him look extremely calm. He stared at the genius magician in front of him who seemed to be a savior. He said word by word, "No matter how beautiful, noble and magnificent the dream is, when you impose it on others with violence, it is inevitable. Towards the opposite of it - evil! I don't know what justice is, what is noble, and what is the right path, but I know that beyond all justice, nobility, dreams and right paths, there is still the greatest way for human beings, and no one can disobey a little!"

"Oh? Tell me about it!" Orcus turned around and looked at the summer breeze with great interest. Xia Feng took a deep breath and whispered with unprecedented seriousness, "That's humanity!"

"Humane?" Orcus muttered and repeated, suddenly smiled and pointed to the future Alandis in his mind, "I build a dream country without suffering for all nations. This is the greatest humanity in the world!"

Xia Feng said nothing more. He knew that he would never convince this extremely confident genius devil. Kunel looked at his father's best friend in front of him with a complicated expression, an elder who had won his respect. He secretly congratulated that his father died early, otherwise he did not know whether his father would eventually become his follower or a sworn enemy. She hesitated for a moment and suddenly asked, "If we don't accept and follow your dreams, will we also be thrown into this 'soul purgatory'?" It has even become a resentful flower tree?"

Ocus sighed sadly, "To eliminate all the sins in the world, we must first purify and eliminate the sins in people's hearts. Only people with noble souls have the right to survive in a beautiful world, which is necessary to build a dream country."

Xia Feng looked at Jia Xinna and Kuner. The three knew that they had selfish desires in their hearts. In Orcus' eyes, they were people whose hearts were not pure enough. Even if there is no evil selfish desire in his heart, the right of judgment is not in his own hands, and he may still be thrown into the "soul purgatory" in front of him as a person in need of education. Now it's time to turn against Orcus. In Xia Feng's heart, even if Orcus can let go of himself, he can never let go of Orcus for the greatest "way" in the world!

"Give me the 'Maple Star'," Orcus looked at Jia Xina calmly. "I can not pursue your sins, and even let you leave here safely."

"Can you watch us leave with the sins in our hearts?" There was a trace of sarcasm in Xia Feng's eyes. Orcus turned a blind eye to his mockery and said lightly, "This is just a delusion for the time being to cleanse the sins in everyone's hearts. For a longer-term goal, sometimes I have to make some compromises, just like a deal with Yan Gonghai, the king of Dongxuan Kingdom.

"So that's it," Xia Feng finally couldn't help laughing. "Who do you want to teach, eliminate, tolerate and support? It turns out that it's only between you. What do you think you are? Savior or God? Speaking of this, Xia Feng slowly pulled out the cicada wing knife. "Unfortunately, I never believe in any savior, let alone God. I only believe in my heart - conscience! I only believe in one kind of Tao--humanity!"

Kunil also slowly pulled out the starry sword and pointed to the magician in white robe, while Jia Xinna pulled out the dagger cat's lower waist, with an expression like a cheetah about to attack. Three characters from different worlds will finally join hands to challenge the best genius magicians on the continent for the same "Tao" in their hearts.

"Dear Kunel, you are like my own child in my mind. Do you have the heart to be my enemy? Your father knows in heaven and will be disappointed in you. Orcus's eyes were full of sadness, and then turned his eyes to Xia Feng, and his voice was indescribably lonely. "Mr. Xia, you are the wise man and talent I admire most. Can't you understand my painstaking efforts? The world is so big that no one can really understand my dream?

"I believe my father will only be proud of me!" Cunel's eyes were extremely firm and confident. Xia Feng said lightly, "I want to go with you because I understand your dream. In your words, you are so vicious and paranoid that you are completely hopeless. I have now given up your 'education' and only choose to 'clear'!"

The four stopped talking and confronted each other several feet away. The fine breeze in the early morning brings a fresh breath of the forest in the distance, and a new day is quietly coming.